[quote=jstoesz]The wife is from Irvine…thankfully she hates orange county.
I went to school in San Luis Obispo (finest town in California), and have worked down here for 4 years.
We are moving to Placerville and working in El Dorado Hills (foothills east of Sac). It is not out of California sadly, but it is moving in the right direction. It is way cheaper. I can rent a nice SFH on land for ~$1200/month, with south lake 1.5 hrs away.[/quote]
jstoesz, I LOVE Placerville, one of my FAV tire-chain mounting and removal areas (along with “Colfax”)!! Even though it can easily get “boxed-in” during a snowstorm, is it VERY beautiful and devoid of major commercialism. I love seeing the trains that run through there and the old locomotives. Why don’t you consider settling there (as opposed to MN) if your jobs work out?? I’ve never been to MN but I’m SURE that Placerville is more beautiful and has better weather overall. Just think about the proximity to S. Tahoe and skiing at the world-class Heavenly resort! Purchasing early season passes during the previous summer only costs about $360!
S. Tahoe is on my retirement short list. The less than half-dozen (commercial-looking) large casinos on the Stateline, NV side don’t bother me as I don’t gamble. Why don’t you consider moving there as well?? El Dorado County has jobs and its resale housing market is VERY depressed right now. I’m sure rentals there would be higher than Placerville, though. The city buses in S. Tahoe are free and have ski holders on the sides so no scrambling for parking spaces at the lifts (non-existent at the gondola).
I also love SLO with all its trees and history (and home of Cal-Poly). It’s a VERY nice town, except for the summer heat. But there are probably not too many good jobs in that area.
Yes, SD is an “irrigated desert.” It’s very nice, but not for everyone. It’s gotten VERY BIG in the last 25 years. Truly, we DO have the best weather in the nation, consistently, but there are trade-offs people make to live here that newcomers (or those considering moving here) often tire of or end up choosing not to make. Most people who have lived most or all of their lives in SD don’t know the difference. I’ve been here almost 35 years but have relatives whom I regularly visit in other states who have a low household income (by SD stds) and own gorgeous large brick newer homes on land with central A/C. I know there is a difference in the cost of real estate between SD and other areas but some or all that difference is made up in higher utilities, snow tires and higher food costs.
jstoesz, I’ve traveled about 17 states by car and I haven’t really noticed any difference anywhere in the degree of “materialism” among inhabitants. If anything, where the cost of housing is LOWER, residents have MORE discretionary income to spend on second homes, vehicles, RVs, boats, horses, vacations, jewelry, weekly salon, season tix, etc. MANY “middle-class” residents in the southwest and midwest sections of the country have second homes (lakefront or mtn) and DO NOT rent them out. Most of these second homes are purchased with cash. They are typically left empty but furnished just waiting for their owners and/or their friends/family to spend time there :=)
