by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Mar 10, 2023 | Cupertino, Market Reports, Most Popular Articles
How’s the Cupertino real estate market?
The Cupertino real estate market warmed a little in February, but the sale to list price ratio remained below 100%.
Here are the most recent real estate statistics, via my Cupertino Real Estate Report.
Cupertino Real Estate market – Closed Sales and Trends at a Glance
(If you’re viewing the chart below on a mobile device, please swipe horizontally to see all columns.)
Home prices are up from last month, but down substantially from a year ago. The market is cooling across several data points. Even so, the average days on market is a brisk 29. While there were only 5 closed sales in February, that’s probably a reflection of the low inventory in January. Now there are 35 pending sales and just 18 active listings, so the numbers for March should be stronger.
| Trends At a Glance |
Feb 2023 |
Previous Month |
Year-over-Year |
| Median Price |
$2,512,800 (+1.5%) |
$2,475,000 |
$3,225,000 (-22.1%) |
| Average Price |
$2,593,740 (+9.1%) |
$2,376,670 |
$3,218,250 (-19.4%) |
| No. of Sales |
5 (-16.7%) |
6 |
8 (-37.5%) |
| Pending |
35 (+29.6%) |
27 |
35 (0.0%) |
| Active |
18 (+50.0%) |
12 |
16 (+12.5%) |
| Sale vs. List Price |
99.6% (+0.2%) |
99.4% |
134.9% (-26.1%) |
| Days on Market |
29 (+128.8%) |
13 |
6 (+376.7%) |
| Days of Inventory |
97 (+62.0%) |
60 |
54 (+80.0%) |
(more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Feb 15, 2023 | Almaden Valley (SJ), Blossom Valley (SJ), Buying Tips, Cupertino, Environmental Hazards, Foothill Areas, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Neighborhoods, Safety, Santa Clara County (all), Santa Teresa (SJ), Saratoga
High Voltage Power Lines from around the West Valley.
High voltage power lines are a “location issue” that impacts real estate values, and it sometimes elicits worry regarding safety.
High voltage power lines: how far is far enough?
Something we have spoken about recently with our clients is being far enough away so that if the tower and high voltage power lines were to fall, they’d miss your home and property. In our recent series of atmospheric rivers in January 2023, in San Jose one of these large transmission towers did fall down. It’s rare, but not impossible.
I have not seen a website that can tell us how tall any given tower is, but from what I have read online, it seems that most of them are under 200 feet tall, but some could be higher than that. In most cases, that puts the lines about 4 houses away if the lots are a typical 6,000 SF lot of 60′ across the front and 100′ deep.
We cannot speak to the concerns around potential increased risk of cancer or other problems. Each consumer should research that issue on his or her own.
Where are the high voltage power lines?
Years ago, I painstakingly mapped out the transmission lines from what I knew on the ground and what I could tell from tracing the Google satellite view. (You can find that link near the bottom of this article.)
Today, though, there’s something better than my map available online. The California Energy Commission has a map of the transmission lines that you can view using THIS LINK. Or click on the image at the left.
From the landing page you can zoom in or out. It covers the entire state of California – you might find it interesting to navigate around a little.
Also, a few years ago, PG&E published an interactive map where you can view the location of electric lines (I’ve filtered the imbedded map below to show Electric Transmission Lines in the South Bay), and another map of natural gas pipelines, searchable by address. This doesn’t cover the entire state, but it does cover all of the Bay Area / Silicon Valley.
The PG&E map:
On the map I hand-drew at the bottom of this article I did also include the location of schools. Quite a lot of schools do have transmission lines present.
What other location issues are there to factor in?
(more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Nov 3, 2022 | Almaden Valley (SJ), Cambrian Park (SJ), Campbell, Cupertino, Foothill Areas, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Market Info, Market Reports, Monte Sereno, Palo Alto, Saratoga
Often I have clients who are interested in purchasing a 4 bedroom, 2 bath home in a good school district in Silicon Valley, particularly in the South Bay and West Valley areas. But what does it cost to buy that “average home”? Tonight I did a study on the MLS of homes that have sold and closed escrow in the last 4 months with these characteristics:
- single family home (house)
- 4 bedrooms
- 2 full bathrooms
- 1800 to 2200 square feet of living space
- 6000 to 10,000 sf lot
Disclaimers aside, here are the numbers for select West Valley Communities in the West/South Bay area with good schools.
