Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

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swimo0402
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Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by swimo0402 »

Hello,

We are planning to move to the Bay Area in <6 months with plans to visit in November. After speaking with family who previously lived in the area, friends currently living there, and reading prior threads, we have a general idea of where to live. But we'd like to hear some more opinions!

The current plan is to rent for 1-2 years allowing us to acclimate to the area and then consider a home purchase. We aren't omitting the idea of home ownership as we have 15% for a down payment (wipes out our EF and includes a figure we would receive from selling (net of tax) our current home) assuming we go for a $1-1.2m home. Parents will gift us money to avoid PMI making us whole. But the preference would be to rent first.

About us:
DH (32), DW (31), expecting child, and a dog
Total Household Income: $370k base. RSU's and ST cash bonus will be put into savings

Work location:
San Rafael (WFH 1-2x week), Remote (Spouse)

Debt:
Student loan 90k @ 5.2% average
Car loan 45k @ 0%
Mortgage 540k @ 2.5%, 30 year (planning to sell and should net positive)

Rent budget: 4-6k

Needs and wants near our new residence:
Safe (DW takes our dog out frequently for walks)
<=45 minute one-way commute to the office
Otherwise, we are fine to drive to where we need to go. But if it's in walking distance, great!

Locations being considered:
BH suggestions!, Emeryville, Berkeley, and Albany (if there are specific zip codes to look into, please share!)
*Including Marin as we didn't originally include this as a choice to live.

Question: Based on what you see, would you agree with the areas identified, or have we missed some gems?

If any additional information is needed, please let me know and I can update accordingly. Thank you in advance! :happy
Last edited by swimo0402 on Sat Oct 23, 2021 7:06 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Beensabu
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by Beensabu »

With your budget, why don't you just rent in a nicer neighborhood in San Rafael and cut the long commute entirely?
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muffins14
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by muffins14 »

Are you considering San Francisco? From your title vs your post text it is not clear. Which neighborhoods in SF are within your commute threshold?
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Carefreeap
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by Carefreeap »

swimo0402 wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 1:03 pm

Work location:
San Rafael (WFH 1-2x week), Remote (Spouse)



Locations being considered:
BH suggestions!, Emeryville, Berkeley, and Albany (if there are specific zip codes to look into, please share!)

Question: Based on what you see, would you agree with the areas identified, or have we missed some gems?

If any additional information is needed, please let me know and I can update accordingly. Thank you in advance! :happy
Those aren't great locations for a commute. I'd recommend not commuting over a bridge unless you absolutely have to.

San Rafael and Novato starter homes will fit your stated price range but I think you can afford something nicer once you sell your home.

Good luck!
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cbs2002
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by cbs2002 »

Obligatory commute time of 1-2 hrs/day will get old real fast once you start a family. Time is the most precious asset. I looked at a Bay area relocation a couple years ago (didn't) and the commute across the bridges seemed like something to avoid if you could afford to live close to work. You can, so that's the advice I'll give. And also pay off those student loans ASAP.

You don't provide a NW number. I wouldn't rush to buy a house. Making that kind of income at your age you have a huge opportunity to max out all your investment options with money that will sit and work for you for 20-30 years. One thing we do not regret at all is having a big chunk in investment accounts before we had children, which is now a much larger chunk. We would not have had that if we had to drop 2-300K on a down payment.
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by tennisplyr »

You may want to join this forum.

www.city-data.com/forum
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123
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by 123 »

If the work location is San Rafael probably a home location there, or elsewhere in Marin County would be the most convenient. Having to cross a bridge to get places in the Bay Area can be costly and time-consuming. Currently most bridge tolls (only paid one-way) at $6 on most bridges except for the Golden Gate Bridge where toll is $8.05 (all rates based on paying with FasTrak device). The area population has increased greatly since the existing bridges (and their approaches) were designed. There are not any alternate routes that avoid the bridges so any accident on a bridge can bring things to a standstill for potentially a considerable period of time.

There are some passenger ferries but the schedules and routes are designed for those working in downtown San Francisco.
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Californiastate
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by Californiastate »

Stay in the North Bay. I don't particularly like Albany, Emeryville or Berkeley. I'd like a house high in the Berkeley hills but that's out of your price range and the commute wouldn't be fun. I personally would stay in Marin.
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by quadog »

If you’re intent on living in SF and working in San Rafael with a 45 minute commute there is only one way to realistically do this. It requires not crossing a bridge. Find a condo in the South Beach neighborhood. This is within biking or walking distance of the Ferry Building. Take a the ferry over to San Rafael and back. Do some work along the way.

