Is this a good time to buy a home in the Bay area, california?
142606
It is said that the hotest real estate markets may go through a little pullback but that most locations might be ok. So if you believe this then no.\n\nThat cooling off was due to some december housing starts statistics, which actually drastically increased in Jan. The reason may be that the extra cold december shrunk the number and pent up demand plus the extra warm jan made it balloon to its highest level in 30 years. If you believe that then yes.\n\nBottom line is if you can buy a home for a price you can afford and will be there a while and are happy with it then do it, even if the market cools off you will be fine. If it is an investment, then make sure it will have a positive cash flow after all expenses. If you have a positive cash flow and the nmarket cools you can always hold it until it comes back without any trouble.\n\nIf those are not true for you then you probably shouldn't.
1056541
Not sure, but............\n\nKeep in mind...........\n\nTimes and markets are changing!\n\nIn California with average homes selling well over $500,000, a 20% decline is $100,000! In any market 'timing is everything'! So, could you afford a loss of 25% of your investment all because of poor timing???\n\nThis last up cycle was 10 years in many parts of the country. The downcycle now started in CA, Wash DC, NYC, Vegas and other hot areas of the past are all soft and getting softer.\n\nFrom 1990 to 1996, the average home in San Diego lost 20% of its' value! The cycle we are now enterng looks like it could well exceed that on the downside!\n\nWith all the 100% financing, interest only loans, EZ qualifing etc...even a slight decline will cause many to be unable to sell for the amount due on their loans!\n\nFor some great 'insider' articles on the San Diego real estate market, which I believe will apply to any of the hot real estate markets of the past five years.....visit:\n\nTimes and markets are changing!\n\nIn California with average homes selling well over $500,000, a 20% decline is $100,000! In any market 'timing is everything'! So, could you afford a loss of 25% of your investment all because of poor timing???\n\nThis last up cycle was 10 years in many parts of the country. The downcycle now started in CA, Wash DC, NYC, Vegas and other hot areas of the past are all soft and getting softer.\n\nFrom 1990 to 1996, the average home in San Diego lost 20% of its' value! The cycle we are now enterng looks like it could well exceed that on the downside!\n\nWith all the 100% financing, interest only loans, EZ qualifing etc...even a slight decline will cause many to be unable to sell for the amount due on their loans!\n\nFor some great 'insider' articles on the San Diego real estate market, which I believe will apply to any of the hot real estate markets of the past five years.....visit:\n\nhttp://sandiegofsbo.blogspot.com\nhttp://www.brokerforyou.com/blogger/index.html\nhttp://www.brokerforyou.com\nhttp://www.san-diego-for-sale-by-owner.com\nhttp://www.la-jolla-ca-del-mar-san-diego-real-estate-encinitas-california.us\nhttp://www.la-jolla-real-estate.info\nhttp://san-diego-coastal-real-estate.blogspot.com\nhttp://sandiegofsbo.blogspot.com\nhttp://downtown-san-diego-real-estate-views.blogspot.com\nhttp://www.poway-real-estate.info\nhttp://www.del-mar-real-estate.info\nhttp://www.la-jolla-real-estate.info\nhttp://www.los-angeles-real-estate-brokers.com\nhttp://www.san-jose-real-estate-brokers.com\nhttp://www.orange-county-real-estate-brokers.com\nhttp://www.san-francisco-real-estate-brokers.com\nhttp://www.sacramento-real-estate-broker.com
1006007
We have several of these in the Bay Area.  They range from very small, moderate prices to high end.  I'm married and trying to start a family, so this would not appeal to me.  However, if I were single, I would be very interested in the high end type.  The one around here has apartments for rent and condos for sale.  The shopping center has mostly high end shops (Tommy Bahama, Furla, Diesel, etc.), restaurants, bars, a hotel, and a movie theater.  I would expect this type of community to appeal to single, professionals with fairly high income.