Cost to Buy 4 Bed 2 Bath Home in Popular Silicon Valley Communities
The first number is the number of sales during that time (more sales = more reliable averages). This one is not in the older charts, but with inventory as low as it has been lately this makes a huge difference. The second number is the average sales price per square foot, the third number is the average sales price, and the last number is the average days on market:
And now a look back to late winter, early spring of 2017…
What’s changed? A lot! The order has shifted some, showing where demand has increased or decreased. Most noticeably, the prices are mostly up significantly, which is most noticeable in the price per square foot. Cambrian has traveled a good deal up the ladder. Palo Alto and Los Altos were displaced by the sole Saratoga sale, and Blossom Valley of San Jose remains in it’s regular position at the bottom.
The home prices tend to run with school rankings. Previously this was by district API scores. You can check the 2013, three year average, API scores in Santa Clara County for both the districts and the individual schools online here, however that system is no longer used. So how to people judge? Most buyers use sites like GreatSchools.org when looking for a home with good schools which ranks schools on a scale of 1-10 in a few categories. (more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy | Nov 1, 2022 | Cupertino, Market Reports, West San Jose
The 95129 area of San Jose, which is sometimes referred to as the “Cupertino Border” area and is generally part of West San Jose, is highly desirable due to the excellent school scores in the Cupertino School District (which much of this zip code enjoys – but not all), well maintained homes and great commute location to companies such as Apple (headquartered in Cupertino).
The rest of this zip code has Campbell schools, making it more affordable and also very desirable as a close in commute location.
Today we’ll consider the real estate market activity for houses in this area today and in relation to recent history.
This data will be automatically updated by Altos Research (to which I have a subscription) weekly. Altos uses list prices, not sales or sold prices, FYI.
San Jose 95129 Market Profile
Median List Price San Jose 95129
Inventory of Single Family Homes for Sale in San Jose CA 95129
Houses for sale or under contract in West San Jose 95129
Below are some or all (if just a few) single family homes for sale in San Jose 95129. Some of these will be have Cupertino schools and some will have Campbell schools.
- List View
- Map View
- Grid View
-
$2,348,000
-
Lot Size
6,034 sqft
-
Home Size
1,636 sqft
-
Beds
3 Beds
-
Baths
2 Baths
-
Year Built
1967
-
-
$2,399,888
-
Lot Size
6,443 sqft
-
Home Size
1,748 sqft
-
Beds
3 Beds
-
Baths
2 Baths
-
Year Built
1960
-
-
$2,888,980
-
Lot Size
6,556 sqft
-
Home Size
2,100 sqft
-
Beds
4 Beds
-
Baths
4 Baths
-
Year Built
1961
-
-
$1,499,888
-
Lot Size
6,121 sqft
-
Home Size
1,226 sqft
-
Beds
3 Beds
-
Baths
2 Baths
-
Year Built
1955
-
-
$1,699,000
-
Lot Size
8,961 sqft
-
Home Size
1,570 sqft
-
Beds
4 Beds
-
Baths
2 Baths
-
Year Built
1959
-
See all 95129.
(all data current as of
3/26/2023)
Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.
by Mary Pope-Handy | Jan 15, 2021 | Cupertino, Local History, MLS Lists, Neighborhoods
Cupertino was incorporated as a city only in 1955, long, long after the community had sprung up and had its own, distinct identity within Santa Clara County.
As a small village, Cupertino began at the intersection of Stevens Creek Road and Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road (now DeAnza Blvd) and was originally known simply as “West Side”. Since that name was so generic and would be confused with other places bearing similar names, the post office opted to give it a more distinguishable name in 1898. Because there was a nearby Cupertino winery and Cupertino Creek that name was applied to the post office and nearby stores.
