Bay area - where to live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was recently offered a job in Dublin, in San Fransisco / Bay area. Everything about it seems great (the job, compensation, relocation). I am scared of moving! what is wrong with me? I will be the initiator of the move for the family...I guess I wonder if it doesn't work out...This will be in Dublin area (east and south of San Fransisco and Oakland).

Any advice for places to live? Have elementary school children. We would look for public schools.

Thanks in advance.

How much $$

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I am also considering this move but I'm not sure we can afford it. Can anyone guide me to a safe community with houses or townhouses under $800k, great schools, and reasonable commuting to SF (preferably via mass transit)? Thank you.

Look on redfin or trulia, with the show school option checked. BART doesn't go north of SF, but they do have ferries. BART does go to the East Bay, but it depends where.

South of SF, there is Caltrain along the peninsula, but it stops in SJ.

What is "reasonable" commute? 1 hour, 30min?

Thanks, PP. I'm looking at the Caltrain and BART stops. I would rather have a townhouse closer to SF (and thus shorter commute) than a house two hours east. I would like the train commute to be 30-40 minutes because we will have to add time for door to door. Thank you so much for your help.

Unfortunately, that's a tall order. Your best bet is Walnut Creek.

I grew up in walnut creek. Great schools, great community, I'd move back there in a heartbeat. My dad commuted to the financial district for 20 years on Bart. Commute was 40 min ish. It's gotten pretty expensive but it's a lovely place to live and the schools are good.

Thank you, PPs. On the map, Walnut Creek looked far away. But the commute via BART looks doable. Thanks for the tip!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I am also considering this move but I'm not sure we can afford it. Can anyone guide me to a safe community with houses or townhouses under $800k, great schools, and reasonable commuting to SF (preferably via mass transit)? Thank you.

Look on redfin or trulia, with the show school option checked. BART doesn't go north of SF, but they do have ferries. BART does go to the East Bay, but it depends where.

South of SF, there is Caltrain along the peninsula, but it stops in SJ.

What is "reasonable" commute? 1 hour, 30min?

Thanks, PP. I'm looking at the Caltrain and BART stops. I would rather have a townhouse closer to SF (and thus shorter commute) than a house two hours east. I would like the train commute to be 30-40 minutes because we will have to add time for door to door. Thank you so much for your help.

Honestly, I really don't think that's going to happen.
The real estate market in the whole Bay Area is really something quite different. Many, many, many people have 2 hour commutes out there. 30-40 minutes to San Fran you aren't going to find anything under 800K with great schools. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

^^^ This. And the distances are huge compared to the DC area. Even when traffic is flowing, it takes forever to get from one place to the next.

We rented a home this summer in San Francisco. The owners have kids, so when their oldest reached a certain age they bought a house in Marin County to be where the good schools are. Mom and kids stay in Marin County. The husband, who has always worked in Silicon Valley, uses the San Francisco place as a pied-à-terre when the house isn't rented to cut down on his commute. You'd have to visit there to see how insane this all is, from a commuting standpoint. San Francisco to Silicon Valley is still a long commute. Marin County to Silicon Valley? Yikes.

Good for them for figuring out something that works for them - but this is how it goes. People put up with a lot to live there. It's an adjustment after living here.