The Almaden Valley real estate market is experiencing some up and down, but remains clearly in a seller’s market. Inventory remains perpetually low, so the best homes in great locations are selling like hotcakes while buyers are passing over others that may need more work.
Almaden Valley Real Estate Market Conditions: Trends at a Glance
Next, a look at the residential real estate market statistics for Almaden, or San Jose 95120 from the Real Estate Report (a subscription that uses closed / sold data). They’re having a bit of a technical issue with their data collection, so not every number is exactly correct, however it still offers useful market analysis.
There is too much diversity of home sizes, conditions, and locations for last month’s 14 sales to give us a great idea about what homes are worth in today’s market. But what I do find helpful is the sale to list price ratio (barely over 100%) and the days of inventory (just under a month). This is a warm seller’s market from the closed sales.
That said, in any particular “tier” or area, such as starter homes with Williams Elementary or homes worth 8 million +, the market conditions could be decidedly more hot or cool. Always study the comps for your home, or the one that you want to purchase.
Trends At a Glance
Nov 2023
Previous Month
Year-over-Year
Median Price
$1,845,000 (-16.1%)
$2,200,000
$2,000,000 (-7.8%)
Average Price
$1,842,210 (-18.7%)
$2,266,310
$2,023,480 (-9.0%)
No. of Sales
14 (-12.5%)
16
21 (-33.3%)
Pending
17 (+30.8%)
13
9 (+88.9%)
Active
14 (-12.5%)
16
27 (-48.1%)
Sale vs. List Price
100.6% (+0.4%)
100.2%
96.1% (+4.7%)
Days on Market
18 (+18.4%)
16
28 (-33.8%)
Days of Inventory
29 (-3.3%)
30
37 (-22.2%)
And from the month before:
Trends At a Glance
Sep 2023
Previous Month
Year-over-Year
Median Price
$2,310,000 (+6.0%)
$2,180,000
$1,930,000 (+19.7%)
Average Price
$2,264,200 (+1.4%)
$2,232,720
$1,928,390 (+17.4%)
No. of Sales
15 (-48.3%)
29
31 (-51.6%)
Pending
8 (-46.7%)
15
23 (-65.2%)
Active
21 (+40.0%)
15
41 (-48.8%)
Sale vs. List Price
104.2% (+2.4%)
101.8%
98.9% (+5.3%)
Days on Market
14 (-2.9%)
15
32 (-55.4%)
Days of Inventory
41 (+161.6%)
16
38 (+5.9%)
Altos Research charts for Almaden Valley real estate market, single family homes segment(more…)
The Blossom Valley real estate market continues to be a strong sellers’ market generally. Homes in good shape which are priced appropriately regularly sell quickly and above list price, though overbids have decreased in quantity and for a lower percent over asking as buyers tangle with higher interest rates. While trends can vary based on price point, schools, zip codes, etc., the entire area is still in high demand.
Here are some bullet points from the latest statistics:
Closed sales are keeping up with this time last year, but with only half the available inventory
Sales to list price ratio dipped month-over-month, but remains well above last year
Days on market are slower than spring, but still with rapid turnover at a 20 day average and even faster market absorption (days of inventory) at just 16 days
Often in mid- to late-autumn we begin to see month-over-month softening like we are seeing now, though the market is notably hotter than a year ago following the initial market cooling in response to rate increases.
About Blossom Valley
The Blossom Valley area of San Jose is on the south end of the city and covers the 95123 and 95136 zip codes. For our MLS, it’s “area 12.” A more affordable section of Silicon Valley, it has much to offer in addition to more reasonable housing prices. Many areas enjoy views of the Santa Teresa Foothills or the Communications Hill knolls or even the coastal foothills in the distance and Mt Umunhum. One corner of it sits alongside beautiful Almaden Lake, too. Another corner is located at the crossroads of Highways 85 and 87, making it an easy commute destination for those working in downtown San Jose. And there’s an abundance of shopping and dining opportunities.
Now for some market data.
Live Altos Reports
We’ll start with the Altos Reports, which gague the market based on active listings, not sales, and is updated about once per week.
95123 real estate market trends, automatically updated weekly:
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:
Willow Glen is a hot market. The first half of the year prices rose rapidly, and now they are rising less steeply, but prices are up quite a lot from a year earlier.
The Cambrian Park real estate market closed out the summer very, very hot. Autumn, so far, has been warm to hot – just not AS hot as summer had been.
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.
The Cambrian Park Real Estate Market
The chart below is from the RE Report. Home prices are up year over year but down monthly by 2.2%. The sale to list price ratio cooled a little. It’s a strong seller’s market generally in Cambrian.
The Mountain View CA real estate market was a strong market and continued heating up, even breaking some recent records!
Quick summary on the realty market in Mountain View, CA
The average sale price for houses is down month-over-month and down year-over-year.
The median sale price is flat monthly and down annually.
Days on market rose from 10 to 21, still a hot market
The sales to list price ratio slipped to 107.1% from 112.1%, (it had been106.7% in August, 104.3% in July, 106.8% in June, and 107.7% in May). For buyers, it’s been tough all year.
