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Live in Los Gatos!Live in Los Gatos!Los Gatos real estate, lifestyle, neighborhoods, events, history, haunted places, parks, photos, shops and places where you can be pampered. Articles
Want a Cozy Cup of Coffee on a Cool Los Gatos Morning?
2007-09-20 15:53:00 My siblings and cousins in Massachusettes would chide me if I complained about our odd "winter storm" that blew into Silicon Valley yesterday, in the middle of what should be our "Indian summer". But it's a little cold here. It was 65 degrees in the Handy house this morning (and in the high forties outside). The heater had to go on or this blogger wasn't getting out of bed. The dust burned off and smelled the place up initially. After flipping the thermostat back onto "sensing mode", I flipped on the coffee. This time it's Peet's. But when that's gone I'll be dripping something from Burundi that my brother got while at a theological conference there a couple of weeks ago. In college and grad school especially, I spent a lot of time at coffeehouses. Some of my friends today really don't make coffee at home - they always go out for it. Several Realtor colleagues of mine bring along their laptop or tablet computers and socialize with the regulars while catch... More About: Coffee , Cool , Cozy , Morning , Gatos
Want a Cozy Cup of Coffee on a Cool Los Gatos Morning?
2007-09-20 15:53:00 My siblings and cousins in Massachusettes would chide me if I complained about our odd "winter storm" that blew into Silicon Valley yesterday, in the middle of what should be our "Indian summer". But it's a little cold here. It was 65 degrees in the Handy house this morning (and in the high forties outside). The heater had to go on or this blogger wasn't getting out of bed. The dust burned off and smelled the place up initially. After flipping the thermostat back onto "sensing mode", I flipped on the coffee. This time it's Peet's. But when that's gone I'll be dripping something from Burundi that my brother got while at a theological conference there a couple of weeks ago. In college and grad school especially, I spent a lot of time at coffeehouses. Some of my friends today really don't make coffee at home - they always go out for it. Several Realtor colleagues of mine bring along their laptop or tablet computers and socialize with the ... More About: Coffee , Cool , Cozy , Morning , Gatos
Remodel or Move?
2007-09-18 19:31:00 Remodeling can be minor or it can be complete, so much so that you really have to move out of your home to live in it. Ever wonder how you could figure out whether you should sell and move or stay and remodel? A neat website with tools to help you evaluate this specific choice is www.RemodelOrMove .com. Check it out!
Remodel or Move?
2007-09-18 19:31:00 Remodeling can be minor or it can be complete, so much so that you really have to move out of your home to live in it. Ever wonder how you could figure out whether you should sell and move or stay and remodel? A neat website with tools to help you evaluate this specific choice is www.RemodelOrMove .com. Check it out!
What to Look for When Buying a Home
2007-09-16 05:28:00 What do saavy investors look for when buying a home? In a nutshell, they look for the "right things wrong". That is, there are things that will make an investment untenable, and other things that will make it attractive! The home must have these things: - a good floorplan - good structure (roof, plumbing, foundation, electrical) - good location To get it at a good price, the home probably should have these things: - been overpriced and on the market awhile - be structurally sound but ugly (wrong color carpet, paint) - need simple fixes (change countertops, paint cabinets, change lights, floorcovering/paint, and landscape) - be in an area with good appreciation (housing shortage) Often when Realtors go shopping for their own homes, they consider houses that have been on the market too long, that are really decent homes but simply ugly! It's easy to change paint and carpet, to add skylights and to fix lands... More About: Buying , Home
What to Look for When Buying a Home
2007-09-16 05:28:00 What do saavy investors look for when buying a home? In a nutshell, they look for the "right things wrong". That is, there are things that will make an investment untenable, and other things that will make it attractive! The home must have these things: - a good floorplan - good structure (roof, plumbing, foundation, electrical) - good location To get it at a good price, the home probably should have these things: - been overpriced and on the market awhile - be structurally sound but ugly (wrong color carpet, paint) - need simple fixes (change countertops, paint cabinets, change lights, floorcovering/paint, and landscape) - be in an area with good appreciation (housing shortage) Often when Realtors go shopping for their own homes, they consider houses that have been on the market too long, that are really decent homes but simply ugly! It's easy to change paint and carpet, to add skylight... More About: Buying , Home
