Closed Sales in Los Gatos / Monte Sereno, California in July 2008Property Type:  Single Family Homes ~ Los Gatos / Monte Sereno There were 30 single family homes reported sold in Los Gatos / Monte Sereno during the month of July 2008. Current Inventory in the month of July 2008 = 172 The Average Price was $1,609,631 The Median Sales Price was $1,512,500 The Average Days of Market (DOM) was 35 % LP Received = 97.54% There were 77 new listings reported in Los Gatos / Monte Sereno, California in July 2008. Property Type:  Condo / Townhomes ~ Los Gatos / Monte Sereno There were 5 condos / townhomes reported sold in Los Gatos / Monte Sereno during the month of July 2008. Current Inventory in the month of July 2008 = 50 The Average Price was $605,600 The Median Sales Price was $668,000 The Av... 08/26/2008

The Los Gatos Shakespeare Festival is Saturday, July 26, 8:00pm.Featuring three plays in repertory: The Tempest and As You Like It, by William Shakespeare, and an original adaptation of Beauty and The Beast, by Bruce W. De Les Dernier.Location: Oak Meadow Park, 333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, CA 95032Info Phone: 408.399.5781  07/21/2008

The Los Gatos home market continue to charge right through this overall market downturn.  The only indicators that the market is down at all are reflected in higher inventory and slightly slower sales. However, average price continues to be up from the same time last year. Read on for all the sold properties and a complete video presentation.   Summary Of SOLD Properties LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA Single Family Residential   Address City Beds Bath DOM CDOM LOE SqFt $/SqFt Lot(SqFt) List Price Age Sale Price   SOLD  150 Sierra Azule   Los Gatos   5   4+  56   240   56   6,253   $679.67   49,658   $4,999,888   8   $4,250,000    371 Pennsylvania Av   Los Gatos   4   3  11   11   21   3,756   $931.84   18,230   $3,499,900   85   $3,500,000    106 Kennedy Ct   Los Gatos   4   4+  62   62   31   3... 07/15/2008

  Dual agency is when the broker/agent represents both the buyer and the seller in the same transaction.  In California, it is permissible only if both principals are notified of the dual agency and both consent to it.  The best way to prove consent is to have them sign the Agency Disclosure.  However, many pitfalls are involved in acting as a dual agent.  More often than not, in trying to represent the interests of both clients, one ends up representing neither very well. It’s a quick way to lose the trust of both clients.  Then one has no hope for referral business from either.  An agent must think long and hard about whether the benefit (usually a higher commission) outweighs the risks:  a lawsuit or license discipline.   Let’s suppose a few scenarios to illustrate our point:   1)  S... 07/10/2008

One of the almost hidden jewels of living in the Los Gatos Mountains is Lexington Elementary School.  It belongs to the Los Gatos Union School District and is the smallest campus. The school is nestled in a serene, picturesque setting above Lexington Reservoir.   There are approximately 145 students (slightly more coming in for the 2008 school year) which makes for a quaint and close-knit setting.  In a very short period of time, a parent gets to know the names and faces of almost an entire school. And how neat it is that the principal knows the names of all the children! Our Home and School Club is a dynamic and strong organization that puts on wildy successful fundraising and "just for fun" events including Food, Wine, and Song, Day on the Green (antique car show and auction), Hallowe... 06/24/2008

Often times people will ask me what it is like to live up the Los Gatos/Santa Cruz Mountains.  Beyond "wonderful!" there is much to explain.  Located between the bustling and prosperous Silicon Valley and the lovely beaches of Santa Cruz, these mountains have become popular and sought-after, but all should beware!  It isn't a lifestyle for everyone.  Living in the Santa Cruz Mountains requires a person to be a good planner! Depending on the location of your home, it can be between 5 and 30 minutes "to town" (Los Gatos).  So, most folks will want to pack up for the day: kids, lunches, bills, dry-cleaning, work-related materials, gym bag, and don't forget to grab the cell phone!  Just stopping back by the house is usually not  a great or convenient option. Living in town can make us take ... 06/23/2008

The Los Gatos market has always been strong. However, we do see that even this highly desirable city is not immune to a down market. But even this news is mixed. While we do see some down numbers, we also see some of the more important numbers - like average home price in Los Gatos and average days on market performing well. SUPPLY AND DEMAND - PAST YEARS Los Gatos continues to see a more healthy market than other parts of the county. Here is a raw breakdown of the big numbers: Inventory: +47.4% homes on market: 168 New Listings: +11.5% For total of homes listed: 68 Sales: -46.3% home sold: 22 Months of Inventory Available: 7.6 You can also think of the "Months of inventory" number as the number of homes on the market for every one that sells. SUPPLY AND DEMAND - PAST MONTHS Inventory: ... 05/15/2008

Some interesting numbers for the real estate market in Los Gatos for March 2008. While we are seeing the overall downturn of the county appearing to have more effect, we are also seeing some other indicators. These are subtle changes that often mean that things are about the transition again. Since Los Gatos is one of those communities that tend to react to bad markets last but react to an improving market first, it is worth paying special attention to just what is going on in Los Gatos. Read on for the video presentation. 05/02/2008

How is the Los Gatos real estate market doing?Well, it is a bunch of micro-markets, really, even among the single family homes:the mountain areas (zip code 95033) are not really part of "The Town" (rather, county)in town, the area closest to downtown is the 95030 zip code and it has all "Los Gatos Schools"further out, the 95032 zip code is mostly non-Los Gatos Schools (and sells for less)Once you add in townhomes and condos, it gets even more confusing!In a nutshell: the mountain areas are selling pretty slowly and are usually not considered as part of Los Gatos proper. The 95030 and 95032 areas are a buyers market overall, with only one home in five selling. That said, the turnkey home "in the schools" that's between 1 and 2 million is selling pretty decently IF it's priced right. What... 03/17/2008

