Rob

I"ve needed to travel to or through different parts on a half dozen occasions, and my subjective opinion is that overall, I would not want my wife or kids to walk there alone, day or night. I have also checked crime stats for Bayview, and they seemed to support my subjective sense. Sad to say, because undoubtedly most of the people there are wonderful folks. But the bad seeds seem to cause more trouble than I care to risk encountering by going there very often. Only my perception and opinion (I'm an ethnic minority, if that matters to understanding my viewpoint). Like others said, in the future, it may improve and be a good investment from that standpoint. Best of luck, rob. - Fri Jun 20 2008, 11:04

I don't think anybody mentioned Pacifica yet (suburb of SF). I'll mention it because I live here, and I see homes coming up listed right around 500 right now. Of course, I don't know what you mean by decent, but I would say they are good livable homes (not new 'executive' homes - have to go further out for that), and Pacifica is a great, safe, friendly, scenic area. Best of luck, rob. - Fri Jun 20 2008, 00:59

Hi Katie, I just answered this similar question to someone coming from Minnesota. I'm not an agent, just a person who used to live Midwest and came to Bay area with your same question a few years ago (I even lived in South Dakota, too). I agree with the person who said the Peninsula is the best bet, because you don't get stuck with a bridge commute. I personally chose Pacifica to be near beach, trails (galore!), mountains, and it has a nice homey small town feel while still being near SF. It does have fog, mostly in July and August, but on and off throughout summer. Pacifica was also more afforable than nearby San Bruno and Millbrae (mainly becaues of fog). The mid and lower peninsula cities (Foster City, Belmont, Burlingame) have some really nice areas, but pricier for similar houses, so I made the decision to get more house and yard for my money, and traded eternal sunshine summers. Note: southern Pacifica (namely Linda Mar and Vallemar areas) is sunnier, but further away from highway access. Will add 10+ minutes to commute to SF compared to Manor and Fairmont areas. Good luck with your search. NoCal is great - you will love it here. -rob - Fri Jun 20 2008, 00:51

Hi Dan, I'm not a realtor - I moved from the Midwest to SF Bay and chose to buy a home in Pacifica because we could get a nice back yard and be near the beach for less than a tiny condo in any decent part of SF. Schools here are nice, too. Only drawback is the summer temps are cooler than other parts of the bay because of the coastal fog. Not every day (today is 75 and sunny perfect) but up to half the days in July and August. Of course, we think it's great to never need air conditioning, and not sweat when you get in your car in the summer. I also like being able to take the train into downtown SF in 15-20 minutes, or drive there (not in rush hour) in about the same time. I agree with poster who recommended renting for a few months. Bay Area is sooooo different from all the 7 Midwest cities I lived in. So many micorcultures - both in weather, and people. Every few blocks in SF, and many parts of the Bay Area, can be completely diferent neighborhoods. Where you fit in will be an individual choice. Pacifica worked for me, and it's a place fewer people seem to mention, so maybe worth checking out for your family. Hope you love NoCal as much as the rest of us converts from the Midwest (we'll never go back!) -rob - Fri Jun 20 2008, 00:32

Hi Nancy,
I'm not an agent, but I have been a buyer and seller, and currently 'browsing' homes thinking of moving, and looking at my own neighborhood comps (with much pain! lol) to price my own home if I do sell. As a buyer, I'm looking for 'a deal' of course, especially in this market, and that doesn't necessarily mean the lowest price, but the most value for the price compared to the other homes in the area. Like "Bay" said, your home needs to stand out from its competitors. If it can't stand out with features like the largest yard, the most updated kitchen, the biggest rooms, then it needs to stand out by being the least expensive (by more than a tiny bit). You said yours is the lowest price, but is it the best deal? You probably already know all this, but I just encourage you to look at your house as objectively as possible and say, "If were a buyer, is this the house I would buy based on what is avalable?" Not just in your neighborhood, but in surrounding comparable areas s buyer might also be looking into. If you can find another house other than yours that seems like a better "deal", then that's what buyers see, too. It doesn't matter how great your Realtor is if buyers don't see why your house is "a great deal" that's going to finally halt their searching and make them salivate over the possibility of getting your house. With 20 homes for sale near you, you have a lot of competition, and a small price difference between yours and the others may not be enough to make it stand out to buyers. If your house is already priced well-below others and truly is the best deal around, then it will sell (assuming it is properly marketed so enough people come to see it). That's just my perspective as a buyer (and seller). I wish you all the best on selling your home in this tough market. - Sun May 25 2008, 12:22