Nostalgia in a Cinnamon Bun
2007-09-12 05:48:00 My kids attended Casa Maria Montessori (sadly, now closed) and St. Mary's Elementary School, both in Los Gatos. Many, many times I took them from school to the also-now-closed Good Earth Restaurant on North Santa Cruz Avenue to enjoy hot cocoa and oversized cinnamon buns. It's been years since that cheerful restaurant closed its doors, and my kids have not had a place in which to feast upon huge, locally baked cinnamon rolls since then. Until now. Thanks to Google Alerts, I see most articles and blog posts that come out with anything about our fair town (including some stupid stuff I could miss that actually has nothing to do with the town of Los Gatos). Recently the San Jose Mercury News did a piece on The Los Gatos Cafe Uptown and it mentioned the restaurant's yummy cinnamon buns. The Handy teens, aged 18 and 16, had this to say about the rolls after feasting on them last weekend: "I'm not sure if I was just hungry or they were i... More About: Nostalgia , Cinnamon , Namo
Nostalgia in a Cinnamon Bun
2007-09-12 05:48:00 My kids attended Casa Maria Montessori (sadly, now closed) and St. Mary's Elementary School, both in Los Gatos. Many, many times I took them from school to the also-now-closed Good Earth Restaurant on North Santa Cruz Avenue to enjoy hot cocoa and oversized cinnamon buns. It's been years since that cheerful restaurant closed its doors, and my kids have not had a place in which to feast upon huge, locally baked cinnamon rolls since then. Until now. Thanks to Google Alerts, I see most articles and blog posts that come out with anything about our fair town (including some stupid stuff I could miss that actually has nothing to do with the town of Los Gatos). Recently the San Jose Mercury News did a piece on The Los Gatos Cafe Uptown and it mentioned the restaurant's yummy cinnamon buns. The Handy teens, aged 18 and 16, had this to say about the rolls after feasting on them last weekend: "I'm not sure if I was just hungry or they were incredibly good, but with every bite I just k... More About: Nostalgia , Cinnamon , Namo
Los Gatos Real Estate Market Update
2007-09-08 20:37:00 In contrast to much of Silicon Valley, the Los Gatos market is continuing to experience appreciation and is a fairly "balanced" market overall. I. Single Family Homes Compared to last year, August's closed sales of single family homes were smaller in number (off 6.5%) but up in price (median up 35.9%, average up 23.7%). Inventory is far lower than last year too - listings were down 26.4% from last year. The lower inventory is helping to keep this market balanced, as opposed to the buyers' market it is elsewhere. Compared to last month, August's closed sales of houses in Los Gatos were down 6.5%, listings were up 6.2%, and prices were up noticeably (4.8% for the median and 7.2% for the average). II. Condos and Townhomes The condo market is somewhat similar in The Cats, with the numbers of listings and sales falling, inventory shrinking, and prices rising. Compared to last year, the closed sales were down by a whopping 66.7%, l... More About: Estate , Real Estate , Real Estate Market , Market , Update
Los Gatos Real Estate Market Update
2007-09-08 20:37:00 In contrast to much of Silicon Valley, the Los Gatos market is continuing to experience appreciation and is a fairly "balanced" market overall. I. Single Family Homes Compared to last year, August's closed sales of single family homes were smaller in number (off 6.5%) but up in price (median up 35.9%, average up 23.7%). Inventory is far lower than last year too - listings were down 26.4% from last year. The lower inventory is helping to keep this market balanced, as opposed to the buyers' market it is elsewhere. Compared to last month, August's closed sales of houses in Los Gatos were down 6.5%, listings were up 6.2%, and prices were up noticeably (4.8% for the median and 7.2% for the average). II. Condos and Townhomes The condo market is somewhat similar in The Cats, with the numbers of listings and sales falling, inventory shrinking, and prices rising. Compared to last year, the closed sales were down by a whopping 66.7%, listings were down by 23.5%, and prices wer... More About: Estate , Real Estate , Real Estate Market , Market , Update
Smokey and Eerie Skies from The Lick Fire
