Recent information on Clayton-Walnut Creek-Pleasant Hill area? (San Francisco, Oakland: real estate, renters)

[awlumpkin]

My husband just got wind of a possible transfer to an office in Walnut Creek. It might as well be Timbuktu! I know nothing about this area of the country. I would like to stay close to Walnut Creek to minimize his commute and maximize his time at home with us! Everything I found on here seems a bit dated, so I'd appreciate some more recent opinions/advice.

Our priorities:

*Family-Friendly, safe community -- we have 2 little girls
*Good schools -- 4 year old and 4th grader...this is VERY important!
*Affordable housing in a nice neighborhood (<$500,000)--THIS seems to be our stumbling block! We live in the DFW area of Texas and are stunned at the home prices! We need 3 bdrms, but would like 4 to house family when they visit. We'd like a decent-sized backyard or proximity to a great park--I need to run off their energy

We won't be going into SF often...we don't need fancy restaurants or shopping. We live a pretty simple life...we like to play outside (this area seems PERFECT for that!) and go to parks alot. But, I also don't want to have to drive 20 minutes for a grocery store!

ANY information is welcome...I saw that we can get alot more for our money in Brentwood, but worried about the commute!

Thank you!

Amanda

[beb0p]

Like all other area that have excellent schools, Walnut Creek real estate commands a premium. That whole area south of Concord is very safe and family oriented. It draws a lot of families from San Francisco, who see a $800k home as a bargain compared to what they get in the city.

I think you can still get a 3 beds in Pleasant Hill, and parts of Walnut Creek that borders Pleasant Hill (they go to Pleasant Hill schools) for under $500k. Pleasant Hill schools are generally not as good as Walnut Creek, but still good.

Clayton is a product of the housing bubble - neighborhood of newish tract homes; it's nice and safe but the schools are generally considered average at best. It's not a convenient location because it's somewhat far from the freeway.

Also, some parts of Martinez have decent schools.

As for Brentwood, highway 4 is always bumper to bumper in rush hours. Brentwood is a bit secluded but it's a nice town.

If your husband is willing to drive that far, I'd suggest you also look into Dublin and Pleasanton. They also have good schools and townhouses should be under $500k.

But I think your best bet is Pleasant Hill.

[ttocs99]

I think bringing up children in Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill is ideal. Both beautiful areas with good schools, and very safe areas as well. Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill are also very conveniant as far as shopping for anything, groceries, and anything else you need are easily found, especially in Walnut Creek. I would say outside of San Francisco, a lot of people do their shopping in Walnut Creek due to the fact you can find pretty much about anything (They have a Tiffany's for Pete's sake, and an Apple Store, and a great outdoor mall). I can personally vouch for Walnut Creek as a GREAT place to live, and I really like Pleasant Hill as well. Wasn't a big fan of Concord overall, though some nice areas, and they have a more conventional mall in Concord, as well as a Costco.

I would stay in the Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill area if I was settling down there with a good job and family.

[sav858]

Pleasant Hill is probably your best bet in that price range or areas of WC near PH like another poster mentioned. The southern parts of WC border wealthier towns and tend to be pricier.

Clayton could work depending on where in Walnut Creek your husband is working. If he is working in the Shadelands office park area then Clayton isn't too bad but west of that and Heather Farms Park/John Muir Medical Center such as in Downtown WC then the commmute kind of sucks. I used to work across the street from WC BART and it would take my co-worker 45 minutes on some days to get to her house in Clayton, less than 9 miles away. Since you don't care to go into SF often and don't need fancy stores or restaurants then proximity to WC BART, Downtown WC, and freeways won't seem to matter and Clayton works for that. It has all the regular conveniences you need.

I still think PH is better than Clayton overall. More amenities and closer to everything. WC is clearly the best but also the most $$.

[awlumpkin]

Thank you so much for your input! I appreciate it! I am just in sticker shock over the home prices...we are so fortunate here in Texas!

