Bottomfeeding in Merced?

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by Bulldogdad

The nice thing about California is you can 60-90 minutes from beautiful areas such as the Coast and Mountains but save hundreds of thousands of dollars in housing and living costs.

I agree. The valley is affordable. I think the key is to find some place that you like, but which is not a mecca for the wealthy. Not always easy to do, but there are options.

[sacramento916]

Originally Posted by Fiddlehead

I am looking at a position in Merced. I would not be moving without a job. But I am having a hard time figuring out where the city is going. Say a person were to land a solid job there, and say, buy a nice house for about $150-200k (i.e. bottomfeeding in a crashed market), what would be the prospects of things improving substantially in 5-10 years. I know the Merced represents the depths of the housing crash, and that coupled with the new UC campus should set a positive trajectory for growth. However, I know that much of the San Joaquin Valley seems to keep declining in educational attainment, rising gangs, air quality, etc. It is hard to decide whether to be bullish or bearish on the valley. I have family there, and for their sake, I would like to think things will improve, but it seems like the smartest people keep moving away, and the poorer immigrants, many illegals, keep moving in and having large families, lowering the socioeconomic conditions, increasing crime,etc.

Anyhow, what do you all think? And no, I am not looking for slams from coastal Californians who would never live in Merced in a million years. We all know that Merced is not Marin or San Diego. For me, a middle aged, middle class guy who was sideswiped by the bubble, and has zero equity, those places are simply not attainable (I could not get the 20% down payment or pay off a $450k home in the rest of my life). Hence the Valley or other marginal areas are the only options in Cal. I am looking for thoughtful assessments of the future from people with reasonable knowledge and interest in the area.

Try looking in Sacramento. Prices are not much higher than Merced, but it's a way bigger city, more cosmopolitan and has much more amenities.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by sacramento916

Try looking in Sacramento. Prices are not much higher than Merced, but it's a way bigger city, more cosmopolitan and has much more amenities.

I agree with this ^^^^. But from what I hear, competition for academic jobs is pretty fierce....and I'm sure more people would prefer living in Sac. than Merced...so Merced would have less competition....but Sac. would be a nice option if you could get a job in your field there.

[Fiddlehead]

I am not a big city guy, so personally, I would prefer Merced. However, I was just thinking that Sacramento would be the best place in California for me, if I were to choose to live in an urban area. A lot of jobs around, relatively affordable, and central to all the great places California has to offer.

[sacramento916]

Originally Posted by Fiddlehead

I am not a big city guy, so personally, I would prefer Merced. However, I was just thinking that Sacramento would be the best place in California for me, if I were to choose to live in an urban area. A lot of jobs around, relatively affordable, and central to all the great places California has to offer.

Sacramento is not that big of a city. However, to preface, I grew up in San Francisco, so my standards may be different from yours.

But there are plenty of smaller suburbs around the Sac area that have a small town/semi-rural feel. Look into places like Fair Oaks, Orangevale, Lincoln, Loomis, etc. That way, you can live in a place with a small town feel and have access to urban amenities that you won't in Merced.