He Wanted a Three-Bedroom House for $350,000. Here’s the California City Where He Found It. (2024)

The Hunt

By Michele Lerner

A young schoolteacher in the Central Valley plotted his way toward homeownership one move at a time.

He Wanted a Three-Bedroom House for $350,000. Here’s the California City Where He Found It. (1)

Javier Herrera, an elementary school teacher in Bakersfield, Calif., is dedicated to improving his community through education. But he’s also on a mission to achieve financial security through the local real estate market.

“My parents were renting in 2018, and I bought a house for us to live in with my sisters,” Mr. Herrera, 32, said. “The plan was always to sell it to one of my sisters so I could buy another house for myself.”

That plan changed in 2021, if only slightly: One of his sisters did buy the property from him, but Mr. Herrera stayed on to save money and go back to school.

“When the pandemic hit and we were all doing distance learning, I decided to get my master’s in education, since I could do that remotely,” he said. “My salary is higher with a master’s degree, and I stayed with my parents to pay off all my debt, including my car loan.”

All the while, his hometown of Bakersfield, a city about 100 miles north of Los Angeles known for its agriculture and energy production, was growing rapidly. The population — roughly half Hispanic or Latino, according to the 2020 U.S. Census — eclipsed 400,000 residents for the first time, in part thanks to more affordable housing.

[Did you recently buy a home? We want to hear from you. Email: thehunt@nytimes.com]

Home prices followed suit. So did mortgage rates, which jumped from an average of 4.7 percent when Mr. Herrera bought his first house in 2018, to an average of 6.8 percent in 2023.

“The average sale price in Bakersfield now is $430,000, which is low compared to other parts of California, but way up from an average of $320,000 two years ago,” said Mr. Herrera’s broker, Brian Ostrovski, of eXp Realty in Bakersfield, who pointed to “a lot of demand and not much for sale.”

Mr. Herrera’s budget was $350,000. He had saved money for a down payment, but hoped he could find a seller who would help with closing costs.

“We looked at a lot of houses from late 2023 into the spring of 2024,” Mr. Ostrovski said. “Javier is about the same age as one of my sons, so I felt like I was helping a family member. I didn’t want him to get into a home he couldn’t afford.”

Regular check-ins with his lender helped Mr. Herrera compare monthly payments at various interest rates, improve his credit and determine how much he could comfortably spend.

His goal was a home in a nice neighborhood, not far from where he grew up, in southwest Bakersfield. “My job can be pretty stressful, so it was important to me to find a house that’s quiet and to be in a neighborhood where I can go for a walk or a run at night,” he said.

He also wanted three bedrooms: “I’m single now, but I want to have the space for the future in case I get married and have a family.”

Among his options were three single-family homes built between 1979 and 1982, all of which had three bedrooms, two bathrooms and an attached two-car garage.

No. 1

Renovated on a Cul-de-sac

He Wanted a Three-Bedroom House for $350,000. Here’s the California City Where He Found It. (2)

This 1982 house was about 1,140 square feet. The open living room had a vaulted ceiling, a brick fireplace and carpeted floors. The bedrooms were carpeted, too, although the floors in the kitchen and dining area were ceramic tile. The grassy backyard was fenced and had a partially covered stone patio. Mr. Herrera liked the quiet of the cul-de-sac, but the house needed updating, particularly in the kitchen. The asking price was $319,000.

He Wanted a Three-Bedroom House for $350,000. Here’s the California City Where He Found It. (3)

No. 2

Fixer-Upper With Promise

He Wanted a Three-Bedroom House for $350,000. Here’s the California City Where He Found It. (4)

This 1981 house was 1,044 square feet and needed a lot of work. The carpets were dirty, the vinyl floors ripped and the kitchen cabinets unvarnished. Also, each room was painted a different bright color. Still, Mr. Herrera appreciated the big yard with its new fence, citrus trees, lawn and covered patio. He also liked the generous size of the rooms, the built-in closets and the fireplace. The $299,000 asking price would leave plenty of funds for renovating.

