Mary Pope-Handy's Silicon Valley Real Estate Commentary

Photos from RE Bar Camp Silicon Valley Today

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:04:22 -0500

Today was the first RE Bar Camp Silicon Valley and it had a great turnout! With perfect weather and a great setting (the lovely new Axix condos in downtown San Jose), we had plenty of space and a great ambiance for mixing, chatting, sharing, and engaging.

Below are some pics of real estate folks, many of whom you may know. Unfortunately I don't have all the nams so please bear with me!

The main meeting area was outdoors, by the pool. (I was concerned that I'd fall in, complete with new Blackberry Tour and netbook.)

The crowd was grateful for the pastries, coffee, tea and water provided by our generous sponsors for breakfast as well as the wonderful sandwich box lunches, chips and sodas for lunch. Thank you, sponsors!

A variety of topics were addressed in several sessions - everything from mobile apps to facebook, twitter, blogging in 15 minutes, and many more topics.

There were many Active Rainers present, including Brad Andersohn, who did some great sharing with "20 free apps" for your business. Other AR people include Ira Serkes, Cindy Lin, CJ Brasiel, Guy Berry as well as many, many more!

Hope to see you all at the California Association of Realtors Expo over the next few days!

Thanks to all the volunteers who made it possible and to Axis and to the sponsors.

Best Systems for Agents and Brokers, & A Checklist for New Agent Hires

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:55:52 -0500

As some of you know, a few months ago I "jumped into the deep end of the pool" and began forming a new real estate brokerage in Silicon Valley with a group of agents and one very experienced broker. Our company, Luxor Real Estate Group, is up and running and is growing, despite the crazy market conditions and our newness.

Each of us Founders (9 in all) brings something different to the table: insights, tools, gifts. One thing I am going to help us to implement as a company is a focus on good systems (thank you CRS and Howard Brinton of Star Power Systems for opening my eyes to their value years ago). Some of it's simply a matter of having a form so that the process is done the same way each time (anything from turning in listing paperwork to letting the office know you're going on vacation and who's covering what for you). But much of it is more like a campaign or an action plan.

There are two questions I have in this arena:

First, I wanted to ask the Active Rain Community if they have any favorite company systems or checklists (or other tools) that they would advocate having or if there are any they'd be willing to share.

One of the big challenges for a new real estate firm is simply growing. When I go to the board breakfast meeting or go out on tour, agents often pull me aside to ask about Luxor. Established agents are often wary about how much time & work will be involved in moving and whether or not they'll lose business in the process, so I'd like to create a "transition plan" that is more than just a to-do list for agents that join us. A to-do list is extremely helpful but what I have in mind is a step beyond that and would include a more comprehensive marketing plan to make sure that our new agents have a smooth time coming over once their license is moved and the first steps are all taken.

So the second question is, I'd like to ask if any of you have or use a plan to assist agents as they join your brokerages in making the transition smooth and as simple & easy as possible.

It's fun, exciting, and sometimes a little overwhelming to go from being an agent in another's company to being a principal in my own. I'm grateful that our broker, Dennis Byron, has 38 years experience (dwarfing my 16) and that several of our founders have outside business experience (and one has started 11 other companies) as well as real estate and lending experience. But it's an incredible amount of stuff to do (I am in charge of technology too!) and to want to get right - so I very much appreciate the collective insights of the group and hope that I can return the favor to you as well.

Thanks so much!

The Los Gatos Real Estate Market, Stats and Trends in June 2009

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:32:55 -0500

The Los Gatos real estate market is not a unified "block" so much as it is a collection of micromarkets, a conglomeration of smaller markets by price point, school district, acreage, type of housing, and many other factors.

The overview is one indicator of the health of the community's real estate generally, but it may or may not be relavent to your home's pocket, or the neighborhood into which you'd like to purchase.

I. General Trends in the Los Gatos Real Estate Market (real estate "area 16", zip codes 95030 and 95032)

Los Gatos Houses - May 2009 Statistics and Trends

Trends At a Glance May 2009 Previous Month Year-over Year

Median Price	$1,012,000	$955,000 (+6.0%)	$1,377,500 (-26.5%)
Average Price	$1,111,280	$1,035,330 (+7.3%)	$1,438,880 (-22.8%)
No. of Sales	20	25 (-20.0%)	36 (-44.4%)
Pending Properties	37	26 (+42.3%)	37 (0.0%)
Active	160	170 (-5.9%)	163 (-1.8%)
Sale vs. List Price	95.6%	95.0% (+0.5%)	97.5% (-2.0%)
Days on Market	55	54 (+0.7%)	27 (+104.8%)

The months of inventory, or absorption rate, is found by dividing the "actives" by the "solds" in the last month. So the months of inventory in May would be 160/20 = 8 months of inventory. In April it was 170/25 =6.8. So the market has become more of a buyer's market. (Six months is balanced, less is seller's market, more is buyer's market.)

