How is the Monte Sereno real estate market? Because the city is small, with just about 3,500 residents, there are usually few homes listed for sale or selling, and with small numbers we can get seemingly volatile statistics. This article is updated monthly with new data and analysis, so scroll down to read the latest and check back regularly. Here are a few details from the latest market update:
With so few sales and listings, Monte Sereno real estate data can appear to swing quite wildly, so take it with a grain of salt.
This city appears to be in a seller’s market with severely low inventory – just 2 available homes at the end of July. Slim pickings, down significantly from a few months ago mid-spring, just half of what there was last month, and a drop in the bucket compared to this time last year!
Closed sales have doubled since last month and last year, but with just 6 closed sales it’s still a small pool for data analysis. Pending sales plummetted to 1, falling sharply from the month before, but stable with this time last year.
Because there have been so few recent sales, buyers and sellers may need to also look to the nearby Los Gatos market to get an idea about market trends.
There are ALMOST no condominiums or townhomes in Monte Sereno. As of May 2026, the MLS showed just 6 sales in these two categories in total – and that’s going back to 1998! And one of those, at least, may actually be in Los Gatos. One of the major challenges for this city is to ensure that at least some housing units are deemed “affordable.” You can find the city’s housing plan here (an online pdf): http://www.montesereno.org/DocumentCenter/Home/View/674
Because this is such a small city and there’s a tiny pool of data, please also have a look at the Los Gatos real estate market post on this site. Monte Sereno generally follows Los Gatos trends, so this neighbor city can give you an idea of the bigger picture.
Below is a quick market profile for the Monte Sereno real estate market. This is updated automatically weekly, so please check back often.
What is the agent visual inspection, or AVID, and why is it required with home sales in California?
The short answer on the purpose of the AVID
When real estate sales people represent buyers and sellers on residential real estate transactions in CA, they must do a visual inspection of the property as part of their disclosure obligations. In other words, they are required to walk through the property, inside and out, and look carefully at what they sell and advise the parties to the contract of any red flags noticed.
This is required by the state. It is not optional.
If an attentive Realtor walks through and notes something that would make a buyer unhappy to discover after close of escrow, that agent needs to note it on the required form so that any such concerns are disclosed to the home buyer(s).
Video discussing the AVID, or Agent Visual Inspection Disclosure
Where do the agents write up their visual inspection disclosure comments?
Agent Visual Inspection Disclosure, top of page 1
Sometimes the real estate licensees will simply make a few comments on page 3 of the Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS). More and more, though, they are completing the separate 3 page AVID (Agent Visual Inspection Disclosure) form instead. It is larger and allows for more thorough list of items noted. We’ve also seen agents simply type up a narrative in a word document. The main thing isn’t so much the format as conveying the information so the buyer isn’t surprised later.
The Saratoga CA real estate market in July was similar to June with some mild softening. This may just be seasonally normal, but it seems to be a little more than typical.
Monthly trends at a glance for the Saratoga CA Real Estate Market
DATA REMINDER:Please note that the RE Report data is often a LITTLE different from the numbers when I pull them directly from the MLS. This is because the RE Report has a feed only of listings that were input by the listing agents directly into MLS Listings. That feed does not include anything from Bay East, CRMLS, or other MLS companies.
The average and median salele price rose annually, but fell monthly. Last July there were only 12 sales, though, so it’s not a large pool and may be skewed. The larger the pool of data, the more helpful it is.
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…)
Just starting to house hunt? Today we’ll go over what to expect when viewing Silicon Valley homes for sale.
First, though, if you aren’t aware, there were real estate changes a year ago in the way the home buyers and their buyer agents work together. There now must be a written agreement between them that covers compensation. The link above will bring you to an article of ours that clarifies it.
Viewing Silicon Valley homes – some basics
There will be some nuances between private showings and viewing Silicon Valley homes during an open house, but here are some basics:
Many home sellers in the San Jose area will ask that you remove your shoes. So wearing slip ons of some kind will be a lot easier than footwear with laces, buckles, zippers etc.
Most of the time, sellers will not be home. They wisely will clear out, when possible, to give you the space to look without feeling like you’re imposing on them. Sometimes, though, for any number of reasons, this may not happen, particularly if you’re viewing homes for sale via a private appointment.
If sellers are home, they will usually answer the door or, worst case, respond when the agent and buyers enter and announce themselves. Once in awhile, though, there’s a surprise seller somewhere in the house. (Maybe one time in a hundred? I have run into people who were in bed, in a shower, on a couch and simply not responding.) So be alert when viewing homes, be cautious, or it could be like that scene in “E.T.” where ET and the little girl see each other and scream their lungs out.
Pets are usually not present and loose, but again, sometimes there’s a misfire, so be on guard for dogs and cats (more likely the latter). If dogs are present and loose I usually will not show the home. I love dogs and have owned many, but they’re not all equally friendly.
