Moving from Colorado. This is harder than it looks. (Los Angeles: rent, insurance)

[robrelo]

The wife and i have lived in Colorado for 11 years, and we generally liked the experience. We lived in a mountain community called Evergreen on an acre. The best thing about the area was the feeling of being remote, yet still being pretty close (20 minutes) from civilization. The other thing is the driving roads. I am into sports cars and we take drives at least once a week (weather permitting) for an hour or two on mostly minimal traffic roads just enjoying the twisties. But my grandparents owned a beach house in Malibu in the 80s and i have always considered living in Malibu to be a goal i wanted to achieve.

My grandfather was a contractor after WW2 and he bought two ocean front lots in Malibu for $25k each. He said Malibu was so far away from the city that land was relatively cheap. He built two houses, selling one and keeping the other. They also had a home in the Palisades. We would visit them every summer (we lived in HB), and the whole experience of staying on the beach in Malibu just left an impression on me.

So fast forward to today, and i want to try to make Malibu work. My other choices would be Dana Point or San Clemente. The reason we decided not to move to South OC is because of San Onofre. I know. Can’t live your life in fear. But i really think that facility is a disaster waiting to happen. If a disaster did happen there, i figure Malibu is far enough away not to be a health risk. Maybe this is a fallacy? Idk, but i have read enough about that facility to believe it is another Fukishima just waiting to happen.

Speaking of disasters, i know first hand the unique challenges living in Malibu poses. The fires. The mudslides. The waves crashing through the front windows. So the two places i want to live are both potential disaster zones. Of course i look out my window this morning in Evergreen and i see nothing but trees (aka fuel), so no place is really safe. But we do serious fire mitigation here in Colorado, including the fire department coming on your property and pointing out things you need to do. I just shake my head seeing all the overgrown brush in Malibu right next to homes. I will be doing serious fire mitigation immediately if we move there.

So is there a third choice? I would say La Jolla but my Dad has commercial buildings in Los Angeles that need looking after, and La Jolla is way too far, unless i want to get on a plane. And honestly, San Diego was never really my thing. My wife’s sister lives there and it is just not for us.

The things that really appeal to me about Malibu are the rural (somewhat isolated) feel, the driving roads, the ocean/beaches and the childhood memories of the area. It also checks off a huge bucket list item for me personally. And we would be closer to the commercial properties, for the occasional soul crushing drive into LA.

I am not sure there is even a question in this mess of a post, but just thinking out loud. If not for the fires i think Malibu is a no brainer. If not for the nuke issue, we could easily do San Clemente or Dana Point. No other place in California even remotely interests me.

Any ideas guys and gals? Thanks!

Rob

[Vic Romano]

Originally Posted by robrelo

The wife and i have lived in Colorado for 11 years, and we generally liked the experience. We lived in a mountain community called Evergreen on an acre. The best thing about the area was the feeling of being remote, yet still being pretty close (20 minutes) from civilization. The other thing is the driving roads. I am into sports cars and we take drives at least once a week (weather permitting) for an hour or two on mostly minimal traffic roads just enjoying the twisties. But my grandparents owned a beach house in Malibu in the 80s and i have always considered living in Malibu to be a goal i wanted to achieve.

My grandfather was a contractor after WW2 and he bought two ocean front lots in Malibu for $25k each. He said Malibu was so far away from the city that land was relatively cheap. He built two houses, selling one and keeping the other. They also had a home in the Palisades. We would visit them every summer (we lived in HB), and the whole experience of staying on the beach in Malibu just left an impression on me.

So fast forward to today, and i want to try to make Malibu work. My other choices would be Dana Point or San Clemente. The reason we decided not to move to South OC is because of San Onofre. I know. Can’t live your life in fear. But i really think that facility is a disaster waiting to happen. If a disaster did happen there, i figure Malibu is far enough away not to be a health risk. Maybe this is a fallacy? Idk, but i have read enough about that facility to believe it is another Fukishima just waiting to happen.

Speaking of disasters, i know first hand the unique challenges living in Malibu poses. The fires. The mudslides. The waves crashing through the front windows. So the two places i want to live are both potential disaster zones. Of course i look out my window this morning in Evergreen and i see nothing but trees (aka fuel), so no place is really safe. But we do serious fire mitigation here in Colorado, including the fire department coming on your property and pointing out things you need to do. I just shake my head seeing all the overgrown brush in Malibu right next to homes. I will be doing serious fire mitigation immediately if we move there.

So is there a third choice? I would say La Jolla but my Dad has commercial buildings in Los Angeles that need looking after, and La Jolla is way too far, unless i want to get on a plane. And honestly, San Diego was never really my thing. My wife’s sister lives there and it is just not for us.

The things that really appeal to me about Malibu are the rural (somewhat isolated) feel, the driving roads, the ocean/beaches and the childhood memories of the area. It also checks off a huge bucket list item for me personally. And we would be closer to the commercial properties, for the occasional soul crushing drive into LA.

