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How Schools Can Add $1 Million to Your Property Value

By NickJohnson12   Follow   Tue, 10 Jul 2012, 5:23pm   3,647 views   52 comments
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OK so our Movoto blog discussed public schooling, and in particular, how living near an awesome school district could add value to your property. Our theory is that saving money by not having to enroll your kids in private school carries a lot of weight.

http://www.movoto.com/blog/opinions/top-notch-public-schools-add-1-million-of-property-value/

Thoughts, experiences, opinions?

Nick at Movoto

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1. PockyClipsNow Follow Befriend 19 threads 1,534 comments Los Angeles, CA

   13   10:41am Wed 11 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   'Good Schools' is for sure racial profiling code word. Also I good rule for buying RE in a big citiy is that if a typical white lady wont feel safe going for a walk around the block at night - then dont buy there (white/asian women set RE prices at some level - it must be a 'safe nest').

2. NickJohnson12 Follow Befriend (3) 19 threads 12 comments

   14   10:51am Wed 11 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Awesome BMWman! Happiness and independent thought!

3. freak80 Follow Befriend (4) 52 threads 4,416 comments Corning, NY Premium

   15   10:57am Wed 11 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   What drives humanity: 1) Greed 2) Fear 3) Envy (which is Greed + Fear) "And I saw that all labor and achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." -- Ecclesiastes 4:4

4. evilmonkeyboy Follow Befriend (1) 2 threads 119 comments San Jose, CA

   16   2:28pm Wed 11 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   It makes much more since to rent in a good school district. Take Cupertino for example: The average 3bed/2bath cost a little over $1 million. Which would put your mortgage payment over 6k a month with an 3.5% down FHA loan. 3bed/2bath rentals are roughly half of that, around 3k/month. If you are a family but can not afford to private school it would make a lot of since to rent in a place like this.

5. bubblesitter Follow Befriend (5) 10 threads 2,329 comments

   17   3:16pm Wed 11 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   wthrfrk80 says Public education is a joke. Standards are set low so that everyone can pass. So true. Pretty soon we will be getting teachers from China to teach math to our students. :)

6. thomas.wong1986 Follow Befriend 16 threads 4,426 comments

   18   5:32pm Wed 11 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike (2)   NickJohnson12 says OK so our Movoto blog discussed public schooling, and in particular, how living near an awesome school district could add value to your property. Our theory is that saving money by not having to enroll your kids in private school carries a lot of weight. http://www.movoto.com/blog/opinions/top-notch-public-schools-add-1-million-of-property-value/ Thoughts, experiences, opinions? So why didnt SF SouthBay RE prices skyrocket during the 70s and 80s... why wait until the post 1999 ? Its was the same schools system and same unionized teachers ? So today, you use great schools to justify million dollar schools which if you compare to private schools are still overpaying several times over.

7. zesta Follow Befriend 1 threads 203 comments

   19   6:12pm Wed 11 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Well.. API wasn't started until 1999. Pre-API pretty much everybody assumed their school district was above-average since there was no exact ranking system.

8. APOCALYPSEFUCK is Shostakovich Follow Befriend (28) 170 threads 4,186 comments Premium

   20   6:26pm Wed 11 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   If the schools don't discriminate by applying tests for admission, your kids will be mixed in with idiots, mediocrities and the usual herd of census curve grotesques. The question parents need to ask is are there any exam-entry junior and senior high schools in the district to put the kids into an environment in which storm-trooper intellect is the norm and 1500+ SATs are considered average and, most importantly, where it's OK to be smart and uncool to be fucking stupid.

9. freak80 Follow Befriend (4) 52 threads 4,416 comments Corning, NY Premium

   21   6:30pm Wed 11 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   Protected   APOCALYPSEFUCK is Shostakovich says put the kids into an environment in which storm-trooper intellect is the norm and 1500+ SATs are considered average and, most importantly, where it's OK to be smart and uncool to be fucking stupid. Don't forget hand-to-hand combat skills!

