My husband and I will be relocating to the western suburbs (Minnetonka or Wayzata) this winter.

There is a sign on the door from Mortgage Contracting Services (MCS) that says it has been winterized.  

I've managed hundreds of properties in different cities in Ohio and its a great market to invest in. at the moment the market is a little expensive and good deals are hard to find, but I believe that the prices will go down with the beginning of the winter. 

Hey @Benjamin Sanders, Let me dispell the myth right now, it is not easy working 40 hours a week and then sending out postcards or letters and then seeing houses in the evening, especially in winter when it gets dark by 6 or 630pm.

(Just no humans or pets or leather sofas in the house while it's on!)

It's < $200 per month now, but of course I expect winter will be substantially more.  

Marketing:Buy lists like "homeowners who live out of state (I e landlords or snowbirds stuck with a winter home they don't want to keep paying for) and send direct mail marketing.

Either way you have only another month to worry about it.I would be more concerned with all of the heat that will be escaping your building during the winter when she cranks the heat but opens the windows.

If you want a winter home in CA you could down size or buy a duplex for cash flow.  

While there are fewer buyers and sellers, the buyers who are looking in the winter months are more serious buyers.