Every day I am reminded of how fortunate I am to live in Southern California. Just a note, we are not all like "Housewives of Orange County". Since I have spent the majority of my life here, there are times when I start to take it all for granted. Just when I am caught up in the business of life, I catch a glimpse of the Pacific ocean and Catalina Island or the San Bernardino Mountain Range. Or simply, a palm tree, palm frawns blowing gently in the wind framed against a Southern California sunset. Or, when I take a break from my hectic summer day and take a swim in the ocean. These simple things humble me and help me appreciate how truly fortunate I am.
I spoke to a neighbor the other day who is a gentleman in his early eighties and has traveled the world. He has lived places I did not even know existed. His claim, "there is no where with a more pleasant and consitant climate than right here in Southern California". Since I do not travel all that much, I will take his word for it.
My client base is nationwide, so everyday I enjoy the opportunity to speak with folks in all corners of the country. When I speak with someone in Chicago in January and it is ten degrees, I remind myself that I only had to shovel sunshine to get my car out of the driveway this morning. When it is two degrees in Wisconsin it can be in the high seventies here. Now, we do not experience the Four seasons like you may experience in other parts of the country, but we do know it is fall when the palm frawns change color and fall to the ground. (Not really) Our biggest summer to winter change is when the temperature drops from the high seventies and low eighties to the mid seventies and high sixties. Oh, the weather, the weather, the weather!
I know what your thinking... I want to move there! It may just be a great time to move here. Housing prices have dropped. Inventory is high and there are short sales galore. You can get in at a lower cost than anytime since the early ninties. Opportunities await.
Now, before you pack your bags there are a few things to consider. We do have a few things to contend with. Number one, we are still waiting for the BIG ONE! The earthquake of all earthquakes that they have been saying is over due since I was a kid. You know, the one that makes Arizona and Nevada Ocean front property. On a daily basis we have traffic, yuck, nasty ol' sit in your car and try and be productive with out crashing, traffic. Get no where fast and try to keep your blood pressure low, traffic. Be kind to the other rude driver, traffic. Then there are the fires. Santa Ana's, the winds that blow straight out to sea which periodically kick up in September through March. They bring the warm desert air to the coast and are responsible for making the fire danger it's highest. Then there are the rains that come after the fires which cause the mud slides on all the baron land scorched by the fires. To really make it interesting, we also endure the bout of occasional social unrest with a riot every so often. Did I mention property taxes? Then there is the little issue of our 42 billion dollar deficit that is looming over the California landscape. Whew, when I write it all down, Colorado starts looking pretty good. Wait a minute, Colorado is really the interior's California since so many have fled our state to take up roots there.
With so much to contend with, I can't lose sight of what is so great about Southern California..... the weather. There are some pretty great people here too!
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