The whole arena of selling distressed properties feels like a quagmire to most people. We all know it's tricky, and difficult, and have heard that it's frustrating, but also that it's doable.People wanting to buy homes that are in foreclosure, or have been foreclosed on, or are in a short sale situation may have more questions than answers. What are the risks? Can I inspect? What is a short sale? Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, Almaden Valley and the other "west valley communities" are all highly desireable. Lately I have had inquiries from bargain-hunting buyers who'd like to scoop up a "good deal" in these areas. With such highly prized real estate, low crime, and good schools, those buyers are hoping to pick up a house, condo, townhome or other residential real estate for pennies ... 06/23/2014

One of the most sought-after areas among first time Los Gatos homebuyers is Blossom Hill Manor, also known as Blossom Manor or simply The Manor. What's the draw? Often it's the award winning Los Gatos schools, two of which are within a mile: the newly remodeled and renovated Blossom Hill School and Fisher Middle School. Also highly valued is the proximity to grocery stores, banks, coffee shops, and much more - many so close that a car is not needed to reach them. More reasons for the enduring popularity -  a good proximity to parks & freeway access points and a quick 2 miles to downtown Los Gatos. Most of the neighborhood consists of single family homes with prices that  range from a low of about $1.1 million to a high of about $2.2 million. A few duplexes line the outside of the neigh... 06/23/2014

Surrey Farms, offically called Surrey Farm on the county records, is a highly sought after neighborhood in the Kennedy Road area of east Los Gatos.   A comforably sprawling enclave (it looks to be gated, but the gate never closes) of low-key but spacious homes reside on large, quarter to half-acre lots in most cases (though there are a couple which have more than an acre).  Originally built in the mid 1950s to about 1960, these ranch style houses were about 2000 to 3000 SF, but now many are much larger, and some are bigger than 4,000 square feet.  Most are still ranch style, though a few have a different look now. The area once did have horses and a large stable, but those days are now long gone. It is a charming area because it is so unpretentious. You can read much more about Surrey F... 06/23/2014

For many homesellers in Los Gatos (and Silicon Valley generally), and for their Realtors, the real estate market is extremely challenging right now. Buyers have been wary for many months already, but now they're concerned about a recession and job losses, not just the possibility of a real estate sales price that won't hold its value later. It is a deepening buyers market overall, but especially within the market for single family homes.Read more at Closed Sales of Homes in Los Gatos: Yes, The Numbers Are Down (includes the absorption rates of single family homes and condos in Los Gatos in 2008).             Cheers! Mary 06/23/2014

The Los Gatos real estate market for houses, duet homes, condos and townhomes is much better now compared to a year ago.  Generally, it is close to balanced for the 95030 and 95032 zip codes, but within the boundaries of the town of Los Gatos (please note that it is not a city, but a town), there are many variations on how "the market is". Depending on which part of the market you're interested in, it could be a buyer's market or a seller's market. I'll provide you a few examples and some basic data here using absorption rates or months of inventory, which explains how fast homes are being bought up. (Active inventory divided by homes sold in the last month = months of inventory) Absorption Rate for Houses in Los GatosEntire town: Right now, there are 162 houses for sale in the town of ... 06/23/2014

VA Mortgage Loans in Los Gatos California and 100% financing on VA Loans - the best loan program and loan payment in the country! Designed for both active duty military and honorable discharged Veterans, VA Mortgage Loans are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today. Here are some of the highlights of this incredible program: - Up to 100% financing, with no down required. - Monthly mortgage insurance is not tacked on to your payment. - More lenient credit qualifying standards than other types of mortgage loans. - Low rates compared to other loan programs. Here's how to qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Los Gatos California:   You must first verify your eligibility. Eligibility is verified by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. A Los Gatos California VA loan le... 06/19/2014

Prince Hobbes the Curious Kitten Fits Right Inside Steve's Cowboy Hat   by Michelle Carr Crowe   Prince Hobbes, my daughter Monique Crowe's kitten, busily explores the house, often with surprising results. Earlier today, he sniffed my glass of water, only to spill it all over himself. In this photo, Prince Hobbes the Curious Kitten fits right inside of Steve's cowboy hat. He's growing so fast, I don't think he'll fit inside this hat much longer. Thanks for reading about "Prince Hobbes the Curious Kitten Fits Right Inside Steve's Cowboy Hat". 06/15/2014

