Andy Woolfoot — The British Agent 🇬🇧, in front of Monterey Bay.
Meet Andy
A British agent, at home on the Monterey Bay
Andy swapped the UK for California's Central Coast — and now helps other people make the same kind of move, whether that's across town or across an ocean. On his YouTube channel, Moving to Monterey California, he tours the towns he sells in, showing the real streets and the real trade-offs — not just the highlight reel.
He works with a lot of military and VA families relocating to the Fort Ord / Monterey area, first-time buyers, and fellow agents across the country whose clients are moving to the Central Coast.
“Whether you're moving in 9 days or 90 days, my job is to make the Monterey Bay feel like home before you even get here.”
Licensed & localCalDRE #01944246, eXp Realty of Northern California, Inc.
27 towns coveredAcross Monterey, Santa Cruz & San Benito counties — full list below
Relocation specialistRemote tours & video walkthroughs for out-of-area movers
Military & VA friendlyRegularly helps service families moving near Fort Ord & Monterey
Search Homes Demo
Search every home for sale on the MLS
On the live site, this search is powered by the BoldTrail IDX feed — live MLS listings across Monterey Bay and the Central Coast, updated throughout the day. Try the demo search below.
Want listings sent to you instead? Call (831) 392-5609 and Andy will set up a personal MLS search for your towns and budget.
How Andy helps
Buying, selling, or relocating?
1
Buying a home
Local knowledge you can't get from a listing portal — street by street, town by town.
Personalised MLS search set up for you
Video tours before you travel here
Offer strategy for California (CAR) contracts
VA, conventional & first-time buyer experience
2
Selling your home
Pricing, presentation, and marketing that reaches relocators as well as local buyers.
Honest pricing advice based on local sales
Video marketing on the Moving to Monterey channel
Exposure to Andy's agent-to-agent referral network
Clear communication from listing to close
3
Relocating here
Andy's speciality — he made the move himself, from the UK to the Monterey Bay.
Town-matching: which community fits your life?
Military & VA moves near Fort Ord / Monterey
Remote showings and honest video walkthroughs
A plan for 9 days, 90 days, or 9 months out
Watch before you move
From Moving to Monterey California
Andy's YouTube tours are the fastest way to get a feel for a town. Start with the honest pros and cons of Monterey itself:
These nine Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley communities are where I do most of my work — and I cover 18 more towns across the region, every one listed below.
Everywhere else across the region — if you're buying or selling in any of these towns, I can help.
PrunedaleWatsonvilleSanta CruzCapitolaSoquelAptosScotts ValleyFeltonBoulder CreekHollisterSan Juan BautistaGilroyMorgan HillChualarGonzalesGreenfieldSoledadKing City
No match in the list — but if it's in Monterey, Santa Cruz, or San Benito county, ask Andy anyway: (831) 392-5609.
From the blog
Local guides, written by a local agent
Straight answers to the questions people actually ask before moving to Monterey Bay — the pros and cons, PCS moves, and what everyday life is really like town by town. New posts are added regularly.
Andy is collecting written reviews from recent buyers and sellers to publish here — real words from real clients, nothing invented. Bought or sold with Andy? He'd love your review — email it over.
Local resources
Start your research here
Is Prunedale right for you?
Rural feel, bigger lots, and a straight run to Salinas, Monterey, and the Bay Area. Andy's full neighbourhood tour explains the “Prunetucky” nickname — fondly.
Checked against the registry on 9 Nov 2026 — each of these showed as unregistered (the registrar confirms at purchase, ~$20/year). My recommendation: lead with your name — it's unique, it's what people will Google, and it works for referrals nationwide.
Domain
Status
Why it works
andywoolfoot.com★ Recommended
Available*
Your name, full stop. Easiest to say on YouTube and on the phone.
britishagentmonterey.com
Available*
Your brand + your market. Memorable for relocators.
andywoolfootrealtor.com
Available*
Matches your email & social handles.
woolfootrealty.com
Available*
Short, business-like, room to grow.
sellsmonterey.com
Available*
Benefit-led and local — good redirect to the main site.
