The Cambrian Park real estate market for houses and duet homes (not a duplex) remains a warm to hot seller’s market, depending on the location, condition, etc. It peaked quite early in 2026, and we’ve been seeing fairly consistent month over month cooling ever since. The condo market
The condo market is softer than the single family home market, which is often the case.
Uncertainty with tech layoffs, visa challenges, inflation, the threat of even higher interest rates, and the war in Iran are all part of the reason for the cooling that we are seeing here and elsewhere.
For those new to the area, Cambrian is most of the 95124 zip code (south of Foxworthy) and most of 95118 (west of Almaden Expressway). It borders Los Gatos, Campbell, Willow Glen, and Blossom Valley. Part of 95124 has Union School District schools, part has Cambrian School District Schools with the Campbell Unified High School District . Part of 95118 has Union schools (and CUHSD), but most is under San Jose Unified School District.
Currently, we have 2 fantastic Cambrian listings and they’ll be open this Saturday, Sept 12, 2026. Please scroll to the bottom of this article for the details and links to more info.
MLS Charts for 95124 and 95118 to provide a quick overview on market conditions
Normally we just provide the RE Report and Altos Research data, but today I wanted to supplement it with multi-month info to provide a better understanding of trends. I tried to pull these for both single family homes and also condos and townhouses, but there are so few condo-TH sales that the MLS deemed it not enough to be useful. (Error message: “Found just 85 listings, possibly too few to chart meaningfully.”) Here are a couple for single family homes.
Average Days on Market or DOM (for homes that sold, not for listed houses) and the Sale Price to List Price Ratio for 95124 and 95118 (a little of 95118 is in Blossom Valley). The DOM has pretty consistently grown in 2026 since a low in February. The Sale to List Price Ratio jiggles a little, but is generally the inverse, with an upward blup in June and July.
The Santa Clara County real estate market for single family homes was mixed in August, with some data points strengthening and others weakening.
For condo buyers, it wasn’t mixed at all: August was again a good month for buying and a challenging month for selling.
The Santa Clara County real estate market brief points for single family homes
Here’s a quick summary based on the numbers that I pulled from the MLS directly today. These are a little different from the RE Report numbers.
Inventory of houses for sale rose both monthly and annually.
The number of home sales fell month over month and year over year, as they did in June and July, an indicator that it’s not an easy market to sell in many parts of Silicon Valley. With inventory rising and sales falling, the market is moving closer to the buyer’s favor (but it’s not a buyer’s market – not by a long stretch).
The average sale price dropped month over month, but was up year over year. (A repeat of last month.)
The median sale price declined both monthly and annually. This number is more indicative of falling home values, but we’d need additional data to confirm that. If this continues for a few months, that would confirm it. Right now it’s just a red flag to pay attention.
The sale to list price ratio rose compared to both the month before and the year before. The homes that are selling are doing well on average.
The average price per square foot rose a hair compared to July 2026, but was up more substantially from August 2025.
A quick word about our two active listings, which are both incredibly good opportunities!
Spacious home on HUGE pie-shaped lot! Great value at $1,999,000
Opportunity knocks! Situated in the Cambrian area of San Jose, this house has room for everyone with 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 2031 SF of living space, 10,430 SF lot with enormous backyard and room to add on or build an ADU. The house features a remodeled kitchen, remodeled bathrooms, dual pane windows, vaulted ceiling in the living room, and loads of natural light throughout the home. The yard includes a large, attractive pool, a separate hot tub, space for an RV, and a good sized lawn. So many possibilities! This is a convenient area close to schools, shopping, dining, and commute routes.Cul-de-sac lot! Please check out the photos, floor plan, and all info at the virtual tour: 1296DentwoodDr.com.
Super bright home, low maintenance! Great price in 95124 at $1,475,000
Bright, younger Cambrian single family home (1996) with 3 beds, 2.5 baths, 1644 SF of living space, 2,346 SF lot, 2 car garage, vaulted ceilings, large dual pane windows, fabulous schools (Lietz, Dartmouth, Branham) in the small Soterion community. HOA dues are just $65 per month, and the HOA manages the front yards! Ultra convenient location close to shopping, dining, schools, commute routes, and even a nearby corporate shuttle stop is just a couple of blocks away! A pedestrian gate to Massidda Court is great for strolling to neighborhood amenities such as the J & P Cosentino farmstead, a neighborhood treasure. This home provides a generously sized back patio. For those preferring a low maintenance home, this is a great fit! Check out all of the details at 4996Agape.com.