Historic tidbit: the full name of this waterway was Arroyo San Giuseppe da Cupertino – which translates into English as St. Joseph of Cupertino Creek – by a Spanish padre by the name of Fr. Font who was the cartologist and diarist of the explorer Juan Bautista de Anza. Cupertino Creek is now known as Stevens Creek, by the way.
Today, the city of Cupertino is very vibrant and offers fabulous restaurants and shops but is best known for high tech (Apple headquarters especially) and above all, its outstanding schools, which often rank at the top of the list. For this reason more than any other, Cupertino houses tend to “hold their value” better than most other areas.
Cupertino, a view from Ridge Vineyards
How’s the Cupertino Real Estate Market?
I have written another article on this blog, Cupertino Real Estate Market Trends and Statistics, which is updated monthly with analysis on sales and listings as well as dynamic market statistics updating automatically every few days for Cupertino’s residential realty market. Please have a read!
More links for buying, selling and living in Cupertino California:
Here are some links you might find especially helpful if you move to Cupertino. (Also please visit my relocation website, Move2SiliconValley.com if moving here from out of the area!).
Cupertino A description of Cupertino, a city renowned for its schools, climate, and proximity to Silicon Valley employment, on my PopeHandy.com site.
Cupertino.org The City government website, with helpful resources such as the Services and New Resident Information page.
Find more Cupertino posts on this blog or view one of these:
Market comparison: Los Gatos, Saratoga, Cupertino and Los Altos
Fremont Older Open Space Preserve in Cupertino and Saratoga
Where are the high voltage power lines in Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, and Almaden Valley?
Silicon Valley Homes for Sale Near Golf Courses in the Foothill Areas
Finding scenic places in which to live in Silicon Valley
Houses & Homes for Sale in Cupertino
Below please find houses & duet homes listed on our local MLS for sale in Cupertino.
(more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy | May 11, 2020 | Cupertino, Houses, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Luxury Homes, Market Reports, Saratoga
Today we’re looking at the real estate market for houses in some of the “west valley” communities along the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains – areas where schools are good, crime is low, residents enjoy scenic views of the hills (or of the valley from the hills, depending on the location) and overall, a highly educated population not too far from Highway 85. This will be a real estate market comparison for Los Gatos, Saratoga, Cupertino, and Los Altos.
Of the four municipalities, three are really very similar to each other in several regards. Cupertino has the largest population – about 61,000 people – but Los Altos, Los Gatos and Saratoga are all similarly sized, somewhere between 31,000 residents. The latter three also enjoy a traditional “downtown” area which is popular with pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists alike. (Monte Sereno has under 4,000 residents, which is so small that the statistics are very easily thrown from month to month, so it is omitted in this quick study.) Of the four, Cupertino, then, is the least similar due to size and lack of a central downtown area for now. This may feel different once the Vallco Mall is redeveloped.
We’ll take a quick look at these areas now in terms of the real estate market trends and statistics for each area, considering just “class 1” (houses and duet homes). The charts used below are from Altos Research, to which I have a subscription, and they will be automatically updated each week.
Please note: the Los Gatos data is probably a little artificially low as it will include all 3 zip codes, meaning also the Los Gatos Mountains, which are quite a bit more affordable than the areas “in town”.
In addition, as of this writing we are in the shelter-in-place phase 1 of the pandemic. This post is updated approximately every quarter or half-year, so we’re just starting to see the results of these changes to the market, but it will take a while to see the full picture. For now you can read more about the Coronavirus impact on real estate sales in my post on the topic.
Also, during the shutdown so far, the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) stopped the timer on all Days on Market (DOM). Therefore these numbers will be off beginning from March 17th through around May 17th. In the data below, this will affect any numbers related to the days on market, the absorption rate, and the days of inventory.
Now on with the analysis!
Market Comparisons
(1) Median List Price (per Altos Research):
(more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy | Mar 25, 2020 | Almaden Valley (SJ), Blossom Valley (SJ), Cambrian Park (SJ), Cupertino, Evergreen (SJ), Foothill Areas, Golf Course Area, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Santa Teresa (SJ), Saratoga
With our 300 sunny days per year in Silicon Valley (at least most years!), golf is a sport enjoyed year round here in the San Jose area. Living near a golf course, or having a golf course view, is highly desirable as it provides scenic open space as well as convenience for avid golfers.
