A safe neighborhood that we can afford?

[scaredyclassic]

temecula streets are safe.

u will love it here.

i walk every day on the street. weaponless. nothing bad happened.

[La Jolla Renter]

For me, I would do a condo or townhouse to get a top school for my kid and or a short commute. And would live in a less safe neighborhood to attend the best schools. If that scenario existed.

There are some 10’s in San Diego county. Or at least by this scale.

http://www.school-ratings.com/counties/San_Diego.html

If you have the home improvement skills, you could get a fixer and put some of your cash toward repairs. Done right, you could gain some sweat equity out of the gate.

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=La Jolla Renter]For me, I would do a condo or townhouse to get a top school for my kid and or a short commute. And would live in a less safe neighborhood to attend the best schools. If that scenario existed.

There are some 10’s in San Diego county. Or at least by this scale.

http://www.school-ratings.com/counties/San_Diego.html

If you have the home improvement skills, you could get a fixer and put some of your cash toward repairs. Done right, you could gain some sweat equity out of the gate.[/quote]

I agree. Live like they do Europe in a small optimized home. Decorate it tastefully and send your kids to best public or private schools you can afford.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=La Jolla Renter]For me, I would do a condo or townhouse to get a top school for my kid and or a short commute. And would live in a less safe neighborhood to attend the best schools. If that scenario existed.

There are some 10’s in San Diego county. Or at least by this scale.

http://www.school-ratings.com/counties/San_Diego.html

If you have the home improvement skills, you could get a fixer and put some of your cash toward repairs. Done right, you could gain some sweat equity out of the gate.[/quote]Thanks for posting that (SD County) chart, LJR. I glanced over it quickly and I just have one question for you, here. Can a condo (big enough for a family of 4 – one an infant) be purchased for =<$400K in those attendance areas in SD County which have public schools rated a "10"? I noticed a couple of "10" elementary schools in C-Bad, one in SR and 8 in Poway Unified (the cheapest? areas on the list with "10" schools). Also one in Otay Ranch, Chula Vista. This is all assuming the OP does NOT want a lot big enough for a toolshed/outbuilding and will decide to pay HOA dues and possibly MR to "settle" for a condo. The OP also stated that they needed a PITI of no more than $1200 month and that didn't include HOA dues. In sum, is buying a home in a "10" school attendance area actually feasible for these low to moderate income parents?

[bearishgurl]

I think the Piggs shouldn’t “push their values” upon a new poster who has not indicated that they are “demanding” any particular public school rating.

One can’t possibly know what it’s like to live on $50-$60K year income for a family of four in SD Co, CA unless they themselves have personally tried it.

I’m on the rent/buy fence with the OP’s situation here, as posted. As a single mom, I’ve personally spent nearly $5K on pest control alone over 15 years of ownership (sole ownership). And my income was never over $55K annually. I think home repairs/maintenance on an older home (or HOA and possible MR on a newer home/condo) could really eat into their savings for college/retirement. If I were the OP, I would try mightily to get my landlord (and her heirs, if necessary) to give me a 5 year lease OR do an owner carryback first TD and note for no more than $250K and no more than 1 pt over the current 30-yr fixed prevailing rate. If they insist on a straight note with a balloon payment, I would insist upon a 10 year note, which would give the OP time to go to work FT after her kids are in school FT and help her spouse qualify for a conventional refinance.

[FlyerInHi]

I would go for 1) commute of less than 30 min. 2) best schools possible.

If OP tells the general area her husband works then people could post better recommendations.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=FlyerInHi]I would go for 1) commute of less than 30 min. 2) best schools possible.

If OP tells the general area her husband works then people could post better recommendations.[/quote]

Agree with the commute time, FIH. But “best schools possible” in the ~$400K (or less) price range for a 3/2/2 (and a ~$1200 mo PITI payment) might actually be in an attendance area of a school rated a 7 or 8 (if you’re lucky). And that’s actually okay!

Since you have never been a parent, you have never had to face reality in this manner.

[La Jolla Renter]

Affluent family in San Fran and NYC live in pretty small apartments with kids. 900 – 1,000 sqft for a family of 4.

BG, I don’t think we are pushing our values. Just our opinions for all readers to take it or leave it. But point taken.

Anyone have an idea of what the max mortgage a family in this situation could qualify for? The current guidelines seem pretty conservative.

What does 50-75 miles a day extra commute cost? A home right next to your office is probably worth $50k more in home price.

[The-Shoveler]

[quote=La Jolla Renter]Affluent family in San Fran and NYC live in pretty small apartments with kids. 900 – 1,000 sqft for a family of 4.

BG, I don’t think we are pushing our values. Just our opinions for all readers to take it or leave it. But point taken.

Anyone have an idea of what the max mortgage a family in this situation could qualify for? The current guidelines seem pretty conservative.

What does 50-75 miles a day extra commute cost? A home right next to your office is probably worth $50k more in home price.[/quote]

Probably closer 500K more.

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=FlyerInHi]I would go for 1) commute of less than 30 min. 2) best schools possible.

If OP tells the general area her husband works then people could post better recommendations.[/quote]

Agree with the commute time, FIH. But “best schools possible” in the ~$400K (or less) price range for a 3/2/2 (and a ~$1200 mo PITI payment) might actually be in an attendance area of a school rated a 7 or 8 (if you’re lucky). And that’s actually okay!

Since you have never been a parent, you have never had to face reality in this manner.[/quote]

BG, I know lots with families kids and I observe.
I have it all planned out. One day I will adapt an orphan from a poor country and give him/her the best education in America and Europe, with frequent travel to the home country. That kid will grow up to be a polyglot super human.

