Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Retirement
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 05-07-2019, 11:48 PM
 
Location: SW Florida
5,586 posts, read 8,375,554 times
Reputation: 11210

Advertisements

I've been retired and living on the Gulf coast of Florida for over five years, but my dream has been to move back to Southern California, where I lived for two glorious years in 1999-2001. The weather was darn-near perfect, no humidity, no mosquitoes, and I always felt like I made a too-hasty decision when I moved back east after giving it only two years. I knew I could find a reasonably priced small condo (co-op, actually) in Laguna Woods (Orange County). I knew the condo fees, taxes and other expenses would be higher, but was willing to give it a shot. I felt like if I didn't do it now, I'd always regret it.

So I go out there last weekend of April on a condo-hunting trip. I learn that the condos have radiant electric heat in the walls. Agent said it's expensive to run, so most people have space heaters. When I lived there 20 years ago, the number of times that I actually needed my heat was minimal, so it didn't seem like a big deal. Except, as the weekend went on, I realized I was miserably cold. Temps were in the 60s and down to the 50s at night. This was not an anomaly -- temps are still in the 60s and down to the 50s at night.

Came back and did some research. Found that average annual temps are mostly 50s and 60s. Even August is only 71. I could picture that space heater working overtime to warm up these old arthritic bones. And the electric bill soaring. I guess it didn't bother me 20 years ago, but now I'm almost 70 and my blood is probably thin from being in Florida for five years.

I know Florida's crazy hot and humid, but I can handle heat a lot better than I can handle cold. I decided to stay put. I'm glad I didn't move cross-country only to find out I was miserably cold and not able to run the heat because it was too expensive. Anyway, I'm not unhappy here so it's a fine second choice for me.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 05-08-2019, 01:39 AM
 
Location: moved
13,602 posts, read 9,642,269 times
Reputation: 23377
Living in an excessively capacious, drafty country-house in the Midwest, I considered myself fortunate this past winter to let the interior temperate rise to 50 deg F. Even to reach that temperature, the propane-bill was considerable. Towards the end of February it started to occur to me, that this is sheer misery, and perhaps pathological excess. So, it turned up the thermostat. It was costly.

People who venerate "four seasons" generally omit to add, that they keep their interior living-space toasty warm. If the refrigerator shuts off, because the ambient kitchen temperature is lower than the fridge interior temperature, that adoration of "four seasons" might become a bit attenuated.

But back to your points, Avalon... when I lived in SoCal, indeed, it would frequently fall below 50 deg F on January nights (outdoors)... but having then lived in an apartment, and thus profiting from radiant heat from the neighbors' units, I never ran my heater... not even once. Consider the contrasts....
To step outside during a sleepless night into 47 deg F, is very different from -7 deg F, which hasn't been entirely uncommon lately here in the Midwest, courtesy of the Polar Vortex. I may or may not be able to justify returning to SoCal for retirement, but the heating-bill alone is sufficient to justify decamping from the Midwest.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-08-2019, 03:06 AM
 
Location: Phoenix
30,081 posts, read 18,907,791 times
Reputation: 25999
Quote:
Originally Posted by Avalon08 View Post
I've been retired and living on the Gulf coast of Florida for over five years, but my dream has been to move back to Southern California, where I lived for two glorious years in 1999-2001. The weather was darn-near perfect, no humidity, no mosquitoes, and I always felt like I made a too-hasty decision when I moved back east after giving it only two years. I knew I could find a reasonably priced small condo (co-op, actually) in Laguna Woods (Orange County). I knew the condo fees, taxes and other expenses would be higher, but was willing to give it a shot. I felt like if I didn't do it now, I'd always regret it.

So I go out there last weekend of April on a condo-hunting trip. I learn that the condos have radiant electric heat in the walls. Agent said it's expensive to run, so most people have space heaters. When I lived there 20 years ago, the number of times that I actually needed my heat was minimal, so it didn't seem like a big deal. Except, as the weekend went on, I realized I was miserably cold. Temps were in the 60s and down to the 50s at night. This was not an anomaly -- temps are still in the 60s and down to the 50s at night.

Came back and did some research. Found that average annual temps are mostly 50s and 60s. Even August is only 71. I could picture that space heater working overtime to warm up these old arthritic bones. And the electric bill soaring. I guess it didn't bother me 20 years ago, but now I'm almost 70 and my blood is probably thin from being in Florida for five years.

