tell me about silicon valley....

[gardenmom5]

dd may be moving there for a job...  (if she sells her house here, it should give her enough for a good down payment on a house there.)

 

 

[Ellie]

43 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

dd may be moving there for a job...  (if she sells her house here, it should give her enough for a good down payment on a house there.)

I lived there (San Jose) for 17 years, and I loved it. Wonderful weather, many places to see and things to do. But boy howdy, real estate is through the roof.  Does she have any idea which part of Silicon Valley she'll be in? San Jose will be least expensive than most other areas.

[Liz CA]

Unless she can clear a lot of money, and I mean a lot, she may have to chip in money from her piggy bank. 

Very pleasant climate, proximity to ocean (for those who love the water), top notch medical care and usually good employment opportunities but super expensive.  And I don't miss the traffic either...

Edited July 4, 2019 by Liz CA

[Ali in OR]

So many wonderful opportunities, but we moved away 26 years ago because we couldn't afford a house on a teacher's and engineer's salary without a long commute. It's a great place to be a young adult. I wouldn't want to raise teens there...too much competition. Not so great for mental health.

[Anne]

My parents live there - housing is EXPENSIVE!!!    Make sure she understands exactly how much it will cost her before she moves!   A friend of mine who is in HR says her firm is reluctant to hire people from out of state b/c the housing costs and commute times are so horrendous and people from most out of state locations just aren’t prepared for it.

 

Anne

[gardenmom5]

yes - she knows where in the silicon valley area she'd be if she goes to ca.  we're in a hcol area (just not as high.). she bought her house 5 1/2 years ago.  she should clear enough for a down payment on something decent with a reasonable commute.   

are there sketchy areas to stay away from? hotter? dryer?  there is a possibility they'll place her here; but the way things are looking, it looks like she'll end up moving.

she has a couple friends who moved to this company's location here (with great things to say about how they treat their employees), they didn't get flown to California.  though as dd said, her friend is a dev, and "devs are a dime a gross."   

one thing she's expressed concern about is replacing her drs - especially her somatic therapist.  how common are alternative providers?  she is healthier than she's been in years.

[EmilyGF]

12 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

yes - she knows where in the silicon valley area she'd be if she goes to ca.  we're in a hcol area (just not as high.). she bought her house 5 1/2 years ago.  she should clear enough for a down payment on something decent with a reasonable commute.   

are there sketchy areas to stay away from? hotter? dryer?  there is a possibility they'll place her here; but the way things are looking, it looks like she'll end up moving.

she has a couple friends who moved to this company's location here (with great things to say about how they treat their employees), they didn't get flown to California.  though as dd said, her friend is a dev, and "devs are a dime a gross."   

one thing she's expressed concern about is replacing her drs - especially her somatic therapist.  how common are alternative providers?  she is healthier than she's been in years.

There is EVERYTHING there when it comes to health. People are way into health and have money to throw at it (or, at least, enough do to make a big market).

You can get more specific info if you give the town that the company is in. Some people use Silicon Valley to refer to a huge area. I was raised in Los Altos (touches Palo Alto and Mountain View) and my parents still live there.

ETA: My friend lived in Silicon Valley in San Jose, and getting to her house from mine could take upwards of 45 minute. My uncle lives in East San Jose and it is the same story. And Silicon Valley continues a lot north of where I grew up. Getting to the Stanford Mall from my home was another 20+ minutes in the opposite direction. And none of these were at rush hour but around 10:30 am. I also lived in Santa Cruz and knew people who commuted to San Jose and even Menlo Park from there (!!!!). Gluttons for punishment?

Edited July 4, 2019 by EmilyGF

[gardenmom5]

19 minutes ago, EmilyGF said:

 

ETA: My friend lived in Silicon Valley in San Jose,  

not san jose,

we have similar commute times. and tolls.  when someone on the board are considering moving here from another part of the country, one of the very first things local boardies will say is: commutes are measured in minutes, NOT miles.    

[RootAnn]

Nm

Edited July 4, 2019 by RootAnn
Early morning accidental posting

[marbel]

7 hours ago, Ali in OR said:

So many wonderful opportunities, but we moved away 26 years ago because we couldn't afford a house on a teacher's and engineer's salary without a long commute. It's a great place to be a young adult. I wouldn't want to raise teens there...too much competition. Not so great for mental health.

I grew up in San Jose, though it's been a long time since I've lived there. The bolded was my first thought.  Everything one could want is fairly close:  beaches, mountains, beautiful wine country.  Two major league baseball teams. I used to drive up to San Francisco and just walk around the city for hours.  I loved it as an independent young adult and my husband and I had a great time there in our early married years. But when we had our first child, you couldn't get me out of there fast enough.  The costs, the crowds/traffic, the lack of fellow stay-home moms got to me. 

