Thinking of Coming Home to California (Fresno, Sacramento: real estate market, 2009, renting)

[drummer5000]

Hello,

I left cause I was not ready to buy a house and even renting in LA made it very hard to save. I see that sacramento has very low prices now. Every time I pass through it seems nice to me. Im well aware that it has some very rough ghetto neighborhoods and such though. But it does now seem possible to move there and own a house in California, which when I left never seemed possible. So I want to spend 100k or less, im not too picky of course but I don't want to live a crip controlled neighborhood. Where I live now in Oregon Mexican gangs such as "suernos"(no offence to gangbangers if I messed that up) are beginning to take hold but it's nothing like LA. I get the sense though that Sacramento has some real gang crime issues and this is where the chepest of the cheapest are. Anyways Im just wondering what any of you think about it, have some sympathy Im a CA native who never really fitted in in Portland even after 3 years and I want to go home, yes even though I never lived in your city it's sunny and has palm trees ahhhhhhh, im dreaming, I really miss gardening on those super hot 100f+ summer days!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by drummer5000

Hello,

I left cause I was not ready to buy a house and even renting in LA made it very hard to save. I see that sacramento has very low prices now. Every time I pass through it seems nice to me. Im well aware that it has some very rough ghetto neighborhoods and such though. But it does now seem possible to move there and own a house in California, which when I left never seemed possible. So I want to spend 100k or less, im not too picky of course but I don't want to live a crip controlled neighborhood. Where I live now in Oregon Mexican gangs such as "suernos"(no offence to gangbangers if I messed that up) are beginning to take hold but it's nothing like LA. I get the sense though that Sacramento has some real gang crime issues and this is where the chepest of the cheapest are. Anyways Im just wondering what any of you think about it, have some sympathy Im a CA native who never really fitted in in Portland even after 3 years and I want to go home, yes even though I never lived in your city it's sunny and has palm trees ahhhhhhh, im dreaming, I really miss gardening on those super hot 100f+ summer days!

If I ever moved back to Ca I think Sacramento would be my first choice. That being said, even with the lousy real estate market and the fact you are not picky, to buy anything decent in a decent neighborhood in Sac for less than $100,000 would not be easy and what about employment? Do you have job, how about a family, what are your needs? I am surprised you are not content in Portland, so many people love it. I understand about the sunshine, I would never want to live in Or or Wa. for that very reason.

Just be careful before you make that move, you may regret it, good luck, if you can get a decent job, have a decent down payment and really want to come back, then I would say good for you...

Nita

[drummer5000]

I am still earning a full time income at making web apps, i like to have about 2 years savings and our family is me, my wife and our dog. so we're not worried about schools, light rail is nice but not required as we have a trusty toyota. I figure with the 8k first time buyers tax credit and a first time buyer FHA loan I can get into a low mortgage and still have 1 3/4 years savings and have a house!!!! we could settle for a condo if it was a good match as well.

Portland is nice but folks are just too low key and slow paced for me, nearly all the friends i've made are newcomers in the same situation, lots of old blood that don't really care for newcomers. I never really wanted to leave LA (my home town) but it got so expensive that with a dog and a 2 bedroom we would not be able to save much even in the ghetto, and what was worth saving for when each month you save $1k and the houses go up $2k lol. Things have changed but LA is still to expensive and dangerous.

From an airliner Sacramento is where it starts to look nice, rivers-trees-etc.... Everytime I have driven through I get a comfortable feeling. So I say it's time for a 4 day fact finding trip.

[ubu]

It is possible to find a home for 100K in Sacramento, although in the neighborhoods where you will find them, you are also likely to have some gang issues.

You can scan the mls in the housing section of the bee and you can then plug those addresses of homes you like into the Sacbee crime mapper tool.

Online feature - Crimemapper - sacbee.com

But you might have better luck in the valley communities outside of Sacramento. Housing is much cheaper in places like Redding, Chico or Bakersfield. In those neighborhoods, I suspect for 100k you are a lot less likely to live among gang members at that price point in those communties than you to do that in Sacramento.

You might also have more luck if you looked at condos.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by drummer5000

I am still earning a full time income at making web apps, i like to have about 2 years savings and our family is me, my wife and our dog. so we're not worried about schools, light rail is nice but not required as we have a trusty toyota. I figure with the 8k first time buyers tax credit and a first time buyer FHA loan I can get into a low mortgage and still have 1 3/4 years savings and have a house!!!! we could settle for a condo if it was a good match as well.

