It’s possible to live in Silicon Valley and have no idea that there are still some original adobe houses to be found right here in the San Jose area. Today, though, I hope to help some of our residents discover the past which is lurking right in front of us!

The historic Adobe Woman’s Club is just a block or two off the campus of Santa Clara University, tucked away on a side street now that The Alameda is re-routed as The El Camino.  Address: 3260 The Alameda, Santa Clara.  According to the state’s historical preservation site, this state landmark # 249 is one of the oldest in the Santa Clara Valley, was built between 1792 and 1800 and was one of many row houses built for the native Americans who worked at Mission Santa Clara.  Please note that this is private property and you may not enter without permission, but the adobe abode is very visible from the sidewalk.

Today the beautifully preserved adobe house functions as a nonprofit group with these objectives: “to promote educational, moral, social welfare, cultural, civic and community service.  Anyone who supports these objectives is welcome.”  This scenic place can also be rented out for private events.  The garden is quite lovely and the interior appears to be very modern.  You can see photos of the inside of the house at the club’s website: The Santa Clara Woman’s Club.

Not too far from the Adobe Woman’s Club is Santa Clara’s oldest structure, the Berryessa Adobe, located at 373 Jefferson Street, Santa Clara.  It is open Thursdays and Saturdays from 12noon to 4pm. It features early California artifacts. The Examiner has a great article, full of history on this site: read up!

The Peralta Adobe House in downtown San Jose close to San Pedro Square (at 75 West Saint John Street) can be toured if you pull a group together. (It is also very close to the Fallon House, and the two can both be seen on the same ticket.)  According to the History San Jose website, this is the oldest house in San Jose, built in 1797 and “the last remaining structure from El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe.”

A few years ago, I did a “client appreciation” event with a tour of the Peralta Adobe and Fallon House.  At the time, anyone could tour these at any time by just showing up and buying a ticket.  The website now says that they need groups of ten or more to tour, so it sounds like another casualty of the Great Recession.  Those who did join me for my event seemed to really like it and I thought it was a good event so would recommend it to others.

Roberto-Suñol Adobe (aka Laura House): Less obvious is the Willow Glen adobe building hidden behind a wooden facade at 770 Lincoln Avenue in San Jose.  Dating from 1870, this adobe house is now home to law offices.  Most of the adobe cannot be seen, but the owners have kindly made visibile a portion of the original adobe construction. Originally, of course, it was a one story house, built in 1836  (have you ever heard of a two story adobe? No!).  According to stoppingpoints.com, “The one-story dwelling was enlarged in 1847 by the new owner, Antonio Suñol, the second story and balcony were added in 1853 by Captain Stefano Splivalo.”

In Milpitas, you can find the The Jose Maria Alviso Adobe, which also began as a one story adobe house and was later added onto with a second floor. As it was expanded, it grew into the one uniquely California style of architecture, the Monterey style.  Also in Milpitas is the Jose Higuera Adobe and Park.

In my own town of Los Gatos, there’s a hair salon/barber shop called the Old Adobe Hair Shop of Los Gatos too – but I cannot find any historical info on it (just business info). In Mountain View, there’s another on Moffett Blvd (that can also be rented out).

If you slow down, you’ll find hints of our collective history all around us – in San Jose, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Mountain View, Los Gatos and all over the “south bay”.   These are easy to miss…and wonderful to find and discover!

Many newcomers to the San Jose & Silicon Valley areas want to buy new homes (or newer ones).  Santa Clara County, though, had a big “building boom” after World War II ranging from the 1940s through the 70s.  At the end of the building frenzy, most of the land was taken.  More importantly, most of the really good land was built up.

How old is the “average” San Jose home for sale?  Probably about 45 – 50 years old, on average.  Depending on where you’re looking, precisely, the homes could be younger or older on average. 

There are some nice communities of new and younger homes in Silicon Valley, but there aren’t a lot of them.  Most of the new home communities have houses on small lots.  Some are near high voltage power lines (homes on Taft in San Jose’s Cambrian Park area) or next to freeways (Summerhill development off Samaritan Drive in San Jose). 

It’s easier to find newer homes in Morgan Hill, Evergreen, Milpitas, and areas that held onto agriculture longer. Pockets of newer homes exist throughout the valley, and some of them are on good land (such as the Willows neighborhood of Willow Glen or the Almaden Winery area in Cambrian/Almaden). There’s a beautiful subdivision of luxury homes in Saratoga where the homes enjoy gracious, large lots.  That land used to belong to an order of Catholic sisters (Notre Dame de Namur).  Good land!  Much of the other good land was either horse property, orchards, or vineyards until somewhat recently. Small pockets of that remain, including the “North 40″ in Los Gatos – which I understand has been sold and is soon to be developed.

