Find a home in Los Gatos!  There is no need to register and two ways to browse listings of properties for sale in Los Gatos, the upscale, vibrant and scenic Silicon Valley town nestled into the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

1. Find a Los Gatos home for sale by map

Get a bird’s eye view of what’s for sale, and for how much, in different parts of Los Gatos (including 95030 and 95032 zip codes and the ability to navigate to neighboring communities in San Jose, Saratoga, the mountains, Monte Sereno, Campbell, Cambrian etc. too). Search by home type (condo, house, townhome, rental), size, number of bedrooms and other criteria. The “shop by map” feature is available on my PopeHandy.com website. Have a look today!

View Los Gatos homes for sale

This page loads a little slowly, so if you click on the link above, please be patient will all of the mls info and images fill the screen.

2. Browse listed properties in Los Gatos by home type

Additionally, you can browse Los Gatos homes for sale here, without leaving the page! Below please find groupings of listings, primarily by the type of property (house & duet home, townhouse, condominium, multi-family and rental) but the top set of listings is for the ever popular “lowest cost” houses in the town.

Most affordable Los Gatos houses for sale – priced up to $1 million only

These lower cost houses will be shown from least to more expensive.

Sorry, but we couldn't find any results in the MLS that match the specified search criteria.

Houses for Sale in Los Gatos – all prices, view list

The listings shown will be in the order of “newest first”.

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 112. See more city of Los Gatos real estate.
(all data current as of 2/11/2012)

1. $1,198,000 : 16480 Farley Rd, Los Gatos
   
   3 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,953 sq ft

   Lot size: 9,500 sq ft
   
2. $1,500,000 : 18505 Overlook Rd, Los Gatos
   
   4 beds, 4 full baths

   Home size: 2,648 sq ft

   Lot size: 11,761 sq ft
   
3. $760,000 : 23465 Belaire Ct, Los Gatos
   
   4 beds, 3 full baths

   Home size: 2,293 sq ft

   Lot size: 1.11 ac
   
4. $8,995,000 : 18550 Black Rd, Los Gatos
   
   5 beds, 8 full baths

   Home size: 18,000 sq ft

   Lot size: 11.09 ac
   
5. $1,520,000 : 16940 Roberts Rd, Los Gatos
   
   4 beds, 3 full baths

   Home size: 2,172 sq ft

   Lot size: 14,140 sq ft
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Townhouses for sale in Los Gatos – browse listings

Check out the available townhouses in LG!

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 12. See more city of Los Gatos real estate.
(all data current as of 2/11/2012)

1. $959,000 : 121 Rio Vi, Los Gatos
   
   3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 2,319 sq ft

   Lot size: 1,917 sq ft
   
2. $535,800 : 120 Birch Wood Ct, Los Gatos
   
   3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 1,520 sq ft

   Lot size: 1,800 sq ft
   
3. $898,000 : 123 Puesta Del Sol, Los Gatos
   
   3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 2,160 sq ft

   Lot size: 2,700 sq ft
   
4. $399,000 : 16136 Loretta Ln, Los Gatos
   
   2 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 1,105 sq ft

   Lot size: 391 sq ft
   
5. $539,950 : 15720 Los Gatos Almaden Rd, Los Gatos
   
   3 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,494 sq ft

   Lot size: 1,400 sq ft
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Condominiums listed for sale in the town of Los Gatos – find homes

Condos or condominiums on the market in 95030 and 95032.

Sorry, but we couldn't find any results in the MLS that match the specified search criteria.

Multi-family properties available – duplex, triplex and fourplex units for sale in Los Gatos

Sorry, but we couldn't find any results in the MLS that match the specified search criteria.

