I speak from 10 yrs experience in living ALL OVER Castro Valley (except the newer development up in Five Canyons). Castro Valley is so-so I'll start with the negatives and end with the positives. The downtown area needs to get a department store and many areas of Castro Valley have no sidewalks and occasional blighted areas. Because of the High School, we have a lot of speeding by young men in many parts of Castro Valley with huge monster SUV's or illegally loud motorcycles. I call C.V. a cowboy town! Planning trips around the village takes planning as to factor in gridlocked stores and parking lots and constant untimed red lights. Getting around town takes time. Period. Serious crime did not seem to be around but has increased in the last two years a great deal. A number of bank robberies and shootings at Blvd are all readily available and written about in our local papers. Check out the Castro Valley Forum newspaper and you'll see that what I mentioned is fact. A lot of spousal abuse and petty arrests for hard drugs like alcohol abound in certain areas and are constantly listed in the Police Log in the Castro Valley Forum. Occasional homeless people. The speeding, running red lights and deafening exhaust pipes all run in tandam with blazing rap music screaming from the car windows. Castro Valleyians are tough and many are red-necks. It is unincorporated, therefore the taxes are cheaper but the general overall look of the town and communities show blighted areas because of it. Casto Valley folks are independent minded and don't like rules about upkeep of property . You are single? Families abound in Castro Valley with lots of kids. Yes, many kids and lots of teenagers and lots of noise. Positives: The weather is very good here and I think our downtown offers a lot of stores. The downtown area is tired looking but they are trying to update it. A new library will be opening soon. For some reason, real estate prices are way high, probably because of the location and proximity to Oakland and San Fran . The HIgh School is considered good but extremely overcrowded. My advice? Please rent here FIRST and DON'T BUY WITHOUT AT LEAST ONE YEAR renting. Buying is a huge commitment and I NEVER encourage it without renting in that town first. I did and I'm very glad I did so in Castro Valley. Because of my many yrs of experience there, I moved out of Castro Valley and moved just a little father WEST of Castro Valley. So glad I moved.
Good luck to you

Kudos to Pacita and Doug for actually answering the question. Shame on the rest of you for the typical "it's always a great time to buy, contact me and I'll help you" crap that has degraded the Trulia forums to the real estate agent's equivilent of a used car lot.

And BOO for anyone who tries the blatently manipulative "I used to live there and loved it" drivel. If you live there NOW and love it that's one thing. But to say you lived there before (how long ago?) and have since left, that's pointless and manipulative.

Doug, CV has some very different areas, so you have to be careful where you look. Five Canyons used to be very "tony", but it's been degrading over the past few years. Any time you hear a realtor say they lived in Five Canyons and loved it (but don't any more), what they really mean is that they fled what was once an upscale area as it transitioned downward.

Lower CV is very much like any East Bay area, nothing really to speak of unless you are up against the Northern Park areas (e.g. Lake Chabot).

Palomeres Hills is still nice, but it is transitioning.

Keep in mind that many of the folks who bought in the East Bay during the run up to the bubble used exotic loan products that are set to recast during 2010 and 2011. Many predict that those recasts will drive down the prices in those areas significanlty.

Here's a link with more information.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/20/…

In short, do your homework and don't trust the RE's to give you info. Check the redfin.com forums, as they block RE solicitations and tend to attract more objective feedback.

Hi Doug,

Castro Valley is a great city to live in. The schools are excellent when compared to San Leandro and Hayward. The prices have not dropped as much in Castro Valley as in the other 2 cities. Castro Valley is very centrally located close to Mission, Highway 880, 92 and 580. Stoneridge Shopping Mall is just a short drive from Castro Valley.

I lived in Castro Valley for 7 years. If I can help answer any more of your questions about Castro Valley Schools or Castro Valley in general, you can reach me at 510-279-9580. You can also go to my website at:
http://www.helpusellachievers.com

To see all the homes I have listed and sold in Castro Valley, California, please go to:
http://www.helpusellachievers.com/About_Castro_Valley/page_2…


Meena Gujral
Help-U-Sell Achievers Realty
510-279-9580

As you know the 3 most important criteria for buying real estate is location location location. I know that's one thing but let's not pic at the details. There is a relatioinship between real estate values and quality of public school education. You may wish to research this using the state's STAR tests and will then understand better about why Castro Valley values are higher.

If you don't have school age children you can save $$$ buy buying more home in Hayward or San Leandro and researching other concerns. The towns are comparable in terms of some amenities.

I recenly sold a single man a home in Hayward in the 500's. We started looking at REO's in Castro Valley mostly in the 1500 sf range in REO condition. He bought a new home, 2000 sq ft in Hayward and was happy. The savings is significant.

Personally, I feel Castro Valley and San Leandro are superior to Hayward.....schools, resale value, etc. Inventory is more limited in these two markets, however, you can still find some great deals.

There were two incredibly charming homes that just came on the market today in San Leandro. It's a great time to buy!

Hi Doug,

Pacita has some great points. I lived in Castro Valley for 6 years, it is a great location to go to the City, South Bay, or Peninsula if that is something you need. The weather is fantastic, not too hot, and cools off at night. It lacks a down town area if that is important to you. Lake Chabot is great for hiking, walking, biking, or water outings. Email or call me if you want more specifics. Depending on your particular situation, your friends have probably given you some good advise.
-Greg

Doug

What's your situation?

Have kids? Castro Valley has good schools.
Budget constraint? It's more reasonable than San Francisco or Berkeley or Alameda.
Bored with flat terrain? It's got hills and valleys
Want mild weather? It's a lot more temperate (cooler) than say Walnut Creek in the summer.
Commuter? Easy access to major highways.
Want newer homes? There's a lot to choose from.
Want more square footage for the dollar? You can still find 3 bedroom/2 bath homes with 2-car garages for under $500K.

Hard to tell you what will appeal to you unless you tell something about yourself and what you're looking for. Your friends must have a really good idea that you may like Castro Valley based on what they know about you.