I am not real familiar with the commute going to Monterey from Greenfield however I do know heading South to Monterey from Gilroy is not bad at all. And yes there are some real great deals out there now especially when you get into cities and towns that offer a Down Payment Assistance Program, as does both Greenfield and Gilroy, AND Greenfield is eligible for up to 100% financing, and Cal HFA, CHDAP and some other programs for First Time Homeowners. Unfortunately right now Monterey County is not participating in the MCC program which as ia tax credit program and unless the current one gets extended it will go away soon. SO, what this means is that there are places to buy that are affordable no matter where you go, it just requires a little knowledge of what is available where. I did not answer the whole traffic question but this is still good info.

Chike, Curt Abramson from Bailey Properties here. I think you will find the commute from Greenfield to Salinas OK, but the stretch from there to Monterey is very congested and backs up frequently. You might consider areas in North Monterey County for commute to Monterey such as Prunedale, Royal Oaks, or Aromas - not quite as inexpensive as Greenfield, but half the time or less to get there, and some great values right now. There might be better fundamentals there as well from an investment perspective.