Parents are retiring and need advice.. help with differences in SoCal cities vs Texas, Florida, Elsewhere?? (San Diego: houses, neighborhoods)

[Snort]

Xanadu

[gerrythesnake]

Clearwater Fl

[Howest2008]

Originally Posted by fs2005

-Low humidity and 70+ degrees year round
-Warm waters year round
-Clear and shallow water
-Nice sand
-Friendly community, less hustle bustle. They don't drink or eat out, and want somewhere with nice relaxed pace to it. (Which is why I've tried to steer clear of LA)
-A respectable friendliness towards Catholics (of which they are devout).


Read more: https://www.city-data.com/forum/calif...#ixzz2bFf8qJYa

That would be my second choice , however the only place like that in the United States of America is Honolulu Hawaii . Nowhere in California and Florida and Texas is like that ( I wish your parent success in theirs search for paradise )...

[Snort]

Hawaii does fit the bill to a larger extent than most places on the mainland.
Nice places there for retirees could include Napili/Kapalua or even the Kihei area on Maui. The north shore of Kauai is stunningly beautiful too.

Thinking outside the box that is the U.S., other options which may not fit all the criteria, but worth a look are:

Madeira/Porto Santo (Portugal)
Boquete (Panama)
Vilcabamba and Cuenca (Ecuador)
Southern Italy
Malta

[nullgeo]

On the off chance that your parents might actually consider Hawaii, I will interject some reality.

It is true that in several respects it fits the search criteria ... and it might be a good choice when all is said and done and experienced for a while [before making an actual move].

However, for most mainlanders who do get swept away by the intoxication of Hawaii on vacations -- and then plunge into those warm waters with an actual [EXPENSIVE] move -- it turns out to be a very bad mistake, and most return to the mainland within a few years.

The degree of separation is too great.
The cultural schism with all you have ever known is too great.
The expense of trying to establish a new life with mainland habits is -- well, astronomical is not too dramatic a word.
It is humid, though not so bad as east / mid-west summers ... and the trade winds ameliorate some.
Clear, shallow water? Sorta. Pretty clear, yup. shallow places like Waikiki beach if you are willing to be in a mob of people. Other than that, there are not a lot of beaches with calm, shallow water (and even Waikiki has breakers, though small). In fact, there are nearly no places with shallow calm water. Hawaiian waters are dangerous as hell.

Catholic? No problem.
Friendly? Not really any problem -- if you don't wear a mainlander's attitude judging the island ways.
Nice sand? Yep. Everywhere. Including in your car, your house, your shorts, etc. (but you'll love it).
Relaxed pace? Boy howdy! -- and then some! Most mainlanders never get truly used to it, even though it's what they all say they want. Trying to get anything done frustrates most all to hell (and back to the mainland)

I live on a boat in Hawaii part-time ... note I say "part-time" ... have for years. Know the place inside and out in all respects. Have friends and strong relationships there. Can afford it. Still would never make it home-base.

The Mediterranean is a better bet.

[oldtrader]

Florida is a good choice. I would also recommend the Oregon Coast (Cannon Beach), but it's usually not warm there.

Cannon Beach is not 70 degrees year around. It is wear a coat weather even in mid summer which is the cold foggy period which occurs when it heats up over in the interior valleys. And is certainly not low humidity. Enough humidity in the air, you fight mold in the homes.

[sjnative]

Originally Posted by fs2005

-Low humidity and 70+ degrees year round
-Warm waters year round
-Clear and shallow water
-Nice sand
-Friendly community, less hustle bustle. They don't drink or eat out, and want somewhere with nice relaxed pace to it. (Which is why I've tried to steer clear of LA)
-A respectable friendliness towards Catholics (of which they are devout).

...
-anywhere else worth looking??

Any ideas? A broad topic, yes, but I'd be glad for any help whatsoever

You should probably expand your list to include the following criteria:

• "reasonable" cost of living
• low/no crime
• few/no illegal aliens

That should make your search easier.

Where to look? Try that place in your imagination where anything's possible. That would be a great place to retire.