454366
San Francisco has a number of different focus areas. Since the mid 1990s there has been a lot of web-based companies. They died off to some extent at the end of 2000, but there is still a core of companies in the city. South of the city around San Mateo (Silicon Valley) there are some of the IT big players such as Oracle, Sybase, Google, Yahoo! and others, as well as Visa Card's main office. Thomas Dolby's company HeadSpace is located in San Mateo also.\n\nSan Francisco also has a pretty bug tourism industry centered mostly around Fisherman's Wharf but there are always waitressing, bussing, restaurant, bar, and cafe jobs all over the place. This makes it ideal to go to college here and colleges in the area include Stanford, SFU, and San Francisco State, as well as the Community College. There's a lot of restaurants and bars, sandwich/deli establishments.\n\nDowntown there are a lot of banks and other major businesses, such as accounting, finance, some oil company offices. There's also a healthy retail industry downtown, and also in outlying areas such as Haight Street.\n\nDespite it being confined to the peninsula there really isn't any limit to what you can find in and around San Francisco. A lot of people commute over to Oakland and the surrounding areas of the East Bay. There's a sizeable downtown area in Oakland too.\n\nThere are two pretty major airports: SFO and Oakland International.\n\nNorth of San Francisco is Marin and Sausalito. LucasFilm is based around there (south of Strawberry). It's also not out of the bounds of reality to commute north and work in the Napa wine industry, and there is also dispersed tourism in the north, around Russian River and Napa.\n\nAs far as living in San Francisco: it's the best place I ever lived, but it suffers from terribly expensive real estate value and crazy expensive rent. Expect to pay at least $1500/month for a one bedroom apartment. The weather is a pretty constant 65 degress except in mid-winter when it will be a little cooler. There are so many things to do that you will never be bored. You can spend all weekend eating out and going to various places, and then spend all night in one of the various clubs or bars. There is a lot of surprising live entertainment, though you either have to go south or to the Easy Bay for most 'large' concerts. The only major venue in the city ('North San Francisco') is the Fillmore (think 'Grateful Dead').\n\nSan Francisco is ground zero for 'alternative', as in truly alternative lifestyles, music, people. You'll see a lot of things you just don't anywhere else. It as though anything goes. It's also a very cosmopolitan city and you'll meet people from all over the world on a daily basis.
1111974
If you are planning on investing for a few years and then selling the house to pay for their education, then it is a crazy idea.  Many experts feel that there is a housing bubble that is just about to burst, so you may end up buying high ans selling low.  \n\nIf you are looking at investment property, then it depends where you live.  The housing bubble is not everywhere -- but housing in major cities on the East or West coast is very high, and likely to drop soon.  If you are going to rely on income from the home, make sure that you will have enough income to pay for their educations.  Homes are often money pits.\n\nIf you are particularly handy, it could turn out to be a good investment.  Buying slightly distressed properties, fixing them up and selling them quickly can be profitable -- if you are able to fix them up cheaply (or yourself).
284241
Lots of National publications are saying that Texas, specifically San Antonio, is. I'm actually a REALTOR in SA, and I can tell you that I'm constantly fielding calls from investors in Los Angeles that are looking to buy in San Antonio. The market is getting so overpriced there that they're coming down here and having 4 and 5 houses built for investments. \n\nMy personal house has gone up in value about 8% in a little over a year. It's a very good market.
1165632
Contact a mortgage broker in your area first.  They'll set you up with a loan and preapproval.  Then you'll know what you can afford and then hook up with a realtor.  Don't go to the realtor first.  That's putting the cart before the horse.  If you're in California, I'd be glad to help you.  E-mail me at tom4loans@sbcglobal.net
627180
Well right now it's starting to become a buyer's market. Houses are not selling like hotcakes right now. They are staying on the market longer. This is an advantage for you because prices can be negotiated in your favor. I would wait a few more months and see where the market is then because it hasn't quite changed totally.
1066479
if i were you, i will buy some investments in Berkeley, keinsintong, el cerrito, and around there. now the prices are just ok, some are over too much, but it is still cheaper than s.f. and north bay!