To see the full details for the statistics and trends for Los Gatos single family homes (houses) please visit my online Real Estate Report.

Los Gatos Condominiums and Townhouses - May 2009 Statistics and Trends

Trends At a Glance May 2009 Previous Month Year-over Year

Median Price	$587,475	$710,000 (-17.3%)	$875,000 (-32.9%)
Average Price	$643,738	$700,222 (-8.1%)	$890,000 (-27.7%)
No. of Sales	4	9 (-55.6%)	3 (+33.3%)
Pending Properties	5	8 (-37.5%)	10 (-50.0%)
Active	49	51 (-3.9%)	46 (+6.5%)
Sale vs. List Price	97.3%	94.5% (+2.9%)	95.5% (+1.9%)
Days on Market	75	74 (+2.0%)	47 (+60.6%)

Months of inventory (absorption rate) among all condos and townhomes was 49/4 = 12.25 in May and 51/9 = 5.6 for April. Big swing - looks like March was the "hot month" for sales among condos. Some of it may be seasonal fluctuations that will only be really clear when a few more months have passed.

To see the full details for the statistics and trends for Los Gatos condos & townhomes, please visit my online Real Estate Report.

II. Looking at a smaller segment of the market

There's a way we can crunch the numbers on our mls to get some of the smaller sections of the Los Gatos real estate market. It's a bit labor intensive but I have found it useful when looking at some price points, school districts, or both to see what's happening.

Earlier today I did some of this number crunching for a client and thought I'd share it here. In Los Gatos, there are a lot of variables, as mentioned earlier. Perhaps the biggest one is the school district. We have separate districts for elementary/middle schools and high schools. To make it easiest, I'll break it down by high school district (because there are fewer of them - really just two in town). Locals tend to refer to schools that include and feed into Los Gatos High as "in the schools" or "in the district". The other schools, which are in more outlying areas of town, are in the Campbell Union High School District (CUHSD).

What I wanted to know is how the market is for the "under $1 million" homes in Los Gatos. Overall, it's a whole lot better then the rest of the town! The "months of inventory" for Los Gatos overall was 8 months in May, but we see that in the under $1,000,000 group, right now it's a brisk three months! (COE = close of escrow. COE in last 30 days means that there was a completed sale within the last 30 days.)

All of 95030, 95032	Active	33	months of inventory	3
	Pending	25	active-pending ratio	1.32 to 1
	COE in last 30 days	11


Los Gatos Schools	Active	13	months of inventory	4.6
	Pending	15	active-pending ratio	.86 to 1
	COE in last 30 days	3


C'bell Union HSD	Active	20	months of inventory	2.5
	Pending	10	active-pending ratio	2 to 1
	COE in last 30 days	8

What can we tell from this?

First of all, the lowest priced homes in Los Gatos have a much better chance of selling then the higher priced homes. We are seeing this trend across Silicon Valley such that in entry level houses that are aggressively priced, there are multiple offers and overbidding.

Second, these recent closed represent sales that started a month or two ago. Among the closeds, there was a strong buying period in the outlying parts of town. Now, though, we see a stronger movement among homes "in the schools" such that now, more homes are pending then are for sale and available!

Viewing it another way, the ratio between actives and pendings indicates that a large percentage of homes in the Los Gatos School District are selling or will sell right now. With the homes that have the Campbell Union High School District, it's about half. So the "chances of selling" appear to be 50/50.

That's actually not bad - recently, the odds across town for homes selling was only about 19%, or 1 in 5.

Although I have not crunched all the numbers, I suspect that the higher the price point, the more challenging the sale.

Of course, any home can sell in any market if the basics are right: condition, location, pricing, and marketing. You can't do much about the location once you've bought. Everything else, though, can be controlled and adjustments can be made such that a home is sellable, and most of it is in the control of the homeowner.

Whether looking at houses, condos, or townhomes, it's important to get and understand the data not just for Los Gatos as a whole, or your zip code, but for your segment of the market precisely. This is equally true whether you want to buy or sell a Los Gatos home.

Please call or email me for guidance with your particular plans to sell or buy a home!

Affordable Los Gatos Home, Turnkey, Room to Expand!

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:35:08 -0500

15540 El Gato Lane, Los Gatos, CA 95032

3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms * remodeled kitchen * updated baths * hardwood floors, beamed ceilings
Listed at just $768,800

Looking for a great Los Gatos starter home? Now's a great time to purchase an entry-level home in Los Gatos and this property will get you there in style!

