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The latter two towns/subdivisions appear to be pricier, but they also have a lower seismic risk than Yucaipa, according to the USGS (the south branch of the San Andreas Fault--the San Bernardino Fault--seems to cross the northern part of Yucaipa). We understand the entire area is part and parcel of "earthquake country", but we also think that there might be a greater margin of safety living further south of a major fault. Also, our insurance company--AAA--does not appear to offer earthquake insurance. Q. does anyone have earthquake insurance, or is it a figment of my imagination. thanks loads, heaps, and gobs.
In California, insurance companies that provide fire coverage to homeowners are required by law to offer earthquake coverage as well. Due to the huge losses by these companies as a result of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, most private insurers pulled out of the market altogether. For them, it was easier to stop selling fire insurance and not have to be forced to give earthquake coverage too. As a result, the California Earthquake Authority was formed to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the market by private companies. Today, most people that have earthquake insurance (estimated to be only 13% of all California homeowners) get their insurance through the CEA either directly or indirectly. There are only a small number of private insurance companies that offer stand alone earthquake policies.
The main reason so few people purchase earthquake insurance is because of the benefit actually derived from having it. The deductible on a CEA policy is 15%. In this case, the insured has to pay 15% of the value of the home, not the value of the damage. So if your house is worth say $200,000 you would have to dig in your pocket to the tune of $30,000 to cover damage before the insurance even kicks in. The policy also only covers $5,000 in loss of personal belongings. If you have more than $5,000 worth of stuff, the rest you replace on your own. It also gives you a mere $1,500 for temporary housing should you be forced out of your home. Lastly, only the house itself is covered by the policy, nothing more.
So taking the example of the $200,000 house a step further, let's just say that you also have a large detached garage, a swimming pool, and a small guest house on your property. The earthquake damages your house, totally collapses your garage, the swimming pool is cracked, and the walls of your guest house are heavily damaged too. The estimate to repair your house alone is $40,000. You pay the first $30,000 and the insurance picks up the remaining $10,000. It is next determined that it will take $70,000 to rebuild the garage, repair the pool and guest house. Since that is not covered by your earthquake insurance, you are solely responsible for the cost. In total, even with insurance, you will have to somehow come up with $100,000 to return your $200,000 house to it’s pre-earthquake condition. Once that type of scenario is laid out for the average homeowner, they quickly come to the realization that buying earthquake insurance is a waste of time. Most simply opt to take their chances and hope that nothing bad happens, and if it does, they will just apply to FEMA for a loan to rebuild.
I have read several of your posts, and the concerns you keep hitting on are earthquakes and poor air quality; two things that Southern California is notorious for. Frankly, these are not conditions that you can get around or even change. To be blunt, you need to accept these facts, put away the USGS maps, and concentrate on taking a trip out here to see if you even like the areas that you keep asking about. If you do like them, I suggest you do exactly what people in Southern California have been doing forever; not worry about things they can’t control and enjoy their lives. If you can’t do that, then relocating to the area seems neither advisable nor workable.
I’m sorry if my comments offend you in any way, but I can’t help but feel this sort of reality check is something that you seriously need right now.
I have read several of your posts, and the concerns you keep hitting on are earthquakes and poor air quality; two things that Southern California is notorious for. Frankly, these are not conditions that you can get around or even change. To be blunt, you need to accept these facts, put away the USGS maps, and concentrate on taking a trip out here to see if you even like the areas that you keep asking about. If you do like them, I suggest you do exactly what people in Southern California have been doing forever; not worry about things they can’t control and enjoy their lives. If you can’t do that, then relocating to the area seems neither advisable nor workable
You asked earlier in the thread if utility costs were normal in CA relative to the rest of the West. The answer is a resounding, "NO!". The biggest evil is undoubtedly SoCal Edison electric. Electric rates are ridiculously high, and is based heavily on how much you use relative to others that live in your region. The costs rise rapidly as you move up the various tiers of usage. In other words, it is priced in a progressive manner.
So think twice before buying a big house! Don't even consider an electric clothes dryer.
Our first electric bill last summer was $750 for the month! We quickly learned the hard way that we had to turn the thermostat dramatically, install a whole house fan and run it virtually every night, and run the ceiling fans during the day.
3) Don't forget to consider the soil type as much as the distance from the San Andreas. It might be an even more important factor!
5) If you have kids in school, there may be a wide variance in quality of schools. Redlands might be at the top, followed by Yucaipa.
