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Old 09-13-2009, 05:17 PM
 
32 posts, read 157,367 times
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My husband and I would love to move our family to Petaluma but I am worried about what kind of housing we could afford. What kind of housing is available for $250,000 or under?

We are looking for a fixer-upper...but something we could live in while fixing up. Ideally we would love to live in a cool old home close-ish to downtown OR out in the country.

Am I dreaming or is it possible for us to find something?
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Old 09-13-2009, 05:23 PM
 
11,715 posts, read 40,354,830 times
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I just did a realtor.com search for 3+ bedrooms, 1.5+ bathrooms, SFR, in Petaluma and got 199 results. 11 are $250k or less. The median list price appears to be around $500k.

Last edited by EscapeCalifornia; 09-13-2009 at 05:45 PM..
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Old 09-14-2009, 05:21 PM
 
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For what your dollar buys there, I think that real estate in southern Sonoma and Marin counties is still some of the least affordable in the state...even with the foreclosure crisis.
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Old 09-14-2009, 08:03 PM
 
32 posts, read 157,367 times
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Thanks Steve97415, your post...as disappointing as it is...is helpful.

I'm not sure if this is ok to ask, but what kind of income do you need to be a family of 4 and owing a home in Petaluma. Essentially, what is "middle-class" in Petaluma? It is hard to tell by statistics because the uber-wealthy in the area skew the numbers (or maybe everyone is really wealth???)...
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Old 09-15-2009, 08:23 AM
 
32 posts, read 157,367 times
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Steve, I just realized that you also posted on my inquiry about Corvallis OR. Basically, we are interested in moving to either Petaluma or Covallis. Do you know both towns well? Could you compare them?

I ultimately prefer Petaluma culture to that of Corvallis, but I just don't know that we can afford the lifestyle we want in Petaluma.
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Old 09-15-2009, 06:42 PM
 
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My Gawd. Petaluma is a very expensive town to live in I would think. 250k or less is going to buy you a condo or a flat down in the druggy part of town. My brother used to live in Petaluma and Moved because he lived in a cruddy area. and that was back in the 80s.
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Old 09-21-2009, 01:51 PM
 
32 posts, read 157,367 times
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What is a "middle class" income in Petaluma?
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Old 09-21-2009, 02:13 PM
 
Location: 38°14′45″N 122°37′53″W
4,156 posts, read 10,987,736 times
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Hi eleyess77.
I live in Petaluma.
Middle class in Petaluma and owning a home? Well, for instance I have a friend who is single, retired, receives a modest pension and just purchased a cute little bungalow that was a forclosure for around 220 on the west side.
There are people ranging from close to poverty level to awfully wealthy in town here, that's why I love it so much...
It is doable, for sure.
Any more questions about P town, I'd be happy to oblige!

Oh yeah and I just took a look at realtor.com and they are all kinds of wrong on the local school information, (wrong names of schools, wrong grades etc etc.) so DON'T go by their info. for that!

Last edited by bellalunatic; 09-21-2009 at 02:50 PM..
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Old 09-21-2009, 03:32 PM
 
1,312 posts, read 6,453,915 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bellalunatic View Post
I have a friend who is single, retired, receives a modest pension and just purchased a cute little bungalow that was a forclosure for around 220 on the west side.
That could still easily be $250 per sq. ft. Affordability isn't just a matter of down-sizing your expectations. It's about paying a reasonable price per unit of benefit received.
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Old 09-21-2009, 08:48 PM
 
Location: 38°14′45″N 122°37′53″W
4,156 posts, read 10,987,736 times
Reputation: 3439
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve97415 View Post
That could still easily be $250 per sq. ft. Affordability isn't just a matter of down-sizing your expectations. It's about paying a reasonable price per unit of benefit received.
Well, actually it wasn't but I see your point.
Petaluma is NOT Marin County that's for sure...you really shouldn't be putting the two in the same sentence.

(Of course there are the pretentious wanna be's who got priced out of Marin) and they have come over the county line hoping it will become the same.

Good GAWD wouldn't THAT just suck!?! No way will we all let that happen!

Last edited by bellalunatic; 09-21-2009 at 09:49 PM..
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