[FlyerInHi]

A 2/2 condo with loft/den is very doable for a family of 4. HOA usually includes water, trash and maintenance.
You just need to set it up the apartment neatly. If you chase the way other people live, then you’ll never be happy.

Again it depends where work is.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=The-Shoveler][quote=La Jolla Renter]Affluent family in San Fran and NYC live in pretty small apartments with kids. 900 – 1,000 sqft for a family of 4.

BG, I don’t think we are pushing our values. Just our opinions for all readers to take it or leave it. But point taken.

Anyone have an idea of what the max mortgage a family in this situation could qualify for? The current guidelines seem pretty conservative.

What does 50-75 miles a day extra commute cost? A home right next to your office is probably worth $50k more in home price.[/quote]

Probably closer 500K more.[/quote]Yes, shoveler … true if the prospective homebuyer works in tech or biotech in SD. NOT true for service workers, retail/whse and restaurant mgmt and those professionals working in the FIRE industry.

And Temecula isn’t 50-75 miles per day EXTRA commute to dtn SD and surrounds. You’re forgetting that its a round trip daily. That is effectively 100-150 miles per day extra commute as opposed to buying a (typically) smaller, older home in the core of SD or South County …. or even North City (north of I-8 but still in metro SD) or SD East County.

Living in Temecula might be worth it for a SD North County inland worker (working in Esco, Poway or RB and surrounds). But I don’t feel it’s worth it for worker who works anywhere else in SD. There is a TON of daily traffic on I-15 and I-215 and the SR-71 (originating further up in Corona) is a constant stop and go h@llhole.

In short, the sacrifices with their time and lives made every work day by homeowners in the southeastern IE JUST to get a bigger, newer home for the same money aren’t worth it. They’re not worth it for a SD County worker nor are they worth it for an OC/LA County worker.

[bearishgurl]

A family of four can still buy a 3/2/2 or 3/2/1 SFR in SD County (within 15 miles of dtn SD) for $425 – $500K. Yes, it will typically have been built in the ’50’s thru the ’80’s and the vast majority of listings on the market at any time have had some remodeling done. It will typically be 1300 to 1900 sf. Millenial family homebuyers are flocking to the far-flung southeastern IE as well as buying small condos and PUDS in SD County (almost all encumbered with heavy MR) because the housing stock I mentioned above is not “appealing” to them.

They’re essentially commuting over 3 hours per day to/from work and/or paying $200 – $700 month in HOA dues PLUS MR because they choose to. Very often, those choices are made during the buying process when the buyer(s) don’t yet have a full picture of what their actual monthly budget is going to look like as a homeowner with minor kids (unpredictable expenses) and a possibly lo-o-o-ong daily commute. In essence, this important decision is made blindly and on emotion of how the “newer” place makes them “feel” with its 10-13′ “soaring ceilings” which cost much more to heat and cool than a better-located, older (std 8′ ceiling) home. They don’t realize that if they just lived on a hill 3-5 miles from the coast/bay in SD County that their utility bills would have been cut in half (or even less than that!) over the far-flung lizardland “newer” home. And you can’t tell them otherwise because they already know everything :=0

[The-Shoveler]

From the described “current job leaves us alone for 24-48 hours at a time”

Does not sound like he would be doing a daily commute

(most likely off hours as well).

TV may not be a bad option in such a case.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=The-Shoveler]From the described “current job leaves us alone for 24-48 hours at a time”

Does not sound like he would be doing a daily commute

(most likely off hours as well).

TV may not be a bad option in such a case.[/quote]I’ve lived alone (or with part-time kids) for the last 15+ years. I do NOT live in a gated community and do NOT have bars on my windows. I’ve gone on up to 3 mile (RT) walks by myself in my neighborhood and taken hundreds of shorter walks with my dog (she can’t walk that far). My kid(s) have rode their bikes all over around here as do other neighborhood kids. Senior citizens up to 90 years old actually take walks to the bus stop and a few blocks around their residence … some with a walker. Some of them are regulars and meet their friends at regular street corners to walk daily. Young military wives who rent around here stay home with babies and toddlers up to 8 months by themselves while their sponsor-spouse is deployed. Most of them walk several times per week, often with an infant in a front-pack, an older baby in a stroller and a ~3 yr old following on his/her tricycle. Even with all 3 at once! That’s why I wanted the OP to clarify if she actually “feels” safe to walk in her current neighborhood.

The safety issue, along with being too overly concerned about the number of PC 290 registrants (registered “sex offenders”) residing in a particular neighborhood is wa-a-a-ay overblown by many over-protective helicopter parents of today (the PC 290 group actually resides in nearly every zip code in the state). The “perception of safety” is in the eye of the beholder. Frequently, the people who feel the most safe in their neighborhoods are the ones who grew up there or have lived there the longest. Outsiders considering moving into a particular area often “perceive” it not to be “safe” based upon superficial physical attributes such as older homes, older streets, overhead lines, and non-tile roofs. Also due to the existence of mom-and-pop stores and small local businesses instead of big-box stores and large supermarkets which need a vehicle to get to. The perception of a particular area not being “safe” to live in or walk in is a crock of BS conjured up by ignorant “outsiders” who know nothing of the particular area, its “culture” or its people. In short, it is utter nonsense which causes prospective homebuyers to reject perfectly decent homes in established, very convenient areas which they can actually afford in a market which has had a dearth of resale listings for years in favor of moving far, far away from their jobs or “settling” for an overpriced newer condo with thin walls, multiple monthly fees and no yard for their kids.

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