Fish or Cut Bait-Move or settle?

I think real estate in Norcal is just going to get worse anywhere near civilization because of the fires. Since 2015 there has been a major fire displacing thousands of rural residents almost every year in Lake County, Mendocino County, Napa County, Sonoma County, Lake County (again), Shasta County, Butte County (Paradise), Plumas County and Lassen County pushing more and more people into the central valley north of Sacramento.

Once you retire you will have a bit more freedom since you won't have a daily commute, and you might be able to flip your current house into something with a little more space but further from town. Something else to consider though is as you get older being close to services may be more desirable than they are now, doctors, grocery stores etc.

benmychree said:
Don't have any friends? I could feel offended!
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I know, right? :cry:
 
You and your wife have to sit down together and put together a few lists. The first would be a "Wish List" of the things you'd Like to have and the second would be a bit more practical "What can we afford" list. Once those lists are reconciled you have to work through the the "Practicality" of the final list.

While it would be nice to have a large house and extensive property consider how they will be maintained, and who will be doing it. At your current age I would expect you and your wife would be doing the majority of the maintenance and improvements. Look down the road a few years to see if hiring that work would be affordable and practical. Things that are more than doable at 65 become more of a chore at 70 and less than appealing at 75.

In our younger years we were maintaining our house and property along with that of 3 older relatives. It took a lot of time and effort, but was certainly manageable. As usual our house was lowest on the list. I had to add side lights on the tractor mower to see where I was cutting since it was usually done between 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM.

More recently a number of the trees planted 40+ years ago had to come down. I did the first 25 or so, but don't have the time, interest, or physical stamina to want to consider taking down any more. So far this year we're having another half dozen taken down and it isn't cheap. I would bet before we're done the cost will be upwards of $5,000.00.

As mentioned earlier health and proximity to services should also be part of the equation. While living in a secluded area might sound appealing it also comes with a price. Should the need arise medical and ambulance service should be with a reasonable distance and response times should be in minutes, not hours. Do you want to drive 2 hours or more for a dental appointment, a physical, or to see an Optometrist? These are just some of the things that must be considered when looking for that retirement home.

I'm not trying to discourage you in any way. It's just better to consider these things before you make the leap. We went through the same scenario several years ago. I grew up out in the country and have always longed to move to a rural setting. My wife on the other hand is a city girl and wasn't quite so keen on it for many years.

Another thing to consider is whether changes or improvements to your current property affordable or practical
 
It all depends upon your financial situation... and mindset.

To me, where you live is a bit like marriage. There are going to be things you like, things that bug you, and things you can't stand, but you also know that if you marry someone else, while it will be different, there are always going to be some issues.

If the cost of living is the only thing driving you toward moving, it implies that you can't stay where you are for money reasons. You, your wife, and financial guy need to run the numbers, because moving is expensive, and while you may get more for your money outside California, that doesn't mean that you'll automatically spend less (read: sell a 1/2-acre home for $500K, then buy a 10-acre place for the same amount). Once there, there may or may not be significant renovation necessary. Don't forget heating cost, which may be a lot more than California. Also, don't automatically assume that property tax will be less. At one time I considered buying land in WA state, and was shocked by how expensive property tax was/is. The only reason I was shocked was because I let myself fall into the trap of assuming that everywhere outside CA must be cheaper. Not so. (Also, I was shocked to to find that crime in rural WA was significantly higher than here in our SoCal suburb, and probably meth related.)

As an aside, a story:
I used to read survivalist forums to better understand the mindset. Almost without exception, everyone had nothing but bad things to say about California, and how everywhere else was surely better. So one Californian moved to Eastern Oregon. Problems solved, right? No more stupid rules and regulation, and as a freedom loving patriotic American, he could finally do what he wanted, right? Hah.

So he buys some land, builds a place, still thumbing his nose at California because he "showed them." His story started changing when he wanted to dam up the stream flowing through his property. The county said "no." Oh boy, you should have heard him, you'd think that he was right back in California again. He just couldn't understand why he didn't have the freedom to do that, as he owned the land and could do whatever he wanted. I asked him: "Okay, how would you feel if I bought the property upstream of you, and dammed off the stream, since it's my 'right'? " No answer.