6) If crime is an issue, Yucaipa beats everybody hands down. See city-data for specific rates by crime.
Good luck!
The soil in Moreno Valley consists mostly of sandy silty soil, which is conducive to the effects of liquefaction upon heavy shaking.
As for schools, Moreno Valley has many issues in this area, with most of them negative.
Crime, we all have. That said the best way to check if Moreno Valley is right for you would be to look at either the FBI crime stats, or those put out by the California Attorney Generals Office.
Don't count much on the public's knowledge of Moreno Valley crime rates. Most crime in our city never gets publicized, and occurs in pocketed areas of the city, if you don't live in an area which crime rates are high, you may feel comfortable with the city as a whole.
The NW section at one time led the city in home burglaries, and our schools are ripe with gangs, especially a new one on the scene know as Sex Cash.
Drugs sales are prevalent all around our city, however most citizens aren't aware of it because they don't know what to look for.
But as any city with a young population, and housing which at one time was the lowest in Southern California, you're going to have these same situations.
The real problem with crime is Riverside county, which is notoriously lenient on criminals. I might suggest a visit to the Riverside County on line court site, where you can see criminal cases, as well as the amount of times probation's have been violated with little or no addition punishment.
What this area needs is more jail space to end this vicious cycle.
mahalo to GoodbyCalifornia, gthorson, mom2redheads, bouncethelight and all others--we very much appreciate and value the local info.
starting and ending my day knowing that a major earthquake could happen at anytime, anywhere, and without warning is not something that one may easily accept as is also the case with understanding that my little ones are breathing in air that is less than standard quality--day-in and day-out. still, this move we must make. we will forge ahead and make the most out of CA while there, and it is a place to go, see, and do.
that said, i'm still seeking input on the most optimal areas to purchase a home, based on: quality of public schools (which have undoubtedly been hard hit by state budget cuts), safety, air quality, and traffic. my husband's field office (BLM Renewable Energy) is located in Moreno Valley but we want to live elsewhere. could someone comment on the pros/cons of living in Yucaipa (corrupt local gov?), Redlands, Highland, Woodcrest, and Orangecrest taking into account our criteria? we both want to avoid long commutes to work. we think we can afford a house priced in the range of $200,000 to $240,000 (i've seen HUD forclosures in Yucaipa for $200,000 that, from the outside, look to be decent homes). the Feds are willing to pay for up to 2 months of temp housing (provided we skip the scouting trip or take it on our own dime) so we are trying to pinpoint an area that might work for us and then look for temp housing via the internet. once on the ground, we can fully assess the options.
starting and ending my day knowing that a major earthquake could happen at anytime, anywhere, and without warning is not something that one may easily accept as is also the case with understanding that my little ones are breathing in air that is less than standard quality--day-in and day-out. still, this move we must make. we will forge ahead and make the most out of CA while there, and it is a place to go, see, and do.
You make it sound so terrible!
Honestly, Southern California is a beautiful beautiful place to live - I'm a fifth generation native - my family chose this place at the turn of the last century because it's pretty darn wonderful - and the family homestead in Riverside county is still in the family, over 100 years later.
People here don't worry much about earthquakes - the ground rumbles a little, and we all ask each other, "Did you feel that?" and then go on with our day. Sure, the 'big one' is coming - but who knows when? It could happen this year, or in ten years, or in two hundred years.
Bottom line, I've never felt an earthquake that was at all scary. You may think you're going to start and end your day worrying about a major earthquake - but believe me, that will get old really quick!
mahalo to GoodbyCalifornia, gthorson, mom2redheads, bouncethelight and all others--we very much appreciate and value the local info.
starting and ending my day knowing that a major earthquake could happen at anytime, anywhere, and without warning is not something that one may easily accept as is also the case with understanding that my little ones are breathing in air that is less than standard quality--day-in and day-out. still, this move we must make. we will forge ahead and make the most out of CA while there, and it is a place to go, see, and do.
that said, i'm still seeking input on the most optimal areas to purchase a home, based on: quality of public schools (which have undoubtedly been hard hit by state budget cuts), safety, air quality, and traffic. my husband's field office (BLM Renewable Energy) is located in Moreno Valley but we want to live elsewhere. could someone comment on the pros/cons of living in Yucaipa (corrupt local gov?), Redlands, Highland, Woodcrest, and Orangecrest taking into account our criteria? we both want to avoid long commutes to work. we think we can afford a house priced in the range of $200,000 to $240,000 (i've seen HUD forclosures in Yucaipa for $200,000 that, from the outside, look to be decent homes). the Feds are willing to pay for up to 2 months of temp housing (provided we skip the scouting trip or take it on our own dime) so we are trying to pinpoint an area that might work for us and then look for temp housing via the internet. once on the ground, we can fully assess the options.
