Rightsizing, Or Is A Green Mansion An Oxymoron?
How big can a home get before it is simply too big to be called “green”, regardless of its design and materials?  According to architect Jason McLennan, CEO of the Cascadia Green Building Council and author of the Living Building Challenge, “the average American family house or condominium, which today is built for three…
West Silicon Valley Real Estate Reports from the Front Lines
What a difference timing makes in the real estate market! Â Last fall 2009 the Saratoga real estate market was sluggish and now it fast and engaged. Last week I reported the avalanche of positive market response to a Saratoga listing Moe Baniani and I have on Wolcot Way and…
School District Boundaries in Saratoga, CA 95070
Search of homes for sale in Saratoga, CA, by families with school age children, almost always starts with schools. Market valuation of homes is directly related to API school scores. Frequently at open house I will open a detailed map that shows the district boundaries for schools in Saratoga. Saratoga Union…
Reverse Mortgage Now Allows New Home Purchase
Did you know that there is a program that allows seniors (62 years and older) to purchase a new home without taking on a new monthly mortgage payment? It will enable seniors to: Purchase a primary residence more suitable for their current needs (ie. single story vs. two story) Purchase…
Saratoga Real Estate Market Is Hot
Ten homes went sale pending last week in Saratoga, CA! Several went to multiple offers. The Saratoga real estate market (or at least part of it) is hot. All but one of the sales was priced less than $2 million. Included in the group were homes on Sobey Road, Oak…
How’s The Real Estate Market?
The question if get asked most frequently is “How’s the real estate market?” It used to be that everyone read the newspapers and got their somewhat distorted news from the headlines; now people get their news online and from multiple sources. I hope I have earned the right for you…
Greenhouses – Patient-Centered Seniors Housing For Aging Baby Boomers
By 2050, one in five people in the United States will be age 65 and older, and 12 million of them will need long-term care. But the old paradigm for institutionalized care in the nursing home setting doesn’t fit the preferences and expectations of the baby boomers and Gen-Xers entering…
Saratoga Trees Important to Home Values
Last week Jill Hunter, Vice Mayor of Saratoga, CA asked me if trees contribute to home values in Saratoga and I said yes. Acre+ estate properties frequently have heritage oaks that add to the beauty and distinctiveness of the neighborhoods. On the other hand, they also act as a constraint…
Mortgage Rates Down For Third Week
Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.99 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending January 21, 2010, down from last week when it averaged 5.06 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM…
Cupertino Real Estate Market Still Hot Early in 2010
Last year, homes for sale in Cupertino were in strong demand and it is still hot! Alain Pinel Realtor Mark Wong, in our Saratoga, CA office cited as an example 1145 Hunterston Place (3 br/2ba, 1,190 +/-sq ft , on a 6,400 +/- sq ft lot, listed at $918,000), which with one…
Saratoga Village Development Council Promotes Village
According to Jill Hunter, Vice Mayor of Saratoga, CA, five years ago the Saratoga Village Development Council was initiated as a networking group for merchants and anyone else interested in Saratoga Village. Brian Berg set up an email system and SVDC now has over 360 registrants on the system. The…
Santa Clara County Jumbo Mortgages Now Classified Less Risky
Jumbo mortgages in Santa Clara County has been reclassified from a market risk perspective to class 1, which is the least risky class! The major benefit is that now a borrower can put down 20% on a jumbo loan and only need to show 10% of the loan amount in…
Saratoga Real Estate Starts 2010 With Strong Demand
With an inventory of only 76 homes for sale in Saratoga, CA 95070, very low interest rates and the stock market DOW index over 10,600, demand for homes in the Golden Triange with Saratoga Schools is strong demand. The 3br/2 1/2 ba, property we put on the market last week at…
Location, Location, Location in Saratoga, CA
Real estate has always been about location, but now technology is enhancing the search – where to find the best in Saratoga, CA? Last Thursday evening I was talking with Vice Mayor Jill Hunter about the Saratoga Village Development Council. Â Jill noted that there are now 26 restaurants in Saratoga…
Highway 9 Improvements Planned in Saratoga in 2010
CalTrans is scheduling a highway safety project for Highway 9 (from Big Basin way in Saratoga village to the summit) that will probably go to bid in February and start construction April 2010. The cost to the state is 10 million dollars. Three 20 mph hairpin turns (as you go…