*Registry (RDAP) check, 9 Nov 2026. Note: thebritishagent.com and movingtomonterey.com are already registered by others. Next step when you're ready: register the domain, connect BoldTrail IDX, and this design goes live as-is.
Town guide · Monterey County
Realtor in Marina, CA — Andy Woolfoot
Looking for a Realtor in Marina, California? Andy Woolfoot (The British Agent 🇬🇧, eXp Realty, CalDRE #01944246) helps buyers, sellers, and relocators in Marina — including military and VA families moving to the Fort Ord / Monterey area.
Marina sits on the Monterey Bay coast between Monterey and the Salinas Valley, much of it built on former Fort Ord land. It's home to California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), wide sandy beaches at Marina State Beach, and the protected dunes of Fort Ord Dunes State Park. It's home for Andy himself, too — he lives in Marina, so the advice you get comes from a neighbour who drives these streets every day, not just an agent passing through.
For many buyers, Marina is the practical way onto the Monterey Peninsula: newer neighbourhoods like The Dunes at Monterey Bay and Sea Haven sit alongside established streets, with Highway 1 putting Monterey, Seaside, and Pacific Grove within an easy drive — and Highway 68 connecting you inland to Salinas.
It's also a natural landing spot for service members: Marina borders the former Fort Ord and is a short run from the Presidio of Monterey and the Naval Postgraduate School, which is why Andy works with so many VA buyers here.
View Active Listings in MarinaOn the live site this opens the BoldTrail IDX showing every current Active MLS listing in Marina.
Buying or selling in Marina?
Buying in Marina
Mix of established homes and newer developments (The Dunes, Sea Haven)
Video tours first if you're relocating from out of the area
VA loan experience for military buyers near Fort Ord / Monterey
Honest guidance on micro-areas — coastal fog, commute routes, and street-by-street differences
Selling in Marina
Pricing based on current Marina sales — not guesswork
Video marketing that reaches relocators watching Andy's channel
Presentation advice before you spend a dollar on prep
Marina, CA — frequently asked questions
Tap a question for Andy's plain-English answer.
Andy Woolfoot is a REALTOR® with eXp Realty of Northern California, Inc. (CalDRE #01944246) who lists and sells homes in Marina — including 230 Michael Dr (MLS #ML82066093). Known as “The British Agent 🇬🇧,” he specialises in relocations and hosts the Moving to Monterey California YouTube channel. Reach him at (831) 392-5609.
For many people, yes. Marina is a short Highway 1 drive from Monterey, Seaside, and Pacific Grove, and generally gives you more house — and more newer housing — for your money than the Peninsula itself. The trade-offs to weigh are the coastal fog (the “marine layer”) and your exact commute route, which Andy will happily talk through street by street.
Yes. Marina's Fort Ord roots mean a steady flow of military relocations, and Andy regularly helps VA buyers moving to the Presidio of Monterey, Naval Postgraduate School, and the wider Monterey area — including fully remote purchases with video tours if you can't be here in person yet.
A real mix: established single-family neighbourhoods, homes around the former Fort Ord, and newer developments such as The Dunes at Monterey Bay and Sea Haven. Andy's current listing, 230 Michael Dr, is a 5-bed, 3-bath, 2,629 sq ft home offered at $1,050,000 (MLS #ML82066093). For everything currently on the market, ask Andy to set up a live MLS search for you.
With a conversation. Book a free 30-minute call and Andy will map out neighbourhoods, commute, and budget — whether you're moving in 9 days or 90 days. From there he'll send video tours of real homes so you can shortlist before you fly in.
Commission is always negotiable and agreed in writing before listing. Book a call or request a home valuation and Andy will walk you through exactly what selling would look like — pricing, prep, and costs — with no obligation.
