All,
I am looking for a place near by work (point 1). I found the following locations, but not very familiar with the areas at all. I need some help from you local folks to tell me where are the good areas and where to avoid. Crime rate, school district etc info would be very helpful as well. Thanks in advance!

 

I live pretty close to "2" on your map. Nice area, low crime, fairly quiet, close to stuff like grocery stores, decent restaurants, etc.

Not sure about schools, I don't have any rugrats

Depending on what time you commute, I would expect a 10-15 minute commute from "2" to "1" during rush hour and under 10 minutes during non-rush hour.

 

thanks for your reply!

I don't have any myself , but that often give a little inside of what the area is like.
I could live with that! My commute is 1+ hour right now.

 

you can always request crime rate reports and property value assessments from the cities. that may be a more accurate route to take

 

hmmmm.... good point! thanks for the tip!

 

ttt

 

I live pretty close to 1. pretty much bowers/monroe. the area is pretty nice and quiet. My friend lives in the area too for the last six years and no problems.

schools, not sure... daughter is only 2. hopefully when she starts grade school, we'll be in los altos.

what are you looking for? buy/rent? etc.

 

Looks like you're right at nVidia. Santa Clara in general is pretty safe and quiet. If you're able to find a place any where in Santa Clara, you should be within 15 minutes of commute time to work.

 

i live near 13. good schools, as i went to schools in the area since second grade. also there are quite a few schools around here. i have never had any problems with crime. my neighborhood(chynoweth/snell/blossom hill) is nice and quiet. nobody drives really fast, lots of kids playing outside. there are alot of grocery stores, one mall, and two movie theaters nearby.

i grew up here and and really have enjoyed it.

 

Greg,
I agree, I observed the same thing when I was renting...

En3D,
Yeah, since I work here, I've notice it's pretty decent around the immediate area. I am just wondering about the rest (point 8+). I am looking to buy.

sequence,
I am actually at Intel . Commute is not my biggest worry since I am already doing an hour plus. Anything less I am okay with. But since I am looking to buy, I want to make sure I make the right decision. It's not like renting, I could just pick up and leave.

debbid,
That's good to know! Thanks for the info.

All,
BTW, I am a first time home buyer, which means I don't know jack. I am also pretty young (24), and no help from parents since 18 so I am limited in price range. I am not looking for a house since I can't possibly afford one, so I am looking at condos. All the ones above are 2br condos and I am looking at something below $270,000. Any other inputs will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys!

 

when you buy a house or piece of property, you may want to consider age of the property, appreciation/depreciation rates, crime rates, location in reference to police/fire stations, etc. look into the records of the house (damage, fumigation, etc.)
all this information you can get from the city or the real estate agent. but also remember that right now is a seller's market. houses are going to go for more right now because that's where it is in the housing cycle... just some tips

 

I haven't seen anything around 270k unless it is a manufactured/mobile home type. but again I haven't look at condos either.

here is the problem with condos/townhouses, the association fee. if you calculate that out, you can buy a house that costs more. but obviously, single family homes are more expensive.

if I were you I would look at a 3br/2ba house and rent out 1 or 2 of the rooms. I'm sure you can find guys here that would rent from you. that way, you can cover rent and get a house. another way to get into a house for cheaper is buy something that need work and slowly fix it yourself.

 

The ones I found are not manufactured/mobile homes, or at least according to mlslistings.com. Yeah, I thought about that HOA fee. But I guess my main limitation is my buying power. As of how big of a loan I could take out. Since I am getting a place myself and I am not married, I am on my own, which means smaller loan amount.

getting a bigger place and rent it out is a good idea, but I don't want to deal with regulation and people I don't know. Or the months where the rooms are empty and I would have to pay the whole thing myself. I guess the main thing is I don't want to dig too deep of a hole where I can't get myself out of.

yes, getting a place that needs work and fix it up myself is definitly an option I am considering.

btw, I know later down the road (5-7 years) I would either rent the place out or sell it and move to an actual home. the decision of getting a condo is mostly (or mainly) due to financial situation. Just graduated last year and don't have enough saving to put a $40,000 down payment you know.

but thanks for all the suggestions. if the number works out, i might still consider it (getting a house instead). but as of right now, it's far from possible. My friend works at BofA doing these home loan and stuff. I am going to see how big of a loan they would approve and what my monthly/options look like.

keep them tips coming!