Silicon Valley?

[Anonymous]

^^ I would avoid E Palo Alto.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was playing around on zillow, and I think that if you are realistic about space (and open to a condo or very tiny house), you can find what you are looking for.

Redwood City: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1419-Arguello-St-Redwood-City-CA-94063/15563454_zpid/
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/358-E-St-Redwood-City-CA-94063/15563543_zpid/

Palo Alto: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1982-W-Bayshore-Rd-APT-130-East-Palo-Alto-CA-94303/2146963707_zpid/

San Mateo: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/140-N-Claremont-St-San-Mateo-CA-94401/15522461_zpid/

Even more options if you intend to rent

People are so negative on this board. I think you can make it work if you adjust your expectations and look hard enough.

That "Palo Alto" one is East Palo Alto--a totally different animal. But I agree that OP can find SOMETHING in her price range. I would love to get back to California, though I'd do anything I could to live in SF or the East Bay instead. You could get a great house in Oakland!

[Anonymous]

Thanks, all, especially the people who were somewhat encouraging! We do know to avoid East Palo Alto.

If anyone else sees this and has specific community recommendations, keep 'em coming.

What parts of Oakland are good?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, all, especially the people who were somewhat encouraging! We do know to avoid East Palo Alto.

If anyone else sees this and has specific community recommendations, keep 'em coming.

What parts of Oakland are good?

You need to figure out where your jobs will be. There is no way that Oakland and Mountain View can both be options. Traffic in the Bay Area is awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, all, especially the people who were somewhat encouraging! We do know to avoid East Palo Alto.

If anyone else sees this and has specific community recommendations, keep 'em coming.

What parts of Oakland are good?

You need to figure out where your jobs will be. There is no way that Oakland and Mountain View can both be options. Traffic in the Bay Area is awful.

The job is Mountain View. Thanks, this is the kind of information we need. We have never lived there before.

[Anonymous]

^^ then stay on the peninsula. I was surprised how bad traffic has gotten in the last few years. Even SF isn't an option (and it used to be ).

[Anonymous]

Go out there, rent an apartment and then figure out where to live.

[Anonymous]

Mountain view, palo alto and Cupertino, folllow the school ratings and demographics. Any affordable area is chock full of low ses non English speakers and oakland sucks. You need 1.6 million to avoid being in a shitty shack.

[Anonymous]

Yes, thanks, I'm just trying to get some information before we do that. We haven't decided whether to move yet, and online research in advance is proving difficult because we don't know enough about the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, thanks, I'm just trying to get some information before we do that. We haven't decided whether to move yet, and online research in advance is proving difficult because we don't know enough about the area.

Sorry, that was in response to 08:45.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone from Silicon Valley or does anyone live there now? Where would you live in Silicon Valley if you had a budget of around $800,000 for a house and needed a good public elementary school? House size is less important than charm, character, and location. We are also willing to rent if necessary. Any advice or information is welcome.

Used to live very near mountain view but its been about 10 yrs. you can find something....rent only if you know its temporary because prices are not coming down. Be ready to seriously downsize your life though, and be open to town homes as well. we had to sell 75% of our stuff when we moved there just so we could fit into a house. you'd be surprised how refreshing living in a smaller space can be. schools for the homes listed below are all decent

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Mountain-View/253-Sierra-Vista-Ave-94043/home/1826965

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Mountain-View/725-Emily-Dr-94043/home/1392241

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Sunnyvale/581-Bridgeport-Ter-94087/home/2123107

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Santa-Clara/3705-Terstena-Pl-95051/unit-107/home/669483

http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Jose/970-Minnesota-Ave-95125/home/1606604

http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Jose/1864-Harmil-Way-95125/home/1728331

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Los-Gatos/120-Carlton-Ave-95032/unit-23/home/1554001

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone from Silicon Valley or does anyone live there now? Where would you live in Silicon Valley if you had a budget of around $800,000 for a house and needed a good public elementary school? House size is less important than charm, character, and location. We are also willing to rent if necessary. Any advice or information is welcome.