Los Gatos has been one of those communities that has managed to avoid much of the downturn in the market. This month, we see some numbers that might make us wonder if this down market has finally arrived. However, not all the numbers are what they seem. Read on to get all the details. 03/08/2008

You never know what a day will bring. Or a week.Last Sunday, my husband and I took Bella, our big black lab, out for a walk in our east Los Gatos neighborhood. I noticed some tagging - very unusual for our Silicon Valley community - so snapped a couple of pics and sent them off to the Los Gatos Police Department. I also copied my pal Alastair Dallas, who runs the online news journal, The Los Gatos Observer. (He has a great book, Los Gatos Observed.)  Anyway, the Observer carried a piece on this - graffitti in town and how fast it was cleaned up on Wednesday evening. Today, Thursday, I got a call from NBC 11's Daniel Garza asking if they could interview me on this subject. Of course I said yes (those of you who speak DISC, I'm a "high I".)Daniel and his camera operator, Mark (Marc?) did ... 03/06/2008

Los Gatos is a charming town nestled into the base of foothills of the Coastal Range. It's an upscale community in Silicon Valley, with good schools, low crime, and well maintained homes overall. In general, the market is "fair" in town. But real estate is always local, and things aren't always as they seem.Recently I looked hard at the numbers in town and learned that the real estate market's performance in one zip code, 95030, is entirely opposite that of the other, 95032. How could that be?Here, schools drive real estate values more than any other factor. And here, the school boundaries don't follow the town (or city) boundaries - it's very confusing for newcomers! By and large, the 95032 zip code does NOT have the highly prized "Los Gatos Schools", but instead very good schools that... 02/19/2008

Los Gatos is one of those communities that manages to perform well, even during what is usually a down market for the rest of Santa Clara County. However, even in Los Gatos, inventories are at very high levels. The desireability of the community and what it has to offer is undeniable and has clearly played a part in its continued success despite what is going on elsewhere. The following is a summary of the overall activity.      Summary Of Comparable Properties Single Family Residential     Address City Beds Bath DOM CDOM LOE SqFt $/SqFt Lot(SqFt) List Price Age Sale Price   ACTIVE  14540 Blossom Hill Rd   Los Gatos   4   2 1/2  39   118     2,193   $450.98   12,196   $989,000   41        731 Bicknell Rd   Los Gatos   6+   4+  39   39     4,250   $557.65   34,848   $2,370,000   42     ... 02/10/2008

It's January, it's pouring rain and the wind is howling here in Silicon Valley as a giant Alaskan storm is dumping water by the bucket. This is the largest storm since 1995.  We are thankful for the water since precipitation has been low and there's talk of a drought and rationing by next summer. But how does this, or even "normal winter weather", impact real estate sales? Does it make this a better time to buy or sell? The obvious answer may not be the correct one!  With the inclement weather, there's an opportunity - for both buyers and for sellers of homes in Los Gatos and the west valley communities of Santa Clara County generally.Today I blogged about this at Live in Los Gatos. Pop by if you'd like to learn more!MaryMary Pope-Handy, Realtor, CRS, ABR, ePro, ASP, SRES, RECS, ACREHel... 01/04/2008

Silicon Valley has a bifurcated market, and has for many months now. Some areas are hot sellers markets. In other areas, you can't seem to give away homes.  What about Los Gatos?The market is cooler than is seasonally normal. Last week I did some serious numbers-crunching at my Live in Los Gatos blog. You can see the data there:http://www.realtown.com/LiveInLosGatos/blog/los-gatos-homes/hows-the-los-gatos-real-estate-market And for even more info, see my Real Estate Report, which details info on the whole of Santa Clara County, including San Jose, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, etc. 12/15/2007

The Los Gatos market for condominiums, townhomes, and similar clusters of homes is experiencing a seasonal slowdown - and then some. Recently I put a detailed post about this subset of the housing market on my Live in Los Gatos blog. If you'd like to see the hard numbers and get some historical perspective, please swing by!http://www.realtown.com/LiveInLosGatos/blog/los-gatos-homes/the-condo-market-in-los-gatos-how-is-it 12/15/2007

I have reviewed the November MLS statistics for Condominiums & Townhomes in Los Gatos, California. Please listen to my podcast to learn about the key trends and indicators in this area. If you have any questions about the market, feel free to give me a call at 408-829-4141 or e-mail JohnPinto@jvpinto.com Thank you, John V. Pinto 12/14/2007

I have reviewed the November MLS statistics for Single Family Homes in Los Gatos, California. Please listen to my podcast to learn about the key trends and indicators in this area. If you have any questions about the market, feel free to give me a call at 408-829-4141 or e-mail JohnPinto@jvpinto.com Thank you, John V. Pinto 12/13/2007

Today was a bit chilly so perhaps you didn't get out to the annual Los Gatos Holiday Parade. Have no fear - there are photos you can enjoy at my Live In Los Gatos Blog!  (I wasn't there either but have attended many of them over the years. My husband, Jim Handy, is a volunteer parks commissioner and he shared the photos he took with my readership. Thanks, Jim!!!)So please take a peek over at Live in Los Gatos and have yourself a little holiday cheer! 12/01/2007

I have reviewed the October MLS statistics for Condominiums & Townhomes in Los Gatos, California. Please listen to my podcast to learn about the key trends and indicators in this area. If you have any questions about the market, feel free to give me a call at 408-829-4141 or e-mail JohnPinto@jvpinto.com Thank you, John V. Pinto 11/12/2007