Where to live with budget of $1.3M and good schools? (San Jose: 2014, homes)

[Local123]

Yes, childcare is insanely expensive here whether you go with a center or nanny. I have never actually known anyone who has lived in the LG Mountains. And if the point is just to say you live in LG it will be a fail because 95033 does not hold any cache at all. It's a pain in the butt to live there and I assume in no way convenient with kids. You are better off just sucking it up and living in SJ. Seriously SJ is really just fine. Look in Cambrian and Willow Glen. If schools are that important go private. That's cheaper than fighting over the 2 houses available in Palo Alto that 1000 people want.

[Sc49er]

Willow Glen high school is rated particularly poorly. Cambrian is an option. We are looking at the LG mountains because of the great schools (with a school bus for elementary and middle schools!) and it's simply beautiful up there! At our budget, no cachet aspirations whatsoever.

We can't afford private schools for 2 around here... don't want a parochial school and the independent school tuition starts at $40K for high school, that's crazy! I believe UC Berkeley costs less than that, for now at least!

[bobby_guz_man]

What about Rose Garden, Shasta-Hanchett, and College Park areas of San Jose? The homes there are around $1 - 2.5 million, should be OK. Schools should be pretty damn good I would hope--they are in West San Jose, after all.

[Sc49er]

Bobby, what zipcodes would those be? I am not sure how to identify these homes on MLS. I love some of the Rosegarden homes, they have so much character. The old growth trees give it such a nice neighborhood feel!

[bobby_guz_man]

Those would be 95128 and 95126. Those zip codes also contain parts of Fruitdale and Burbank neighborhoods, which are more working-class. When you search for them, you'll know which part of that zip code belongs to which neighborhoods (hint, price difference between Fruitdale and Rose Garden is about 1.5 million LOL).

If you can, try looking around the part of the neighborhoods that are close to the Alameda near Downtown San Jose. They're rebuilding that section of the road and in 2-3 years you will have your own charming little "neighborhood downtown"

[Sc49er]

Oh yes, I know the construction you are talking about! Thank you, I will check out those neighborhoods too.

[ColdAilment]

Sorry, off topic, the housing market out there is astronomical. I couldn't fathom buying a house at 1.3 million. In the midwest or the south that will easily buy you a small mansion.

[Local123]

Well all I will say is that the LG Mtn. housing prices are more reasonable for a reason. It's not ideal for families. You can bus your kids to school but everything else will be a gigantic pain in the butt (kids having friends over, sports, commute, proximity to restaurants, stores etc.). And this is why living here is a PIA...it's expensive no matter what. But realistically if SJ is good enough for Colin Kapernick and Navarro Bowman then it can't be all that bad. LOL

[Sc49er]

ColdAilment, I think that's a part of our retirement strategy! So much of our income here in the Bay Area is tied up in our homes that many of us are counting on it as a vital part of our retirement strategy.

Local123, I hear you! I guess it's a matter of what trade-offs one is willing to make, because only the ultra-rich can afford to have it all around here.

[bobby_guz_man]

Originally Posted by Local123

But realistically if SJ is good enough for Colin Kapernick and Navarro Bowman then it can't be all that bad. LOL

And Vernon Davis, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Aldon Smith