Andy Woolfoot, REALTOR® · The British Agent 🇬🇧 · eXp Realty of Northern California, Inc. · CalDRE #01944246
Town guide · Monterey County
Realtor in Monterey, CA — Andy Woolfoot
Buying, selling, or relocating to Monterey? Andy Woolfoot — The British Agent 🇬🇧, eXp Realty, CalDRE #01944246 — helps buyers, sellers, and relocators across Monterey, from Cannery Row to Del Monte Beach.
Demo note: on the live site, that button opens the BoldTrail IDX showing every current Active MLS listing in Monterey, updated throughout the day. This demo never fakes listing results.
Monterey was founded in 1770 as a Spanish presidio and port, and served as California's capital under both Spain and Mexico. In the early 1900s its waterfront boomed with sardine canneries — the industry that made Cannery Row famous and inspired John Steinbeck's novels. When the sardines disappeared, the canneries closed, and the waterfront reinvented itself: the old Hovden Cannery became the Monterey Bay Aquarium, opened in 1984, and the city settled into its modern mix of tourism, education, and the military — home to the Presidio of Monterey and the Naval Postgraduate School.
Amenities & everyday life
Waterfront: Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, and Old Fisherman's Wharf dining
Outdoors: the 18-mile Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail, Del Monte Beach, kayaking and whale watching from the harbour
Culture: Colton Hall, historic adobes, and the Monterey Sports Center
Schools: Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, plus private options nearby
Getting around: Highways 1 and 68; Carmel and Pacific Grove in minutes, Salinas inland via Highway 68
Buying, selling, or relocating to Carmel? Andy Woolfoot — The British Agent 🇬🇧, eXp Realty, CalDRE #01944246 — helps buyers, sellers, and relocators in Carmel-by-the-Sea and greater Carmel.
Demo note: on the live site, that button opens the BoldTrail IDX showing every current Active MLS listing in Carmel-by-the-Sea, updated throughout the day. This demo never fakes listing results.
Carmel grew up in the shadow of Mission San Carlos Borromeo, founded in 1771 near the mouth of Carmel Valley and still an active parish and museum. The village itself was laid out in the early 1900s and incorporated in 1916. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, artists, writers, and musicians settled among the pines, giving Carmel a creative character it has never lost. Much of its storybook look — fairytale cottages, hidden courtyards, no two streets the same — dates to the 1920s building boom, and the village still famously does without house street addresses: residents collect their mail from the post office.
Amenities & everyday life
Beach: white-sand Carmel Beach at the foot of Ocean Avenue, plus Carmel River State Beach
Village life: Ocean Avenue boutiques, art galleries, wine tasting rooms, and restaurants in courtyards
Culture: Carmel Mission, the Sunset Center, and Forest Theater
Outdoors: Point Lobos State Natural Reserve next door; Pebble Beach golf a short drive
Schools: Carmel Unified School District
Getting around: Highway 1; Monterey about 10 minutes, Carmel Valley via Carmel Valley Road
Buying, selling, or relocating to Pacific Grove? Andy Woolfoot — The British Agent 🇬🇧, eXp Realty, CalDRE #01944246 — helps buyers, sellers, and relocators in Pacific Grove, "America's Last Hometown."
Demo note: on the live site, that button opens the BoldTrail IDX showing every current Active MLS listing in Pacific Grove, updated throughout the day. This demo never fakes listing results.
Pacific Grove began in 1875 as a Methodist summer retreat camp, its canvas tents gradually replaced by the Victorian cottages and gingerbread-trimmed homes that still line its streets. The city incorporated in 1889 and kept its quiet, orderly character — it was one of California's last "dry" towns. It's known as "Butterfly Town USA" for the monarch butterflies that overwinter in its pine groves each year, and its Point Pinos Lighthouse, lit in 1855, is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast. Marine biologist Ed Ricketts, Steinbeck's "Doc," worked in Pacific Grove, tying it forever to Cannery Row's story.
