Family Living: The Green Valley Neighborhood in Fairfield

As home values in the Bay Area continue to skyrocket; many retirees, empty-nesters and new millennial parents have begun searching outside of San Francisco, Contra Costa and Marin for their next home. The Green Valley Lake neighborhood, a community of 1,314 residents located in the city of Fairfield, is an option many have turned to in the recent years and, for those still looking, certainly worth considering. Recognized on NeighborhoodScout.com as one of ‘The Best Neighborhoods in California,’ this unsuspecting community offers moderately priced homes to high-end estates in a quiet, safe community. The residents love the rural feel, spacious properties, excellent schools, countless local amenities and, as they are settled just a short hop to the Bay Area, wine country and the mountains—the Green Valley neighborhood seems to have it all. That is—if you can still find a home there.

Highly desirable indeed, the current vacancy rate is in this Fairfield neighborhood is 2.9%, which is a lower rate of vacancies than 87.8% of all neighborhoods in the U.S. This means that the housing supply is much lower than the current demand and, overall, it is a strong seller’s market. This also means, if you own a home in the area you are in a prime position to cash in big right now, as property values almost always increase when supply is lower than demand. And, for those still searching, if you find a home in Green Valley that you are able to buy—don’t hesitate! 

The Green Valley neighborhood has earned the amazing distinction of having one of the highest rates of detached, single-family homes of any neighborhood in the U.S. With 97.9% of the residential real estate made up of free-standing single-family homes, there is a greater proportion of single-family homes here than in 96.8% of all neighborhoods in America. Although this is a varied community, with homes representing a wide range of time periods and styles, the majority of Green Valley real estate is made up of medium sized (three or four bedroom) to large (four, five or more bedroom) single-family homes and townhomes. The majority of listings are priced between $445,000 – $685,000 and have generous quarter-acre lots. When we compare these prices and square footage sizes to homes for sale in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, it’s already sounding too good to be true.  

But it’s not just the size and price of homes that are bringing in new residents. This community has numerous amenities that all ages appreciate – plenty of local shopping, parks and entertainment options. Green Valley’s top-notch park system, public library, local spa, antiques stores and several high-rated restaurants (including local’s favorite Asian spot, Sticky Rice) are just a few of the many perks residents enjoy, and all just minutes from their doors! As you drive through ubiquitous gated communities, you’ll see locally-owned boutiques and European-influenced cafes tucked in and between the neighborhoods. Most major retailers and grocery stores are within a 15-minute drive (including Costco, Ross, Safeway and the list goes on!). Although the peaceful mountain views and sprawling estates will have you feeling like you’re in the country, all of the favorite places to eat and shop can be accessed just as quickly as in more urban areas. Win-win? I think so. 

And, for those that aren’t quite ready to say ‘Goodbye forever!’ to big city life—you don’t have to here. Green Valley’s easy access to I-80 and being located right smack between San Francisco and Sacramento, residents are just an easy 45-minute drive to their respective metropolis. The other two freeways (also just five minutes from Green Valley) are I-680 headed towards Benicia and Highway 12 towards Suisun or Napa and, as most any Californian that is familiar with traffic in the bigger cities will agree, it really doesn’t get more convenient than this.   

If you come to the area in search of the perfect place to raise children, you will rest easy as this neighborhood has been rated more family-friendly than 95.6% of neighborhoods in the entire state of California! Its combination of quality public schools, low crime rates and owner-occupied single-family homes makes this area the American dream incarnate and the perfect place where little ones are sure to thrive. There is also a high number of college-educated parents in the area which makes Green Valley an excellent choice for families with school-aged children. Highly educated executives and urban sophisticates looking for a community with likeminded neighbors will feel at-home here as well. And, with so many well-educated and affluent families nearby, new residents will find it easy to socialize and quickly develop a strong sense of community. 

To learn more about buying or selling a property in this highly desirable neighborhood, please call me, Andrew Lamb,  Fairfield’s Top Real Estate expert, at (707) 450-1453 and my team and I will be delighted to assist you.