Buying a house in East Oakland (Castro Valley, Pittsburg: apartment, renter, crimes)

[PixelatedTherapy]

This could be a good fit, it's near BART and Richmond to SF on Bart is only a 35 minute ride. It even has a garage! (The fact I'm bragging about a house having a 1 car garage in an up and coming neighborhood has realizing how crazy the Bay Area has become.)

[artemis78]

Originally Posted by seekinghappiness2018

My job will be in Alameda, thats another reason why this area is attractive to me since its fairly close to commute.

That is a good reason to be looking in these areas. You can also safely take Richmond and El Cerrito out of play for a commute to Alameda, because it will make you want to cry. If you plan to drive to work, you could also consider San Leandro, and possibly even the west side of Alameda if you're open to a condo.

I would still recommend renting for a year to get the lay of the land, though.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by artemis78

OP is looking to be under $500K--Temescal is $1M+ for starter homes. .

Thank you. I was afraid someone would say that. I almost shudder to think what kind of place the OP would find in E Oakland for under $500K.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by PixelatedTherapy

This could be a good fit, it's near BART and Richmond to SF on Bart is only a 35 minute ride. It even has a garage! (The fact I'm bragging about a house having a 1 car garage in an up and coming neighborhood has realizing how crazy the Bay Area has become.)

This is so interesting, Pix. Our other member, who was looking for something in the North and East neighborhood for $600K, couldn't find anything like this. Or maybe he did, but it was upbid to beyond his budget. That place looks really nice. It's funny what we consider "nice" these days; how times have changed! Standards have changed. But someone really put in a lot of effort, into spiffing that place up. It looks great.

There was an article about gentrification in East Oakland, that someone posted last year. It was based on an interview with a guy who had just bought an old craftsman-style house in a sketchy neighborhood; a nice place with the original woodwork intact, as I recall. I don't recall what the neighborhood was, unfortunately. But there have got to be more people like that guy. Maybe the OP will find. neighborhood with several neighbors like that.

[artemis78]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Thank you. I was afraid someone would say that. I almost shudder to think what kind of place the OP would find in E Oakland for under $500K.

It was not that long ago that people were telling me Maxwell Park would never break $500K. Hahahahaha...

This is Temescal today:
https://www.redfin.com/CA/Oakland/48...9/home/1606139

That house is just as small and oddly laid out as it looks. The landscaping is the only significant update that it's had since the 2004 sale, inasmuch as I can tell. And it went for $1,119 per square foot. It's crazy out there.

[seekinghappiness2018]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

This is so interesting, Pix. Our other member, who was looking for something in the North and East neighborhood for $600K, couldn't find anything like this. Or maybe he did, but it was upbid to beyond his budget. That place looks really nice. It's funny what we consider "nice" these days; how times have changed! Standards have changed. But someone really put in a lot of effort, into spiffing that place up. It looks great.

There was an article about gentrification in East Oakland, that someone posted last year. It was based on an interview with a guy who had just bought an old craftsman-style house in a sketchy neighborhood; a nice place with the original woodwork intact, as I recall. I don't recall what the neighborhood was, unfortunately. But there have got to me more people like that guy. Maybe the OP will find. neighborhood with several neighbors like that.

I think it might be this article that I found while googling:

https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/06/...ea-homebuyers/

Apparently he bought in the "Durant Manor" neighborhood.

Correct me if I'm wrong but based on what I have read, there's a difference between "central east" oakland which is everything west of the 73rd and then there is "deep east" oakland which is everything east of the 73rd. I was under the impression that "deep east" is a war zone and should be avoided at all cost while "central east" is prime for gentrification.

I also did a bit of research on and found this map on the urban displacement site here Urban Displacement San Francisco Map | Urban Displacement Project

What I found was this:

http://i.imgur.com/ZbmZO65g.png

And it seems like those neighborhoods I mentioned seems ripe for the next wave of gentrification. Of course, nothing beats the real opinions and experiences of people who live and breathe in the bay area which is why I appreciate y'all chiming in on this so much. Thank you!

[Ruth4Truth]

Yes, that's the article. Good sleuthing! And according to the article, the area he bought into isn't a war zone, though it had the reputation of one. It also says it's almost in San Leandro.

IDK, I'm not qualified to comment on that. This will be an interesting thread to follow, as others add their views.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by artemis78

It was not that long ago that people were telling me Maxwell Park would never break $500K. Hahahahaha...

This is Temescal today:
https://www.redfin.com/CA/Oakland/48...9/home/1606139

That house is just as small and oddly laid out as it looks. The landscaping is the only significant update that it's had since the 2004 sale, inasmuch as I can tell. And it went for $1,119 per square foot. It's crazy out there.

My mind--blown! For a place that looks like a shack from the outside, it's remarkably attractive on the inside! Look at those high ceilings! That's one advantage to the Craftsman-era homes. Someone did a good job on the kitchen, too, not to mention the yard. But 1 mill +? Wow. Scary. Thank you for posting that.

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You seem to be doing a pretty good job on your research, OP. I might recommend you pick a few neighborhoods and RE listings, then follow them over time, to see what the difference is between listing price and the price upon close of the sale. That would be enlightening for you.

[Ruth4Truth]

Here's a contemporary listing in the Durant Manor area of Oakland (I'm expanding off that article, for comparison's sake, since the sale featured in the article was in 2016). This one's a fixer-upper, only 2 br., and has a list price of roughly the same as the 3-br. nicer place that other guy got. They won't even show photos of the inside, it's such a fixer-upper. https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-64989?view=qv

It doesn't look good for your chances, but by all means, give your search a good try.

Here's one at a very good price (for the Bay Area), in very good shape. Sale is pending. Watch the listing to see what it finally sells for. (Also Durant Manor)

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-71380?view=qv

[ssmaster]

Temescal is no longer up and coming , it has arrived.
Temescal was adjacent to the highly desirable rockridge,public transportation and did not have any housing projects.
If buying in east Oakland proximity to housing projects and section 8 housing should be considered