Relocate to CA - Recommendations?

[eccotecc]

MNMom,

Mariposa is primarily a retirement community. It has retained its historical integrity and provides an ambiance appealing to international and national tourists visiting Yosemite. The community is rural but not isolated. The traditional box stores are available within a 45 minute drive to Merced. The roads are great and the traffic is light.

You may want to consider Davis and Folsom but be aware that Davis is a college town that caters to college students and Folsom is home to the maximum security Folsom Prison.

I would suggest you go to zillow or trulia to check out home price.

[MNMom07]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

That lower prices range will be your biggest challenge when combined with good schools.

Best bang for the buck with good schools in SoCal is the Murrieta, Temecula area. Some good friends of ours with younger children moved there for affordability.

To get an idea of public schools check out this map and zoom in to the areas in question: California School Performance Maps

Derek

Derek, I have been reading about gang issues and crime in CA. I assume Mrriet and Temecula are very safe? I have a young child so safety, good schools, and kid-friendly activities are top 3 priorities.

Thanks!

[NinaN]

Originally Posted by eccotecc

and Folsom is home to the maximum security Folsom Prison.

.

I"m pretty sure that Folsom prison has almost no impact on the people living in Folsom...except those that work there for a nice salary.

The issue is the housing price range. There are homes in the $300-350K price range, but there are not many and they are smaller and older. If that's OK, then you have options.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

I lived in Folsom for a short while, and you'd never know there was a prison on the outskirts of town. It's actually a pretty upscale place, with Intel there. Kind of the Sacto Valley version of Silicon Valley. And the schools have a ton of money. They built a state of the art theater at the high school. Lots of parks, greenbelts, path along the river, recreation at Folsom Lake, etc.

[MNMom07]

I just checked Davis and Folsom - house prices are generally way above my range of $300k-$350k so I think I'm going to check Murrieta and Temecula.