Back to Results

Tools

Partner Tools


WHAT'S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT LIVING ON THE BEACH ABOUT?

I have lived on or near Southern California Beaches all my life and I'm hard pressed to see what all the fuss is about. Sure it's nice from a convenience stand point and you certainly can't beat the ambience and the charm that beach life has to offer overall. But I really feel an urge to fess up to some facts that a lot of otherwise envious folks may not be aware of. Nowadays you're really much better off renting a vacation home or at the most buying an affordable second home like a condo, du, tri or even 4plex, or a mobile or manufactuerd home than tying up millions of dollars on a waterfront property even if you have the doe-rey-me.Here's why. Unless you're filthy rich and money just doesn't mean anything the day you purchase a home near a salt water beach (up to a mile inland in most cases) is the day your spending begins and doesn't end till the day you sell.In the first place there are several months out of the year when you are socked in with fog and overcast typically from late April well into July and sometimes even into August. You wake up to a thick layer of overcast called an inversion layer typically known as a "Catalina Eddy". Sometimes it doesn't burn off until late afternoon if at all and usually returns in the evening. Locals refer to it a "May Gray" and "June Gloom" They haven't found names for July and Augest yet but it seems that with every passing year our gray skies extend further and further into the year. Please feel free to view the entire blog with related photos on Active Rain. Just do a search for On The Level and our entire blog will appear.
  Flag content
Close
Report a Problem
Close
Content Flagged

We will review this content. Thanks for helping make the site more useful to everyone. To learn more, read Zillow's Good Neighbor Policy.

Close
We're Sorry
This service is temporarily unavailable. Please come back later and try again.
July 30 - Encinitas

Replies (11)

Profile picture for sunnyview
Contributions: 10849
Zillow All-Star

Since January 2009

"They haven't found names for July and August yet." That made me laugh because it's true. The ocean can be so restful though it is hard to resist the pull of the beautiful Pacific. I checked out the blog too. you might consider adding a link to it your profile on Zillow too so it is easier to find.
  Flag content
Close
Report a Problem
Close
Content Flagged

We will review this content. Thanks for helping make the site more useful to everyone. To learn more, read Zillow's Good Neighbor Policy.

Close
We're Sorry
This service is temporarily unavailable. Please come back later and try again.
July 30
Profile picture for jkonstant
Real Estate Agent
Contributions: 1509
Zillow All-Star

Since May 2009

I love the sunny Atlantic and all the costs associated with it are just part of the price here in Florida for warm water and sunny skies. It is alive. You can enjoy beaches virtually absent of humans or kick it up with the spring breakers or snowbirds. And every day in the late afternoon the thunderstorms come and clear it all away so we can start the next day fresh all over again.
  Flag content
Close
Report a Problem
Close
Content Flagged

We will review this content. Thanks for helping make the site more useful to everyone. To learn more, read Zillow's Good Neighbor Policy.

Close
We're Sorry
This service is temporarily unavailable. Please come back later and try again.
July 30
Profile picture for wetdawgs
Contributions: 4088
Zillow All-Star

Since January 2009

Sorry you are suffering so much for living on the beach.   <grin>  I'm sure it will be a struggle to find a home owner in an equivalent square footage cottage in the non-beach areas to do a quick trade.

  Flag content
Close
Report a Problem
Close
Content Flagged

We will review this content. Thanks for helping make the site more useful to everyone. To learn more, read Zillow's Good Neighbor Policy.

Close
We're Sorry
This service is temporarily unavailable. Please come back later and try again.
July 30
Ventura County, Ca. 300+ beautiful days a year. So far this year we have had 210 days. By the way, you don't have to spend a fortune for "beach front". Beach neighborhoods are just as good and way more affordable.
  Flag content
Close
Report a Problem
Close
Content Flagged

We will review this content. Thanks for helping make the site more useful to everyone. To learn more, read Zillow's Good Neighbor Policy.

Close
We're Sorry
This service is temporarily unavailable. Please come back later and try again.
July 30
Profile picture for BMFPitt
Contributions: 1134
Zillow All-Star

Since April 2009

I had a rental on a barrier island for 3 years and I loved it.  It wasn't the nicest of places, but the atmosphere was well worth the little bit of extra commute and the slightly older/smaller place than I could have gotten inland for the same money.
  Flag content
Close
Report a Problem
Close
Content Flagged

We will review this content. Thanks for helping make the site more useful to everyone. To learn more, read Zillow's Good Neighbor Policy.

Close
We're Sorry
This service is temporarily unavailable. Please come back later and try again.
July 30
Profile picture for Randy_H
Contributions: 4390
People in SoCal whine too much.  Awwww, poor babies, with your "June Gloom" and all. 

