Relocate to Banning CA??

Chuckanut · Mar 21, 2017

A few days ago I ran into a past friend who has recently retired and moved to a retirement community in Banning CA. He was telling me how great life was in this community, the nice weather, etc. many activities, etc. etc. Apparently one can buy a descent two bedroom townhome there for under $200K.

Banning

All I know about Banning is that it is in an area I used to consider as "Nowheresville" when I lived in So Cal many, many years ago. Oh, it's near Palm Springs and Joshua Tree NP.

If you live near Banning or have lived there, I would appreciate your thoughts on Banning as a retirement city.

No, this is not a joke. Maybe not 100% serious, but not a joke.

TrophyWife · Mar 21, 2017

I wouldn't move to Banning. IMHO it's still in the middle of nowhere but now you have all the Coachella festivals out past Palm Springs and all the traffic that goes with that.

Fedup · Mar 21, 2017

I used to live near Beaumont which is near Banning in my youth. It's hot in the summer, but I didn't have A/C with it, just a big old tree for shade. It's desert weather, very hot and very cold. Only mid day is temperature weather.

W2R · Mar 21, 2017

Chuckanut said:
A few days ago I ran into a past friend who has recently retired and moved to a retirement community in Banning CA. He was telling me how great life was in this community, the nice weather, etc. many activities, etc. etc. Apparently one can buy a descent two bedroom townhome there for under $200K.

Banning

All I know about Banning is that it is in an area I used to consider as "Nowheresville" when I lived in So Cal many, many years ago. Oh, it's near Palm Springs and Joshua Tree NP.

If you live near Banning or have lived there, I would appreciate your thoughts on Banning as a retirement city.

No, this is not a joke. Maybe not 100% serious, but not a joke.

I have never lived near Banning, but I think your post is proof that one person's paradise can be extremely unappealing to most other people.

If you want more proof, how about us deciding that New Orleans is our little corner of heaven? With the insane crime rate, the hurricanes, and more, it has a lot of flaws. But we are happy here, for now.

Persn · Mar 21, 2017

30 years ago when I used to go out that way on business, Banning was in the middle of nowhere, but much less so now. I have been through on the way to the Palm Springs area several times in the last few years. It's close to Redlands and Riverside, both of which have a downtown and neighborhoods of charming, vintage homes. So even though I haven't lived there, I think I could. I like warm weather and when it gets really hot, you can escape to the beach.

Chuckanut · Mar 21, 2017

I wonder if Banning would make a good second home for somebody fleeing the cold of the Northern half of the country?

Fedup · Mar 21, 2017

I think somewhere in Northern San Diego is better and cheaper. Perhaps Oceanside/Carlsbad/San Marcos. I once looked at the Bonsall and FallBrook area, large lot and could be cheaper, but I don't know about $200k because I wasn't looking in that price range.

calmloki · Mar 21, 2017

Too far from Coachella for it to be a problem - we are in La Quinta close enough to hear the bass now and again and it just isn't a big deal - we just don't use a couple streets for a few weekends. Fun to see the attendees at the local InN'Out before and after.

It does get smoking hot here in the summer, so we go elsewhere.

Banning puts you close to the Cabazon casino, you can look at big concrete Christian dinosaurs; real nice drive up to Whitewater; well located to do a run to Temecula for the wineries or to Laguna Beach; Joshua Tree is eclectic (Pappy and Harriets has some interesting performers like this Paul McCartney fella and Mariachi Del Bronx).

The general area is enjoyable, but Banning specifically? - dunno anything about it.

meierlde · Mar 21, 2017

Of course when the big one hits Banning will be greatly affected because the San Andres fault runs thru the pass, thus not a good place to own property renting is ok however.

W2R · Mar 21, 2017

I just looked up Banning on realtor dot com, and wow!!! I think that the low real estate costs must be very appealing to some Californians.

Houses in Banning are going for about $50K less than houses in my New Orleans suburb. Not only that, I saw a lot more small houses than what I see in my suburb, and a small house can be a big plus for some retirees.

So, maybe cost of living is an attraction to living in Banning.

