Joined tonight and hoping to learn

[PA2Elsewhere]

I'm Sherry, age 60. Currently in PA, and my household is preparing our house for sale so we can go to Myrtle Beach area (initially). I live with my husband and mother in a single home. My husband is a pensioner and also on SSDI. Mom is retired but says she would like to work again. I'm unemployed and also want to work again after we move. I'm looking for a long term location with warmer winters (not cold or bone-chillingly cool), a good local rail public transportation and of course low crime. I'm thinking of the Los Angeles area, possibly Irvine. If CA doesn't work out, other ideas are Arizona and Florida. Any info or opinions? Hope this site is as active as it seems.

 

[Ready]

Welcome to the forum Sherry.

I live near the Irvine area. It's very nice, but housing is very expensive, so I'm not sure how much of a factor that is for you. If you give us some idea of what type of work you're looking for I might be able to tell you how likely you are to find it out here.

Of course Arizona and Florida would also be very warm, and less expensive. It all depends on what you are looking for (other than the warm weather).

 

[NW-Bound]

Irvine is a newer area in CA, and houses there are mostly built in the 80s instead of the 50s like Anaheim and inner cities. Prices are high like most places in CA. A small house or condo can run more than $500K. That money will get you a home of more than 3000-sq.ft. with a 3-car garage in an upscale neighborhood in AZ. The price is a hellish summer of 3 months of dry heat.

 

[Sanbenito1]

California is a state with lots to do and see, has great weather but is soooo expensive. I live here because my family has been here since the gold rush- otherwise I would have packed up and moved to a cheaper state. And as a Northern Californian, I could be tarred and feathered for saying anything good about any town in So Cal

 

[CaliforniaMan]

Welcome from also a relatively new member here. Looking at Irvine, why not check out San Diego and environs. Good public transportation, my mom never drove and went all over the county on bus and rail, and it has gotten better since. Many cities in the county have much lower price than Irvine. Coastal areas great climate, a few miles inland more sun, but a slightly larger temperature range. Beaches, mountains, deserts, parks, and LA not too far. Center of the Universe I think, but then again I am a bit prejudiced.

 

[Sanbenito1]

Agree with California Man- in Southern California, San Diego is the place to be!

 

[Major Tom]

And as a Northern Californian, I could be tarred and feathered for saying anything good about any town in So Cal

I lived in Los Angeles for 20 years and never once heard anyone say anything other than positive things about Northern California. Since moving to the Bay Area 5 years ago, I have come across a few people who are only too ready to declare their superiority over their Southern neighbors. It's all very silly.

 

[obgyn65]

Welcome, Sherry.

 

[Midpack]

Welcome Sherry. We hope to relocate to a warmer area one day too. You may have already discovered them on your own, but we've found these sites helpful:

Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, crime, house prices, cost of living, races, home value estimator, recent sales, income, photos, schools, maps, weather, neighborhoods, and more

Best Places to Live | Compare cost of living, crime, cities, schools and more. Sperling's BestPlaces

Find Your Spot | Find Your Spot

Good tools to narrow your choices, but you still have to visit cities on your short list several times to get a real feel.

AZ and FL are too not for us, but we know most people disagree with us as they're popular for retirees. We hoped to retire to San Diego until we knew the cost of living there. Beautiful but most of the left coast is relatively expensive IME. Like a wise old Aunt once told me, 'there is no perfect place to live, if there was it would be so expensive and so crowded you wouldn't want to live there.' Sounds about right...