by Mary Pope-Handy | Jun 24, 2021 | Environmental Hazards
Santa Clara County is home to a number of Superfund sites. Where are they?
A helpful, free website that anyone can use is EnviroStor. From the home page you can take a tour on how to learn about Superfund and other environmental hazards in California. The image below is showing only the Federal Superfund – please note in the left column that just the first box is checked. If you are particularly interested in school cleanup or school investigation, you’ll want to check those boxes. (The image is linked to the EnviroStore page fyi.)
There are quite a few Superfund sites concentrated in Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and Mountain View, but they can be found in San Jose, East Palo Alto, Scotts Valley, Cupertino, Palo Alto, and more areas in Silicon Valley.
by Mary Pope-Handy | Dec 8, 2020 | Buying Tips
The Silicon Valley real estate market is notoriously expensive. It isn’t easy, but you can find a Silicon Valley house for under $1 million – if you are willing to drive a little further to those tech centers.
Tonight I did a quick search and found that it’s not too hard to find a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house with at least 1200 square feet in the south county and very scenic communities of Gilroy, San Martin, and Morgan Hill. Other possibilities are in the Santa Cruz or Los Gatos Mountains, south San Jose, Evergreen, and parts of east San Jose – among others. Here’s a map showing houses recently sold with the above listed criteria.
Most likely areas for finding a Silicon Valley house for under $1 million
When I loosened the criteria (such as showing all bedrooms), more homes and areas opened up, but some were very small, or needed a lot of repairs, or were in a 100 year flood plain, or had other issues.
The bottom line is that if your budget is $1 million or less, there are places that are likely to work – but probably won’t be in Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Palo Alto, or Santa Clara.
Want a shorter commute? You might want to consider looking at condos and townhomes for the more “close in” location.
by Mary Pope-Handy | Nov 3, 2020 | Rental homes
San Jose apartment rental prices have softened during the coronavirus pandemic. Each month, ApartmentList.com produces a national and local report on rental market trends, including prices. If you are interested in renting an apartment, it’s a good idea to bookmark this page so you can circle back to it every few weeks. Apartment List National Rent Report
Here are some of this month’s highlights:
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Rents in San Jose decreased by 2.9% month-over-month, and are down 12.2% since the start of the pandemic in March, the #5 biggest decline among the nation’s 50 largest cities.
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Year-over-year rent growth in San Jose currently stands at -11.1%, the lowest rate in October of any year since the start of our estimates.
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Median rents in San Jose currently stand at $1,777 for a 1-bedroom apartment and $2,111 for a two-bedroom.
How are the San Jose apartment rental prices as compared to other areas in the U.S.?
Here’s their graphic, but visit the link above to see the whole report.
by Mary Pope-Handy | May 11, 2020 | Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Market reports, Saratoga
Today on the Valley of Heart’s Delight Blog, I looked at the real estate markets for Los Gatos, Saratoga, Cupertino, and Los Altos.
All four of these areas are known for good public schools, proximity to the coastal range, and a nice way of life. All but Cupertino have a quaint downtown area, and those three communities each have about 31,000 residents, while Cupertino is more than double that. For folks relocating to the San Jose area for work, most likely, all four will be considered if schools are a priority.
To see how these 4 highly regarded communities compare in terms of market conditions and what you can buy for your money, please visit:
Market comparison: Los Gatos, Saratoga, Cupertino and Los Altos on the Valley of Heart’s Delight Blog.
Related Reading:
Silicon Valley neighborhoods
Los Gatos neighborhood videos
How to find the median rental price by zip code
by Mary Pope-Handy | Mar 24, 2020 | Real Estate
How quickly things can change. The novel coronavirus, or Covid-19, is growing at a quick speed in the US, and in Santa Clara County particularly. With the necessary Shelter in Place order across California, real estate has pretty much ground to a halt (see my related article on the coronavirus impact on real estate sales here).
Coronavirus: is work or a task essential or non-essential?
The crux of the matter comes down to what the government deems essential versus non-essential work or activity.
YES: Grocery stores, pharmacies, police, fire fighters, medical work, bankers, contractors doing home repairs (electrical, roof, plumbing) or residential construction, and title companies fall under essential. Walking one’s dog, getting exercise by walking, jogging, or biking are essential – but individuals must keep that 6′ social distance while doing so. Restaurants are essential but can only operate takeout food (link to article on my Live in Los Gatos blog about eateries offering meals and even groceries at this time). Home sales can get completed, thanks to the county recorder’s office accepting e-recordings. Notaries are allowed to meet with signers (but no real estate licensees or lenders present).
NO: Real estate in-person work is non-essential under this coronavirus order. Real estate agents must stay home, like everyone else. No showings, no appointments in person, no open houses, no meeting appraisers or inspectors. Movers are a no-go, too.
