Home search for commuter to SFO (San Jose, San Francisco: to rent, crime, townhouses)

[jerky1280]

I have the possibility of a relocation to the Bay Area and will be working at San Francisco Intl. My wife and I will most likely be having a kid, and are looking for somewhere to life. I'd like to keep my commuter to 40 minutes at most.

We'd like a single-family (preferably) or a townhouse at least, with a garage, 3 bedrooms, and fenced yard (small is fine). We're outdoorsy-types, and would like to be VERY close to good running trails, cycling and hiking areas. Near the beach would be a bonus. I'd like to be able to leave my house for a run and not have to run through the city the whole time. I currently live in Detroit and have had enough of that.

We're planning on renting and our budget is $2500/month if at all possible.

Any recommendations?

[mayorhaggar]

Similar topic:

//www.city-data.com/forum/san-f...f-airport.html

I guess look at areas near the airport, from Millbrae down to around Redwood City. $2500 might be tough for a 3br townhouse with a garage but see what you can find on craigslist. The coast is on the western side of the peninsula on the other side of steep hills and it's very sparsely populated. Pacifica and Daly City are by the beach but they're really foggy and honestly kind of dumpy.

[jaypee]

$2500 is going to be tough for a 3BR in a nice (i.e aesthetically pleasing) neighborhood on the peninsula, your options are much better the closer you get to $3000/month. At $2500/month, check out Millbrae, Pacifica, San Bruno and downtown San Mateo.

[jerky1280]

So... for $3000 where would you recommend?

[jerky1280]

Also...what would a commute from the East Bay be like to SFO? Somewhere like Hayward or Castro Valley?

[jaypee]

Originally Posted by jerky1280

So... for $3000 where would you recommend?

Foster City, Redwood Shores, San Mateo, Burlingame, Belmont.
Search craigslist and see.

[djinnich1]

We lived in San Mateo 94403 (Glendale-San Mateo Village) near Hillsdale Mall for the last 15 years and loved it. You should be able to find a nice house (3+1 is typical for that area) plus a garage for $2500-3000. Redwood City is another great possibility in that price range. Millbrae, too, but from Millbrae north you get more fog. You might check out Mountain View, Cupertino, Santa Clara and San Jose. Prices might be a little less, and there are more townhouses there.

We rented a single family home the whole time we lived there, and when house #1 got sold, we drove the same neighborhood until we found another house to rent; ditto the second time. It was surprisingly easy. I'd also recommend finding a property mgr like Burlingame Prpty Mgmt or a realtor in the area - they can get you more bang for your buck. (Better location, better landlord, get in before it's advertised, etc.) There are plenty of hiking/biking trails along the Bay and lagoons, and lots of conveniences near El Camino Real and Hillsdale Blvd. It's a great mid-peninsula location, very family friendly. I don't recommend East Bay unless you're working over there. The commute and bridge tolls and gas prices will kill you. (It's also much hotter there.) Good luck! You will love it!

[jade408]

Originally Posted by jerky1280

Also...what would a commute from the East Bay be like to SFO? Somewhere like Hayward or Castro Valley?

Can you take BART? The ride is around an hour from there. Driving could be a pain, because Hayward and 238 are the biggest traffic backups around. You'd need to take 880 through Hayward to San Mateo (bottleneck) and then deal with the transition to 101 for another bottleneck. During commute hours it would be terrible. It can take 15 minutes to just get through Hayward.

I would not recommend living in Hayward. Schools are generally crappy, not many amenities, and frankly there is quite a lot of crime in South Hayward especially. Way too much crime for so few amenities.

Castro Valley is a better choice. I'd call it rancho suburbia. It is very much a typical suburb established in the 50s. There are also leftover ranchers in the hills. They have cows and horses. They have the basic amenities, but you can always go over the hill to Dublin or Pleasanton for restaurants. I like those areas better than C.V. C.V is not incorporated -- which you may or may not like, but other than the bowling alley and the ice cream shop there isn't anything to do at all. It is a very sleepy suburb. Old housing stock, lots of ranch style homes.

[twins4lynn]

Originally Posted by jerky1280

I have the possibility of a relocation to the Bay Area and will be working at San Francisco Intl. My wife and I will most likely be having a kid, and are looking for somewhere to life. I'd like to keep my commuter to 40 minutes at most.

We'd like a single-family (preferably) or a townhouse at least, with a garage, 3 bedrooms, and fenced yard (small is fine). We're outdoorsy-types, and would like to be VERY close to good running trails, cycling and hiking areas. Near the beach would be a bonus. I'd like to be able to leave my house for a run and not have to run through the city the whole time. I currently live in Detroit and have had enough of that.

We're planning on renting and our budget is $2500/month if at all possible.

Any recommendations?

If you go up to 3000/month, you will be able to find 3br/2ba homes with yards and garages in Millbrae and Belmont (and both are safe areas and have very good schools at all levels - elementary, middle and high school). You won't be able to run out the door directly to the hiking trails, but there are numerous trails in the area.

Since you will be working at SFO, will you be using their employee parking lot (free pkg)? If so, the drive from Millbrae will be just minutes. If you chose to take public transportation, there is BART. Driving from Belmont will take a bit longer (15 - 20 minutes or so).

[jaypee]

Originally Posted by djinnich1

We lived in San Mateo 94403 (Glendale-San Mateo Village) near Hillsdale Mall for the last 15 years and loved it. You should be able to find a nice house (3+1 is typical for that area) plus a garage for $2500-3000.

Hey, that is where I live too -- 94403.