Possible move and never been to SF. With 2 year old. (San Francisco: real estate, apartment)

[aks2]

My husband is entertaining a job offer in San Francisco. We have both only ever visited the area once and did not stay more than a day. To be honest, we know very little about the area and its surroundings. We currently live in the midwest in a 4,000 square foot home on an acre lot. I realize we will never find this in SF for a doable price but we are a growing family and need the space. We are looking for an area that has a lot of young families, things for kids to do, yards, easy parking and easy commute into the city for my husband. We don't necessarily need to be in SF. I don't even know where to begin my search so any help you can provide would be great.

[California Vagabond]

I think many forum participants will offer neighborhood suggestions, but I seem to be one of the first to see your post, so I'll do the honors of providing an introduction: for those commuting in the Bay Area, four letters you want to know are BART, for the regional subway system. I recommend visiting bart.gov and looking at the system map. You could live as far into the hinterlands as Pittsburg and still permit your husband a reasonable commute into the city.

[clongirl]

You'll need to tell us what kind of housing you are looking for. 3 bedroom apartment or 3 bedroom house? What's your budget? Do you mind living in a suburb? Do you care whether you need to get into your car to do your shopping, or do you want to be able to walk to shopping?

I can tell you right off the bat that you will be in for a major shock when you discover how crazy house prices are here and how little you'll get for your money!

[Malloric]

The Bay Area is pretty built-out. You're not going to have much luck finding anything like the space you're accustomed to. Best bets would be the East Bay around Lorinda/Moraga and San Ramon or Marin County. You can find houses there on a good chunk of land, but expect to pay well over a million. If you're willing to live in a cookie-cutter suburb on a tiny lot that opens up a lot more possibilities.

[aks2]

I am well aware of the price increase from our current living situation. We are most likely looking for 3 bedrooms, preferably a single family home but could work with a town home or condo if we find the right fit. I don't mind not being in the city and driving (since I drive now everywhere). Not 100% sure of the budget since the offer is still being negotiated, but right off the bat I would say 700,000.

We are also thinking of renting as an option since we are so green about the area.

[California Vagabond]

You might want to rent to start, to save yourself from committing big money to a neighborhood you might decide isn't to your liking.

[ssmaster]

$700,000
is a smaller house(1500 sq feet) in a nice commute friendly area
or
a large house and a long commute .

[mayorhaggar]

$600,000 to $700,000 seems to be the entry-level price for a home in a safe suburb in the East Bay with a good school district that is a 35-45 minute BART ride to downtown SF, and the East Bay is by far the cheapest part of the inner Bay Area. I'd start by looking at Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Dublin, Pleasanton, and maybe Fremont. Livermore is a bit east of Pleasanton but you'd have to get from Livermore to Pleasanton to hop on BART, which would add a fair bit of time to your commute.

[clongirl]

I think Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, or Concord would be good areas to focus on. They have BART stations, and you'll be able to rent a decent sized house in a family friendly neighborhood and they seem like fairly good and safe starting points for newcomers that aren't looking for a culture shock or blanketed in fog part of the year.

Definitely rent first...you wouldn't want to invest in pricy real estate here until you know if you want to make it your home.