NO for now – may change? Home inspectors seem to be non-essential, but it’s possible that it could be changed a little as the home confinement for everyone continues. It would not surprise me if both inspectors and appraisers could work, but only alone, without buyers, sellers, or agents present sometime in the coming weeks. We Realtors are watching this carefully to see what happens. There’s a push for permitting virtual notarization that I suspect will go through (and become permitted at some point soon).
Appraisers are working for some lenders. Others are not. Today I got an update from my wonderful Wells Fargo lender: “For purchase and no cash out refinance, Wells Fargo will use Drive-By Appraisal report. We will prioritize the purchase appraisal order. ”
Is it possible to buy a home during the Shelter in Place order?
Technically, it is possible to get into contract right now. Closing during this coronavirus Shelter in Place period is another matter. What can happen is:
- you may write an offer with your agent and sign it using DocuSign, Authentisign, or another electronic service
- you can wire your initial deposit to the title company
- you are able to review all of the disclosures, reports, and pre-sale inspections etc. and sign them electronically
- you must meet with a mobile notary or escrow officer to sign the final documents
- the title company can record the deed electronically
All of that is good, but what cannot happen right now, under the current order, is still a big hurdle:
- Appraisers cannot visit the home (perhaps that will change?)
- Inspectors cannot go to the property (may change?)
- your agent cannot do his or her Agent Visual Inspection Disclosure (mandated, no work arounds exist)
- you cannot visit the house or condo
I would not suggest that you buy a house sight unseen, which we call a blind offer. It’s dangerous and unwise. There’s enough danger with coronavirus alone without compounding it!
My belief is that this Shelter in Place will go on for 2 or 3 months as that is what the governor of California said last night. In that case, it would be practical to allow certain real estate functions to move forward in a limited way so that people can buy and sell. It would make sense to permit private showings with clients staying 6′ away from their agents, for inspectors to visit the property with no one else present, and same with appraisers.
There is a lot we do not know. With sales pretty much stopped, we don’t know where values are. Are they falling? Are they rising? There’s no data. With the stock market falling and unemployment rising, it seems like prices should fall in real estate, but we never really know until there’s a look into the past.
We don’t know how long the situation will last. Given that there’s no vaccine, and it will be 12-18 months before we get one, it’s probable that the Shelter in Place will not stretch that whole period. But it seems probable that there will be cycles of sheltering and more liberty based on the number of cases in any given area. I believe that we will have spurts of freedom and being able to sell and close escrows between periods of home isolation.
This is an unfolding situation that seems to be changing almost daily, do expect it to change along with the number of cases of coronavirus, hospitalizations, and deaths from Covid-19. Leaders know that residents do need to buy and sell homes, and they are working on a path forward.
Meanwhile, you can work on your pre-approval, or better yet, a pre-underwritten approval which will enable you to buy faster once that is more possible.
by Mary Pope-Handy | Jan 24, 2020 | Weather
People coming from out of the area to relocate to Silicon Valley might not know what to expect from the weather in the San Jose, Santa Clara County, or Silicon Valley Area. Does this part of California ever rain? How hot is the summer? What is the climate like?
In a nutshell, this is a “sub-tropical” area, or a place that enjoys a mild “Mediterranean climate” that is most heavily influenced by the close proximity of the shoreline and the Pacific Ocean. Temps are mild, we get little rainfall compared to many parts of the country.
More specifically, we usually get about 10-20 inches of rainfall a year (less on the east and more on the west) and enjoy as many as 300 sunny days a year. Winters seldom see many hard freezes (but they can happen).
A typical summer day has highs in the mid to upper eighties but very low humidity – so it feels much cooler. Heat waves and heat inversions can run the temps up to the low to mid 100s in the hottest parts of the valley. Luckily it doesn’t happen much, or stay for long! Once in awhile, a rare storm in summer will bring high humidity and thundershowers, but for the most part, summers are dry. The hottest month is typically August.
The coldest month, usually, is December. A January day will often have a high in the 60s or 50s, depending. A cold day here is when it does not get into the 50s (not too common). By February, though, the worst is usually over and it’s even possible to have freak warm days that hit 80 degrees!
Our weather varies from year to year. Some years we get drought conditions and may require water rationing . Other years we get lots of wet weather from the Pacific – temps are warmer but there’s much too much rain: those are the El Niño years. Most often, though, winters aren’t that bad – evenings can be nippy as temps drop into the 20s on the worst nights in December or January. It will make the news that people should cover their citrus trees so they aren’t damaged by the freezing temps. (more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy | Jan 8, 2020 | Market reports
ApartmentList.com puts out a monthly report with data on the rental market here and all over the U.S. Of most interest is the going rate for rentals. This morning I received their update and below are a few of the main points on the rental housing market. The San Jose metro area’s median rent went up 1% over the last year per the article there. They write:
“Currently, median rents in San Jose stand at $2,113 for a one-bedroom apartment and $2,648 for a two-bedroom. San Jose’s year-over-year rent growth lags the state average of 1.1%, as well as the national average of 1.4%.”
