We are planning to buy a home (sfh) in bay area around 1.8M -2M and confused between what to choose south San jose (Cambrian or Almaden) or Union city Most of our friends bought homes in union city but we felt currently the houses in union city are way over priced and also we felt commute is not easy as people say it is We both work in tech , any suggestions on which might be the better option among them? Tc : 450K combined YOE : 3-4 Travel : 30 minutes is fine may be can go up to 40min at max School : we don't have kids so not in need of a good school, so targeting decent rating may b 6 for elementary Social : we both are not much into shopping or restaurant food , we love to travel so may be a beach or hike should be good #housing #mortgage #San jose
You get more house for the money in union city, but location wise Cambrian/Almaden is definitely way better.
Don’t talk about ‘overpriced’. It is like that I. Whole country. If commute is only no. 1 criteria then choose by distance. Crime, traffic, etc. are problems that you will face in both locations
Building sq ft is more in union city but the overall sqft is less in almost all the houses
Yes if that is what matters to you then Union City it is. But wait for 2023 you will get a better deal. Rent in the area you want to potentially buy that way you will get to experience the neighborhood before you turn in your chips
I grew up in Cambrian/Almaden and hated it but I guess from a family perspective it’s good
I’d personally optimize for the safety of neighborhood, then school for children, then commute and then friends. You’re not going to meet friends everyday it’s going to be mostly weekly or monthly.
Commute from South San Jose is career limiting. Sunnyvale has nice areas and now you have access to Caltrain. Should meet your price requirements. Also areas of Santa Clara.
Sunnyvale is 1.5x more expensive than Almaden. Sure, it will cut down the commute time, but won’t eliminate it.
Not sure how is the commute any more “career limiting” than Sunnyvale. It’s a short commute to Mountain View/Sunnyvale. To sf it’s a pretty ok commute on 280 as well. No thanks to soul crushing Caltrain rides everyday.
Schools are better in Cambrian/Almaden. Union City may be closer to more restaurant and shopping options depending on what you’re into. Commute will also depend on where you work in the Bay.
What’s your TC?
San Jose is way better
I vote Cambrian/San Jose. Like most areas, there are pockets that are nicer and pockets that aren’t nice. If you can find something on the West side of 85 I’d highly recommend that since the schools and neighborhoods are generally better the closer you get to Los Gatos. Everything seems to be getting nicer over here as younger families move in and renovate.
Add your criteria for the home
Added the range of the house
Schools, commute time, social life etc.