<p>I’ve been watching a bunch of *Selling New York * shows on HGTV. I LOVE LOVE LOVE looking at those beautiful NYC apartments in high def! One can always dream. :"> </p>
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<p>A lot of the older houses (tip: you can tell they’re older because they’re smaller . . . when did Americans decide that houses must be at least 2500 square feet?) have either 1-car garages, or garages that just won’t fit two of the huge cars people drive these days (see above query re big homes).</p>
<p>And yes, people do also use their garages for storage. Or there’s an older kid still living at home who needs his/her own car. Or your brother-in-law who lost his job last year and hasn’t yet found another one is living in your guest room. </p>
<p>The worst part about all the cars parked on the streets is that many of the residential streets are not really wide enough for that. When both sides of the street are lined almost continuously with parked cars, two cars can’t really pass each other in the street. You get used to pulling over into someone’s driveway to let an oncoming car get past you. </p>
<p>I know this isn’t a big time of year for house buying but I hope some inventory shows up. I was uninpressed with what I saw…</p>
<p>dstark,</p>
<p>DS said at least where he is looking the market it pretty quiet this time of year. Nothing really to look at since before Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>Ok… Thanks. Then I am not delusional. :)</p>
<p>not touching that one :)</p>
<p>As for parking, for instance where he lives, he’s in the bottom of the duplex and the owner is upstairs who lays claim the the entire driveway and uses the garage for storage. So DS and fiancee park on the street. A little old lady across the street thinks that the street in front of her house is hers, so runs off anyone who dares to park there. Ah, neighbors…</p>
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<p>There is none. They evicted people from The Jungle, and gave them “housing vouchers” that are just pieces of paper.</p>
<p>For those who don’t know about The Jungle, it was a homeless encampment along Coyote Creek in San Jose. I’ve ridden my bike past the area-- there’s a bike path that goes right past it-- and I’d never had a problem. I understand why the city of San Jose wanted to break it up, but some of the people living there had jobs, and could not afford anything better than a tent along the creek! At some point, and that point is right now, San Jose and area cities should change the zoning to allow subsidized microhousing. A teeny tiny apartment is better than a tent that the police just knocked down.</p>
<p>I like the microhousing idea.</p>
<p>^^ @dstark
Why are you looking? Was the Multifamily project busted?</p>
<p>Artloversplus, I said I am going to help my daughter buy a house. You commented on it. Post# 248. :)</p>
<p>The project has a very high probability of occuring. I haven’t decided if I am going to participate or not. My participation is not required for the deal to go through.</p>
<p>Great! two projects at the same time!
San Rafel would be cheaper, but I don’t think you would like… Perhaps bid on that Tibron house? ^^</p>
<p>As an aside, there has been resistance in some neighborhoods parts of my environs when a group home for people with disabilties, or who have chronic MH issues is proposed. Thats really unkind. </p>
<p>San Rafael is a better buy than the peninsula. I like parts of San Rafael, but if your job is down the peninsula, the peninsula works better.
My daughter wants to live in Marin but it just doesn’t work. </p>
<p>The project is not a big deal for me now. </p>
<p>My daughter was talking to her mortgage broker. There was a house on the peninsula for sale. It had 40 bids!</p>
<p>My house will generate at least 20 bids, we purposely listed it below the market. </p>
<p>If it was in the peninsula, we would look at it. :)</p>
<p>dstark, any chance you/she would look in East Palo Alto? It has a terrible reputation but, just like other impoverished areas of the county, it’s gentrifying. I think there’s a good chance that anyone who buys now will see the value of their house go way up in a few years.</p>
<p>I mention this because I know a young couple who just bought there. He works at Facebook (just 1/2 mile away) and she works rather farther away, but she would have had a bad commute no matter where they bought. They will probably move somewhere else when they start having kids, but for a young couple just starting out it’s a bargain that they can’t find elsewhere.</p>
<p>Yeah…I understand. Sounds like a good idea for some. My daughter works in SF. East Palo is too far. </p>
<p>I am optimistic. </p>
<p>This is not a good time of year., but eventually I think my daughter will find something. I was driving around a couple of times this week…</p>
<p>Our neighborhood is weirdly expensive. The house across the street…small sold 400,000 over asking. I went for a looksee with my contractor. He said that the foundation was gone.</p>
<p>Most of the homes are old here. The homes range in size from 1800 square feet to 4500. Our home, built in the early 30s, is as built…4000 sq feet. no additions…small lots…</p>
<p>It is lot cheaper in East Bay.</p>
<p>I was looking at a house with bad foundation. Its priced aggressively at around $150K below the market, for 60 days there was no taker. </p>