Flooring in the home is hardwood (in most rooms) or tile (kitchen and baths) - no "wall to wall" carpeting in this home!

The kitchen:

Remodeled in recent years, the kitchen offers granite countertops, beautiful white cabinets (many upper cabinets with glass panelled doors), a built in microwave, a gas cooktop, a dishwasher, granite tile flooring and elegant lighting.

The floorplan is open - the living and dining rooms are open to each other and both lead to the expansive deck in the back yard.

In addition to 1100 square feet of living space, the home boasts approximately 500 square feet of deck space (to left of photo shown, appx 23' x 22'), about half of which is covered. This makes for a truly versatile home and outdoors space which can be enjoyed year round.

The deck features space for dining, for conversing, for being in the sun or in the shade. With heat lamps, it remains comfortable even on a chilly fall or winter night!

Other important features:

vaulted ceilings
freshly painted throughout
dual pane windows
air conditioning
extra storage
garage is 1 car + office/bonus room (orig 2 car)
extra deep lot - room to expand (or rebuild)
inside laundry
water heater 5 years old
roof 5 years old
county area of Los Gatos

To learn more about this beautiful home, see more photos and two virtual tours, please see full details on this custom page:

15540 El Gato Lane, Los Gatos

Next open house: June 13, 1:30 - 4:30pm

Silicon Valley Real Estate Market Update for March 2009

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:32:54 -0600

How's the Silicon Valley real estate market?

The market is heating up! Anecdotally, my phone is ringing off the hook and my email is jammed with people wanting to discuss home buying and home selling in the San Jose area.I have talked a few sellers out of selling - it's important to be extremely realistic right now since the odds are against selling.

What about pricing for Santa Clara County homes that do sell? Are sales improving? Yes! It's better.

Countywide, home sales increased, year-over-year, by a whopping 30.3% in February. The vast majority of sales are in the lower price ranges. One Realtor friend of mine said to me, "my sales are down, but the price point where I'm selling is REALLY down". That's just the reality of today's market. It's harder to sell a high end home than it is to sell a home under $500,000.

Prices are stabilizing. The median price for single-family, re-sale homes was flat for Santa Clara County at $450,000 compared to January. It's huge that this general number is flat and not falling!

for San Jose as a whole, the median list price is down by about 2% and average sales price is up about 2%
for Almaden Valley, it's up about 20% for both numbers
for Cambrian Park, it's up 2% for median and up 7% for average sales price
for Willow Glen, it's up about 28% for both!
for Los Gatos, it's negative territory: down 28% for median list price, down 8.6% for average sales price
for Saratoga, the numbers are badly skewed since there were NO sales the month before and in the recent month there were a few - so it's up 75% but this is a statistical abberation
for Campbell, the numbers are up about 27% for median and up about 8% for average sales price
Palo Alto is often the last to crumble and the first to rise. The market there is hopeful but mixed, with the median sales price up 1.6% and the average sales price down 5.6%.

Want more Santa Clara County cities or areas within San Jose? Or want to see data on condos? You can read the full on-line report here: http://popehandy.rereport.com/

If you'd like to read a more in-depth newsletter about current market conditions, please click here: http://rereport.com/scc/print/Mary.PopeHandySCC.pdf.

Creating a Sense of Urgency - Don't Overdo It, How to Cope with Others Who Do!

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:22:24 -0600

Salespeople are notorious for "creating a sense of urgency" so that buyers buy now and sellers sell now. When used appropriately (when there really is a reason to get moving!), this is not a bad thing and can help make the consumer more realistic and help the consumer to get what he or she wants in the best possible way. When it's a seller's market, sometimes unrealistic homeowners take their time because they are overconfident and can lose a sale (selling for less later). When it's a buyer's market, sometimes home buyers feel that they can take forever and get the house they want at a better price. When it does sell, to someone else, they are surprised.

To counteract the feeling that consumers have that they can take forever to act, salespeople sometimes impose gentle pressure, that sense of urgency. Most often it's an explanation of the risks involved in not acting soon. If you wait, the house will be gone. If you wait, the next offer will be worse. Often real estate professionals are correct in explaining that homes and offers really won't last forever. For sellers, this is especially true in a declining market. There's a good reason to not dilly dally. Creating a sense of urgency is often a good corrective and is helpful to clients who may not correctly grasp the situation.

Sometimes, though, we bump into real estate salespeople who so habitually and relentlessly work at creating urgency that they do more harm than good. They damage relationships, their reputation, and can put transactions into jeopardy because their behavior undermines the common goal of sellers wanting to sell and buyers wanting to buy when they go into emotional fraying.