[DawnM]

We were looking there 2 years ago.  We took a good look at the train and were looking at getting a house further down the line of the train to get a little bit better pricing on homes.  

I wouldn't live too far out without the train though, unless you can go in at 4am and leave by 2pm.  The traffic is horrendous.

We were also looking at $1M for any sort of 3-4 bedroom small house.  

 

[Ellie]

7 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

yes - she knows where in the silicon valley area she'd be if she goes to ca.  we're in a hcol area (just not as high.). she bought her house 5 1/2 years ago.  she should clear enough for a down payment on something decent with a reasonable commute.   

are there sketchy areas to stay away from? hotter? dryer?  there is a possibility they'll place her here; but the way things are looking, it looks like she'll end up moving.

she has a couple friends who moved to this company's location here (with great things to say about how they treat their employees), they didn't get flown to California.  though as dd said, her friend is a dev, and "devs are a dime a gross."   

one thing she's expressed concern about is replacing her drs - especially her somatic therapist.  how common are alternative providers?  she is healthier than she's been in years.

Areas east of the mountains would be hotter and dryer; San Jose, Campbell, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Fremont, Palo Alto, Mountain View, et al, will be cooler (and prettier 🙂 ). Homes in  Sunnyvale and Cupertino areas will be most expensive (In the immediate area). If she decides on San Jose, stay away from East San Jose/Evergreen/Berryessa. Blossom Valley used to be a good area, but I don't know how it is now.

I don't know what a "dev" is.

I didn't check into alternative providers when I was there, but this is California. I'm sure they're there. 🙂

[Scarlett]

My BIL and his wife live in San Jose.  The housing there is horrendous.  They have considered relocating to AR where his mom is but their dd is Alaska and will be for a long time.  Fortunately much of his work (contractor) is in the San Jose area....people spend hours a day commuting to SF.  The one day dh and I went into SF I could not believe how bad the traffic was.  I have no desire to live like that, but for a young adult I can see it would be so fun.  So much to do around there.  Love how close the beach is and the mountains...we have friends who had a couple of acres out near San Jose and it was beautiful.  Very rural feeling.

[catz]

We have friends that moved right into the Silicone Valley last year and they regret it deeply after a generous job offer from a major tech company.  They have kids.  We got job offers there a couple times but could never resolve the housing costs to our satisfaction.   But it would be great fun for a young adult.   I used to travel into that area regularly for work.  Loved it.

Edited July 4, 2019 by FuzzyCatz

[gardenmom5]

56 minutes ago, Ellie said:

 

I don't know what a "dev" is.🙂

Developer. Programmer.

 

[Arcadia]

8 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

one of the very first things local boardies will say is: commutes are measured in minutes, NOT miles.    

 

True 😂 US101 commute is a beast. I’m near to Levi’s stadium, Google HQ/NASA AMES area if that’s where your daughter is potentially moving to. My healthcare provider is Stanford Healthcare and insurance is BCBS. My neighbor sold her one bedroom condo for $800k last month.

Healthcare is so tied to employee insurance that it’s a pain. BCBS does have enough providers for my need but I don’t know about alternative providers. 

I’m familiar with San Mateo down to downtown San Jose. Your daughter can buy a home with 5% down payment. It’s the mortgage payments and property tax that is the pain. PM me if you aren’t comfortable saying which zip codes your daughter is looking at.

[gardenmom5]

9 hours ago, EmilyGF said:

There is EVERYTHING there when it comes to health. People are way into health and have money to throw at it (or, at least, enough do to make a big market).

You can get more specific info if you give the town that the company is in. Some people use Silicon Valley to refer to a huge area. I was raised in Los Altos (touches Palo Alto and Mountain View) and my parents still live there.

 

 silicon valley proper.  I'd prefer not to give the exact town. so   - palo alto, Cupertino, mountain view, sunnyvale, etc. areas.

1 hour ago, Ellie said:

Areas east of the mountains would be hotter and dryer; San Jose, Campbell, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Fremont, Palo Alto, Mountain View, et al, will be cooler (and prettier 🙂 ). Homes in  Sunnyvale and Cupertino areas will be most expensive (In the immediate area). If she decides on San Jose, stay away from East San Jose/Evergreen/Berryessa. Blossom Valley used to be a good area, but I don't know how it is now. 

east of the mts?  do you mean the mts on the east side of the bay? (she wouldn't be that far out.)  or the mts between the pacific and SFbay?

