Las Pasadas is a charming tract of homes 7 minutes from Ventura. When I think of a quiet place to retire, I don't necessarily think of tract homes on basic-sized lots. There is nothing wrong with living there, however, if you want more land and privacy between houses, I am in agreement with Sabine from Malibu, below, who says to check out Ojai. Depending upon how much you want to spend, you could also consider Oak View and other parts of Santa Paula. Like I said, it depends upon price. Fillmore is too far away if you want to be close to a bigger city. Let me know when you are ready to shop!

Have you looked at Ojai? Alot of the properties there are on large lots... and the town is small and charrming... more so than Santa Paula in my personal opinion.

Hi Beny,

I was wondering when you spoke about land, if that meant a home on a nice size lot, or purchsing a home on numerous acres? As a suggestion, maybe you should consider taking a nickel tour with a local Realtor of the various areas, say for example, Ventura, Oxnard, Santa Paula, Fillmore and even the Valencia area (very desirable area) which includes Castaic etc. Some agents like myself work both the Ventura and Santa Clarita (Valencia) real estate boards. This way you can discuss the areas, and maybe peek at a home or two, to weigh some differences.

In addition, I recently sold a property in Santa Paula and Piru, and both of these were tough sales.

Hope this helps and best of luck!
TV

Thank you Bonnie and Barry for the good information. I'm a writer and my husband will retire in three years and we are looking for a quiet place to settle, but we would like to be on the outskirts of a bigger city. What attracted me to Santa Paula (as Bonnie stated) was, you can get more property for the money than in Ventura, however, it is less desirable mainly because it is rural. I have seen the area, and it would be a plus if access opens to Valencia. Barry you are right about the short sales which are being handled by Countywide (best wishes for both sellers and buyers) and I will contact the CPM, it helps when you have a direct contact number. Anyway, it is not an easy choice between size for the money and resale potential.

Hi Beny,
Since the Las Posadas tract of homes is located in Santa Paula, it is considered less desirable than living in the nearby cities of Ventura or Oxnard, for instance. If you already live in Santa Paula, you are familiar with the rural feel of the community. There are 3 active listings in the cul-de-sac complex, which was built in 1989-1990. The only listing NOT a short sale is the one on 1047 Corte Mira Flores. HOAs run just over $100/mo. and you should call the management company to see if there is any pending litigation, etc. You can reach CPM at 987-8945. The last property SOLD on 4/4/08 at 234 Corte Linda (3+2, 1433 sf). Good luck in your home search.

I have heard that Santa Paula is planned to have an easy access to Valencia, which is said to have the potential to really put Santa Paula on the map in terms of growth and good living. That said, if it doesnt happen, Santa Paula will remain a small and charming town with limited resources. So, I guess the choice would lie in asking yourself if you like Santa Paula well enough just the way it is now and would you like Santa Paula still if it grew considerably.
Years ago when I wanted to move to Ventura (probably almost 10 years ago) we considered Santa Paula because we wanted more land that we could afford in Ventura.My husband and I met a couple who raved about living there. When we drove around, the homes all seemed smaller and older with small lot sizes. Sounds like you are looking at a new development. Just be careful I recently spoke to someone who purchased in the new townhomes just off of Wells Rd. Within months of her purchase, she received notifciation that the builder was filing for bankruptcy and the promises for the rest of the developments build out are uncertain. You may do well to get an area Realtor to help you with your decision they may have advice and resources that on your own, you wouldnt know. Research and make sure you are dealing with a full time, knowledgeable professional. Good luck!