Mountain View CA real estate market trends at a glance
First let’s have a look at the Real Estate Report for residential sales data. Home prices slipped a little month over month, and year over year, but many of the other data points suggest that it’s a highly competitive market for Mountain View home buyers.
Trends At a Glance
Oct 2023
Previous Month
Year-over-Year
Median Price
$2,510,000 (0.0%)
$2,510,000
$2,685,000 (-6.5%)
Average Price
$2,596,240 (-5.4%)
$2,745,310
$2,621,300 (-1.0%)
No. of Sales
21 (+61.5%)
13
15 (+40.0%)
Pending
14 (+7.7%)
13
10 (+40.0%)
Active
16 (-27.3%)
22
22 (-27.3%)
Sale vs. List Price
107.1% (-4.5%)
112.1%
104.5% (+2.5%)
Days on Market
21 (+105.2%)
10
26 (-20.2%)
Days of Inventory
23 (-53.4%)
49
44 (-48.1%)
Mountain View CA real estate market trends and data by neighborhood or district
The Willow Glen real estate market in San Jose remains a strong seller’s market, but prices inched down somewhat in October.
Average home prices are down month over month by 4.8% and down year over year by about 3.8%.
Homes are selling in 15 days on average – red hot. (It was 18 in September.)
The sale to list price dropped to 104.1% (it was 107.2% in September, 104.5% in August and 104.2% in July).
The best priced homes with no location or condition issues continue to sell quickly and with multiple offers and overbids.
Willow Glen Real Estate Market Trends: Single Family Homes
Willow Glen home prices slipped a little, which is surprising given that the sale to list price is at 104.1% and the days on market are a swift 15. It is possible that rather than home values going down, it’s simply that less expensive homes are selling. In general, first time home buyers are the most active segment of our Santa Clara County real estate buying population.
Below please find a market profile and then a couple of charts for the real estate market for houses and duet homes (attached single family homes – not duplexes), care of Altos Research, to which I have a subscription. Altos uses list prices, not sold prices. The data is automatically updated each week, so please bookmark this post and come back often!
Data from Altos Research for Willow Glen Real Estate Trends – San Jose 95125
In the latest update, Altos says single family homes are in a strong seller’s market with rising market action, and a decrease in much needed, perpetually low inventory. As of today, 35% have taken price reductions.
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…)
Why is inventory so low? As of today, October 26, 2023, there are 796 single family homes for sale in Santa Clara County (population appx 2 million people). A year ago it was about 1165 and the end of October. Where have all the listings gone? And when will it get better for home buyers? (You can check Santa Clara County inventory and other real estate stats on this blog.)
Why is inventory so low: historical perspective, how low IS it?
Here’s a look at our houses for sale from Jan 1999 to today. Please note that the MLS has a problem with its data sharing feeds, and if I pull this same info in a month, some of the numbers (not just this month) will likely change.
Inventory Averages:
Inventory Oct 1999 through October 2022 (only Octobers, 24 months) = 2640. Inventory was bloated during the Great Recession, so that’s not representative of “normal”.
If we consider just 2013 – Oct 2022 (10 Octobers), which I think is much more typical, the average inventory is 1403.5
The current inventory level is 57% of the last 10 years and 30% of the last 24 years (not including 2023 in the averages).
The lack of inventory is causing a lack of sales, layoffs in various real estate related industries, and pretty much economically challenging for Realtors, lenders, title and escrow people, inspectors, stagers, photographers, and anyone else involved in the buying and selling of homes.
We have a supply and demand imbalance, with demand outpacing supply but available homes for sale low.
Why is inventory so low? What is causing the shortage?
Next, let’s consider the root causes of the problem, and which ones may not be ongoing. (more…)
The City of Cupertino, often considered the heart of Silicon Valley, offers shorter commutes, strong public schools, abundant parks and open space, an active community center, and more. This city is home to both small and large tech companies, both startups and Apple Inc. It attracts professionals and entrepreneurs from around the world. All of this, in turn, creates a competitive real estate landscape.
This city is vibrant and offers fabulous restaurants and shops. These are sometimes not mentioned as they are overshadowed by the fame of the schools and the job centers, but are noteworthy as they contribute to a high quality of life for everyone there.
Cupertino schools
The public schools in Cupertino are outstanding, often at the top of the list in state rankings for test scores, 4 year college admissions, and notable academic awards earned by students here. Off campus, there are private schools that teach other languages, dance, art, religion, and culture on off hours or weekends.
Within the districts, some schools are more sought after than others. Monta Vista High and Lynbrook High are often the most desired by home buyers. But not all. Some parents prefer good schools that are not as competitive as these two may be. Each family should research the offerings and see what is the best fit for them and their needs.
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.
Sitemap
SanJoseRealEstateLosGatosHomes.com
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”
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
The Almaden Valley real estate market is experiencing some up and down, but remains clearly in a seller’s market. Inventory remains perpetually low, so the best homes in great locations are selling like hotcakes while buyers are passing over others that may need more work.
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.
How’s the Cupertino real estate market?
The Mountain View CA real estate market was a strong market and continued heating up, even breaking some recent records!