 

23 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said:

We have friends that moved right into the Silicone Valley last year and they regret it deeply after a generous job offer from a major tech company.  They have kids.  We got job offers there a couple times but could never resolve the housing costs to our satisfaction.   But it would be great fun for a young adult.   I used to travel into that area regularly for work.  Loved it.

why did they regret it?  we're in a hcol area with icky traffic, so nothing new there.  

 

[Scarlett]

11 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

 silicon valley proper.  I'd prefer not to give the exact town. so   - palo alto, Cupertino, mountain view, sunnyvale, etc. areas.

east of the mts?  do you mean the mts on the east side of the bay? (she wouldn't be that far out.)  or the mts between the pacific and SFbay?

 

why did they regret it?  we're in a hcol area with icky traffic, so nothing new there.  

 

I think she will be fine if she is already used to HCOL and traffic.  It has so many wonderful features....weather is gorgeous.  My SIL moved from Salem OR and she had been suffering from SAD for years and now that she is in SJ she is off meds and feels wonderful.  

[Lanny]

Hopefully, she will have a minimum annual salary of at least $200K USD.  It is very expensive there and for that reason, the salaries there are very high, compared to living in a state where the cost of living and taxes are much lower. Good luck to her!

[Ellie]

3 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

east of the mts?  do you mean the mts on the east side of the bay? (she wouldn't be that far out.)  or the mts between the pacific and SFbay?

 

East Bay, I guess it would be. Definitely *not* the "mountains between the Pacific and SF Bay, since San Francisco really is right on the Pacific. Pleasanton, San Ramon, Walnut Creek...you're sort of going north  on the east side of the bay, until you get to I-80, which takes you west of the mountains and into Sacramento and I-5.

Back in the day, San Jose and surrounding areas was called the Valley of Heart's Delight. ❤️ And it really is a valley. When you go from Hwy. 101 north to I-680, you cross over the eastern edge of that valley. This map shows elevations of the S.F. Bay area. You can see where the little bit of valley is, and how when you go east of Hwy. 101, you are going into the mountains (not BIG mountains, but still mountains). To the west of those mountains the weather is a little cooler and wetter, the same way that western Washington (Seattle, Olympia) is wetter than eastern Washington (Spokane). Hwy. 101 is built right in that long narrow valley. On the north end of the Bay are Oakland and Berkeley, which are beautiful and cooler than the east bay...I'm not a meteorologist, lol, so I can't explain the exact way that whole things works. 🙂

Many people end up moving to Tracy and Manteca and other cities out there because that's where they can afford housing. Makes for a looong drive.

Edited July 4, 2019 by Ellie

[Carol in Cal.]

I live here, in the Willow Glen part of San Jose.

Have been here a very long time.

It is typical to buy as much house as you can possibly manage because it is so hard to move up later as prices have escalated so quickly.   Starter home prices in SV dropped 10-15% after the limits on the SALT deduction went into the tax code, but I believe they have rebounded somewhat and homes are selling very very quickly.  Houses tend to be cramped without a lot of storage, open floor plans/no basements/no attics are typical of construction throughout the last 40 years or more.  We live in a home that was built in the 1920s—those are at a premium, price wise.  

The traffic is horrendous and you can’t count on public bus routes to remain stable and served.  Lots of tech firms have their own bus systems, free, and those are GREAT.  It’s very important to check that out.  Light rail and Cal Train tracks, of course, cannot be moved cheaply, so they are good transportation options; however, some of the stations are in poor/dangerous/sketchy locations.  The public services vary A LOT from city to city.  I wish I had known that before I settled in San Jose.  Neighboring Santa Clara has far better public facilities, libraries, and a great aquatic center.  Luckily they let me get a library card.

Homeschooling is very easy here—just register as a private school more or less.

Beaches are about 40 minutes away if there is no traffic.  The water is cold there, and when the wind comes off the water it’s chilly almost all year round.  The ones you see on TV are far south of us; it’s not like that here.  But ours are absolutely beautiful, and very accessible.  There is great local hiking and nature studies available, and despite the general congestion you can get to ‘the middle of nowhere’ that way.  The food culture is absolutely fantastic—very multicultural grocery stores etc.  The climate is basically Mediterranean.  Few bugs.  Very little rain during the summer—maybe 1-2 short storms.  No snow to speak of, it generally doesn’t get that cold.

The ethos is so liberal that it’s not really open to discussion.  It’s best to avoid talking about anything social or political at work as that is common and then people get bit by it no matter what their views are.

Alternative medicine is extremely common but more so in the next county south of here—Santa Cruz County.  I drive there for my accupuncturist, naturopath, Alexander instructor, and DNF chiro, and they are hands down better than any I have found in my own immediate area.  If you can figure out how to get to me IRL, I would be glad to ask them for a rec for her specialist if she does move here.  

