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Well, in that case... I think you'd do ok in Petaluma. As long as you are ok with a potential lull in your career should things at your job go south. I would be concerned about if your family could survive off just your husband's salary in that case, so I personally would build up a nice rainy day fund immediately after getting here. I wish I could help you regarding the real estate pricing- take a look at houses on Redfin to get a ballpark on how much your desired home would cost.
I'm not ok with a lull in my career - meaning, my work is what keeps me satisfied, and keeps me going. I think that if I didn't have that, i will get major depressed. I'm not career oriented and don't have desire to climb the ladder, but want to accomplish and learn, and motivated, with a balance towards my family.
Rainy day fund we can manage, and will do, because my hubby's salary will not be enough for our goals in life, such as traveling, fixing up house, and all the stuff that comes along with kids.
another question - heard due to the fires, that the home prices are overvalues (yeah nothing new as is the rest of the bay area overpriced), but this is due to fires, is it possible that the home prices in this area will plummet, once rebuilding has been done? Any speculations?
Curious why retire there, and not live there right now? Is it only due to jobs? or lack of in the area?
Where do people go when they want to get OUT of Petaluma. Day in and day out in any place gets boring, even when it has tons of things to do... so where to go. I'm not into the whole wine tasting thing - more about things to do for kids, etc. I'm a city girl, i like having tons of people nearby... or within close proximity. What is bothering me is that there is no good retail shopping in the area - the outlets suck! I'd rather be in a place like Walnut Creek or vicinity - but alas those housing prices are just not within reach!
My husband and I are nowhere near retirement but we simply like Petaluma. People have been very nice and it’s always been very easy to get to talking to people living in the community. For us, it’s just a great weekend getaway and we like to dine out—there’s some great food/bars there. For us, getting out of the immediate Bay Area once in a while for the slower pace, is a novelty.
I absolutely love living here in the East Bay (Lafayette), I really have a fabulous life here too. If you’re a city girl however, then Petaluma will probably be too far for day trips into more “happening” places.
It sounds like you might wanna reconsider the move if you’re already concerned about details that you’ve just mentioned.
My husband and I are nowhere near retirement but we simply like Petaluma. People have been very nice and it’s always been very easy to get to talking to people living in the community. For us, it’s just a great weekend getaway and we like to dine out—there’s some great food/bars there. For us, getting out of the immediate Bay Area once in a while for the slower pace, is a novelty.
I absolutely love living here in the East Bay (Lafayette), I really have a fabulous life here too. If you’re a city girl however, then Petaluma will probably be too far for day trips into more “happening” places.
It sounds like you might wanna reconsider the move if you’re already concerned about details that you’ve just mentioned.
Thank you. Being a city girl, i think You are saying I will have a hard time adjusting? I don’t mind the suburba, and in fact want to live there to have a home, yard, etc but i want it to be easy to get out of it, ie drive twenty minutes , or hop on a train ride. It seems like there is no such option there, as downtown petaluma isn’t that happening, and might get boring day and day out. Secondly, going more north isn’t much, and going south is marin county which to me also seems like more natural beauty and purely residential.
Am i missing anything?
If any families with kids living there what options for kids? Are there enough activities like gymnastics, and other classes? Is getting into these competitive, ie not enough options so always on waiting list?
Thank you. Being a city girl, i think You are saying I will have a hard time adjusting? I don’t mind the suburba, and in fact want to live there to have a home, yard, etc but i want it to be easy to get out of it, ie drive twenty minutes , or hop on a train ride. It seems like there is no such option there, as downtown petaluma isn’t that happening, and might get boring day and day out. Secondly, going more north isn’t much, and going south is marin county which to me also seems like more natural beauty and purely residential.
Am i missing anything?
If any families with kids living there what options for kids? Are there enough activities like gymnastics, and other classes? Is getting into these competitive, ie not enough options so always on waiting list?
I find Petaluma charming and fun (there's some good live music, decent restaurants, breweries and interesting remnants of a hippie culture that remain) but it is NOT suburbia (unless you're considering it suburban Santa Rosa...LOL). It's a small town that, due to traffic, attitudes and geography, is quite isolated from urban or even most suburban influences. To me, Novato is pretty much the end of Suburbia heading north. A 20-minute drive will get you to Novato (suburbia) or Rohnert Park (suburbia with a casino).
Petaluma does have a character all its own, though, which I enjoy. It's a nice, laid-back entry point to both Sonoma and Napa Wine Country. There's great hiking and camping around. The coast isn't super close (time-wise) but it is there and it's beautiful, if not really all that "beachy". Plus, as you note, it is more affordable than many other areas around there--due mainly to the fact that it's pretty isolated with respect to most getaways that aren't Wine Country specific.
That all said, a self-proclaimed "city girl" will likely hate it.
