Renting in Willow Glen/Cambrian Park/Campbell (San Jose, Santa Clara: extended stay, sale)

[crosscountrymove2016]

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone could shed some light on the rental market in Willow Glen, Cambrian Park, and Campbell. We are looking for a 3-4 bedroom home or town home, max rent being $4200 per month. It seems that there aren't a ton of rental houses available that are current when I look at the listings on sites like Zillow, etc. (in ANY price range, but obviously staying in our price range narrows it down even further).

Are rentals hard to come by? Is it a competitive market (i.e. do the rentals get snatched up really quickly or tend to sit on the market for a few weeks?).

Also, it seems like 99% of the rentals available say "no pets." Just wondering how strict this usually is. I would be surprised if no one could ever rent with a pet because, well, then where would people live? We have a 10lb maltipoo, who doesn't shed, is clean, and has been house trained for over 4 years...anyone know (in their experience) if we'd be able to have a pet at a place that advertises "no pets" (especially if we paid a pet deposit and/or extra rent). Starting to get worried we won't be able to find a place that allows us to bring our dog.

Also, anything else you have to share about the areas would be greatly appreciated! We are most likely moving from DC to the San Jose area for my husbands job in about a month and a half... all is happening very quickly as we also have a baby due in November! Very exciting but lots to think about. Any advice you have to offer would be amazing.

Thank you!

[neutrino78x]

Three bedroom tends to be a lot more expensive. And it is true that having a pet will limit your options, especially a dog. But you're really limiting your options by specifying the part of Silicon Valley where it has to be. I think this place is a good option. Three bedrooms, under your budget, and it says that dogs are allowed (this is also in Silicon Valley):

* 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath townhome in popular California Grove - pets ok!

This appears to be close to the light rail, which is good because it makes it easier to get around without a car.

Oh I forgot to put the usual disclaimer. Most people on the forum will say this (I don't agree):

Renting doesn't count as living. If someone thinks renting is acceptable, they are immature. Adults are past that point in life.

If someone can't afford to buy -- not rent -- a single family home, monolithic and detached, with five bedrooms and a huge yard, in an excellent school district, moving here would constitute living in poverty.

You should not move here unless you make at least 200k.

That's what a lot of people say, but I think it is stupid. Half the people in Silicon Valley are renters. There's nothing wrong with renting or having roommates. It's a normal thing in this area.

[mossly]

We moved to Cambrian (95124) last summer from the East Coast. Yes, it is a competitive market and yes, things move very quickly. This is true all over the Bay Area. It is a good place to live in a lot of ways, but I won't lie: securing housing here can be a stressful experience.

That said, your price range is completely reasonable for the neighborhood, so you should be able to find something. Make sure you're haunting Craigslist. In other places I've lived, Craigslist was just a supplement to other housing sites, but here it seems to be where most of the action happens.

As to the pets issue - because this market is so competitive, landlords can demand the moon and still have a pile of qualified applicants to choose from. So they unfortunately have no incentive to allow pets. That you are having trouble finding a pet-friendly rental is pretty typical here. But don't be afraid to ask, if you find a place that strikes your fancy. It's up to the individual landlord so it's hard to give a blanket statement about your chances of success, but it's definitely worth trying. If you can present a nice case about your dog and offer an extra deposit, you have a chance. You kind of just have to luck on to the right landlord.

For example. We found our rental house the first day it was listed on Craigslist. The landlord was planning to do an Open House the following weekend, but when we sent him our materials (application and paystubs along with printouts of our credit scores, did all the work for him) he was thrilled to have well-qualified applicants ready to go without having to bother with the hassle of an Open House. If we had asked him to bend on pets at that time, he may well have gone along with it because he already liked our package and just wanted to be done with renting the house out. But some landlords want to have the Open House no matter what, so they can compare applicants and pick whoever they deem to be the cream of the crop. If it's that kind of landlord, they're unlikely to budge.