Amenities & everyday life
Coastline: Lovers Point Park and cove, Asilomar State Beach, and the coastal recreation trail into Monterey
Nature: Monarch Grove Sanctuary (butterflies roughly October to February) and the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
Downtown: Lighthouse Avenue shops, cafés, and restaurants
Golf: Pacific Grove Golf Links, with Point Pinos Lighthouse next door
Schools: Pacific Grove Unified School District
Getting around: adjoins Monterey; Highway 68 to Salinas, Highway 1 along the coast
Lovers Point, Pacific Grove
Tide pools on the PG shorelineLovers Point on a sunny day
Buying, selling, or relocating to Seaside? Andy Woolfoot — The British Agent 🇬🇧, eXp Realty, CalDRE #01944246 — helps buyers, sellers, and relocators in Seaside, including military families moving to the Monterey area.
Demo note: on the live site, that button opens the BoldTrail IDX showing every current Active MLS listing in Seaside, updated throughout the day. This demo never fakes listing results.
Seaside was first laid out in 1887 as a bayside resort subdivision, but its modern story is tied to Fort Ord, the Army post established next door in the early 1900s. The city incorporated in 1954 and grew as home to generations of service members and their families — a heritage that still shapes its diverse, down-to-earth character. When Fort Ord closed in the 1990s, Seaside kept the post's championship golf courses, Bayonet and Black Horse, and gained the trail-filled Fort Ord National Monument on its doorstep. Today it's one of the Peninsula's most practical places to put down roots, minutes from Monterey's jobs and shoreline.
Amenities & everyday life
Beach: Seaside Beach and the Monterey Bay shoreline, sunsets over the water
Golf: Bayonet and Black Horse golf courses, the former Fort Ord courses
Outdoors: Fort Ord National Monument trailheads, Laguna Grande Park, and the coastal trail toward Monterey
Everyday life: shopping and dining along Fremont Boulevard and Del Monte Avenue; big-box retail nearby
Schools: Monterey Peninsula Unified School District
Getting around: Highway 1 — Monterey in about 10 minutes; Highway 218 to Del Rey Oaks and Highway 68
Fort Ord National Monument, at Seaside's edge
Looking across the bay from SeasideCardinale Stadium, home of Monterey Bay FC
Buying, selling, or relocating to Pebble Beach? Andy Woolfoot — The British Agent 🇬🇧, eXp Realty, CalDRE #01944246 — helps buyers and sellers in Pebble Beach and the Del Monte Forest.
Demo note: on the live site, that button opens the BoldTrail IDX showing every current Active MLS listing in Pebble Beach, updated throughout the day. This demo never fakes listing results.
Pebble Beach was created from 1919 by Samuel F. B. Morse and his Del Monte Properties Company, which opened Pebble Beach Golf Links that same year along the rocky shoreline. The famous 17-Mile Drive began earlier, as a carriage route for guests of Monterey's Hotel Del Monte, winding through the Del Monte Forest to viewpoints like the Lone Cypress — the wind-shaped tree on its granite outcrop that has become one of California's most photographed sights. Behind the entrance gates, residential neighbourhoods grew up among the fairways and Monterey pines, giving Pebble Beach its unusual character: a small, quiet forest community wrapped around some of the most famous golf ground on earth.
Amenities & everyday life
Golf: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill, and The Links at Spanish Bay
Resort life: The Lodge at Pebble Beach and Spanish Bay — dining, shops, and tennis
Scenery: 17-Mile Drive, the Lone Cypress, Stillwater Cove, and Spanish Bay beach and boardwalk
Outdoors: walking and riding trails through the Del Monte Forest
Schools: served by Carmel Unified School District; Stevenson School is located in Pebble Beach
Getting around: gates connect to Pacific Grove, Monterey, and Carmel via Highway 1 and Highway 68
The 18th green, Pebble Beach Golf Links
Fairways above the bayThe Lone Cypress, 17-Mile Drive
Buying, selling, or relocating to Carmel Valley? Andy Woolfoot — The British Agent 🇬🇧, eXp Realty, CalDRE #01944246 — helps buyers, sellers, and relocators across Carmel Valley, from the Village out to Cachagua.
Demo note: on the live site, that button opens the BoldTrail IDX showing every current Active MLS listing in Carmel Valley, updated throughout the day. This demo never fakes listing results.