What are the signs that your agent, or the agent on the other side of a transaction, is in urgency overdrive?

everything is always a rush, right now - no time to think
high level of worry and concern on every small point
agent seems pushy and upset and overly dramatic
interruptions - both in conversation and just in terms of needing to be #1 on their to-do list
agent does not seem to be truthful - you catch him or her lying to others about timeframes to make them perform faster
you don't get clear answers on actual deadlines, but instead get vague responses to specific questions
salesperson does not listen to voicemails, but simply calls back
agent cannot manage paperwork, does not remember emails or voicemails, puts an inordinate amount of responsibility on an assistant for transactional obligations
too much communication - calling multiple times a day each day, for every tiny item as soon as it appears on the radar, rather than collecting thoughts and communicating once or twice to take care of multiple outstanding items

These overly urgent agents are exhausting to work with because everything seems to be a crisis all the time. Everything is always in a hurry. They seem to thrive on having a constant barrage of strong emotions.

Why do they do it?

Sometimes, people are just disorganized, emotional, worried that they aren't being taken seriously or valued. Part of it is ego issues, in my experience. So they create a lot of drama to feel important, to make others respect them, and to set themselves up as saving the day. Part of the high drama is aimed at spotlighting their successes and being viewed as having incredible leadership, a hero or heroine.

How to respond?

It is important to not be unduly pressured, whether you are a consumer or another agent. Decisions must be well-founded on good information. Sometimes the drama kings and queens will want everything signed fast, without time to comprehend or evaluate options. This is a red flag. Buyers and sellers need to be given time to investigate, whether it's buyers having their own inspections or sellers getting repair bids. Anytime an agent is rushing you and closing off important options, be concerned.

Set boundaries, if needed. I once heard of an agent in a bumpy transaction who had a somewhat crazy salesperson on the other side of a sale. The crazy agent phoned dozen of times a day - it was apparently to the point of harassment. The normal agent had a dinner party at her home one weekend night and the crazy agent showed up on her doorstep in the middle of the event. If the agent crosses the line to that degree, it might be time to phone the broker and ask for some help.

Are you guilty?

If you are constantly in a rush, constantly in a crisis, and feel the need to always make everyone scream "How High?" when you say "JUMP!", if you tell "white lies" to make people do your bidding, perhaps you need to slow down a minute and refind your balance. Ask yourself why you have so much drama in your life. I can guarantee you that if this is how you live and work, it will be counterproductive for you in the long run in your career. The stress is probably hard on your body, too, and possibly the important relationships in your life.

Don't get sucked into the emotional morass. Urgency overdrive people can drive you crazy, but keep your cool. Document everything, stick to the facts and work at problem solving without insults or unloading on them as to how miserable they are making you. Remember, they have to live with themselves and are probably miserable most of the time themselves.

Selling a home in the west valley? What are the odds your home might sell?

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:10:31 -0600

The local paper has been running stories about the real estate market in Santa Clara County and the good news is that many of the bank owned, foreclosed homes are getting bought up. Throughout the Silicon Valley area, about one home in four is selling.

Real estate is local, though. . .much more local that countywide. What is happening in Berryessa or Blossom Valley is interesting, and may have an impact on the local economy and you. But if you live in Los Gatos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno or Almaden Valley, what's happening elsewhere may have little to do with home sales in your immediate zip code or subdivision.

Today on my Live in Los Gatos blog, I posted about home selling in Los Gatos. What are the odds that your Los Gatos home will sell? In the west valley generally (the four areas mentioned above), it runs between about an 8% and 15% chance that a home will sell. The exact chance varies by location, condition, school district, price point, etc. For instance, the very expensive luxury home market (over $3 million or so) is much worse than homes priced between one and two million dollars.

If you are thinking of selling your home in Los Gatos or anywhere nearby, please visit my blog and read today's post: How Hard is it to Sell a Los Gatos Home Now?

What is my Silicon Valley home worth?

Find a home by map!

How is the Saratoga, CA, Real Estate Market Faring?

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:51:19 -0600

Every day it seems that our large, local newspaper, The San Jose Mercury News, runs a story on the real estate market. Unfortunately, the news never seems to be good. Today's feature was on home sales in the million plus price range and how the number of those sales has been declining substantially throughout California (down 43%) and in Silicon Valley (down 34%) as well.

Several cities in Santa Clara County offer some lovely homes worth well in excess of one million dollars: Los Gatos, San Jose's Almaden Valley, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga are in good company with other upscale communities featuring high end homes.

Today I posted on the Saratoga real estate market in particular, giving attention to the various price quartiles (segments of the market) and the luxury home market especially.

To learn more about the real estate market in Saratoga, please visit my Valley of Hearts Delight blog: http://sanjoserealestatelosgatoshomes.com/how-is-the-saratoga-real-estate-market

Open this weekend in Monte Sereno - Stunning Victorian Home!

