Areas to live near Mountain View (San Jose, Santa Clara: apartment, rentals, low crime)

[texasangel343]

My husband will likely be entertaining an offer from Google in the next few weeks. In the meantime I am searching around for areas that we would possibly move to. We are coming from Cedar Park, Texas (a small but growing suburb about 15 miles out of Austin, Texas). Median house price in our neighborhood is probably around the $250K range. While this is a very nice neighborhood (great schools, parks, family friendly, little to no crime) I know it is way below the Mountain View area. We aren't sure of salary, but it would have to be significantly more than what he is making now to make the move worth it. So, I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction! Here are some wants:

house under 400K

3+ bedrooms

2+ baths

1500+ sqft

good schools (8 year old and 1 year old)

family friendly

low crime

We would possibly want to rent (either a house or large apartment for a year or so until we got to know the area). Our monthly rent shouldn't exceed $3,000.

Any ideas on location around the Mountain View area?

Thanks in advance!

[jbunniii]

Originally Posted by texasangel343

My husband will likely be entertaining an offer from Google in the next few weeks. In the meantime I am searching around for areas that we would possibly move to. We are coming from Cedar Park, Texas (a small but growing suburb about 15 miles out of Austin, Texas). Median house price in our neighborhood is probably around the $250K range. While this is a very nice neighborhood (great schools, parks, family friendly, little to no crime) I know it is way below the Mountain View area. We aren't sure of salary, but it would have to be significantly more than what he is making now to make the move worth it. So, I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction! Here are some wants:

house under 400K

3+ bedrooms

2+ baths

1500+ sqft

good schools (8 year old and 1 year old)

family friendly

low crime

You will be lucky to find such a house in the vicinity of Mountain View for less than $800k. You won't find it for $400k anywhere in Silicon Valley, or indeed most of the Bay Area.

We would possibly want to rent (either a house or large apartment for a year or so until we got to know the area). Our monthly rent shouldn't exceed $3,000.

Any ideas on location around the Mountain View area?

Thanks in advance!

$3000 for monthly rent is feasible, but you probably won't find a 3br, 2bath, 1500+ square feet for that price in or near Mountain View. But if you look further south in San Jose or Santa Clara it should be possible.

[easybay]

We aren't sure of salary, but it would have to be significantly more than what he is making now to make the move worth it.

We moved here to San Jose from Houston 3 years ago, when houses were at the bottom of the market, and rented a townhome for $2800 in a decent area. We have no kids, so school wasn't a concern. It is a shock to move here from Texas - the COL is much higher - with the added bonus of state income tax. We made the move because it was a great career opportunity for DH and because our salary doubled. There is some really good discussions on salary/COL/moving on other posts - which can give you an idea of what to expect when you move here. One thread was for a salary of $65K and the other $150K. Check housing prices on RedFin - you aren't going to find a house under 800K in a good school district, and Craigslist for rentals. You will probably have to raise your rent to about $3500+ house in a good school district. Good Luck.....

[jaypee]

SF bay area apts/housing for rent classifieds - craigslist

[astarah]

In Mountain View, expect to pay $800-$1000 per square foot of house... and often this is with old bathrooms and kitchens from the 80s or earlier. On the plus side, your property tax won't go up. I think to afford MV, you'll need a family income of around 250k. If you decide to rent, be prepared to put aside at least 3.5k a month for a 2 bedroom 1200 sf house that looks old.

Its a shock when you first move here, but you get used to it. Mountain View is very pretty and green. No crazy hot days, no crazy cold days. Lots of fruit trees and birds everywhere.