Is S.F. Really Worth The Cost? C'mon -- Really? (San Francisco: renter, mortgage)

[BearBranch]

Not worth the cost.

[tolak]

I've lived in SF for over 10 years, still rent. I was close to buying early in the decade but the dotcom collapse derailed my plans and it wasn't until just recently that I've felt ready to take another stab at it.

Paradoxically, as I'm saving for a down payment, I cut out most nightlife, friends and other expensive activities. I use only a few amenities of the city and have been questioning the wisdom of living here. When I buy, I will have to largely continue living within the same constraints, if I'm serious about raising a family and retiring someday.

I am mostly a captive of the high-tech job market here but have made changes in my career to diversify my specialties in this field. I also depend on the moderate weather, but every time I visit other places I truly appreciate the sun and bare skin, you don't get that in SF. I do enjoy the outdoors in the bay area.

On the question of beauty, in my eyes SF seems dilapidated and filthy. Those charming Victorians can be really unpleasant to live in with their creaky electrical wiring and lack of insulation. Buses are unreliably and stink with homeless people. The neighborhoods that are beautiful are for the wealthy. Everyone else is huddling in decrepit areas and telling themselves it's fine.

I have friends who own, all relying on help from parents and exotic financing. They are not making headway and have no idea how to raise a family with those costs.

I am truly baffled by the prices here. I'll have to wait and see how much of it was just a bubble and how much is here to stay. Until then, I'm saving and expect to come to a decision within a year or two. I am also closely following migration trends. 30 years is a long time to be committed to a place heading downhill.

[BearBranch]

Your right about those Victorians. I used to live in a victorian built in 1870 off of Valencia. No heating to speak of. HORRIBLE electricity. Filthy street, with homeless who would sleep under the stairwell. Across the street from an English language school, so marking could be difficult. Dark and Dank. On the pro side, close to Bart, great architectural detailing. Small shared common back yard. Fun to do in my 20's.

[BearBranch]

I purchased a 3100 sf custom Tudor for $180,000 in Houston (Kingwood) on a large lot, surrounded by a 200 acre nature preserve and less than a mile to 4 star French dining, 3 great grocery stores, Starbucks, Mexican, Sushi, and a park n ride to downtown Houston.

[BearBranch]

Also, I am an tech Executive Search Consultant and the market here in Houston is great. Check out the Dice listings

[rah]

Originally Posted by Milliano

Murder is just one aspect of crime, and murders tend to be related to gangs, the drug trade, and disputes amongst people who know each other. It hardly applies to most of the city's population, and certainly not to a person who is moving there -- unless they're involved in gangs, drugs, or violent people -- and those types of people will experience violent crime regardless of where they're living. Despite the increase in murders, the rate still isn't very abnormal.

Violent crime in general has been stable, and is not much different from the national average. Compared to other large US cities... SF seems quite safe if anything. Keep in mind that cities such as NYC have incentive to and are known to falsify their crime statistics... unlike NYC, SF's murder rate (something harder to falsify than assault or rape) is similar to the violent crime rate. Crimes are more likely to be reported in SF as well because of the population density and location of poverty near downtown.

There were 2639 aggravated assaults in SF in all of 2005. In the 90-day period between May 5th, and August 2nd, 2007, there were 1715. So, if the assault rate were to stay relatively similar to that for the rest of this year, there could be around 7000 assaults by the end of the year (quite an increse wouldn't you say?). There were also 894 robberies in that 90-day period. If the rate were to stay the same, that would give a total of around 3600 robberies for the year. In 2005, there were 3078 robberies for the whole year, so that would be another increase (though a much smaller one when compared to the assault rate). And did you miss the part where shooting victims accepted at SFGH rose from 81 in 2001 to 228 in 2006? Not all shooting victims are criminals. There are innocent bystanders, and robbery victims are being shot more and more these days, whether they give up their belongings or not.


Also, violent crime in 2005 was up 19% from 2004. Violent crime is up...the facts prove it.

[krudmonk]

You can get much of the same lifestyle around the Bay Area, so no.

[BearBranch]

In my experience, the Bay Area is NOT sustainable. To expensive.

[BearBranch]

The entire Bay Area is too expensive to be sustainable

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by BearBranch

I purchased a 3100 sf custom Tudor for $180,000 in Houston (Kingwood) on a large lot, surrounded by a 200 acre nature preserve and less than a mile to 4 star French dining, 3 great grocery stores, Starbucks, Mexican, Sushi, and a park n ride to downtown Houston.

Yeah, but that Texas heat would KILL me! Not to mention, my family lives here in the Bay Area, and being so close to them is priceless IMO... so to reiterate (again), we all have a different perception of "worth", right?