[tennis368fan]

Originally Posted by sashar

I have looked at Tracy and Brentwood and both seem like what kind of housing we can afford ($275-300K). Are these good suburbs??...

Generally, Brentwood is a good suburban area that is family-oriented and with low crime rates that are slightly below the national average crime rate. Its K-8 system is okay, but since Heritage High School is the highest scoring traditional public high school in Brentwood with a 7 out of 10 state ranking for 2010-11, it is best to find a home in Heritage's attendance zone.

However, the commute from Brentwood to Dublin is not so good, and could be longer than that from some parts of Tracy. Google Maps lists the typical, low-traffic travel time of ~40-50 minutes to western Dublin (San Ramon Road exit). It would be a lot more in rush hour due to traffic on Vasco Road and I-580.

Tracy is generally not as desirable as Brentwood in terms of schools, although City-Data.com's city profiles says that Tracy's crime rate is at or below that of Brentwood's.

Tracy Union and Jefferson Elementary are the two school districts serving Tracy proper, that is the urban area in and adjacent to Tracy's city limits. Jefferson is the better one that is comparable to Brentwood K-8 schools and serves students living south of Valpico Road, which will put you in the southern part of the city away from I-205/580 and may add more time to your commute compared to other residents living in the northwestern part of the city. However, for high school, Jefferson students will attend either Kimball (ranked 8 out of 10 by the state for 2010-11) or Tracy High (ranked 6 out of 10 by the state for 2010-11) depending on home address, though a good portion will likely attend Tracy High.

Originally Posted by sashar

The commute doesn't really bother me- I'd rather live in a good place for my kids and get a bigger house for less $. Brentwood just seems like a good community? What times are "rush hour" considered?? Living in Mt we have NO rush hour..lol

As you were looking out that way into Tracy and Brentwood in the $275-300K range, have you checked out Mountain House? It's about 15 minutes closer to western Dublin than Brentwood and about 7-10 minutes closer to western Dublin than the Jefferson School District attendance area in southern Tracy. It is new, suburban, family-oriented and has schools that are comparable to Dublin, Castro Valley, and Livermore. Mountain House also has a 35-45 minute commuter bus service to Dublin and Pleasanton. [Delta Express] If there are no major accidents, it usually does not take more than 45 minutes to get to and from Dublin and Mountain House during rush hour. Backroads like Altamont Pass Road and Patterson Pass Road may be used in the event of heavy I-580 traffic.

Originally Posted by sashar

Are Castro Valley and San Leandro good places for families...ie: safe,good schools, etc??

Castro Valley, yes. All traditional schools, except Castro Valley Elementary, are rated 8 out of 10 and above for 2010-11.

San Leandro, generally no. Middle schools and the high school are not good.

If you were to live in the San Leandro Unified School District zone, and your children are very young, public elementary school might still be do-able in the Madison Elementary attendance zone. Madison Elementary is the only San Leandro school with an 8 out of 10 for 2010-11.

Originally Posted by jade408

...Also, cheaper homes come up in Livermore pretty frequently, and that would likely be a tolerable commute. (10 minutes no traffic, 30 minutes with traffic.)...

Good suggestion. However, do pay attention to Michell School, Junction K-8, and Marylin Avenue Elementary attendance areas as those schools are not rated as highly as other Livermore schools. 2010 Base API LEA List of Schools Report - Livermore Valley Joint Unified

Originally Posted by Think About It!

I think renting is your best option to start. Especially coming from Montana, you should really check out the area before you buy. Craigslist.com is the common way to find rentals and using a search engine to find local rental companies websites with their listings...

Originally Posted by sashar

I think I might have to rent to start out anyway- Thanks for the suggestions. What kind of rent can I expect for a 3 bedroom house in those areas??

I also think it might be a good idea to rent for a while to get a feel of the area. It would also put less pressure on homehunting since you would be living in the area and would not have to travel to and from Montana during the process. Home prices might still fall further, and who knows, you may have a greater selection from which to choose a desirable home in Castro Valley or Livermore closer to your price range.

As of this post, Craigslist.org shows starting rent ranges of:

$1475 for Brentwood (usually at least $1600 for really good schools, but double check with the school locator pages at Brentwood Union and Liberty Union High School Districts).
$1600 for Jefferson schools in Tracy
$1800 for Mountain House
$1900 for Livermore
$2050 for Castro Valley
$2090 for Dublin
$2200 for Pleasanton
$2200 for San Ramon

You can find townhouses and duets for less.

During the spring and early-mid summer moving seasons when supply is more abundant and when families with children prepare to move upon the conclusion of the school year, starting price points and ranges are:

$1400 for Jefferson schools in Tracy
$1475 for Brentwood
$1600 for Mountain House
$1700 for Castro Valley homes (though I have seen as low as $1650 this past moving season)
$1850 for Dublin
$1850 for Livermore
$2300 for San Ramon
$2300 for Pleasanton

Hope this helps!