But isn’t east petaluma suburbia? When my husband went for a visit, he said it reminds him of Vallejo. He said the downtown is kinds small,and most likely we wont be able to afford a home in the west side.
"To know what life is worth you have to risk it once in a while" -Jean Paul Sartre
If you're able to carry your job with you, then I think you'll be totally fine. Petaluma is FANTASTIC. My husband and I often take weekend breaks there just ot get away from the heat of the the East Bay. There are some excellent places to eat and very cool bars with a very friendly, community vibe. The downtown area is charming and walkable and it's right along side a slow moving river. I don't think of it as super remote--mainly because it has everything you'd need--Target, Trader Joes...outlet mall--that kind of stuff. I like the interesting mix of people--you get the hipsters, the bikers, the families, the hippy types, the farmers, and the occasional wealthy wine snob types.
The whole Sonoma Coast and beautiful beaches and pastoral landscapes are all nearby. We always manage to meet people when we're in the bars and they all seem happy enough living there (we occasionally ponder retiring there later in life so we ask people).
Personally, I think you should always rent for a time to make sure this is where you want to put down roots.
renting is fine, but what if it doesn't pan out? Where do we go from there? There are very few places in bay area that have good schools and decent housing stock prices!
renting is fine, but what if it doesn't pan out? Where do we go from there? There are very few places in bay area that have good schools and decent housing stock prices!
I don't think anyone here can answer these questions for you. These are decisions only you and your family can make. Frankly, you sound like you're trying very hard to talk yourself out of moving so it's probably not a good idea to make this leap.
As for schools---children learn when their parents are involved and supportive. Your kids are very young and will learn everything they need to because the curriculum and standards for the state are all the same. I have four kids and all managed to know their colors, shapes, how to read, their A,B, C's and the term "good school", particularly at the elementary level, means very little.
Some thoughts based on your various posts... Petaluma is quaint, but the North Bay is the quietest part of the Bay Area. I would argue that Petaluma is the most interesting town in the North Bay (despite Santa Rosa's size and Napa's name recognition), but that is worth only so much if you want some urban amenities. I wouldn't bother looking further south to Novato, as that is a dull, sleepy suburb that makes Santa Rosa seem interesting.
Petaluma's location is challenging. Cross-town driving is difficult because Washington Street is the only east-west roadway for a large area. North-south driving is difficult because Highway 101 is narrow at just 2 lanes each way. There is a never-ending freeway widening project going on, but your kids might be high school graduates by the time it wraps up. Right now the freeway is gridlocked for a good share of the day, even on weekends. And when all is said and done, it'll just be 3 lanes each way, so don't get your hopes up. They aren't even bothering to build the frontage road all the way from Petaluma to Novato!
When I say Petaluma is charming, I'm referring to the west side of town. The east side, which is slightly more affordable but still expensive, looks like Anytown USA. It could be Vallejo or Riverside or Santa Maria... If you can only afford the east side of town, you won't like the move if you have the slightest aversion to suburbia.
Prices in the Bay Area are obscene. The October 2017 wildfire is still being felt in Santa Rosa. Petaluma is just far enough away that it wasn't hit hard from a pricing perspective. Petaluma is just a desirable place to be, which is why it's expensive.
I think you would be happier in the East Bay than the North Bay, and future job prospects would be better over there. Perhaps you could find a job that allows you to live in a town like Pleasant Hill. The East Bay has more to see and do, and Walnut Creek would be very close to you if you move to that area. Plus you'd be on a direct BART line if one of you ends up needing to commute to Oakland or San Francisco.
our budget is around $650 or $675. I didn't see much in west petauma for that price -- all in the east petaluma.
I live in the North Bay just next to Santa Rosa in Windsor. I know the county well and Petaluma is certainly part of our stomping ground. We enjoy restaurants, shopping and the overall vibe - as we do all of the quaint little towns in our region.
We have an extremely high quality of life in the North Bay but that's based on the fact that the majority of us have a deep appreciation for our open spaces, vineyards, ocean beaches, river trails, forests, small-town ambiance, mom/pop stores, wine/food culture, locally sourced products, stellar music scene, etc, etc. Most of us do not crave big city living whatsoever. Been there done that. I'm born and raised in Chicago and my husband and I moved down here from Seattle. If you yearn for a big urban scene, you may want to think about that.
Additionally, and not to discourage, but your price range will not yield much of a home - if anything. Petaluma is one of our most expensive housing markets in the County due to its close proximity to the Bay Area employment market. In general, inventory throughout the region is always quite low. As you move further south into the Bay prices will only get worse. And, in answer to your early question about post-fire pricing, we have seen slight adjustments but only because home prices shot up crazy high, as fire victims were scrambling to re-home after they suffered losses.
Have you visited here at all? Do you have a relationship with a realtor so you can receive home listings?
If you can, you should really tour the area extensively before making such a big decision..
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