Any affordable houses near Silicone Valley? (Fremont, Hayward: foreclosures, rent, condo)

[Grailmaiden]

Are there any affordable places to live anywhere near the Silicone Valley? My husband can get a job in this area but we are unsure if we could afford to buy a house.

We are looking for a family friendly suburb within driving distance with houses hopefully under 400 thousand. The greener the better too. Any suggestions?

[clongirl]

Under 400 thousand?! Looks like you might want to move to another state? LOL! Don't wanna burst your bubble, but houses anywhere near Silicon Valley are around 1million at least unless you want to purchase a 1bd cottage in a dangerous, high crime area with a view of the freeway! And sadly, 400k might not even get you that! The family friendly, more affordable (if you can use that word here) areas are not going be anywhere nearby. Maybe, as many people have recommended, Fremont or Hayward? Or farther out like Morgan Hill? There's a brilliantly funny website called SF Bay Area Home Price and Mortgage Insanity Blog - Burbed.com that will make you laugh at the cost of housing in the Silicon Valley area! Check it out so you can see what I mean about the cost.

[Grailmaiden]

Well I currently live in Ventura County in Southern California. The average cost of a home in my neighborhood is 1million (we rent needless to say). We feel like we are never going to be able to afford anything here is we stay. We are looking in other states, but my husband's job limits him to only a very few places. I knew it was going to be a long shot, but I had to ask

[muimi07]

Under $400k?! Sorry. A starter home (ie. POS 2BR/1.5BA cottage) in the Silicon Valley is easily $499k and those are easily crap neighborhoods. A run-down starter home in Sunnyvale will nab around $600k still, if not more.

Your best bet is to look out of state. That's what we've had to do as well. I can find (well paying) work in the Silicon Valley no problem; owning a house, even with $100K+ to put down is impossible.

[krudmonk]

You can get a decent 1br/1ba condo for that.

[sc101]

If you do find anything with $400K let me know so I can recommend nearby house to my friends too. The townhouse in my neighhood costs about $800 to $850K and up. Condo probably around $550 to 650K depending on size, and the value has been really dropping last two years.

[Bob The Builder]

Originally Posted by Grailmaiden

Are there any affordable places to live anywhere near the Silicone Valley? My husband can get a job in this area but we are unsure if we could afford to buy a house.

We are looking for a family friendly suburb within driving distance with houses hopefully under 400 thousand. The greener the better too. Any suggestions?

Look here and offer half of what they are asking
CA Search Parameters - Foreclosures Free Email

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Grailmaiden

Are there any affordable places to live anywhere near the Silicone Valley? My husband can get a job in this area but we are unsure if we could afford to buy a house.

We are looking for a family friendly suburb within driving distance with houses hopefully under 400 thousand. The greener the better too. Any suggestions?

400K??? Forget it. That puts you 1.5 hours away (one way).

By the way it's Silicon Valley (no "e" at the end).

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

400K??? Forget it. That puts you 1.5 hours away (one way).

By the way it's Silicon Valley (no "e" at the end).

It will get you a house.. but it puts you in a boarded-up junker at the major bridge interchange at Willow & 101 in the part of Menlo Park with horrible schools (1154 Carlton Ave).. or in a blown-out fixer upper in Alviso that smells like the dump 365 days a year (1286 Michigan Ave, listed as SJ but it's Alviso), or in a very tiny house in the Hayward hills with a horrible commute to anywhere (1178 Roxanne Ave).

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

It will get you a house.. but it puts you in a boarded-up junker at the major bridge interchange at Willow & 101 in the part of Menlo Park with horrible schools (1154 Carlton Ave).. or in a blown-out fixer upper in Alviso that smells like the dump 365 days a year (1286 Michigan Ave, listed as SJ but it's Alviso), or in a very tiny house in the Hayward hills with a horrible commute to anywhere (1178 Roxanne Ave).

I have a feeling this poster doesn't want to consider any of the options you presented for 400K...so I think my statement was close enough to the truth, don't you?