No mountains or ocean, but a good place to get ahead, build wealth, and raise a family.  

However, I am passionate about climbing mountains/snowboarding/mountain biking among other things and because of real estate I'm able to do these things on my schedule.

When it snows, the local mountains become over burdened with visitors. 

A strategy suggestion: Find a NEED and fill it, anywhere USA, etc. and save perusing mountains of (biased / manipulated) PUBLISHED data.

Also Albuquerque may be a good choice for costs for housing and cooler than Arizona unless in Arizona mountains.

., a mountain town near Lake Tahoe where she has spent most of the past year after flying there for a weekend trip in March 2020 and getting stuck because of government-imposed lockdowns.

If you're lucky a two bedroom house a bit farther out in the desert that is in questionable shape, or something fairly decent in the mountains.

The entire Boise metro has been on the rise recently for a lot of great reasons (extremely cheap cost of living relative to Los Angeles, an outdoor enthusiasts dream with 80 mountain ranges in the state, and a great brewery scene) and Caldwell is a stone's throw away.

Study the market you want to go in--seasonal, all year, beach, mountain, etc.

Anyone willing to do the legwork can find the money if they have the deal and I am firmly in line with her strategy.ps Lee, I saw the short term rental you have in Mammoth, I used to go snowboarding at Mammoth Mountain all the time.