Infrastructure in the state is generally quite strained.  Roads are nutsy crowded.  The local electric utility has received permission from the toothless/ineffective PUC to turn off electricity for up to 5 days any time if they think conditions are right for a wildfire to start, and that is not just in remote rural areas.  The Oroville Dam still has not be repaired since its near failure two years ago forced the evacuation of almost 200,000 people.  Water supply is very strained and yet we keep issuing building permits.  Schools are quite varied in quality.  Police coverage is limited and strained in a lot of areas including San Jose.  Rural areas have no police at all, just sheriff’s departments, which have to cover a lot of ground and can’t respond fast.  Hence it is really important to have emergency supplies in case of a power outage or in case an earthquake knocks out the water supply for a long time.  A really bad earthquake, which we are quite overdue for, would prevent evacuations for a long time, so being able to shelter in place without utilities is very important.

Great medical care is available, but home care is hard to arrange.  

[Laura in CA]

15 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

 

one thing she's expressed concern about is replacing her drs - especially her somatic therapist.  how common are alternative providers?  she is healthier than she's been in years.

 

ha, no worries about finding alternative providers in California 😉 

If you want to PM me, I'd be happy to talk with more details about places to live. We are in the East Bay, which is relatively affordable; our son starts at a tech job in SF in a few weeks (he has been lured from out of state). He's not looking forward to the commute (on a bus and then BART), but the job seems perfect for him.

 

[Laura in CA]

5 hours ago, Lanny said:

Hopefully, she will have a minimum annual salary of at least $200K USD.  It is very expensive there and for that reason, the salaries there are very high, compared to living in a state where the cost of living and taxes are much lower. Good luck to her!

 

Six figures are normal starting salaries, even for kids just out of college (& the OP's dd bought a house 5.5 years ago, so she must be a few years out of college). My 23yo son just interviewed at four SV companies last week, and it's absolutely crazy the kind of money that is flying around here (signing bonuses, stock options, etc.). Just crazy.

Edited July 4, 2019 by Laura in CA

[Liz CA]

15 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

not san jose,

we have similar commute times. and tolls.  when someone on the board are considering moving here from another part of the country, one of the very first things local boardies will say is: commutes are measured in minutes, NOT miles.    

 

In the Bay Area, commutes are often measured in hours. 🙂

Edited July 4, 2019 by Liz CA

[Laura in CA]

1 hour ago, Liz CA said:

 

In the Bay Area, commutes are often measured in hours. 🙂

 

LOL

and I see why – we were pricing 1- and 2-bedroom condos/townhouses for my son who is moving back to the Bay Area. In our town you can get a pretty nice 1- or 2-bedroom condo for $400k or a bit more, which (boy, have I lost all sense of perspective!!) I was thinking was pretty reasonable – he should be able to save a 20%+ down payment ($100k) within 2 years on his SV salary (AND living at home and commuting, I hasten to add – we've emphasized that we are doing him a favor 🙂 ... a friend of his who works at Google is paying $2.8k PER MONTH for a 1-bedroom apt in Mtn View/Sunnyvale). Anyway, in Manteca (farther east, over the hills) for "only" $60k more ($460k) you can get a nice new 4-bedroom house with a 3-car garage. BUT you have to spend hours and hours every day on the road. Or drive to BART or the ACE train and fight for parking at the train station, then take the train and possibly a shuttle at the work end. But now I see why people do it. Luckily my husband and I have 5-minute commutes. Well, mine can be up to 7 minutes by car, 20 minutes by bike.

Edited July 4, 2019 by Laura in CA

[gardenmom5]

26 minutes ago, Laura in CA said:

 

LOL

and I see why – we were pricing 1- and 2-bedroom condos/townhouses for my son who is moving back to the Bay Area. In our town you can get a pretty nice 1- or 2-bedroom condo for $400k or a bit more, which (boy, have I lost all sense of perspective!!) I was thinking was pretty reasonable – he should be able to save a 20%+ down payment ($100k) within 2 years on his SV salary (AND living at home and commuting, I hasten to add – we've emphasized that we are doing him a favor 🙂 ... a friend of his who works at Google is paying $2.8k PER MONTH for a 1-bedroom apt in Mtn View/Sunnyvale). Anyway, in Manteca (farther east, over the hills) for "only" $60k more ($460k) you can get a nice new 4-bedroom house with a 3-car garage. BUT you have to spend hours and hours every day on the road. Or drive to BART or the ACE train and fight for parking at the train station, then take the train and possibly a shuttle at the work end. But now I see why people do it. Luckily my husband and I have 5-minute commutes. Well, mine can be up to 7 minutes by car, 20 minutes by bike.

even here, you pay up front for something close in, or you pay less for something bigger on more land farther out and make for it in gas, insurance (since - more miles), wear & tear on your car, spending time (lots of time) going back and forth and less time at home.

