VACAVILLE OR SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY ( Atascadero) (Sacramento, Pismo Beach: real estate, apartment)

[PSYCHENARS]

If u are married and both working with 2 toddler and a combined income of 160 to 170 grand ( same job offer ) which place would you choose ? VACAVILLE OR SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY ( Atascadero, Templeton etc. )
Vacaville is a safe city, close to SF , major airports, very diverse etc.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Never been there but heard a lot of positive feedback
THANK Y' ALL.

[susie4]

I currently live in Atascadero and have been to Vacaville. The two are so very different places. If you like to in an area that has all the city amenties around you, then Vacaville would best suit you. You do have access to so many more shopping areas, and probably have better income there.

Atascadero on the other hand is a smaller community, much more limitations in the job industry from Vacaville, there is shopping available but on a smaller scale. We have many new homes being built from around $700,000 on up. Atascadero is a much slower paced town. There are many places to go (surrounding towns to shop, hike, beaches, etc). So its really up to the type of town you are looking for. Atascadero's population is around 30-35,000 people and I don't know what Vacaville is.

If I had to do it all over again, I would move to Templeton. Its an even smaller town, but I do like the atmosphere there. The schools in Templeton are much better. There are so many new homes being built on the West side of Templeton. And the Trader Joes came in this past spring and we absolutely love it.

[keepthefaith]

Not much in Atascadero. But, you may get more for your money in SLO. SLO is nice and Vacaville as well. I love the diversity of Vacaville though.

Vacaville would be my choice.

All the best to you!

Trader Joes? Ask them about Two Buck Chuck.

[Sorcerer68]

I don't know Vacaville but I've lived in Templeton, Atascadero, Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo. SLO is a lovely town. It has nice weather, a gorgeous walkable downtown and it's very clean. Go north of the Cuesta Grade and everything changes. I prefer to stay south of it. Pismo is a nice little town but it's too cold and foggy for me. I froze the whole time I lived there. I ran the heater in the summer.

[Agraz]

I lived up north, near Vacaville, for many years. Have now lived in SLO for 3 years and think that it is the best place on earth. The job market is not that great, but it sounds like you have an job either place you go. If you like the smaller town feel, nice people, safe and the outdoors you cannot beat San Luis Obispo & Templeton area. I would recommend heading over the grade and into San Luis Obispo though. Stays a perfect temperature year around.

If you want to compare home values in the area just send me an email, centralcoastremx@aol.com I am an agent with Re/Max and would love to give you an Real Estate information you need. When I moved, it helped to know the big picture (ie jobs, schools, expected growth, anticipated appreciation, crime, etc). So, I can send you what I have....No strings attached.

[Agraz]

[quote=Agraz;1625700]I lived up north, near Vacaville, for many years. Have now lived in SLO for 3 years and think that it is the best place on earth. The job market is not that great, but it sounds like you have an job either place you go. If you like the smaller town feel, nice people, safe and the outdoors you cannot beat San Luis Obispo & Templeton area. I would recommend heading over the grade and into San Luis Obispo though. Stays a perfect temperature year around.

If you want to compare home values in the area just send me an email, [centralcoastremx@aol.com. I am an agent with Re/Max and would love to give you an Real Estate information you need. When I moved, it helped to know the big picture (ie jobs, schools, expected growth, anticipated appreciation, crime, etc). So, I can send you what I have....No strings attached.

[california_guy110]

I am from Vacaville, went to high school there and left when I was 18, I have lived there a few times since as I have moved around a bit and tend to move back to my parents house since I don't know what I am doing yet I guess.. anyways you are right that Vacaville is diverse and is getting more and more diverse. When I was young the town was much smaller, it has grown a lot and they keep building more shopping centers although it seems they are trying to limit the growth of population so the building of new homes has slowed down.

As far as it being safe, yes I guess overall it is but I have had more than my share of problems with people there, a lot of people tend to be very small minded, in my opinion , the high schools there are really bad, at least they were 4 years ago when I graduated. There are a lot of fights and the condition of the schools is terrible as is the quality of the teachers. I went to a private school before high school so I can't speak from firsthand experience about grade school but I have heard bad things as well as many of the parents there are not concerned with education so the kids aren't there to learn, just to occupy their time.

Its near Sacramento as well as the Bay Area but you are always going to feel as if you are going for a drive when you go to either of these places, as the traffic can get bad going either way as times. I personally prefer the coast and the central coast seems like a nice area although I have never lived there, Vacaville is nothing special but some people seem to be really content living there, with your income you could afford a nice home in the area, though, I would recommend looking in one of the areas near or on the hills as they have the nicest homes or a little out in the country where there are some really nice homes as well.

[ThumperWabbt]

I live in Vacaville and love it; it's not too big, but it's not the podunk little throwaway spot that it used to be. People are mostly friendly, and the access to the ocean in one direction and the mountains in the other is appealing. We've lived several places thanks to Uncle Sam, but we've enjoyed it here most of all, and came back here when we were free to choose where we wanted to live.

It has its drawbacks, though. It's expensive; it takes about $20/hr at a full time job to afford to live here in just a crappy apartment, have a car, buy food, etc. House prices are still high--about $450,000 median. And as california_guy pointed out, the schools, at least the high schools, are less than stellar. When we came back here several years ago, when our son was a junior in HS, it was so bad (they were just getting to things he had done in 8th grade in North Dakota) and he actually had all the credits he needed that we had him test out so he could start going to the community college.

If I were bringing small kids into th area, I'd be looking into private school (there's Vacaville Christian School, and it's supposedly a *very* good school...and if you can live in the Travis Unified District, I understand those school are good, too.)

Rental houses are becoming abundant; a nice 3 bedroom house rents for less than a 3 bedroom "luxury" apartment. But it's still pricey--$1500-1800.

If money were no object, I'd buy a house here (still just renting) and stay forever...but I doubt it'll get any cheaper, so when the time comes, we'll likely buy near Sacramento.

Nice plae to live, just costly.