Considering moving to Windsor/Santa Rosa area. Help! (Sacramento, Oakland: rent, house)

[Stacy From Cali]

The fact that parents would pull their kids out of a public school because of a high population of ESL kids makes me sad. I'm a high school teacher...and I don't see the issue here. Schools are usually tracked anyway, and ESL kids are put into separate classes to meet their language needs (not that I agree with this honestly...but that's another issue).

But then I think judging a school by high test scores is bunkus too...what do I know?

[bellalunatic]

Originally Posted by kiwilover70

Petaluma is even more expensive (housing prices wise) than Sonoma County.At one point I know it was one of the most expensive places to live in the US. It really is a great family town but does not have family friendly prices!

Yes, to be sure, this poster knows California so well... I mean, HELLO!!! Petaluma is IN Sonoma County. There are also many much more expensive counties in the SF Bay Area...



Oh, but wait, let me tell you all about Montgomery NY for instance, I'm sure it's full of super-geniuses living in igloos.

[redwoodlvr]

Originally Posted by Stacy From Cali

Sorry but you are on crackrock. First of all Petaluma is in Sonoma County, so can't be more expensive than Sonoma County. Its prices are about the same as the surrounding communities (Sonoma, Napa, Novato). I wonder if you are thinking of Marin County when you say "its one of the most expensive places to live in the US"?

Petaluma is a really cool town composed primarily of families. Its probably a bit more expensive to buy in Petaluma than in Santa Rosa, but then it depends on neighborhood and such. Your best bet is to go online and start looking at places. Westside Petaluma costs more than Eastside because it has more historical neighborhoods. You can start to get a sense of this by looking at listings. Try Petaluma Real Estate, Sonoma County Homes for Sale California CA MLS for a start (not my fave realestate place in town but they have the best website).

I usually mind my own business, but Stacy that was kind of harsh with the crack comment. lol. I agree after I read the post, I was thinking as well that Petaluma is probably not on the same scale as far as real estate costs are concerned in SF and Marin County for example. But what do I know? Things might have changed. You could say the same thing about Sacramento County a few years ago, but rents and housing costs have been rising to put them pretty close to the Bay Area now.

[Macrina]

Originally Posted by swedishmommy

Thanks for the input. Does anyone out there know anything about Petaluma? I've had a real estate agent push me towards Petaluma, and another steered us away. Any particular reasoning for either suggestion? Any info is appreciated!

I lived in Sonoma County for 23 years ~ moved away 10 years ago, so bear that in mind. But what I last knew of Petaluma, it had many really nice areas and is a great place to live.

Sebastopol is a much smaller town, but has lovely areas and I would look there before going up to Windsor or anywhere north of Santa Rosa.

Down in Marin County, Novato has some nice areas too, but I think is more expensive than almost anywhere in Sonoma County, except for right on the coast.

Hope this helps

[kiwilover70]

Ok ,so I had lived for the past 15 years in Sacramento then moved to NY in November,So I spaced the Border of Sonoma County... I was born and raised in Santa Rosa for 30 years,mom still lives there ...What I meant was the Whole Santa Rosa area( Rohnert Park,Windsor,Sonoma) VS Petaluma area , leading into Novato was always traditionally cheaper. Petaluma was always more expensive due to being closer in proximity to SF and the coast . And the crack about Montgomery New York...it makes Noooooo sense.

[NightTerrors]

Originally Posted by torma

If you move to Santa Rosa, I would not put my kids in a public school here. Lots has changed in the years we have been here. There is a large contingency of English as a second language in the schools. Most people I know have taken their kids out of the schools and put them in private ones, even though these are not affluent families. Graffiti is a growing problem here. If I were moving to this area today, Santa Rosa, much as I love the Sonoma County area, would not be my choice. And I doubt if you are going to find a rental home for the amt. you indicate, even with the housing market as it is.

Okay, we have a growing number of ESL students in Santa Rosa and many people are complaining. BUT, the private schools are not the best alternative. They can be very expensive and I have known several families who were very disappointed and went back to public schools. Plus, it is good for children to be exposed to kids from another culture.

Secondly, please don't rule out Santa Rosa because of graffiti. San Francisco has a much bigger graffiti problem.... I really don't think I've ever thought, "sheesh, we sure have a graffiti problem." So I am not sure what all that is about...

You are looking to BUY a home in the $675 range, correct? Not rent? You should do fine. In Santa Rosa or Petaluma.

I worked as a nanny for a family in Petaluma. They live in a historic home in the neighborhood where all the streets are letters of the alphabet They lived across from a large park and the neighborhood was very safe. That is where I would want to live in Petaluma. It is VERY family friendly and would significantly shorten the commute.

I would rule out anything north of Santa Rosa like Windsor. I LOVE Windsor. They have a great Thursday night farmers market on the town green with alternating live music and big screen outdoor movies. Windsor has a real feeling of a community that is very different from SR. So, you should visit. But I wouldn't live there when you have to commute to Oakland. It seems like that would take at least 2 hours of complete traffic hell

[swedishmommy]

Thanks! I appreciate all the replies. Is there any area in Petaluma to particularly avoid? I've been looking at greatschools.net and it seems like a lot of the schools are really good, and other have quite poor ratings. I'm sure it must be the district they are in. And if you know of any GREAT realtors in the area, I wouldn't mind to know their names. Thanks!

[swedishmommy]

And yes, we're looking to BUY for about $675. I've been looking at realtor.com, and there IS NOT MUCH AT ALL in that price range. Like, 3 houses. Maybe realtor.com doesn't have everything listed, though. Anyway, we're still looking. Sad to leave Nashville, but maybe there is something grand about Cali anyway.

[bellalunatic]

Local realtor recommendation:

Shannon Cresci at Coldwell Banker.(Born and raised in Petaluma, has kids in elementary schools so she is totally up to date on all of them). She's fantastic, she works really hard for her clients.
Shannon@coldwellbanker.com

local Petaluma Real Estate sites to try:
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - California Real Estate and Homes for Sale - CaliforniaMoves.com
Frank Howard Allen Realtors, Love where you live, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, and San Francisco Real Estat
CPS Golden Land - Home - Real Estate, Petalumaa, Wine Country, Penngrove, Sebastopol, Westside
Westgate Real Estate - Home Page
Petaluma Real Estate, Sonoma County Homes for Sale California CA MLS

[NightTerrors]

I am really surprised that homes are still that expensive in Petaluma. I know several people who have bought foreclosures in Santa Rosa for $250 or less.

My realtor is Suzan Rosenthal. She is really personable, friendly and trustworthy. Here is her page on coldwellbanker.com

Sales Associate details

Office Phone: (707)823-8567
Email: cksix1@juno.com

I would highly suggest her. I am sure that she could find you more than 3 options. I just ran a search at Coldwell Banker Real Estate and found 10 pages worth of houses for less than $700. I am sure you can find your dream house in Petaluma that is also in your price range