seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
I am retired so I can move anywhere in the country. I have spent countless hours searching for a place to live. Originally , I was searching for a state free of taxes. But it doesn't matter anymore. I just want to leave CA but not sure where. Any suggestions based on the criteria
Criteria:
1/ Good climate similar to Orange County, CA. Okay with some snow in the winter but not fond of huge amount of rain.
2/ No hurricane , flood , tornado and blizzard
3/ Not Hawaii
4/ Low crime
Not a must but wouldn't mind a city close to the airport as I travel a lot, and close to the beach
Criteria:
1/ Good climate similar to Orange County, CA. Okay with some snow in the winter but not fond of huge amount of rain.
2/ No hurricane , flood , tornado and blizzard
3/ Not Hawaii
4/ Low crime
Not a must but wouldn't mind a city close to the airport as I travel a lot, and close to the beach
Last edited by sil2017 on Mon Apr 15, 2019 11:04 am, edited 2 times in total.
- quantAndHold
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
You just described Orange County. Maybe you could just stop reading the news.
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
If you are tired of the politics just turn off the TV. I've seen that many people function just fine without keeping tabs on the goings on in the state and federal governments.sil2017 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 15, 2019 10:03 am I am retired so I can move anywhere in the country. I have spent countless hours searching for a place to live. Originally , I was searching for a state free of taxes. But it doesn't matter anymore. I just want to leave CA but not sure where. Any suggestions based on the criteria
Criteria:
1/ Mild climate similar to Orange County, CA. Okay with some snow in the winter but not fond of huge amount of rain.
2/ No hurricane , flood , tornado and blizzard
3/ Not Hawaii
4/ Low crime
Not a must but wouldn't mind a city close to the airport as I travel a lot, recreation (hiking) within a couple hours or less, preferably real estate costing 800k or less. I wouldn't mind a condo either. And hopefully close to the beach. I am okay with an active 55 plus community
That said, just for climate it sounds like you would want to stay in the southwest - CA, NV, AZ, and parts of UT, NM, TX. Almost all of these places are going to be less mild that right along the Pacific coast, however. There's a reason that coastal California is a popular place to live.
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Everywhere with near-CA weather is hotter than CA, often a lot hotter. I mean AZ, NV, NM.
Of course you could move to Mexico....
Of course you could move to Mexico....
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
As you've discovered, that's a tough set of criteria -- perhaps impossible once you add hiking and being close to a beach.
Two prospects to consider:
Reno, NV - no beach (but Lake Tahoe), maybe not as low crime as you'd like
Santa Fe, NM - no beach, about an hour to ABQ's airport
Two prospects to consider:
Reno, NV - no beach (but Lake Tahoe), maybe not as low crime as you'd like
Santa Fe, NM - no beach, about an hour to ABQ's airport
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Close to water is more important than hikingCFM300 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 15, 2019 10:19 am As you've discovered, that's a tough set of criteria -- perhaps impossible once you add hiking and being close to a beach.
Two prospects to consider:
Reno, NV - no beach (but Lake Tahoe), maybe not as low crime as you'd like
Santa Fe, NM - no beach, about an hour to ABQ's airport
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
AZ and NV sounds good.
Any suggestions for particular cities other than Lake Tahoe
Any suggestions for particular cities other than Lake Tahoe
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
I live in S.Cal in Long Beach near the Orange Co line. I have also thought about moving but not for political reason; just money; taxes and such. In searching the USA I cannot find anything which would be equivalent or someplace that I thought would be an improvement. You will have to leave the country. My wife was born in Hong Kong and all of her family is there. We go to HK frequently and it is so pleasant not to hear any of the USA news when we are there. No, I am not suggesting HK.
Best and cheapest idea is to turn off the TV. Go outside and enjoy what you have in SoCal; my wife and I spent many hours outside yesterday gardening, digging, moving dirt, chopping roots, playing pickle ball, etc. We did not think about anything else and slept very well last night. And we still have pleasant Socal weather! If we go anywhere, it will be out of the country and it might have an ingredient of a Mediterranean climate.
Best and cheapest idea is to turn off the TV. Go outside and enjoy what you have in SoCal; my wife and I spent many hours outside yesterday gardening, digging, moving dirt, chopping roots, playing pickle ball, etc. We did not think about anything else and slept very well last night. And we still have pleasant Socal weather! If we go anywhere, it will be out of the country and it might have an ingredient of a Mediterranean climate.
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- quantAndHold
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
You’re still describing coastal California. There are five places in the world with a Mediterranean climate. None of the rest are in the US.
