Moving from Chicago to Alameda Co to teach. Will we need dual income? (San Diego: 2015, apartment)

[las des una]

I've come to these boards a number of times of the last few years as I plan my relocation to "anywhere but Chicago" and want to thank everyone in advanced for essentially answering the same questions over and over: "Can I afford to live here?"

My question isn't too different. I teach in Chicago Public Schools and I've decided that I'm just about through with Chicago and want to head West. In June, I responded to San Francisco's nationwide search for teachers, but when I found out how much a house costs, I didn't even complete the application (same with Palo Alto). After exploring THE MOST expensive places to live, I researched all over the state (Sacramento, Orange County, Riverside, San Diego) and I keep coming back to The Bay Area. I don't want to end up living in a small, conservative suburb, where I have to get on the freeway (see what I did there? They call 'em expressways in Chicago) to go to the grocery store. I have a bunch of artist/musician friends who have moved to Oakland, and I figured, if they can do it...

I'm looking for a healthy balance between good school districts and housing costs. Seems that there is a direct relationship between the two; the better the district, the more expensive the housing (except for San Francisco, for some reason.) And while I would like to live in a decent district, as well as make sure my son goes to school in one, even some of the worst districts have a high performing school or two. So, I'm kinda flexible there. Kinda.

I think Oakland/East Bay is more affordable, so I've submitted applications to different districts in Alameda County (Fremont, Hayward, Oakland, etc). I make $72K here and my husband is a stay at home dad to our 2 1/2 year old. We've paid up to $1800 for rent, but currently we pay $1625 for a 3Br duplex down. The salary for someone with my experience in Oakland would be a paltry $52K, Berekey $60K, Fremont $76K (in Palo Alto its $80K!). But, no matter how good the salary looks, it's still a quarter of the median home price. Is it possible to live in the Bay Area on a single income? We'd probably rent until we could buy something (could I even save enough to buy??) I'm not saying that my husband would never work, but the chances of us both finding jobs in the Bay Area seems a little slim considering he's been looking for a job here for the last year and a half. The only workaround I see is getting a Fremont salary and living in Oakland. I bet they have some kind of thing against that, hunh? Like you must live in the district you teach in? That's how it is in Chicago.

[jade408]

I don't think most districts here care where you live. My teacher friends live in different districts than they teach. But your quality of life based on your salary will be infinitely higher in Chicago. A basic one bedroom in Oakland is about $1500 these days. It'll be older and have no amenities.

Saving up to buy? Well I hope you have no other expenses, but honestly $60k here would be like having $35-40k in Chicago. State taxes are much much higher as well. Your take home pay at $60k will be about $42k. Heating and cooling will be cheaper. Food is about the same. Gas is more expensive. The rest will be comparable. So you do the math.

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by las des una

The only workaround I see is getting a Fremont salary and living in Oakland.

How is that a workaround? Fremont will probably be cheaper than a livable area in Oakland. Any cheap area in Oakland you probably do not want to live in unless you are comfortable with the bad areas in Chicago. Also commuting south on the 880 freeway from Oakland to Fremont will not be fun.

Originally Posted by las des una

Is it possible to live in the Bay Area on a single income?

No problem if that single income is over $200K. Then using the 3x income rule you could get nice little condo or a small house for $600K.

Originally Posted by las des una

I think Oakland/East Bay is more affordable, so I've submitted applications to different districts in Alameda County (Fremont, Hayward, Oakland, etc). I make $72K here and my husband is a stay at home dad to our 2 1/2 year old. We've paid up to $1800 for rent, but currently we pay $1625 for a 3Br duplex down. The salary for someone with my experience in Oakland would be a paltry $52K, Berekey $60K, Fremont $76K (in Palo Alto its $80K!). But, no matter how good the salary looks, it's still a quarter of the median home price..

More like 1/7 of the $478,000 median price in Oakland. Makes Chicago look really good. Chicago is in my top five list of cities to move to.

Oakland Home Prices : Median Mapping | Live/Love Oakland

[las des una]

(Sorry, that post was pretty long)

I do LOVE Chicago. It's a beautiful city with the lake front and dining and all sorts of family friendly activities. Except winter.

Ugh. So bad. Nobody should be cooped up for months upon months, especially with a toddler. Really? Minus 30 degrees? I don't want to live the rest of our lives that way.

[las des una]

Also, capoeira, understand I know zilch about traffic or commuting. It was just a fleeting thought.

[r.humboldt]

Originally Posted by las des una

... I have a bunch of artist/musician friends who have moved to Oakland, and I figured, if they can do it...

This is the most important thing I saw in your post -- your friends. Even with their help, you're likely facing a year (or two) of ups and downs, like any new area. That is, you might get ripped-off some on your first rental contract or find this or that annoying about your commute, etc. As others have noted, you're not going to buy a Bay Area home on $70K salary, and you seem reconciled to renting, which sounds reasonable. Not sure, but I'd guess the district and school are likely more important to your success than housing. Unless the friends you mentioned also work there, I mean.

[las des una]

No, I don't have any friends that work for Oakland Unified.

Are there any teachers who can comment about your living situation (rent v own, single v dusk income, family size), neighborhood, commuting, and working for OUSD?

I just finished a phone interview and feel pretty good about it. They said they would reinstate my application in January 2015 when they start recruiting for the upcoming school year. I figure that would give us plenty of time to do some research.

[Ruth4Truth]

You can find 2-br. rentals for around $1600 in El Cerrito, Albany, and Fremont. All of those are on BART lines for commuting to SF, or anywhere in the East Bay. Check Craigslist to see about rentals in Pacifica (cheaper rent) for an easier commute to SF or Palo Alto. Also, Marin County has great schools, and the little town of Mill Valley (picturesque as all get-out, on the Bay, with ocean nearby) has subsidized housing for teachers and other public servants. You have to live there for 2 years, first, to qualify for the housing.

No, you probably couldn't save up enough to buy in the general area, unless you maybe tried Concord, which is a little more affordable, and on a BART line. Or if the two of you worked summer jobs for extra cash. The farther away from the Bay you go (the farther inland), the more affordable it gets. Still, "more affordable" is a VERY relative term in the region.

Good luck! I say--go for your dream!

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

As far as renting, Alameda isn't bad price-wise and would be really convenient to Oakland. It's safe and quaint, really nice town. To buy, if you want a SFH, look at Concord (safe, blue collar town right next to Walnut Creek, but way cheaper without the snootiness factor).

[neutrino78x]

Originally Posted by las des una

In June, I responded to San Francisco's nationwide search for teachers, but when I found out how much a house costs, I didn't even complete the application (same with Palo Alto).

Must it be a house? Why not a condo in a building which contains other condos above, below and to the sides?

Or maybe even just a room for yourself and your significant other in someone's apartment?

Density is the future, man.