I am not sure there is even a question in this mess of a post, but just thinking out loud. If not for the fires i think Malibu is a no brainer. If not for the nuke issue, we could easily do San Clemente or Dana Point. No other place in California even remotely interests me.

Any ideas guys and gals? Thanks!

Rob

Uhhhh...San Onofre was shut down 7 years ago and is being decommissioned.

[MrMinneapolis]

stay in colorado is my advice. ur already in paradise. u think malibu is what it was back in the day. your papa paid 25k a pop. let that sink in lol.

[apple92680]

Originally Posted by MrMinneapolis

stay in colorado is my advice. ur already in paradise. u think malibu is what it was back in the day. your papa paid 25k a pop. let that sink in lol.

That's relative, obviously.

If where OP lived in Colorado were "paradise" to him, he wouldn't have made the effort to construct this thread.

At some point, one gets tired of cold, ice and snow drifts. It's not for the faint of heart and, as you get older, it really wears on your body. I'm sure OP realizes this.

My only advice for you, OP, would be to look into something like Topanga Canyon. Unless you desire to be right on the beach itself, Topanga Canyon gets you very close, while also keeping you close to the rest of Los Angeles.

Have you checked into the South Bay cities (Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes) ? Those are great areas on par with Malibu, in my opinion. They're also pretty central to being near the city of Los Angeles, so keeping up with your father's properties there wouldn't be an issue.

[CA4Now]

When was the last time you were in southern California? It's changed a lot since the 1980s. Malibu and La Jolla are two very expensive cities in which to buy property.

You're in a fairly remote part of Colorado in Evergreen...you would want to come out and visit first.

[robrelo]

Originally Posted by Vic Romano

Uhhhh...San Onofre was shut down 7 years ago and is being decommissioned.

I know it was shut down and being decommissioned, but the risks are still very high when you look at how the material is being stored. I don’t want anything to do with that area. Risk vs reward.

Originally Posted by MrMinneapolis

stay in colorado is my advice. ur already in paradise. u think malibu is what it was back in the day. your papa paid 25k a pop. let that sink in lol.

I lived in Southern California until 2009, and have been back to SoCal and Malibu a few times in recent years. But i know it has changed a lot. But snow gets old.

Originally Posted by apple92680

That's relative, obviously.

If where OP lived in Colorado were "paradise" to him, he wouldn't have made the effort to construct this thread.

At some point, one gets tired of cold, ice and snow drifts. It's not for the faint of heart and, as you get older, it really wears on your body. I'm sure OP realizes this.

My only advice for you, OP, would be to look into something like Topanga Canyon. Unless you desire to be right on the beach itself, Topanga Canyon gets you very close, while also keeping you close to the rest of Los Angeles.

Have you checked into the South Bay cities (Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes) ? Those are great areas on par with Malibu, in my opinion. They're also pretty central to being near the city of Los Angeles, so keeping up with your father's properties there wouldn't be an issue.

Thanks. Yeah agree about cold. I will give Topanga Canyon another look, thanks. The South Bay cities aren’t really my cup of tea but i will give them another look.

Originally Posted by CA4Now

When was the last time you were in southern California? It's changed a lot since the 1980s. Malibu and La Jolla are two very expensive cities in which to buy property.

You're in a fairly remote part of Colorado in Evergreen...you would want to come out and visit first.

Thanks. Definitely going to come out and rent for a few months while we look around. I know the costs are very high. We can swing it financially, but just not sure about the fires. I guess that is what insurance is for.

[NORTY FLATZ]

robrelo, you're in my wheelhouse.

Let's talk strictly "twisties."

Orange County has NOTHING. (Ok, Ortega, but it's too busy to develop a brisk pace.)

Los Angeles has Angeles Crest and adjacent roads (GMR et. al.)

Sandy Eggo has LOTS. (I know, I drive 'em.) All the way out to El Centro. (Decent during Wintertime.)

Riverside Co has a few roads that qualify, but you gotta go EARLY.

Hope this helps in your search.

[robrelo]

Originally Posted by NORTY FLATZ

robrelo, you're in my wheelhouse.

Let's talk strictly "twisties."

Orange County has NOTHING. (Ok, Ortega, but it's too busy to develop a brisk pace.)

Los Angeles has Angeles Crest and adjacent roads (GMR et. al.)

Sandy Eggo has LOTS. (I know, I drive 'em.) All the way out to El Centro. (Decent during Wintertime.)

Riverside Co has a few roads that qualify, but you gotta go EARLY.

Hope this helps in your search.

Thanks! Yep, OC has zippo! Eliminated all of OC due to that and San Onofre. We are probably going to narrow our search to Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village, mainly because homes are cheaper than in Malibu, but still close to the twisties. It is all about the twisties!