I work in San Mateo and have been living in bay area (on rent) for last 5 years. I have a ~$500k budget to buy a home (we're trying for a baby) and Tracy/Stockton is the only area that comes under my budget that's also family friendly unlike the bay area (no offense to bay area natives). Intent of having a $500k budget is to keep monthly mortgage payment at or around $2,500 per month. I can work at least 1-2 days a week from home. How bad is the commute from Stockton/Tracy to San Mateo for the remaining ~3 days of the week and what area the possible challenges in doing so? Any ideas on my housing situation are also welcome! TC ~$200k.
Work hard and find ways to increase TC . I won’t recommend Stockton
OP, have you looked at mountain house? It’s pretty safe and newish community west of Tracy!
Agree but hard to find house at 500 these days more of 650-700 k market
Issue with Mountain House is it is too far from the train station. And driving over the Altamont Pass is a nightmare. Better buy in one of the new developments in South Tracy near the train
I commute from Tracy to Palo Alto daily via Ace train and CalTrain. Long, 2.5+, hours but it is the only option if you want to buy a house
2.5 hours each way is...wow.
Stockton is family friendly? Better put up some extra thick bars on your windows and teach your kids how to 🔫
Don't do it
No offense but 500k for a SFH in CA wont cut it mate. No point. Just rent. Having one kid doesnt mean you need to own a home. Even if you find anything in that range it is likely a POS and hours from your house. So you're trading time and commute and gas .. for what? The days you commute you'll never see your kid. People are infatuated with owning a home. it's ok to rent. Read JL Collins stock series on his website and get his cheap book Simple Path to wealth.
Also in reference to "we're trying for..." also no offense but some folks never get there. Took us a couple years and a few misfires. So you're gonna buy a crappy 500k house now and make that commute for possibly years before even having the kid? Bad idea IMO. shit happens in life. Wait, have the kid, a baby doesn't need much for many years. Then decide. Lot of time.
Don’t be dumb. Put that 500k towards smart investments. Keep saving. RENT near work and spend time with family as much as possibly. Don’t be that guy that wastes his only 5 hours a day to be with wife and kids driving to work. Renting is fine as long as u are still saving.
This.
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