What city has climate like San Diego for less money to buy a home? (Los Angeles: place to live, prices)

[AreWeDoneYet?]

Have you considered Colorado Springs? Yes, there is snow in the winter...albeit not much, and it's very sunny and beautiful! You can also get a nice 2500+ square foot home for about $250,000!!

[tonyinsd]

Originally Posted by Woof

Isn't Austin TX supposed to have decent weather - not as good as SD, but bearable and nice much of the year? And it's supposed to be better educated and not as rightwing as the rest of Texas.

I dunno, that's just what I heard.

If you consider 100 degrees with high humidity bearable, then yes, Austin is for you. When I was selling advertising, Austin was in my territory. And it's way too hot and humid in the summer. I never went there in the winter, but it will drop below freezing.

[bloom]

a city in northern Libya or Morocco.

[mlb]

Puerto Escondido - Coastal Mexico.

Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Woof]

I don't think anywhere in Mexico would work unless you're ready to retire or have an international company you work for that could set you up.

It's hard to own property there, and ordinarily hard to find a good job from what I've heard, or start a small business.

There are a few "ideal climate" places there, Guadalajara and nearby Chapala Lake is one area full of American expats, and several coastal areas on both sides, but they're mainly either beach bums or retirees.

Originally Posted by mixxalot

Hi all,

I love it here in San Diego and have lived here for a few years but the problem is that I cannot afford to buy a decent home here. Anyways I am looking into a city that has similar qualities but affordable home prices. Would a place like Tampa or Miami be a good place to live and buy?

[Mily]

Originally Posted by littleword

how about.....drive up the california coast and check out some of the small towns north of santa barbara? housing is cheap, no traffic, "about" the same weather, worth a weekend trip?

That sounds like a great idea!!

[Nobelgirl]

Thank you all. Which city would you prefer for bike riding? We are cyclists and want to settle somewhere, during the winter months. We are considering SD or Phoenix. At this time Florida is not on the list, but not out of the question... we will probably rent before considering buying something. In the SD area, is there any special reason for La Jolla over the other areas..it is more expensive, but from what I can see, some of the other areas, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Carlsbad look interesting - does anyone have a feeling for the various areas in SD? I think Carlsbad is as far north as I would consider.

[ViennaSausages]

I've been to MANY of the cities listed above and give some quick thoughts on them all:

First - Melbourne and Sydney. Great, great cities. Sydney is a true international city (even though its not so big). Very young city with a very large beach vibe that is not unlike San Diego. Its more world-focused than San Diego is (which remains in the shadow of Los Angeles). Melbourne is a bit further south latitudinaly than San Diego is North - about the same as San Francisco. Their winters get a tad bit cooler than San Diego - and are mre akin to San Francisco. Its a very walkable and transit friendly city. Its also IMPOSSIBLY expensive. Like San Diego, its one of the cities where EVERYONE wants to be and the housing market there is absolutely nuts right now.

East coast coastal - Virginia Beach and Wilmington. Wilmington is a charming southern beach city. Quite small so if you like real cities, Wilmington is NOT for you. The downtown area is very historic. The Route 421 corridor is a mix of suburban life and more traditional southern strip mall life (think every chain restaurant in the world and big box store along a 10 mile stretch). It does have nice beaches and probably some of the best surfing in the mid-atlantic. Its also a large center for the film industry because of the variabillity in life there (city, small southern town, beach, rural south) which lends it self to a lot of filming outside of the "TMZ". On the downside, the Cape Fear area is a MAGNET for tropical storms and hurricanes and your house will get slammed once every 5 to 10 years by one of them. The weather ranges from pleasant/cool in winter to miserably hot in summer (but with some moderating ocean breezes). Virginia Beach is where I do a spring/summer trip every year. In a way its quite similar to San Diego - young and active owing to the large Navy presence (some Army too). It has a distinct city area (downtown Norfolk) and suburban zones (Va. Beach Town Center), but isn't nearly as large or as cosmopolitan as San Diego. Weather is cooler than Wilmington with at least some snow potential. Summers are quite hot/humid (but also a moderating ocean breeze).

Charlotte - large inland city. Big banking center and HQ for a lot of entities outside of the banking sector. Charlotte is growing quickly and is sprawling quickly. Major sports teams and entertainment venues. Major, major airport as its a hub for US Airways. Because its more inland than VA Beach or Wilmington, you will get snow there - more likely to get ice which people feel is worse than snow. Summers are hot/humid (see a pattern here on east coast cities?).

Phoenix - hot, hot, hot in summer. Usually dry heat which is a plus but watch out for the moonsoon seasons and haboobs. Sprawling city that is one big mass of live from Apache Junction to Surprise (when I used to visit there, Apache Junction was practically on the other side of the moon).

[Nobelgirl]

Can anyone describe the culture and walk ability of La Jolla, Solana Beach, Carlsbad, Del Mar or should we consider downtown San Diego? I think San Diego is the right place for us, but want to narrow my search. We want walk ability and we want to be nearer to holiday/vacation areas and not so much emmersed in young families, etc. also, bike riding - Carlsbad looks the most affordable but may be too far out ? Also where are the best beaches....I have read all posts on this blog. Very helpful and entertaining.

[tonyinsd]

I have a couple of friends who live in La Jolla, and they can pretty much walk to everything they want. And you can definitely ride your bike around the area. The beach there is awesome. You can't beat getting to smell the sea air all the time, although having the marine layer stick around all day long can be a bummer.

Downtown will require you to either ride your bike to the beach or take a bus. You don't want to drive there on a nice day. It's tough finding parking. But you can walk to everything, and it's a lot easier to get around using public transportation.