As the starter of this thread and a So Cal resident for life, I can tell you the weather is awesome. I'm in Ventura County and the low in November so far has been 80. A week ago it was 92 degrees. Today it's going to be close to 80 and I'm off to the golf course. I'm retiring at the end of the year and like you guys, enjoy my toys and want a good quality of life. California is VERY expensive. My house was over a million, my property taxes are very high, the state sales tax is 8% and may go up to 10% if the terminator gets his way. DMV and insurance are very high as well. Don't get me wrong, SO CAL is a great place to live, especially if you don't like cold, rain, or snow. A move for my wife and I would be purely economic. I spoke to a guy yesterday who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina and swears by it. He said I could get a home like mine for 500k and all the golf and fishing and riding I could handle. The thread's been great, thanks for all the info!!