Santa Clara County real estate statistics for August 2026 from the RE Report
Here’s the Trends at a Glance table for the Santa Clara County real estate market by home type from our RE Report subscription.
Please keep in mind that these numbers ONLY reflect listings that were entered into the MLS Listings system, and they do not include Bay East, CRMLS, SFAR, or other MLS companies around the state. If it’s not listed in an MLS with a data sharing program, it will not be represented here. The data is off, so some of the stats don’t align with those that I pull from the MLS, but the trends are on target, generally.
Santa Clara County real estate market statistics for SFH
Below please find multi year real estate data charts for Santa Clara County real estate market (single family homes) were pulled by me directly from the MLS. These numbers are a little more accurate than the RE Report ones as they include all listings on the MLS, even if they were entered from a different MLS organization.
Inventory
The Santa Clara County real estate market’s inventory rose in August and is at the high end of what we usually see for this time of year. (This figure is quite a bit larger than the RE Report number of 917. The RE Report only pulls data for listings that were entered into MLS Listings. My charts include all MLS companies that do data sharing with our MLS.)
Please note: for all of the multi year images below, you can see a larger version by clicking on them, which will take you to our article on our website. Still too small? Click on it again and a popup with the largest version will be displayed.
Months of Inventory
The absorption rate or months of inventory grew, indicating cooling market conditions. In most of the U.S. this would be a raging hot seller’s market, but here it’s approaching a balanced market. Note that for other Augusts in recent years this is the largest absorption rate by a good margin. The last time it was this high was January 2023. One month does not make a trend, but this is a figure to watch.
Looking for a younger Cambrian home with not too much yard work to do? The Soterion neighborhood may be just the ticket! This is one of my favorite little pockets in San Jose, 95124. The homes are light and bright inside, it’s close to shopping, commute routes, and great schools, and since the parcels are on the smaller side, many consider them lower in maintenance.
Featured listing: 4996 Agape Court, San Jose, CA 95124
Just listed (6/1/2026), young, bright, convenient home in Soterion! Homes in this small community are rarely available. Learn more and view photos, floorplan, and 3D tour and more on the virtual tour at 4996Agape.com/ or drop by one of our open houses.
3 bed | 2.5 bath | 1,644 SqFt | 2,346 SqFt Lot | Built 1996 | Offered at $1,550,000 | 4996Agape.com/
Where is Soterion located?
The Soterion community sits close to the intersection of Camden Avenue and Highway 85, with a Park and Ride just around the corner, making this an easy commute location for many. The streets are Soterion Drive, Agape Court, Chara Court, and Phileo Court. (They are all private roads.) There is a large Safeway as well as some restaurants and other shops about a half mile away or so at Branham and Ross. If you take a tech bus to work, the nearby Park & Ride may be super convenient for you.
Map of the Soterion community in Cambrian area of San Jose. Map data: Google, boundaries and overlay by Mary Pope-Handy.
What are the homes like in Soterion?
These 20 houses were built in 1996 and feature a nicely open living space downstairs and good sized bedrooms upstairs. Because they are on the young side, these houses were designed with a lot of windows and upstairs there are vaulted ceilings (and they are also after the cutoff of 1978 for lead based paint and asbestos). There’s no front yard to speak of, but the back is larger than you’d find in most townhouses, but smaller than on a more standard San Jose 6,000 SF lot.
Multiple offer situations have returned to many segments of the Silicon Valley real estate market, particularly for houses. We are hearing about them all over due to the incredibly low inventory. (Check out the San Jose real estate market analysis for the latest, custom stats.)
What Silicon Valley home sellers need to know and do to attract multiple offer situations
If you’re a Silicon Valley home seller, what do you need to know to try to get multiple bids on your home? What should you beware of? In short, here’s what needs to happen if you want to attract throngs of home buyers on your home for sale:
The home must be turnkey, either fully remodeled or close to it – it must look like there’s nothing or very little for a buyer to do. In addition to being turnkey, it must be squeaky clean and well staged! It needs to be comfortable – not too hot, not too cold. You want buyers and their agent to linger longer.
