Actually, it sounds like you got a pretty good deal for $30K.
Cedar shake roofs are actually pretty common up and down the west coast, including, for example, in Portland, OR. I hear you about the regular repair and maintenance costs. I've sworn off cedar roofs completely, after owning two homes with them, but now I have the ultimate in a PITA roof style - a flat roof. So dumb...
Cedar shakes do have advantages on the west coast for earthquakes and fires. The most preferred roofing material is concrete tile, and in the event of a quake or a big fire the heavyweight roof can collapse on you, and you'll almost surely die. The shakes just burn up in case of fire, and, if dry, they don't weigh much and are far safer for big quakes. In California asphalt shingles are not seen all that often, and the hot sun eats them up anyway.
In climates with a lot of wetness, like Portland, shingle roofs also have a lot of maintenance. Moss often builds up on the roof, and every year or two you need to have a crew come out with some magic low-pressure power washer and clean the moss off, and then they spread this powder stuff infused with copper to slow future moss growth. Depending on how complicated, large, and high up your roof is the cleaning and preventative stuff can cost into four figures.
Personally, if I had to choose a favorite roofing material for a sloped roof it would be the new synthetic shakes made from old tires. Even a big hail storm doesn't hurt them. Flat concrete tile is my runner-up. (The curved mission-style stuff breaks too easily.) Asphalt and cedar shakes aren't on my personal preferred list.
