Input about Santa Clara student housing alternatives, off campus UC Santa Cruz Exten

LoopyByteloose

I teach one class here in Taiwan of TOFEL exam English and one of my students has now decided to pursue a VSLI Certificate at the UC Santa Cruz Extension campus in Santa Clara, California. He is currently working the electronics industry here in Taiwan. Has at least a Bachelors degree with advanced studies -- maybe more.

My knowledge is limited as I have been in Taiwan for roughly 20 years, but he was quite taken back when I said that just rent in Santa Clara for a studio apartment could easily run over $1000 USD /month. A peek online indicates that most of the easy to find 750 square foot apartments are about $2000 USD/month.

So he is wondering if he can save money by living in San Jose. He wants to know how to get around - bus, motorcycle, bike. I have mentioned that a car in California requires mandatory insurance, has sales tax on the purchase, has to be cleared for smog and so on.

I am not sure about good and bad neighborhoods in the area, but as i recall most of the bayside of Highway 101 is impoveished. I know San Jose has a mix of good and bad neighborhoods.

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The short story is he is a good guy - quiet and hard working. Certainly not a party animal looking for adventure. I think he would adapt well to a home-stay situation inclusive of getting to know a family, their pets, and how to clean the bathroom, etc. If there is anyone that desires to rent out a room for 9 months and enjoy the cultural exchange, I don't think they will be disappointed. You can PM for a frank discussion about timeline and possiblities.

If that isn't in the cards, I still need to help him figure out how to arrive in the area and get settled on his own.... maybe stay in a YMCA or similar facility while seeking afforable housing and possibly a roommate.

In any event, I think we will work together to create a realistic budget for everything before he goes, and a timeline of when and where he will be. At the end of the course, he may return directly to Taiwan or seek an H-1B visa for a working internship in the USA.

davejames

Loopy,

Anything east of 101 is undesirable unless one is used to a higher crime rate and ethnically separate areas.

I am not surprised at the potential cost of a studio being as high as mentioned, although I hope that puts the room in a more desirable area.

California does not have mandatory insurance - it has mandatory liability. Most people do not have enough bucks in the bank to cover the liability so they use an insurance company. Yes there is sales tax and other fees on the purchase of a car. Smog certification is required every two years.

Public transportation is pretty hit & miss. There are buses, there is "light rail", there are bicycle paths - but it all comes down to: do these means go where you need to go and how long does it take.

Current California sales tax for this area is close to 8.5%.

LoopyByteloose

Thanks, he is planning to start class in June. I have taken SamTrans buses long ago, never ridden San Jose's light rail.

A bit more about my student. He is roughly 31-2 years old, polite, studious, enjoys people, and from a good family. His dad has a clinical practise in Chinese Medicine.

He might consider anywhere from Redwood City to Milpetas if he can figure out regular commutes.

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I have contacted some listing of 'home-stay' providers, but these websites are awkward at best. Some listers may demand a big up-front deposit be wired ahead to them to reserve your stay. It is difficult to determine if such is a scam or not and many recommend sending no advance money.

I suppose that upon arrival he can seek Roomate Wanted notice on the San Jose State and Santa Clara University campuses, but is worrying about arriving without prior arrangements. Frankly, I think it is the best way to save money and all part of the advanture.

LoopyByteloose

Just a follow up....
It seems like Craiglist is the best option for looking for furnished apartments with or without roommates.

Also, buying a motorcycle may make finding good housing much easier and less of an investment than an auto.

Upon arrival in the USA, it seems the Motel6 franchise offers the cheapest short term rates in Silicon Valley -- but the internet many not have the lowest priced motels.

GordonMcComb

Loopy Byteloose wrote: »

It seems like Craiglist is the best option for looking for furnished apartments with or without roommates.

Just be sure he doesn't send money via wire or other ways where he can't get it back. CL is rife with long-distance housing scams. It's always best if he can use CL ahead of time to research, but only give money to the manager or owner in person after being shown the unit.

LoopyByteloose

Thanks Gordon,
We had a class last night where I went over a typical California Lease/Rent contract and he was advised to only rent a place in person -- no advanced long distance commitments. The world is wsywyg. If you can't inspect the empty unit, don't rent.

And even then, it has been much easier for me to rent a place in Taiwan as a just-arrived than I suspect it might be in Californa --- personal references, background check, job history, credit report? I didn't have to do any of that.

Frankly, he may just not go for other unrelated reasons, but lease/rental negotiations do provide an added disincentive. A lot of Taiwanese simply join a local church upon arrival (even if they are not really Christian) just to acquire a safety net and free rescue services. Bible study is just considered a form of English language study.

The class was amazed by the depth and complexity of the lease agreement. And they had never heard of 'liquid-filled furnature' or 'liquid-filled furnature insurance' even though Taiwan is a leading manufacturer of water beds sold in California. LOL.

Jen J.

www.AirBnB.com might be a good option for a short-term place to stay while he's looking for something more permanent. Some rooms are much less expensive than a hotel stay.

LoopyByteloose

I did look at AirBnB, and it certainly should be mentioned as it can always provide an immediate housing alternative without lots of paper work. But again, I'd never make a reservation in Taiwan and provide a big deposit. One has to go to Santa Clara, contact these people locally, and make arrangements face to face without the reservation process.

I have travelled all over Asia without reservations. I mostly have depended on Lonely Planet books for at least my first night in a new location. And from what I have seen, reservations from afar generally equate into high prices --- nothing saved. You have to realize that the reservation service is getting a comission. The best you can expect is the same price as people without reservations, but the rooms that don't have the nice view or have some other flaw.

Also, when you are talking to someone face to face, they are immediately able to decide if you are one of those odd characters or just a regular person. That's your chance to get housing that best suits you. (Hotels may actually put you on a floor where everyone wants a good night's sleep.)

GordonMcComb

I'm guessing there are no/few exchange student services your person could look into? Many of the Asian students I've met here were on a 1-2 year exchange, which took care of the background checks, deposit escrows, and whatever else goes into it.

I'm guessing this VLSI class is pretty good for your student to make the expensive trip. Frankly, I'm surprised UC Santa Cruz is offering it. That campus has historically been known for its liberal arts programs (my wife got her film degree there; this was many years ago, so things may have changed). Beautiful campus, but as your student will attend an extension in Santa Clara, he'll never get to see it! (And I don't recommend driving the 17, especially on a motorcycle.) The whole area is horrendously expensive.

LoopyByteloose

Based on my own personal experience with UC at Berkely, SF extension -- I get the impression this is pretty much a facility for people that are working to upgrade their education while employed. In other words, it is pretty much a night school. It is easy to register, easy to get into, requires a lower TOFEL score -- but has no real support for a foreign student that is willing to travel to the USA and live in the area for 9 months.

The certificate program seems to offer 15 credits of transferable graduate studies, and that would be useful. Plus, the experience of living and studying in the USA would most likely up-grade his English faster and allow him to re-take the TOFEL at a later date... eventually moving on to a formal Masters and/or Phd program with a pile of fresh credits and a better TOFEL score.

Of course, all this is not without some big risks and big expenses. But it has become harder for Taiwanese to get directly into advanced degree programs from afar. He would be able to visit several target universities in California while he is there and discuss his options face-to-face with their Admissions offfice and particular departments.