The price must be at or even under market value. That is, you must be willing to price it aggressively. Think it’s worth $1,050,000? You might list it at $999,999 to get in under a major price threshold and to be the very best, most attractive property for the money. Yes, it might be under priced. Over priced listings get either one offer at best or, more likely, none at all.
The property must be highly accessible. If it is hard to see, you probably won’t get multiple offers (and may get none at all). (Please see articles on accessibility and on open houses.)
Finally, the property must be well marketed. This includes a wide range of factors ranging from photographs, text, fliers, signs, and even the commission rate offered to the buyer’s side.
What Silicon Valley home buyers need to know and do to compete in multiple offer situations
If you’re a Silicon Valley home buyer, how do you win out in multiples without giving away all of your rights or overpaying for your house/home? (more…)
Not everyone is familiar with the term “patio home” or “zero lot line” house when searching for Silicon Valley real estate. Awhile back, a listing agent of such a property called me for feedback and when I told her that my clients did not want a zero lot line home, she didn’t know what I was talking about. She had no idea that this term applied to her listing!
So I thought maybe this topic deserved a little more attention.
What does zero lot line mean?
With most houses, the structure is set into the lot or land such that the property boundaries are at least a few feet away on all sides – often 5 or 8 feet. One common exception is garages in older parts of Willow Glen, Los Gatos, downtown San Jose, etc., where often these buildings were set directly against the property line on one or two sides.
When a house is right up against the property line, directly on the line, that’s referred to as a zero lot line and is usually referred to as a patio home. To view that wall, you’d literally have to go onto your neighbor’s lot to have a look. Although this is not terribly uncommon in dense, urban areas, it’s fairly infrequent in Silicon Valley.
Why are homes designed on zero lot line properties? The main reason is to increase the density while providing more yard to the home owner. Rather than having two 8′ side yards, perhaps you’ll have one much larger 16′ yard.
Interestingly, these houses do not always sell for less with the zero lot line – at least not that I have been able to discern. (That’s counter-intuitive….)
How can you tell if it’s a zero lot line house?
It should be disclosed in the MLS as such, but often isn’t (sometimes the listing agent doesn’t even know), so you’ll have to look carefully at the neighborhood and the property to see. Here are some clues: (more…)
The Oster neighborhood, anchored around Oster Elementary School in San Jose’s Cambrian district, is situated on the north side of highway 85 and just west of Camden Avenue, part of the 95124 zip code. It’s one of the more affordable areas within the highly regarded Union School District, which is not to say that real estate prices are inexpensive there! They are just slightly softer than those around Carlton, Alta Vista, and Guadalupe, generally.
Oster Elementary itself is a sought after school and has high rankings on Great Schools and other websites.
The Oster area has a subdivision directly adjacent to the school, Cambrian Acres, but the neighborhood is much larger than just that one subdivision. (You can check out the Oster school area on the Union School District Map at the bottom of this page.)
The Oster neighborhood is a nicely maintained pocket within Silicon Valley’s “west valley” (which follows Highway 85). One of the highlights of the area is Butcher Park, which includes a dog park area. It’s the other side of Camden from the school and is really a second anchor for the community. (Personal note: we celebrated my son’s first birthday at Butcher Park, so I am particularly fond of it.)
One of the worst marketing efforts, in my opinion, is a rider attached to a “for sale” sign stating “I’m gorgeous inside!” It’s as if to say “I know the exterior is really bad, but just wait ’til you get past the front door!”
A better approach than an apologetic rider sign is to tidy up the front of the home and yard so it gives a great first impression.
If you are a potential seller, drive through your area (zip code, subdivision etc.) and have a look at the outside of other properties for sale which are generally similar to your own for size, pricing and so on. How’s the competition doing with curb appeal? Pretend that you’re a Saratoga, Almaden or Cambrian home buyer. Take notes. What do you see? Be brutal in your assessment and then take your observations back to your own home and keep the same standards.