Silicon Valley Golf Homes, Silicon Valley Golf Properties
There are beautiful courses throughout the South Bay Area and it’s possible to find small condos with views of them at fairly affordable prices (Sunnyvale’s Sunken Gardens area is one of them). Today, though, I want to provide a list of homes for sale near golf courses in the foothill areas of Silicon Valley. Many of these will also be luxury homes. So the MLS list of these houses on the market which you can browse includes these areas:
San Jose areas including Evergreen & Silver Creek, Santa Teresa, Blossom Valley and Almaden; Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, Cupertino, and Los Altos.
There are golf courses to be found in other parts of Santa Clara County too (Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and more) – let me know if you are interested in these parts and I can send you a link for searching them for similar residential real estate.
Here are a available or recently sold homes near to golf clubs:
by Mary Pope-Handy | Feb 25, 2020 | Almaden Valley (SJ), Blossom Valley (SJ), Cambrian Park (SJ), Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Market Info, Market Reports, Mountain View, Neighborhoods, Palo Alto, San Jose (all areas), Saratoga, Silicon Valley, Sunnyvale, Willow Glen (SJ)
It can be really challenging for people moving to Silicon Valley to get a sense of real estate prices, and perhaps more, comparing cost of from one town or district to another.
One question I get a lot is this: what does it cost to buy a 4 bedroom, 2 bath house of about 2000 square feet?
So to answer this question, let’s see what houses like this are selling for (4 bed, 2 bath, appx 2000 SF or 185 square meters) and see how the cost looks in one Santa Clara County / Silicon Valley area versus another.
Comparing Costs
Today I compared several areas and cities using this criteria: single family homes of 1800 – 2200 SF, 3-5 bedrooms, 2-3 bathrooms, on lot sizes of 6000 SF to 10,000 SF. Normally I would chart this over the last 2 months, or 60 days, but because of the low inventory causing the sellers market I have expanded the search to the last 3 months, or 90 days, for a better range. Because some areas have had a scarcity of inventory, I’ve added an addition to the chart titled NoS for Number of Sales within the given range.
Here’s how it shakes out in the “west valley areas” along the Highway 85 corridor, most of which are known to have good to great public schools. What areas are most affordable? One way of analyzing this is the “price per square foot” figure. Whenever I update the chart, I re-arrange the order of the cities from high to low based on the price per square foot, although there’s usually minimal movement.
Within this range, Campbell only had one sale over the last 90 days, so data for that segment may or may not be a good average. Both Los Altos and Saratoga had no sales within the last 90 days within these criteria, so their searches have been expanded to 0-180 days (or 6 months / half a year) and 0-120 days (or 4 months / a quarter year) respectively to provide data for comparison for this chart. Now that we have the data, let’s analyze it!
(more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy | Jan 21, 2019 | Cupertino, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Selling Tips, Sunnyvale
It’s a seller’s market in Silicon Valley right now. Many sellers are getting multiple offers and overbids, especially in Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto and Menlo Park. For home owners trying to maximize their sales price, does it make sense to have an “offer deadline”?
Maybe.
If you are pretty confident that you can get multiple offers, the deadline helps in a few ways.
- it prevents the offer situation from being a mere “foot race” (fastest one wins, rather than highest offer and best terms)
- it allows everyone enough time to see the house, read the inspections, disclosures etc.
- it provides enough time for the sellers and agents to plan
As with all strategic plans, this one can backfire too. If you or your agent publishes an offer deadline and then no bids are forthcoming, it’s more than just a let down. It’s a market signal that this home is overvalued by its owner and agent. Then, suddenly, it can appear to be an old or stale listing, even if it’s just been on the market 7 to 10 days.
Many real estate agents take a middle path, saying nothing about offers until agents ask. If they are asked, they will give a date in the future – usually a couple of days after the open house. But the MLS won’t say it for these agents unless they hear many buyers’ agents asking about offer presentation. They don’t want to look bad, they don’t want your house to look bad.
