Left Coast May19th (San Diego, Long Beach: real estate market, condos, crime rate)

[ted08721]

Short & sweet( well maybe a little long) Will be coming out for 9 days. Daughter is graduating from grad school in San Deigo. She is staying there, hey she is a surfer/runner. Wife & I live at N.J. shore. needless to say we will eventualy want to be by our only child. Especially when she gets married,grandkids etc. No do not need to be on top of her. but within an 8hr. or so drive. On the coast, did I mention we do live at the shore. I think you people are nuts for the prices of homes out there, plus the fact you will more then likely be in the ocean when the big one hits! But I am willing to join you I have just been offered early retirement package from my company,only 54 yrs old. So needless to say wife & I still need to work, so area with jobs very important. Is there any place in Ca. along the coast for a modest,nice looking house 1000 to 1500 sq. ft. decent neigborhood, hospital/medical professionals within 30 min drive. for between 350-450k. with moderate temps. 40 to 80 degrees during the year, fair amount of sunshine. Needless to say I don't care about school systems.willing to drive up coast for a couple of days to check out any areas anyone might suggest. thanks Ted P.S did I mention Beach Boys are one of my favorite goups

[newportbeachsmostwanted]

Congratulations! You're going to love it out here.. Sunny weather, dry heat, and an ocean breeze! It doesn't get any better than this. If Jersey Shore had these temps year-round, you know that the home prices would also skyrocket..

Now for the bad news, $350k will hardly buy a home in California. If it did, you'd get an unsatisfactory amount of crime and a undesirable group of neighbors. However, if you consider a condo or even a townhome--you may be in business. From San Diego to L.A., there are many nice beach towns where $350 may buy.. Encinitas, Carlsbad, San Clemente, Dana Point, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, Huntington Beach, and Ventura..

That said, you are 54 years-old.. You should really consider Leisure World in Seal Beach or Laguna Woods.. to get the most bang for your buck. These 55+ communities are top-notch, and absolutely luxurious. A single family home is probably doable in your price range. Real estate prices are incredibly low.. Laguna Woods has the lowest crime rate in Orange County. The Orange County economy is humming and is one of the strongest in California. You shouldn't have a problem finding a job here.

Temperatures are 40-75 year-round. Laguna Woods is a bit further from the metropolitan area and a bit more quiet and well, woodsy. While, Seal Beach is closer to L.A. and Long Beach yet still very nice, safe, and sane.

Good luck! You won't regret it.

Originally Posted by ted08721

Short & sweet( well maybe a little long) Will be coming out for 9 days. Daughter is graduating from grad school in San Deigo. She is staying there, hey she is a surfer/runner. Wife & I live at N.J. shore. needless to say we will eventualy want to be by our only child. Especially when she gets married,grandkids etc. No do not need to be on top of her. but within an 8hr. or so drive. On the coast, did I mention we do live at the shore. I think you people are nuts for the prices of homes out there, plus the fact you will more then likely be in the ocean when the big one hits! But I am willing to join you I have just been offered early retirement package from my company,only 54 yrs old. So needless to say wife & I still need to work, so area with jobs very important. Is there any place in Ca. along the coast for a modest,nice looking house 1000 to 1500 sq. ft. decent neigborhood, hospital/medical professionals within 30 min drive. for between 350-450k. with moderate temps. 40 to 80 degrees during the year, fair amount of sunshine. Needless to say I don't care about school systems.willing to drive up coast for a couple of days to check out any areas anyone might suggest. thanks Ted P.S did I mention Beach Boys are one of my favorite goups

[ted08721]

Originally Posted by newportbeachsmostwanted

Congratulations! You're going to love it out here.. Sunny weather, dry heat, and an ocean breeze! It doesn't get any better than this. If Jersey Shore had these temps year-round, you know that the home prices would also skyrocket..

Now for the bad news, $350k will hardly buy a home in California. If it did, you'd get an unsatisfactory amount of crime and a undesirable group of neighbors. However, if you consider a condo or even a townhome--you may be in business. From San Diego to L.A., there are many nice beach towns where $350 may buy.. Encinitas, Carlsbad, San Clemente, Dana Point, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, Huntington Beach, and Ventura..

That said, you are 54 years-old.. You should really consider Leisure World in Seal Beach or Laguna Woods.. to get the most bang for your buck. These 55+ communities are top-notch, and absolutely luxurious. A single family home is probably doable in your price range. Real estate prices are incredibly low.. Laguna Woods has the lowest crime rate in Orange County. The Orange County economy is humming and is one of the strongest in California. You shouldn't have a problem finding a job here.

Temperatures are 40-75 year-round. Laguna Woods is a bit further from the metropolitan area and a bit more quiet and well, woodsy. While, Seal Beach is closer to L.A. and Long Beach yet still very nice, safe, and sane.

Good luck! You won't regret it.

Thanks for the reply. But not ready for the old folks home lol. As I mentioned, we might be able to go as high as 400-450k as long as we could find decent employment. Apt/condo not really in our picture, we have two dogs. Thought prices would get a little more affordable futher you go up the coast. Just want to avoid the 6 months of real heavy intense cloudy/rainny weather of the far northwest. and not be to isolated. We also would like to avoid cookie cutter developments. Don't need any golf courses , unless they don't mind if we let our dogs run thru them , rather bring them down to the beach.

[newportbeachsmostwanted]

I think that you're being too picky. $450 is really like a down payment for most Californian's on a single family home. That's not even that much for the Jersey Shore. Heck, that's the median home price in Compton! You really ought to reconsider townhomes or a retirement community for a decent life.

I'd say try the bad parts of Oceanside, or Oxnard for a cheap home near a good economy. Or go north to Central CA and try Lompoc, or Santa Maria up the coast with a little less strong economy, the old California-feel, and non-cookie cutter.

You can scratch out most of Southern California, because cookie cutter homes are everywhere. To avoid it, either try the Central CA cities listed above or you'll have to look in the Humbolt/Arcata/Eureka area north of San Fransisco.. where it is very liberal, very remote, rainy, and the economy is horrible.

That's almost all of the choices that you have. $450k really isn't single family home material in most of CA. It's still the low-end of the market for the cities that I listed. The reason why they're cheap is mostly the schools and Hispanic gang culture. Most beachside towns/cities, like Monterey, Aptos, Montecito, Goleta, Big Sur, Bodega Bay, Carmel, Santa Barbara, Point Reyes, and The Sea Ranch, start at $800k and are the type of places that you move to when you are retired or own a your own business.

$450 may buy you a decent place in the desert.. I'd say go take a drive out to Vegas or Phoenix area. That way you'll get into a safe place.. Here, that money will get you in next to the illegals!

[NYSD1995]

350-450k will get you a nice 1000-1500sf condo in a good area in San Diego. In LA or SF, you need to bump things up 20% or more. For single family homes, you are looking at a 'transitional' area or tract-home exurb area like Riverside or SB or Tracy or whatever.

What is your tolerance for urban grit? How do you feel about an older, funkier area? There are some areas in San Diego that you may be able to afford, but I think LA, OC, SF you are looking at tiny 1BR condos and homes in the 'hood.

[ted08721]

Thanks for the responses, I do understand what is being said. I will lay low where I live for now. Still like to get the flavor of some of the areas along the coast. From what I read, the experts do expect somewhat of a price correction in the real estate market during next year or so. With the areas that have had the largest gains in recent history to have largest correction. If it happens, it happens, if it doesn't ,it doesn't. Will it put something within my reach? maybe , maybe not.