Carmel Valley follows the Carmel River inland from the coast through old ranch country. In the Mexican era the valley was divided into large ranchos; cattle ranching gave way to orchards and farms, and in the later twentieth century to vineyards — the Carmel Valley wine appellation dates to 1983. Carmel Valley Village grew up as the valley's small commercial heart. What draws people most is the microclimate: when the summer marine layer sits grey on Carmel Beach, the valley is often sunny and warm, which is why its resorts, tasting rooms, and horse properties have flourished here.
Amenities & everyday life
Wine country: tasting rooms clustered in Carmel Valley Village, plus winery estates along the valley floor
Outdoors: Garland Ranch Regional Park trails, Carmel River swimming holes, and horse-keeping country throughout the valley
Village life: cafés, restaurants, and everyday shops in the Village; Earthbound Farm's farm stand near the valley mouth
Leisure: valley resorts and golf at Carmel Valley Ranch and Quail Lodge (at the valley's entrance)
Schools: Carmel Unified School District, including Tularcitos Elementary in the Village
Getting around: Carmel Valley Road to Highway 1 and Carmel, roughly 20–30 minutes from the Village
Valley floor, Carmel Valley
Valley homes among the hillsTasting room, Carmel Valley
Buying, selling, or relocating to Del Rey Oaks? Andy Woolfoot — The British Agent 🇬🇧, eXp Realty, CalDRE #01944246 — helps buyers, sellers, and relocators in Del Rey Oaks, one of the Peninsula's smallest and quietest cities.
Demo note: on the live site, that button opens the BoldTrail IDX showing every current Active MLS listing in Del Rey Oaks, updated throughout the day. This demo never fakes listing results.
Del Rey Oaks was developed in the post-war years as a residential community in the oak-covered hills between Monterey, Seaside, and the former Fort Ord, and incorporated in 1953 — making it one of the Monterey Peninsula's youngest and smallest cities. It was built as a place to live rather than a place to visit: quiet, mostly single-family streets, a strong community feel, and the Frog Pond Wetland Preserve, a small restored wetland in the middle of town that locals treat as their front-yard nature reserve. For buyers, that adds up to a simple proposition — a calm home base with the whole Peninsula minutes away.
Amenities & everyday life
Parks: Del Rey Park — playground, tennis and pickleball courts, ball field — and the Frog Pond Wetland Preserve trails
On the doorstep: Monterey Regional Airport and Del Monte Center shopping, both minutes away in Monterey
Golf: Peninsula courses all around, including Bayonet & Black Horse in Seaside and Tehama in the hills above town
Schools: Monterey Peninsula Unified School District
Getting around: Highway 218 and Highway 68 — Monterey, Seaside, and the beaches in about 10 minutes
Buying, selling, or relocating to Salinas? Andy Woolfoot — The British Agent 🇬🇧, eXp Realty, CalDRE #01944246 — helps buyers, sellers, and relocators across Salinas and the Salinas Valley.
Demo note: on the live site, that button opens the BoldTrail IDX showing every current Active MLS listing in Salinas, updated throughout the day. This demo never fakes listing results.
Salinas grew from a stagecoach stop into the Monterey County seat in the 1870s (incorporated in 1874), powered by the rich valley around it — the "Salad Bowl of the World," whose lettuce, strawberry, and vegetable fields stretch toward the Gabilan and Santa Lucia ranges. It is also Steinbeck country: John Steinbeck was born in Salinas in 1902, set much of East of Eden in the valley, and is honoured today by the National Steinbeck Center in Oldtown and his preserved boyhood home. Agriculture still drives the economy, joined by healthcare and Hartnell College, while Oldtown has grown into a genuine dining and arts centre for the valley.
