patrick.net

realitycheck says

Experts,
What is going on in Fremont? Very few houses in the market. Whatever is there, sells fast. Stinky dilapidated houses selling for half a million.

I am pre-approved for 600K but I don't want to buy overpriced junk just because I can buy. I want to stay under 500K and I want a decent SFHouse in any school area other than Kennedy high!

Do I have hope or should I give up.

Any area with a predominance of Chinese people will see a big resistance to natural price discovery, but, will buckle eventually. When the Chinese start to sell, there will be such a stampede for the exists, all you can do is cry:

走过路过不要错过，又大又肥的鸭子便宜卖了!

Which means "Blue Light Special" in Chinese.

Realtors Are Liars says

Prices Are Falling.

Why buy a house today when you can buy later for 65% less?

Realtors Are Liars.

Thanks. Are you the one who posts on all real estate stories on Marketwatch.com?

Fremont is a great and desirable city to raise family. Always rates among the top cities in the country to raise a family. Compared to surrounding areas of Hayward, Union city and areas of san jose that are close to fremont, fremont is much better in almost all areas. Not that I put much weight into surveys like this but I used to live there and liked it. What do you think about area to north of driscoll , between paseo padre and mission blvd( close to lake, close to amenities, great school, easy access to 680, not that far from 880)

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/33385798/ns/today-parenting_and_family/t/best-places-raise-kids/#.T1ZUUPVdCqc

http://www.yelp.ca/biz/city-of-fremont-fremont

I would agree with most of the reviews -even the people who dont like it are pretty much spot on-all depends what your personal likes and dislikes are and priorities

If you like the area buy a house at a price you can afford. I do agree fremont has a lot of old homes. But there seems to enough demand to pickup decent homes quickly. If you don't want to play the game, you can rent. personally I think home prices at desirable bay areas won't fall rapidly unless there is another economic crisis ( that does not mean prices are going to appreciate - it is going to shaky for a long time)

gary275 says

Fremont is a great and desirable city to raise family. Always rates among the top cities in the country to raise a family.

What's so good about it?

1. Sitting right on top of a major earthquake fault, which is guaranteed to rip in the next 20 years.
2. Has no usable down-town area.
3. Lowest quality of air in all of bay area.
4. Hardly any vegetation.
5. Cultural wasteland.
6. Very few people know how to speak English.

dunnross says

gary275 says

Fremont is a great and desirable city to raise family. Always rates among the top cities in the country to raise a family.

What's so good about it?

1. Sitting right on top of a major earthquake fault, which is guaranteed to rip in the next 20 years.
So is the whole of peninsula and most other areas in bay area are either built on faults or on reclaimed land
2. Has no usable down-town area.-agreed , its a city for raising family-got great multicultural scene

3. Lowest quality of air in all of bay area.
not the lowest-better than san jose
4. Hardly any vegetation. wrong-plenty of areas with vegetation and trails for hiking and a great lake

5. Cultural wasteland.-you think so? Maybe you should look up a dictionary for that

6. Very few people know how to speak English.

wrong

How can any place in the Bay Area be a great place to raise a family?

realitycheck says

I am pre-approved for 600K but I don't want to buy overpriced junk just because I can buy. I want to stay under 500K and I want a decent SFHouse in any school area other than Kennedy high!

Do I have hope or should I give up.

Hang in there.

Supply is way low right now because all of the properties that would be on the market as short sales and foreclosures are still tied up in loan-mod limbo.

But as mods are slowing, we're starting to see more failed/rejected mods getting foreclosed on.
http://www.dsnews.com/articles/foreclosure-sales-outpace-modifications-for-january-2012-03-05

Inventory will probably be tight for a while, but there is more supply coming eventually.

69Charger says

Why buy today?

I didn't say to. And I'm a real estate agent.

realitycheck says

Do I have hope or should I give up.

be patient.

wait a year or two if you can and you'll be more likely to find a house you like. each year for the last 6 years it's been getting better for buyers. i don't see any reason to believe this trend will change this year.

gregpfielding says

Supply is way low right now because all of the properties that would be on the market as short sales and foreclosures are still tied up in loan-mod limbo.

But as mods are slowing, we're starting to see more failed/rejected mods getting foreclosed on.

This is true. My neighbor who has been living rent free for 2 years just got a foreclosure notice the other day.

gary275 says

wrong

That's a very convincing counter-argument.

pkowen says

gary275 says

wrong

That's a very convincing counter-argument.

I ve gotten by without speaking anything other than english so I dont know where he is coming with "hardly anyone speaks english" comment. But its hard to change someone's perception about a place or people for that matter no matter what you say or do-reminds me of my dad LOL

gary275 says

4. Hardly any vegetation. wrong-plenty of areas with vegetation and trails for hiking and a great lake

You be the judge:

This is what a lake looks like:

This is what a lake in Fremont looks like:

dunnross says

1. Sitting right on top of a major earthquake fault, which is guaranteed to rip in the next 20 years.
2. Has no usable down-town area.
3. Lowest quality of air in all of bay area.
4. Hardly any vegetation.
5. Cultural wasteland.

All this is true.

What is also true is an attitude of many buyers that standardized testing like Gaokao is the make-it-or-break-it, fate-of-the-world, fate-of-the-lifetime assessment. If access to high-API K-12 in places in The Fortress is not attainable, Mission San Jose is the next best thing. In that case your 1-5 are irrelevant, except where #2, #4 and #5 minimize some distractions from hitting the books.