Seaside towns with housing for $1.5M or less?

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by GusLevy

Greetings.

I grew up in the Monterey Bay (Marina), went to college and made a living in LA, visited Santa Barbara often especially since friends went to UCSB, and hung out in SLO Town a lot as my brother went to Cal Poly…so I’m reasonably familiar with the general territory that you’re focusing on.

IMO, there is a city that meets all of your criteria almost to a tee…and it is called Pacific Grove.

The housing stock in that lovely seaside town is generally the older generation 3bd 2ba with a two car garage, with many valued at $1.5mm or lower, although oceanfront won’t be an option…and the entire town is generally walkable distance to the ocean. The housing inventory is not great so you’ll likely have to be a bit patient for the “right” house to be available.

There are plenty of cultural events (museums, playhouses, the Aquarium, art dealers, rodeos, concerts, etc.) throughout the Monterey Bay, but Monterey and Carmel will be the closest and with the best options. The large Community Hospital (CHoMP) is just a few miles away and specialists are also peppered throughout the region. The restaurant scene in the area is awesome and they range from the great Mom&Pop places throughout the area up to the ultra-fancy joints in Carmel.

As for the climate…Pacific Grove rarely hits 80° and won’t often drop below 50° (but the ocean wind will make some areas feel extremely cold at times due to the wind chill).

SF and Napa are about 2-4hrs away…LA is about 5-6hrs away…good luck.

(PS I would also suggest looking at some parts of the town I grew up in called Marina. There are areas near the ocean that may work well for you. It is a “bedroom” city so not much actually happens in Marina, but it’s a very short 10min drive to the hustle and bustle of Monterey. It has similar climate to PG, just more fog…but $1mm will likely get you a 3bd/2ba in a good part of town.)

You really pulled the bunny out of the hat, here, Gus. Who knew that there were coastal communities in CA near a happening urban area, that are actually affordable? Here's a listing in Marina:
https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...?ex=2944170180

Pacific Grove:
https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...?ex=2945632047

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...?ex=2945406071