Point being, think long and hard about what you're looking to gain, and ALL the potential costs. For example, my sister recently moved to a rural area, and is now pushing me to move to the same area. The catch is that the drought is such that no new building is allowed, and city water is $0.09 a gallon (wells are a no-go). So, yeah, there's a lot of variables to consider.

My brother badmouths CA all the time and says that Tennessee is the answer to all his problems. Okay.
 
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Well thought out comments and suggestions, thank you.
Our plan is to look within our community outside the city limits.
A thorough building inspection should provide any issues that need to be addressed to the home, septic, electrical, well etc.
Our realtor and others are predicting the housing market will be going through a change by next spring. We've seen it before.
Being patient may give us an opportunity to find a house we can make into a comfortable home, a shop that will satisfy my needs (or enough land where I can easily build one) and most importantly to us right now is some breathing room for gardening, nature, a bit of open space.
An acre minimum, 2-3 would be better.
No, I'm not a big fan of yard work but we were able to get our Paradise property fairly maintenance free.
The home we are living in has a pool, it's well insulated, we just installed a 37 panel solar system, the kitchen was just remodeled by us, new roof, new HVAC, we put in a stream with a pump and new landscaping.
Why move you idiot?
Just need some space.
It's calling to both of us.
Talking it through helps. I share your comments with Glenda.
 
What we want as we grow older changes. And varies considerably from person to person.

My wife and I like space. We met and lived for years in downtown Atlanta. Lived in a house with a 1/5 acre lot, although we bot grew up in rural settings. We've remodeled and sold several places since then, and finally settled into a retirement place, 40 acres, and a LOT more shop square footage than house. We're only 2 miles outside of the city limits of a town of 8000, with a super-Walmart, Menards, and hospital/ER. 45 minutes away from a good sized city (>200,000).

There were some major compromises along the way, but we're both happy. Sounds like you're not a stranger to doing some work on a place. If you're restless, I would say now is the time to do it, before aging makes it even harder. And having that garage for the wife may be what she needs to age comfortably. Keep all of that in mind. Find what you want.

Edited to add: Guess I'm not saying anything different than earlier.
 
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I don't know what kind of radius you can consider, but I-5 and west in Glenn and Tehama Counties seem to be cheaper with large lots than the east side of I-5. Much of Lake County is still within 2 hours of your current location and one of the least expensive areas in California, a bonus there would be some cool neighbors to your south and west. ;)

Another thought would be finding a place for a stand alone shop not too far away. I've been considering this after my wife suggested it. Keep the little home shop for ready access but have a place within 30 min to an hour from home where I can keep the bigger projects (get the project vehicles under a cover and out of the driveway) and also have space for larger machines over time.

Nice to be able to just walk out to the shop, but moving is such a drag and that just isn't going to happen for me. We moved 5 times between 2000 and 2012, I had to promise my wife 2012 was our last move unless she wants to move. If I was able to make a 20x40 shop happen it would be worth driving 30-40 minutes when I needed the room for a bigger project than I can handle at home.

kb58 said:
and while you may get more for your money outside California, that doesn't mean that you'll automatically spend less (read: sell a 1/2-acre home for $500K, then buy a 10-acre place for the same amount). Once there, there may or may not be significant renovation necessary. Don't forget heating cost, which may be a lot more than California. Also, don't automatically assume that property tax will be less. At one time I considered buying land in WA state, and was shocked by how expensive property tax was/is. The only reason I was shocked was because I let myself fall into the trap of assuming that everywhere outside CA must be cheaper. Not so. (Also, I was shocked to to find that crime in rural WA was significantly higher than here in our SoCal suburb, and probably meth related.)
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With all the talk of high taxes in California I've been pleasantly surprised to find that isn't as true as often claimed. Many states have much higher property tax, and while California is not a low tax state it is fairly retirement friendly. The biggest drawback to retiring in California is real estate prices and if you are already a long term resident, then you are probably doing ok in that regard with a place to live that you can afford.
 
Hozzie said:
Tennessee if full, so even if you wanted to come I am afraid there is no more room. It's a terrible place, you wouldn't want to be here, trust me :)
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Tennessee is a beautiful place.
Too many Californians already hugh?
I'm one of the good ones =no politics.
Oh, I'm a card carrying -Guns of America member.
I put the sticker on my truck. This way when we take our travel trailer across the country, people won't throw rocks when they see my California plates.
New York and Mass. aren't any different as I understand it.
 
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