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:25:35 -0600

Open Sat/Sun, 1/31 and 2/1, from 1:30 to 4pm. Please Stop By!

16125 Francesca Court
Monte Sereno, CA 95030
4 Beds 3.5 Baths
$1,865,000

See the virtual tour:

www.tourfactory.com/474389
PROPERTY DETAILS

Price	$1,865,000
Bedroom(s)	4
Bathroom(s)	3.5
Garage	3
Year	1992
Lot Size	9000
Schools	Los Gatos Schools
Area	Monte Sereno
Square Feet	2961
Address	16125 Francesca Court
City / Locality	Monte Sereno, CA 95030

Equal Housing Opportunity
Information Deemed Accurate but not Guaranteed

Stunning, Classic Monte Sereno Home - Open This Weekend!

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:03:20 -0600

16125 Francesca Court, Monte Sereno

Beautiful craftsmanship and detail work abound throughout this custom-built home!
Updated! Close to downtown Los Gatos!

4 Beds 3.5 Baths - the home consists of 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths plus a fabulous studio apartment or guest suite, which is built over the garage and enjoys a separate entrance. Altogether, it's 4 bed, 3.5 baths. Offered at $1,865,000

Open Sat/Sun, Jan 24/25, 2009 from 1:30pm - 4pm.

Slideshow Tour with Words and Music

See also the virtual tour:www.tourfactory.com/474389

16125 Francesca Court, Monte Sereno

Many exceptional details can be found in this updated home: hardwood flooring on the ground level, exquisite leaded glass in entry and Master, built-in cabinets, recessed lighting, tall baseboards, lovely crown moulding, and many windows throughout.

Living Room with loads of windows, fireplace, and built-ins

Dining Room off entry with great access to rear yard & brick patio

Open Floorplan - Kitchen, Nook and Family Room all open to each other - this area is the heart of the home!

Gourmet Kitchen: oversized island with vegetable sink, cherry cabinets, slab granite counters, Thermador gas range.

Family room features fireplace, built-in cabinetry, door to another brick patio

Incredibly elegant Master Suite, featuring fireplace, built-ins, breathtakingly beautiful leaded glass, vaulted ceilings, loads of closet space and organizers too.

Master bath is recently remodeled and offers spa-like steam shower

Guest suite or studio apartment has separate entrance, full kitchen, and luxurious bath with jetted tub.

Three car garage.

Price	$1,865,000
Bedroom(s)	4
Bathroom(s)	3.5
Garage	3
Year	1992
Lot Size	9000
Schools	Los Gatos Schools
Area	Monte Sereno
Square Feet	2961
Address	16125 Francesca Court
City / Locality	Monte Sereno, CA 95030

Traditional on the outside, contemporary and classic on the inside - this Monte Sereno home is the best of both! The home is 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths but also has a studio apartment or guest suite with another room, kitchen and full bath.

More Information on this Classic Monte Sereno Home

Highly regarded Los Gatos Schools

Los Gatos High

Fisher Middle School

Daves Elementary School (likely - depending on space available)

Other Information
Inspections done
Close to downtown Los Gatos
MLS # 80901346

Map
Map to 16125 Francesca Court, Monte Sereno

When Can I See It?

Please come to our Open House Sat/Sun Jan 24/25, 1:30 - 4pm
Sat host is Mary Pope-Handy, Sun host is Saskia Feain
Or call Mary Pope-Handy at 408 204-7673 for more information

Monte Sereno Real Estate Market Update & Comparison With Los Gatos

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 10:26:47 -0600

Monte Sereno is a small city next to Los Gatos and Saratoga, Ca, a nice part of Silicon Valley against the coastal foothills. It's completely residential except for the city office and the post office. With just 4000 residents, it is sometimes overlooked or treated like a suburb of Los Gatos, with which it shares a zip code and some services.

Monte Sereno real estate is a little different then Los Gatos real estate, though. It's a bit more expensive and upscale, and is often considered more desireable. Right now in Silicon Valley, it's the lone holdout with prices higher than they were a year ago!

On my Live in Los Gatos blog, I had a look at Monte Sereno's housing market now as contrasted with Los Gatos now and also with its own market 2 years ago. To learn more about the market for houses in Monte Sereno and to see a number of charts and graphs, please read on at Live in Los Gatos:

How is the Monte Sereno Real Estate Market Faring? How Does It Compare to the Los Gatos Real Estate Market and the Market Two Years Ago?

What is My San Jose Home Worth in Today's Market? Free Online CMA and Home Valuations Here!

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:58:51 -0600

With the real estate market in a bad slump, many San Jose homeowners are wondering what their home is now worth. Are you one of them?

I will tell you where to get no-cost, no-obligation, online and automatic valuations of your San Jose house, condo or townhouse, several without registering anywhere.

