My friend Affinity chided me for looking outside of the Bay Area and away from family, when I can very well retire here at home. She was totally right. She wrote a guest blog post on retiring early here. It was one of my most highly-trafficked posts.
I spent some time on Zillow and found the following places. There are some serious deals to be had.
$250,000 – 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in Vallejo, CA – 30 minutes to wine country, 40 minutes to SF by car
It’s like a cheap version of Falcon Crest or Dallas, right? Clearly a little dated, but definitely has character. A retired couple like me and Dean have no need for 3 bedrooms, but just wanted to showcase the breadth of what’s available.
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$169,000 – 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo in Hayward, CA – 1 hour to wine country, 30 minutes to SF by car
This is perfect! 1 bathroom for me, 1 bathroom for Dean. 1 bedroom for me, 1 bedroom for Dean. Haha! This place is a score at the price. I might have to buy it now. Rent this place out and have it completely paid for by the time we retire. Who I am kidding? We can write a check for the list price, forego the mortgage, save 4% on interest, and rent to college students since Cal State Hayward is across the street! I’m seriously going to ponder this investment.
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$155,000 – 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath home in Concord, CA – 45 minutes to wine country, 35 minutes to SF by car
This price is a steal. I am tasting retirement! 55 here we come.
Wow, seriously a huge steal and I think San Francisco is sounding great and even 55 years old doesn’t sound too bad either!! 🙂
Right? There are deals to be had all over the country. Didn’t think it was possible in this expensive area, but I was wrong.
YAY! My job here is done.
I want your life! You are what I aspire to.
And the yard/outside of the last one looks beautiful, too!! I didn’t think you could find anything that close to SF for those prices!!
Isn’t is surprising? I guess the point is that there are screaming deals all over the country, even in this expensive hotbed we call the Bay Area.
You know I love the real estate post! I like seeing the different markets.
I am tasting retirement, and envision us outside in our backyards, blogging on our laptops, and drinking fine wine!
We sold our place in Concord in that complex (for a loss). RUN. dont even fantasize. The HOA is run into the ground. Horrible finances and management. The dues were more than my mortgage payment! High foreclosure rate and people walking away. Not enough people paying the dues to keep up the place.
Maybe it has turned around some in the last 3yrs but doubtful. The 2bds were selling for $112k when we left.
That is insane. I hear you when it comes to HOAs. You really have to scrutinize those things. Ideally, we would all have single family homes and not have to deal with HOA dues, but livable standalone homes are hard to find right now. I am definitely on the hunt though!
I would have never guessed you could find anything in that price range near SF! Wow!
Isn’t it crazy? I thought I would have to move to Florida in one of those all-expensive-paid retirement homes, not that that would be bad. Bingo anyone?
Wow. What in the hell am I doing on the complete opposite coast?! These are some beautiful places! So maybe the first one needs a bit work (the wood wall paneling reminds me of my parent’s family room. Yes, they kept the wood) BUT there is so much space there! And beautiful outdoor area. The second one, the condo, is my favorite.
DO IT! So I can like, live vicariously and stuff 🙂
Charlotte, I bet there are deals to be had all over this vast country of ours. I just had no idea. Lesson learned: it’s like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. There’s no place like home.