First time home buyer - Fremont / Almden Valley/Cambrian ? 1.5M budget

[Terri]

@rinkas

We are first time home buyers. Plan to work in palo alto to sunnyvale. Have kids needs good schools (if not excellent) and both of us will work so should definitely be able to plan pick up and drop of kids.

What districts do school bussing? I know Redwood City doesn’t except for certain cases.

[sfdragonboy]

@Terri

Can I work from home part of the time?

Don’t call us, we’ll call you…

[sfdragonboy]

Uh, def buy the buy-up PPO or whatever plan…

[Jil]

@sfdragonboy

Agreed, we are both old school but I think where we differ is how we view the importance of schools. I just don’t lay it all on the schools or their reputations to do a parent’s job of raising and pushing a kid forward

I am in line with you, schools does not matter. IMO, it is a real estate hype to bring competition. That is why, we are old school, we mind value than school.

[hanera]

@Roy321

financially savvy people will (& are already) preferring to work in no income tax states with $24K Std deduction and maximum 65% Bay area home prices with unlimited land to build & reasonable commutes.

Please don’t compete with me in Austin Go to Seattle please

[Roy321]

Another sidenote:

More whammies for Bay Area could be:

1. Harder for H1B(consultancies) approval
2. Possible H4EAD revocation
3. Possible GC pending & hence H1B renewal after 6 years on H1B completed rule changed to 1 year from 3 years

https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?RIN=1615-AC15&pubId=201710

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article192336839.html

[Roy321]

@sfdragonboy is not a software engineer. Just my guess?

[sfdragonboy]

@manch

It’s about probability. Are you telling me Harvard grads have less odds of success than community college kids?

Obviously small sampling and of course I would take Harvard too. But, I do feel a lot of parents simply rely on the school(s) to do their job 100%. Am I wrong? They figure, well, if the school is so good why do I need to do anything else? Wrong!!!

You have to push your kids at a young age, not at college prep level. I worked summer jobs during teen years. That kind of grounding is invaluable I feel. I realize you parents don’t have it easy and mean to do the best thing for your kids but do this one thing for me: do not baby them!!!

[myo]

This 1.5M in Fremont looks great:

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Fremont/4010-Heron-Pl-94555/home/1267276

I am in the same boat with most of the people here, if you can take on the commute, Fremont. If not, stick to townhouses in Sunnyvale, MV, PA. I think 40-45 mins from this above house to say Google campus in average, but could be bad when there is accident. Closer to Palo Alto. I stick with my statement that Fremont is not close to anywhere but it is not far from anywhere.

[Jil]

@Terri

@Jil

BTW: In the long run, double income is safer for financial independence faster than Single income. Once they reach Financial Independence, they can drop off one income.

Not necessarily. In an emergency having a house that relies on that second income means that anything that requires someone to stay home long ter turns into an emergency. Anyone sick–kid in a car accident, husband has a heart attack, and you’re screwed. (Read The Two Income Trap by Elizabeth Warren.)

Also, the second income may or may not add anything to the overall savings. Really depends on the second salary. I have an excel spreadsheet I put together with salaries and the costs of childcare and eating out since there’s no time to cook. Really adds up especially with the high COL when taxed starting at the first income’s tax bracket. Some families actually lose money with the second person working.

I was in H1B during year 2000, both of us had multiple lay offs (total 5) between 2000 and 2003, able to stay US as one of had job when other did not have job. It was horrible period, turned into independent consulting after getting green-card.

Just like early home purchase is better, early earnings(savings) help them in the long run.

Case to case, it may vary, but generally, earning before age 35 and savings (using two incomes) help the family to get into FI (financial independence) better. Key is savings without compromising the life balance.

[sfdragonboy]

I know people that I grew up and who went to supposedly worse schools and they are doing fine in life. Drive to succeed is what I want!!! It is not where you start but where you end up, people!!!

Oh, I may have forgotten you of all people: Happy New Year @Jil… may your stock picks reap great rewards in 2018

[hanera]

@rinkas

We are first time home buyers. Plan to work in palo alto to sunnyvale. Have kids needs good schools (if not excellent) and both of us will work so should definitely be able to plan pick up and drop of kids.

@myo

if you can take on the commute, Fremont. If not, stick to townhouses in Sunnyvale, MV, PA.

I choose TH.

[Roy321]

My personal understanding is(considering all other things same/similar)

Long term - SFH with land to expand the house will have much much superior price appreciation than a TH.

[druid]

I think you should rent/buy in Belmont. Good schools and one of you can even go to SF for work. No way can you get anything under 1.5M in 95129 or even 95014 ( main street side of Cupertino ).

[sfdragonboy]

Happy New Year @myo!!! Leave some of the homes for us, ok???

[myo]

@sfdragonboy

Happy New Year @myo!!! Leave some of the homes for us, ok???

Happy New Year @sfdragonboy! Haha, that wasn’t me

[Jane]

@rinkas

We are first time home buyers. Plan to work in palo alto to sunnyvale. Have kids needs good schools (if not excellent) and both of us will work so should definitely be able to plan pick up and drop of kids.

Realtors suggest following areas

few pockets of fremont - concern crossing bridge is increasingly getting painful.
Almaden valley - commute can be problem but quality of life for family quite good.
Cambrain park - almost not available.

Please suggest if any other zip code . price max 1.5M

In your case, proximity to you and your spouse’s office should be No1 priority.
Then, good/great school should be the second priority.
Many people say that they can send their kids to private school but the problem is good private schools (especially good private high schools) are not necessarily close to either your home or office.
Then, drop-off/pick-up becomes nightmare.
If I were you, I would go for TH in MV/SUNNYVALE/CUPERTINO(CU district).
I don’t think 1.5million is sufficient enough for PA/LA TH.

Another thing you probably want to consider is “whether or not middle/high school is within biking distance with safe bike lane from your new home”.
You can send your kids to after school program until 5th grade but from middle school, your kids probably don’t want to go to after school care although such service is available (which is very rare).
My kid bikes back home and it has been working pretty well.

As both working parents, your choice should be optimized for pick-up/drop-off schedule.
Trust me. This will really define your family’s life quality.

[Terri]

@sfdragonboy

@Terri

Can I work from home part of the time?

Don’t call us, we’ll call you…

I see so… “no.”

[BAGB]

Terri, you can find a part time job as a contractor easily. Since you don’t care about benefits, why tie your hands and feet on a permanent employer?

One thing I noticed is that contractor SWE salary has been stagnant for many years. Full time engineer’s salary might have gone up 50% to 100%, but the hourly rate for contractors has stayed the same over the same time period. Is my observation accurate?

[Terri]

@BAGB

Terri, you can find a part time job as a contractor easily. Since you don’t care about benefits, why fie your hands and feet on a permanent employer

I’m starting to look now (in fact, just heard back from my previous “employer”, but he’s got another person already). If you have suggestions, for how/where to look can you PM me? One of the things I’m noticing is that places like Freelancer and Upwork are getting a lot of competition from China/India/Russia. Being local has value. Where are reputable companies posting job listings for locally based contractors?

PS: There is an advantage to finding a solid part-time job which is that you’re not having to hunt for a new contract which takes time that you don’t get paid for. But if it’s contract vs. full-time you’re right, contract would be better for me right now. The cost of aftercare and summer camps for three kids is a doozy.