I second north and east of Sacramento - Auburn, Placerville, etc.

CA prices are not crazy once you get out of the super desirable places where Bay Area folks land. Granite Bay and Folsom are very expensive because you have Bay Area people cashing out and able to sink 2 M or more on a house easily plus there is Intel up there. Once you get to Roseville prices come down and reduce further as you get into the little towns.

If you dream of house in the mountains and don’t want walkable services or trendy restaurants down the street these are great. Not my cup of tea but I have relatives who love living up there.

These areas do get very Trumpy but CA will usually avoid talking about politics.

In Nevada Carson City is another option.

Anonymous wrote:I have heard good things about Reno...

But also bump because I am curious.

DP.. I'm also thinking about reno.

And agree about the burbs outside of Sac, but $500K won't get you far even there. CA prices are crazy no matter where you go.

Also Felton and Boulder creek in Santa Cruz mountains. One thing that you probably already know but fir is a real issue in many of these places. You may not be able to get property insurance.

Are you OK with a small town? Look NE os Sacramento. Colfax, Auburn, Grass Valley. It’s about 2-4 hours from the Bay Area depending on traffic and 1-2 hours from Lake Tahoe depending on traffic.

Other option might be Watsonville. It’s only an hour from South Bay.

There are lots of small towns further inland outside the Yosemite Valley with lots of retirees. My in laws used to live in Sonora.

Stockton is pretty cheap and there are some areas that aren’t as depressed.

I have heard good things about Reno...

But also bump because I am curious.

Anonymous wrote:BA?

Bay Area. I thought forum choice made that clear. Sorry.

BA?

If you’re trying to stay close as to BA as possible look at Coos Bay, OR. There’s this magical place on the south coast called Floras Lake that’s very popular with kite and windsurfers. There’s a great golf course in Bandon. There are really lovely beaches. I’m a big fan of the south coast generally.

We are from BA and realize we will never get to move back until kids are off to college and maybe we are retired.

We want to get someplace in the state that could be a toe hold back to the West Coast. Could even be in Oregon or Nevada, looking for weekend driving distance to Bay Area and our extended family there.

Budget is probably $500k, we may rent it out in meantime. Some sort of recreation would be nice for eventual family get togethers.