Family of 5, soon to be 6, considering relocation. Have a few questions... (San Francisco: for sale, real estate)

[havestar]

My husband and I are considering a move to SF due to a promotion he received recently. We currently live in Texas, in a huge house, in one of the top 5 safest neighborhoods in the area, and our schools are ranked 10. We both work at home - he is the manager of a team in an internet based business. I am a Sr Web Designer. We live very comfortably, and have 3 children (15, 7 and 3) and are expecting our 4th in the first week of July. If we do make the decision to move, it will be dueing the last 2 weeks in July, because we want to move before school starts.

His company would more than likely pay for relocation, and we are thinking we would be able to move if our annually salaries came to about 210k. It's possible that after 6 months I could find a higher paying job in the city, I am not expecting my company to increase my salary, and would expect we could probably bring in 230-250k.

We both understand that we'd be making some sacrifices - in housing, possibly schools, the fact that he would have to go to work every day (we actually like working together and don't mind being around each other all day), and I might have to also watch our children full time. But we're considering it because it would be best for his career, and mine as well - there are currently only three jobs in my area for my position. We are also pretty liberal, and despite our best efforts, continue to be concerned with some of the teachings and opinions our children are exposed to.

So, here are the questions that I have...

Would you do it and why/why not?

What is the daycare situation like, and how much could I expect to pay for a 3 year old in full time care?

We are looking at Millbrae, San Mateo or Pacifica - what's a reasonable expectation for commute times?

Thank you!

[bmw335xi]

1) Since you have a large family and everyone is probably used to your current home size, I wouldn't do it unless my income were to increase 50% or more. You can check homes for sale on redfin.com and homes for rent on craigslist.com.

2) Child Care & Day Care San Mateo, CA

3) San Mateo, Millbrae, Burlingame, and Foster City are all in the same area and are very nice and safe. I could see them as an upgrade from many cities in Texas. However, Pacifica would be a downgrade in my opinion because it looks rundown, sleepy, cold, and foggy. Commute times from the cities I mentioned are reasonable to San Francisco. You could even take Caltrain or BART.

You might want to check out Walnut Creek. Real estate and rent is more affordable than the Peninsula area, but it still nice and safe with a thriving little downtown. You would probably need to commute by BART though because traffic is horrendous during rush hour. It would take about 30-40 minutes to get to Financial District by BART.

[jade408]

You might want to check out may parts of the east bay instead. Especially "over the hill" or in the "tri-valley" for a better value and more space.

Compared to TX, the cities you are looking at will be "old" and "rundown" feeling in terms of housing. Not much new inventory in those areas. If you are looking for newer housing, places like Walnut Creek, Castro Valley, Dublin and Pleasanton will feel more similar.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by jade408

You might want to check out may parts of the east bay instead. Especially "over the hill" or in the "tri-valley" for a better value and more space.

Compared to TX, the cities you are looking at will be "old" and "rundown" feeling in terms of housing. Not much new inventory in those areas. If you are looking for newer housing, places like Walnut Creek, Castro Valley, Dublin and Pleasanton will feel more similar.

Just so the OP doesn't get your post confused.. Jade is talking about the actual homes, not the cities. San Mateo, Foster City, Burlingame, Millbrae are definitely don't look rundown.

[havestar]

Thank you!

We were considering Walnut Creek as well, but heard that the commute could be 40mins to 1hr. 30-40 mins sounds more reasonable.

We expect that the homes won't be as new as ours, but as long as the neighborhood is well kept and the kitchen is nice, I'm okay with it. There were some areas I looked at (using Google Street View) where I felt like I'd have to mow my neighbors lawn or something. I guess there are no HOAs?

[jade408]

Originally Posted by havestar

Thank you!

We were considering Walnut Creek as well, but heard that the commute could be 40mins to 1hr. 30-40 mins sounds more reasonable.

We expect that the homes won't be as new as ours, but as long as the neighborhood is well kept and the kitchen is nice, I'm okay with it. There were some areas I looked at (using Google Street View) where I felt like I'd have to mow my neighbors lawn or something. I guess there are no HOAs?

RE: HOAs? Mostly only in the new construction. The areas you are looking at are mostly exempt. But there are some areas in the Bay that have "neighborhood improvement districts" that act as a defacto HOA.

If you are looking for somewhere a bit more walkable, try Albany, El Cerrito, Alameda. These are within 40 minutes (or less) via BART or bus to downtown SF. (Alameda is a 15-20 minute bus ride. Albany and El Cerrito are about 30 min via bus. The times are also about the same for BART, but AC transit runs commuter buses that stop in neighborhoods. When I lived in Alameda it was across the street, and a second line was 4 blocks away.)

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by havestar

Thank you!

We were considering Walnut Creek as well, but heard that the commute could be 40mins to 1hr. 30-40 mins sounds more reasonable.

We expect that the homes won't be as new as ours, but as long as the neighborhood is well kept and the kitchen is nice, I'm okay with it. There were some areas I looked at (using Google Street View) where I felt like I'd have to mow my neighbors lawn or something. I guess there are no HOAs?

You're welcome!

If your husband works in other parts of the city, it can go up to an hour easily. However, it will take only 30-40 minutes on BART to reach the Financial District. It's more the size of the home I'm concerned about, not the age. You can check redfin.com though. HOAs aren't that common in SFR neighborhoods unlike Texas or Florida. I wouldn't recommend cities in "Inner" East Bay.

[jade408]

4 bedroom plus homes are pretty rare. Especially in the mid-range. Many areas were built up when small homes were common. And it seems like home builders did not build many large homes in the 60/70/80/90d. Low inventory for homes over 3 bedrooms here in the Bay. Your odds are easier if you look at the further out parts of the east bay.

*Alameda has loads of victorian homes, so you can find bigger ones there compared with most places, which is why I suggested it. And it isn't ridiculously expensive. A great family town. Tons of parks and a cute main street area.

[havestar]

I've seen a few people recommending Alameda as well - so we'll extend our search to that location. Thanks!

[Ceece]

Do you have family in Texas? If so, no. I wouldn't move. You seem to be set up well to raise a bigger than normal brood (4 kids is bigger than normal) and have a teen who is close to being grown. Decisions between your family comittments and your careers is always a trade off but you will not get what you have in CA so if you like what you have in Texas don't move. You've already come down on the side of doing best for your kids with top ranked schools and safe communities.

If you need to get out of Texas, and I would get that because many people do, then go for it. You kids may or may not thank you later, and your new careers may or may not work out. Gambling is part of life. You will definitely be poorer no matter how much you get paid and someone else will raise your kids if you "get a higher paying job in the city", which you may not anyway. That is all stuff to consider. Career vs kids vs safety vs lifestyle vs family vs money if things don't go perfectly. Yeah, you do have a lot to consider. Good luck.