Looking for a great place to live ? (San Diego, Santa Rosa: real estate, apartment)

[adrover]

I am currently living in Canada but I am looking to moving to the United States sometime next year. I really have no idea where I want to go but a necessity is, it needs to be hot. I'm getting tired of the snow..
I'm just finishing university and taking a year off before graduate school.. so i'm just looking for something temporary, and inexpensive. I'm looking to rent a one bedroom apartment hopefully around or less than 1000$ per month. Need to live near the beach.

Any information you guys could provide to me would be a great help. There are so many places to choose from, I don't know where to start!

[Fontucky]

Define "hot".

[Snort]

http://www.flyingover.net/mdb/fiche/10_1G.jpg (broken link)

http://www.macononthecheap.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/tabasco-sauce.jpg (broken link)

[EscapeCalifornia]

Does the Salton Sea qualify as a beach area? You said you wanted hot.

[adrover]

We live in sub zero weather here..
The hottest it gets in our summer is 77F and the coldest it gets winter time is -13F.. So living somewhere near southern states where the weather does not reach anywhere near such low temperatures would be what I'm looking for.

[Fontucky]

The reason I asked is, hot generally isn't associated with beach living in So Cal. The beach is where the people from the hot inland valleys go for relief. Hot in So Cal is defined as inland valley hot (mid/upper 90s to 113) and Palm Springs hot (110 to 120). Then there's Death Valley hot (120 -140), but that's the exception.

The preceding temps are F, not C.

[Snort]

Well, based on where you're coming from, you'd like any lower elevation part of California or even Oregon (near the coast). How much rain can you stand?

[KarlaT2]

I'm in Palm Springs area. It is HOT. Usually 110+ or more in summer, every day and night. But we are 2 and a half hours (give or take) from the beach. I like Temecula a bit better - usually a good 10-15 degrees cooler. Still an hour or so from the beach. My version of hot, and the beach, don't go together. Now if you're talking 70-80, that's different.

[lrmsd]

If you are looking at so cal,you can find one bedrooms,15-20 min. drive from most beaches in the city,for 1000 or less,in the following areas:
North Park, Normal Heights and sometimes talmage. You may be able to find a studio somewhere in pacific beach/mission beach for 1k-maybe! Look for awhile,though,and not at peak times [ie,right before summer,or fall when school years starts,are more in demand times to look]. Do a search on Craig's list for samples of these areas' rentals. And look up the neighborhoods-they probably have websites.

This is the only area close to the beach,with temperate weather,that I can recommend,for the price you mentioned,and that is near a population center. Otherwise,for smallers towns,you can check Eureka/Arcata,which is very north in the redwoods-humboldt county,CA. But the weather is damp and rainy most of the year. Temps do not get super low (average in winter is low 50's, I think.), but they don't get very high in the summer, either. (70's, mainly). The water is not really swimming water-though a bit further north, in Crescent City, CA, there is a small surf community, as this begins the 'bannana belt' region, which goes into southern oregon, as well. Look it up. You'll find more sun and warmer weather fronts that come through. It's a more rural area, though rents would be more on par with what you are looking for.

Lastly: Santa Rosa and Petaluma, in Sonoma County-not far from the coast, great temperate weather, but rains and gets moisture in the winter. In the famous wine country of CA. Again, google the cities/chambers of commerce for info on these small cities. Less than an hour from the coast. More progressive or family type areas-ie,organics,green living,some industry. Very different from so cal-depends on what you are looking for.

Really,if you want ocean and so cal beach type of vibe, San Diego is your choice, IMO.

[juliefan]

Santa Rosa has become too expensive to live in. I am on disability and survive on 1350, a month. The only affordable rent is in "share rentals". My experience with them (3 in the past 6 months) is the homeowner needs help paying the mortgage but doesn't really want to share the home or "see" the renter except when handing over the rent on the 1st. It is illegal to misrepresent a room but it has happened to me 3 times in a row and I am ready to move out of here! There is only 1 lawyer specializing in real estate law so getting help with misrepresentations is virtually impossible. Now I have no money to move. I might also mention I have great references and credit. I don't know how people without those even find housing. The homeless in Santa Rosa now include young families holding signs with babies and small children. What a sad State this is....