I heard that zip code 94521 in Concord was good? What are your thoughts on that? The funny thing is, if you look up my current town (Arlington) the crime stats and cost of living make it sound VERY undesirable, but we found a great, comfortable home on a very quiet street with an almost country feel to it. Our neighborhood schools are top-rated. So, I say this to say that I'm not one to write off entire communities because of overall stats. Are there any great neighborhoods in some of the not-so-desirable towns nearby? I will definitely check out Dublin, Pleasanton, and Martinez!

I hope to fly out to look around while my hubby is there working on a project for Sept/Oct. I feel like I just need to see the area and get a feel for it myself!

Please share anything else that you think would be useful!

Thanks,

Amanda

[beb0p]

I think by "94521", you're referring to the area that borders Walnut Creek and is where the newer and larger homes are. It's the nicest part of Concord and it feels more like Walnut Creek than Concord. It's a secret bargain for parents who want to send their kids to a Walnut Creek high school but don't want to pay Walnut Creek prices. However, for elementary and middle schools, that area send the kids to Concord schools, and Concord schools are terrible. If your kids are of high school age, that may work. Also, I think prices are very near your limit in that pocket of Concord.
.

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by awlumpkin

Thank you so much for your input! I appreciate it! I am just in sticker shock over the home prices...we are so fortunate here in Texas!

I heard that zip code 94521 in Concord was good? What are your thoughts on that? The funny thing is, if you look up my current town (Arlington) the crime stats and cost of living make it sound VERY undesirable, but we found a great, comfortable home on a very quiet street with an almost country feel to it. Our neighborhood schools are top-rated. So, I say this to say that I'm not one to write off entire communities because of overall stats. Are there any great neighborhoods in some of the not-so-desirable towns nearby? I will definitely check out Dublin, Pleasanton, and Martinez!

I hope to fly out to look around while my hubby is there working on a project for Sept/Oct. I feel like I just need to see the area and get a feel for it myself!

Please share anything else that you think would be useful!

Thanks,

Amanda

Yes, it's a nice area of Concord. All of south/southeast is fine. The less desirable parts would be northern Concord (around highway 4, Buchanan Field, near Port Chicago Highway) and parts of Monument Blvd. So, I don't know what the stats say about Concord, but it's not a bad or scary place to live at all. It's got a cute downtown area, too. You also have to take the population of around 125k people into acct. when looking at the stats..most of the bad stuff in any place tends to be limited to a few neighborhoods or areas.

[Lari]

We've lived in the '94521' area since 1997, first as renters and then as homeowners. We love the area and spend most of our time shopping and recreating in Clayton, so being on the border (but not paying 94517 prices) has really worked for us. Now, housing costs have gone down so much, you could even live in Clayton proper. But really, I find the 94521 part of Concord to be ideal for us. Ygnacio Valley Road can get very congested during morning/evening commutes, though. But if your husband is just going to work in Walnut Creek, it's not that bad. There are so many stores, family-friendly restaurants and walking trails nearby, too. Mt. Diablo State Park was always a big draw for us and why we chose to live here. If you want to go into the city (SF) and Oakland, it's not a bad commute when there is not traffic, either and BART (the train) is close by, too. Good luck...and definitely look up houses in this zip code!

[bayarea415925]

Clayton or Walnut Creek if you are looking for good schools. Clayton was #3 safest town in California (dont know about now, but it shouldn't get worse). Really quiet and very safe, people leave unlocked houses/doors/windows/cars most of the time. Its conservative town with some liberals here and there.

[mattja]

You're not going to find anything in the area you seek for under $1 million. The 1,200 sq/ft, 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom post-WWII ranchers in Pleasant Hill are going for $1 million.

Forget Pleasant Hill. Forget Concord because the schools are bad and getting worse. Your only hope is Martinez near downtown where you can get a home similar to the Pleasant Hill rancher I mentioned for $600K-$700K.

Also note the housing market is pretty dead. No one is selling their homes financed at 3% to buy a new home financed at 7.5% unless they absolutely have to.

You might be able to get into a townhome for $500K in Martinez, but I kind of doubt it.

My might have better luck in Concord, but be very careful. The city has gone to hell and the schools with it.

The majority of action near Walnut Creek is in the $1.5 million range and above. That being the case, $500K is just untenable.

When I hear people say they have been offered a new position in the Bay Area, I always tell them if the pay isn't double, it's not worth it.