Vacaville, Napa or Benicia? (Sacramento, Vallejo: real estate, foreclosed, renting) - San Francisco - Oakland - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

koor · 05-03-2015, 03:41 PM

Sorry I know this has been asked before but a lot of the post are old. So I'm moving back to Cali from the NW, I'm over the weather here. I have 500K budgeted for a house. It'll be me the wife and our 18 yr old son. I really wanted to go to Napa, seems to be a lot greener than the other areas, not just the brown rolling hills. Unfortunately 500K does not get much, the wife wants a pool. So I'm considering Vacaville because I can get more bang for my buck. I thought Napa, Benicia, and lastly Vacaville. I'm looking at places in Vacaville off of N. Orchard Ave and Fruitvale Rd. Can anyone out there give me some insight on that area of town. Also I'm worried that if I buy in Vacaville that I might have a hard time selling down the road, unlike Napa.

justmeinca · 05-03-2015, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koor

Sorry I know this has been asked before but a lot of the post are old. So I'm moving back to Cali from the NW, I'm over the weather here. I have 500K budgeted for a house. It'll be me the wife and our 18 yr old son. I really wanted to go to Napa, seems to be a lot greener than the other areas, not just the brown rolling hills. Unfortunately 500K does not get much, the wife wants a pool. So I'm considering Vacaville because I can get more bang for my buck. I thought Napa, Benicia, and lastly Vacaville. I'm looking at places in Vacaville off of N. Orchard Ave and Fruitvale Rd. Can anyone out there give me some insight on that area of town. Also I'm worried that if I buy in Vacaville that I might have a hard time selling down the road, unlike Napa.

Re: 500K budget AND "the wife wants a pool"

These are your requirements. You don't have much choice.

Crime Rate:

Vacaville:
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Benicia:

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Ruth4Truth · 05-03-2015, 05:12 PM

Very few places in Benicia have pools. Have you checked real estate listings there? I'd suggest getting a place with no pool, but with enough yard space for a pool (make sure there are no utility lines going through the back yard), and set yourself a goal of saving for a pool over time. Alternatively, your wife could get a job and help you save for a pool, if it's that important to her.

Where will you be working? You can look at Fairfax, over in Marin. With luck, you may be able to get a place with a pool over there, though I think you'll be looking at around $600+ for that, but you never know. You may be able to pick up a foreclosed property.

clongirl · 05-03-2015, 05:35 PM

Is there job involved in this picture? This would make a difference! Also, will your teen be going to college or have any say so in the matter?

These are all quite nice towns, depending...I'll just give a little description of what you've mentioned from my knowledge.

Napa is quaint--geared for tourism in the downtown area and has some boutique shops,good choice in restaurants, etc. It's is not really green anymore however---we're in a SERIOUS drought in our state! Everywhere is brown/yellow and dried out. It'll get greener in wintertime if there's any bit of rain though (but that's true of all the places you mentioned).

Benicia--also nice- very small, not really pool country though--right on the water, so not really confident that it gets super hot there..but if you prefer cooler temps, then better for that.

Vacaville--nice, safe, family friendly kind of city..plenty of pools..lots of housing estates..more suburban sort of place, but I'm confident the the area you're looking is good seeing as it's on west side of town (I actually have some relatives living out that way, but I don't know the exact specifics of the location you mentioned, other than passing nearby). It does get quite hot and dry in the summer!

koor · 05-03-2015, 05:51 PM

The pool is not a deal breaker by now means. It's just what she wants, we have talked about getting something with enough space that we could get one installed later. I will be transferring jobs, the shop is in Benicia. The wife is a RN and who knows where she'll end up, I think she will try and get a job at the jail. My son is going to attend Community college and get his pre req's before deciding on a University. I guess my biggest concern with Vacaville is that if and when I go to sell that I might have a hard time unloading it. I personally like Benicia just because I feel it's centrally located but I know it's next to Vallejo. Just looking for advice on what 3 would be the best choice, I hate the idea of renting especially with prices on the rise.

koor · 05-03-2015, 05:55 PM

I also thought about Dixon

clongirl · 05-03-2015, 06:43 PM

If your job is in Benicia, then by all means look into Benicia as a first choice (doesn't really matter that it's next to Vallejo ((if you're concerned about bad areas/crime)). There are plenty of hospitals in the region for your wife to investigate. It's a good middle ground for commuting if need be.

There are few community colleges in the region but of course, one needs to be a resident of the county to attend. Solano College and perhaps Contra Costa (I'm not familiar) would be the ones your child would be eligible for in Vacaville or Benicia. Napa would be the one for Napa County.

Dixon--still, very much farmland---probably growing and expanding but generally, very rural and "in the boonies" if that's okay with you/wife!

Sounds like Benicia would be the best bet for what you've mentioned (no pools, however). You couldn't really go wrong there, imo.

Honestly, housing prices right now are absolutely ridiculous so I wouldn't even think of buying at this time!! Don't panic yourself over owning place outright yet---it's not worth it EVER to buy if it's a major stretch to your budget and if you're still new to some of the towns. Rent...see if whatever city you decide on is "the one", then if you absolutely know you're gonna stay because you just love it, then bite the bullet. I tell you this from a lot of experience! Rents are definitely high, but in the places you're looking---still manageable.

2sleepy · 05-03-2015, 06:58 PM

I prefer Benicia and if you are working there, why live somewhere else? the weather is cooler, and I think it's a more desirable place to live, don't worry about it's proximity to Vallejo, it isn't really affected by it, in fact there are some decent places to live in Vallejo, like the newer housing on Mare Island and some areas around Glen Cove, so don't completely dismiss it. Vacaville is hot, and doesn't cool off in the evenings in the summer, it's still relatively safe, but in the past few years the crime rate has gone up, I dislike Dixon more than I do Vacaville, every time I go there it seems to be full of flies and they just land on you and won't leave yuck. Napa is ok but 500k won't buy you much there.

Ruth4Truth · 05-03-2015, 07:08 PM

There's a public pool in Benicia. There's also a boat slip in town, so you can go boating on the river or on the Bay.

You can also look for a house on the hill facing the Sac'to river, or at the foot of the hill. Some of those properties have backyards that slope up the hill, with a wonderful view of the Sacramento River and nice breezes on the warm days. I'd prefer that to a pool, anyday! (Also remember that CA is in a severe drought right now.) It's very peaceful anywhere, where you can get that view and those breezes, and arrange a little landscaping, so the breeze will have some leaves to rustle through.

Ruth4Truth · 05-03-2015, 08:15 PM

OP, looking at the real estate listings in Benicia, it looks like some developers have built a number of "McMansions". this isn't, or wasn't until about 15 years ago, typical of Benicia at all. There are homes in your price range. You just have to wait for them to open up. Here's one:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...16-00051?row=9