Maybe moving to OC-weather questions

[Charles]

Originally Posted by KaraG

I think it's more the style of the house when it comes to how often you need the A/C.

Orientation. When I buy I home I look for lots of south facing windows for free sun heat in the winter and a minimum of windows facing east and west to avoid the morning and afternoon sun in summer.

[jordanrbennett]

Jhawkjtx,
Regarding your criteria:

1) Weather
Being from Toronto, Canada, I must say that there is nothing like Southern California weather. Granted, if you live in the desert or Valley (San Fernando especially), the heat is pretty much unbearable, but this kind of heat is fairly uncommon in Orange County (Los Angeles is a different story). I have currently been living in Laguna Hills (a stone's throw to Laguna Niguel) and have found the weather just perfect. There have been a few days in the 90s in the middle of summer, but to reiterate a point made above, the heat is NOTHING like that of Texas. I have been to Houston, Dallas, and Austin (my favorite) and found the humidity just overwhelming. This is all to say that in terms of finding that ideal "sweet spot", I really wouldn't worry as long as you are within about 15 miles of the coast. To give you an idea, today, in the heat of the day, it was 79 degrees outside.


2) Price
Prices in the OC are much more stable than those of other counties in California (especially Riverside!). Where homes that cost $550K in 2006/2007 in certain areas of Riverside County are selling for $225K, homes that cost $550K in 2006/2007 in certain areas of Orange County are selling for around $375K+. Evidently, homes near the coast hold their value much better due to the whole supply/demand factor: you can always build more homes in the desert but there is at least to some extent a limited supply of land closer to the coast. Nevertheless, this is a fantastic time to buy a home. I believe the market is very close to bottoming out. Impossible to say for sure but that is my opinion based on the facts. Today you can get a beautiful 4 bedroom home in a desirable part of Orange County for under $600K.

3) Fit
In terms of the 55+ communities, you would generally be looking at a single story tract home/condo. These communities are nice if you are not very mobile (hence the one story feature) and would enjoy the community features a 55+ community offers. For example, many of these communities have parks, pools, tennis courts, dancing lessons, lawn bowling, etc. available to it's occupants. The only problem is that you don't really get a whole lot of home in these areas (i.e. you are paying for the amenities and location, not the home itself). I would only consider one of these if you are not planning on moving again (if you catch my drift).

[jhawktx]

I wouldn't even consider 15 miles inland...I wouldn't even consider 6 miles inland. I realize even 15 miles (maybe 50 miles) inland would be better weather wise than Texas. But I'm not just looking for an upgrade. I'm looking for the primo. I won't even make the move unless it is for primo weather.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by jhawktx

I wouldn't even consider 15 miles inland...I wouldn't even consider 6 miles inland. I realize even 15 miles (maybe 50 miles) inland would be better weather wise than Texas. But I'm not just looking for an upgrade. I'm looking for the primo. I won't even make the move unless it is for primo weather.

6 miles inland, provided there's no hills between you and the beach, is a good place to be. The marine layer burns off sooner than it does right at the beach but you still get cool breezes and it rarely gets too hot. And the cost of housing is half or less what it is right on the beach. By 15 miles inland, it's getting pretty hot in the summer though.

[jhawktx]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

6 miles inland, provided there's no hills between you and the beach, is a good place to be. The marine layer burns off sooner than it does right at the beach but you still get cool breezes and it rarely gets too hot. And the cost of housing is half or less what it is right on the beach. By 15 miles inland, it's getting pretty hot in the summer though.

But where I'm looking (Laguna Niguel, San Clemente) it does get hilly quickly I think. I'll be out there next week and I'll have a close look at it.