San Jose metro area – cost of an apartment rental
San Jose rental costs as compared to other cities / towns in Santa Clara County:
Apartment list provides lots of interesting tidbits, such as Cupertino’s rent falling slightly this last year and Los Gatos having the fastest growing rental prices. Do check out the full report using that top link. It’s interesting to me how much more costly it is to rent in Cupertino than in other competitive areas such as Palo Alto, which also has great schools.
Rental Housing Market Trend Highlights:
The median reflects the point at which half sold for more and half for less that price. When the median sale price goes down but the average goes up, it suggests not the homes are losing value, but rather that buyers are purchasing less expensive homes. For the condo and townhouse market, this can happen if the price of houses becomes more in reach. If you can afford a huge townhouse or a smaller house, many house hunters will choose the smaller house. Prices softened here after the peak of May 2018, so likely those on the cusp between the two choices of house or townome/condo opted for the single family home.
How does the rental market compare to other areas?
This chart is from the same source cited above. Here we can see how rental prices stack up in San Jose versus San Francisco (more expensive still) and other major cities – all the rest of which are less expensive. That said, New York City is very close to San Jose, just a hair behind.
To learn more, see the full report here:
(Note: images in this article are used with permission by ApartmentList.)
by Mary Pope-Handy | Sep 10, 2019 | Schools
Many relocating families search specifically for neighborhoods with the very best, or at least very good public schools. There are many sites which will give you this information in immense detail, but if you want a “quick answer” on excellent schools in Silicon Valley and San Jose, I can give that to you quickly here.
The finest public schools and districts (with excellent scores at all levels of schooling) tend to be found in the most expensive parts of Santa Clara County, and most of them are along the “west valley” areas, including Almaden Valley (an area of San Jose), Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, and Palo Alto. Most of these communities are found along the base of the coastal foothills, aka the Santa Cruz Mountains, are are located not too far from Highway 85. The Silver Creek area (of the Evergreen District of San Jose) on the east side also has some fine schools. There are pockets with great elementary schools scattered throughout the valley too.
What do these homes cost? In the best areas, it is not uncommon to spend a million dollars or more for a “turnkey” home of 1800 square feet with no issues (no high voltage lines, no busy road, etc.). In some areas, like Saratoga, that might be closer to $2 million.
In many parts of Santa Clara County the elementary schools are excellent, middle schools are “very good” and the high schools are good. This is true for parts of west San Jose (bordering Cupertino and Saratoga) and Cambrian Park. These areas tend to be much more affordable than those with excellent schools in all levels. For home buyers not so worried about high schools as cost, these can be a great option for getting more home (and school) for your money.
While many home buyers are reluctant to consider private schools, sometimes it is much less expensive in the long run to purchase a comfortable home in an area you like but which doesn’t have fantastic schools and then send your kids to private or parochial schools. In Los Gatos, where the schools run from very good to exceptional, about one-third of students are not in public schools.
If you are planning a relocation to Silicon Valley and want to know more about local schools (public or private) please email me and I’ll be happy to chat with you about them more in person. I can also help you to find areas which are more affordable and offer strong schools.
by Mary Pope-Handy | Jul 15, 2019 | FAQs, Lifestyle
Every area has its linguistic quirks or slang, and the San Jose – Silicon Valley – Santa Clara County region is no exception. Some of it is in the words we use, some of it’s the way we pronounce things, and some of it is just the way we think. If you relocate to the South Bay, you may want to know what some of these mean!
Places:
The Hill – refers to the Santa Cruz Mountains. Going “over the hill” means going to Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, or somewhere along the coast.p>
The City – means San Francisco, even though it’s smaller in population than San Jose.
South County – areas such as Gilroy, Morgan Hill, San Martin and Coyote Valley (and outlying areas)
The Bay – is the San Francisco Bay, not the Monterey Bay.
The Airplane Park – this is Oak Meadow Park in the Town of Los Gatos
Read the rest of the post on the Valley of Heart’s Delight blog post, Silicon Valley Local-Speak: A Guide to Understanding Folks in the South Bay
by Mary Pope-Handy | Jul 13, 2019 | Relocation
Today I discovered a cost of living calculator on the MoneyGeek website and thought my readers may find it helpful, whether living here and thinking of retiring somewhere cheaper OR living somewhere less expensive and considering a move here. MoneyGeek includes San Jose in its list of cities, which other sites, such as Nerd Wallet, omit.
https://www.moneygeek.com/cost-of-living-calculator/
This seems to work best between large cities. When I tried to compare the cost of living in San Jose against other California cities or towns, the full info only came up in more populated areas. Give it a spin and see if it’s helpful!
Another good cost of living calculator can be found on the SmartAsset site, and this one factors in taxation:
https://smartasset.com/mortgage/cost-of-living-calculator
