I appreciate very much all the inputs that BG, SD R, sdr, Russtico, Pemeliza, and others have offered. Nothing really wrong with suggesting alternative neighborhoods. It could be a real eye opener or, if nothing else, we’ll get to know better other parts of town I don’t frequent usually – UC, San Carlos. Of course I will make up my own mind of considering a neighborhood seriously only after spending a considerate time visiting them and doing other homework/legwork – by myself, or with the help of a realtor.

It’s hard sometimes to express online how important one feature or another is in terms of buying a house. I may have come across as REALLY wanting the shortest commute, though we are somewhat flexible – but I realize that there are tradeoffs. There are multiple factors contributing to selecting a desirable house and their respective weights vary with neighborhood too. Plus, sometimes I may feel stronger about certain qualities that a house should have, you know? E.g. if I had a particularly rough day driving 56 or 52 at rush hour, I may all of a sudden swear to never buy more than 20′ from work. And I may express those thoughts in my postings.

Everybody is different and values certain things differently, or simply have different tastes/preferences.

BG’s and my own experience/familiarity with neighborhoods – differ both in time and locations. In my case, my limited experience influenced the factors I want in a SD house/neighborhood that I’d buy in. If I’d have lived in South/East County I may have thought differently and may have liked those better than let’s say 56 corridor – or NOT. I don’t have the luxury/time to try too many neighborhoods around the county, like SD R pointed out, but I will sure drive thru San Carlos in next weeks and see what’s up with that.