< Return to Talk
09.07.19, 22:06 PM General Topics
16 replies
Which would you think was a better investment? 1090 sqft 3br/1ba single family home monthly cost of $4069 (principal & interest, property taxes, and home ins.)-$698k asking price? Or a 1,032 sqft 1bd/1ba condo with a monthly cost of $3835 (principal & interest, property taxes, home ins, and HOA)-$568k asking? [ Reply | Watch | Flag ]
General Topics 09.07.19, 10:06 PM Flag
 

Dear UrbanBaby community,

Thank you so much for being a valued member of the UrbanBaby community. We wanted to inform you that we are shutting down the site on July 6th. We are grateful for your participation and support that has helped make UrbanBaby such an important resource to parents for many years.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can email us at urbanbaby-support@cbsinteractive.com.

Thanks so much,

UrbanBaby Support

»
How do the locations compare? [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.07.19, 10:06 PM Flag
»
The three bedroom's neighborhoodscout crime index is 32, with 100 being the safest. The one bedroom's is 20. The three bedroom's great school ratings are 2/10 for the elementary, 2/10 for the middle, and 8/10 for the high school. The one bedroom's is 9/10, 8/10, and 6/10. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.07.19, 10:18 PM Flag
»
I don't know what any of that means and doubt it's how anyone picks where he or she wants to live. You could be comparing the terrible Lower East Side with bucolic Sioux Falls, South Dakota. But I bet the LES apartment will appreciate more. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.07.19, 10:21 PM Flag
»
They're both in the same region of the bay area. And, yes, families in the suburbs care about the great school ratings, but I just don't think that matters if it's a one-bedroom. The neighborhood the one bedroom is in looks safer than the three bedroom's neighborhood. It's just closer to San Francisco, so that's probably why the crime is higher. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.07.19, 10:35 PM Flag
»
I agree that school statistics matter little for a 1 bedroom, other than the fact that a good school creates housing demand, which causes higher prices, which causes a higher income neighborhood, which creates a higher end business environment i.e. ripple effect. I would venture that this is a classic apples and oranges scenario. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.07.19, 11:13 PM Flag
»
list the neighborhoods and I'll weigh in. In general, single family homes are usually a safer investment in the Bay Area. Will you be living there and do oyu have kids in school? [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.07.19, 11:28 PM Flag
»
+1 House is usually better. I think it is because Prop 13 makes it better to remodel than to sell and buy something bigger, and you can't do that with a condo. Also a 1 bdrm is a problem. With 2 or 3 bedrooms you can rent to people who are professionals but have to have roommates because it is so expensive there. With a 1 bedroom you are limited to just single people or couples. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.07.19, 11:33 PM Flag
»
The one bedroom is in South San Francisco and the three bedroom is in East Palo Alto. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.08.19, 06:51 AM Flag
»
My take: East Palo Alto is a long bet. It will probably gentrify but not overnight. Many buyers will be scared off by the name. The schools are terrible. SSF will appreciate (or not) along with the broader market. I know which area you’re talking about based on the schools — it’s great for commuting to the city. Not far from Genentech and YouTube (though EPA is close to Facebook). The weather isn’t as good as EPA (fog). I guess it depends on whether you plan to live in or rent out the properties while you wait for them to appreciate. (And if that’s your main goal — don’t buy now. The market is definitely softening but it’s still as expensive as it ever was.) [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.08.19, 02:33 PM Flag
»
I live in the Bay Area. Where are you talking about? For those prices, assuming East Bay? [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.08.19, 02:44 AM Flag
»
No, Peniinsula. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.08.19, 06:52 AM Flag
»
Many properties are still selling over asking down here. Just FYI. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.08.19, 02:35 PM Flag
»
In the bay area, in the last downturn, the one bedrooms were very hard to sell. You couldn't give them away. HTH [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.07.19, 11:23 PM Flag
»
OR of course this is a slight exaggeration. But keep in mind that it will still be pretty crowded. I would not do the condo. It will never appreciate as much as the house will there. Many bay area suburbs have school of choice with magnet schools and there are inexpensive parochial (Catholic) schools. With a house, people can buy it and add on a bathroom or add a second floor (although now it is crazy expensive there in the Bay Area to do that, have friends who just got bids back) but you can't do that with a condo. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.07.19, 11:27 PM Flag
»
by crowded I mean that people do squeeze 5 people or more in to one bedroom condos so the complex itself will be crowded. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.07.19, 11:28 PM Flag
»
Would you still say that knowing the house is in East Palo Alto? I would assume the places that get hit the hardest in a downturn are the ones no one wanted to live in if they could afford anything better. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.08.19, 02:42 PM Flag
Refresh » New Post »
Select Category
close [X]

close [X]

Select a Category (only 1)

category
Stages
Regions