Can a family of four live in San Jose on a $65K income? (Fremont: lower-class, foreclose)

[Cabetty]

It would be difficult but not impossible, especially if you stay away from the west side.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by Fata Morgana

That was me. You can see here:

Real Estate Search | Redfin

Prices certainly have risen quite a bit

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by Wry_Martini

I think you might be underestimating how long those commutes will actually take. Hopefully someone who is more familiar with those routes can chime in, though.

Well, at my previous job in Sunnyvale we had a couple people commuting from Pleasanton. A friend of mine was commuting from Oakland. A few other folks commuting daily from San Franisco. These are all farther than the Hayward/Union City area.

Like I said before, those types of commutes aren't ideal, but a lot of people do them.

To the OP I say go for it. It's not going to be a bad move for you.

Originally Posted by wlw2009

So, here is insight for someone who graduated college and was looking for a job in this area.

As an intern, I got offered a job in Palo Alto, CA for $6000 a month, so that would equate to 72,000/year.

After being here in person and doing an apartment search for 3 straight days...I decided to decline the offer. Why?

Because out of that 6000 a month, I would really only be bringing home around 5000 or a little less. Rent for a decent 1 bedroom apartment (within 20 miles, because goooooodddddddd the commute sucks in this area, HORRIBLE!) it was anywhere from 1800-2500$, which would kill half of my salary instantly...

20 miles includes Santa Clara and Sunnyvale, and I know for a fact there are pretty decent 1 and 2 bedroom apartments in both places renting for $1200/month. Everyone has their own personal tastes, but if it were me with my first job at $72k I would have no problem renting one of those. A lot nicer than the little cramped studio with no bathroom or stove that I lived in in the Fort Greene neigbhorhood of Brooklyn many years ago

[Mach50]

Just one more thing that I haven't seen mentioned...the price of daycare in the BayArea. When we lived in Redwood City with our 18 month old, daycare costs ranged from $1700-2300 a month. Those are average places : churches, kindercare, private sitter's etc....not an academy or anything decent.

So when the OP speaks of the wife working, u should consider these daycare costs. Many wives stay at home because it doesn't make sense to work.

[WeakandDizzy]

Originally Posted by mazerunner

Wow, there are so many good posts here. I can't thank you all enough.

About my current finances, I may have misled you guys unintentionally. I currently pay all of my bills with my $52K paycheck. My wife pays for daycare and banks the rest of it. She's saving her money for a house. We have about $40,000 in savings, though most of that comes from my wife's salary. My check is gobbled up by rent payments, utilities, and investing in my son's 529 account and my savings account. There's no money left out of MY check, though if I'm specifically setting aside small amounts of money each month, I guess I AM able to save a little. It would probably be this way in San Jose for the first year as well. But day care costs would be eliminated because my wife would be a stay-at-home mom.

Regarding Silicon Valley, maybe I'm a bit unclear on how this area is geographically defined. If it's defined as the area between San Francisco and San Jose, then I really don't have much of a desire to live there. I'm not expecting to find a house in Palo Alto or Cupertino or something. And I'm not averse to a moderately long commute. I enjoy being in the car, even if it's not moving as fast as I'd like. It is likely that my potential new place of employment will have flex time, which means I might be able to start work later and leave work later, which would really help with the traffic.

The stats on the median incomes of the different counties is helpful. Lots of people provided discouraging views regarding how low my salary was compared to the cost of living here. But there are certainly thousands or maybe millions of families making $65K or less who live in this area. They are obviously finding a way to do it. I don't have any particular attachment to California or the Bay Area. But this is where my job offer is. And if I don't take it, I'll have to search for another job with a somewhat lower salary (because of a lower cost of living adjustment) and less promotion potential. If I do come out to San Jose, I would get the promotion after a year of satisfactory service and then be eligible for yet another promotion (though not necessarily at San Jose) a year after that. There is zero potential for advancement in my current situation.

I've found a few property listings for under $270K or so. Most of these properties seem to be in places like Hayward, Union City, Fremont, Mission Hill and Newark. Those places seem to be 20-30 miles away from San Jose. With traffic, I'd estimate travel time to be 45 minutes to 75 minutes each way. I can get approved for a mortgage of this value. Renting is out of the question.

Also, I am not looking to join a private company. I am not into information technology or programming or the other Silicon Valley stuff. I am a fed on the East Coast looking to become a fed on the West Coast. Federal salaries are set by law. I can say that my salary would start at a little more than $65K for the first year. With one promotion after 12 months, that becomes $80K. After another year, it becomes $84K and I'm eligible to apply for a new federal job at an even higher level with an even better salary.