You might look at the central California coast, but that would be further from an airport.
What about Ventura?
You might look at the central California coast, but that would be further from an airport.
What about Ventura?
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Split, Croatia. Ticks all the boxes.
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
if in CA, will stay where I am. No need to movequantAndHold wrote: ↑Mon Apr 15, 2019 10:41 am You’re still describing coastal California. There are five places in the world with a Mediterranean climate. None of the rest are in the US.
You might look at the central California coast, but that would be further from an airport.
What about Ventura?
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Suburban Atlanta would meet all of those except for the "close to the beach".sil2017 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 15, 2019 10:03 am Any suggestions based on the criteria
Criteria:
1/ Mild climate similar to Orange County, CA. Okay with some snow in the winter but not fond of huge amount of rain. - Partial Check
2/ No hurricane , flood , tornado and blizzard - Check
3/ Not Hawaii - Check
4/ Low crime - Check
Not a must but wouldn't mind a city close to the airport as I travel a lot, recreation (hiking) within a couple hours or less, preferably real estate costing 800k or less. I wouldn't mind a condo either. And hopefully close to the beach. I am okay with an active 55 plus community
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Seneca Valley, SC.
VTI and chill until 57...
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
I changed the criteria. Good climate . But no hurricane, flooding, blizzard and tornado places .
PS. it seems almost a dead end again. I rather not stay put but it seems like I may
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Personally I like Scottsdale, AZ. Little rain, few weather hazards (maybe a dust storm), mostly within 20-30 minutes of an airport, good restaurants, resort type lifestyle (good or bad depending on your view), lots of sports stuff going on.
No beaches but there are a lot of lakes no far away. I was always surprised when I lived there and would see boats on trailers. Right now real estate is high for the area although probably low compared to much of CA.
No beaches but there are a lot of lakes no far away. I was always surprised when I lived there and would see boats on trailers. Right now real estate is high for the area although probably low compared to much of CA.
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Actually that's a pretty good one. Climate along the coast of Chile is a mirror image of California. Santiago is basically LA climate except summer is in January. Go north and you are in desert. The downside is they have a lot more and bigger earthquakes than CA does. You don't want to live in Santiago itself because of smog and traffic - go west toward the ocean. The water is cold there thanks to the Humboldt current.
Learning Spanish would make it easier.
The government and society are pretty conservative. It's a member of the OECD.
Another option would be certain parts of Australia. English and no earthquakes.
Last edited by Ged on Mon Apr 15, 2019 11:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Close to the beach, a SoCal climate, farthest from LA and San Diego would be Oceanside.
Other than that, you're SOL.
Further from the beach but possible candidates would be the sky islands of Arizona.
These mountainous islands poke up from the desert floor and offer varying degrees of comfort, depending on the altitude.
Other choices would be outside the US.
Other than that, you're SOL.
Further from the beach but possible candidates would be the sky islands of Arizona.
These mountainous islands poke up from the desert floor and offer varying degrees of comfort, depending on the altitude.
Other choices would be outside the US.
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Checked out Arizona - Prescott and Scottsdale
AZ sounds good. Any zip code in particular? Hoping for replies from someone who lives in Scottsdale or Prescott.
AZ sounds good. Any zip code in particular? Hoping for replies from someone who lives in Scottsdale or Prescott.
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
The central coast of Chile always reminds me of CA a bit. It´s a nice place, but it can be a little boring sometimes, but it is deffinetely a place to consider.
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
How about Baja Mexico or Puerta Vallarta? Same climate but different politics. Still mostly American. Cheaper living if that is your main concern.
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
If we are going international, I wonder if somewhere along the Spanish mediterranean coast would fit the bill? Maybe Valencia? Great weather (if you like the sun), great food, great getaway options, and deffinetely much cheaper than CA.
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Only in the US, not internationally.
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Khaolak, Thailand. Beach √ Close to airport √ Low/no taxes √ Low crime √
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
What about a place like "The Villages" in northern Florida. It is about 75 miles northwest of Orlando. You can get some heavy rains (left over when hurricanes come to land), but I don't think they get much flooding there. You can't beat the taxes. It has a community of 100,000 people and tons of activities for you.
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
So the east and gulf coasts are out...
Have you looked at living in California?
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Californians go to Las Vegas, Reno, Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Salt Lake City, Utah Valley, Austin, Denver, Boise, Portland, Seattle ... [among others]. None are a coastal Mediterranean climate.
