What's up with Stockton CA? (Fresno, Sacramento: for sale, foreclosures, rentals)

[DogLady321]

Okay I just heard on NPR today that Stockton CA has THE HIGHEST foreclosure rate in the US!

Why? What's going on there?

Is it a nice place to live? Would you buy there since you can find a house pretty inexpensively there?

How would the commute be from there to San Leandro or Berkeley?

[gizmo980]

I lived there for 3 years while attending college (Univ. of the Pacific), and there's a reason people are leaving... trust me, you don't want to live there, especially if you'd be commuting to the Bay Area! There are some good things about Stockton, but imo there are MANY more negatives - super hot weather, high crime, racial division, no scenery, lack of entertainment & culture, etc. Don't bother unless you'd actually be working in the Stockton area.

P.S. In case you're still considering it, the commute would be a good 2-3 hours to San Leandro during rush hour.

[sheri257]

Stockton does have a very high crime rate ... basically double the national average.

So, that's probably a reason why.

[citybythebay]

Originally Posted by DogLady321

Okay I just heard on NPR today that Stockton CA has THE HIGHEST foreclosure rate in the US!

Why? What's going on there?

Is it a nice place to live? Would you buy there since you can find a house pretty inexpensively there?

How would the commute be from there to San Leandro or Berkeley?

Keep in mind, out of the top ten, six of those highest foreclosure cities are in the state of California.

Stockton is at the top because most if not all of these foreclosures were investment properties turned into rentals.
Think back about ten+ years ago...Stockton property was not as overly priced as it was say two years ago...well, that pretty much goes for the entire state...but anyway, people took advantage of that and bought up several properties at a time thinking in the long run they would be winning.
Not forseeing the current foreclosure crisis this entire country is currently in.

Flipping houses was HUGE. And bank loans were VERY easy to obtain.
Sadly, some people are now in over their heads.

I heard there was currently something like 120 houses for sale in a half mile radius in one of the higher concentrated foreclosure sections of Stockton.

[Ultrarunner]

Stockton simply does not have enough high paying jobs to keep people. Two Nurse friends of mine bought very nice new homes in Stockton over the last 2 years with very little money down... They truly love their homes... but hate just about everything else!

They absolutely hate commuting to the Bay Area. In the winter, the Tule Fog can be so thick that you can't see 50 feet in front of you and many people who never had allergies start having problems the farther they move away from the Ocean. Also, don't forget to factor the time and expense of the added commute. Combine that with higher than average crime, lower than average schools... and you get the picture.

Unfortunately, both are now stuck... with so many homes for sale, they have no chance of being able to sell... they only have two choices... stay put or walk-away... and many are choosing to walk...

[Alexus]

I took the LSAT there once at Humphreys College. Seemed like a peaceful, quiet community surrounding the school and some area seemed pretty nice. But in other parts I ventured to, it was obvious that the town is dealing with a large number of undesirable, poor, uneducated people. I was glad to get back to the bay area.

[CalBerkeley2002]

Originally Posted by DogLady321

Okay I just heard on NPR today that Stockton CA has THE HIGHEST foreclosure rate in the US!

Why? What's going on there?

Is it a nice place to live? Would you buy there since you can find a house pretty inexpensively there?

How would the commute be from there to San Leandro or Berkeley?

I have lived all over California and in my opinion Stockton is the worst city in the state - i.e. the last place you should go if you have a choice. I rather live in Fresno, Bakersfield, Sacramento, even Riverside than Stockton. As far as commutes to the Bay Area - don't even think about it unless you REALLY love to be in your car 5-6 hours every day.

[Why?]

Originally Posted by CalBerkeley2002

I have lived all over California and in my opinion Stockton is the worst city in the state - i.e. the last place you should go if you have a choice. I rather live in Fresno, Bakersfield, Sacramento, even Riverside than Stockton. As far as commutes to the Bay Area - don't even think about it unless you REALLY love to be in your car 5-6 hours every day.

WOW! THIS IS COMING FROM A GUY WHO PROBABLY SITS AT HOME ALL DAY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT !WHY? HE CANT GET A DATE AND IM 40!haha..dont listen to them!trust me there is a lot of new restaurants, nice ones. many more uh "a nite out" type places.bt dang foo its not that bad!whats wrong with you?scarin me!

[DMenscha]

Stockton gets painted with an old paint brush. They've done some nice things to spruce up the downtown and weber point.

The foreclosure rate is 3% or so of all homes in the city. The crime rate has stabilized in the past two years. It's not Nirvana, but it's not nearly so bad as people describe it.

[Sir Barton]

Stockton is a hell-hole. Only visit here if you like thousands of illegal aliens, undesirable neighborhoods, and no fun.

Seriously, don't bother. It's not worth it.