Welcome to the Steel Soldiers Trauma and Financial Yearly......SSTAFY. I miss southern California so bad I'm dropping the deuce budget and sticking it back in the "I wanna go see Midway again" fund. You're a lucky guy to be placed there with 12 months of cruising potential.
Does California beat you up on truck length/ weight/ CDL requirements, specific commercial insurance or any thing else that could help with a decision? There's the current 10,000lb, 2 axle limit in that State above you that creates a need for a Bobbed truck under 5 ton.....if a guy has limited funds.
Your budget is the only real limiting factor so finding something close would save transport costs that could go toward fixing something up. Best of luck on that decision, take pics and take us shopping!