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- crystalbank
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
There's a reason why CA gets away with such high taxes. Simply nothing else comes close to it's weather. Maybe FL comes close if you can tolerate the humidity (which I actually don't mind) and they don't have state income taxes. Also, FL seems to have a many retirement communities.
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Don Felder, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey settled this issue in 1976. You can check out, but you can never leave.
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
It's a good chance in most places outside US you will be taxed heavier.
I am curious about the tax comment. How much do you pay in taxes to CA, percentage wise? I assume your property tax is very low due to the infamous prop 13.
I always liked Lake Tahoe, Nevada side. Why not there?
What about Utah? Park City? Is not as mild as coastal Ca, but still pretty good.
I am curious about the tax comment. How much do you pay in taxes to CA, percentage wise? I assume your property tax is very low due to the infamous prop 13.
I always liked Lake Tahoe, Nevada side. Why not there?
What about Utah? Park City? Is not as mild as coastal Ca, but still pretty good.
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
I live in Phoenix proper right next to Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. I love it and have been in the area since the 1960s. The climate and living conditions are nice for 6-7 months a year but it is dry and not at all like Orange County. It is the desert so it is HOT HOT in the summer for about 5 months and cool and dry for the winter.
We have good roads and nice people and low costs (vs Cal) and modest taxes and conservative government. Homes are affordable and there are tons of neighborhoods to pick from. The Phoenix Metro area is huge now, about 80 miles by 50 miles in size and 4.7 Million people. So we have smog and traffic (at rush hour) and crime and other big city things.
Now that I am retired I have a second home in Tahoe for the summer to stay cool. Tons of people in Phoenix go to the mountains (100 miles north) or the beaches in Mexico (200 miles) or San Diego (350 miles) for long weekends or summer vacations. Plus about 60 percent of homes in Phoenix have back yard swimming pools. So it is easy to sty cool in the summer.
Hope this helps. Good Luck with your hunt.
We have good roads and nice people and low costs (vs Cal) and modest taxes and conservative government. Homes are affordable and there are tons of neighborhoods to pick from. The Phoenix Metro area is huge now, about 80 miles by 50 miles in size and 4.7 Million people. So we have smog and traffic (at rush hour) and crime and other big city things.
Now that I am retired I have a second home in Tahoe for the summer to stay cool. Tons of people in Phoenix go to the mountains (100 miles north) or the beaches in Mexico (200 miles) or San Diego (350 miles) for long weekends or summer vacations. Plus about 60 percent of homes in Phoenix have back yard swimming pools. So it is easy to sty cool in the summer.
Hope this helps. Good Luck with your hunt.
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Same dilemma here. We've both been in So Cal for 50 yrs and have lived in the same house for 37 years. Lately we've talked about the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. Nevada is favorable retirement and pensions. Still have 3 yrs before full retirement, but dreams of having an acre and a few farm animals sounds intriguing.
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
I live in Oregon, and the income taxes here are actually higher than what they'd be in California (for the same income). The marginal brackets in California can make the income taxes not too bad for retirees.
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
We left CA 10+ years ago. Miss it greatly. I'd move back in a heartbeat if it weren't for the daunting taxes.
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
This is what came to mind for me (of places I'm intimately familiar with). No "close" beaches, but lots of beaches within a 5.5 hour drive, and lots of lakes nearby. And having the "busiest airport in the world" means you have direct flights just about everywhere you'd want to go. Low taxes, lots of 55 plus communities (my mother absolutely loves hers).niceguy7376 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 15, 2019 10:49 amSuburban Atlanta would meet all of those except for the "close to the beach".sil2017 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 15, 2019 10:03 am Any suggestions based on the criteria
Criteria:
1/ Mild climate similar to Orange County, CA. Okay with some snow in the winter but not fond of huge amount of rain. - Partial Check
2/ No hurricane , flood , tornado and blizzard - Check
3/ Not Hawaii - Check
4/ Low crime - Check
Not a must but wouldn't mind a city close to the airport as I travel a lot, recreation (hiking) within a couple hours or less, preferably real estate costing 800k or less. I wouldn't mind a condo either. And hopefully close to the beach. I am okay with an active 55 plus community
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Real estate on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe is super expensive relative to the California side due to tax escapees. They get impressive snowfalls too.Starfish wrote: ↑Mon Apr 15, 2019 12:07 pm It's a good chance in most places outside US you will be taxed heavier.
I am curious about the tax comment. How much do you pay in taxes to CA, percentage wise? I assume your property tax is very low due to the infamous prop 13.
I always liked Lake Tahoe, Nevada side. Why not there?
