Monterey area -- Pacific Grove or Carmel?
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Anonymous
| We love both but we like the beaches a lot more in Carmel. Does anyone have an opinion on which one is a better place to invest for a second home/retirement? |
Anonymous
| We are retiring in Monterey...beautiful area. When you say Carmel, are you referring to Carmel By the Sea or Carmel? My parents lived in Carmel going towards Carmel Valley ( by the middle school) and it was lovely. Close enough to the village but they could avoid the traffic and crowds in high peak times. There is another housing development ( can't remember the name) that is by Carmel River Beach. I think Betty White has a house there. Absolutely beautiful. |
Anonymous
| Personally I would go to Pacific Grove or Monterey. |
Anonymous
| Carmel. |
Anonymous
| Carmel |
Anonymous
|
I agree with Carmel. I actually like PG better -- it is more family-friendly, closer to Monterey, more "real" stores (the type I would actually shop at. BUT, this is a perfect example of the bad investment of PG -- PG prices go up and down, the beach (Lover's Point" basically is not nice and just a tourist magnet, there are too many run-down homes. Carmel is an investment that will last forever and right now PG is way overpriced.
We also picked Carmel, after a LOT of looking and trying to make PG work and just realizing that PG is NOT as nice and every single time we saw a Carmel home (even when we were outbid), we liked it more. Carmel is also safer, has a more cohesive community, is an easier walk to 2 beaches, is a long, but doable walk to Pebble Beach, has a better "center" of town and has more arts options (galleries, First Saturday walk, Forest Grove theater, etc). It just is a better choice unless you have young kids and are looking to overpay for the "family" vibe (unkempt lawns, toys in front, tacky xmas lights) of PG. Sorry if this post is so long but no one else explained why Carmel is better. |
Anonymous
| D - you couldn't pay me to live in California. |
Anonymous
|
If you are interested, now is probably the time to buy because prices are softening but since Bay Area people want to get out of the crowded SF area now more than ever, you will soon be competing with them.
If serious, call the big agencies: Carmel realty, Sotheby's, etc and see if there are any houses besides the ones on the market. There are A LOT of pocket sales in that area so you need to have a bunch of different people helping you. There are a couple agents willing to give back refunds -- all the single brokers -- so if you use a house on the market, you can get a rebate. For 93921 (downtown Carmel), you want the Golden Rectangle. It's close to the same beach, close to options, and nice. You can get a large place (about 2000 square) easily under $2.5 M or a small place for less. |
Anonymous
|
If you are interested, now is probably the time to buy because prices are softening but since Bay Area people want to get out of the crowded SF area now more than ever, you will soon be competing with them.
If serious, call the big agencies: Carmel realty, Sotheby's, etc and see if there are any houses besides the ones on the market. There are A LOT of pocket sales in that area so you need to have a bunch of different people helping you. There are a couple agents willing to give back refunds -- all the single brokers -- so if you use a house on the market, you can get a rebate. For 93921 (downtown Carmel), you want the Golden Rectangle. It's close to the same beach, close to options, and nice. You can get a large place (about 2000 square) easily under $2.5 M which is a steak since generally places go for over $3M. But you need to ask around. Don't rely on just the public listing. Pocket listings go for cheaper. |
Anonymous
Most of California is a dumpster fire but I make an exception for Monterey County. |
Anonymous
Thanks, very helpful. |
Anonymous
| Carmel. Better schools, better beaches, better restaurants, better streets, better stores, better services. |
Anonymous
| Carmel |
Anonymous
| I like the feeling of Pacific Grove more than Carmel personally |
Anonymous
| Where is Op? |