Lake County, CA?
 

Anyone know much about Lake County, CA? A friend has a place there (just outside of Lucerne) on 2 acres that he's selling. Something we can actually afford, though we couldn't live there now as there are no jobs nearby. The plan would be to buy it as a retirement place and rent it out now or use it as a vacation home.

Alternatively looking at Ojai which we could live in now, but the prices are double/triple of that up in the boonies...

No smog requirements for Lake Cty, CA... ;)

I visited an ex-girlfriend who lives in Lakeport last summer. Lake County is like Appalachia West. Lots of poverty and lots of weed growing. There IS some pretty scenery though.

I live very near Clear Lake, I know the area pretty well but have not actually lived in CL.

There is good and there is bad like anywhere else. PM me if you want to know more.

It's a nice area, drove around the lake headed to the coast and it seemed like a cool place. Jenner and Anchor Bay are nice coastal towns and lots of backroads to explore.

No jobs nearby but you'd have 2 acres? "Nostatic and Sons Medicial Maryjane and Organic Nursery" has a nice ring to it. :)

Ojai is nice but overpriced. Great pizza at Boccallis heading out of town towards Santa Paula, quaint downtown, etc. I wouldn't look at it as a retirement place and I have Sespe Creek and Topa Topa running through my veins.

My carnie crew, who I work with for 3 months out of the year (they set up a little fair on our property), tour that area in late Spring. I think they go to Boonville, which as the name sounds, is really really rural. That's all I know.

Ojai would be a place we could live now though I'd have to telecommute or change jobs. Prices have gone up like anywhere - in retrospect 2011 was the time to buy. We looked at Altadena last weekend but in our price range we'd be pioneers. No longer have school districts as a criterion and the recent landlord bs have us considering other options. Problem is my west side job makes anywhere else in town a hell commute.

Well if you're just jumping around, I'd look at Elk Grove. It reminds me of Irvine in the late '80s.

Or Nipomo, or any of the little towns along 101. Consider Prunedale or even Salinas. Close enough to Monterey to have the hoity toity without the high rent.

I'm smitten with Morro Bay, but by the time I can retire, it will have been 'discovered' and I probably won't be able to afford it by then.

We built a house there in 2000. The time to buy was in the 1970s, which we also did and sat on the lot. There are a few good lots left. And by a few I mean like 1 or 2.

Nipomo has actually been on my shortlist for about 10 years. We could afford a mobile home there but no reason to buy one of those in advance. Will likely start looking a bit more seriously early next year for other alternatives.

We used to drive thru there on our way to Soccer in Fort Bragg every August. My opinion, the last place I'd want to purchase property.

1973, 911 T MFI Coupe, Aubergine

Steve

I like Cayucos if you're looking in that area.

Never lived in Clear Lake but it's surrounded by great motorcycle roads.

This site ranks Clearlake last!

These Are The 10 Best Places To Live In California - Movoto

I wouldn't live in most of their "top 10" on that list so not sure I believe their bottom choices either...

Their rankings are objective based on a list of rankings which are also objective.

You, being subjective, are free to not like the cities that ranked highest. But, for ClearLake to be at the bottom, there has to be a lot not right with the city.

Of that list Coronado is the only destination that I agree with. You're going to need a couple million to get started but then who's counting. Many great places North of Santa Barbara off the 101 but that pesky job criterion gets in the way...unless you're a farmer.

I spent time in Clear Lake- HELL NO.

Nothing is there, long time to get to civilization, yuck.

We rented a lovely beach house in Morro Bay for a year. Its a very sleepy retirement village. The wife hated it. SLO is much nicer and more lively, but its pricey.