But there's one caveat: the more automatic these services are, the less likely they are to be accurate. It will be more precise if a human being who's a real estate professional active in your area runs the numbers. And it will be more accurate still if an experienced Realtor or appraiser visits your property, takes notes, and then works out the figures for you. Depending on your wants and needs, any of those could work for you.

So now let's get to your San Jose real estate resources, online and offline.

I. Computerized Comps and Valuations on Your San Jose Property

Cyberhomes.com - www.Cyberhomes.com - automatic home valuations
Zillow.com - www.Zillow.com - automatic home valuations
My Real Estate Report - will show active listings, pending sales and solds near your San Jose home (please be patient as window loads). This site also provides market reports by area throughout Santa Clara County. So, for instance, you can check out the San Jose real estate market in Cambrian Park or Almaden Valley, or the market conditions in Los Gatos, Saratoga, or Campbell, or any other city or large area in Silicon Valley. No registration required for these services!!

II. Request a Free, No-Obligation Market Analysis and Valuation of Your San Jose Home Online

You request it online, I will run the numbers for you and email you a market analysis. The more information you provide, the better my data to you will be. Please allow 48 hours to respond, though generally I will turn these requests around within 6 hours. (I spend an hour or so on each one.) Complete your request at www.SiliconValleyHomeValue.com. Please let me know that you received it from me when I do send it.

III. Have a Realtor Visit Your San Jose Home and Provide Range of Market Value

Call or email me for an appointment. I provide a one hour free consultation and would be happy to bring comps to your home, have a look at your property and give you an estimate of value. Should you decide to hire me to help in selling your home, I will spend many more hours working on the CMA for you.

Los Gatos real estate list prices: some are up, some are down

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:59:05 -0600

Are prices holding their value in Los Gatos? The answer really depends on what segment of the real estate market you're viewing.

List prices are generally faring pretty well among condominiums and townhomes on the market in Los Gatos. There remains variation between price quartiles and zip codes, though. Among houses for sale in Los Gatos, it is also mixed, with some significant difference based on whether the property is in the 95032 or 95030 zip code, and whether it falls high or low on the price points of available homes.

To get the whole story, please visit my Live in Los Gatos blog, or click on this link to get the post immediately:

Are Los Gatos Real Estate Prices Holding Amidst the Financial Meltdown?

If It's Frosty Outside, Is Your Roof White?

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:16:14 -0600

In subtropical Silicon Valley, we think it's really cold when the day's high temps are only in the 40s. This morning started off quite chilly here, with frost gracing cars and houses all along my Los Gatos street. Rain was forecast so we were watching the nearby hills to see if they would get snow too.

When I bundled up to grab the morning paper, I noticed that many of my neighbors' homes had frost on them - but to varying degrees. We're in a time when folks are more conscious about saving energy and also saving a buck, but apparently many don't understand what the roof in winter can tell us. . . .

To learn why it matters and to see some photographs of roofs and their frost, please read the post on my Valley of Hearts Delight blog,

What Can You Learn from a Silicon Valley Roof on a Frosty Morning?

Almaden Valley Real Estate Update on the Market Dec 2008

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:06:26 -0600

How is the real estate market doing in the Almaden Valley area of San Jose? We can look at a few key indicators to get a pulse on the current market in the San Jose, 95120, area. Today on my Silicon Valley Real Estate Blog, I pulled the numbers out for the median list price, average days on market, and inventory levels.

Overall, it remains a buyers market for condos, townhouses, and single family homes in Almaden Valley. This is true in all price ranges (the post referenced breaks the data down by quartile) too. Here are a few highlights:

Inventory is improving. This may be a seasonal fluctuation
Days on market are increasing
Median list prices are declining among houses and flat for condos as a whole (with variation between the quartiles)

To get all the details, please see Almaden Valley Real Estate Update for December 2008.

How's the Silicon Valley real estate market now as compared to a year ago?

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:27:00 -0600

The Silicon Valley is an area mostly comprised of Santa Clara County, with a little bit slipping into adjoining counties (Santa Cruz, San Mateo, and Alameda most of all). Within Santa Clara County, population 1.8 million, the largest city by far is San Jose, which has nearly 1 million residents.

To get a pulse on the area, San Jose is usually a very strong gage. Today I used the newest Altos Research reports, to which I subscribe, to see how San Jose and Silicon Valley are doing compared to a year ago.

What's surprising is to see that the market climate isn't really a lot worse. It certainly feels worse - prices are down substantially, days on market are up and inventory is not low. But in actuality, conditions are very similar to Oct and Nov 2007.

