Also, monetary (and a few non-monetary) assets will mean little when the US Dollar collapses (I forgot where you lived 420; US? ).
Yes, the U.S.
Throbblefoot and I grew up in
Monterey County, CA. but we've lived in San Francisco for around 17 years now.
The nice thing about the California coast is that the property value will never go down, at least in the long-term, which is why I keep reminding my family not to panic and sell their property when the market takes a turn for the worse. (And I keep a nice hefty supply of gold on hand just in case.)
Also, we don't have any seasons on the coast. No snow, never gets very hot, pretty much overcast and cool all year.
-420