But yeah, the city is notoriously not family friendly. You may want to look up in Marin. At least as a comparison.
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celia
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by celia »

The bridges could ‘disappear’ the next time there is a big earthquake. Not only are we over-due for the BIG ONE, but it is time for the big one after that!

You also should take air quality into account. This year was rough with the wild fires polluting the air.

Those are 2 good reasons you should live close to work.


Welcome to the Golden State, where state income taxes, gas taxes, and house prices are very high!
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by cchrissyy »

Emeryville, Berkeley, and Albany (
these are good places to live!

but if you work in the north bay, the logistics of daily life will be much easier if you live in the north bay.

i agree with the suggestion to rename your thread if you are not actually moving to SF. you'll probably attract more local advice with "bay area" since around here we don't say SF or "the city" unless we really mean that city.
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by RetiredAL »

OP -- Unless your company is offering chartered bus service from the Berkeley side, stay on the San Rafael side of the bay and look into communities along the SMART system.
nalor511
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by nalor511 »

The north Bay is a weird microcosm with little transit, lots of traffic in every direction, and expensive prices. Rent in San Rafael, Fairfax, or Novato. Do not cross a bridge unless you have to. Do not ever live across a bridge unless you want a headache every day. Yuck, just thinking about it. Get a really good air filter/purifier. Make sure you have AC for days you cannot open the window (fires). Make sure you are not in a flood zone. Have fun
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by MarkRoulo »

nalor511 wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 6:05 pm The north Bay is a weird microcosm with little transit, lots of traffic in every direction, and expensive prices. Rent in San Rafael, Fairfax, or Novato. Do not cross a bridge unless you have to. Do not ever live across a bridge unless you want a headache every day. Yuck, just thinking about it. Get a really good air filter/purifier. Make sure you have AC for days you cannot open the window (fires). Make sure you are not in a flood zone. Have fun
Yes.

I'll 3rd this recommendation.

I purchased two Coway Airmega 300s this spring in anticipation of fall fires (and air quality). This was a pretty mild fire season, but we still used these for about seven days. If we had owned them last year we probably would have used them for 30 days in 2020.

Try hard to live near work. Renting in San Rafael for a year seems like a really good idea while you get used to the area and form your own opinion about where you want to live and how much of a commute you are willing to tolerate.
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swimo0402
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by swimo0402 »

Beensabu wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:08 pm With your budget, why don't you just rent in a nicer neighborhood in San Rafael and cut the long commute entirely?
This option is definitely on the table! We were thinking it would be fun to live close to the city for a period. Having done a similar commute before, I rationalized that it would be fine in a new city. But I'm glad to see that everyone mostly disagrees with this thought and putting some sense back into me :happy
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swimo0402
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by swimo0402 »

muffins14 wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:13 pm Are you considering San Francisco? From your title vs your post text it is not clear. Which neighborhoods in SF are within your commute threshold?
Thank you for the clarifying this - just fixed it in the title and body text. Hopefully that clears it up! Living in SF itself is not desirable for us which made us look in the East bay area (hopefully I'm using that term right for Emeryville, Berkeley, and Albany). With the built in assumption that commuting would be ok.
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swimo0402
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by swimo0402 »

Carefreeap wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:22 pm
swimo0402 wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 1:03 pm
Locations being considered:
BH suggestions!, Emeryville, Berkeley, and Albany (if there are specific zip codes to look into, please share!)

Those aren't great locations for a commute. I'd recommend not commuting over a bridge unless you absolutely have to.

San Rafael and Novato starter homes will fit your stated price range but I think you can afford something nicer once you sell your home.

