Los Altos Market Update for December 2010 - 12/29/10 05:01 PM
In Los Altos we've had 29 closed sales in the month of December as od December 28th.  That up from 25 in December 2009.  The average selling price was $1,589,705 which is a 4.5% decrease from December 2009.  There are still pending sales so this is an excellent indication of the strength of the Los Altos real estate market which continues to lead the local recovery.
The high-end, defined as homes priced over $2 million, saw four sales between $2 and $2.425 million.  One sale that started as a high-end listing with a list price of just under $2.5 million sold … (1 comments)

Los Altos Spotlight: Rick's Cafe - 12/28/10 05:12 PM
Rick's Cafe 205 State Street HOURS:  7:30AM - 3:00PM  Mon-Sun PRICES: $ Bryan's Opinion:  I can't begin to say enough great things about this place.  It is everything a breakfast place should be and then some.  First, a little history.  Rick's Cafe came to Los Altos in 2008.  It started as a breakfast and lunch place before trying a dinner menu.  The dinner menu didn't take off so it's back to breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is incredible and there are few places in the entire area that will even come close to the quality.  A perfect example is their Denver Omelette … (1 comments)

Los Altos Spotlight: 5K Fun Run on January 1, 2011 - 12/28/10 01:58 PM
The Los Altos 5K Fun Run has been taking place on New Year's Day for many years.  It's the finale in a string of holiday events in downtown Los Altos.  After the carriage rides, Festival of Lights parade, holiday shopping, and more this event is a welcome break.  It's also a great way to kick off the new year with some exercise to work off all the food and drink from the last few weeks. Registration isn't required and it's completely free.  You can stop by the Los Altos Recreation Department website for more details.  Basically, you just show up on … (2 comments)

REALTORS Give $2500 To Los Altos / Mountain View Charity - 12/23/10 10:46 AM
As the district chairman of the Los Altos  / Mountain View area I've had the pleasure of presenting many checks to local charities that support community.  At the final meeting of the year, a special breakfast presentation to the Los Altos Hills Country Club, I made my last check presentation to JustREAD.
An article in the Los Altos Town Crier talks about the event.  This organization focuses on getting kids who have reading difficulties a completely fresh start.  They literally start the kids from the basics of sight words (pre-K level) up to proficient reading.  It's hard work but the program … (3 comments)

Los Altos had a 3.1 earthquake on December 19, 2010 - 12/20/10 12:58 AM
The SJ Mercury News reported this morning that good old Los Altos had a 3.1 earthquake this morning.  While not major, it's very rare that a quake is ever centered in Los Altos or even Los Altos Hills, even with all the fault lines nearby.
The quake was 2.1 miles deep and there were no reports of damage.
The article is posted here if you'd like to read more. 
I've felt many quakes in Los Altos and was around for the major quakes in recent memory.  None ever felt significant and the town always seems to get little or any impact … (4 comments)

A home in Los Altos for $115,000!? What is this, 1980? - 12/18/10 08:17 PM
A home is now listing in Los Altos for $115,000 which is highly irregular.  So, how is it possible that in one of the most expensive markets in the country someone can buy a condo for less than a mobile home?  Here's the story:
It's a a banked owned (REO) property on Tyndall which is a street not far from where I used to live and neighborhoods filled with fine homes.  This is also a BMR (below market rate) home which means that you have to earn a relatively low income in order to buy it.  Trust me, anyone who saw … (5 comments)

Has the Los Altos housing market hit bottom? - 12/16/10 05:04 PM
A recent article written by local financial advisor Artie Green and published in the Los Altos Town Crier asks the question "Have housing prices hit bottom yet?".  Based on my experience and the current pricing trend in Los Altos, we have indeed hit bottom and are moving back up.
The article was primarily aimed at the general market around the country.  Most economists, even the pessimists, will argue that the market has turned and will rise anywhere from 3-20% in the coming year.  The few dim spots in the economy can't overshadow the fact that home prices in many areas are … (0 comments)

Los Altos Hills Home Inventory Coming Off The Market - 12/14/10 05:25 PM
Just in case you've been tracking inventory in Los Altos Hills, there have been 6 homes taken off the market in the last 2 weeks that will specifically be brought back in 2011.  This is a common practice because the high-end market has been slow for many years now and Los Altos Hills isn't immune to bargain hunters looking for deals.
There are currently 42 homes on the market in Los Altos Hills, and the 6 homes taken off the market account for about 15% of the total inventory.  While this doesn't mean a record low, it's unusual to see so … (3 comments)

Los Altos Spotlight: Kiwanis Christmas Tree Lot - 12/14/10 04:52 PM
There are a lot of traditions in Los Altos around Christmas time; carriage rides, Breakfast with Santa, and tree lots.  One lot that was around for ages but disappeared a few years ago was the lot at Grant and Covington (technically in Mountain View) but many Los Altos residents went there.
The Kiwanis Tree Lot is one of those things you just look forward to because they've been around so long.  Operating since 1987 (24 years) they've been one of the few consistent lots actually selling trees in Los Altos.  Many of the "local" providers are in Montain View and not … (0 comments)

Los Altos Spotlight: De Martini Orchard - 12/14/10 03:59 PM
DeMartini Orchard of Los Altos RETAIL - GROCERY Prices: $-$$ Hours:  8-7 OPEN DAILY Credit/Debit: Yes BRYAN'S OPINION:  There are two great grocery stores in town offering produce, but neither offers the quality and pricing that De Martini offers.  Having been at their current location for years, it's become a bit of an institution for those wanting fresh, high-quality produce at very reasonable prices.  They're also one of the few places you can still get locally dried apricots which used be to one of the major crops in Los Altos. The stock rotates on a regular basis offering staples and seasonable … (1 comments)

Breakfast With Santa in Los Altos - December 18th, 9AM - 12/13/10 06:19 PM
The "Breakfast with Santa" is a long-time tradition in Los Altos put on by the Los Altos Village Association.  Families and children are invited to gather at a local restaurant for a nice breakfast before being joined by Santa who stops by to sit with kids, take gift requests, stand for photos, and more.
This local tradition is what makes Los Altos such a nice place to live, offering a bit of fun along with strong community involvement.  This year, the event takes place at Maltby's Restaurant.  This place has been catering to families for a long time and is a … (4 comments)

76 year-old stuck and killed in crosswalk in Los Altos. Could it have been prevented? - 12/10/10 04:05 PM
A 76-year old Los Altos resident was struck and killed at the intersection of Los Altos Avenue and Hacienda Way.  The driver has not been charged and the investigation is still on-going.  As many locals know, there have been issues with pedestrians being killed in crosswalks on San Antonio Road in recent years.  Those incidents resulted in almost all the crosswalks on that road getting special crosswalk lights that illuminate to indicate to drivers that someone is walking across the road.
More Lights?  The question now is "Do we need more crosswalk lights on long streets where people are likely to … (0 comments)

Los Altos Real Estate Market Update - November 2010 - 12/03/10 02:02 PM
November was a slow month for sales in Los Altos.  There were 22 sales with an average listing price of $1,593,485 and an average selling price of $1,547,586 which is 97% listing/sold ratio.  This is down from 28 sales in November 2009 when the average listing price was $1,678,518.  No matter how you slice it, the market is down from October 2010 or November 2009.  Does this mean we're heading down in general?  No.  In my opinion based on watching this market for years, this is just a one time slowdown.  The trend in Los Altos has been up for the … (0 comments)

 
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Bryan Robertson, Real estate broker Los Altos & Silicon Valley Luxury Homes

Los Altos, CA

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