Bay Area vs. DC - Need Your Help! (San Diego, Oakland: transplants, real estate)

[Scorpion3510]

Originally Posted by aslowdodge

Palm trees?

Only place I think there are palms here is the Embarcadero. Can't think of them elsewhere.

[twins4lynn]

Dolores Street has palm trees.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by Scorpion3510

Only place I think there are palms here is the Embarcadero. Can't think of them elsewhere.

You can find palm trees all over the Bay Area, not nearly to the extent of Southern CA as they're more spotty and random but you see them around. Probably more common in the warmer inland locations though.

[Blitz2014]

Originally Posted by nmnita

op, reading your responses to people's answers, it sounds like you do not want to hear the truth, but want all of us to convince your girlfriend how great living would be. Well here are the facts that you may want to consider: BTW, we have lived in the bay area, (Marin Co) and we lived in Alexandria so we have a feel for both areas: We have not lived in NYC>

Yes, the bay area has great weather but very little change of seasons.
School in the burbs are mixed, depending on the district. This is just like DC but the DC burbs might rate a little higher overall.
No matter where you choose to live in the bay area it is going to be higher than a comp area in DC.
Heating and A/C will be lower in the bay area because of the milder weather, but you may very well not have central air.
Food may be a little cheaper
The East bay is a good place to live but you will find homes quite a bit smaller than in DC.

I have noticed you are not addressing your price point, or what about careers. Will you have a budget to handle the increased cost of housing and will you be able to easily get a job?

Have you and your girlfriend made a trip or two to the bay area, for comparison between the two areas? just some thing for you to be very much aware of and to think through seriously?

Thanks for your post.

Well, we are both professionals, so our combined salary will be around 600k/year. Our budget is around $2 million for a home.

But you are right, its basically this argument:

She: Our $ will go further in DC
Me: You can't put a price on ocean/mountains/weather/west coast culture

She also thinks that weather in SF is not good..but the more I read about East Bay on this thread, the more appealing it sounds.

I think a place like Orinda or Moraga would be perfect...maybe even Walnut Creek (I feel you can get more house for your coin).

I think my goal is $2 million dollars for 3500 square foot/4-5 bdr home...but need to do more research.

[mstnghu2]

Originally Posted by aslowdodge

Palm trees?

San Jose has lots of them...

https://goo.gl/maps/SUaBy11mbgs

https://goo.gl/maps/Tbgn2trP92U2

https://goo.gl/maps/15dTW2qrm4s

[ZeApelido]

Originally Posted by Blitz2014

Yeah but Bay Area has ocean, palm trees, mountains and no snow

So...San Diego?

[ZeApelido]

Originally Posted by Blitz2014

Thanks for your post.

Well, we are both professionals, so our combined salary will be around 600k/year. Our budget is around $2 million for a home.

But you are right, its basically this argument:

She: Our $ will go further in DC
Me: You can't put a price on ocean/mountains/weather/west coast culture

She also thinks that weather in SF is not good..but the more I read about East Bay on this thread, the more appealing it sounds.

I think a place like Orinda or Moraga would be perfect...maybe even Walnut Creek (I feel you can get more house for your coin).

I think my goal is $2 million dollars for 3500 square foot/4-5 bdr home...but need to do more research.

Your money will go further in DC, but at least you are making salaries that will afford you a decent house in a good school district in most places of the Bay Area. With the different areas people are mentioning, you have to consider how for from home you would be working. East Bay commutes can be horrendous (lots of traffic) especially if you are commuting to South Bay / Peninsula.

The peninsula (San Mateo to Mountain View) has maybe the ideal weather to me. Lots of sun, not foggy like near SF, but not as hot as the East Bay. $2 million you could get a house in San Carlos, or maybe even Menlo Park around 2000 sq ft. Very nice places to live, if you are willing to have a bit smaller place.

[ssmaster]

Originally Posted by silverkris

there are a number of communities in the East Bay which are

Bethesda, Potomac, Chevy Chase equivalent communities - try

Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette (or Lamorinda)

Piedmont

Danville, San Ramon, Pleasanton

What's your housing budget?

these are all good choices for you with your budget.
where will you be commuting to for work? and at what time ?
if you are on trading hours you have more flexebility.

[TheseGoTo11]

$2 million is plenty for a nice, 3000 sq ft house in a good school district in the East Bay. In Palo Alto, you won't get 2000 sq ft on that budget.

[silverkris]

Originally Posted by Blitz2014

Thanks for your post.

Well, we are both professionals, so our combined salary will be around 600k/year. Our budget is around $2 million for a home.

But you are right, its basically this argument:

She: Our $ will go further in DC
Me: You can't put a price on ocean/mountains/weather/west coast culture

She also thinks that weather in SF is not good..but the more I read about East Bay on this thread, the more appealing it sounds.

I think a place like Orinda or Moraga would be perfect...maybe even Walnut Creek (I feel you can get more house for your coin).

I think my goal is $2 million dollars for 3500 square foot/4-5 bdr home...but need to do more research.

Houses are going to be a lot smaller - and frankly speaking, the weather here is fairly pleasant all year round, so you don't need to have a huge place - aren't you moving here for the climate? It's not going to be like Dallas or Houston where you want to hide in the air con confines of your home when it's hot outside.

So I think you'll need to adjust your expectations a bit.