Portland is nice but folks are just too low key and slow paced for me, nearly all the friends i've made are newcomers in the same situation, lots of old blood that don't really care for newcomers. I never really wanted to leave LA (my home town) but it got so expensive that with a dog and a 2 bedroom we would not be able to save much even in the ghetto, and what was worth saving for when each month you save $1k and the houses go up $2k lol. Things have changed but LA is still to expensive and dangerous.

From an airliner Sacramento is where it starts to look nice, rivers-trees-etc.... Everytime I have driven through I get a comfortable feeling. So I say it's time for a 4 day fact finding trip.

go for it, the best way to find out if this is for you is a few days researching and talking to a realtor. Most of them are more than willing to show you around with no obligation. That is the only way you will really know what is out there for you. there are lots of areas in Sac that should work, you may want to look into East Sac and Carmichel plus a few other areas as well.

Nita

[FresnoFacts]

This link has the median prices as of January for many cities around the state.
Jan 2009 Median Prices

Modesto and Merced have actually dropped down to around $112,000, some of the lowest prices in the state, even lower than Fresno or Bakersfield.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by ubu

It is possible to find a home for 100K in Sacramento, although in the neighborhoods where you will find them, you are also likely to have some gang issues.

You can scan the mls in the housing section of the bee and you can then plug those addresses of homes you like into the Sacbee crime mapper tool.

Online feature - Crimemapper - sacbee.com

But you might have better luck in the valley communities outside of Sacramento. Housing is much cheaper in places like Redding, Chico or Bakersfield. In those neighborhoods, I suspect for 100k you are a lot less likely to live among gang members at that price point in those communties than you to do that in Sacramento.

You might also have more luck if you looked at condos.

wow,Bakersfield, that is closer to a suburb of L.A, even Chico and Redding could hardly be considered outside of Sac...

Nita

[yogababe]

Originally Posted by nmnita

wow,Bakersfield, that is closer to a suburb of L.A, even Chico and Redding could hardly be considered outside of Sac...

Nita

But Bakersfield is in the Central Valley and housing prices in most of the central valley have dropped pretty signficantly.

Originally Posted by FresnoFacts

This link has the median prices as of January for many cities around the state.
Jan 2009 Median Prices

Modesto and Merced have actually dropped down to around $112,000, some of the lowest prices in the state, even lower than Fresno or Bakersfield.

In Modesto and Merced, what are the neighborhoods looking like that are selling for 100k? I know housing is real cheap in Yuba City, but I have heard people complaining that the cheap housing is drawing the meth addicts. Are the neighborhoods selling for less than 100k in those communties safe?

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by yogababe

But Bakersfield is in the Central Valley and housing prices in most of the central valley have dropped pretty signficantly.



In Modesto and Merced, what are the neighborhoods looking like that are selling for 100k? I know housing is real cheap in Yuba City, but I have heard people complaining that the cheap housing is drawing the meth addicts. Are the neighborhoods selling for less than 100k in those communties safe?

they are but they are nowhere near Sacramento and the Op is thinking about Sacramento..Even Stockton isn't that close but certainly not all too far from Sac..

$100, 000 will not buy too much anywhere in the entire USA for that matter.

Nita

[drummer5000]

Originally Posted by ubu

It is possible to find a home for 100K in Sacramento, although in the neighborhoods where you will find them, you are also likely to have some gang issues.

You can scan the mls in the housing section of the bee and you can then plug those addresses of homes you like into the Sacbee crime mapper tool.

Online feature - Crimemapper - sacbee.com

But you might have better luck in the valley communities outside of Sacramento. Housing is much cheaper in places like Redding, Chico or Bakersfield. In those neighborhoods, I suspect for 100k you are a lot less likely to live among gang members at that price point in those communties than you to do that in Sacramento.

You might also have more luck if you looked at condos.

Heh the crime mapper didn't look quite as bad as I expected (THANKS!), I go for cheap rent/mortgage and that usually means gangs are in the area. What I don't want is the "compton" south central LA type of thing, otherwise we're ok. It does seem like del paso heights and south sac are pretty damn close to that metric though and I'll avoid them as far as I can tell. Sacramento seems like a good sized city for our tastes, I do want a house but im not willing to live in modesto to get one.