Brentwood: Family-Oriented City on the Fringe
Thought I’d try and check in with some of the outlying Bay Area cities, maybe give them some love. It’s hard being on the outskirts these days, particularly in cities where there has been large growth in new housing in the last 5 years.
First on my list is Brentwood in Contra Costa County. This city was named one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People in 2007, given their support and programs for the children of the community. Residents number about 47,000, and over 36% of the population are the aforementioned young people between the ages of 0-20; another 36% are between 21 and 49 (probably the parents of the first 36%). The largest percentage of the population (24.93%) earns between $100-150,000. All in all, this seems like a nice community for families. You could have a stiff commute if you work in a more urban area though. It is 54 miles one-way to San Francisco, 46 to Oakland, and 28 to Walnut Creek. The closest BART station is in Concord, 26 miles away. You’d have to take into consideration gas/transportation costs if you buy out in this neck of the woods.
Altos Research reports that as of July 1st, the median single family home price is $405,030, with a median square foot price of $180.
The median price has been taking a steady drop, and is almost $100k lower than we saw on January 1st, a 19% plunge. Inventory is high, with 479 properties on the market, making this a good buyer’s market. However, given that the average days on market is 82, it appears that not that many people are buying, unfortunately.
Think you might be interested? Over 400 of the homes on the market have over 3 bedrooms, and 335 are priced under $500k. They grown ‘em big out here, so if you are in the market for a 4 or 5 bedroom home on an oversized lot (two have a pool), for less than $500,000, you might check these homes out:
660 Ray Street, 4/3, 2509 sf, 7700 sf lot, $399,000
1664 Century Oaks Drive, 5/3, 2607 sf, 6950 sf lot, $399,000
725 Boltzen, 5/3, 3282, sf, 8500 sf lot, $429,000
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