posted 4 years ago
Something you should consider is that California is HUGE. Depending on the biome you're looking for, you could get a temperate coastal rainforest, semi-arid high desert, or many microclimates in between. Based on the areas you mentioned you're focusing on the southern half.
The real estate market here has been insane for a while, so areas that are easily accessed and near major metro areas get quite expensive. A lot of foreign investment makes it difficult to get housing at a reasonable price in those areas.
I would urge you to make sure that wherever you end up is nowhere near the Salton Sea. That whole area is an ecological disaster in slow motion.
This is a bit far from the places you mentioned, but I would check out Clearlake. It maintains its rural character due to being surrounded by mountains on all sides. Most tourists driving north stop in the more easily accessible Napa Valley, or head out west a bit to Sonoma. Most people also come to Cali to see the ocean, so the idea of seeing the largest natural lake in the state is less appealing. This has kept the prices in Clearlake lower than much of the surrounding area, and there's a lot of raw land for sale there.
I've never lived there, but I visited and it's quite nice. The lake had a major problem with algal blooms and toxic algae, but it's been getting cleaned up for a while now and the lake is better than it's ever been in recent years. I would advise against getting property on the eastern side of the lake without making sure it's good for you, because it tends to be very sloped and not have as much space. But every piece of land has it's own character, and it's all going to depend on what you're looking for.
The southern part, the town of Clearlake, is definitely a bit more rundown. It has the character of a town that relied on tourism, and ultimately lost it. Prices are lower there than Lakeport on the north side. Getting away from the lake, the town of Upper Lake has a lot of established farmland, and Kelseyville on the southern side has a lot of vineyards.
Hope this helps!
Edit to add: I also recommend that you don't buy any land that contains wetlands, swamp, or marshes. Wetlands in California are very protected by the government - getting permits to change it would take a LOT of effort.
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― G. K. Chesterton