Amenities & everyday life
Oldtown: National Steinbeck Center, Steinbeck House restaurant, theatres, dining, and a weekly farmers market
Outdoors: Toro County Park — hiking and mountain biking in the hills off Highway 68 — and city parks throughout
Services: Salinas Valley Health medical center and Natividad Medical Center
Education: Hartnell College; Salinas Union High School and Salinas City school districts
Getting around: Highway 101 through town, Highway 68 to Monterey in about 25 minutes
Salinas Valley farmland
The Steinbeck House, OldtownMain Street, Oldtown Salinas
The Monterey Bay Blog — by Andy Woolfoot, The British Agent 🇬🇧
Honest, local answers about living, moving, and buying or selling on the Monterey Bay — written by Andy Woolfoot, REALTOR® with eXp Realty (CalDRE #01944246), who lives in Marina and sells across Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties.
New posts are added regularly. Andy publishes new guides as he films them for his Moving to Monterey California YouTube channel — town tours, relocation guides, and Monterey County market explainers. Have a question you'd like answered in a future post? Call or text Andy on (831) 392-5609.
Thinking of moving to Monterey Bay?
Start with a free 30-minute call — Andy will talk through towns, budget, and timeline, whether you're moving in 9 days or 90 days.
Marina, California is a coastal city of former Fort Ord land between Monterey and the Salinas Valley. Living in Marina means wide sandy beaches at Marina State Beach, the protected dunes of Fort Ord Dunes State Park, California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) in town, a mix of established streets and newer neighbourhoods such as The Dunes at Monterey Bay and Sea Haven — and a short Highway 1 drive to jobs and amenities in Monterey, Seaside, and Pacific Grove. The main trade-offs are the coastal fog (the marine layer) and planning your commute around Highway 1 and Highway 68.
Where is Marina, and why do people choose it?
Marina sits on the Monterey Bay coast, much of it built on former Fort Ord land. For many buyers, Marina is the practical way onto the Monterey Peninsula: you get coastal living and Peninsula access, with more newer housing than you'll find in Monterey or Pacific Grove themselves.
It's also home for me — I live in Marina. The advice in this post comes from driving these streets every day, not from passing through on a listing appointment.
What is there to do in Marina?
The coast: Marina State Beach for wide sand, hang-gliding and sunsets, and Fort Ord Dunes State Park for quiet dune paths down to the shore.
Fort Ord National Monument: miles of trails for walking, running, and mountain biking on Marina and Seaside's doorstep.
CSUMB: California State University, Monterey Bay brings a campus, events, and a younger energy to the former Fort Ord.
Everyday life: shopping and dining around The Dunes development and along Del Monte Boulevard and Reservation Road, with bigger days out a short drive away in Monterey.
What kinds of homes are in Marina?
A real mix. There are established single-family neighbourhoods, homes around the former Fort Ord, and newer developments such as The Dunes at Monterey Bay and Sea Haven. That variety is exactly why street-by-street advice matters — two homes a few blocks apart can feel very different for fog, wind, and commute.
How is the commute from Marina?
Highway 1 puts Monterey, Seaside, and Pacific Grove within an easy drive, and Highway 68 connects you inland to Salinas. Marina also borders the former Fort Ord and is a short run from the Presidio of Monterey and the Naval Postgraduate School, which is why so many military and VA families land here — if that's you, read my guide to PCSing to Monterey.
What are the downsides of living in Marina?
The marine layer is the big one: coastal fog and wind, especially in summer, are part of life on this stretch of the Bay — some people love the cool, moody coast; others prefer the sunnier inland feel of Carmel Valley or Salinas. And while Marina has grown its own shopping and dining, the widest choice is still a drive away in Monterey. Weigh that against the space, the beaches, and the newer homes, and Marina makes sense for a lot of movers.
Who is a good Realtor in Marina, CA?
If you're buying or selling in Marina, work with an agent who actually lives and works here. I'm Andy Woolfoot — The British Agent 🇬🇧, a REALTOR® with eXp Realty — and Marina is my home town as well as one of my core markets. I offer video tours if you're relocating from out of the area, VA loan experience for military buyers, and honest guidance on micro-areas: fog, commute routes, and street-by-street differences. Call or text me on (831) 392-5609.