10. MershedPerturders Follow Befriend (1) 64 comments

    22   6:48pm Wed 11 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   this is why we have a Charter School system in Arizona. works great.

11. APOCALYPSEFUCK is Shostakovich Follow Befriend (28) 170 threads 4,186 comments Premium

    23   8:27pm Wed 11 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   wthrfrk80 says APOCALYPSEFUCK is Shostakovich says put the kids into an environment in which storm-trooper intellect is the norm and 1500+ SATs are considered average and, most importantly, where it's OK to be smart and uncool to be fucking stupid. Don't forget hand-to-hand combat skills! A school without bayonet drills is a sheep farm.

12. Peter P Follow Befriend (4) 117 threads 17,655 comments Premium

    24   10:19pm Wed 11 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   Protected   PockyClipsNow says 'Good Schools' is for sure racial profiling code word. Also I good rule for buying RE in a big citiy is that if a typical white lady wont feel safe going for a walk around the block at night - then dont buy there (white/asian women set RE prices at some level - it must be a 'safe nest'). Another rule: it is a good neighborhood for me if I look like the "riff-raff". :)

13. thomas.wong1986 Follow Befriend 16 threads 4,426 comments

    25   10:27pm Wed 11 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike (1)   zesta says Well.. API wasn't started until 1999. Pre-API pretty much everybody assumed their school district was above-average since there was no exact ranking system did we produce idiots before 1999 ? back in the 70s 80s 90s... so API is rather worthless... we certainly didnt need the GIN! anyway.. i think BACAH has a better explanation on API http://realestate.patrick.net/forum/comments.php?a=257&submit=Search The "API-ism" is outsourcing parenting responsibilities to a standardized test score that was intended for the state to identify where to focus and shift its resources. It (API) was never intended for Realtor®s and Quants to Gin Up people on where to over pay for housing nor for Tiger Mom to Keep Her Face in the Pecking Order of her Social Circle. It was never intended for those things; but inside the minds of certain groups, that's what the API has become. Welcome to what has become of SIlicon Valley." Jun 14, 2012 2:22 PM in Cupertino Shmoopertino

14. zesta Follow Befriend 1 threads 203 comments

    26   10:52pm Wed 11 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I didn't comment on the validity of API scores. I merely stated that they were introduced in 1999. I agree with BACAH that they weren't intended for people to overpay for housing, but that's what has happened. Pre-API people just assumed their school district was fine and above-average. Now that there's a number and ranking,many people are clamoring to get into a top school, inflating home prices in those areas. If one believes API is useless or has another metric for determining which school is best I guess they can save some money by going against API scores. That doesn't change the fact that districts with high API scores adds some value to properties in that district.

15. Peter P Follow Befriend (4) 117 threads 17,655 comments Premium

    27   10:56pm Wed 11 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   Protected   All scores tend to become meaningless over time because they can be gamed around. It is just important to have a school relatively free of drugs and unreasonable bullies. (Some teasing may not be a bad thing.)

16. NickJohnson12 Follow Befriend (3) 19 threads 12 comments

    28   7:59am Thu 12 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I'll just call Tom Cruise. He knows everything.

17. bmwman91 Follow Befriend (7) 37 threads 1,530 comments Mountain View, CA bmwman91's website Premium

    29   2:49pm Thu 12 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   Peter P says It is just important to have a school relatively free of drugs and unreasonable bullies. (Some teasing may not be a bad thing.) Definitely! I think that the "pressure cooker" schools you find in high-API areas like Cupertino can be detrimental to kids' development, just in different ways.

