Large Family moving to SF - is it feasible? (Concord: rental, homes)

[gemanda]

My spouse has been approached at work about a potential move to SF, and I'm trying to figure out if this is at all feasible. Hoping from some help from the collective after doing a lot of research on here and other places.

About Us

• Spouse will be working downtown (near Civic Center BART).
• I will be working from home. Travel maybe once a month, so ability to get to an airport within an hour or two is good.
• 6 kids, several of whom have special needs
• We're coming from the East Coast, so we're used to a big city and its suburbs vibe.

Housing Needs

• Minimum 5 BR. Would really prefer 6, but 5 is bare minimum. And yes, that's with kids sharing rooms as genders/ages allow.
• Good school district that has reasonable special ed services. We'll have kids from elementary through high school, so it's the whole spectrum of need there. Don't expect the moon & stars from school, but a quality education for all learners is important.
• Decent commute for spouse. Current commute is 15 min drive to train, 1.5hrs on train, and 20 min walk to office. Would like to cut that down to an hour or so total, but commuting and/or public transport is our norm.
• We're a multicultural family, so we don't want to be in a super non-diverse area. If our children are one of only a few people of color in their classroom, that won't work.
• Access to good medical services (within an hour or so is our norm).
• Renting to start, obviously. Would like to stay $6500 or less...could stretch to $7500, but that would be stretching.

Based on everything I'm seeing, it seems like maybe Walnut Creek could be a fit? Are there other options that I need to explore?

[HappyinCali]

Walnut Creek might be expensive for that.

Dublin, Pleasanton, Concord might be good places to start.

It is a bit sketch in certain areas and schools are not great but Pittsburgh will definitely fit the housing need.

From all of those places, your husband’s commute will be much shorter than what he currently does because he can BART directly

[Ruth4Truth]

5-br. places don't come up much. But here's something in Walnut Creek.
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa...584401473.html

Here's one in Orinda (a little closer to the Bay than Walnut Creek. Superb schools!).
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa...579390066.html

So they do exist in your price range. What you'll have to do, is start watching the listings, once you know when your move date is. You'll have to get lucky, but with luck, it should be doable. Also consider contacting property management companies in the area.

[BurnInTheMil]

Brentwood is a very nice, safe, family friendly area, but the commute time would still be rather long. You’d have to drive to Antioch/Pittsburg BART, then the BART ride, then walk from BART to work. But it’s affordable for your budget, and is a great area.

Pleasant Hill is a great area as well, next door to Walnut Creek and a little cheaper.

[HappyinCali]

Originally Posted by BurnInTheMil

Brentwood is a very nice, safe, family friendly area, but the commute time would still be rather long. You’d have to drive to Antioch/Pittsburg BART, then the BART ride, then walk from BART to work. But it’s affordable for your budget, and is a great area.

Pleasant Hill is a great area as well, next door to Walnut Creek and a little cheaper.

Brentwood is a good call

[HappyinCali]

Also, OP look into Petaluma and Novato. The commute will be long, but it does seem like your husband is used to that.

Here is a really nice 4 bedroom in Petaluma to get a sense of what is available. I don't know Petaluma very well, but one side is much better than the other. I forget which one. Maybe somebody else can chime in

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Petaluma/1...4/home/2529639

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by gemanda

• Minimum 5 BR. Would really prefer 6, but 5 is bare minimum. And yes, that's with kids sharing rooms as genders/ages allow.
  
• Renting to start, obviously. Would like to stay $6500 or less...could stretch to $7500, but that would be stretching.

Based on everything I'm seeing, it seems like maybe Walnut Creek could be a fit? Are there other options that I need to explore?

Walnut Creek would be a good choice if you can find a suitable rental. There are very few 5 bedroom homes in California. Even if you do find a 5 bedroom home it still could be just moderate sized.

Fortunately your budget is adequate. Here is a Craigslist search with the filters set for cities with possibly acceptable school systems and not too bad of a commute.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/...date=all+dates

This one in Pleasanton looks like a potential choice.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa...578906577.html

Sometimes much larger homes will only have four bedrooms like this example. Wanting 5 bedrooms limits your housing choices.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa...584740111.html

Avoid places like Pittburg with bad schools. I would also avoid Brentwood. It might be an ideal place if one works close to there but the commute to Civic Center would be very long.

[likealady]

Originally Posted by HappyinCali

Also, OP look into Petaluma and Novato. The commute will be long, but it does seem like your husband is used to that.

Here is a really nice 4 bedroom in Petaluma to get a sense of what is available. I don't know Petaluma very well, but one side is much better than the other. I forget which one.

Petaluma is way too far for someone needing to commute to Civic Center 5 days a week.

[Ruth4Truth]

OP, just a thought; when doing a search for housing, look at 4-br. homes, as well. A 4-br. with a daylight basement "bonus" room or "family" room could work as an extra bedroom. Or "4 br + office" could also work. What does "office" mean? It's a room with no closet, so they can't advertise it as a bedroom. Look for homes with an unconventional space, like that. And as a 4-br., they'll rent more cheaply than a 5-br., most likely. Sometimes there's a garage that's been converted to a music studio or office space or guest suite. That, too, can work.This should open up more rental properties, for you, in WC, Orinda, Lafayette, Pleasant Hill, so you won't have to go farther out.

You could also look in Castro Valley, which is on the BART line. The schools there are pretty good, I've heard, though not as good as those in Walnut Creek, Orinda, Lafayette. Rents in CV can be a little cheaper.https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa...580220289.html

[jade408]

5 bedroom homes basically do not exist in the Bay Area places with convenient commutes to Civic Center.