Land for family in warm weather (San Jose, Fresno: mobile home, buying, private school)

[eshankoty]

Hello All Gurus on this forum,

We are considering buying a very inexpensive piece of land or acreage not far from San Jose and wanted to pick your brains on where best to look. Where would one find inexpensive land around San Jose? We can go south a bit more - maybe 2 or 3 hours by car from San Jose as long as it is safe, hopefully with utilities and where we can get some acreage. We are a family and have kids so we have to consider safety and schools as well. The plan is to either move a mobile house there or build cabins and live sustainably for a while. We have no experience with desert life either. We wouldn't know how to handle a snake if we saw one. We can do some farming though. The warmer the weather the better for us. Thanks so much for you advice.

[vrhunski]

I recommend Merced or somewhere in that area.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by eshankoty

Hello All Gurus on this forum,

We are considering buying a very inexpensive piece of land or acreage not far from San Jose and wanted to pick your brains on where best to look. Where would one find inexpensive land around San Jose? We can go south a bit more - maybe 2 or 3 hours by car from San Jose as long as it is safe, hopefully with utilities and where we can get some acreage. We are a family and have kids so we have to consider safety and schools as well. The plan is to either move a mobile house there or build cabins and live sustainably for a while. We have no experience with desert life either. We wouldn't know how to handle a snake if we saw one. We can do some farming though. The warmer the weather the better for us. Thanks so much for you advice.

Sounds like a fantasy that only exists in a dream state. Perhaps the Santa Cruz Mountains may have something to offer, but good schools are your real barrier to affordability anywhere in the region. Salinas, maybe?

[roadwarrior101]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

Sounds like a fantasy that only exists in a dream state. Perhaps the Santa Cruz Mountains may have something to offer, but good schools are your real barrier to affordability anywhere in the region. Salinas, maybe?

Salinas isn't warm and it doesn't have good schools.

Parts of the Fresno area may fit the bill, maybe around Clovis?

[eshankoty]

Thanks for the tips I am looking everywhere. I know it's a bit of fantasy. But we can cut a few corners. Safety and schools are important. I can work from home with no problem though. So that's on the good side. I'll keep looking and let you know if I hit something interesting. Thanks.
E

[OrangeSunset]

Not sure what you mean by inexpensive but in the bay area I would take a look in Sunol. Here is something I found doing a quick search:
900 Kilkare Road, Sunol CA - Trulia

Same with Pleasant Hill:
Pleasant Hill Road, Lafayette CA - Trulia

And Morgan Hill:
Oak Glen Avenue, Morgan Hill CA - Trulia

Gilroy, it is a bit further from the bay area but schools are hit and miss there:
10374 Duke Drive, Gilroy CA - Trulia

Even further I like Jamestown, Sonora, Oakhurst, Angel Camp but there areas are located in the Sierras so that means cold winters and snow. If you want something in lower elevation (no snow) I suggest areas outside Sacramento. The area along HWY 99 in the Central Valley might be a good place to start your research. Check schools here:
GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community

And here:
School Ranking/Ratings Maps for each City/Region in California

[WeakandDizzy]

Originally Posted by OrangeSunset

Not sure what you mean by inexpensive but in the bay area I would take a look in Sunol. Here is something I found doing a quick search:
900 Kilkare Road, Sunol CA - Trulia

Same with Pleasant Hill:
Pleasant Hill Road, Lafayette CA - Trulia

And Morgan Hill:
Oak Glen Avenue, Morgan Hill CA - Trulia

Gilroy, it is a bit further from the bay area but schools are hit and miss there:
10374 Duke Drive, Gilroy CA - Trulia

Even further I like Jamestown, Sonora, Oakhurst, Angel Camp but there areas are located in the Sierras so that means cold winters and snow. If you want something in lower elevation (no snow) I suggest areas outside Sacramento. The area along HWY 99 in the Central Valley might be a good place to start your research. Check schools here:
GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community

And here:
School Ranking/Ratings Maps for each City/Region in California

He says he wants to move a mobile home or build cabins on the property and grow his own food, etc. I suspect all of these parcels will have some sort of restriction on them concerning the type of home and the activities that occur on the property, eg. you can have a small barn, a horse or two, maybe a few goats but not a true farm. I would look for parcels that are zoned agricultural not residential. Also he has to consider the available water. It would be very expensive trying to run a small farming operation on city water. On the other hand several of these lots may not have sufficient well water flows to support a small farm. He is probably looking down towards Hollister, San Juan Bautista, Aromas, Watsonville or out in the Central Valley ( Tracy, Patterson, Los Banos, etc.). Best of luck.

[OrangeSunset]

Originally Posted by WeakandDizzy

He says he wants to move a mobile home or build cabins on the property and grow his own food, etc. I suspect all of these parcels will have some sort of restriction on them concerning the type of home and the activities that occur on the property, eg. you can have a small barn, a horse or two, maybe a few goats but not a true farm. I would look for parcels that are zoned agricultural not residential. Also he has to consider the available water. It would be very expensive trying to run a small farming operation on city water. On the other hand several of these lots may not have sufficient well water flows to support a small farm. He is probably looking down towards Hollister, San Juan Bautista, Aromas, Watsonville or out in the Central Valley ( Tracy, Patterson, Los Banos, etc.). Best of luck.

I thought California has Right to Farm law which allows anyone to grow food and raise animals even in an urban setting...I believe that if they are planning to farm for personal consumption and not for commercial purpose I think there are even less restrictions. The biggest restriction would be the trailer or mobile home though. In any case, here is an urban agricultural example in CA that has been around for quite some time: About the Urban Homestead city farm | The Urban Homestead® - A City Farm, Sustainable Living & Resource Center, A Path to Freedom towards Self-Sufficiency