We never know until a property goes on the market how it will fare. It is wise to be cautious about advertising an offer date unless you are very certain that you will be seeing multiples! The market right now is a little funny. Homes priced aggressively are getting multiple offers. Homes priced AT value are not moving quite so fast. And homes price for values in spring of 2018 are not selling well at all.
by Mary Pope-Handy | Jul 16, 2018 | Cupertino, homes for sale
1190 Crestline Dr Cupertino CA 95014
MLS # ML81714661
1190 Crestline Dr Cupertino is tastefully expanded, remodeled, and sunny home with award winning Cupertino schools!
Quick facts 1190 Crestline Dr Cupertino:
- 3 bedrooms + office and bonus room / alcove
- 2 newly remodeled baths in 2018
- 1715 SF (per county)
- Lot size 6007 SF (per county)
- Built in 1963, expanded in 2011
- No carpeting – mostly hardwood floors, some laminate, some Italian porcelain tile
- Flexible layout—sewer plumbed to possibly add 3rd bathroom and one bedroom in original kitchen area
Welcome to this bright and sunny home, impeccably updated throughout! You will love the gorgeous hardwood floors, the abundant natural light, and the remodeling that has been done in every corner of this house!
Rooms include a spacious living room with wood burning fireplace and recessed lights, dining room with recessed lights, an alcove or study (original kitchen location), an open family room – kitchen, an office, 3 bedrooms, and 2 bathrooms.
Island Kitchen & Family Room:
- The open kitchen & family room is the center of the home and a true showpiece. They enjoy Brazilian teak hardwood flooring, a tall vaulted ceiling with 2 Velux skylights and retractable shades, recessed lighting, Casablanca fan, 8’ Anderson French door to the yard, and large Milgard windows to bring in the light. Spray foam insulation between the ceiling and the roof helps to keep the room comfortable year-round.
- Slab granite counters, tumbled marble tile back splash, maple cabinets with pantry, pullouts, lazy Susan and under the cabinet lighting.
- Stainless steel appliances include a French door refrigerator with ice maker (2017), GE Profile double oven, Bosch induction cooktop, Broan vent, Kitchenaid dishwasher, and microwave oven. (Fridge and microwave both stay.)
- Large, open Franke stainless steel sink with Grohe faucet.
- Good sized island with breakfast bar plus extra storage.
- This area, plus the office, was added in 2011 with permits and finals, and represents 600 SF of the total square footage of the home.
Bathrooms – remodeled in 2018 with permits & finals:
- Hall bath offers a shower over the tub, Italian porcelain tile, vanity with deep drawers, and a sun tunnel
- Master bathroom features a stall shower, Italian porcelain tile, and a vanity with deep drawers.
More features:
- Dual zoned heat and air conditioning (2 AC units)
- Dual pane windows
- New front door & interior doors
- Copper water supply lines in the home
- Fresh interior paint
- Original hardwood floors just refinished (June 2018)
- New baseboards in living room, dining room, hallway, bedrooms
- Hot water heater replaced in 2016
- New outdoor wall lights
- New motion detector light on front of garage
- Attached 2 car garage with new Liftmaster garage door opener
1190 Crestline Drive Public Schools:
Regnart Elementary, Kennedy Middle & Monta Vista High
Ideally located near schools, Three Oaks Park and Jollyman Park. Close to Apple campus and many high-tech companies. Easy access to 85, 280 Freeways and Lawrence Expressway for convenient commute!
OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE for 1190 Crestline Drive:
Thurs., 7-19-2018 9:30am to 12:30pm (broker tour AND public open house)
Sat., 7-21-2018 2pm to 4pm
Sun., 7-22-2018 2pm to 4pm
1190 Crestline Drive – DISCLOSURES & OFFERS
Disclosures will be available on or by Friday July 20th. The link will be in the private agent MLS comments for the buyers’ agents.
Offers will be due sometime after the open house weekend. Please check with Mary Pope-Handy for the due date. No pre-emptive offers, please
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Great room with vaulted ceiling and foam insulation between roof and ceiling.
Learn more about Cupertino here: http://popehandy.com/cupertino/