18. New Renter Follow Befriend (3) 13 threads 2,206 comments San Jose, CA Premium

    30   9:33pm Thu 12 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   bmwman91 says My fiancee used to work with a girl that attended Harker and grew up in Los Altos. She (Harker girl) was a sales account manager at a medium sized Taiwanese PC hardware company in north San Jose, which certainly isn't bad, but definitely isn't the road to riches. She quit to go work at Dropbox as a sales account manager and was laid off about 6 months later. I believe that this girl got her degree at UC Berkeley, although I forget what the degree was in. She and her parents, "did everything right," but so far isn't living the glamorous life some people assume automatically comes with names like Harker and UCB. She is only 27 though, so she has plenty of time to turn it all around, and for her sake I hope that things do turn around. She could always follow the example of the women in my family and marry rich....

19. Peter P Follow Befriend (4) 117 threads 17,655 comments Premium

    31   9:42pm Thu 12 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   bmwman91 says Peter P says It is just important to have a school relatively free of drugs and unreasonable bullies. (Some teasing may not be a bad thing.) Definitely! I think that the "pressure cooker" schools you find in high-API areas like Cupertino can be detrimental to kids' development, just in different ways. I love those high-API schools. It is like real-life comedy! I want to laugh out loud every time I overhear parents discussing API scores. Why would parents want to do that to their kids? Do they want to reduce everything in life to a number? What about 42?

20. freak80 Follow Befriend (4) 52 threads 4,416 comments Corning, NY Premium

    32   6:43am Fri 13 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   Peter P says Why would parents want to do that to their kids? Do they want to reduce everything in life to a number? Because that's what America is all about. If you're not the best of the best, you're a loser and deserve to die hungry and naked in the gutter. It's in the Bible.

21. New Renter Follow Befriend (3) 13 threads 2,206 comments San Jose, CA Premium

    33   8:36am Fri 13 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   Protected   wthrfrk80 says Because that's what America is all about. If you're not the best of the best, you're a loser and deserve to die hungry and naked in the gutter. It's in the Bible. Winner take all! Its the central law of nature

22. freak80 Follow Befriend (4) 52 threads 4,416 comments Corning, NY Premium

    34   8:42am Fri 13 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   New renter says Winner take all! Its the central law of nature And Calvinism. Which is the basis of American religion, whether cousciously or unconsciously. Gotta prove I'm part of the "elect" by having more money than you do.

23. New Renter Follow Befriend (3) 13 threads 2,206 comments San Jose, CA Premium

    35   8:50am Fri 13 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   wthrfrk80 says New renter says Winner take all! Its the central law of nature And Calvinism. Which is the basis of American religion, whether cousciously or unconsciously. Gotta prove I'm part of the "elect" by having more money than you do. Yes but WWJD?

24. freak80 Follow Befriend (4) 52 threads 4,416 comments Corning, NY Premium

    36   8:54am Fri 13 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   New renter says Yes but WWJD? That's irrelevant to a Calvinist.

25. New Renter Follow Befriend (3) 13 threads 2,206 comments San Jose, CA Premium

    37   9:48pm Mon 16 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   wthrfrk80 says New renter says Yes but WWJD? That's irrelevant to a Calvinist. Why? Are they not Christians?

26. Peter P Follow Befriend (4) 117 threads 17,655 comments Premium

    38   10:00pm Mon 16 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   wthrfrk80 says If you're not the best of the best, you're a loser and deserve to die hungry and naked in the gutter. It's in the Bible. Going to a good school will not make them the best of the best. They may become the best of the mediocre, but that is aiming too low.

27. B.A.C.A.H. Follow Befriend (6) 5 threads 2,359 comments

    39   12:20pm Fri 20 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I just heard one of the weirder rationalizations this morning for why someone bought a residence in The Fortress, with Fortress Prices (Fortress Property Tax, etc.): because it was hopeless to "get into" one of the Challenger Preschools near the "outside Fortress Walls" neighborhood where they lived before.

28. New Renter Follow Befriend (3) 13 threads 2,206 comments San Jose, CA Premium

    40   6:27pm Fri 20 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   B.A.C.A.H. says I just heard one of the weirder rationalizations this morning for why someone bought a residence in The Fortress, with Fortress Prices (Fortress Property Tax, etc.): because it was hopeless to "get into" one of the Challenger Preschools near the "outside Fortress Walls" neighborhood where they lived before. So they bought fortress house so their kid could go to a slightly better preschool? Preschool? Really? There must be more to that story.

