Realistic to find an apartment in Campbell/Los Gatos/Saratoga area for <$1300/Mo? (San Jose: apartment complexes)

[moose_ika]

Hello there,
I am going to need to live on my own within the next year, and I would love to move, with my fiance, to NorCal. We currently live in South Pasadena and Pasadena, respectively. We don't have the best paying jobs right now, but hopefully our situation will change shortly.
Now, what I really want to know is if it would be realistic for us to expect to find an apartment that costs $1300 a month, or less?
TIA!

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by moose_ika

Hello there,
I am going to need to live on my own within the next year, and I would love to move, with my fiance, to NorCal. We currently live in South Pasadena and Pasadena, respectively. We don't have the best paying jobs right now, but hopefully our situation will change shortly.
Now, what I really want to know is if it would be realistic for us to expect to find an apartment that costs $1300 a month, or less?
TIA!

Yeah, it's realistic.
Los Gatos is a pretty town ... kinda snooty / high end but it has a nice feel.
And if you want to be on the ocean side of the hill, Santa Cruz county is similarly expensive.
If you're working in San Jose / Silicon Valley, Los Gatos would be preferable because you wouldn't need to do the brutal daily commute over HWY 17 but if that doesn't matter to you, you may find S.C. county a bit more enjoyable.
It's more diverse, "younger", the air is cleaner and you'll be near the ocean.

To get an idea of rental prices in Los Gatos, here :
Los Gatos - craigslist

and Santa Cruz county, here:
Santa Cruz county - craigslist

[sanjoserenter]

Hello Moose,
I thought this list would be helpful for u...

San Jose - Top 10 List of Apartments

They show the Top 10 Best Available Apartments (in San Jose):
Based on:

• Price vs. the Avg. Rent in San Jose
• Overall Look and Appeal
• Ammenities.

[mad mama]

hi , i used to live in the san jose area.
but i live in the santa cruz area now, cause i need help with paying rent,
living with family/ relatives, like many others are in this area of california.
most everyone here lives with other people to pay the high rents here.
san jose area you make more money, but the cost of living is high though here.
any rents under $1,000 a month for a studio or one bedroom,
you are probally going to here spanish music and that's a fact.
the rental market here in this area is very anul.
no pets, no smoking, no this, no that, no fun, plus except high deposits, even with great credit, everything is high here.
los gatos and saratoga is the beverly hills of the san jose area.
good luck trying to find anything for $1,300 there,
maybe renting someone's guest house or studio over there ?
the santa cruz area by the beach, has real high rents too.
$1,300 rent doesn't go far here, sorry !

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by sanjoserenter

Hello Moose,
I thought this list would be helpful for u...

San Jose - Top 10 List of Apartments

Beware, this. The alleged "#1" is cause for much concern.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by mad mama

any rents under $1,000 a month for a studio or one bedroom,
you are probally going to here spanish music and that's a fact.

Not true. I rent a studio for $850 in downtown San Jose in a cute, quiet, older building. I know someone else at work who rents a cute 1BR with her husband in a cute older building in a decent area just north of downtown SJ for $850.

Rents are still high but they have come down.

You can definitely find a decent 1BR for $1300 or less in the general area. But I'm not sure if that's true in Campbell/Los Gatos/Saratoga.

This area is full of large, cookie cutter, corporate run, apartment complexes. But if you avoid those, you can find reasonable deals.