Everyone has an opinion about living in Southern California, and ours is this; if you want to live in the mountains, Big Bear is the only place to be. Big enough to keep you on the hill for extended periods of time, but small enough to give you the feeling that you've gotten away from it all. Because you have.

Big Bear Resources

Weather: Ben Brissey does everything himself, and he does it well.
Newspaper: The Big Bear Grizzly is a great small town newspaper.
BBCC: The one, the only, the Big Bear Chamber of Commerce.
Resort Association: a great source of information on happenings in Big Bear.

Land in the Big Bear Valley

With interest rates low, the real estate market in Big Bear has been exploding.  Several years ago you could get a nice cabin for under $100,000; these days you're lucky if you can find anything at all under this price. Prices on houses have soared, and land is being bought up increasingly fast. Building your own house, especially a Manufactured House, is the only way to get what you want at a price you can live with. First though, you need a plot of land.

The Size of Your Lot
Originally much of the land in Big Bear was sold for campsite use, and as a result most of it comes in small sizes. The smallest lot you really want to snap up is one that is 50 by 100 feet. Bigger could be better, but make sure the land is in a place you want to live first. It may be better to have a smaller lot in a great neighborhood than a large lot in a bad location. For manufactured houses, your lot will need to be cleared and leveled before you can begin to lay a foundation and set the house on it. If you choose a sloped or hilly lot, be ready to call in a contractor with a tractor to have them level it out.

Neighborhoods Now that we've covered the basics, it's on to the neighborhoods of Big Bear. Each has its own unique qualities, so take a walk through the area and see who your neighbors are before you decide to buy a lot. Here are the neighborhoods:

Baldwin Lake
"The last great open space". The lake is dry, but the area is sparsely populated, the land is still relatively inexpensive, and the views are wide open. Beware: the only utility currently available is electricity, so to build you must take on the task of drilling a water well, installing a holding or septic tank, and setting up propane service. A daunting task, but one we are experienced in and willing to help you with.

Big Bear City
This is a diverse neighborhood, ranging from commercial districts surrounding the airport to quiet little cabin lined streets to elaborately built mansions. There are definitely some nice places to live here, but you will need to pick and choose your land.

Big Bear Lake
The largest area to live in, this "neighborhood" is near both the lake and the ski resorts. Home and land prices are a good step above that of its brother Big Bear City. There's not much land left here, so get hunting!

Erwin Lake
A rustic, relatively undeveloped little neighborhood on the way out towards Onyx Summit. There are still some good spots of land available, and more is being developed everyday.

Fawnskin
A quiet town on the north shores of Big Bear Lake, Fawnskin is a gorgeous place to live. Prices are high and level lots are hard to find, but it can be done.

Fox Farm
Squished between Moonridge and Big Bear City, Fox Farm is a newer community with large lots and beautiful houses. You can find land here, but it won't be a 50 by 100 foot lot.

Lake Williams
Past Erwin Lake and seemingly halfway to Angelus Oaks lies this small neighborhood. Very little land is left here, but it would be a nice place to live.

Moonridge
Located near Bear Mountain ski resort, most of Moonridge seems like it's on a hillside, with the views to prove it. A great neighborhood, albeit with diminishing land resources and increasing price tags.

Sugarloaf
One of the quietest parts of the Big Bear Valley, Sugarloaf is off on its own. The vast majority of Sugarloaf is 25, 50 and 75 by 100 foot lots.