Used to live very near mountain view but its been about 10 yrs. you can find something....rent only if you know its temporary because prices are not coming down. Be ready to seriously downsize your life though, and be open to town homes as well. we had to sell 75% of our stuff when we moved there just so we could fit into a house. you'd be surprised how refreshing living in a smaller space can be. schools for the homes listed below are all decent

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Mountain-View/253-Sierra-Vista-Ave-94043/home/1826965

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Mountain-View/725-Emily-Dr-94043/home/1392241

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Sunnyvale/581-Bridgeport-Ter-94087/home/2123107

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Santa-Clara/3705-Terstena-Pl-95051/unit-107/home/669483

http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Jose/970-Minnesota-Ave-95125/home/1606604

http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Jose/1864-Harmil-Way-95125/home/1728331

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Los-Gatos/120-Carlton-Ave-95032/unit-23/home/1554001

This is terrible i guess you need to make like 900k a year to get a real house, the only decent houses are at 2 million and they aren't that big (no basements)
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1352-Drysdale-St-Sunnyvale-CA-94087/19621811_zpid/

Look at this 1.65 million dollar beauty
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Sunnyvale/994-Mangrove-Ave-94086/home/671518

[Anonymous]

^ housing there is terrible. It makes the DC area look cheap and wonderful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone from Silicon Valley or does anyone live there now? Where would you live in Silicon Valley if you had a budget of around $800,000 for a house and needed a good public elementary school? House size is less important than charm, character, and location. We are also willing to rent if necessary. Any advice or information is welcome.

Used to live very near mountain view but its been about 10 yrs. you can find something....rent only if you know its temporary because prices are not coming down. Be ready to seriously downsize your life though, and be open to town homes as well. we had to sell 75% of our stuff when we moved there just so we could fit into a house. you'd be surprised how refreshing living in a smaller space can be. schools for the homes listed below are all decent

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Mountain-View/253-Sierra-Vista-Ave-94043/home/1826965

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Mountain-View/725-Emily-Dr-94043/home/1392241

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Sunnyvale/581-Bridgeport-Ter-94087/home/2123107

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Santa-Clara/3705-Terstena-Pl-95051/unit-107/home/669483

http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Jose/970-Minnesota-Ave-95125/home/1606604

http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Jose/1864-Harmil-Way-95125/home/1728331

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Los-Gatos/120-Carlton-Ave-95032/unit-23/home/1554001

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone from Silicon Valley or does anyone live there now? Where would you live in Silicon Valley if you had a budget of around $800,000 for a house and needed a good public elementary school? House size is less important than charm, character, and location. We are also willing to rent if necessary. Any advice or information is welcome.

Used to live very near mountain view but its been about 10 yrs. you can find something....rent only if you know its temporary because prices are not coming down. Be ready to seriously downsize your life though, and be open to town homes as well. we had to sell 75% of our stuff when we moved there just so we could fit into a house. you'd be surprised how refreshing living in a smaller space can be. schools for the homes listed below are all decent

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Mountain-View/253-Sierra-Vista-Ave-94043/home/1826965

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Mountain-View/725-Emily-Dr-94043/home/1392241

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Sunnyvale/581-Bridgeport-Ter-94087/home/2123107

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Santa-Clara/3705-Terstena-Pl-95051/unit-107/home/669483

http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Jose/970-Minnesota-Ave-95125/home/1606604

http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Jose/1864-Harmil-Way-95125/home/1728331

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Los-Gatos/120-Carlton-Ave-95032/unit-23/home/1554001

These don't seem like to bad options, especially the last one with Los Gatos High School.

But how do the schools relate to schools here? Like a GS 5 at Fremont High, does that mean it is similar quality to a GS 5 W-L in Arlington? I know GS scales are really calibrated off of state test scores, but wondering how to compare state to state (CA vs DMV?)