What about Utah? Park City? Is not as mild as coastal Ca, but still pretty good.
https://www.zillow.com/incline-village-nv/
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
How open would you be to having 2 homes? 'Snowbirds' are a common phenomena in the southern part of the country. They avoid the snow during the winter, and the heat and hurricanes during the summer.
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Minden and Gardnerville Nevada are two very nice small towns right "over the hill" from Lake Tahoe. About 20 miles. This area is a nice small farming and ranching area right at the foothills of the Sierras. It snows there but not much and summers are cool at night and warm in the afternoon. Property is affordable and taxes are modest. But they are small towns so not many restaurants or activities and limited medical stuff. The culture is mostly centered around ranch work and cowboys and horses. Lots of the workers from Tahoe live in these towns and commute to California daily.
https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/7 ... _zm/0_mmm/
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CH ... M5kP8AAJLw
https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/7 ... _zm/0_mmm/
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CH ... M5kP8AAJLw
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Atlanta (and all of the south) have mild winters but hot humid summers. Atlanta is a bit better due to its elevation, but not at all like Orange County. Tornadoes are a possibility, and though blizzards are very unlikely I'm not sure the occasional ice storms are much better.niceguy7376 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 15, 2019 10:49 amSuburban Atlanta would meet all of those except for the "close to the beach".sil2017 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 15, 2019 10:03 am Any suggestions based on the criteria
Criteria:
1/ Mild climate similar to Orange County, CA. Okay with some snow in the winter but not fond of huge amount of rain. - Partial Check
2/ No hurricane , flood , tornado and blizzard - Check
3/ Not Hawaii - Check
4/ Low crime - Check
Not a must but wouldn't mind a city close to the airport as I travel a lot, recreation (hiking) within a couple hours or less, preferably real estate costing 800k or less. I wouldn't mind a condo either. And hopefully close to the beach. I am okay with an active 55 plus community
In the end, the only place to get Southern California - style weather in the US is - Southern California. (Not that I plan on moving there anytime soon.)
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
As several others said, assuming this excludes non-US, it's not possible. Dropping 'close to the beach' though opens up large areas of the inland West (ID, NV, AZ or the next tier or two to the east) which is where most refugees from CA seem to end up going. Generally mild winters (less so on northern Plains if you get that far) and at least some local areas which fulfill all the other criteria. Being really near beaches in the East tends to mean storm risk. You could be pretty close without much storm risk (few hours, closer than Salt Lake City etc. anyway) but it tends to be unpleasantly humid* in the summer in the parts of the East without cold winters.sil2017 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 15, 2019 10:03 am I am retired so I can move anywhere in the country. I have spent countless hours searching for a place to live. Originally , I was searching for a state free of taxes. But it doesn't matter anymore. I just want to leave CA but not sure where. Any suggestions based on the criteria
Criteria:
1/ Good climate similar to Orange County, CA. Okay with some snow in the winter but not fond of huge amount of rain.
2/ No hurricane , flood , tornado and blizzard
3/ Not Hawaii
4/ Low crime
... recreation (hiking) within a couple hours or less, preferably real estate costing 800k or less. I wouldn't mind a condo either. And hopefully close to the beach. n
*although, I lived in LA for 2 yrs and might have been a bad two years but the weather was not quite as good as advertised IMO. It was hot and humid in the summer more often than I expected, not that much better than NY summers. But say Atlanta summers are worse than NY. Winter was of course much milder in LA than NY.
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
No Hawaii = no islands like Hawaii either? If not, how about one of the islands in the Carribean?
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Good thread.....let us know what you decide. I am in North San Diego County-inland. I love my house/community and the weather and my friends so I hate the idea of moving..but fire danger here is bad !! Traffic is increasing ! But where to go ??
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Texas!
- no personal income tax
- no corporate income tax
- lower cost of living
- Austin, Texas’s capital city, is #10 on Forbes’ list of the top 10 growing economies.
- The climate is just as warm as California, with average temperatures between 80 and 100 degrees in the summer, and winters are mild with little to no snow.
- Austin “live music capital of the world”
- Dallas “Fried Food Capital of Texas”
- Texas BBQ
- natural beauty to explore, including the historical Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Palo Duro Canyon, Dinosaur Valley State Park, and Padre Island National Seashore.
Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Not sure if you are Medicare eligible yet, but what about the Mediterranean Coast? If it fits your travel interests it would be wonderful until you need to pick somewhere in the US.
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- Clever_Username
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Re: seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?
Glad so many people are saying Scottsdale, AZ. When I leave California, that's where I'm moving to. Two great professional football teams nearby and the weather permits you to play golf 365 days a year.
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