UnrealizedPotential · Mar 21, 2017

As we all know, real estate is usually cheaper in areas where people don't want to live and there is not a lot of desirable jobs. Plus the heat in the summertime in Banning would be too much for me. But for those who could stand the heat and find contentment , it might present an opportunity. Having said that, I can't see Banning being an area of demand for much of anything for retirees unless you don't mind the heat and a 20 or 30 mile drive everytime you wanted to do something.

Rambler · Mar 21, 2017

It might make a nice second home, but depending on your income, moving to CA might be a bit expensive from a state income tax and sales tax POV. We are looking towards leaving CA but keeping our home as a retreat/getaway from our intended destination of Reno/Sparks. Over a 10 year period, we'd save north of 400k in income tax by domiciling in NV instead, which drops to 200k if we keep the Cali home (prop tax, insurance, upkeep). Otoh, if you can keep your income pretty low, Cali income tax and property tax (on a 200k home) should not be bad at all. You really have to run the numbers carefully to see if it works.

Another Reader · Mar 21, 2017

I would lever up my California properties to avoid nose-bleed level taxes on my California income producing activities, pay off the last of the out of state properties, and domicile in Nevada, if it weren't for the darn health insurance and the quality of the healthcare. My decent quality retiree insurance only works in the Bay Area and a couple of other local counties. Otherwise I get a modest subsidy and a private health insurance exchange from which to buy insurance. No thanks. From what I have seen, if you know where to go, the quality of the health care is superior to most areas, even to lesser parts of California. The consolation prize is that California does not tax Social Security, so Uncle Jerry does not get a cut of every dollar..

Back on topic. Banning? No thanks. Lots of "social problems" in the Banning/Beaumont area. It's a place to drive through on I-10 on your way to somewhere else.

There are several retirement communities out there that are sold to people looking for desert living and not wanting to pay the prices in Palm Springs and the nearby desert towns. The premise is to sell the $800k (or more) LA home and buy something out there in the mid-$200k range. Bank the difference.

Scuba · Mar 22, 2017

I know someone who lives in a retirement community in Banning. Moved there from LA when she and her husband retired. They love it, but I think they spend most of their time at the community and traveling abroad. Personally I would rather live in Palm Springs but the cost of living in Banning is much lower. If you'd be happy spending a lot of your time on the retirement community property, it could be a good option. But if you don't like suburban living and don't want to drive 30-60 minutes to get to a nicer area, I'd pass.

tjwolf · Mar 22, 2017

I spent a month there one night waiting for the Banning Stage to take me to the Marine base at 29 palms back in the 60's. Got in late, off a bus, with all my gear, and no place to go, nothing open in those years, including the Stage terminal. A drug store, or something like that.

God, was it cold and windy! The Stage in the morning was a worn out piece of junk, but better than the night-time cold.

Thanks for renewing the memories.

Ready · Mar 22, 2017

If you like to watch the grass grow and the paint dry, move to Banning. Most of us would be bored out of our minds there.

Palm Springs is still relatively affordable and at least there are activities to do there and enough stores and infrastructure to satisfy most of your daily needs.

stepford · Mar 23, 2017

Sorry if I'm offending Banning-fans here, but the place is a wretched wind tunnel. It's in a pass between big mountains and the wind just HOWLS through there all the time. There's a reason they've put all those windmills there.

My wife and I are desert rats and travel through Banning probably 10 times a year on our way to/from one or another desert locale in the Coachella Valley, Joshua Tree or beyond (just passed through there yesterday, in fact, coming back from visiting the Saguaros in AZ). Anyway, conditions in Banning would keep me inside most of the time. I'd never live there.

Chuckanut · Mar 23, 2017

Thanks. You have talked me out of it. Assuming I was ever in it with more than just a toe.

cathy63 · Mar 23, 2017

We just got back from a trip through Joshua Tree, Ridgecrest and Owens Valley. If you're attracted to the high desert, there are some small towns along US-395 that I really like: Lone Pine, Big Pine, Olancha, Bishop. If I could stand to be that far from the coast, I'd be looking to move out there myself.

Relocate to Banning CA??

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