Safe Bay Area neighborhoods with mediocre schools? (San Jose, San Francisco: renting, condo)

[thechoson]

Yes, that title is correct. Maybe those two things are mutually exclusive.

But I'm starting to research neighborhoods to possibly purchase a home. I find that good school districts usually have pricier homes. I don't have kids and won't for a while, so school districts mean nothing to me. So I was hoping maybe I can find an "up-and coming" type neighborhood that is safe but may not have very good schools yet.

The only things that matter to me right now is that I'm within an hour commute to Palo Alto by car (where I work), and that the neighborhood is safe (mostly free from violent crime).

[DocGoldstein]

Castro Valley, but a bit farther than 1 hour.

Some places in Fremont, and Milpitas.

[thecooler]

Originally Posted by thechoson

Yes, that title is correct. Maybe those two things are mutually exclusive.

But I'm starting to research neighborhoods to possibly purchase a home. I find that good school districts usually have pricier homes. I don't have kids and won't for a while, so school districts mean nothing to me. So I was hoping maybe I can find an "up-and coming" type neighborhood that is safe but may not have very good schools yet.

The only things that matter to me right now is that I'm within an hour commute to Palo Alto by car (where I work), and that the neighborhood is safe (mostly free from violent crime).

Pacifica, and parts of San Bruno, Daly City and South San Francisco, but not sure if they are up and coming or just that the fog keeps people away and home prices relatively reasonable.

[shooting4life]

How much money to you have?
The Hayward/San Leandro/Castro Valley/San Lorenzo area would fit the bill. Each of these cities have nice established neighborhoods (as well as not so great areas). But the prices are much more reasonable than any other city within an hour from PA. I work in RWC and live in San Lorenzo. It takes about 50 minutes in the morning and 60 minutes to get home.

[llowllevellowll]

It's hard to say what your idea of safe is, because I think the term itself is fairly relative. What I view as safe and wonderful enough to live in someone else might think is shady, or vice versa!

So, I'll conclude this as to being areas where you can find good bargains, and for that, I think you head to the 880 and 580 corridors. As Doc mentioned, Fremont. You can probably get the most bang for your buck on a 2,000 sq. ft. home in Fremont. You might drive around Hayward and see what's comfortable to you because Hayward will be even cheaper. I'd just avoid the abundance of dilapidated 1970s cheap housing stock. I also like Castro Valley, Livermore, and parts of Oakland - all of which has some bargains.

And check San Jose! I think downtown is coming along well and there's some likable things about SJ that could propel me to both work and live in that area.

There are a lot of unknowns here though. Are you looking for a SFH? A condo? Renting? How much do you want to spend?

[eureka1]

You are unwise, as a prospective homebuyer, to operate on the principle "school districts mean nothing to me". Wait till you try to SELL your house. Then they will mean everything. Also, communities that care about their schools generally take care of business in other ways that benefit the whole population.

[thechoson]

Originally Posted by eureka1

You are unwise, as a prospective homebuyer, to operate on the principle "school districts mean nothing to me". Wait till you try to SELL your house. Then they will mean everything. Also, communities that care about their schools generally take care of business in other ways that benefit the whole population.

I don't have a million in cash lying around, so if I want to buy in the Bay Area, I need to make SOME compromises.

[ccm123]

I also believe Dublin is up and coming, but the commute will be further than an hour.

[llowllevellowll]

Originally Posted by eureka1

You are unwise, as a prospective homebuyer, to operate on the principle "school districts mean nothing to me". Wait till you try to SELL your house. Then they will mean everything. Also, communities that care about their schools generally take care of business in other ways that benefit the whole population.

I don't like this advice at all. Sure, you'll sacrifice when you sell but that's the entire reason why you paid significantly less when you bought it too. You can't have your cake and eat it too. You're also operating on the presumptive notion that the OP is planning on selling the very home he's purchasing. It's altogether possible the OP plans on being a long-hold investor and maybe turning the property into an income property one day. It's possible that he'll never need to care about the school district. It's not up to us to say.

In addition, neighborhoods and school districts are cyclical. Areas you might discount now, you may end up thinking highly of later, and we definitely know the reverse is true.

I personally think the OP is wise in doing research and trying to determine his biggest bargains so that he may best live within his or her means, something that many Americans have trouble with.

[Radio Flyer]

^Agree.

We lived in a town in a good school district. Nothing spectacular there, except being part of the "good schools" area. They built a brand new high school and our already high property taxes went through the roof!

Neighbors down the street had kids too, but they sent them to private school in a town 30 minutes away. I never could understand why they chose to live in this town. No advantages whatsoever.

Resale?...Market went down the tubes and they couldn't unload the thing. All those years of paying high taxes and all those hours treking the kids to school, for what?!