Residential rentals listed on the MLS

Showing properties 1 - 4 of 4. See more city of Los Gatos real estate.
(all data current as of 2/11/2012)

1. $6,000 : Bicknell, Los Gatos
   
   5 beds, 3 full baths

   Home size: 3,166 sq ft
   
2. $6,500 : 16001 Glen Una Dr, Los Gatos
   
   3 beds, 3 full baths

   Home size: 2,800 sq ft

   Lot size: 1 sq ft
   
3. $10,000 : 130 Drysdale Dr, Los Gatos
   
   5 beds, 4 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 4,483 sq ft

   Lot size: 1.31 ac
   
4. $25,000 : 16450 Aztec Ridge, Los Gatos
   
   6 beds, 7 full, 2 part baths

   Home size: 11,257 sq ft

   Lot size: 50 sq ft
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Monte Sereno is an upscale, small city of about 4,000 residents. It shares police, parks, library and school services with neighboring Los Gatos and the residents of Monte Sereno tend to be very involved in the life of Los Gatos for that reason. In a sense, they are like sister cities living next door to each other.

Monte Sereno is not just a mini-me of Los Gatos, though.  Unlike its larger next door neighbor, there’s no industry in this city.  Aside from the post office and city offices, it’s 100% residential: there are no commercial buildings whatsoever. And it’s pricey! Houses tend to be a bit more expensive in MS, even though it has the same schools (a larger driver of home values in Silicon Valley) and zip codes with LG. There are a good number of estate properties and luxury homes too. Looking for an exclusive neighborhood? This will fill that bill – along with much of Los Gatos and Saratoga.

How’s the real estate market in Monte Sereno?

I update my readers via this blog and also via my Live in Los Gatos blog fairly often on various Silicon Valley communities, including Monte Sereno. Here are a couple of resources for keeping a pulse on the market trends and statistics in this neat little city:

• blog post on this site on the Monte Sereno Real Estate Market
• my Monte Sereno Real Estate Report for houses, updated monthly
• check on listings, pendings and sold homes via my property analysis page

Properties for Sale in Monte Sereno CA

The vast majority of residential real estate in Monte Sereno is single family homes (houses & duet homes), but there are a few townhouses in the city limits too (some townhouses are held in PUD ownership, others in condominium ownership). Also, most (99%) of Monte Sereno is in the 95030 zip code (tiniest of fractions in 95032) and in the Los Gatos School District (tiny fraction in Moreland schools).

At any given time there are usually fewer than 50 houses or homes for sale. Below are the listings currently on our MLS, beginning with those listed most recently. If you click through, you may also view the available properties via map – an easy way to get a lay of the land!

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 7. See more city of Monte Sereno real estate.
(all data current as of 2/11/2012)

1. $4,575,000 : 18325 Lexington Dr, Monte Sereno
   
   5 beds, 5 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 4,640 sq ft

   Lot size: 43,560 sq ft
   
2. $3,899,999 : 15981 Grandview Av, Monte Sereno
   
   6 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 5,300 sq ft

   Lot size: 43,560 sq ft
   
3. $2,595,000 : 16131 Viewfield Rd, Monte Sereno
   
   4 beds, 3 full, 2 part baths

   Home size: 4,890 sq ft

   Lot size: 18,837 sq ft
   
4. $980,000 : 18788 Withey Rd, Monte Sereno
   
   3 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,937 sq ft

   Lot size: 1.03 ac
   
5. $1,498,500 : 17436 Pleasant View Av, Monte Sereno
   
   4 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,740 sq ft

   Lot size: 11,253 sq ft
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Santa Clara County Condo Market

Real estate statistics and trends at a glance – below please find the data for Sept 2010 and Aug 2010 for all of Santa Clara County. (View the whole report online here – Santa Clara County Condo Market Trends Report. It is updated each month between the 5th and 10th, and this link will always bring you to the most current report.)

Countywide, the condo market has had a rough few years – and this year is no exception.  Prices are starting to nudge up again, but the number of sales remains sluggish.

Median List Prices of Condos in Almaden Valley, Los Gatos, Saratoga and Cupertino

A stranger graph you may never have seen – it is very tangled looking! The slate blue line represents the Saratoga condo market, which I can attest first hand has been suffering.  Of these four market areas, it’s the most expensive.  The green line is Almaden Valley, San Jose, 95120.  It has been slipping in price fairly consistently this year.  Interstingly, though, Los Gatos has had a softer ride and Cupertino’s prices are rising!

The Cupertino real estate median list price for condominiums and townhouses

Next, let’s see Cupertino’s condominium & townhouse market by price quartile – below is the current median list price. Most price points seem to be doing well overall.

