Moving to Tracy, CA (San Jose, Stockton: real estate, buying a home, find job)

[namx]

Hi Everyone. We are considering a move from the Midwest to Tracy, CA. I would be working in Tracy, and my wife would be commuting to Modesto. Can someone, preferably from Tracy, give us a fair assessment (growth, economy, crime, lifestyle) of the town? Also, please recommend a neighborhood to live in and which school system (public vs. private, Tracy Unified vs. Jefferson) is better.

The couple of times I have been in Tracy, I really like how new it is. Even the downtown area is being renovated. Like elsewhere, the Tracy housing market is cooling down. The close proximity to SF and San Jose is a big plus. We looked briefly at Mt. House and Manteca but I need to be in Tracy. I'm hoping that the commute from Tracy to Modesto is not too horrible since it is opposite of the Bay Area commute.

Thanks.

[greatbasinguide]

205 to 120 to 99, freeway,,, probably fast and easy
Chrisman road to 132,, rural slow and pleasant,, your commute should be easy,,, but... I'd rather be east of Modesto with some topography.

[socal06]

Tracy is really nice. I go there often to visit my parents. And yes, they have renovated alot of the city so there can be sidewalks everywhere, and also just so that the view can be nicer; which it is.
The school system there has a slight gang problem, which is normal for Californians. You'll get used to it. But I'm aware that there is a private elemenatry school (K-8) near the "downtown". Summer temps there are really high; but since your from the Midwest your probably used to it.

[izzy]

I lived in Manteca for a while. Tracy always seemed to me to be a town of transition. All the families I know that lived there...no longer live there. It seems to be a place where folks live, till they decide where they want to live forever. It is over the hill from livermore and the commute is a bear in that direction...did it for almost two years. Stop and go...and no fun in the fog.

And the commute from Tracy to Modesto in the winter...Tully fog. When we moved to the valley and everyone warned us about the fog. We thought are you kidding, we're born and raised bay area, CA folks we know about fog
This fog is different. You get on the freeway on ramp blindly. You can only hear the traffic. You can't see it until you are actually merging on the freeway. The fog is ground fog and there is usually no wind to move it out. You can't see the fence posts on the side of the road. When you get off the freeway you can't see the intersection until you are at it.

I'm serious about this. Ask others...I always got on the freeway and said a little prayer. Must of worked...I'm still here.

Tracy is at the edge of the valley...so you can see hills. But I was from the bay area. All hills After a while living on flat land really gets to you...if you were raised in the hills. We are now in Valley springs. In the rolling hills with oak trees. 35 minutes from Hwy 99, Stockton. There is a cut off for Modesto half way to 99. Modesto is about 55 minutes from Valley Springs.

Izzy

[Alicia]

I moved here from the midwest (Chicago) about 20 years ago. I have lived in Tracy for 15 years. Tracy has grown during that time from 40,000 to 80,000 people. I am also a realtor, so I am very familiar with the area. If you thinking about buying a home, now is a good time. There are many homes on the market and a lot of motivated sellers. That also goes for homes in between Tracy and Modesto. You might consider Lathrop or Manteca. Modesto is least expensive. You can view properties at [mod cut - real estate website]. Let me know if I can help.

[namx]

Originally Posted by izzy

And the commute from Tracy to Modesto in the winter...Tully fog. When we moved to the valley and everyone warned us about the fog. We thought are you kidding, we're born and raised bay area, CA folks we know about fog
This fog is different. You get on the freeway on ramp blindly. You can only hear the traffic. You can't see it until you are actually merging on the freeway. The fog is ground fog and there is usually no wind to move it out. You can't see the fence posts on the side of the road. When you get off the freeway you can't see the intersection until you are at it.

Izzy

Thank you for your honest assessment of the city. I think Tracy is growing and there have been growth restrictions put in place. So I think people are going to stay in Tracy as long as it is not affordable in the Bay area.

I had heard of the Tully Fog but not as bad as what you described. Is the fog more prevalent during certain hours of the day? And is it only between Jan and Feb (or more months)?

[namx]

Originally Posted by Alicia

I moved here from the midwest (Chicago) about 20 years ago. I have lived in Tracy for 15 years. Tracy has grown during that time from 40,000 to 80,000 people. I am also a realtor, so I am very familiar with the area. If you thinking about buying a home, now is a good time. There are many homes on the market and a lot of motivated sellers. That also goes for homes in between Tracy and Modesto. You might consider Lathrop or Manteca. Modesto is least expensive. You can view properties at [mod cut- real estate website]. Let me know if I can help.

Alicia, thank for offering to help. Can you recommend an area to live? Specifically, anywhere we should not live? We were looking at some homes in Hidden Lake but they may be out of our price range. Coming from the Midwest, I was hoping to get some bigger lots but I guess would have to sell our child for that. Linne Estates have bigger lots but again, they're quite pricey.

[izzy]

The fog happens mostly in the mornings and late evenings. Commute time. When we lived in Mantea there was one year when we did not see the sun for several weeks. It sometimes happens. But you go over the Altamont into Livermore and the sun would be shining. So just depending on the weather. No wind to move it out...Tully fog. During those weeks of solid fog. It would move up a bit and you could see for a distance...but move back down again in the mornings and evenings. There has to be a website that shows all this for past years. I will see if I can find it.

We are lds and members of our church in Tracy seem to come and go. I would only see them there for a year or two, then they were gone. I haven't heard anything bad about the town...just folks moving to other areas. As I said transition. We lived in the Manteca, Lodi, delta (on the river) areas for 15 years. We are now in the hills. Valley Springs. 35 minutes from hwy 99 in Stockton. Or 55 minutes from Modesto. Been in Valley Springs a couple of years.

Why did you pick Tracy? Instead of Modesto, or towns in between?

Izzy

[greatbasinguide]

Ok, a little science here. The fog is Tule Fog. The term comes from the marshes which used to exist in the valley, the reeds in the marshes were called tules. Thus Tule fog.

Happens during times of high pressure. The moist ground and wet areas and lakes in the valley are warmer than the cold night air. Thus condensation, which is fog.

The fog is actually a great sign that it is a good day for skiing. since the fog is seldom over 1,000 feet thick, once you drive above the fog layer you find a bright sunny often warm day. Time to go skiing.

The fog disappears during times of low pressure and or wind.

[namx]

Originally Posted by izzy

Why did you pick Tracy? Instead of Modesto, or towns in between?

Izzy

Thanks again for your help with the Tule fog. We chose Tracy because we want to be near SF. But obviously, the cost of housing is quite high in the Bay Area. We can live in Tracy and be near SF, Napa, Tahoe, etc. Tracy is also where I can find a job. My wife was going to work in Tracy also but the position she was applying for was filled recently. Her next best option for her job would be in Modesto.

For my job, I have to live in Tracy and maybe Mt. House or Lathrop and commute. But I doubt I could live any further out. I rather live in on the West side of the Alamont but the commute and cost of living would be prohibitive. We also looked briefly at Stockton but was surprised how bad the conditions there are. There are many threads in this forum detailing Stockton. Modesto is okay but very old compared to Tracy. Again, I have to live in Tracy or real close to it. Modesto is also a bit further out from the Bay area.

Tracy is growing but growth restrictions will prevent it from growing too fast as the infrastructure catches up. Mountain House next door is also growing under a master community plan. I wouldn't mind living there if it didn't add another 15 minutes to the commute to Modesto. River Islands in Lathrop sounds like a nice area being developed for 11,000+ but that may be quite pricey when it is all said and done.