VA Mortgage Loans in Los Gatos California and 100% VA Loans - the best loan program in the country! Designed for both active duty military and honorable discharged Veterans, VA Mortgage Loans are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today. Here are some of the main features of this great program: - 100% financing, no down payment required. - Monthly mortgage insurance is not tacked on to your payment. - Easier credit qualifying compared to other types of mortgage loans. - VA Mortgage Rates are low compared to other types of home loans.   So how do you qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Los Gatos California?     First of all, you must verify your eligibility. You can verify eligibility by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. An approved Los Gatos California VA loan... 04/16/2014

VA Mortgage Loans in Los Gatos California and 100% Santa Clara County VA Loans - the best loan program in California! VA Mortgage Loans are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today for active duty and honorably discharged Veterans. Here are some of the main features of this great program: - Up to 100% financing, with no down required. - No monthly mortgage insurance. - More lenient credit qualifying standards than other types of mortgage loans. - Low rates compared to other loan programs.   So how do you qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Los Gatos California? The first step is to verify your eligibility. This is done by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. An approved Los Gatos California VA loan lender can order your COE for you, or you can contact the VA to o... 12/11/2013

Hidden Saratoga Creek Trail in La Rinconada Area of Los Gatos, Calif.  by Michelle Carr Crowe This hidden Saratoga Creek Trail located in the La Rinconada Area of Los Gatos, Calif. truly is "a secret place"-the trail opening is located between two houses! (Click this link or photo below to see video). While driving to the very end of Bicknell Road in Los Gatos, Calif., there are parking spaces to the left before reaching the dead end of the cul-de-sac. This is open "public" parking for the few who know about this trail. The very first home I helped a client buy was on Bicknell Road in Los Gatos, which is where I learned about this hidden trail from the owners. The buyers and I almost missed the hidden trail opening the first time we went to check it out. Just when you fear you're about ... 09/07/2013

La Rinconada Park, Los Gatos Par Course, Playground, Tennis & Trails by Michelle Carr Crowe, Silicon Valley real estate guide Enjoy this short video about La Rinconada Park in lovely Los Gatos, Calif. La Rinconada Park features expansive grassy play areas, a par course, creek trails, a tennis court, playground and several benches and picnic tables. There's a good balance of shady space and sunny areas for children to run and play, families to picnic and individuals to walk and enjoy nature. A large tire swing is a popular feature on the playground. Few people outside of the immediate neighborhood are even aware this charming neighborhood park exists. I've literally shown La Rinconada Park to people who lived within 1/4-mile of it who never knew it was even there. It's a very peaceful pa... 09/07/2013

Here is the market report for Los Gatos, CA.  Los Gatos has always been a highly desirable place to live, with quaint neighborhoods and a walkable downtown.  Located on the western end of Santa Clara County, Los Gatos has great weather and good schools.   Home are always in demand here.  There are also a good number of condominiums that are in greeat complexes. Rents are high, and home prices are on the high side for Santa Clara County, yet it remains a safe and desirable place to live. 08/25/2013

The Town of Los Gatos, located on the west side of Santa Clara County offers a wide range of homes-- from older Victorians to mega Mansions. Los Gatos is known for quality schools, and having a great, walkable downtown.  The Apple Store, located downtown is always busy... Santa Clara County is the heart of Silicon Valley.  Many of the high tech executives choose to live in Los Gatos, as it offers a fairly eassy communte to many Fortune 500 companies, such as Hewlett-Packard, Yahoo, Google, Apple, Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, and many, many more. It offers a quaint, small town atmosphere and Vasona County park is a local draw for picnics and boating on Vasona Resevoir.  There are mansions scattered throughout the mountain properties, and the weather is great. Look at the map below to v... 08/11/2013

Today I had the unwelcome honor of watching a neighbor’s house burn down.  Thankfully a couple of brave souls working close by entered the burning house and woke the owner, allowing him to escape without harm, but I shudder to think what could have happened. American homes suffer an unwanted fire every 10 seconds  and every 60 seconds there's a fire serious enough to warrant a call to the fire department . . . are you prepared for a fire at your home?  Plan escape routes, install smoke alarms, and learn how to protect yourself and your home from fires. SlaterThomson.com  07/10/2013