29. bmwman91 Follow Befriend (7) 37 threads 1,530 comments Mountain View, CA bmwman91's website Premium

    41   6:44pm Fri 20 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   There is a radio ad for Gilroy Gardens running on KFOX right now that is in the same vein as what BACAH posted. "Parents will do anything to ensure that their kids get a great education in the Bay Area, from in-utero college prep courses to (some other inane BS). Come to Gilroy Gardens where we make learning FUN!" Well, if your kid does not find learning to be fun, then they aren't going to be much more than a drone. They might be a very well paid drone (which is the main objective for certain demographics of parents), but a drone none the less. Aside from the costs involved here, I think that I will leave the area before having my first kid solely because of the idiocy that runs rampant here. Tiger Parents and Grade Ghettos and all that hog wash. God help me, my kid is going to sit on his fucking ass in the dirt and play with a stick in the back yard. GASP! Unstructured play time! There will be no Purell in my house, breeding super bacteria. Lousy behavior will be met with a spanking* because my kids need to understand that you can't talk your way out of consequences in every instance in life. *Which is why I need to leave this place to raise my kids into adults. I'd be lynched by the feel-good parents if they found out. There's a difference between spanking and hitting, but a lot of people don't get it.

30. B.A.C.A.H. Follow Befriend (6) 5 threads 2,359 comments

    42   9:20pm Fri 20 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   New renter says There must be more to that story. Yes I suspect there is more to the story, but I didn't ask. S/he was still dealing with being kind of dazed and confused like I threw some kind of sucker punch when having just said that both my kids got 5's as 11th graders on the AP calculus exam with only ever having attended public K-12's in East San Jose. (And that the oldest also got "5" on 2nd year calculus).

31. B.A.C.A.H. Follow Befriend (6) 5 threads 2,359 comments

    43   9:40pm Fri 20 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   bmwman91 says Aside from the costs involved here, I think that I will leave the area before having my first kid solely because of the idiocy that runs rampant here. Tiger Parents and Grade Ghettos and all that hog wash. Bimmerman, that you must choose between Tiger Parent Grade Grubbing Ghetto and Gang Banging Ghetto is a false choice. Not all of the public K-12 in the less expensive neighborhoods are Nightmare Schools. You just have to know your neighborhoods and know your schools. You can have your Cool 'N Hip Silicon Valley Techie Job (and Salary) and have a reasonably priced home, you just have to be open minded to share your space with Latinos. They are not all bad.

32. thomaswong.1986 Follow Befriend 15 threads 2,838 comments

    44   9:47pm Fri 20 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike (1)   B.A.C.A.H. says They are not all bad. Many are very bright and very eager kids today.. as they have been for many many decades before.

33. bmwman91 Follow Befriend (7) 37 threads 1,530 comments Mountain View, CA bmwman91's website Premium

    45   10:09pm Fri 20 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   B.A.C.A.H. says Bimmerman, that you must choose between Tiger Parent Grade Grubbing Ghetto and Gang Banging Ghetto is a false choice. Not all of the public K-12 in the less expensive neighborhoods are Nightmare Schools. You just have to know your neighborhoods and know your schools. You can have your Cool 'N Hip Silicon Valley Techie Job (and Salary) and have a reasonably priced home, you just have to be open minded to share your space with Latinos. They are not all bad. Of course. Personally, Latinos do generally know how to build a community where neighbors actually know each other, rather than the stolid impersonality of upper middle class white neighborhoods. My plan is to not give a shit about the school district and put them in parochial school with all the money I didn't spend on Cupertino or Saratoga.

