Settled Family from NJ with 2 Elem School kids - Worth the move to SJ Area? (San Jose: apartment, rental)

[NJ2CA]

Both my wife and I are technology professionals with 18+ yrs exp, and feel that tech is drying out fast in NJ (based on #startups, #active_companies etc.). My last salary in NJ to what I negotiated in SJ hasn't changed by more than 10% (poor neg?). Live in NJ with 2 elem school kids in a great neighborhood w/excellent schools, beautiful big house.

I do have opportunities in NJ as well, but am wondering if I should take the one in SJ (company pays partly for relo) for future prospects being next to innovations & startups. Wife will need to find an opportunity as well.

Any advice? Priorities are kids schools and good neighborhood. Wondering about the following:

a. Is the cost of living incl. housing so high that we will pretty much be working like crazy to pay the mortgage (or rent if we can't sell the house in NJ that will be disaster as we think), and one loss of job will put us at huge risk?

b. Quality of schools and neighborhood (in areas 3BR@ around 750K) compared to (among the) best in NJ? What areas should we look at?

c. What are you in SJ and surrounding areas feel about the life in SJ that you can recommend one way or another?

Thanks a lot!

[Nell Plotts]

The item on your list that is the most unrealistic is the $750 for a house in a good school district. IF you find one it will be a small fixer built in the late 60s.

IMHO you should rent for a couple years until you know that SV pencils out for you. Remember that start ups are inherently risky.

Have you looked for opportunities in Portland or Seattle?

[NJ2CA]

Thanks for the reply. What kind of prices for both rent and buy should I be looking at for a decent 3BR+ in one of the excellent school district?

Given that our primary reason to move from NJ is opportunities in the technology sector, any other location doesn't seem that appealing.. may be we are wrong!

[Freezer41]

you can get in a good school district for 750k but your house won't be big.
5083 Noella Way, San Jose CA | MLS# 81115075 - Trulia

San Jose has some of the best weather in the country in my opinion.

[Nell Plotts]

IMHO you and your spouse need to agree that you are embarking on a great adventure... akin to a family sailboat voyage around the world. There are risks and opportunities, you will need to make accommodations in living space but it will be an opportunity to explore. If you want certainty SV is not the place to be, if you are willing to take risks for opportunity you can have a great time.

[Wintermomma]

We just did the same, except not from New Jersey, but same situation and same reasons.

It is far more expensive than we expected, even beyond housing (think of ANY OTHER service or "extra" you may make use of. And then of course gasoline), but we really like it and the availability of other tech jobs is not to be dismissed. I am a SAHM, now, which to me the cost of living here does not lend itself to. Since both of you are in Tech, if you both plan to continue working I think that would really be helpful.

People seem to really like their schools in Cupertino, Los Altos, Mountain View. I believe also Palo Alto, Saratoga and Campbell. I wonder about Sunnyvale, as it seems more affordable than the others and outside of San Jose School district - anyone know?

You will not get a big, beautiful $750K house in those areas. Maybe a small 60s fixer (the valley seems to have popped up magically sometime in the 60s, it seems to me as all the "regular" neighborhoods have that look). Also, in my searches it seems the 1960's builders felt 1100-1300 was an appropriate size for a three bedroom house, so be SURE to ask square footage if it's not listing in rental ads.

I know it's a hassle, but I would definitely rent first. Even if it's just a corporate apartment for several months.

[NJ2CA]

Thanks for helpful comments. From what I hear,

+ great weather compared to NJ
+ many more tech opportunities

- housing too expensive in good school areas
- older/smaller houses
- other expenses also high


My next step is to find a rental townhouse 3BR in a good school district where we can eventually also buy a house (smaller, potentially a 3BR townhouse). Any recommendations?

[Nell Plotts]

Try to find something in the Cupertino, Los Altos, Menlo Park school districts. Community wise that would be parts of Sunnyvale, towns of Mountain View, Los Altos, and Menlo Park. [Towns listed in order of cost of housing.] Verify enrollment areas of housing you are considering.

Keep in mind that at some of these schools a football game is regarded as a venue for the band, organized athletics can be at the level of club sports.

[hsw]

SV is ultimate locale for any ambitious, upwardly mobile professional: no other place on planet with as many career opportunities in BigTech, start-ups, etc in such a concentrated region surrounding PaloAlto

Achieving upward mobility in one's career makes "real" COL of SV seem rather cheap vs other, nominally cheaper regions of US where one faces limited career liquidity, few opportunities for rapid career advances, and limited new wealth creation in region (what new tech wealth or innovation has been created in past 10+ yrs in Seattle or Bos or Austin or anywhere else??)

BTW, doubt housing in ShortHills is any cheaper than PaloAlto area (land costs are perhaps higher in SH than in PortolaValley); NJ income taxes are roughly same as CA's; hard to value CA's nr-perfect weather/topography as it allows one to staycation as no need to "escape" snow/slush or heat/humidity/insects; much better quality, yet cheaper fresh produce in CA than anywhere else in US

Would argue PaloAlto region offers more local role models for anyone's ambitious kids as one is amongst most of world's highest achieving engineers and entrepreneurs, many of whom are originally from middle-income suburbs all over US (and from poor-middle income backgrounds in India) who likely immigrated to CA for college or grad school at Stanford/Berkeley (or immediately upon graduating from IL or CMU or MIT or Harvard)

Would consider renting in PaloAlto (upscale housing is depreciating and illiquid in PA region, as in rest of US' upscale regions): has most academically challenging public schools in world (largely reflecting intellectual offshoots of many high-achieving parents) and a diverse housing stock that is somehow afforded by many penniless Stanford grad students/jr faculty and recent grads...as well as tech billionaires...lots of high IQ yet economic diversity and upward mobility in PA which is arguably the epicenter of SV today, as it is both nr any major offices and nr homes of major SV decisionmakers, maximizing one's career networking opportunities (and making for rather trivial commute times)

[Nell Plotts]

+1

Although I believe that they can't go wrong academically in any of the districts I mentioned.

[FYI, my SIL teaches at 'Tino High, grandchildren are in Los Altos SD.]