He Wanted a Three-Bedroom House for $350,000. Here’s the California City Where He Found It. (5)

No. 3

Larger Home With Turf Yard

He Wanted a Three-Bedroom House for $350,000. Here’s the California City Where He Found It. (6)

This 1979 house was a bit bigger than the other two, at 1,264 square feet. It had wood floors in the kitchen, tile floors and a fireplace in the living room, and carpeting in the bedrooms. The roof had been replaced in 2018. The backyard had a covered patio and artificial turf grass, which Mr. Herrera liked because it required less maintenance. The house was a bit closer to shops and restaurants, which was nice, but when he toured it he noticed there were neighbors outside having an argument. The asking price was $359,000.

He Wanted a Three-Bedroom House for $350,000. Here’s the California City Where He Found It. (7)

Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:

Which Would You Choose?

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Renovated on a Cul-de-sac

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Fixer-Upper With Promise

0%

Larger Home With Turf Yard

Which Did He Buy?

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Renovated on a Cul-de-sac

0%

Fixer-Upper With Promise

0%

Larger Home With Turf Yard

He Wanted a Three-Bedroom House for $350,000. Here’s the California City Where He Found It. (2024)

FAQs

He Wanted a Three-Bedroom House for $350,000. Here’s the California City Where He Found It.? ›

He Wanted a Three-Bedroom House for $350,000. Here's the California City Where He Found It. A young schoolteacher in the Central Valley plotted his way toward homeownership one move at a time. Javier Herrera, an elementary school teacher in Bakersfield, Calif., is dedicated to improving his community through education.

What California town grew into a city of 35000 almost overnight as a result of the gold rush? ›

By 1870, San Francisco had experienced two major booms. The first was touched off in 1848 by the Gold Rush and transformed a village of about 800 people into a city of 35,000 in just five years.

How much did a house cost in California? ›

The median sale price for homes in California passed $900,000 for the first time, new data shows. According to the California Association of Realtors, the median price of an existing single-family home statewide was $904,210 in April, up 5.8% from March and up 11.4% from April 2023, according to data released May 17.

Did anyone get rich from the Gold Rush? ›

While gold mining itself proved unprofitable for most diggers and mine owners, some people made large fortunes, and merchants and transportation facilities made large profits. The resulting increase in the world's gold supply stimulated global trade and investment.

What was found in California that brought over 80000 people there in 1849? ›

On January 24, 1848, gold was discovered in California at Sutter's Mill. By 1849, people were coming to California from all over the world to look for gold. The California gold rush caused a huge increase in California's population. That year about 80,000 gold-seekers came to California, hoping to strike it rich.

How much does a house cost in Japan? ›

The average price of a new house listed for sale in Japan last month was ¥37,190,000 (about $247,203 USD), which, even now, is lower than the median house sale price of 2022's first quarter in the US, which was $428,700.

How much is the biggest house in California? ›

Bel-Air, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Construction began in 2014. Following delays, it was completed in 2021. Niami initially sought to sell the mansion for $500 million, but his company fell into bankruptcy and the building sold at auction for $126 million, a record auction sale price in the United States.

How much is rent in California per month? ›

California rentals average $2,248 for a studio rental to $4,027 for a 3-bedroom rental. The median price of all currently available listings is $2,887, or roughly $3 per square feet. For the apartment units and housing in August 2024, median rents have risen substantially over the last year.

What city grew in California because of the Gold Rush? ›

San Francisco grew from a small settlement of about 200 residents in 1846 to a boomtown of about 36,000 by 1852. Roads, churches, schools and other towns were built throughout California. In 1849 a state constitution was written.

What cities were affected by the Gold Rush? ›

The Gold Rush benefitted three major settlements: San Francisco, which became California's major seaport; Sacramento, which served as the trading center for northern mines; and a ranch that served as the gateway to the mines along the Calaveras, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Merced, and Mariposa Rivers, which would come to be ...

Which city became one of the US largest almost overnight due to the Gold Rush? ›

As news spread of the discovery, thousands of prospective gold miners traveled by sea or over land to San Francisco and the surrounding area; by the end of 1849, the non-native population of the California territory was some 100,000 (compared with the pre-1848 figure of less than 1,000).

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