I have young clients, both 25 years old with a 5 month old daughter that just bought their firts home in the Village. It actually closes escrow tomorrow. They liked the area and also the idea that other younger families live in the Village as well.

It's located close to the freeways, the San Mateo Bridge, shopping, and a mile from Hillsdale shopping center. If you are wondering what kind of home you can buy, they bought a 3 bed/ 2 bath for $659,000 on a huge lot.

Find an agent that knows the area, get referrals if you need to and start looking around. It's a nice area.

Cheers,

Dave Tap Tapper
Realtor
Cashin Company http://www.DavidTapper.com http://www.TeamTapper.com
650-403-6252

Hi LB06,
Fiesta Gardens and Sunnybrae are also well-priced for first time buyers and those tend to sell a little faster than the San Mateo Village. You can find good sized yards in each of those areas.
Millbrae might be a good choice for you as the weather and schools are excellent. Millbrae is very hot. right now so the well priced homes tend to sell very quickly with multiple offers.
Please call if I can help you with anything.

Christine Duncan
650-281-8660
http://www.cduncanhomes.com/

McGuire Real Estate
360 Primrose Road
Burlingame, CA 94010

LB,

We are in a simliar situation, currently rent in San Mateo and have been looking to buy (2 young kids). Make sure you check this website and compare the crime statistics for those areas:

http://www.cityofsanmateo.org/index.aspx?NID=858

We visited a host of homes in the Village and Fiesta Gardens and while we really liked some of them, overall we felt the prices were too high given the relatively high crime rate and mediocre schools. It also seemed like a lot of investors had bought into those areas and were renting the homes, eroding the "pride of ownership" and "tight knit community" dynamics that were likely common a decade ago. There are also issues with gang activity not far from that area. The other major issue is that this area is subject to flooding, so if there is a big storm during a high tide, flooding is a very real possibility.

I've been tracking the Mid Peninsula market for almost two years and since the bubble popped, the prices in the mid high range ($750K - $950K) have been adjusting downward. I personally think that prices will continue trending downward on the Mid Pen. If you are not in a rush to buy, you may find that by waiting a while, your $750K will buy a 3/2 in Belmont or San Carlos, instead of the lower end areas of San Mateo.

Yes, San Mateo village is a great starting point. As Dave pointed out it is a tight knit and proud neighbor hood. Fiesta Gardens is another good area to look at in San Mateo.
Crestmoor Park in San Bruno will also meet your needs as afar as price, home size, commute, and schools, Avalon Park in South San Francisco is another area you should consider.
As far as schools I believe if you as parents have an interest and put time into your child's education all schools are good. Many schools on the peninsula get a bad rap due to English as a second language. My two boys ahve gone through the peninsual public schools and have done better than some that went to private schools.
If you would like to see some of these homes in the areas I mentioned please give me a call at 877-Lee Sells or 650-358-3959. http://www.leesellsmore.com

Hope to hear from you.
Lee

Good morning, I think the "Villiage" is a great area for young families. There is a sense of a tight community and the people who live there are "real" people and seem to get along well together. Many home owners in the Village are second generation, where they once grew up and now are back starting their own families.

You are correct, the Elementary School isn't the best, but they do have good middle and high schools.

If you need any help finding a home in the Villiage or have questions about the area, feel free to call or emaii. I have a team of 6 agents who all work in San Mateo. We can set up an email alert system for you so whenever a home comes on the market, you will be notified right away.

Cheers,

Tap
Realtor
Cashin Company
redt4u@aol.com http://www.DavidTapper.com http://www.TeamTapper.com
650-403-6252