Personalization: usually sellers will have decluttered and depersonalized their homes so that you and other home buyers can “see themselves” in that space. For some sellers, particularly seniors, it can be very difficult to remove those items until the moving van is in the driveway. So be prepared to see at least some homes with an inordinate amount of stuff, whether it’s family photos, collections, religious imagery or worship space, rooms not being used for their intended purpose, and so on. In these places, you’ll need to be able to see past what’s currently there as the personal items can be confusing. For instance, I have seen family rooms used as dining rooms, dining rooms used as hobby rooms, bedrooms used as prayer or exercise rooms, garages divided into several smaller rooms (with easily removable walls), etc.
Normally, homes are clean and pleasant to see. Sometimes with distressed properties, tenant occupied (unmotivated residents), homes with invalid residents, or other physical or emotional situations the home may be a wreck. Know that you will probably see a wide spectrum of care for the house and yard.
Where do you look for the best MLS information when you’re house hunting online? Consumers have many choices, but they aren’t all equally comprehensive or updated.
Today we’ll touch on these relevant options:
Real estate agent and brokerage IDX feeds (and what is an IDX feed or syndication)?
Large portal MLS information (Realtor.com, Zillow, Redfin, and many others)
The MLS information from MLS Listings
Quick answer, for those who don’t want to read this whole article: the very best, most accurate and most often updated site for consumers wanting MLS information is via an automatic email, set up by your agent, from the public branch of our agent-supported Multiple Listing Service or MLS, which is MLSListings.com. For the full data, you must get your agent to share it with you – it won’t all be there if you just go to that website. I’ll explain below.
Syndication, Members Only listings, IDX, VOW, data sharing between MLS organizations
Syndication refers to the listings’ info being sent out to third parties for display on other sites. With syndication, as the listing agent updates the status to pending, sold, canceled, etc., the feed is supposed to automatically update. Sometimes there’s a lag or a glitch, though, so the info may not be as reliable (or up to date) for that reason.
Members Only listings in MLS Listings are not syndicated. They might be “Members Only: Do Not Show” (think of it like a Coming Soon) or they could be “Members Only: Show” (for whatever reason, the seller wants limited exposure – could be temporary, as the Days On Market do not accrue) (more…)
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!
When a parent, spouse or loved one dies and he or she owned a home, there’s a lot for the survivors to do in addition to the very real and painful process of mourning. I have been through this with my own parents (and their house in Saratoga), a great aunt in Willow Glen, and many clients in San Jose, Los Gatos, Palo Alto, and elsewhere in Silicon Valley.
Quick summary of what to do regarding the home first and soon when a loved one dies:
Engage the help of of an attorney and tax professional within the first 30 days or so. Sometimes there are deadlines or goal dates that will help the beneficiaries, and if people take too long to connect with these professionals, some opportunities may close.
Some attorneys are also tax professionals, but most likely these will be different people.
A professional valuation of the home will be needed, usually done by a licensed appraiser, but sometimes a real estate professional can do a market analysis that is acceptable. The home does not have to be empty or cleaned out to have this done.
If you need the names of good tax and legal professionals, feel free to reach out to your real estate agent (or to me, if you are local). Most of us have worked with trust situations and can provide names. Or ask friends and family who’ve recently gone through the same situation and were happy with the people that they hired.
You will need several copies of the certified death certificate. Discuss how many with your tax and legal professional. If you sell or transfer the home, the title company will need it and it will be recorded with the county.
Death, dying, & real estate: where to begin when a loved one dies?
In terms of settling the estate, it is wise to first speak with an attorney and tax professional about the property to find out what is required and advisable.
First time home buyers may have heard the word crawlspace (or crawl space) but not had a good idea of what it refers to – especially if they have only lived in houses built on slab foundations. So let’s touch on it today.
What and the Where?
When homes are built on a raised foundation, also called a perimeter foundation, rather than slab foundation, there’s space between the dirt under the house and the house itself – often 3′ (but not always), sometimes more. Unless the structure is built on a hillside, there won’t be enough height to walk around in that space, hence the need to crawl in the crawlspace.
Most of the time, access to this space is indoors and specifically on the floor of a closet, where there appears to be a flat opening of about 3′ by 3′, sometimes smaller. This can make entry tight. At other times. the access is via the outside, as with the photo at the left (more likely the case in properties built before 1950 in Silicon Valley than in newer properties.)
Here it’s a lot easier for homeowners, inspectors and repair people to enter – but also easier for animals and pests, such as rats, to make their way in. Care must be taken, as with the vent screens, to keep unwanted visitors out!
Crawlspace Video
Auditory learner? Or TLDR, and just want a quick-take? Watch this 1min 46 second video to get the summary:
Monitoring the crawlspace
If your home has a crawlspace, you will want to monitor it.(more…)
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.
The real estate search
Use this link to browse properties which are for sale, under contract (pending) or sold. Want to view only homes which are available now?
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”
How is the Monte Sereno real estate market? Because the city is small, with just about 3,500 residents, there are usually few homes listed for sale or selling, and with small numbers we can get seemingly volatile statistics. This article is updated monthly with new data and analysis, so scroll down to read the latest and check back regularly. Here are a few details from the latest market update:
Where do you look for the best MLS information when you’re 