Los Gatos Vasona Vibrations Free Summer Concert June 1, 2013, 5pm-7pm   By Michelle Carr Crowe, Cupertino real estate agent selling homes in Los Gatos Vasona Vibrations Free Summer Concert Series for 2013 starts on Sat., June 1 2013, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 pm with Celtic Heart. The eleventh annual concert series is held every Saturday in June and July at lovely Vasona Lake County Park, located at 333 Blossom Hill Road in Los Gatos, Calif. Vasona Vibrations Concert Series features local artists performing a wide variety of acoustic genres including blues, Dixieland, jazz, big band, roots music, American, zydeco, traditional and contemporary folk music. Celtic Heart, an acoustic Celtic musical group, will kick off the eleventh annual concert series.   All performances are held on Saturday... 05/30/2013

The market is crazy, inventory is at historic lows all over the Silicon Valley. Over 95% of all homes in Santa Clara County recieve multiple offers. Prices are increasing due to high demand from high employement.  Despite this craziness there are still some wonderful places to live where the chances of having your offer accepted are higher than in other places. Los Gatos is one of those towns. The shcools are great, the down town area is fun, the views of the mountains are beautiful, and the freeway access is good. Homes in Los Gatos vary from historic Victorians, mid century ranches, craftman style cottages, to new construction. there is something for everyone. The good news is that even though prices are on the rise in Los Gatos, you can still buy a home for just a little over asking ... 05/04/2013

Anyone shopping for a home in Los Gatos knows that it is a seller's market. The inventory is low, and there are a lot of other buyers out there looking for the perfect home at a great price.   Here's the good news, you can get more for your money in Los Gatos than other Silicon Valley cities like Los Altos or Palo Alto. However, the market is still active and you may only have a week to find a home, make a decision about whether you want to make an offer, and then try to make a strategy to make the offer for your dream home in Los Gatos.   This fast paced real estate market in Los Gatos can cause a great deal of stress and angst. Feeling pressure to make quick decisions can be frightening. Loosing offers on homes can be frustrating.    I can't tell you what home deserves your offer, or... 04/30/2013

7 Strange But True Events That Happened on February 17 By Michelle Carr Crowe, Silicon Valley real estate guide selling homes in San Jose Are you an inquisitive person who enjoys learning? If you’ve read my blog, you know one of the pastimes I enjoy is discovering new facts and interesting pieces of history. I like to share intriguing stories from our local newspaper the San Jose Mercury News, as well as my favorite print and online magazines Mental Floss, the National Geographic Society or  Smithsonian Magazine. Other times I find articles or facts online at The History Place, Brainy History,orDates In History.These events for today’s blog post are primarily from History Orb and Wikipedia. While these interesting items are intriguing, they have nothing to do with my real estate busines... 02/16/2013

  Los Gatos is one of the many high rent and own districts here in the South Bay, and forgood reason. Fabulous neighborhoods, parks, views and schools, and only minutes to themountains and beach. Total active listings are 56, with 30 pending. We clearly need more homes to sell and sellersare seeing multiple offers over asking due to the high demand driven by low inventory anddemand for luxury home as well great schools and fabulous community. Average price per square foot for Los Gatos CA was $587, an increase of 20.5% compared to the same period last year. Contact me today at (408) 591-7778 for a Free Market Analysis, including a Maximum Home Value Audit and my 28 Step Marketing Plan. Comparable Averages   Average Days on Market: 9 Average List Price: $1,781,766 Average Sale Price: $1,... 02/16/2013

5 Odd but Cool Things That Happened in History February 1-3 By Michelle Carr Crowe, Silicon Valley real estate guide selling homes in San Jose Do you, like me, get a thrill learning new things daily? If you’ve read my blog, you know one of the pastimes I enjoy is discovering new facts and interesting pieces of history. I like to share intriguing stories from our local newspaper the San Jose Mercury News, as well as from some of my favorite print and online magazines Mental Floss, the National Geographic Society or  Smithsonian Magazine. Other times I find articles or facts online at  The History Place, History Orb, Wikipedia.orDates In History.These events for today’s blog post are primarily from Brainy History. While these interesting items are intriguing, they have nothing to do with ... 02/02/2013