Andy Woolfoot — The British Agent 🇬🇧, eXp Realty, CalDRE #01944246 REALTOR® based in Marina, helping buyers, sellers, and relocators across Monterey Bay and the Central Coast. Call or text (831) 392-5609 · andywoolfootrealtor@gmail.com
The pros of living in Monterey, California are the Monterey Bay itself — the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Old Fisherman's Wharf, Del Monte Beach, and the 18-mile Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail — plus a mild year-round climate, a walkable historic downtown, and major local employers and institutions including the Presidio of Monterey and the Naval Postgraduate School. The cons are a high cost of housing, summer marine-layer fog, and a visitor economy that makes the waterfront busy at weekends and during big events. For most people who move here, the coastline and the lifestyle outweigh the trade-offs — but go in with your eyes open.
Watch: Andy's video guide
This post is the written companion to my YouTube video on the Moving to Monterey California channel:
Monterey sits right on the southern curve of Monterey Bay. The Monterey Bay Aquarium on Cannery Row, whale watching and kayaking from the harbour, and Del Monte Beach are everyday amenities here, not holiday excursions. The paved Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail runs 18 miles along the shore — you can walk or cycle from town towards Pacific Grove and Lovers Point without touching a road.
A real, historic town — not just a resort
Monterey was founded in 1770 and served as California's capital under Spain and Mexico, and it still feels like a working town: historic adobes and Colton Hall downtown, the sardine-canning history of Cannery Row that Steinbeck made famous, and neighbourhoods of family homes behind the waterfront. Tourism is big, but locals have their own Monterey too.
Work, study, and the military
Monterey is home to the Presidio of Monterey (the Defense Language Institute) and the Naval Postgraduate School, alongside tourism, education, and healthcare employers — so people move here for postings and study as well as for the lifestyle. If you're arriving on orders, see my step-by-step PCS guide.
Everything else is close
Pacific Grove and Carmel-by-the-Sea are minutes away, Carmel Valley brings sunshine and wine country inland, and Highway 68 runs to Salinas while Highway 1 follows the coast.
The cons of living in Monterey
Housing costs
Monterey is one of California's pricier coastal markets, and homes in the most walkable, bay-view areas command a premium. Many buyers widen the search to neighbouring towns — Marina and Seaside in particular — for more house and more newer housing while keeping Monterey a short drive away.
The marine layer
The famous coastal fog rolls in especially through summer: grey mornings and cool afternoons are normal even when it's hot inland. Some people love the cool, moody coast; if you want reliably sunny evenings, look inland towards Carmel Valley or Salinas and visit at different times of year before you decide.
Visitors and events
Cannery Row, the Wharf, and downtown get busy at weekends and during major events, and parking and traffic reflect that. Living slightly back from the waterfront — in Monterey's residential neighbourhoods — is how most locals balance access with everyday calm.
So, is Monterey a good place to live?
For people who want coastal California with a real town attached — world-class marine life, a walkable historic core, and military and university communities — yes, Monterey is hard to beat, provided the budget works and you make your peace with the fog. If it doesn't quite fit, the neighbouring towns each solve a different part of the puzzle, and matching people to the right town is most of my job.
Who is a good Realtor in Monterey, CA?
Andy Woolfoot — The British Agent 🇬🇧 — is a REALTOR® with eXp Realty (CalDRE #01944246) who helps buyers, sellers, and relocators across Monterey and the wider Monterey Bay, including military and VA families. He hosts the Moving to Monterey California YouTube channel, where he tours the towns he sells in. Call or text (831) 392-5609 for a free 30-minute conversation about your move.
Andy Woolfoot — The British Agent 🇬🇧, eXp Realty, CalDRE #01944246 REALTOR® based in Marina, helping buyers, sellers, and relocators across Monterey Bay and the Central Coast. Call or text (831) 392-5609 · andywoolfootrealtor@gmail.com
Orders to NPS or the Defense Language Institute? A practical guide for military families — where to live, how to buy from a distance, and what to do first.
