Considering renting a single family home in SJC - near the mission - bad idea?

NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
Used to work over in SJC off of Junipero Serra. The area by the mission is pretty nice. If you go over to the rancho viejo side (marbella), that's where a lot of the (really, really) rich people live. When I was working there, I got the impression that there wasn't much of a night life-it seemed like most of the population was the older set-but it might have been just the area around my work. I think many of the locals go to a dive bar called the sparrow(?), if you're looking for something to do at night.
 
Thanks Irvine_grad. I haven't been to the Marbella area but I have noticed the very wide range of property prices in the greater SJC region. I'll have to check that out. I find the Sparrow bar place hilarious. They blare music at noonish on Saturday and it seems like an older honky-tonkish crowd. It seems so out of place amidst the mission and antique stores and boutiques. Still it could be fun from time to time I suppose. We also really like the Napa Wine bar across the street which is open until 10pm during the week. I have never had a bad glass of wine there.
 
There has been small scale Latino gang activity for many decades in SJC and SanClemente. Every few years, a gang member is killed in a park, etc by another gang member from SanClemente vice-versa. Back in 2003 or so, in SJC someone from the military was killed by some gang members; sounded like a drunken confrontation turned deadly rather than a planned and pre-meditated murder



<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/san-juan-capistrano-ca">LA Times articles</a>
 
So an update on this... we decided to go for it but offered about 10% less a month rent than what they were asking. Their agent said there were two other people/couples interested in the house and one had submitted an application so the owners had no reason to negotiate. Kind of bummed but its probably for the best. After doing more research I think the crime/gangs thing is overblown but the no air conditioning and 30 yr old appliances gave me pause.



Oh well, thanks everyone for your input.
 
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