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Job Offer in San Jose, Relocation Advice?
When we were sophomores in college, DH (then my boyfriend) said to me, "I'm going to get my undergraduate degree. Then I'm going to get my graduate degree. I want to work for Company X for a little while, and then I want to work for Company Y and make my career there. That's my dream."
Undergrad? Check.
Grad? Check.
Company X? Check.
Company Y? Currently in the interview process for an open position. Need some major advice from locals.
We have lived in the Midwest all of our lives (think IL/IN/OH). Fairly good-sized cities with large universities, but nowhere near the COL of the Bay Area. COL Calculators tell us we'll face a nearly 75% increase in COL.
DH expects to receive an offer that will increase his salary by at least 50%. We are also hoping for a relocation package.
I won't lie: I'm more nervous about the possibility of moving halfway across the country than I've ever been about anything, but I'm also really excited about the adventure and the opportunity for DH's career. What do we most need to consider?
DH's office would be in the River Oaks district, and we would prefer to live very close to his work until we're able to learn about the area. What sort of housing options are we looking at in that area? (Rental, of course.)
We have young children, so we'll be facing a lot of adjustment. Any tips or advice to help us contemplate this decision? We've never made a move like this before, so we feel pretty clueless about this process.
Re: Job Offer in San Jose, Relocation Advice?
You're really going to have to consider the COL and if the salary offered will be enough to cover expenses (if you're talking reloc package, it probably is but there's a reason most of us are dual income houses). Do not under-estimate our COL. Rent and gas alone will probably give you a heart attack.
It looks like the River Oaks area is in the North East side of San Jose near Milpitas and the Great Mall (outlet) I don't know if I'd feel very comfortable living there because everytime I go to the Great Mall, I see a barbed wire topped correctional facility and I don't know if I'd be OK with that. Almost everyone here drives at least a little for work so you may be able to live a little further away and be fine.
There's lots for kids to do here so I'm sure they'll be fine.
Agreed with COL. COL is VERY different than what you have been use to.
When I think River Oaks district, I do not think of a correctional facility, I am thinking more North San Jose away from Milpitas and the Great Mall. In fact there is an apartment complex in that area but you would have to drive a bit into Santa Clara to go to a grocery store, banking, etc.
There are other areas that are not close to the correctional facility that you can look at. There are surrounding areas such as Santa Clara, San Jose, Sunnyvale but there will be a commute involved (which can be a PITA).
Do you have a chance to come out here and visit or is the relocation a done deal?
GL!
I'm definitely not underestimating COL. (Hence the major nerves.) We own two houses here in the Midwest, and it doesn't hurt us financially at all. Rent for a two-bedroom apartment anywhere near DH's office would be at least *twice* the amount of our combined mortgages for our two houses... Yikes. (Getting rid of the houses won't be a problem. We owe *WAY* less than market value, so we can just dump them and come out even if needed.)
Gas around here is about $3.80/gal right now. What is it out there?
DH is still in the interview process, so the relocation is certainly not a "done deal" at this point. We will require a visit out there to scout real estate and get a feel for the city. If the company isn't willing to pay for that, then we won't continue any further in the process.
DH's office would be almost exactly halfway between the airport and Milpitas. Southwest of the Great Mall. We certainly want a safe neighborhood, but we want to avoid a 45-60 min. commute at all costs.
We currently live in a very small one-bedroom house with the tiniest kitchen known to mankind. We actually enjoy living small, so we won't be going through any sort of culture shock when we move into a small apartment. In fact, a two-bedroom apartment will be a nice upgrade.
Anyway, I'm just trying to gather as much information as I can *before* we make a scouting trip so that I can maximize the time we're given whenever we make a housing trip.
Thanks for the information, ladies!
Right now they are averaging about $3.60 to $4/gal...depending on the gas station.
We live in the Rose Garden area of San Jose (near the airport) and DH works in Milpitas (near the great mall) and has a 20 min commute door to door. It certainly is doable. There are areas in North San Jose as well as Santa Clara that might work. GL!
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I recently moved from MI to Sunnyvale...the COL was a bit of shock to us. I paid 3.87 a gallon today...I've learned to check out Gas Buddy before hitting the pumps.
That said, we really do like it a lot. DH had a very large salary increase, so even with the cost of living, we are doing good...but we have a 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1200 sq. ft. townhouse and pay about $1,800 a month for it. It's a chunk of change, and my heart dies for a minute when I pay the rent each month! I highly recommend visiting here first...I had a bit of culture shock when I first came here.
GL!
Hi there! I think you're already thinking about the right things and asking the right questions. The COL is probably the biggest issue/thing to get used to when someone moves to California from another state (particularly the midwest) so it's good that you're going into it with a realistic outlook. And, as you've indicated, housing costs and commute time/distance are two challenges everyone here deals with.
I'm not sure which neighborhood you're talking about so I'll let the South Bay nesties give you specifics on where to live. My general advice about housing is that even if you intend to buy soon or eventually after moving, don't buy before you get here. I think it's much smarter to come out here if your DH gets the job, get to know the area and the market really well (better than you possibly could over the internet and during a short scouting visit) and then buy IF it makes sense. Considering the housing market in CA today, you want to be cautious about your decision because you may not be able to sell the home for quite some time after buying. You may come out here and decide that buying isn't even the right thing to do. Of course, that shouldn't stop you from doing a bit of legwork ahead of time by looking at homes for sale/rent on Craigslist or realtor.com or wherever.
As far as the commute, definitely do your research about the route you'd be taking and what it's like in the morning/afternoon commute once you get a job offer and find some potential houses/apartments to rent. Traffic is horrendous in many parts of the Bay Area, something people from out of town also find shocking. And check out 511.org to see if taking public transportation makes sense for you. If that's an option, it would save you on gas AND sanity.
Good luck!
Thank you, everyone! Great advice! I'll keep you updated. I'd honestly love to meet a few locals if we end up moving out there. We don't know a single soul within 8 hours of San Jose, and it'd be nice just to meet a couple of friendly (or at least not malicious) faces.
Thanks again, all!
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I love Rose Garden.
I live in Willow Glen (about 15 minutes south of the airport) and love it. It's totally family friendly and walkable. Husband bikes to work, which is pretty common - and not something he did until we moved (and his car was crushed by the movers.)
We moved from Dallas and the only way I've noticed a jump in our COL is rent prices. Gas has gone down (one car) and our utilities haven't changed *that* much - when you consider we went from a loft to a house, that is. Groceries are about the same - year round CSAs and Farmer's Markets are SO NICE.
I second a trip out here to scout locations. And let us know when you come, we'll give you a very long list of places to check out :-)
Good luck!
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My husband works in San Jose on the Milpitas boarder and we live in a very family friendly area and his commute is only about 20 min. There are several family friendly communities within 20-30 of Milpitas so it's actually a pretty good location.
Good luck! I am a native San Jose girl and I cannot imagine living anywhere else but San Jose/the surrounding cities. It's a great place to live!