I know Florida's crazy hot and humid, but I can handle heat a lot better than I can handle cold. I decided to stay put. I'm glad I didn't move cross-country only to find out I was miserably cold and not able to run the heat because it was too expensive. Anyway, I'm not unhappy here so it's a fine second choice for me.
Makes sense if your body does better in the heat and humidity, why move? I'm in my early 60's and still hate the humidity of the south but I wonder if that will change as I age. I would love that OC climate myself.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-08-2019, 06:02 AM
 
Location: Dayton OH
5,716 posts, read 11,280,422 times
Reputation: 13376
I lived from 2000 to end of 2017 in Lake Forest, just a few miles east of Laguna Woods in OC. I lived in a second floor apartment, and normally turned on my heater for a few hours in the evening between December and late February or early March. I had an electric heat pump, and rarely had an electric bill over $40 in winter.

Convert a condo AC unit to an AC/heat pump combo, and you won't need the radiant electric heater. Also, your research statistics are misleading. Yes, the August average temp might be 71, but is is usually in the upper 80s or low 90s in the afternoon and cools down to the 60s at night. Sometimes the night temps stay above 70, but often you can open windows in the evening, turn on a fan and it cools off nicely with no AC needed.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-08-2019, 06:48 AM
 
7,898 posts, read 7,092,882 times
Reputation: 18587
Why is your choice of a condo limited to models with radiant heat in the walls?

You seem to remember great weather including low humidity and no bugs. Do you really think that changed? Global warming is not making southern Cal cooler. Personally I would not want to move to SoCal due to the crowding and costs, but there are plenty of other choices for a warm and dry climate.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-08-2019, 06:53 AM
 
Location: Redwood City, CA
15,246 posts, read 12,886,159 times
Reputation: 54028
Quote:
Originally Posted by recycled View Post
Also, your research statistics are misleading. Yes, the August average temp might be 71, but is is usually in the upper 80s or low 90s in the afternoon and cools down to the 60s at night. Sometimes the night temps stay above 70, but often you can open windows in the evening, turn on a fan and it cools off nicely with no AC needed.

That's what I remember from living in Fullerton. I can't quite wrap my mind around the concept of being cold in Orange County.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-08-2019, 07:03 AM
 
17,318 posts, read 11,187,849 times
Reputation: 40732
Orange county isn't all only 4-5 miles from the coast or right on the coast. It borders Riverside and San Bernardino counties as well which get significantly warmer in summer and colder in winter. Winter temps in places can get into the 30s.
On the coast, temps are significantly cooler over all during the spring and summer. Many days are covered with a marine layer of clouds and fog keeping the temps cool if not cold for some people and the closer you are to the ocean, the cooler it is.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-08-2019, 07:55 AM
 
Location: SoCal
20,160 posts, read 12,710,192 times
Reputation: 16993
It’s been cold this year. We turned on the heater almost everyday this year. Recently my husband turned on the fireplace for 1 hour.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-08-2019, 08:09 AM
 
Location: Sierra Nevada Land, CA
9,455 posts, read 12,505,413 times
Reputation: 16451
Quote:
Originally Posted by Avalon08 View Post
I've been retired and living on the Gulf coast of Florida for over five years, but my dream has been to move back to Southern California, where I lived for two glorious years in 1999-2001. The weather was darn-near perfect, no humidity, no mosquitoes, and I always felt like I made a too-hasty decision when I moved back east after giving it only two years. I knew I could find a reasonably priced small condo (co-op, actually) in Laguna Woods (Orange County). I knew the condo fees, taxes and other expenses would be higher, but was willing to give it a shot. I felt like if I didn't do it now, I'd always regret it.

So I go out there last weekend of April on a condo-hunting trip. I learn that the condos have radiant electric heat in the walls. Agent said it's expensive to run, so most people have space heaters. When I lived there 20 years ago, the number of times that I actually needed my heat was minimal, so it didn't seem like a big deal. Except, as the weekend went on, I realized I was miserably cold. Temps were in the 60s and down to the 50s at night. This was not an anomaly -- temps are still in the 60s and down to the 50s at night.

Came back and did some research. Found that average annual temps are mostly 50s and 60s. Even August is only 71. I could picture that space heater working overtime to warm up these old arthritic bones. And the electric bill soaring. I guess it didn't bother me 20 years ago, but now I'm almost 70 and my blood is probably thin from being in Florida for five years.

I know Florida's crazy hot and humid, but I can handle heat a lot better than I can handle cold. I decided to stay put. I'm glad I didn't move cross-country only to find out I was miserably cold and not able to run the heat because it was too expensive. Anyway, I'm not unhappy here so it's a fine second choice for me.
I can’t help but laugh when someone calls temps in the 60s as miserably cold.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-08-2019, 08:17 AM
 
Location: Rust'n in Tustin
3,203 posts, read 3,883,533 times
Reputation: 6952
My wife and I live in Tustin. We haven't turned on our heat this year. Not even once.

Sometimes in the summer week run the AC for a few days, but that's it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:

Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Retirement

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top