Hercules vs. other areas that might be a good value (Oakland: for sale, real estate)

[mediamaven808]

My husband and I relocated to the Bay area from Hawaii in Dec. 07 and have been patiently watching and waiting to buy as real estate prices in the Bay area have dropped significantly since we arrived. We're currently renting in Oakland hills and ready to buy. We have a great realtor and lender and have seen prices in many areas fall 150K since we arrived.

For our commute -- I work in SF and my husband works in downtown Oakland. Our combined income is around 160k, and we don't want to spend more than 500k on a home.


We don't have kids yet, but plan to in a few years so we want an area with decent schools and we need lots of space. Looking for 3-4 bedrooms/2.5 bathrooms with lots of square feet on a large lot.

In Hercules we've found nice homes off Refugio Valley Road for less than 500K with the size we're looking for. How is the commute? I've heard about the plans for new waterfront development/ferry service, but there's no BART to SF. Can anyone who has experienced the commute comment? Also, do you feel the area is a good value? I've heard mixed reviews but it seems like a beautiful area with lots of growth potential.

I've seen lots of listings in Pittsburg that fit our size desires, but from what I've read here Pittsburg may not be the area we want to be in. Although its further from SF/Oakland, the BART train is a direct trip. Are there any nice developments in Pittsburg we should consider?

Other suggestions for areas that might also be a good value?

Thank you!!!

[sonarrat]

WestCAT runs an express bus from Hercules to El Cerrito del Norte BART, I was using it frequently at one point and it's a really, really good service that is reasonably priced. Alternately you could park and take an AC Transit Transbay bus to the SF Transbay Terminal at Mission & First.

[nooneknowsmyname]

Originally Posted by mediamaven808

My husband and I relocated to the Bay area from Hawaii in Dec. 07 and have been patiently watching and waiting to buy as real estate prices in the Bay area have dropped significantly since we arrived. We're currently renting in Oakland hills and ready to buy. We have a great realtor and lender and have seen prices in many areas fall 150K since we arrived.

For our commute -- I work in SF and my husband works in downtown Oakland. Our combined income is around 160k, and we don't want to spend more than 500k on a home.


We don't have kids yet, but plan to in a few years so we want an area with decent schools and we need lots of space. Looking for 3-4 bedrooms/2.5 bathrooms with lots of square feet on a large lot.

In Hercules we've found nice homes off Refugio Valley Road for less than 500K with the size we're looking for. How is the commute? I've heard about the plans for new waterfront development/ferry service, but there's no BART to SF. Can anyone who has experienced the commute comment? Also, do you feel the area is a good value? I've heard mixed reviews but it seems like a beautiful area with lots of growth potential.

I've seen lots of listings in Pittsburg that fit our size desires, but from what I've read here Pittsburg may not be the area we want to be in. Although its further from SF/Oakland, the BART train is a direct trip. Are there any nice developments in Pittsburg we should consider?

Other suggestions for areas that might also be a good value?

Thank you!!!

I live in a town very close to Hercules. If you or your spouse are planning to drive into Oakland, then you're in store for a terrible commute. However, WestCat has an express bus that leaves from the Hercules Transit Station and goes non-stop into El Cerrito del Norte and there is another express bus that goes from the Hercules Transit Station directly into SF ( I think it is called the WestCat Lynx). Both of these express buses only run during rush hour, however, not the entire day. The commuter train-the Capitol Route runs through Hercules on its way to Emeryville and Oakland, but doesn't stop although as you note there are plans to have it stop in Hercules as well as plans to have a ferry stop in town (not sure if this is the ferry from Vallejo that travels to SF).

There are a lot of houses for sale in Hercules including a lot of Foreclosures. In fact, there is a realtor in Hercules who specializes in foreclosure and runs some kind of foreclosure tour on a van that takes people around to visit houses in foreclosure. His name and contact information are: Victor Manrique Phone: 510-467-4911 Coldwell Banker Coon&McCreary. So there are bound to be some good deals.

If you like small-town living, Hercules is great. The town just built a new library which is very nice. They have a Farmer's Market on Saturday afternoons that runs from May through October, a town swimming pool and recreation program. And the people who live in the town seem satisfied and there appear to be lots of opportunities to be involved. The town has an elementary school, and a middle and high school on the same location. Although the schools are considered to be the best of those in the West Contra Costa School District, this particular district is seen by many not to be one of the best in the SF Bay Area.

[mediamaven808]

Thanks for the great advice!