Good luck!
Did not consider Novato. Will look into this, thank you!
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by nalor511 »

swimo0402 wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 6:16 pm
Beensabu wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:08 pm With your budget, why don't you just rent in a nicer neighborhood in San Rafael and cut the long commute entirely?
This option is definitely on the table! We were thinking it would be fun to live close to the city for a period. Having done a similar commute before, I rationalized that it would be fine in a new city. But I'm glad to see that everyone mostly disagrees with this thought and putting some sense back into me :happy
You couldn't pay me to commute from SF (or even Sausalito) to Terra Linda
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swimo0402
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by swimo0402 »

tennisplyr wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:41 pm You may want to join this forum.

www.city-data.com/forum
This is awesome! Thank you for the solid resource.
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swimo0402
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by swimo0402 »

123 wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:48 pm If the work location is San Rafael probably a home location there, or elsewhere in Marin County would be the most convenient. Having to cross a bridge to get places in the Bay Area can be costly and time-consuming. Currently most bridge tolls (only paid one-way) at $6 on most bridges except for the Golden Gate Bridge where toll is $8.05 (all rates based on paying with FasTrak device). The area population has increased greatly since the existing bridges (and their approaches) were designed. There are not any alternate routes that avoid the bridges so any accident on a bridge can bring things to a standstill for potentially a considerable period of time.

There are some passenger ferries but the schedules and routes are designed for those working in downtown San Francisco.
Thanks for pointing out the tolls and putting a number to them. Certainly helps in calculating our monthly expenses. And I'm sure the commute time that I'm seeing today will be much more different once offices reopen if the traffic hasn't already come back to normal levels.
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swimo0402
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by swimo0402 »

Californiastate wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 4:33 pm Stay in the North Bay. I don't particularly like Albany, Emeryville or Berkeley. I'd like a house high in the Berkeley hills but that's out of your price range and the commute wouldn't be fun. I personally would stay in Marin.
Out of curiosity and my own reference for later when we are there, is there anything in particular that you could point out in regards to your dislike to those areas?
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swimo0402
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by swimo0402 »

quadog wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 5:25 pm If you’re intent on living in SF and working in San Rafael with a 45 minute commute there is only one way to realistically do this. It requires not crossing a bridge. Find a condo in the South Beach neighborhood. This is within biking or walking distance of the Ferry Building. Take a the ferry over to San Rafael and back. Do some work along the way.

But yeah, the city is notoriously not family friendly. You may want to look up in Marin. At least as a comparison.
Yeah, that was a typo to include SF (apologies). However, I do appreciate the insight and the comment about the city not being family friendly. If it's anything like the concrete jungle in NY, we would not like it at all (especially our dog!).
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swimo0402
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by swimo0402 »

celia wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 5:44 pm The bridges could ‘disappear’ the next time there is a big earthquake. Not only are we over-due for the BIG ONE, but it is time for the big one after that!

You also should take air quality into account. This year was rough with the wild fires polluting the air.

Those are 2 good reasons you should live close to work.


Welcome to the Golden State, where state income taxes, gas taxes, and house prices are very high!
Haha. Appreciate the warm welcome! :sharebeer And for also re-confirming my initial thoughts about the earthquake and wild fires. I did have concerns that if something were to happen, that we would not be in close proximity to reconnect.
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swimo0402
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by swimo0402 »

cchrissyy wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 5:52 pm
Emeryville, Berkeley, and Albany (
these are good places to live!

but if you work in the north bay, the logistics of daily life will be much easier if you live in the north bay.

i agree with the suggestion to rename your thread if you are not actually moving to SF. you'll probably attract more local advice with "bay area" since around here we don't say SF or "the city" unless we really mean that city.
Thank you - Just retitled and removed SF text. And noted about "the city"! And seeing most if not all the comments thus far have been telling us to stay near work makes it an easier decision for us to look in the marin area.
Last edited by swimo0402 on Sat Oct 23, 2021 6:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by ClaycordJCA »

I recommend spending several nights in the East Bay when you visit in November. Take the opportunity to make a couple of trial commutes from Emeryville, Berkeley, etc. at the time you commute. Realize that your commute will take up to twice as much time when it rains. If your employer offers a flexible work schedule, you can spend a lot less time in traffic if you have a very early or later start time. Only you and your spouse will know whether the (generally) lower prices in the East Bay when compared to San Francisco and Marin are worth the time it will take you you commute.

If you want to live in San Francisco proper, the best (and very expensive) neighborhood for commuting to Marin County would be the Marina District. Easy access to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Commuting using mass transit (ferry or bus to/from SF or the SMART train between Larkspur and Santa Rosa) might be an alternative depending upon your office location. The SF ferries go to and from Sausalito or Larkspur, so you will need to determine how you would get from the ferry terminal and bus or train station to the office.