[gardenmom5]

4 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

you can’t count on public bus routes to remain stable and served.  -good to know

Lots of tech firms have their own bus systems, free, and those are GREAT.  - MS does here for FTEs.  I find it interesting amazon doesn't. (they're moving out of seattle and their "tax corporations to the max" politics)

 The water is cold there,    - not as cold as it is here.  😜

 

The ethos is so liberal that it’s not really open to discussion.  It’s best to avoid talking about anything social or political at work as that is common and then people get bit by it no matter what their views are. - that's pretty much how it is here.  some of the most vocal tend to be socialist/communist.

 

Santa Cruz County.  -how far is that from Cupertino/Sunnyvale/mt.view/etc?

Infrastructure in the state is generally quite strained.  Roads are nutsy crowded.  The local electric utility has received permission from the toothless/ineffective PUC to turn off electricity for up to 5 days any time if they think conditions are right for a wildfire to start,   -😲

 

A really bad earthquake, which we are quite overdue for, would prevent evacuations for a long time, so being able to shelter in place without utilities is very important.
 

I had a nice long reply. it disappeared into the ether.  - thank you for your information.

our idea of a "really bad earthquake" is Cascadia ripping.  (they talk about everything west of I5 being wiped out by the tsunami) last time was January 26, 1700.  the Japanese kept really good records on tsunamis, and they could never identify the origin of that one - which wiped out their rice crop.  it's a mega-thrust subduction zone.  8 - 9+ is 'normal' for them.  it averages every 268 years.

so - we've had lots of: do this to prepare for an earthquake. speaking of, I keep thinking I need to put new cabinet latches on my upper cabinets.

Edited July 4, 2019 by gardenmom5

[Liz CA]

1 hour ago, Laura in CA said:

 

LOL

and I see why – we were pricing 1- and 2-bedroom condos/townhouses for my son who is moving back to the Bay Area. In our town you can get a pretty nice 1- or 2-bedroom condo for $400k or a bit more, which (boy, have I lost all sense of perspective!!) I was thinking was pretty reasonable – he should be able to save a 20%+ down payment ($100k) within 2 years on his SV salary (AND living at home and commuting, I hasten to add – we've emphasized that we are doing him a favor 🙂 ... a friend of his who works at Google is paying $2.8k PER MONTH for a 1-bedroom apt in Mtn View/Sunnyvale). Anyway, in Manteca (farther east, over the hills) for "only" $60k more ($460k) you can get a nice new 4-bedroom house with a 3-car garage. BUT you have to spend hours and hours every day on the road. Or drive to BART or the ACE train and fight for parking at the train station, then take the train and possibly a shuttle at the work end. But now I see why people do it. Luckily my husband and I have 5-minute commutes. Well, mine can be up to 7 minutes by car, 20 minutes by bike.

 

A seven minute commute...a seven minute commute...sorry I am just saying that to myself to see what that sounds like. 😂

I am surprised that you can get a place in Manteca for 400+K. I thought pretty much anything in a radius of 150 miles was at least a half a million fixer upper.

Edited July 5, 2019 by Liz CA

[Arcadia]

2 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

you can’t count on public bus routes to remain stable and served.  -good to know

Lots of tech firms have their own bus systems, free, and those are GREAT.  - MS does here for FTEs.  I find itinteresting amazon doesn't. (they're moving out of seattle and their "tax corporations to the max" politics)

 

I can take VTA light rail -> Caltrain —> free Marguerite (Stanford U) shuttle to get to Stanford Healthcare 🙂 VTA busses are pretty reliable and on time but VTA do change bus routes from time to time.

Amazon has employee shuttles in Seattle. Here there are company busses for Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook. My complex is popular because company busses stop there. That is also why we are looking mainly at homes to buy on the peninsula which is near Stanford Cancer Center (my healthcare and husband’s work commute).

The stock options are why we owe Federal tax every year. Your daughter is probably already aware of what a pain RSUs are during tax time.

[Carol in Cal.]

Santa Cruz County is literally the next county south.

It takes me exactly half an hour to get between my office in Santa Clara to Santa Cruz.  I think it takes me about 35 to the chiro, 40-50 to the others.  I choose appointment times that keep me out of the main commute traffic, which is crucial.

