Excited about it. Too sad to have to wait 3+ years.

No problem, check this out: http://www.sanramon.ca.gov/citycenter/default.html

I will be interested to hear your comments.

Bernard Gibbons

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Bernard Gibbons, Realtor, e-PRO Certified Internet Specialist
J. Rockcliff Realtors, 15 Railroad Avenue, Danville, CA 94526
Phone (925) 997-1585
bernard@bernardgibbons.com

Bernard, would you please give more detail about San Ramon's civic center project? A web site link will be a great help.

I agree with everything Rouriel says about Pleasanton. Now regarding East Dublin vs. San Ramon, don't forget that San Ramon will soon be breaking ground on it's new city/civic center project. This will add tons of appeal to San Ramon as a place to live and if a similar project in Pleasant Hill a few years ago is anything to go by, it will also have a positive effect on San Ramon real estate value.

Bernard Gibbons

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Bernard Gibbons, Realtor, e-PRO Certified Internet Specialist
J. Rockcliff Realtors, 15 Railroad Avenue, Danville, CA 94526
Phone (925) 997-1585
bernard@bernardgibbons.com

Pleasanton is very nice. However, it is not as nice as San Ramon. Unlike San Ramon, most Pleasanton are flat with little view. And, the house price there does not come down nearly as much as in San Ramon and Dublin. In San Ramon and Dublin, the price has drop at least 25% on average from their peak. Some properties in Dublin Ranch and Windermere even drops more than 30%. A property used to be sold at 1.3mil 2 years ago, now is listed under 900k. Properties in San Ramon and Dublin are more close to bottom with at most 5-10% to fall in worst scenario. Pleasanton is still over priced in comparison.

East dublin has more potential. There will be some attractive shopping centers to be build in next several years. Once those are built out as planned, East dublin could become a very attractive destination. The only shortcoming is its High School. It is overcrowd, score is sub-par and too far on the west side of city. The high school is the main reason why I will not consider East dublin unless it is 10% cheaper comparing with San Ramon.

Check the following site for future shopping center plans.

http://www.thegreendublin.com/
http://www.thepromenadeatdublinranch.com/vcm.html
http://www.ci.dublin.ca.us/DepartmentSubLevel2.cfm?PL=exp&SL…

what about pleasanton??
hands down p town is a much more desirable community historic downtown, top schools, parks etc
and realtors never talk about the wind factor in dublin or san ramon
having lived in all 3 places i would rank pleasanton far ahead of th pack

I want to mention one more thing here. For the single family homes, although the property tax in Windemere is higher than Gale Ranch, Windemere does not have HOA, while Gale Ranch has about $300 HOA, and HOA is not tax deductible. Also, when I went to Gale Ranch last time, I saw bunch of power lines over there which could cause the Childhood leukemia. Do your own research.

I thought the new listing on Bermuda was pretty good also. This appears to be a very appealing and well-maintained home.

However - On reflection, I think a lot of it's appeal is down to paint colors and decor and the fact that it backs to Crow Canyon Road may affect it's real value and appreciation in years to come.

Bernard Gibbons

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Bernard Gibbons, Realtor, e-PRO Certified Internet Specialist
J. Rockcliff Realtors, 15 Railroad Avenue, Danville, CA 94526
Phone (925) 997-1585
bernard@bernardgibbons.com

Gale Ranch property tax is approxomately 1.2%...there is no Mello-Roos...which saves you some money. Schools are much better in San Ramon, and you're also in Contra Costa County..vs. Alameda County....

I live in San Ramon and love it. There are a lot of great buys on the market right now. In fact just looked at a beautiful single story home on Bermuda today at Brokers Tour that may fit your needs.

What is the property tax in Gale ranch area? I heard it is 1.2% in Dublin.

Even with higher tax, it is well worth to live in San Ramon other than Dublin. It is a much nice community in general. Since you work in Walnut Creek, Danville is even better if you can afford there.

You can pay high taxes in Windemere but not in most of Gale Ranch. In most of the Gale Ranch neighborhoods, property taxes are the same as anywhere else in San Ramon (or Dublin).

Bernard Gibbons

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Bernard Gibbons, Realtor, e-PRO Certified Internet Specialist
J. Rockcliff Realtors, 15 Railroad Avenue, Danville, CA 94526
Phone (925) 997-1585
bernard@bernardgibbons.com

Thank you everybody for your input. We are also thinking about the high property tax in windemere and Gale ranch compared to Dublin. We are talking about $3000/year savings there.
We are looking for atleast 2400sqft home in Windemere/Gale ranch area. Not sure if I can find one in san ramon at this time.
I work in Walnut creek so Dublin is five extra miles of commute, which is fine by me.