Updating the Los Gatos Real Estate Market for November 2008

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:18:22 -0600

The Los Gatos real estate market varies between zip code, price point, and home type (condo vs single family home). Today I studied the newest reports from Altos Research and shared them on my Live in Los Gatos blog. These stats and trends reflect list prices of homes currently for sale (not sold prices of properties which have recently changed ownership).

That said, we are seeing a few general trends in Los Gatos:

longer days on the market
increasing inventory
list prices falling among the most expensive homes (houses and condos)

To read more, please visit "Live in Los Gatos" and see the many charts/graphs with detailed information by zip code, home type, and price quartile in Los Gatos, CA, this week:

November Los Gatos Real Estate Market Update

Should You Sell Your Home in Silicon Valley Now, or Wait Until Spring?

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:10:22 -0600

Most autumns, I hear the same question from sellers: should I list my home now, or wait until spring? When is the right time to sell a home in Silicon Valley? This month is no different from last November in that regard.

Timing the real estate market is as challenging as timing the stock market. When is it low enough to buy? When is it high enough to sell?

I blogged about this today on another site and invite you to continue reading there:
When Is The Best Time To Sell a Silicon Valley Home?

Want to Sell Your Silicon Valley Home? Here are Some Tips to Get You Started!

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:10:33 -0600

Selling your home in a sellers' market can be almost euphoric. Selling your home in a buyers' market can be very difficult and discouraging.

In Silicon Valley, as in much of the country, most homes aren't selling. They sit on the market but either get low offers or no offers. In the town of Los Gatos, for every 10 homes on the market, only 1 is selling.

What does it take to be in the small minority of sellers whose homes do sell? Today at my Live in Los Gatos blog, that question is addressed:

What Does It Take To Sell Your Silicon Valley or Los Gatos Home in Today's Market?

The Strathmore Neighborhood of East Los Gatos

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 22:22:44 -0600

A very tidy neighborhood tucked behind Union Avenue and Blossom Hill Road in east Los Gatos, the Strathmore neighborhood consists of nicely built homes on tree lined streets and shares a common pool or cabana.

In the shadow of the foothills, it's very scenic, but also convenient for shops, schools, and freeways.

The houses, which are about 40-45 years old generally, run between 1500 and 2500 for the most part, and cost between $800,000 and $1,200,000 in most cases. This is fairly affordable by Los Gatos standards and the reason is that it's in not the Los Gatos School District, but the Union School District.

To learn more, please read the detailed post on the Live in Los Gatos blog, The Strathmore Neighborhood of Los Gatos.

How did the Los Gatos Real Estate Market Fare in October?

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 21:40:45 -0600

For many homesellers in Los Gatos (and Silicon Valley generally), and for their Realtors, the real estate market is extremely challenging right now. Buyers have been wary for many months already, but now they're concerned about a recession and job losses, not just the possibility of a real estate sales price that won't hold its value later. It is a deepening buyers market overall, but especially within the market for single family homes.

Read more at Closed Sales of Homes in Los Gatos: Yes, The Numbers Are Down (includes the absorption rates of single family homes and condos in Los Gatos in 2008).

Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor, CRS, ABR, e-PRO, SRES, ASP, RECS, CNHS, ACRE
Helping Nice Folks to Buy & Sell Homes Since 1993
Co-Author: "Get The Best Deal When Selling Your Home In Silicon Valley"
877 397-5391 (Direct/Toll-Free/Fax); 408 204-7673 (Cell)
www.DelightHomes.com (PopeHandy.com) & www.ValleyOfHeartsDelight.com
emailto: Mary@PopeHandy.com
Blog: www.LiveInLosGatos.com

Get to Know the Oak Canyon Neighborhood

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:50:27 -0500

The Oak Canyon neighborhood of the Almaden Valley district in San Jose is an upscale area with good-sized homes and lots on well kept, meandering streets near the base of the coastal foothills. It's near to Los Gatos and Cambrian Park, so is a very convenient area for commuters.

Additionally, Oak Canyon has a great nearby elementary school, Guadalupe School, which features high scores.

To learn more about this great area, please read Meet the Oak Canyon Neighborhood of Almaden Valley in San Jose on the Valley of Hearts Delight blog.

Please contact me for all your Almaden Valley or Silicon Valley real estate needs!

Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor, CRS, ABR, e-PRO, SRES, ASP, RECS, CNHS, ACRE
Helping Nice Folks to Buy & Sell Homes Since 1993
Co-Author: "Get The Best Deal When Selling Your Home In Silicon Valley"
877 397-5391 (Direct/Toll-Free/Fax); 408 204-7673 (Cell)
www.DelightHomes.com (PopeHandy.com)
emailto: Mary@PopeHandy.com
Blog: www.LiveInLosGatos.com & www.ValleyOfHeartsDelight.com

List Prices and Trends in Almaden Valley, Cambrian Park, Willow Glen and West San Jose

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 18:31:49 -0500

Prices are getting pushed down in virtually all parts of Silicon Valley and in San Jose particularly. Even so, the downward pressure is not uniform among all home types and price points. The San Jose real estate scene is varied by region, home type, condition, school district, and many more factors, including the number of nearby foreclosures and short sales.

