Motorcyclist thinking of buying a home in El Centro/Imperial area (El Cajon: rent, condo)

[LMC White Collar]

Will be commuting 2x (at most 3x) per week to El Cajon/La Mesa area.

(I would purchase my home in El Cajon/La Mesa but I'm currently only approved to 400k for a home purchase and I'm not interested in a Condo or anything with less than 3 bedrooms.

My main concern: Icy/Slick conditions on either the I-8 or Highway 94. I won't have to commute 5 or even 4 days per week, but I've read that the bridges near Campo often ice over and the ice remains on the road well into the day.

I will be commuting on my motorcycle.

Are my concerns unfounded? Does CalTrans routinely salt/brine the highways so that motorists with a morning commute won't be in danger?

[1AngryTaxPayer]

The wind will be more of a concern than anything. It routinely gets high wind in the mts. AFAIK they don't de-ice anything but yes, it does even get snow once in awhile. Lots of HP out there looking for speeders.

[joosoon]

When it's cold enough for ice, the skies are crystal clear so there's zero moisture in the air to freeze. If you lived east of the 8 summit, you might once in awhile catch snow at which point the CHP just shuts it down. That's how they deal with it here. You're not going to see any of this in El Cajon or La Mesa.

[NORTY FLATZ]

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

The wind will be more of a concern than anything. It routinely gets high wind in the mts. AFAIK they don't de-ice anything but yes, it does even get snow once in awhile. Lots of HP out there looking for speeders.

OP, reread this. The gusty winds that blow thru that pass from "Desert Towers" to the Red Feather Cafe can be BRUTAL, and unexpected. There's a reason there are "catch fences" for cars/trucks on I-8 at that location. It's NOT fun on a single track vehicle.

This ride is one of my "cooler" weather rides:

94 East to the end, then down the grade on I-8. Then lunch at the Red Feather Cafe (highly recommend the Smitty Burger w/ tater tots.) Taking the Great Overland Stage Route of 1849, back to Julian for pie. Then OJH and HVR to I-15.

[TacoSoup]

Rent a hotel for a week and make that commute 2-3x that week. If you don’t think it’s so bad wait until a storm is in the forecast and do it again.

I had a couple of friends that did this back in the early 00’s due in large part because it was being played up as a viable alternative on the local news and in the UT because of how insane the market was (that I do remember). It was mostly the lack of amenities out there, and not wanting to drive to SD on the weekends because they were so over driving that finally brought them back.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

El Centro would be 4 hours a day driving with NO traffic. I'd go insane.

[Axxlrod]

Is OP talking about El Cajon or El Centro?

[NORTY FLATZ]

Looks like strictly El Cajon. Since the OP's budget is only $400k, it's too low for housing that meets they're criteria (3bd SFH.)

However, housing prices are coming down now, so if they can wait a bit, they may be able to meet that price~point in the future. Or not. It's hard to guess how low housing may go, in each specific area.

My previous post was talking about living in El Centro due to the OP's price~point. Then commuting into "civilization" (El Cajon, LOL!)

[Jeremyy17__]

Originally Posted by LMC White Collar

Will be commuting 2x (at most 3x) per week to El Cajon/La Mesa area.

(I would purchase my home in El Cajon/La Mesa but I'm currently only approved to 400k for a home purchase and I'm not interested in a Condo or anything with less than 3 bedrooms.

My main concern: Icy/Slick conditions on either the I-8 or Highway 94. I won't have to commute 5 or even 4 days per week, but I've read that the bridges near Campo often ice over and the ice remains on the road well into the day.

I will be commuting on my motorcycle.

Are my concerns unfounded? Does CalTrans routinely salt/brine the highways so that motorists with a morning commute won't be in danger?

Cal trans does have snow plies and salt to put in the roads. The Laguna Mountains get more snow than most ppl would think. This year (2022-23) they have gotten plenty of snow and ice. The winds were howling in El Centro at around 40-60 MPH while the winds going up the Mountain Springs grade into the Laguna Mountains were upwarda of 70-100MPH.
There are occasional times that Cal trans ****s down Interstate 8 but most odt he time its clear. Just be sure to check the washer for the days you're going.

El Centro also has pleasant weather, occasionally rain and wind storms, but overall its usually sunny.