Spring was better than the year before for much of Silicon Valley, but only the least and most expensive quartiles enjoyed a noticeable uptick.  Both groups also fell off a bit later – just like the rest of the San Jose area.

The Almaden Valley real estate median list price for condominiums and townhouses

Almaden fell hard this year!  Even so, the “uptick” in spring was evident in the lowest quartile and the third one as well, but then more falling.

The Los Gatos real estate median list price for condominiums and townhouses

Los Gatos has been experiences a smoother fall than some of the nearby areas. It is noteworthy that the more expensive condos (and presumably townhouses) in Los Gatos did much better than the entry level homes did.

The Saratoga real estate median list price for condominiums and townhouses

Saratoga’s condos and townhomes also had better market conditions at the top end of the scale earlier this year, but now three of the four tiers appear to be appreciating while the topmost level has slipped a bit.

Inventory Levels of Condos in Almaden Valley, Los Gatos, Saratoga and Cupertino

Inventory has been growing in all areas but Cupertino, which continues to sell very well despite the “Great Recession”.

Average Days on Market for Condos in Almaden Valley, Los Gatos, Saratoga and Cupertino

The days on market dropped until late summer, when they began climbing again.  This is a little unusual since often people just take the property off the MLS if it goes on too long. Are these numbers from short sales that drag on and on? In some cases, probably that’s an impact but not huge because the numbers of distressed properties is still low in these areas.

Please check back for updates and also visit my Real Estate Report to get info on all of Santa Clara County’s market conditions, including houses, condos and townhomes.

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Older Posts:
June 2010 post
The Condo and Townhouse Market Update in the West Valley for June 2010

March 11, 2009

The real estate market for condominiums and townhomes in the west valley area of Silicon Valley is similar to the rest of Santa Clara County in one main regard: the most expensive homes are having far more trouble selling than entry level homes.

Today we’ll look at the months of inventory for condos and townhomes in four areas of the west valley: Almaden Valley, Cupertino, Los Gatos and Saratoga.  Since this is a fairly small subset of the overall residential real estate market, I’ve also looked at them as a group (upscale areas with good to great schools near the  foothills) and wanted to see the overall trend when the four neighborhoods were viewed together.

As a reminder, under 6 months is a seller’s market, 6 is neutral and 7 or more is a buyer’s market.

Interestingly, the overall trend of these four areas combined shows consistent improvement in the market toward neutral, from 23.5 months in January to 8.6 months in April.  It’s really very dramatic when viewed as a whole!

Cupertino area condos are faring well in the last 30 days with more closed escrows and just 8 months of inventory. Los Gatos is even better now with 6 months of inventory.

The market is much tougher in Saratoga, CA, where almost no condominiums or townhouses are selling.  Those that do go under contract are in the lowest price ranges.  Many properties are “just sitting”.  Buyers are waiting for prices to drop.  Nearly as tough is the condo market in Almaden Valley.

The challenge for luxury condo owners is that buyers now are primarily buying either for shelter or for investment.  Investment buyers seldom purchase a luxury item (it’s safer to buy two small condos than one large one to hedge against vacancy).

For many condo sellers, now may just not be the right time to sell. On the other hand, if you’re moving up, now may be the ideal time since prices in the higher priced homes are fairly soft compared to “normal”.

Homeowner Associations (HOAs) are created to oversee condominium complexes, townhome communities and planned unit developments on behalf of their members. These are non-profit organizations whose purpose is to manage common areas, enforce neighborhood rules and standards, and often, unofficially, to foster community unity too. In most cases, they collect fees from members and have local authority. In other words, if you do not pay your homeowner association dues, or abide by one of its rules*, the HOA can and usually will fine you or even foreclose on you!

There are loads of HOAs in Silicon Valley. As with all organizations, some are better run than others. Its a little different than owning real estate outside of a homeowners association.

What are the pros and cons?

At their best, Silicon Valley HOAs keep the communities they manage beautifully landscaped and maintained, they hire good providers for needed improvements, and minimize risk to all the members. By having reasonable rules and community buy-in, the neighborhood can look inviting and property values can be better maintained.