The four areas studied appear to be doing better than the city as a whole. For instance, here's the graph of list prices for all of San Jose (which has about a million residents spread over many districts):

What is fairly consistent throughout San Jose, and Santa Clara County too, is that the highest priced properties are suffering much less than the lowest priced ones. The above graph makes that very apparent.

To get a better idea of how pricing is faring among condos and single family homes in Almaden Valley, Cambrian Park, Willow Glen and West San Jose, please visit the Valley of Hearts Delight blog post,
Comparing Real Estate List Prices in Four San Jose Districts.

Please contact me for all your Silicon Valley real estate needs!

Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor, CRS, ABR, e-PRO, SRES, ASP, RECS, CNHS, ACRE
Helping Nice Folks to Buy & Sell Homes Since 1993
Co-Author: "Get The Best Deal When Selling Your Home In Silicon Valley"
877 397-5391 (Direct/Toll-Free/Fax);   408 204-7673 (Cell)
www.DelightHomes.com     (PopeHandy.com)
emailto: Mary@PopeHandy.com
Blog: www.LiveInLosGatos.com & www.ValleyOfHeartsDelight.com

Welcome to the Surrey Farms Neighborhood of Los Gatos

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:34:38 -0500

Surrey Farms is a highly sought after neighborhood in the Kennedy Road area of east Los Gatos. A comforably sprawling enclave (gated, but the gate never closes) of low-key but spacious ranch style homes reside on large, half-acre lots.

The area once did have horses and a large stable, but those days are now long gone. It is a charming area because it is so unpretentious.

Homes in this area have become far more affordable recently, with some now in the mid 1 millions (appx 1.5 mil).

You can read much more about Surrey Farms over at the Live in Los Gatos blog. I invite you to see some pictures and get to know this "close to town" area better by reading Great Neighborhood: Surrey Farms in Los Gatos

Please contact me for all your Los Gatos real estate and nearby Silicon Valley real estate needs:

Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor, CRS, ABR, e-PRO, SRES, ASP, RECS, CNHS, ACRE
Helping Nice Folks to Buy & Sell Homes Since 1993
Co-Author: "Get The Best Deal When Selling Your Home In Silicon Valley"
877 397-5391 (Direct/Toll-Free/Fax); 408 204-7673 (Cell)
www.DelightHomes.com (PopeHandy.com)
emailto: Mary@PopeHandy.com
Blog: www.LiveInLosGatos.com & www.ValleyOfHeartsDelight.com

The Blossom Manor neighborhood of Los Gatos

Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES (Luxor Real Estate Group) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:42:57 -0500

One of the most sought-after areas among first time Los Gatos homebuyers is Blossom Hill Manor, also known as Blossom Manor or simply The Manor. What's the draw? Often it's the award winning Los Gatos schools, two of which are within a mile: the newly remodeled and renovated Blossom Hill School and Fisher Middle School. Also highly valued is the proximity to grocery stores, banks, coffee shops, and much more - many so close that a car is not needed to reach them. More reasons for the enduring popularity - a good proximity to parks & freeway access points and a quick 2 miles to downtown Los Gatos.

Most of the neighborhood consists of single family homes with prices that range from a low of about $1.1 million to a high of about $2.2 million. A few duplexes line the outside of the neighborhood, though, on Blossom Hill Road, Camelia Terrace and Los Gatos-Almaden Road.

For more information, please view my lengthy and detailed post on the Live in Los Gatos blog. There you'll find a map of the neighborhood, photos and a slideshow, plus information on things to investigate if purchasing in the area. Meet the Blossom Manor Neighborhood of Los Gatos.

For more information on buying homes in Los Gatos, please visit the Los Gatos Homebuyer Starting kit page - nothing to download and loads of information available there.

Please contact me for all your Los Gatos and nearby Silicon Valley real estate needs!

Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor, CRS, ABR, e-PRO, SRES, ASP, RECS, CNHS, ACRE
Helping Nice Folks to Buy & Sell Homes Since 1993
Co-Author: "Get The Best Deal When Selling Your Home In Silicon Valley"
877 397-5391 (Direct/Toll-Free/Fax); 408 204-7673 (Cell)
www.DelightHomes.com (PopeHandy.com)
emailto: Mary@PopeHandy.com
Blog: www.LiveInLosGatos.com & www.ValleyOfHeartsDelight.com