Want to relocate to San Jose (San Francisco, Fremont: renting, how much, townhomes)

[techieguy]

Hello,
I'm currently living in NJ. My work is in IT software developement. I am planning on relocating to warmer weather . I have two kids who are not yet in pre-school. Please provide your recommendations/suggestions

- Which areas in and around San Jose should I target for IT work ?
- Which areas in and around San Jose should I target to buy home ? (given that I'll get a job in San Jose )
- What is ballpark number for cost of townhome and singlefamily home in San Jose area ?
- How much are the property taxes like in San Jose ?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[gone down south]

Find the job first, then worry about the details.
Tech isn't just clustered in San Jose, it stretches 60+ miles north through Silicon Valley and into SF. Unless there's a personal reason you're focusing on San Jose, you don't want to end up living hours away from your job.

[sonarrat]

Gone down south is completely correct.. you could work in IT anywhere between San Jose and San Francisco, Fremont, Scotts Valley, Livermore, Fairfield, etc. etc. And high tech is so dynamic that it's rare for anyone to stay in the same place for long. My dad bought in Morgan Hill when his job was at Oracle in San Jose. Now it's at HQ in Redwood City, and he still commutes from his big house in the foothills. So if you can stomach it, renting is not a bad idea so you can move around as needed.

If you want to look at somewhere central that's not too far from most places you could be working, and you're after top schools for your kids, I'd recommend Sunnyvale in the 94087 ZIP code. This area has a strong family emphasis, and it's right in the middle of more high-tech jobs than you'll ever need.

Property taxes are controlled by Prop 13, look it up.

[wrcousert]

Aren't most of the better employers located near transit? If it were me, I'd want to be somewhere in the middle, near either a Cal Train or a BART station.

[AllenSJC]

Originally Posted by techieguy

Hello,
- What is ballpark number for cost of townhome and singlefamily home in San Jose area ?

I don't know about townhomes, but singe family homes are really expensive here, routinely in the range of $700,000-$800,000. Of course, some not nice neighborhoods in San Jose are cheaper, and some really nice areas like Los Gatos or Saratoga or parts of South San Jose are over $1 million for many homes.

[Nell Plotts]

Originally Posted by AllenSJC

... and some really nice areas like Los Gatos or Saratoga or parts of South San Jose are over $1 million for many homes.

For a starter home.