To PCS to Monterey, California, start as soon as you have orders: most service members stationed here attend the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) or the Defense Language Institute (DLI) at the Presidio of Monterey. Families typically choose between living in Monterey itself, or in nearby Marina and Seaside — former Fort Ord communities a short drive from post, with a wider choice of family homes. If you're buying, a VA loan purchase can be run largely remotely with video tours before you arrive. The practical sequence is: confirm your report date and school, decide rent vs. buy, shortlist towns by commute and housing style, then view homes by video and in person on a house-hunting trip if you can make one.
Watch: Andy's video guide
This post is the written companion to my YouTube video for military families on the Moving to Monterey California channel:
Monterey's military footprint is education-focused. The Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey brings officers and DoD civilians for graduate study, and the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center at the Presidio of Monterey trains service members in languages. The former Fort Ord — now largely civilian, with California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) on part of it — shapes the housing in neighbouring Marina and Seaside. Your school and report date drive everything else, so pin those down first.
Where do military families live near Monterey?
Monterey: closest to NPS and the Presidio, with the Aquarium, Cannery Row, and Del Monte Beach on your doorstep. Housing skews older and pricier; best if walkability and a short commute top your list.
Marina: built largely on former Fort Ord land, with established streets plus newer neighbourhoods like The Dunes and Sea Haven, Marina State Beach, and CSUMB. A short Highway 1 drive to post — and the town I live in myself. See my post on what it's like to live in Marina.
Seaside: next to Fort Ord National Monument's trails, with beaches and a mix of homes between Marina and Monterey — worth a look for space and trail access.
Further afield: some families choose Pacific Grove or Salinas via Highway 68 — sunnier inland in Salinas's case — trading a longer commute for a different lifestyle. Talk the commute through before you commit.
Should you rent or buy on a Monterey PCS?
It depends on your tour length, your VA entitlement, and whether you'd keep the home as a rental or sell when you leave. A short course may suit renting; a longer NPS programme can make buying worth modelling properly. Either way, run the numbers for your actual orders — not a generic rule — and if you buy, choose a home and town with the next move in mind. I'm happy to talk through both routes with no obligation.
How does buying with a VA loan from a distance work?
Most of it can happen before you arrive. The pattern I use with relocating service families is:
Video tours first: I walk real homes with a camera and talk through street, condition, and commute honestly — not just the listing photos.
A personal MLS search: set up around your towns, budget, and must-haves, so you see new listings as they land.
California paperwork, explained: offers here are written on California Association of Realtors (CAR) forms; I'll walk you through each step and deadline.
VA experience: I regularly help VA buyers moving to the Presidio, NPS, and the wider Monterey area, including fully remote purchases if you can't be here in person yet.
A simple PCS-to-Monterey timeline
On orders: confirm report date and school; book a call to map towns against your commute and family needs.
60–90 days out: decide rent vs. buy; if buying, get your VA paperwork and lender conversation started and begin video tours.
30 days out: shortlist homes, plan a house-hunting trip if you can, and align closing or lease dates with your report date.
Arrival: settle in, then explore properly — Del Monte Beach, the coastal trail, and the neighbouring towns will quickly tell you whether you chose right (most families find they did).
Timelines flex with orders — whether you're moving in 9 days or 90 days, the sequence stays the same, it just gets faster.
Who can help with a PCS move to Monterey?
Andy Woolfoot — The British Agent 🇬🇧 — is a REALTOR® with eXp Realty (CalDRE #01944246) based in Marina who works with a lot of military and VA families relocating to the Fort Ord / Monterey area. Start with a free 30-minute call: we'll map neighbourhoods, commute, and budget around your report date. Call or text (831) 392-5609 or book a call on Calendly.
About the author
Andy Woolfoot — The British Agent 🇬🇧, eXp Realty, CalDRE #01944246 REALTOR® based in Marina, helping buyers, sellers, and relocators — including military and VA families — across Monterey Bay and the Central Coast. Call or text (831) 392-5609 · andywoolfootrealtor@gmail.com
Buying, selling, or just wondering what your home is worth? One call, no pressure — and if you're relocating, Andy will happily start with video tours.