Where is the Perfect (or N.P.) Place for Us in SF Basin??? (Berkeley: neighborhood)

[thrillobyte]

My wife and I want to move to the SF basin, preferably across on the Berkeley side. What we'd like is:

* the least vulnerable part of the basin to earthquakes
* some altitude where we can sit on a deck and see the fog surrounding the lights at night, even get some fog ourselves
* affordable but good neighborhood, somewhere in 600-800k range.
* not too cold in winter, but cool in summer
* clean air

Does such a place exist in SF basin? BTW, is SF as cold as some people say? Here in LA, we get winter nights down in high 30's--not pleasant but doable (and I HATE the cold).

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Learn to read the earthquake hazard maps and basic geological maps.

Earthquake safety is number one related to what a structure is built on and number two the structure itself.

You could be right next to a fault, in a seismic strengthened wood frame built on bed rock and be fine. Conversely, you could be 50 miles away from a fault / potential epicenter in masonry structure on unconsolidated alluvium or land fill, and be completely wiped out - a total loss red tag.

This can vary over distances as little as a few hundred feet. And obviously, structures can vary considerably in terms of seismic strength.