Considering Relocating to Palo Alto Surrounding Area (San Jose, Fremont: for sale, real estate)

[LindseyT]

My husband has a possible job opportunity in Palo Alto, but of course we can't afford to live there! I'm trying to figure out if there is anywhere near Palo Alto that we could get a decent home for $600-700k, in a safe, nice family friendly community, with good public schools. We are a family of four, our oldest starts Kindergarten next month here in the Pacific NW.
I'm originally from SoCal and love the sun and beaches but that's not where the job opportunity is.
From what I've read, it sounds impossible to get the things on our wish list in our price range...
Any ideas of more affordable places to live that are still considered "nice"? Having a big commute to Palo Alto would not be ideal.

We are also considering Scottsdale, AZ - it is soooooo much more affordable, but I do love California. We are flying out to Scottsdale next week to see if we like it. Yes, of course there are 3 months of intense heat, but that's bearable I think, since the rest of year is nice. We will be seeing some homes in our price range - for 600k we are looking at 4 bedroom homes in nice neighborhoods WITH a pool! I know that is not the bay area reality!!! The Pacific NW is lovely and all, but I can't survive with the rain any longer. I want to play outside with my kids, swim in outdoor pools like I did in my childhood, ride bikes, etc. I get to do those things about 2 months out of the year here.

[gone down south]

It took a lot of work, but we bought a renovated townhouse in great shape in Redwood City this year - 3 BR, about 1500 sq ft plus a yard, for just under $700k. We're at the 'nice' end of town, properties get cheaper the closer to Camino you get. In our experience, there are no other cities (other than East Palo Alto, which isn't an option) on the Peninsula cheaper than RWC.

[LindseyT]

Thanks gone down south. What about farther south towards Santa clara or San Jose? It seems lke there are tons of small communities down there...Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Los Gatos, Campbell etc. Are they just super expensive? I'm wondering what a commute from a city like Sunnyvale to Palo Alto might be. Ive heard the weather is a little warmer down there.

[5thgenSF]

the commute from sunnyvale to palo alto is not bad. los gatos, saratoga and palo alto are all pretty much the high end real estate.

Trulia - Real Estate, Homes for Sale, Apartments for Rent, Local data

[ccm123]

Mountain View, Campbell, Los Gatos, Sunnyvale and Cupertino are all nice, and all having matching price tags. Of these 5, Campbell would probably be inline with your budget. You could find something in the other 4 areas, but likely it would be small, or a townhome.

There are nice areas in Santa Clara and San Jose also.

Originally Posted by LindseyT

Thanks gone down south. What about farther south towards Santa clara or San Jose? It seems lke there are tons of small communities down there...Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Los Gatos, Campbell etc. Are they just super expensive? I'm wondering what a commute from a city like Sunnyvale to Palo Alto might be. Ive heard the weather is a little warmer down there.

[charmed59]

You can find a 4000 square foot new home with granite and moulding and all sorts of features including a swimming pool in a great area for your budget in Scottsdale.

In Sunnyvale you'll get a 1700 square foot older house that needs lots of updating on a tiny lot. Run your specs through realtor.com.

[dmode]

You will get a palace for 700K in Scottsdale. Also, everything in the Phoenix valley is brand new - roads, shopping malls, houses etc. You will love it.

Couple things to keep in mind - 1. the weather. It is hot for an extended period of time, and not just for 3 months. It hits 100 around the first week of May and will be above 100 till end of September and sometimes October too. It was 115 today.

2. The pay in the Phoenix valley can be really low. The job market for high end jobs is pretty limited as well due to lack of corporate HQs. The pay here will be around 20-30% less than in the Bay Area.

For housing in the Bay, trying looking at East Bay. Much better housing stock at that price in Pleasanton, Fremont, Castro Valley and Livermore. Yes, the commute will be hellish to Palo Alto, but employers in the bay area are generally sympathetic to remote work a few days a week.