I am an East Bay guy, so I can’t offer much in the way of recommendations for places to live in Marin or Sonoma counties. The further you are from SF, the lower the price. Former colleagues enjoyed living in San Rafael, a college friend bought a home in Santa Rosa and expects to retire there. If you don’t mind being car dependent, the East Bay Hills (Berkeley, El Cerrito) are very nice and safe. I also very much like the Solano Avenue/North Berkeley area.
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swimo0402
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by swimo0402 »

RetiredAL wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 6:02 pm OP -- Unless your company is offering chartered bus service from the Berkeley side, stay on the San Rafael side of the bay and look into communities along the SMART system.
Just googled what the SMART system is - thank you for the advice on this as it definitely looks like something we would use. And no chartered bus here :( ..which makes all the more reason to stay near work!
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swimo0402
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by swimo0402 »

nalor511 wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 6:05 pm The north Bay is a weird microcosm with little transit, lots of traffic in every direction, and expensive prices. Rent in San Rafael, Fairfax, or Novato. Do not cross a bridge unless you have to. Do not ever live across a bridge unless you want a headache every day. Yuck, just thinking about it. Get a really good air filter/purifier. Make sure you have AC for days you cannot open the window (fires). Make sure you are not in a flood zone. Have fun
We just started to look into Novato - I read somewhere on BH that Fairfax is an older community, is that true? We'd like to be situated where we could meet similar aged couples and have some things to do in the local area we're in.
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swimo0402
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by swimo0402 »

MarkRoulo wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 6:13 pm
nalor511 wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 6:05 pm The north Bay is a weird microcosm with little transit, lots of traffic in every direction, and expensive prices. Rent in San Rafael, Fairfax, or Novato. Do not cross a bridge unless you have to. Do not ever live across a bridge unless you want a headache every day. Yuck, just thinking about it. Get a really good air filter/purifier. Make sure you have AC for days you cannot open the window (fires). Make sure you are not in a flood zone. Have fun
Yes.

I'll 3rd this recommendation.

I purchased two Coway Airmega 300s this spring in anticipation of fall fires (and air quality). This was a pretty mild fire season, but we still used these for about seven days. If we had owned them last year we probably would have used them for 30 days in 2020.

Try hard to live near work. Renting in San Rafael for a year seems like a really good idea while you get used to the area and form your own opinion about where you want to live and how much of a commute you are willing to tolerate.
Got it. Perhaps there will be some good deals over the holiday season coming up. Just saw the price on those Coways :shock: but for our health, probably a good investment!
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swimo0402
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Re: Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by swimo0402 »

ClaycordJCA wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 6:49 pm I recommend spending several nights in the East Bay when you visit in November. Take the opportunity to make a couple of trial commutes from Emeryville, Berkeley, etc. at the time you commute. Realize that your commute will take up to twice as much time when it rains. If your employer offers a flexible work schedule, you can spend a lot less time in traffic if you have a very early or later start time. Only you and your spouse will know whether the (generally) lower prices in the East Bay when compared to San Francisco and Marin are worth the time it will take you you commute.

If you want to live in San Francisco proper, the best (and very expensive) neighborhood for commuting to Marin County would be the Marina District. Easy access to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Commuting using mass transit (ferry or bus to/from SF or the SMART train between Larkspur and Santa Rosa) might be an alternative depending upon your office location. The SF ferries go to and from Sausalito or Larkspur, so you will need to determine how you would get from the ferry terminal and bus or train station to the office.

I am an East Bay guy, so I can’t offer much in the way of recommendations for places to live in Marin or Sonoma counties. The further you are from SF, the lower the price. Former colleagues enjoyed living in San Rafael, a college friend bought a home in Santa Rosa and expects to retire there. If you don’t mind being car dependent, the East Bay Hills (Berkeley, El Cerrito) are very nice and safe. I also very much like the Solano Avenue/North Berkeley area.
Thank you for sharing your personal insights as well those of your friends and colleagues. This is very helpful for us :happy
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Re: Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by Ron Ronnerson »

I live in the East Bay and agree with the others who are advising you to stay in the North Bay and not deal with a bridge. While it's not too far in terms of miles between the towns you're considering and San Rafael, you should also do measurements for the time it takes and stress it causes. Especially with a baby on the way, you want to set yourself up to have time and minimize stress.

