Originally Posted by
Eastbay1K
(2) If you live near the bay or ocean (without hills between you and the water) you probably will not have nor need A/C. Most homes don't have A/C. For the few nights a year where it doesn't cool off, I have a portable room A/C on wheels. You will save a bundle of $ on heating and cooling costs.
This is a very important point, as the weather can vary dramatically between two locations relatively close to each other. The weather people refer to this as microclimates, and they are much more dramatic than any other place I have lived. It is primarily the result of two factors - the cold water (and air) of the Pacific Ocean (much colder than the Atlantic) and the proximity of the mountains to the ocean. In the summer there can often be a 20-30 degree difference in places within 10 miles of each other and in the winter the amount of rain can vary 5-10 fold over a similar distance.
You either need to study this in detail or get a good real estate agent or local resident to let you know the exact weather for any place you are planning on living.