Curb Appeal Begins with Landscaping
First, pay attention to these landscaping elements in the yard:
The Lawn – if there is one: is it green? Weedy? Healthy? Does it have bare or dead spots? Is it level or “bumpy”? Is it fairly uniform, or are there patches of various types of grasses in other areas, making the lawn uneven in color, texture, or density? Putting in fresh sod may give you a super “bang for your buck” or return on investment. Why does this matter? A little blonding may be acceptible in summer, but if your lawn looks neglected buyers may wonder what else is neglected, too. Lumpy lawns can also risk twisted ankles when people are touring your home. If you’ve swapped the lawn for mulch or some other ground cover, the rules are the same: make it look fresh and tidy! If it’s lumpy, weedy, or patchy it should be corrected.
Bushes and Shrubs – should not impede sidewalks, walkways or views of doors and windows. Buyers will feel crowded if they sense that plants are blocking their passage or that of light! The yard, like the home, needs to feel uncluttered. As you look at the other homes’ yards, do the bushes look appealing or unruly? Are they a help or a hindrance to the home’s curb appeal? Many buyers do not like ivy or juniper, by the way, unless they are exceedingly neat and in small quantities.
Color – bright annuals with colorful flowers make a home far more inviting. Is the yard solidly green? (All lawn and bushes?) It can be spiced up with flowering plants and bushes. If room is an issue, at the very minimum sellers could add color spots by the front door. Luckily, in Silicon Valley we enjoy a sub-tropical climate and even in winter there are annuals that can pack a nice punch of color.
Stuff in the Yard – what are homeowners doing with hoses, watering cans, front porch furniture or kids’ toys? Ideally, hoses and other items not in use will be curled up or otherwise pretty much out of sight. (Worst case – laying across walkways, inviting disaster as home buyers trip!) Yard gnomes etc.: don’t. Seriously.
Next, have a look at the building itself. How well maintained and attractive is the house, townhouse or condo and garage? If the view of the structure is unappealing, Silicon Valley home buyers may never cross your threshold to see how great the interior is!
Rose Villas III is a pretty Spanish style community of townhomes which are PUDs or Planned Unit Developments, not condominiums (an upgrade!). They are located along a private road but have an address of anywhere between 1634 and 1644 Branham Lane, San Jose CA 995118. The common areas offer a surprisingly abundant amount of guest parking as well as a pool and patio for the enjoyment of the residents.
Both the individual homes and the community as a whole are thoughtfully laid out and very attractive. It’s also a convenient location for commuting on Camden Avenue (which becomes San Tomas Expressway) or accessing Highway 85. Shopping and restaurants are nearby: it’s a highly convenient location.
Upstairs, many of the homes enjoy at least partial views of the hills.
And to top it off, this community enjoys highly regarded Union Schools.
What are the homes like at Rose Villas III?
There are 48 townhomes in this community. They were constructed in 1977 and feature stucco exteriors and concrete tile roofs.
The layout is thoughtful with a powder room and living spaces on the first floor, as well as the laundry closet (which is close to the front door and the access to the garage from inside). Upstairs there are two bedrooms and a bathroom between them, which is wonderful for improved privacy. Both bedrooms include two closets each and also large windows.
All floor plans the same, unless altered by the home owner: (more…)
The Cambrian Gardens neighborhood is situated close to the Los Gatos border and is one of the more affordable Cambrian neighborhoods, particularly if home buyers are looking with schools in mind first and foremost.
It enjoys lovely views of the hills, great public schools with strong test scores (and other metrics), a neighborhood private school to boot, and convenient access to freeways and stores. There’s no sign, marker or gateway to the area, so many of its residents are probably unaware that the official name to it is Cambrian Gardens.
This area in Cambrian Park provides an incredible “bang for the buck” for home buyers wanting excellent schools and not wanting to pay luxury home pricing. In many ways, it’s a “sleeper” – meaning that many people don’t know it’s there, but it’s a relatively good deal!
Where is the Cambrian Gardens neighborhood of Cambrian?
Map data: Google, boundaries and overlay by Mary Pope-Handy
The rough borders are Union Avenue, Los Gatos-Almaden Road, Leigh Avenue, and the West Valley Freeway (85).