San Ramon is definitely better than East Dublin in every aspect. Better school, better community, better environment. East Dublin may have better potential because it is upcoming and relative cheap comparing with neighboring cities. When all proposed shopping center and office campus on empty lots are all built out, Dublin will become much more attractive. I will equal weight 2 areas if East Dublin's house is 5% to 10% cheaper than comparable one in San Ramon.

http://arounddublin.blogspot.com/

Hello Buyerineastbay!

Your home selection should be based on location, quality of living and lifestyle. I live in San Ramon. My children went to SRVUSD schools. The new East Dublin, however, has my complete and full attention. They have some great new schools, great parks, proximity to , Trader Joe's and many restaurants and shops onsite and under construction that are often within walking distance. I would suggest that you consider your life. Do you have a dog to walk? Is it important to live in a sidewalk community? I would suggest you spend a Saturday morning in each area and pretend you already live there.

As for market values, I suggest you monitor real estate activity in the areas of interest. You may find the monthly reports posted at http://www.BestTriValleyHomes.com of interest. The archived reports for past months may be found at http://www.vickiesellshomes.com

As a local real estate professional I would be pleased to introduce these areas to you. Both have merit. It may come down to the builder and homestyle you are seeking.

Please call me anytime you have a real estate question.

Vickie Nagy
(925) 407-7987
vickie@BestTriValleyHomes.com

I know a realtor in the area that is outstanding and will give you excellent service. I would highly recommend Kelly DeYoreo with Windermere Homes. You can find her on the internet--I have worked with her and she is truly outstanding!! Give her a call and tell her that Myke sent you--you won't be disappointed!!

Buyerineastbay,

If you only have the one child, your best investment would be to buy in the San Ramon area. You can purchase a home, that would be plenty big enough for your family, in your price range, and the school district is one of the highest rated, in the state.

If you are looking for a Professional Realtor, to assist you, with your home purchase. Your welcome to check out my resume. I have 33 years experience in the Contra Costa area.

Jerry Flynn
Danville, Ca.
925-820-6550
Old West Realty Inc.
http://housebiz.ca
oldwestinc@yahoo.com

Is there a third choice? East Dublin + private school would be my choice of those two. Better transportation options as others have pointed out.

What is best for you will depend on a number of factors. Where do you work?, for example. If you are commuting to Cupertino or even San Jose on a daily basis, the difference in distance may not seem much but who knows where the cost of gas is going? Another question is "How long do you plan to stay in the home you will buy?" Naturally you will want the best education for your son/daughter and San Ramon Valley School District as a whole gets the best marke by far but there are very good elementary schools in Dublin as well as in San Ramon, particularly on the east side.

Whereabouts in Dublin are you considering and whereabouts in San Ramon? Here again, your commute will be a factor. You can certainly get more home for your money in Dublin than in San Ramon. But like elsewhere, San Ramon home prices have come down in price over the past couple of years. Do you prefer older homes or newer ones? Historically, San Ramon has been a better real estate investment than Dublin (yes, it's the schools again). This is likely to continue to be the case. And don't overlook the positive impact that the new city/civic center is likely to have on home values. Everybody who lives in San Ramon may not be enthusiastic about this but personally, I can't wait to see it.

Personally, I would not consider buying a home in Dublin if I could afford an acceptable home in San Ramon. But that's easy for me to say as I don't commute anywhere. Certainly $700-750K will buy you a very nicely updated 1970s detached single family home in Twin Creeks for example. For that price, you should even get a nice yard. This is a great established neighborhood that is pretty convenient for everywhere. For the same price you can buy a more recently built single family home in Gale Ranch or Windemere (but look out for higher taxes in Windemere). Don't expect a large yard in Windemere or Gale Ranch though.

These are only a few of the possible areas in San Ramon. There are many more options. I specialize in helping people to buy and sell homes in San Ramon and around 80% of my business is there. If I can be of any help, please feel free to contact me.

Bernard Gibbons

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Bernard Gibbons, Realtor, e-PRO Certified Internet Specialist
J. Rockcliff Realtors, 15 Railroad Avenue, Danville, CA 94526
Phone (925) 997-1585
bernard@bernardgibbons.com

The San Ramon Unified School District ranks higher then Dublin Unified in statewide academic performance. San Ramon housing is also a better investment then Dublin. I can say that you can buy a bigger house for less in Dublin. Dublin has easier freeway access to Pleasanton, San Jose, Oakland, and San Francisco. San Ramon is my choice.

Adrian Huntington
Welcome Home Real Estate & Finance
53 La Serena Ct.
Alamo, CA 94507
adrianh@americanfinancialfunding.com
925-818-6694