Location Mistakes To Avoid when Buying a House in the Bay Area

Location is the most important aspect of Real Estate because it is the one thing you CAN’T CHANGE. Bad cosmetics, bad hardware, and even a bad floor plan can be addressed with enough time and money – but that freeway or airport isn’t going anywhere.

Yes, this is common sense. Yet every single home buyer I’ve met eventually started rationalizing bad locations with the expectation of getting the house at a slight discount – first-timers and veterans alike. And I’ve been there myself, too. In this situation it helps to have (a) a stubborn person or (b) a video of a stubborn person around to remind oneself that the LOCATION CAN’T BE CHANGED. What looks like a bargain turns into a mediocre experience at first and a low resale price in the end.

This video is a reminder of the three major categories of location flaws properties typically have around Silicon Valley; and tricks to notice and avoid them:
– Noise pollution
– Health and safety
– Pitfalls

Noise around the Silicon Valley is mainly caused by traffic – cars, airplanes, and trains. Noise and safety issues can arise from certain infrastructure and environmental pollution such as the kind found around EPA superfund sites. Finally, other pitfalls include flood and earthquake/liquefaction zones.

If you avoid the above you can be 99% certain that you picked a great location within the “Silicon Valley”. And best of all: most of them can be figured out from home with a basic maps – if one of these issues apply, you eliminate that house from your list and move on to the next candidate.

The value of real estate in the Bay Area is in the land. Make sure it’s good land. Good luck House Hunting!