The bustling town of Hemet is a great place to find a California home. It's a small city of approximately eighty thousand people, and a great view of the San Jacinto mountain range. If you're looking to live in the warm climate of California without paying LA prices, Hemet is a great place to consider.
Hemet is a large enough town to offer all of the regular stores where you like to shop, but small enough that you don't regularly get stuck in traffic. The climate is warm during the day and cool in the evenings because of its proximity to the desert. It stays this way year-round.
If you want to drive to larger cities, Hemet is about two hours from Los Angeles, depending on traffic, and about an hour and a half from San Diego. Palm Springs is about forty minutes away. The closest airports are in Palm Springs and Ontario, California. For those who like concerts, it is only about twenty minutes from Indio and Coachella. Coachella also boasts a large collection of shopping outlets for those who need constant retail therapy.
If you enjoy the outdoors, the San Jacintos are nearby, with the famous Pacific Crest Trail. The Salton Sea is about an hour away, and you can reach the outdoor wildlife park and nature center in Palm Desert, called the Living Desert, in about 40 minutes. You are never more than 90 minutes from ocean or ski mountain here, so you can hit both in a day if you want.
There are a number of cute touristy towns that are less than a two hour drive from Hemet as well. These include Julian, which is famous for their fruit and pies, and Gilroy, who boasts a garlic festival you can small for miles, and serves treats like garlic ice cream.