Several parts of our South Bay community have roots that go back into the 1800s or earlier: downtown San Jose, old Santa Clara, Willow Glen, Mountain View, Los Gatos, Campbell, Saratoga, Alum Rock Park… many of these neighborhoods have Victorian era houses.  Japantown, in San Jose’s downtown area, has some beautiful Spanish style homes dating from the 1920s. (There are only a few of original adobe houses left that date to the late 1700s.) 

Don’t rely too much on the age listed in the mls!

One thing to be aware of is that some homes that are said to be 60 or 80 years old may have been virtually rebuilt and “like new”.  Sometimes the MLS will show the older number but only reveal the drastic remodel in the comments. So if you’re looking for a younger home, don’t just search by the age listed in the MLS – it may not be a true representation of the home’s condition!

“Red flags” are clues that something is wrong or potentially wrong. They’re the hints that we need to investigate something further, the sign that we should be on alert.

Some parts of San Jose, and Silicon Valley generally, enjoy beautiful older homes with classic styling and beautiful finishing work.  These properties and neighborhoods are prized because they are not cookie cutter, not ranch, not too new.  They may be Victorian, Craftsman, Spanish, or any number of other interesting architectural styles.

One area of Santa Clara County that is well known for both charming historic homes and unfortunately also some stuctural issues among those older houses is the Willow Glen district of San Jose.

On Saturday I showed some clients about a half dozen homes, all in Willow Glen, and we saw a lot of “red flags” which hinted of foundation problems, among others.  I thought I’d share a few pics I snapped at one of them with my treo camera here.  All of these were taken on the front porch of this house – all visible structural  “red flags” before we ever set foot into the house.
The first image is one taken from the walkway leading up to the Spanish style  house. Please note that there seems to be separation between the wall and the step, from the wall and the foundation and from the step and the walkway.  Also find that some of the stucco is crumbly.  These are all things to be concerned about.

Next is what greets the visitor who makes it to the front porch.  These are not just red alerts – they are more like emergency sirens going off!

It goes without saying that this is not a good sign. If it looks like this where it’s plainly visible, what does it look like in the crawl space?

And finally, there were issues looking up as well as down:

Only a structural engineer can have a look, do some tests and make a determination as to what is going on here.  What may be happening, though, is shifting – the home is moving or the ground is moving, or both are moving.

How can this happen?

Earthquakes can, of course, make things move. But so can changing levels of moisture in our clay soils.  In wet years, the ground swells as it becomes engorged.  In dry years, the ground constricts. Clay soil, adobe, is stronger than the conrete that goes into making our foundations.  This is powerful movement, and the house isn’t going to win!

In Willow Glen, there used to be a great deal of swampiness in some areas when the valley was first being settled by non-natives. My understanding is that either the water table is high in places or that there are underground aquifers there, and this made homes in Willow Glen more susceptible to the soil issues related to water quantity.  As aquifers rise and fall (with El Nino years or drought years), so would the homes above them.  In recent decades, though, the percolation pond system and other systems in place by the water district keep the ground from heaving as much as it did prior to these systems being in place.

Older homes may be more vulnerable to construction issues such as cracked foundations, floors out of level, etc.  In the Willow Glen area of San Jose, especially in the older and historic parts, those vulnerabilities are compounded by soil and water challenges. (These challenges are also very true in hillside areas like Almaden, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga as well as many others.) When looking in historic Willow Glen especially, watch for red flags.  Watch for separations that should not be there (chimneys separating from the house, walls separating from the floors, etc.).  Watch for floors being out of level, or doors or windows that don’t close.  These are only a very few of the areas about which you should be on the alert.

A good property inspector, preferably a member of ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) will find many more “red flags” during an inspection. A Realtor should be on the lookout for red flags too.  As a consumer, you are more empowered if you can learn about these things and spot them on your own too -  being educated is an asset that will help you to protect your investment in Silicon Valley real estate, so keep learning!

Los Gatos is a charming town at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains that features a good amount architectural beauty in commercial and residential buildings (and natural beauty too, as the town’s backdrop is the coastal foothills).

Today we’ll have a look at some of the diverse types of architecture seen in Los Gatos homes. There are many neighborhoods built out by many different builders within the town (and in county pockets). Each one has its own personality and “feel”. Many of the town’s residential areas have ranch style homes that are 30 – 50 years old, but certainly not all of Los Gatos can be described that way. What types of houses does Los Gatos have? It really depends on the neighborhood and age of the area or development – and, to an extent, on the owners and how they care for the home. Here, then, is a “sampling” of architectural styles found in the homes of Los Gatos.

The Almond Grove District is one of the oldest parts of Los Gatos and it features many lovely Victorian homes, some craftsman and a smattering of everything else. It’s a fabulous place to see at any time of the year, but especially in October or December, when the area seems to go all out in decorating for the holidays. This neighborhood is located near Los Gatos – Saratoga Road and N. Santa Cruz Avenue, and includes streets such as Almendra, Massol, Tait, and Bean. (And yes, it was once a grove of almond trees.)