At their worst, HOAs can be unresponsive to members needs, erratic, arbitrary and irresponsible. They may, by poor planning, cause huge assessments to be necessary or raise HOA dues so that they are very high – to the point where they make homes hard to sell. Not only are those an unhappy occasion, they can also make it hard to sell a home with a special assessment looming. Fortunately, this is seldom the case in most areas – but if the HOA has a high number of defaults due to owner bankruptcy or inability to keep up with mortgage, property insurance etc. it can cost all of the members eventually.

Is it less expensive to buy a house in a PUD? Maybe. You will have monthly fees that may cover your front landscaping, exterior of your structure, and roof. But perhaps not. Its possible that the fees will only cover the street paving – you have to read through the documents to see whats included.

What are some of the issues to be aware of surrounding HOAs in the San Jose area? What are some questions to ask if you are thinking of buying a property with a HOA?

1. HOAs may be big or small and may be professionally managed or may be run by volunteer homeowners. Many small HOAs are run by volunteers, while larger complexes or subdivisions may have ˜professional management (paid). First, youll want to know which it is.
2. HOAs tend to have a lot of rules – and they are not all intuitive – so if youre buying a home in Silicon Valley with a Homeowners Association, be sure to read the HOA packet throroughly. This will include the last years worth of minutes (great for understanding what the homeowners consider ˜issues), the bylaws, the budget, the current financial statement (very important for grasping whether a special assessment may be coming your way in the future), and more. This tends to be dry reading but is vitally important for you to understand before you remove your property condition contingency!
3. HOAs have the power to levy assessments to pay for needed improvements such as repaving, replastering the pool, replacing the roofs, refencing, etc. Most HOAs are underfunded and periodically have these ˜special assessments, so beware!
4. Some HOAs have planned assessments several times a year, so dont be fooled when you see the monthly HOA fee. It may not be reflective of the true cost. For example, Saratoga Oaks, a stunningly beautiful townhome community in Saratoga, has assessments for both blanket insurance and for earthquake insurance which are ˜extra payments occurring during the year. By splitting these out, the monthly HOA looks less imposing than it is in reality.
5. New construction often has unrealistically low monthly dues or HOA fees. The builders want the properties to be attractive to buyers so put the monthly cost on the low side. Eventually the homeowners realize that they are underfunded and then must either raise the monthly charges, do an assessment, or both. Its not fun when that happens.

Selling a home governed by a HOA?

If you are selling your San Jose area condominium, townhome, or single family home governed by a HOA, plan ahead! You (not the HOA) will be required to give the buyer the HOA packet and will need to ask your Homeowners Association to provide the documents that compose it. Your HOA will do so, but will need some time and there will be a fee for this service. It is a good idea to have the HOA package ready to deliver to the buyer once your home goes on the market. (If it takes a long time before your property sells, you may need to update it.)

Your HOA may have rules about for sale signs and open house signs, so check before you get your home on the market. Gated Communities (while fairly small in number here in Santa Clara County) may have rules about hours for open houses, access, too, so find out ahead of time.

If you dont like authority, dont buy in a HOA community.

*The story is told that a HOA had a rule that each condo owner needed to allow the HOA in once every 6 or 12 months to test the smoke detector. The thinking was that if one condo caught on fire, theyd all be at risk because of the nature of the complex. One homeowner didnt want to allow the HOA in, so refused. What did the HOA do? It took the owner to court, ran up a lot of legal fees, and eventually the homeowner was made to not only let the HOA in to check the smoke detector, but was forced to pay a large sum of legal fees too.

Most folks who live in areas governed by a HOA are happy with the association and its work. Many of these neighborhoods, such as La Rinconada in Los Gatos or The Villas of Almaden in Almaden Valley, are impeccably maintained and its clear that the owners appreciate the value of real estate thats well managed. There is often an easier lifestyle associated with living in a HOA because someone else does much of the landscaping, or there may be common areas to enjoy such as a garden, park or pool. And in senior communities, such as along Alberto Way in Los Gatos or The Villages in San Jose, there also can be more affordable and quieter housing made available. As long as its well managed, being in a HOA can be not only a good experience, but good for your homes value.