[gardenmom5]

5 hours ago, Liz CA said:

 

A seven minute commute...a seven minute commute...sorry I am just saying that to myself to see what that sounds like. 😂

I am surprised that you can get a place in Manteca for 400+K. I thought pretty much anything in a radius of 150 miles was at least a half a million fixer upper.

and why I don't expect 2ds to move out anytime soon... he works two miles away.....  he walked when the roads were impassable due to snow.  he said he wouldn't do that again because he didn't have a key, and he was the only one there.  (someone else, with key, eventually showed up.)

[Laura in CA]

On 7/4/2019 at 5:21 PM, Liz CA said:

 

A seven minute commute...a seven minute commute...sorry I am just saying that to myself to see what that sounds like. 😂

I am surprised that you can get a place in Manteca for 400+K. I thought pretty much anything in a radius of 150 miles was at least a half a million fixer upper.

 

Check out this puppy in Manteca! Now I see why many people I know who work in the East Bay/Peninsula/SF/San José live in Manteca (& other cities such as Stockton, Modesto, Merced ...). A teacher friend of mine has a colleague who lives in Manteca and teaches in Dublin. She has to leave her house at 5am to have an "easy" hour commute to Dublin; if she leaves at 6am she'll basically never get to work. She arrives at her grandmother's house in Dublin at 6am and takes a 1-hour nap, then goes to the school to work. What a way to live ... BUT my friend says her colleague was able to buy a big house in Manteca for $350k; where we live in the relatively affordable East Bay the median price for a modest home is $700–800k.

Here is the "heat map" for the (greater) Bay Area. You can see that it (surprisingly) transitions into green areas (!) relatively close to the jobs (SF, Peninsula, East Bay, etc.). Of course you have a monster commute. And the traffic snarls up our town as people pass through from the Central Valley on their way to points west.

ETA: I'm looking at the heat map again, and, not surprisingly – the green areas (median listing price: $400k-ish and below) and yellow areas (looks like high $500ks and below) are either monster commutes* I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy (Manteca, Modesto @ $200k+ 😮) or gritty areas (Richmond, etc.).

And Liz, sorry about my commute 😂. I don't really need to work but thought I'd enjoy working at our local public library; since I have vision issues I don't drive on the freeways at all (imagine that! a Californian who avoids the freeways!) and chose a job I could commute to by bike or a very short drive for those reasons. I know I am the luckiest woman alive 😊

* some examples of the monster commutes: NYT ("2:15 alarm" UGH) and NYT articles. Quote from the two-year-old "2:15 alarm" article: 

Long commutes are a byproduct of the region’s tech boom, which has given rise to a full-blown housing crisis. As home prices have escalated beyond middle-class reach, areas far inland have become an oasis of (relative) affordability. Ms. James wakes up in a city where the median home price is below $300,000, according to the online real estate database company Zillow. Prices rise steadily along her commute until she gets off her last train in San Francisco, where a typical home costs more than $1 million.

 

Edited July 7, 2019 by Laura in CA

[*LC]

On 7/4/2019 at 2:22 AM, gardenmom5 said:

yes - she knows where in the silicon valley area she'd be if she goes to ca.  we're in a hcol area (just not as high.). she bought her house 5 1/2 years ago.  she should clear enough for a down payment on something decent with a reasonable commute.   

are there sketchy areas to stay away from? hotter? dryer?  there is a possibility they'll place her here; but the way things are looking, it looks like she'll end up moving.

she has a couple friends who moved to this company's location here (with great things to say about how they treat their employees), they didn't get flown to California.  though as dd said, her friend is a dev, and "devs are a dime a gross."   

one thing she's expressed concern about is replacing her drs - especially her somatic therapist.  how common are alternative providers?  she is healthier than she's been in years.

 

I know someone who has worked in both locations. Some company's have teams with people in both locations, so they could simply want both parts of the team to meet a potential new hire.

Something that has not been mentioned is Washington does not have income tax while California does.

On 7/4/2019 at 11:56 AM, gardenmom5 said:

 silicon valley proper.  I'd prefer not to give the exact town. so   - palo alto, Cupertino, mountain view, sunnyvale, etc. areas.

east of the mts?  do you mean the mts on the east side of the bay? (she wouldn't be that far out.)  or the mts between the pacific and SFbay?

 

why did they regret it?  we're in a hcol area with icky traffic, so nothing new there.  

 

 

What I was told, new young employees in Silicon Valley were looking to share bedrooms while the same in Seattle were looking to share apartments.

13 hours ago, Arcadia said:

 

Amazon has employee shuttles in Seattle. Here there are company busses for Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook. My complex is popular because company busses stop there. That is also why we are looking mainly at homes to buy on the peninsula which is near Stanford Cancer Center (my healthcare and husband’s work commute).