[lily4]

If money isn't an issue, then I would suggest Seal Beach, CA. I grew up there, so know a bit about the weather. It's in the low seventies much of the time. In the hottest months, it's still very comfortable...usually in the eighties. It has a pier and nice, sandy beach. A quaint downtown. It used to be a slow-paced town, but I haven't lived there for decades, so don't know about now. It used to get busy in the summer with people from inland coming to the beach, but in the winter there were just locals and it was really slow paced. There are nice ocean breezes, low humidity and it's sunny most of the time. The water is cold, but by California standards warmish in the summer. Not nearly as cold as the water in northern California, which I find too cold to go into even on the hottest summer day. Seal Beach annexed some inland communities in the 1980's or 90's, so I'm talking about old Seal Beach, which is west of PCH for the most part and also includes the area just east of PCH on "the hill". It's a great town for walking and riding bikes. We used to go to St. Anne's Catholic Church, which is still there.

I've also lived in Northern California, North San Diego County, Hawaii and I'm now in northeast Florida. If money were an issue, I'd definitely suggest Florida and then they would get most of what was on their list, except the humidity. The one good thing about northern Florida on the east coast is that you get some breezes that keep the temperatures pretty comfortable, except for maybe August and September. I find the weather very nice. It's very affordable here compared to California, especially less than coastal California. The people are friendly and because there are a lot of northern transplants, there are a lot of Catholics. The town I live in is 41% Catholic. The beaches are beautiful and the water is clear. Plus, since your parents are coming from the northeast, they would be closer to friends and any family that lives close to them now.

We retired with a small nest egg, so needed to find a very affordable area, but also an area we would enjoy. Florida is great for us. We were able to find a 2 bdrm/2 bath 1,050 SF duplex in a very nice neighborhood. Great for walking and close to everything. We paid under $77K and our property taxes with homestead exemption is less than $400 per year. I find the house insurance affordable at approx. $1K per year. Our gardener charges $30 per month. Food and gasoline is less than California and much less than Hawaii. Our utilities are very reasonable. Our trash is picked up twice per week for $20 per month and our electric bill for last month (with thermostat set at 76-77 degrees) was $150. I think that's pretty good for one of the hottest months. The utility company said the average bill for the former owner was $80 per month. So, the bills for the cooler months must be a lot lower. So, I think it's a great place for retires with a smaller budget. Plus, there are plenty of upscale areas to choose from for retirees such as your parents who can afford a more expensive area.

It will just depend on how your parents weight the wants on their list. If low humidity is high on their list, then California will be a better choice than Florida.

[USDefault]

Originally Posted by nullgeo

The degree of separation is too great.
The cultural schism with all you have ever known is too great.
The expense of trying to establish a new life with mainland habits is -- well, astronomical is not too dramatic a word.
It is humid, though not so bad as east / mid-west summers ... and the trade winds ameliorate some.
Clear, shallow water? Sorta. Pretty clear, yup. shallow places like Waikiki beach if you are willing to be in a mob of people. Other than that, there are not a lot of beaches with calm, shallow water (and even Waikiki has breakers, though small). In fact, there are nearly no places with shallow calm water. Hawaiian waters are dangerous as hell.

Spot-on. Been to Hawaii lots, especially in winter months when the trades are blowing fierce and the windsurfers are up 20 feet+ in the air on breaks. The waves and shorebreak can be monstrous. I actually helped rescue someone a couple years ago, noob snorkeler who got caught out with a cramped leg and couldn't get back in. Scary as hell, almost got caught myself trying to swim and support two people for a half hour, I thank the stars I had advanced water rescue and lifesaving in college or it could have been way worse.

Something else I've learned in my visits -- a lot of people die and drown due to stupidity. They fall over rocks, waterfalls, out-of-shape office trolls get heart attacks and cramps, putting themselves in life-threatening situations. Can't tell you how many times I've heard the lifeguards warning idiots to be careful around the shorebreak, because broken bones and even paralysis is a real possibility.

Yet you will never, ever hear about it on the mainland, it simply doesn't get reported nationally. People think Hawaii is some kind of amusement park. Boy is that wrong. Spend enough time there, you'll regularly see the ambulances pulling out-of-shape landwhales from the water, cut to shreds on rocks and corals, bleeding like sliced meat. Same thing for novice surfers and hikers who get in over their heads, these fools are always getting rescued from the interior, from dangerous surf where they get pounded into the rocks and coral which are sharp as razors and slice them open like filleting a fish, and even from hikes up some of the volcanoes.

Just remember, even if you've lived there for a decade, to the locals you are and always will be haole. And they most certainly do not want you there. Truth.

[dexter14]

Originally Posted by fs2005

They prefer:

-Low humidity and 70+ degrees year round
-Warm waters year round
-Clear and shallow water
-Nice sand

Hawaii.