Honestly, the best bet is either Moreno Valley or Orangecrest. Redlands, Highland (why?), and Yucaipa are pretty far out the way. The traffic can take up to an hr from San Bernardino County due to poor access in and out Moreno Valley.
All the places (Moreno Valley, Orangecrest, Woodcrest, Redlands, EAST Highland, and Yucaipa) are safe, cheap, same air quality pretty much, and do contain good and bad schools.
All are near the SAME active fault that has not had a major earthquake since 1923 (6.3 in Redlands/San Bernardino).
If you really dislike Moreno Valley that much, Orangecrest or Woodcrest is your best bet. It's the closest out of the places considered. It's also more likely going to re-appreciate faster than Yucaipa or East Highland.
Redlands does have a nice downtown, and is overall a nice city...but why waste your life commuting if you don't have to?
that said, i'm still seeking input on the most optimal areas to purchase a home, based on: quality of public schools (which have undoubtedly been hard hit by state budget cuts), safety, air quality, and traffic. my husband's field office (BLM Renewable Energy) is located in Moreno Valley but we want to live elsewhere. could someone comment on the pros/cons of living in Yucaipa (corrupt local gov?), Redlands, Highland, Woodcrest, and Orangecrest taking into account our criteria? we both want to avoid long commutes to work. we think we can afford a house priced in the range of $200,000 to $240,000 (i've seen HUD forclosures in Yucaipa for $200,000 that, from the outside, look to be decent homes). the Feds are willing to pay for up to 2 months of temp housing (provided we skip the scouting trip or take it on our own dime) so we are trying to pinpoint an area that might work for us and then look for temp housing via the internet. once on the ground, we can fully assess the options.
Personally, I'd choose Redlands (preferred) or Yucaipa. I believe the schools are strong in both. Crime is much lower in Yucaipa, although Redlands has lower crime rates than much of the Inland Empire. I moved my family to Yucaipa because of the fantastic value on great housing (relative to the rest of California), very low crime, and above average schools. In Yucaipa, you are above at least some of the smog. If housing were approximately the same cost, though, I would have chosen Redlands in a heartbeat.
mahalo for everyone's kokua--it really makes a difference to obtain on-the-ground info.
concerning Yucaipa: where are the optimal places to look for housing? we want to buy a house built on bedrock--the only choice we can make towards mitigating for potential earthquake damage....
concerning Redlands: the same Q. we've been advised to look in the areas south of the freeway.
Q. can anyone comment on the most streamlined route from Yucaipa and Redlands into Moreno Valley, i.e. what's the expected commuting time--give or take?
also, are there any rec centers in either community?
as we say in the islands, melekalikimaka to you all!
I commented earlier, but I'll echo what I probably said then and add to it.
RE: Earthquakes - they're a fact of life here....most people don't hunt for quite what you're looking for so I'm not sure it completely exists. we definitely have building codes that take earthquakes into mind, but when you move here you'll discover 99% of us don't spend any considerable amount of time worrying about an earthquake (although it's good to have a disaster preparedness kit and all that jazz)
RE: Commute from Yucaipa or Redlands into Moreno Valley - From Yucaipa I'd take Live Oak Canyon Road south from the 10 Freeway to the 60 freeway. If you're living in newer housing off Yucaipa Blvd, it would take about 35 minutes to get to the middle of Moreno Valley, another 5 minutes or so to hit the west part near Moreno Valley Mall. From Redlands you're talking 25 minutes with no traffic if you go all Freeway (10 to 215 to 60). You can also backtrack over to a similar route to what I gave for Yucaipa and Google Maps says it takes 30 minutes (should be pretty right on).
My ultimate recommendation though if work is in Moreno Valley would be to move to either Moreno Valley (north of 60 or down off Iris/Moreno Beach) or Riverside (Orangecrest or Canyon Crest neighborhoods). You're talking 15-20 minute commute from Riverside and I love the city of Riverside so I'm always going to recommend it hands-down if the commute works. Orangecrest has a brand new community center that's very nice with a library, park, gym, ball fields, and more.
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OK: one more time, for the money....
