buying a house in the Bay Area (Santa Clara, San Mateo: real estate, condo)

[scot925]

Looking to purchase my first home in the Bay Area. I'm looking at several different neighborhoods:-
Santa Clara, Palo Alto, Mountain View, San Mateo

Which one is the best? Is there any reason one should be better than another. Also, is there any good neighborhood that I should be considering?

[silverkris]

It would be helpful if you could describe your needs.

Number one - where is your work location? This is because commute traffic patterns can either be tolerable or drive you crazy.

Do you have school age children? School districts, good ones, will drive real estate values. If you don't have kids, there isn't a point to go to a community with top-rated public schools that will command a premium.

Another one - also very important - do you have a budget? As you may have heard, this area is among the most expensive housing markets around.

Are there any types of activities or lifestyles that you like?

[Heidi60]

These neighborhoods have been discussed in many other threads, which are easy to find.

You should provide enough information so other posters can reply such as what are trying to measure when you say "better"? Commute from where to where? Property taxes? Crime rates? Night spots? Shopping? Have you been in Mountain View long enough to visit the neighboring communities?

If you like the vibe, start checking out homes, but get prequalified as Palo Alto, for instance, has one of the highest COL in country.

[Wry_Martini]

Originally Posted by scot925

Looking to purchase my first home in the Bay Area. I'm looking at several different neighborhoods:-
Santa Clara, Palo Alto, Mountain View, San Mateo

Which one is the best? Is there any reason one should be better than another. Also, is there any good neighborhood that I should be considering?

Those aren't neighborhoods; you'll need to narrow your focus somewhat if you want recommendations.

You also haven't mentioned the factors that are important to you -- school districts, walkability, crime, proximity to amenities, public transportation, commute distance, etc.

[zombocom]

Man, you did not pick a good time, market just rebounded big time.

[Wry_Martini]

Originally Posted by zombocom

Man, you did not pick a good time, market just rebounded big time.

I was just telling family out-of-state that I'd be priced out of the market if I was trying to buy my condo right now!