You want to see what inversion layers are all about, come on up for some San Francisco treat.  The gloom is so famous that Mark Twain wrote about it, they made (then remade then remade the remake) a horror movie about it, and it provides enough moisture to irrigate numerous native trees and plants which literally "drink the fog".
  Flag content
Close
Report a Problem
Close
Content Flagged

We will review this content. Thanks for helping make the site more useful to everyone. To learn more, read Zillow's Good Neighbor Policy.

Close
We're Sorry
This service is temporarily unavailable. Please come back later and try again.
July 30
Profile picture for space_acer
Contributions: 4350
LOL! so true Randy..
  Flag content
Close
Report a Problem
Close
Content Flagged

We will review this content. Thanks for helping make the site more useful to everyone. To learn more, read Zillow's Good Neighbor Policy.

Close
We're Sorry
This service is temporarily unavailable. Please come back later and try again.
July 30
Profile picture for Caveat Emptor
Contributions: 5907
Zillow All-Star

Since January 2009

i love fog, and snow, it keeps life interesting. i also love swimming. i would be happy to buy a duplex and trade it for a beach front anyday... go ahead, try me.
  Flag content
Close
Report a Problem
Close
Content Flagged

We will review this content. Thanks for helping make the site more useful to everyone. To learn more, read Zillow's Good Neighbor Policy.

Close
We're Sorry
This service is temporarily unavailable. Please come back later and try again.
July 30
Profile picture for dacolan
Contributions: 475
Zillow All-Star

Since October 2009

I grew up in SoCal and have spent half my life in OC (Anaheim) and half inland in the IE (Corona/Norco). It doesn't necessarily need to be beach front, but when the temp reaches 110 degrees in the IE and it's a good 30 degrees cooler thirty minutes away near the coast, I can tell you exactly why the coastal areas are so desireable (aside from the obvious attraction of the ocean and beaches).
  Flag content
Close
Report a Problem
Close
Content Flagged

We will review this content. Thanks for helping make the site more useful to everyone. To learn more, read Zillow's Good Neighbor Policy.

Close
We're Sorry
This service is temporarily unavailable. Please come back later and try again.
July 31
Profile picture for soonah
Contributions: 80
Zillow All-Star

Since August 2009

Living in a beach town in SoCal is fun and the overcast is starting about these days and last long enough each morning to keep the house cool all day even when the sun starts to come through. Inland weather is always hot and there isn't an ocean breeze to save on using the AC. The fuss is real, the cost is ridiculous. Back in the day the slaves where given only the beach areas to live, they occupied the beaches, they originally occupied the beach towns, and look at us today. Interesting, isn't it? I guess we are all slaves to something. Politically this is the correct way to answer this you know.
  Flag content
Close
Report a Problem
Close
Content Flagged

We will review this content. Thanks for helping make the site more useful to everyone. To learn more, read Zillow's Good Neighbor Policy.

Close
We're Sorry
This service is temporarily unavailable. Please come back later and try again.
August 04
Profile picture for Wonder Why
iamcc28-

in my country, poor people live by the beach and rich people live in the city. here, it's the other way around....interesting how things are different.
  Flag content
Close
Report a Problem
Close
Content Flagged

We will review this content. Thanks for helping make the site more useful to everyone. To learn more, read Zillow's Good Neighbor Policy.

Close
We're Sorry
This service is temporarily unavailable. Please come back later and try again.
August 05
 

Have a question? Ask it here.

What's this?
Close

By starting a discussion, you can expect more of an interactive, back-and-forth experience where the conversation can go in many different directions.

Or start a discussion

 
Active Encinitas Real Estate Agents
Subscribe via RSS
  1. 41 listings
    Local Expert
  2. 22 listings
    Local Expert
  3. 9 listings
    248 contributions
  4. 2 listings
    34 contributions
  5. 2 listings
    25 contributions
Related Discussions
Discussion WHAT'S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT LIVING ON THE BEACH ABOUT?
  • Last reply by Wonder Why
  • August 05
Related Articles about Rent vs. Buy
Guide How to do Lease option - by Example
Guide Home Rental Guide
Guide Which is Better? Renting or Buying?
Guide The Advantage of Renting a Home
Current Last Week
Need a Mortgage?

Zillow Mortgage Marketplace

  • Competitive rates
  • Accurate, custom quotes
  • Thousands of lenders

... and, it's free and anonymous

Get instant mortgage quotes
Estimated purchase price Current mortgage balance Desired loan amount
98104

Learn about Zillow Mortgage Marketplace

Zillow Poll:
Suggested by jjjrock
Do you think the real estate market will fall in 2009?
Be A Good Neighbor

Zillow® Advice depends on each member to keep it a safe, fun, and positive place. If you see abuse, flag it. More on our Good Neighbor Policy

pageName