Need help for the decision for apartments rent in Bay Area
Hi All, I'm looking for an apartment to rent and this is the very first time that my family of three will start living in the U.S. The company is located in Fremont California, so the best option I can think of is trying to rent an apartment in the same area, but realized soon it's not that easy to find the best place to live in while considering the following factors : - Good elementary school (>= 8 grade from greatschools) - Good google review (>= 4.0) - Around $3,000/m for 2 bedrooms - Relatively clean amenities and safe community. I found one place (Let's call it AA) that mostly fits to the above conditions, but there are some pros and cons as well to make me hesitate to decide. Could you help on this based on your experiences in California? * AA in Fremont - PROS : 1) Good management team. 2) Some of rooms have been recently renovated so expected to be rather clean. 3) Super super close to the company (10 mins by bicycle), which makes us able to have just one car instead of two. - CONS : 1) Rats are occasionally observed (according to the reviews) in the apartment (probably not in the unit, but sometimes they can come in while doors are open) 2) Homeless shelter nearby! (very next to the apartments) My major concern on this apartment is CONS #2 (Homeless shelter from the security perspective). Not sure how they are considered in the U.S., but in my country, they are usually very dangerous to approach so in most cases should be avoided as much as possible. I was very impressed because there was just one google review on this apartment complaining Homeless related issues (e.g., walking through the apartment community and knocking on the doors to ask money), so I'm wondering how they are treated in the U.S. With the same amount of money for rent of AA in Fremont, I can think of another option which is located in Pleasanton/Dublin whose apartments are rather new and clean (lots of apartments were built in after 2010) compared to the ones in Fremont. However, most probably we need two cars; one for my commuting purpose and the other one for my wife and child. (+ additional cost for additional car). In addition it should be very far from work. Commuting time according to the Google map can take more than 1 hour in the worst case at rush hour, and 50 mins per each commute on average (Traffic is very heavy!). Here is my question. Do you think the pros for the AA apartments in Fremont (Super close proximity to the company) can outweigh the cons, especially Homeless shelter matter? What do you think?
Stay close to work. CA traffic is comparable to a rat trying to find a hidden cheese. Mayhem!
Bay area homeless are the most aggressive variant in the US, but traffic is also very bad. You don't have a good choice. Homeless shelters and section 8 housing often become crime hotspots. If you have children I guess I would pick the safer option.
Don’t put too much stock in school ratings. 8+ ratings are often manipulated by district administrators (e.g. purposely not suspending bad children to pump up their scores). A school with a 5 rating may often actually be better. Honestly do things like “testing” the commute on Google Maps and Waze and checking for incident reports on areas you’re considering via Citizen. Reports from reviewers can sometimes be garbage; some people are very sensitive. Another thing to do is look at homes in the neighborhood via Redfin (even if you’re not buying). Walkability is key to you and your family’s happiness. Don’t get too down about reports of traffic and crime. I’ve lived in the area for awhile and it’s really not that bad. The charm and opportunity far outweigh the problems.
Neither. Find another option. I would sacrifice newness/cleanliness of apartment. You can take care of cleanliness yourself. That commute sounds horrible.
Why look for apartments? You could get to rent a house or condo for a bit more, say 3200$ or so.
Because 1) most people in my country recommended apartments as a first house in U.S. (since nothing to maintain by myself and prompt response from the management team can be expected) and 2) I heard house/townhomes usually require credits which I don't have any. Currently living outside of the U.S.. That said, I am also periodically checking townhomes as well but no attractive one yet.
When you rent a house in the US you aren't responsible for maintenance, the owner is. Landscaping can sometimes be the responsibility of the tenant, but usually not in the bay area. (That would be mentioned in the listing)