34. B.A.C.A.H. Follow Befriend (6) 5 threads 2,359 comments

    46   10:15pm Fri 20 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   bmwman91 says plan is to not give a shit about the school district and put them in parochial school with all the money If you say so. Could if you want to. Spending money may indeed be easier than boots on the ground parenting. On the other hand investing your time in being on the campus, in PTA, etc., could be the best investment of time you ever spent, and the best investment of money you never spent. My partner and I burned lotsa PTO a day here, a day there, on campus of K-12 instead of jet setting to "back home" overseas or to some exotic vacation place. Still doing it as my youngest is still in K-12.

35. bmwman91 Follow Befriend (7) 37 threads 1,530 comments Mountain View, CA bmwman91's website Premium

    47   11:11pm Fri 20 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   B.A.C.A.H. says bmwman91 says plan is to not give a shit about the school district and put them in parochial school with all the money If you say so. Could if you want to. Spending money may indeed be easier than boots on the ground parenting. On the other hand investing your time in being on the campus, in PTA, etc., could be the best investment of time you ever spent, and the best investment of money you never spent. My partner and I burned lotsa PTO a day here, a day there, on campus of K-12 instead of jet setting to "back home" overseas or to some exotic vacation place. Still doing it as my youngest is still in K-12. It sounds like you are describing Harker or something. The schools I am thinking of cost maybe $7k a year and still demand a lot of parental involvement. No amount of money can replace proper parental involvement.

36. B.A.C.A.H. Follow Befriend (6) 5 threads 2,359 comments

    48   11:50pm Fri 20 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   bmwman91 says The schools I am thinking of cost maybe $7k a year bmwman, if you are budgeting that amount for your child's education you might want to so some serious due diligence of benchmarking those 7K per year parohcial school against some public K-12's. Like I said, nothing will beat boots on the ground. This is how I did my due diligence, back in the day when I was in what sounds like your stage of life http://www.patrick.net/forum/?p=1213208&c=834826#comment-834826

37. lostand confused Follow Befriend (9) 161 threads 1,543 comments Premium

    49   5:08am Sat 21 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   I don't understand this current obsession with school districts. I and many people I know were all educated in semi-rural schools and are doing just fine. Of course back then, the economy was like the strong incoming tide that lifted all boats. Now it is like the receding tide that stranded all the boats! Just wondering is there any decent SFR house under 500k in the peninsula or you have to go towards Morgan Hill and Gilroy?

38. freak80 Follow Befriend (4) 52 threads 4,416 comments Corning, NY Premium

    50   6:00pm Sat 21 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   B.A.C.A.H. says you just have to be open minded to share your space with Latinos. They are not all bad. But Fox News told me they were all bad...

39. freak80 Follow Befriend (4) 52 threads 4,416 comments Corning, NY Premium

    51   6:05pm Sat 21 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   bmwman91 says No amount of money can replace proper parental involvement. Yep. That's the heart of the matter. Right wing politicians bitching about "lazy" teachers won't help. Left wing politicians wanting to "throw more money at the problem" won't help.

40. EBGuy Follow Befriend 4 threads 2,095 comments

    52   12:00pm Fri 27 Jul 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   This WSJ article seems to encapsulate a lot of the Fortress mentality regarding schooling where 'only the best' will do. One of the students who sought out Ms. Kong, 16-year-old Leland Lam, says he attended Mills High for his freshman and sophomore years between 2009 and 2011, and was pulled out of the school in his fifth week there last fall, in his junior year, and sent to Capuchino High. Between his second and third years at Mills, Mr. Lam's parents moved to San Francisco, so the student moved in to his aunt's home in Millbrae and listed it as his official residence in order to continue attending Mills. Mr. Lam says he provided the school district with a notarized affidavit listing his aunt as a guardian, but the district insisted on a court-approved letter proving that guardianship. After going to court in December to establish his aunt as his legal guardian, Mr. Lam will complete his senior year at Mills. ... The other student, whose parents live in China, lived in Millbrae with a guardian, according to Ms. Kong.

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