With your income, you should be able to save up for a house but it may take a few years. Be patient as there is nothing wrong with renting for a little bit while you get used to your surroundings, figure out exactly where you'd like to live, and save up for a down payment.

If you think you'll be in California for a while, it can be a good strategic play to buy a house you'll stay in for a long while. Prop 13 keeps your property taxes steady and are based on the purchase price of the home. So your property taxes barely change from year to year regardless of how much the property goes up in value. If you move to another home in the state after age 55, you can keep your property tax base with you. Also, the transaction costs involved in the process of buying and selling properties with a seven-figure value can be high. Additionally, California is a non-recourse state so that skews things in favor of big loans rather than large down payments (especially while interest rates are low). I'd put down enough to avoid having to pay PMI and take out a 30-year loan and pay it off as slowly as possible if the interest rate is good.
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Re: Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by ccompounder »

We moved to Bay Area with family, having never lived in the USA before. We rented in a nice neighborhood in Novato.

I concur with other posters, commuting from Novato or even Santa Rosa to San Rafael is definitely better than crossing bridges. Keep the bridges for your weekend family outings, then you can enjoy the ride!
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Re: Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by 123 »

It's fine to rent in San Rafael if you work locally until you figure things out.

San Rafael has limited employment opportunities for many professions, so many residents work for companies based in San Francisco or other parts of the Bay Area. Before you buy a house you'll have to consider what you longer term career path may be. Technology opportunities abound in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Commuting from San Rafael to San Francisco on a limited basis might be tolerable. If you fall under the spell of Silicon Valley a commute from San Rafael is 2 hours+ each way. Think carefully before you allow your roots to grow too deep.
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by Californiastate »

swimo0402 wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 6:37 pm
Californiastate wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 4:33 pm Stay in the North Bay. I don't particularly like Albany, Emeryville or Berkeley. I'd like a house high in the Berkeley hills but that's out of your price range and the commute wouldn't be fun. I personally would stay in Marin.
Out of curiosity and my own reference for later when we are there, is there anything in particular that you could point out in regards to your dislike to those areas?
It's too urban to my liking. Marin will be much nicer if you can afford it.
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Re: Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by maniminto »

There are several safe & attractive communities in Marin county that would be closer to your work. Going north on 101 those would be Sausalito, Mill Valley, Corte Madera/Larkspur, San Rafael itself and then Novato. There are also cities of San Anselmo, Greenbrae and Fairfax that are an easy commute to San Rafael and very safe.
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Re: Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by sfnerd »

I agree with the other posters here saying to avoid the bridge, but with the caveat that from SF it might not be bad (you would be going in the opposite direction of traffic).

However, given that you don't want to live in the city, Marin, San Rafael, Novato, etc. will probably be your best bet. The commute from East Bay isn't terrible, but can sometimes get bad around holidays and stuff.

Before you buy, make sure you feel like you'll be with your company for several years (as much as it's possible). When I lived in SF I knew TONS of people who had purchased in the north or east and now had to travel south, and vice versa. They were all pretty miserable.

Good luck. The Bay Area is absolutely wonderful, and I hope you love it as much as we did.

BTW if you enjoy hiking, check out http://bahiker.com for great hikes.
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Re: Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by Jazztonight »

I didn't read through all the replies, but I've lived in the Bay Area more than half my life, mostly in the Oakland Hills and now near Lake Merritt.

Here's my advice: You're young, but the traffic will kill you! If your main employment is in San Rafael, find a place within a 15 minute drive to San Rafael. Period. You will not get a lot of house for your money, but that's secondary. If you have children, think of the school system, Housing is very expensive around here, so be prepared to bite the bullet.