932030
Not badly, especially compared with the east and west coasts. There has been a downturn, but it's really been slight, partially because the market was not overvalued, and also because the state has enjoyed record economic growth and employment.
570017
Maybe. It depends upon the local real estate market. It also depends upon your definition of Investment. Are you looking at paying cash for a home there in the hopes of seeing the price go up in order to make a profit? OR are you looking to pay cash for this home to Live in either full or part time? I would hesitate if you are looking at using it as an investment vehicle. Most of the time Real Estate is a Liability with Maintenance, insurance, utilities, Property Taxes, association dues etc... That exceed the annual appreciation of the value of the property. My question to you is Do YOU REALLY NEED 2 houses? If not, put your money elsewhere to grow. Unless you are looking to purchase property in one of the few areas that are involved in states of Hyper-Inflation of property values, your money is better invested elsewhere and you can use it at any time to buy property where you want to live. Examples of these are the Ridiculously overpriced Condominium market in Florida and the WAY overpriced houses in Southern California. I believe that these growth rates are unsustainable and many people are going to lose their shirts there eventually. \n  Point is I would need alot more information to make an educated answer to your question beyond Maybe.
69405
ok gwen, my first suggestion is for you to spend some time first in the area you are thinking about moving to, both in summer and winter (the longer the better). secondly, ask yourself is this for investment or retirement. And lastly,forget my first two suggestions, instead pour a glass of wine (california vintage of course), go out on your patio and face west towards the sunset. There is your answer.
403886
Time to think of other areas to consider...If you can afford it! It is a buyers market right now in the south east and soon the bubble will burst. So now is the best time to buy!
40130
I have been mulling over the same question. I have decided that the bubble is more hyped up then it should be and that if anything prices will drop a bit or rmain the same over the next year or two. I'm just going to bite the bullet and buy a half million dollar property, i'm probably going to buy in Glendale in the next two months.\n\nGood Luck finding the right house!
196315
I wouldn't suggest it unless you are buying a home that you intend to live in for a long time, not for an investment. California is beautiful, but it's so overinflated. I believe that people will continue to buy in California, even if the "bubble" burts because it's such a great place to live, but I don't think the houses are going to increase at the pace they have in the past few years. It will have to correct itself.\n\nIf you are just looking for an investment, consider Phoenix, Tucson or Las Vegas. They are the ones that are increasing so fast now. \n\nI would recommend that anyone check out Rancho Sahuarita. It's south of Tucson, a planned community that is like a resort area. Houses are very well priced, especially compared to California, and they expect the area to quadruple in size over the next 15 years. The community is really, really nice, all new homes in several different price ranges. It's extremely family oriented, only 19 minutes from Tucson but not at all like Tucson (this is a small community of about 17,000 people right now). It has it's own water park, lake, rec center and community activities that are private...just for people who live in Rancho Sahuarita. There is a commercial center (small) built like a town sqauare and condusive to walking. Their are hiking trails and wide sidewalks an one or two active adult designated areas. It's close to shopping, a 6 screen theater, bowling, plus the culture of Tucson, the University of Arizona, Madera Canyon and more. \n\nAlthough I don't live there (I live in nearby Green Valley, an active adult community), I'm thinking of going in with my daughter to purchase a home as an investment for me and to privide a chance for her to live in her own home. She lives in California and can't buy a house there. She's a single mom and could never afford to buy in California. She's planning to move in July. \n\nYou should check it out. There is information on line.
675771
OK, there's GOTTA be a good reason you want to move to Bay City.  It's an industrial area with several chemical plants.  The air is pretty rank, though you do get used to it quickly and only notice again after you return from a trip out of town.  But, houses are pretty darn cheap (a decent 3BR/2BA can be found for under 70K), the schools are excellent (great tax base from the plants).  Jobs are pretty scarce, unless you want to work for one of the chemical companies.  And you're close to the beach (or in some cases, on it).
1025294
CA is soooo expensive. It's true. The housing prices are hyperinflated....as for job opportunities....it's hard to tell without knowing what your background is. CA is also overpopulated.\nI'm a former CA girl.