Where would you move? (San Diego, San Jose: for sale, condo, crime)

[Maria S]

Four years ago my husband and I moved to Sweden (Stockholm) from the Bay Area (Menlo Park) where my husband grew up. Today, we have two small kids (4,2 years) and are considering moving back. We have been thinking about San Luis Obispo. Our decision will be based on being able to buy a house/condo in a safe area with good schools. We are willing to commute for work in exchange for a higher standard of living. If you had two small kids, could afford a home for about $600 000....where would you move and why? All areas in CA are of interest, any suggestions or ideas are much appreciated. "hej" from cold and rainy Sweden/Maria

[Charles]

What line of work are you (two) in?

[internat]

Hejsan. May I ask why you're considering moving from Sthlm to the Bay Area?

Irvine (southern California) is good for families. It's also very safe.

Lycka till.

[Sassy_Songbird_Sweety]

Irvine is crowded and they do have crimes commited there because there are people who commit crimes from the surrounding areas. I've seen it in the news multiple times. I would look elsewhere if I were you.

[Summertime]

and like peace, quaint, cultural,

look into Los Altos... my sister lives
there in a home built about 55 years
ago, and she loves it, as do I when I visit
her.

The village of Los Altos is charming,
good shops, restaurants, schools,

and there is a wonderful Christian school
if you want that instead of public.

Also, you are close to wonderful health
stores, Palo Alto, Mt. View, San Jose
which has a cultural center for plays and musical
events. Los Altos has a 'little theatre' with
skilled performers and entertaining plays.

The fresh produce, orange juice, berries,
are soooooo delicious and to me,
Los Altos epitomizes olde Spanish motif,
with modern day living...


The drivers are courteous, the residents
work at companies which are technologically
based, such as 3-Com, Silicon Valley,
and they are affluent, educated people.

If I had the money, I would live there
in less than 1 minute flat.

[DMenscha]

I'd love to see the home in Los Altos for 500K. The tract house I grew up in on the outskirts of Los Altos is on zillow at 1.1million.

[CrystalClearWave]

Originally Posted by DMenscha

I'd love to see the home in Los Altos for 500K. The tract house I grew up in on the outskirts of Los Altos is on zillow at 1.1million.

I second that. Just go to mlslistings.com, search for Los Altos, and likely you won't be able to find any single family home for sale under $1million.

[tigerclaws]

SLO is a beautiful area in Santa Barbara county. You will absolutely love it. The problem will be getting decent paying jobs anywhere in SB county is tough. Unless you own a business, the commute would be killing.

You could consider south OC or San Diego but first I would look at where jobs are in your line of work before deciding on the location.

[edelweiss]

Originally Posted by tigerclaws

...but first I would look at where jobs are in your line of work before deciding on the location.

I agree... it's much easier to figure out where you want to work first, then you should be able to find a nice place to live nearby. Also, San Luis Obispo is a great pick!

[mono#9]

All I can say is the paranoia about crime on this forum has gotten pretty bad when someone claims you should stay away from Irvine because of crime. Irvine regularly comes in as the safest city in California. Where do we go from here?