Other tech companies have buses in Seattle too.

The person I know used company bus and bike in Silicon Valley and regular bus, bike and walk in Seattle. (Lives too close for company bus.) 

[gardenmom5]

2 hours ago, *LC said:

 

I know someone who has worked in both locations.  - for the same company? or different ones?

Some company's have teams with people in both locations, so they could simply want both parts of the team to meet a potential new hire.  possible, she'd love to stay here.  it's a 15 minute bus ride (no transfers) from her house to their main campus here, and they give a stipend for not being a single occupant vehicle. however, - the impression she's being left with is they want to move her to California. 

last night, I was talking with her friend who recently went to work for this company (he's a dev.  really likes it.  his wife really likes it.), who didn't do any of the stuff they're asking her to do.  no - read this to prep for your interviews. no - we'll be asking about ___, ___, and ___.  no flying him to California for a full day of interviews with multiple people. no lunches.  

Something that has not been mentioned is Washington does not have income tax while California does.  - yep.  but we do have one of the highest sales tax rates in the country.  currently 10+%. 

 

What I was told, new young employees in Silicon Valley were looking to share bedrooms while the same in Seattle were looking to share apartments.  😲 well, if she moves to cali - she's looking to buy a condo -no yard. (or a house). yes - she has the budget. she currently owns a house in an area with higher prices than seattle itself. (dh wants to buy it from her to use it as a rental.  1ds said he'd love to buy it - but he's got two more years of school for his MS before he even starts a real job.)

Other tech companies have buses in Seattle too.  I don't really notice them.  MS "connector" buses are everywhere - lime green and white. (ranging from cars to tour bus sizes - they have their own route numbers.  they are only for ftes.)   now I think about it, I do recall seeing T-Mobile's pink airport-sized shuttle busses, but there are only a fraction of the number as MS.  the only amazon vehicles I see are delivery vans.

 

 

[Arcadia]

Sales tax is 9%. Gas tax has just gone up again on July 1st. New condos are rare as new homes are mainly townhomes (no yard but have HOA) in the stretch you mentioned.

[catz]

On 7/4/2019 at 10:56 AM, gardenmom5 said:

 

why did they regret it?  we're in a hcol area with icky traffic, so nothing new there.  

 

We are in a major metro w/a somewhat HCOL and traffic woes too and that is where this family moved from.  They moved kids from a public school in the midwest to public school in CA and have just found everything about raising kids there lesser.  Less arts and music programming and extracurriuclars.  Less flexibility for high school students trying to get ahead.  Less non-profits serving kids in extracurriculars, etc.  It has everything to do with raising kids and using public schools.  So that may not apply at all to your DD's situation.   Affordable housing for a family of 6 without spending hours on the road.  This family probably will enjoy a couple years exploring the west coast and move back I suspect.  

[Lawyer&Mom]

California has the same sales tax, plus income tax.  We moved from the Bay Area to Seattle and much prefer it up here.  Not really for the tax reasons, but because the tech jobs exist in a smaller radius closer to nicer neighborhoods.  (The “affordable” houses in the Peninsula, like 1 million, instead of 3 million are 1970s ugly.  Pre-war, like we have in Seattle, is just out of our reach.). Dh changes tech jobs every two years or so, and has worked on both sides of Lake Washington without major commute hassles.  If we lived in the Peninsula and then he got a job in SF... Ugh.  I have a friend who rents instead of owning in San Jose just so they can always be able to move if her husband changes jobs.  The tech commutes just suck that hard in the Bay Area.  

Our neighborhood in Seattle reminds me of some of the lovely older neighborhoods in the East Bay that we could afford but that would be a horrible commute to the Peninsula.

Dh and I both enjoyed the Bay Area before we had kids.  I even grew up there.  But Seattle is nicer now.

(I don’t think Amazon is leaving Seattle.  They will just take over Bellevue *and* Seattle...)

Edited July 5, 2019 by Lawyer&Mom

[gardenmom5]

28 minutes ago, Lawyer&Mom said:

 

(I don’t think Amazon is leaving Seattle.  They will just take over Bellevue *and* Seattle...)

they're subleasing already contracted office towers in seattle.  they're deliberately NOT putting their people in them.  that was specifically in reaction to kshama sawant.

[Lawyer&Mom]

2 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

they're subleasing already contracted office towers in seattle.  they're deliberately NOT putting their people in them.  that was specifically in reaction to kshama sawant.

Oh I know.  I get the message they are trying to send, I just don’t believe them.  Not long term anyway.