Good luck to you. The weather/climate in the Bay Area is what has kept me here. We sold a very big house in the east coast and were able to get a small house here. Over 35+ years we traded up to a fixer-upper bigger house, then a large co-op apt. where we live now. Schools were not an issue (grown kids). But for 5-7 years I had to commute one day a week to Marin. Yuk. (btw, the BART does not go to Marin).
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by BogleFan510 »

swimo0402 wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 6:16 pm
Beensabu wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:08 pm With your budget, why don't you just rent in a nicer neighborhood in San Rafael and cut the long commute entirely?
This option is definitely on the table! We were thinking it would be fun to live close to the city for a period. Having done a similar commute before, I rationalized that it would be fine in a new city. But I'm glad to see that everyone mostly disagrees with this thought and putting some sense back into me :happy
Play in the city on weekends. Recommend living near your work. Come hiking in the East Bay, Over 80 regional parks like Tilden and Redwoods. Enjoy the changes.
viveks
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Re: Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by viveks »

Many great recommendations particularly avoiding the bridge during the commute.

Closest to San Francisco would be Sausalito. Other places like Mill Valley and Corte Madera are also great options.
vested1
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Re: Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by vested1 »

I've worked in every one of the cities mentioned. If I were working in San Rafael I would choose Petaluma as a home base. It's 26 minutes north of San Rafael according to Google Maps, and is from my experience less frenetic. The nearby hills are nice and the people are generally friendly. As far as Sausalito or Mill Valley, those are nice as well as quirky, in a good way, but bring your wallet. 1.2 million may not get you what you want, especially in Sausalito.

Other comments on bridge tolls are accurate, but leave out the fact that FastTrac is the only way to go because there is no option to pay in cash. Your car is traced by the installed cameras at the former kiosks and you will be receiving a bill in the mail for around $15 for not paying the toll, and trying to fight that charge is not an option. The charge may be higher now, as my last time through a toll without a FastTrac was years ago. Also, it doesn't work to move the FastTrac device to a different car, as they are linked by license number.

Lastly, gas prices are high in California and even higher as you get nearer San Francisco. I would gas up in Petaluma, rather than San Rafael to save 30 cents or so a gallon. Better yet, take the train for the best commute, which adds 10 minutes as compared to getting there by car in off hours traffic. If you're driving during rush hour driving either direction add quite a bit of time to the commute.

https://www.gasbuddy.com/gasprices/cali ... san-rafael

https://www.gasbuddy.com/gasprices/california/petaluma

https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Petaluma/San-Rafael
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swimo0402
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Re: Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by swimo0402 »

Thank you everyone for the wonderful advice and sharing links!

We have more or less zeroed in on Corte Madera and the surrounding area. DW would prefer to be closer to the city for church and food/grocery (Asian) purposes. And the proximity to work as well as day to day seem to be the most optimal for us.

I'll look to update the group after we come back from our trip! :D

Hope everyone is safe and well with this crazy weather in the meantime.
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swimo0402
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Re: Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by swimo0402 »

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and comments. We had a lovely time and enjoyed exploring the area.

We settled on Corte Madera/Sausalito (just depends who we choose to lease from at this point :happy ).
Tribonian
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Re: Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by Tribonian »

May you find a home that exceeds your expectations. Welcome to California!
expat
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Re: Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by expat »

Why would you build in a commute when you can just live near your job especially when your job is in a nice place?
RickyAZ
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Re: Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by RickyAZ »

Avoid the bridges at all costs. Keep the commute short
Corte Madera/ Greenbrae are close to the Larkspur ferry and make trips into SF a breeze for your wife (non rush hour).
Miss the cycling up there. Always delightful
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noraz123
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Re: Relocating to San Francisco - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by noraz123 »

Californiastate wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 4:33 pm Stay in the North Bay. I don't particularly like Albany, Emeryville or Berkeley. I'd like a house high in the Berkeley hills but that's out of your price range and the commute wouldn't be fun. I personally would stay in Marin.
I agree - stay in the North Bay. It's a great place, and will keep your commute to a minimum.
Dyloot
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Re: Relocating to Bay Area - Where to live (Rent)?

Post by Dyloot »

swimo0402 wrote: Thu Nov 11, 2021 3:27 pm Thanks everyone for the suggestions and comments. We had a lovely time and enjoyed exploring the area.

We settled on Corte Madera/Sausalito (just depends who we choose to lease from at this point :happy ).
Welcome to the North Bay! You can spend years exploring Marin. The entire Mt. Tam area is just a massive network of trails. Pt. Reyes is a fairly quick drive through Fairfax. The City is 20 minutes away. The Wine Country is 40 minutes away.

I’d recommend being a tourist and enjoying it all. As a new parent, you’ll have endless places to take your kid.
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