I'm leaning about 70% towards making the move. I do appreciate the concern you have expressed regarding my family, commuting, renting, etc. I am not well established enough in my career yet to have a more comfortable life. But I can make about $65K in the Bay Area and $80K after a year, or I could stay put and find another federal job that pays about $58K in a less expensive area with no promotion potential and the necessity to move after a year. But of course, anyone who is familiar with the federal government knows how hard it is to get hired even when you're already in the system.

Well,
You have had lots of opinions on the potential move. It sounds like you have sorted through the issues and still have that nagging feeling.... I say just go for it. You're young, you would hate to reach retirement age and say to your wife.... " I wonder how things would have worked out if we had moved to California? ". I say go for it, don't buy, rent an apartment , townhouse or house, in the nicest neighborhood you can afford, the best school district (if you have school aged children) you can afford and don't worry about the commute. You will get to experience what ever one else on this board has already experienced and you and your wife can then judge for yourself if it is all worth it. You will get a chance to figure out the pro's and con's of commuting, school districts, etc. while you are here. If it does not work out after a few years you can move somewhere else ( Texas comes to mind-- don't hate!) or even back where you came from. Life is too short to not act on your dreams.

[easybay]

I've found a few property listings for under $270K or so. Most of these properties seem to be in places like Hayward, Union City, Fremont, Mission Hill and Newark. Those places seem to be 20-30 miles away from San Jose. With traffic, I'd estimate travel time to be 45 minutes to 75 minutes each way. I can get approved for a mortgage of this value. Renting is out of the question.

You really need to do more research on this area - call a realtor, and ask their advice. We are in a sellers market here in the Bay area, there is hardly any inventory and when priced correctly most houses are getting multiple offers. There are a couple of recent threads about how frustrated home buyers are because they are competing with so many other buyers. So where are you going to live while looking for a house? No corporate housing. You say renting is out of the question but the reality is that the majority of people living here in the bay area making 65K are renting - and in not very nice areas. Have you even looked at RedFin and did you notice how high the property taxes are?

[easybay]

I say just go for it.

Wow - just what a mother of a toddler and a newborn needs in her life. Let's move to the other side of the country because my husband isn't fulfilled in his career. I just don't understand how you can impose this kind of stress on your family.

[WeakandDizzy]

Originally Posted by easybay

Wow - just what a mother of a toddler and a newborn needs in her life. Let's move to the other side of the country because my husband isn't fulfilled in his career. I just don't understand how you can impose this kind of stress on your family.

There is never a good time to make a big change in life. If Mom gets to stay home with the kids,for some that would be great , for others a nightmare. If the kids are not going to school for a few years that takes the whole school district issue out of the equation. If hubby is not happy in his job I can guarantee you that issue will not go away. He may " suck it up" for a few years but it will re surface. Then the " we should have moved 3 years ago before Johnny was in school" arguments start up. Look, life is what you make of it. If he is 70% sure about the move then go for it, I don't think there is any sort of hidden fact that is going to bring the OP to 90% certain about the move, except maybe the " big one" happening, then I would say stay away until that mess is cleaned up. As the father of 3 children who are now all adults I can tell you each stage of their lives has challenges. If you think dealing with newborns and toddlers is tough, wait until they are teenagers, then wait until they want to go to expensive private colleges. You can agonize over these things for ever, then look back and regret or rejoice.

[salvador123]

You would probably suffer.
You might consider moving to the central valley of ca. ....like, visalia, bakersfield, modesto.
Homes are a lot cheaper there.

[Senno]

Originally Posted by easybay

Wow - just what a mother of a toddler and a newborn needs in her life. Let's move to the other side of the country because my husband isn't fulfilled in his career. I just don't understand how you can impose this kind of stress on your family.

Yeah, this was weighing on me also.

When I was 22 I was transferred from Bakersfield (wife's parents in Porterville, mine in Fresno) to Pasadena when work slowed. It was either there or Anchorage.

Chose Pasadena needless to say.

We had a 1 year old and 3 year old and wife hated it down there in San Dimas and later Ontario. Fortunately I worked 4 10 hours days and we could spend 3 days weekends with parents whenever we wanted to. Some people just aren't a fit for the big city, and my wife was one.

I've done the 1 hour commute with a young wife with kids waiting at home for me to get there.

Later made it back up to the valley when a job opened up.

Wife really, really, really has to be onboard for this move. Even if she makes friends easily the stress of taking care of 2 while you spend long days commuting can be wearing.