Not everything within that area is part of the tracts which make up Cambrian Gardens, though. It was developed just south of and directly adjacent to the Cambrian Park area which is so well known, but now separated from it by the freeway. (Click image or here to see live map in Google.)
Cambrian Garden Landmarks
Homes built in this part of Silicon Valley were clustered around the later-built neighborhood public school (bordered by Clarinda, Laurinda, Emeline and Sandy), James De Voss, which is now leased out as a private one, the Global School, as well as Little Oak Preschool. The other major landmark to the neighborhood is Ross Creek, which slides through the middle. With it come frogs, egrets, ducks and other wildlife which are generally welcome. (more…)
Cambrian Park, or more broadly, Cambrian, is a west San Jose neighborhood or district and is one of the high-value areas in Silicon Valley. The schools are good, the crime is low, and the commute is not too bad.
For people relocating to Santa Clara County, this is a place to know about since quality education and affordability are often high priorities! Most Silicon Valley home buyers would say that Cambrian Park real estate offers a very good value.
What’s the compromise for the more reasonable prices of homes for sale? Well, Cambrian doesn’t have an interesting, upscale downtown area like Campbell, Los Gatos, Saratoga, or Willow Glen. (It may, when the Cambrian Park Plaza redevelopment takes place.)
But it does have tons of shopping & restaurants and even a Farmer’s Market. It also enjoys a top notch hospital (Good Samaritan) and plenty of parks as well as a fantastic rec center with a large park adjacent to it, the Camden Community Center, which has loads of programs (including an after school program for youth), classes, and a fabulous pool.
Altogether, there are about 75,000 to 80,000 residents in Cambrian, spread throughout part of two zip codes, part of 95124 and some of 95118.
If there is a “central Cambrian Park”, it would have to be near the original Cambrian Park Shopping Center, which was the first actual mall in San Jose! That area is sometimes known as Cambrian Village. People sometimes use the three names interchangeably: Cambrian, Cambrian Park, Cambrian Village.
Where is Cambrian Park? Map of approximate Cambrian Boundaries:
Helping nice folks to buy and sell homes in Silicon Valley
Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor ABR, CIPS, CRS, SRES
Christie's International Real Estate Sereno, Los Gatos, CA 95030 408 204-7673 Mary@PopeHandy.com License# 01153805
Clair Handy, Realtor
GREEN
Christie's International Real Estate Sereno 214 Los Gatos-Saratoga Rd Los Gatos, CA 95030 ClairHandy@sereno.com License# 02153633
Mary & Clair sell homes throughout Silicon Valley: Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, and Santa Cruz County. with a special focus on: San Jose, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell, Almaden Valley, Cambrian Park.
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Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor ABR, AHWD, CIPS, CRS, SRES Christie's International Real Estate Sereno DRE License #01153805 408-204-7673 mary@popehandy.com “Helping nice folks to buy and sell homes in Silicon Valley since 1993”
Clair Handy, Realtor, GREEN Christie's International Real Estate Sereno DRE License #02153633 408-721-6160 clairhandy@sereno.com “Helping nice folks to buy and sell homes in Silicon Valley”
This is the Valley of Heart's Delight blog , covering Silicon Valley real estate - Santa Clara County, San Jose, Los Gatos, Cupertino, and nearby communities in the South Bay Area and lower Peninsula. Find info on neighborhoods, disclosure issues, buyer and seller tips, and housing market conditions in the west valley and most of the county.Please also see my other websites and real estate market statistics site, which are listed in the sidebar, above.
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Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor ABR, CIPS, CRS, SRES Sereno DRE License #01153805 408-204-7673 mary@popehandy.com
“Helping nice folks to buy and sell homes in Silicon Valley since 1993”
The Cambrian Park real estate market for houses and duet homes (not a duplex) remains a warm to hot seller’s market, depending on the location, condition, etc. It peaked quite early in 2026, and we’ve been seeing fairly consistent month over month cooling ever since. The condo market
Rose Villas III is a pretty Spanish style community of townhomes which are PUDs or 
For people relocating to Santa Clara County, this is a place to know about since quality education and affordability are often high priorities! Most Silicon Valley home buyers would say that Cambrian Park real estate offers a very good value.