And if it's any comfort, one of my siblings recently moved to Redwood City with 3 dogs (very little dogs, but still - 3 dogs!) and managed to find a nice rental house where they were allowed, for a reasonable price. It's harder, but those properties are out there. Often they're property owners who also love dogs. Often they're in mediocre school districts, which is not the case with Cambrian/Willow Glen, but is something you might be able to tolerate if you're still at the baby stage.

Anyway, good luck! We lived in Northern Virginia and Montgomery County, MD for many years. You're going to love the summer weather here in comparison.

[Moddedintegra56]

the nice areas like cambrian and willow glen dont really have too many rentals because people actually want to own and live in those areas.

youll most likely find rentals in less desireable parts of town or in more congested areas. there are plenty of rentals in said areas--most likely owned by the very people who keep their residence in the nice areas such as cambrian and willow glen. its crazy to hear your looking to look for a place to rent and willing to pay MAX of $4200 a month for RENT? wow. i wish i bought property in willow glen cambrian area back in mid-late 90s when they could still be had under $300K, now same places cost near 1mil. and as you can see i can easily rent it out for $4000+ and half of that money pay for a monthly mortgage for a mansion in the valley and the other half pay for the mortgage still left on the willow glen home.

[butercup]

Mossly gave great advice - one huge factor in finding what you want, where you want - will be how much time you will have to house hunt. If you live in an extended-stay hotel for a while and are patient, I think you'll have better luck. We did a similar search 3 years ago - wanted Willow Glen or Cambrian, with a dog and a cat - but we were in a mad rush, searched for a week, and ended up in Saratoga. Your budget is fine, and I second Mossly - our landlords had specified cat only, but liked us and our presentation of stuff, and let our big old Lab move in too. Welcome, and good luck!

[neutrino78x]

Originally Posted by Moddedintegra56

the nice areas like cambrian and willow glen dont really have too many rentals because people actually want to own and live in those areas.

Well, the free market obviously values that area. However, downtown San Jose is also very expensive, for the same reason. That place I linked by the Cottle light rail is about 4k/month, and it is more desirable because it is near light rail. Some would like it because it is also in the Oak Grove School District, which is considered good.

I like dense neighborhoods, so I would prefer downtown over Willow Glen. A two bedroom penthouse condo in downtown San Jose recently sold for 2.2 million dollars.

The San Jose Blog: Record Condo Sale in Downtown San Jose

[bobby_guz_man]

OP, is the place of work close to these neighborhoods you listed? The key to being happy here in the Bay Area is to live as close to your work as possible

[TheGreatCurve]

Originally Posted by crosscountrymove2016

Also, it seems like 99% of the rentals available say "no pets." Just wondering how strict this usually is. I would be surprised if no one could ever rent with a pet because, well, then where would people live? We have a 10lb maltipoo, who doesn't shed, is clean, and has been house trained for over 4 years...anyone know (in their experience) if we'd be able to have a pet at a place that advertises "no pets" (especially if we paid a pet deposit and/or extra rent). Starting to get worried we won't be able to find a place that allows us to bring our dog.

I think most people either buy their own homes or they get rid of their pets.

There are more single family homes than apartments in Willow Glen/Cambrian Park/Campbell and lots of long time residents so it may be harder to find something available to rent.

[crosscountrymove2016]

Thank you all for your insight. Thankfully, we have the ability to spend about a month in an extended stay place so that will help us find a place that's a good fit. We have also been looking at Santa Clara, Almaden, and parts of Santa Theresa. I was considering Milpitas but then read a bunch of stuff about the sewage treatment plant near there, so I think we've taken that off our list. I guess it just depends on what's available when we are looking. We are not super concerned with the commute time because coming from DC we are pretty used to sitting in traffic for hours. Are there any major traffic patterns or backups we should be aware of??

Again, any advice you have is greatly appreciated!

[thetrb]

A 3 BR for $4200 really shouldn't be too hard to find. Craigslist is your best bet. I'm currently living in a pretty big 3 BR in Santa Clara for $3300.