Considering moving to San Jose from Chicago suburb (Sunnyvale, Santa Clara: real estate, apartment)

[nightfury]

Hello,

I have found similar threads on this forum but wanted some input based on my personal situation. I am considering moving to San Jose if I can secure a transfer with my company. The company is located right off 880 on E Trimble road. I think this is considered south bay? (I am visiting the area soon).

I am married, in my 30s, make around 75K in the Chicago suburbs and am living pretty comfortably. I plan to live on one income for now in case we decide to have kids in the near future. I own a 3BR house. If I move, I will rent out my house to avoid losing equity.

Let's assume my company gives me like 5K (total 80K) for cost of living adjustment (conservative) and some money to cover the move.

Here are my thoughts:

Pros of chicago - been here for almost 8 yrs so I know the city, good friends, own a house, good boss at work, low state income tax of 3%.

Cons of chicago - 4-6 months of bad weather.

Pros of moving - Good weather, explore a new city, perhaps more opportunities to grow career wise due to proximity of SV.

Cons of moving - Expensive, higher taxes that may increase, natural disasters maybe?, starting all over again, possibility of dealing with bad tenants who don't pay on time for my house (i will have friends checking on the house if something goes wrong).

Given my background, I was hoping to get some feedback on the above and had two questions:

1. How is milpitas for safety, restaurants, walking/biking? It is close to work and it looks like I should expect to spend between $1200 and $1500 for a 2 bed room apartment. Can anyone recommend other areas close to Trimble road off 880?

2. I have done some searches on realtor.com and I see single family homes listed between 200-350K that are comparable to chicago burbs. People on this forum have mentioned that housing is extremely expensive in San Jose, does this mean these houses are mostly located in bad neighborhoods or do people in CA just want the nicer things? I need a simple house. 1000-1200 sq ft with 1.5 ba is enough even if I have kids. For the first few years though, I will rent.

Any other feedback based on people who have made similar moves/been in similar situations will be appreciated. I am uncertain if it is worth taking a financial hit but I also don't want to freeze and shovel snow when I'm in my 40s and 50s. Thank you.

[coyoteskye]

I just want to give you a couple more links to increase your awareness regarding housing prices in Silicon Valley and specifically in Santa Clara County.

Santa Clara County Home Prices and Heat Map - Trulia.com

south bay area real estate - all classifieds - craigslist

[nightfury]

ok so most of the homes in the 200-250K range are manufactured homes

[nmguy]

I worked in Milpitas for over 30 years. Can you spell b-o-r-i-n-g? That's Milpitas.

[sonarrat]

I also work on E Trimble Road, as it turns out. It's an industrial quarter with a mix of high-tech companies, warehouses, a gas storage facility, and some heavy industry. The main route from Milpitas is Montague Expressway. It's a pain in the butt, especially during the holidays since it goes right past the Great Mall. That left turn onto Trimble takes an eternity, too.

The best way to approach that area is to come from the north on 101. Even as far away as Mountain View would be perfectly tolerable, as the commute normally moves at the speed limit. But you will have to increase your budget, even if you don't want to avoid a bad commute. Figure $500K minimum for a 40-50 year old house with 3 beds and 1 bath in a livable area.

[LexusNexus]

Great that you're visiting. Doubt very highly that you will like the feel of Milpitas when you visit, but it's a good place to start if transferring. You can always move later, once you get the feel of the place. Take a look at the Campbell area or even Sunnyvale while you're here. More of a commute, but worth a look.

Once you're here, and you find your niche, maybe you'd want to sell your house and buy one here in a good school district. Your equity will increase at a much higher rate than your home in suburban Chicago. Something to consider.

[krudmonk]

If you decide on Milpitas, stay near the hills.

[nightfury]

thanks for the responses. are any of these areas (sunnyvale, milpitas) such that you could walk to resturants, gyms, groceries or will i need to drive everywhere?

[nightfury]

oh and btw is 80K enough to live comfortably in a 2bd apt?

[sonarrat]

If you wanted to take public transit to E. Trimble, you'd want to be close to the light-rail. I live in the Evergreen district of San Jose, far from the train, and it takes me two hours to get to work if I don't use my car. And all of Santa Clara County is very spread out. You'd have to pick and choose a neighborhood close to the stores you like.