[*LC]

On 7/4/2019 at 12:47 PM, Lanny said:

Hopefully, she will have a minimum annual salary of at least $200K USD.  It is very expensive there and for that reason, the salaries there are very high, compared to living in a state where the cost of living and taxes are much lower. Good luck to her!

I'm sure it differs by company, job, etc, but the person I know found their company paid the same for the job, no matter if the employee was in Silicon Valley or Seattle. 

7 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

 

[*LC]

8 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

 

I know someone who has worked in both locations.  - for the same company? or different ones?

Worked for one company in both locations, and worked for another company in just one location.

Some company's have teams with people in both locations, so they could simply want both parts of the team to meet a potential new hire.  possible, she'd love to stay here.  it's a 15 minute bus ride (no transfers) from her house to their main campus here, and they give a stipend for not being a single occupant vehicle. however, - the impression she's being left with is they want to move her to California. 

last night, I was talking with her friend who recently went to work for this company (he's a dev.  really likes it.  his wife really likes it.), who didn't do any of the stuff they're asking her to do.  no - read this to prep for your interviews. no - we'll be asking about ___, ___, and ___.  no flying him to California for a full day of interviews with multiple people. no lunches.  

Good luck to your daughter. Hope the interview goes well. There are obviously plenty of people that live in both places that couldn't imagine living anywhere else, so there is no wrong choice.

Something that has not been mentioned is Washington does not have income tax while California does.  - yep.  but we do have one of the highest sales tax rates in the country.  currently 10+%. 

Mountain View and Sunnyvale have a 9 percent sales tax. The state tax website says California income tax is 9.3 percent for single people with incomes between (approximately) 55,000 and (approximately) 245,000. 

Other tech companies have buses in Seattle too.  I don't really notice them.  MS "connector" buses are everywhere - lime green and white. (ranging from cars to tour bus sizes - they have their own route numbers.  they are only for ftes.)   now I think about it, I do recall seeing T-Mobile's pink airport-sized shuttle busses, but there are only a fraction of the number as MS.  the only amazon vehicles I see are delivery vans.

Google, Amazon, Facebook also all have bus service for Seattle employees.

[gardenmom5]

1 hour ago, *LC said:

I'm sure it differs by company, job, etc, but the person I know found their company paid the same for the job, no matter if the employee was in Silicon Valley or Seattle. 

 

I know one company that bases their west coast salaries off the bay area - doesn't matter if they're in seattle, the bay area, or somewhere else.

[daijobu]

If you want to put down roots in Silicon Valley the strategy you want to use is to work at a company for a few years and make connections and move into line work when possible.  Then you'll want to start your own company and have an ownership stake asap.  There's more capital here than there are places to put it, so you'll have no problem with fund raising.  Only with equity will you be able to leapfrog the cost of living in this area.  We know a guy who became COO of a company you've heard of, they had their IPO, and within a few months was worth $100 million.  

As our financial planner put it, "It's better to own than to earn."  

[daijobu]

How to Become CEO

Also, dh suspects there is some artificiality to the real estate market right now.  We've minted several billionaires recently who are keen to not only buy their own house, but will pay a premium for neighboring lots as well.  (Call it the Zuckerberg strategy.)  That inflates the comps for sellers, but not every buyer is a billionaire who is willing to match that premium.  We've already seen a dip this year that may reflect that disparity.   But who knows?  

[Arcadia]

19 hours ago, Arctic Mama said:

I’d take Portland or Seattle in a heartbeat over Sunnyvale.  

 

Sunnyvale is one of the cities where insurance will pay for the lead testing by blood sample, no questions asked. 

My longest work trip to California way before we relocated here was for three weeks. I became better at public transport and the company shuttles from Mountain View than my colleagues.

[SeaConquest]

15 hours ago, daijobu said:

If you want to put down roots in Silicon Valley the strategy you want to use is to work at a company for a few years and make connections and move into line work when possible.  Then you'll want to start your own company and have an ownership stake asap.  There's more capital here than there are places to put it, so you'll have no problem with fund raising.  Only with equity will you be able to leapfrog the cost of living in this area.  We know a guy who became COO of a company you've heard of, they had their IPO, and within a few months was worth $100 million.  

As our financial planner put it, "It's better to own than to earn."  

Totally agree. I'm a third generation Angeleno (transplanted to San Diego) who went to grad school in Silicon Valley. I paid $2400/month to rent a 450 square foot one bedroom in Cupertino 20 years ago! I love California, but I loathe the Bay Area for all the reasons mentioned here (and more!), and I certainly wouldn't move to SV when I had a developer salary and lifestyle in Seattle. She is not going to improve her standard of living unless she follows Daijobu's advice. If she wants to do it, just for the adventure/experience of living and working in SV, go for it, but otherwise, stay there!