And here’s a lovely Craftsman style home just touching the Almond Grove area:

Close in age and location to the Almond Grove District, the Edelen District of Los Gatos also features gorgeous, and beautifully tended, Victorians. The Edelen District is close to Old Town Los Gatos, which is found on University Avenue near Main Street, and encompasses much of the area between University Avenue and the freeway.

The homes on Broadway mark the first subdivision in Los Gatos (and predate the Almond Grove area): imagine that it was a novely to plan real estate growth in town!

Further out from the downtown area of Los Gatos, you’ll find more ranch style homes. Many of the older ones have been expanded, as is the case with this one near downtown (this home was once a cottage of about 800 square feet).

Surrey Farms is a highly prized Los Gatos neighborhood off of Kennedy Road that is fairly close to town and enjoys lots of 1/3 to 1/2 an acre in general. It was once a horse ranch and the first home on the right side of the subdivision was once the stable! Below see a typical Surrey Farms ranch style home, complete with a hint of a split rail fence.

Also located in Surrey Farms, but seemingly of another time and place, is this gorgeous Spanish style hacienda, which sits on an enormous and tree studded lot. This is one of my favorite homes in Los Gatos – someday, I’d love to see the inside of it!

Other styles of homes can be found in Los Gatos too. Here’s one that is sort of a contemporary style (quasi chalet with A Frame roof?).

Particularly in the hilly areas of Los Gatos, there are other unique styles of construction to be seen. This hillside home is also somewhat modern in design:

Enjoy the photo home tour? Take a look at my slideshows of Los Gatos next!

Love beautiful residential architecture? Love Los Gatos? A must-read book is Los Gatos Observed by Alastair Dallas (photos by Peter S. Conrad). It’s a wonderfully interesting and engaging handbook on Los Gatos and its historic buildings. You can find it at Border’s in Old Town Los Gatos or order a used copy on Amazon (they don’t seem to have any new ones available).

Located along the Guadalupe River and adjacent to downtown San Jose and resting against the borders of Campbell and the Cambrian Park area of San Jose, Willow Glen is a very charming, older part of San Jose and Silicon Valley that seems to beckon to a more gracious time.

The area’s centerpiece is Lincoln Avenue, a street bustling with cars and pedestrians alike. It’s filled to the brim with restaurants and shops and seems to attract a never-ending strea of visitors, especially in summer and during the holidays.

This place has a great sense of community and history too. Willow Glen was once its own town, until the need for being hooked up to the sewer system proved prohibitively expensive, and the residents voted to be annexed to San Jose in the 1920s. Ask someone from this district where he or she is from, and you won’t hear “San Jose”, but rather “Willow Glen”. It’s expected that you will know where that is!

Lovely, Older Architecture is a Hallmark of the Willow Glen area of San Jose

Much of Willow Glen was built early in the 1900s and so the homes in the “downtown” area are older and feature classical styles of housing on tree lined streets – Spanish, Craftsman, and some even more venerable and Victorian. That is surely a large part of its charm. On the edges of Willow Glen, the homes are newer and tract. One area, known as Palm Haven, has a myriad of palm trees (both Royal Palm and Fan Palm) and older, diverse architecture surrounding a community park. The original access to Palm Haven from Bird Avenue and the rest of Willow Glen has been blocked off, but the grand old road can still be found easily enough via Clintonia off Riverside.

In addition to the unique architecture and the draw of Lincoln Avenue in “downtown Willow Glen”, there are other features that make Willow Glen popular for visitors and those who want to live there too. One is the community involvement and the love of the arts. There are festivals and free music concerts and they are a popular draw! The pace seems to be a little slower here. Is it really? I’m not sure, but just seeing that people slow down enough to play Bocce Ball at a neighborhood park convinces me that things somehow just aren’t as hectic here.

The Christmas season is special in Willow Glen, as many neighbors decorate their front yards with a single Christmas tree and lights. Other homes are fully decked out to the extreme. Some cold nights in December, traffic comes to a near standstill in this old enclave of San Jose, as folks drive in from miles to take in the holiday lights on the residential streets. It is by far the most scenic area of Santa Clara County during the holidays!

Willow Glen has a social conscience, too. There are organizations of religious groups, faiths and churches which meet to address social justice issues. One of the most popular sources of food for the hungry of Silicon Valley is the amazing Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. This is a full-circle kind of thing as Willow Glen was once very famous for the fabulous orchards that fed the Santa Clara County. It is probably no accident that the garden next to Second Harvest Food Bank includes fruit trees!

Looking for a quaint place to live that’s close to downtown San Jose but feels like a whole different place? Spend some time in Willow Glen. It will charm you!