What are the best reasons to live in Fresno? (Bakersfield: job, cost of living)

[fizzlekins]

MANY thanks, CalBerkley, I have to say that this way of finding out general things about neighbourhoods is nothing short of magic. I appreciate your replies and I could be wrong but I think Sanger is going to be a winner for me and the spouse. The employment aspect could give me a little concern though as I would like to work, perhaps part-time. I could commute into Fresno for that. I also am thinking about going to college (ridiculous at my age, nearly 50, but I never let that stop me before!) and taking advantage of the teaching training bias at Fresno State (by that I mean that it started as a teacher training college and teacher-training is a sort of specialism there from what I gather). At the moment I teach English to international students part-time, though I am not qualified to teach in regular schools. Perhaps that is something to work on. Many thanks again. Cheerio.

[Minafair]

We live Tollhouse which is in the foothills, northeast of Fresno and we love it here. We currently rent a 4 bedroom house on 13 1/2 acres for about $1500 a month and hardly ever lock our doors. We get a little more weather than they do down in Fresno, it snowed this winter but was gone by noon. But it's also usually a little cooler up here and definitely cools down more in the evening so you can open your windows and not use the air conditioning and we rarely get the fog they have in the valley. The schools here are really good and the community has a very small town feel, although there are actually a lot of people up here. If you don't mind the drive, about 45 minutes depending on where you go in Fresno, it's a great area to consider.

[ttessmann]

I have just joined this site because I am a real estate agent who works in the Fresno area and have had many frustrated clients or friends who want to relocate but don't have enough information. If you plan on visiting the area first, contact a realtor and ask if they will take you out for a day and show you around. If you are up front and say you don't want pressure from them, just information, they should respect that. You can also give them an e-mail address and ask that they send you information. I have helped clients from other states through e-mail and phone calls and line up 20 homes to look at, tours of schools, shopping malls, etc., before they ever meet me. The greatest advantage you have is that, as a buyer, you pay nothing for the services of a Realtor. Sellers pay it all!!! Fresno, like other cities in the valley, has a huge inventory of homes and the prices couldn't be better!!! Also, there are so many bank owned properties that banks want off their hands so there is a great opportunity to buy a home in a great neighborhood for a reasonable price. A good agent can help you with everything from finding a house, getting you into a good loan, finding the right schools to meet your needs, preparing for your move by comparing prices for moving companies, packers, etc. (Remember, I said a GOOD realtor. You may have to talk to several before you find the right one.) Good luck.

[fizzlekins]

Hi ttessmann, I would like to discuss what you wrote, and arrange a meeting with you. Would you send me (privately, if you wish) your website or email address? Cheerio.

[cautiousmom]

fizzlekins I moved from Fresno (Fig Garden area) to Sanger about six months ago and I like it. There is very little traffic and a much slower way of life. There are not a lot of shopping opportunities, however, we have found some good restaurants that you don't have to wait an hour to get into on a Friday night. Having said all that, the drive to Fresno is about 35 minutes by way of mostly pleasant country roads and little traffic until you hit Freeway 41. Therefore, if you need to go to the "city" it's not that far away. As to job opportunities, I suspect most people who live here do not work here. Sanger is a very small town with little in the way of higher paying job prospects. You will probably need to commute to Fresno for work. People are welcoming and friendly in Sanger and will waive at you from their car whether they know you or not. Schools- I have a young son and he has thrived in the school system here much better than he did in Fresno Unified even though he attended one of those so called "better magnet schools." Weather- it's hot in summer and sometimes it seems to go on forever. However, the spring and fall are particularly nice and the winter is mild except for the fog, which can be tiresome and deadly. There are also abundant fresh fruits and vegetables sold on seemingly every corner during spring and summer. Housing-Readily available and can be had cheaply right now due to the down turn in the housing market. From what I am witnessing, you can probably pick up a home either from a builder or through a short sale for about 100K less than what the house was selling for just a few months ago. Hope this helps.

[estee101]

im a single mom from syracuse ny. im currently looking to move to cali in march. im so overwhelmed!!! i was thinking mabey fresno but im not sure. I want to be within 2 hours of la. Im a business mgr. for estee lauder cosmetics in a large department store so i want to continue my career in that field. It doesnt pay that well here and im not sure how much it would pay in cali. so my income is somewhat limited. i just want to find some place where i can get good work and have a good (safe) place to raise my boys. any suggestions?????

[MWJamesLDS]

If you want to be within 2 hours of LA the farthest north you'll want to be is Bakersfield. Santa Clarita will be closer, though twice as expensive. And as for ttessmann comment that
"Fresno, like other cities in the valley, has a huge inventory of homes and the prices couldn't be better!!! " I'd have to disagree. Prices are still twice what they were 4 years ago, though thats better than the 3 or 4 times greater that they were reaching, its no where near as good at it could be. Plus, the prices of homes are still falling and will more than likely continue to fall. New home builders have been slashing prices like crazy lately just to try and move properties. Granted, these are just my opinions, but if you do some research, you'll see it yourself. I wouldn't but until at least 2009!

[OC2CC Dreaming]

Originally Posted by estee101

im a single mom from syracuse ny. im currently looking to move to cali in march. im so overwhelmed!!! i was thinking mabey fresno but im not sure. I want to be within 2 hours of la. Im a business mgr. for estee lauder cosmetics in a large department store so i want to continue my career in that field. It doesnt pay that well here and im not sure how much it would pay in cali. so my income is somewhat limited. i just want to find some place where i can get good work and have a good (safe) place to raise my boys. any suggestions?????

Hi, if you need to be close to LA why not Thousand Oaks. They have a large, nice shopping mall there and I believe there is a Macy's which should sell Estee Lauder. Not a quaint small town but not a crowded, traffic-congested bigger town either. I've heard nice things about it. You are also only about 1 1/2 hours from Santa Barbara.

If you are set on Fresno there is a department store chain up there called Gottschalks and they have a cosmetics department.

Good luck.

[rkb0305]

The poster said income was an issue. isn't Thousand Oaks a little pricey compared to Fresno? Fresno also has a Macy's

[estee101]

thanx... what are the rents like for a 3 bed in those areas? macys is out of the question ive worked for them before and their aweful people to work for. isnt there a bloomingdales, nordstrom. sacks any place else?