Susan

AD you are the epitomy of what I am talking about when it comes to Berkeley people. Lighten up and learn to take a joke. That is the problem with berkeley people, they are too sensitive and take themselves too seriously.

Cheng...if this is the sort of environment you want for your family, the good news is the home values in Berkeley are coming down pretty steadily so you should be able to get a home for a decent price. - Wed Jul 2 2008, 20:57

SF bay area is most definitely more expensive than Chicago and its suburbs. Regarding Berkeley, I would only move there if you dont mind living with a perpetual "nagging mother". People in Berkeley automatically assume you agree and adhere to the standard protocol of social, politicial and cultural norms of Berkeley which include: eating expensive, organic food, wearing expensive organic clothes and ugly shoes, having extremely left wing political views, driving a hybrid, being outdoorsy, not wearing make up if you are female, and taking yourself too seriously.

If you do or believe any of the following, : eat meat, drink hard alcohol, drive an American made car/SUV, are attractive in the conventional sense, watch network TV, vote republican, partake in anything considered "mainstream", shop in chain stores (even for things like diapers or toilet paper), keep your car free of bumper stickers with obscure left wing political or social slogans, have a sense of humor, or enjoy your personal freedom, I would not recommend moving to Berkeley or most places in the bay area. It will annoy you beyond your wildest imagination. - Wed May 7 2008, 14:52

I am going to have to agree with John. I moved to SF last year from So Cal, and this place is a dump. I also live in a "nice neighborhood", but it looks dirty and rundown as does most of San Francisco and the bay area. Im talking about the upscale neighborhoods too where people want 1MM plus for a tiny house where the neighbors have old cars on blocks in the driveways and dont take care of their yards. These neighborhoods more resemble shanty towns than million dollar neighborhoods. I wouldnt move here unless you have to like we did for a big career opportunity. Nice neighborhoods in SoCal are MUCH nicer than bay area, and from what I hear so is Chicago. - Mon Mar 10 2008, 14:03

It doesnt seem to me like the rate of 6.6 is very low. Is it still possible to get loans in the 4-5% range? - Mon Apr 28 2008, 23:20

Now that I am living here, I like it. The downtown is very nice and it is much easier to live here than San Francisco. There are good restaurants, boutiques, and shopping here. I also like it better than Mill Valley because it is bigger and there is more to do. Walnut Creek also has a bart station which will drop you off a block from the ferry building at the embarcadero or inside bloomingdales in downtown san francisco in like 30 minutes.

The people are a little bland and generic, but that is to be expected in any suburb. As far as actually buying a place in Walnut Creek, I think S. WC, Alamo, or Lafayette would be best for closest proximity to downtown shopping and still not too far from SF with nicer houses and decent privacy. I would probably pass on Orinda or Danville due to their locations. My current neighborhood is fine for now and totally convenient for our needs. - Tue Apr 8 2008, 18:00

Well hopefully it wont be like torture to live there. Since we are renting, it wont be a permanent situation, and can then decide where in the area to buy. WC does seem to have the most amenities compared to Danville, Alamo, and Lafayette, which are nicer neighborhoods, but have nothing else going on. - Thu Mar 27 2008, 21:05

Hi Ally,
I would love to email you, but I am not sure how to pass along email info in trulia. Do you? - Wed Mar 26 2008, 23:00

We moved to Walnut Creek to be 2 miles from my husbands office....entirely to shorten his commute since our baby is due in 3 weeks. He was open to Marin initially, but as I got further along in my pregnancy, and he drove from his office out there a couple of times, he flat out refused to do the commute. He doesnt want me and the baby to be that far from him since we have no family up here.

I sucked it up and agreed to move out to Walnut Creek, at least for now, which is another reason why we are waiting to buy, to see which area we actually want to settle in. I have spent some time in Marin, and while it is a little nicer than WC, the homes are tiny, and the community is politically very liberal. It would get on my nerves as I am not fond of communities that wear there politics on their sleeves...which is why we never ever go to Berkeley.
I dont think Marin is as bad as Berkeley, but it would still bother me. I dont like people making me feel guilty for not being into organic this or that or eating meat.

And yes, Sylvia is right. I miss LA more than anything. I can have everything I want living in LA. Nice neighborhood, great weather, decent commute, abundance of amenities, much better services, nicer people, more action, better shopping, and close to family. I have given up so much since moving to the bay area and WC is a complete step down. Hopefully it will pay off this year with his career.

So what is the deal with WC? - Sun Mar 23 2008, 21:17

I find it hard to believe the average lafayette resident only earns 120k per year when the average house costs 1MM. That isnt possible. You would need AT LEAST 250k per year to pay for a 1MM home. I am very confused how the home prices in the area are selling at that rate.

I am assuming people live on mac and cheese, drive cheap cars, dont travel, and shop at Target if they are only earning 120k per year with a 1MM mortgage? It sounds to me like the area isnt truly wealthy if this is the case. If someone is actually able to afford the home prices there, and maintain an upscale lifestyle, are they living in Lamorinda? - Mon Apr 7 2008, 14:07

What is the income of the average Lamorinda home buyer? It has to be higher than what the statistics say because how else could they afford a 1.1MM home? - Mon Apr 7 2008, 00:20

I dont think the new conforming loan limits will apply to lamorinda unless sellers get realistic about lowering their 2000 sqft crapshacks from 1.2MM to 700k where they belong. - Fri Apr 4 2008, 00:24

The prices in Walnut Creek have really come down. Lamorinda is doing the price cut thing or just letting the properties sit until the listing expires and then some are playing the game of taking off the property and relisting. Very few properties are selling and the inventory is just going up. By the end of the summer, I predict there will be a ton of unsold inventory in all of these areas...possibly double what it is now, and there will be many people who have to sell. This is when the pricing and deal making will get interesting.

The east bay is also officially in a recession with the highest loss of jobs over the past year in the entire bay area...most lost in the real estate and financial sectors (surprise, surprise)

I would wait, unless you see your dream home priced reasonably. - Mon Mar 3 2008, 17:25

I have been looking to buy in the lamorinda area for the past year. We decided to wait because the area is just now starting to feel the effects of the real estate slump in CoCo County.

I just got this email from another fence sitter on a house that just sold in Blackhawk another desirable neighborhood. If this is a great indication of what is to come...sit still or make offers 30% below list.

http://www.trulia.com/homes/California/Danville/sold/671137-… - Fri Feb 22 2008, 17:54

Wow. That sounds like a nightmare. I am curious to see how things turn out. - Mon Mar 31 2008, 22:09

Did you buy your house in San Ramon? Did you get a good deal? I am looking to find a good deal in the danville/WC area. - Sun Feb 24 2008, 22:51