2007-09-06 17:41:00 The fire in the eastern foothills of Santa Clara Valley began almost 3 days ago and was first spotted from the James Lick Observatory - so has been dubbed the Lick Fire . The first day and a half, an enormous plume of smoke could be seen rising in the hills by south San Jose and Morgan Hill from Henry Coe State Park. Smoke and haze hung over the eastern range; it was in contrast to the rest of the area between there and the coastal foothills, where the sky remained blue. But chiarascura didn't last. For a day now, the haze has thickened. Smoke is pouring in, and not much of it seems to be escaping. We can't see the plume anymore. We can't even see that bank of hills anymore. Too much smoke. This morning I drove my kids to school in and near downtown San Jose (Notre Dame High School and Bellarmine College Prep). Heading east on Blossom Hill Road, we were shocked at the eeriely discolored sun hanging low in the sky. It was a pinkish... More About: Smokey , Erie
Smokey and Eerie Skies from The Lick Fire
2007-09-06 17:41:00 The fire in the eastern foothills of Santa Clara Valley began almost 3 days ago and was first spotted from the James Lick Observatory - so has been dubbed the Lick Fire . The first day and a half, an enormous plume of smoke could be seen rising in the hills by south San Jose and Morgan Hill from Henry Coe State Park. Smoke and haze hung over the eastern range; it was in contrast to the rest of the area between there and the coastal foothills, where the sky remained blue. But chiarascura didn't last. For a day now, the haze has thickened. Smoke is pouring in, and not much of it seems to be escaping. We can't see the plume anymore. We can't even see that bank of hills anymore. Too much smoke. This morning I drove my kids to school in and near downtown San Jose (Notre Dame High School and Bellarmine College Prep). Heading east on Blossom Hill Road, we were shocked at the eeriely discolored sun hanging low in the sky. It was a pinkish red, a look that you migh... More About: Smokey , Erie
Want to Buy a Home? Where to Start?
2007-09-06 06:35:00 Each week, I get inquiries from people who are thinking of buying a home. Some of them are fairly local, and some are potentially relocating here. Sometimes they want to "start the process" by having me show them homes. That's usually not the best way to proceed. The trouble with starting by viewing homes is that such a buyer may or may not be looking in the right price range - potentially wasting the time of everyone involved (themselves, their agent, and the people who clean up and leave their home for an hour or two so they can see it). Open house viewing, of course, is another thing - it can be an easy way to zip in and out of homes with little inconvenience to anyone. It can provide a sense of neighborhoods and what homes are going for. But the home buyer could, of course, be looking at the wrong price range with this approach. Look too low, get discourged. Look too high, and when the price range is later reset to what is realistic, everything will look aw... More About: Home , Start
Want to Buy a Home? Where to Start?
2007-09-06 06:35:00 Each week, I get inquiries from people who are thinking of buying a home here in Los Gatos or in Saratoga, San Jose or elsewhere in Silicon Valley. Some of them are fairly local, and some are potentially relocating here. Sometimes they want to "start the process" by having me show them homes. That's usually not the best way to proceed. The trouble with starting by viewing homes is that such a buyer may or may not be looking in the right price range - potentially wasting the time of everyone involved (themselves, their agent, and the people who clean up and leave their home for an hour or two so they can see it). Open house viewing, of course, is another thing - it can be an easy way to zip in and out of houses with little inconvenience to anyone. It can provide a sense of neighborhoods and what homes are going for. But the home buyer could, of course, be looking at the wrong price range with this approach. Look too low, get discourged. Look too high... More About: Home , Start
The Spa of Los Gatos
2007-09-03 05:40:00 Los Gato s affords many nice places in which to be pampered. I can't say I've tried them all, but one I return to time and again is the Spa of Los Gatos. Yesterday I enjoyed an hourlong massage there (finally using a giftcard from Christmas!) and it occurred to me that I might want to say a good word about this haven for folks who are in need of some relaxation, as I have been. (This is not a paid blogpost and the folks there do not even know that I am writing this.) Located across from the post office, near the Town Park Plaza, the Spa of Los Gatos is easy to find and a relatively easy place in which to find a parking spot, too. The folks there ask patrons to arrive 15 minutes early - I suspect it helps to create a more relaxed beginning when we don't arrive full of adreneline for being late - but they do not take the time to make you wait in a long line. Each time I've been there, I'm quickly escorted in, given a locker and shown where to wait for the technician. The se...
Jazz on the Plazz<br>Enjoy Cool Tunes on a Hot Summer Night
2007-08-29 21:47:00 Two-time grammy winning Diane Schuur belts out the grand finale of Jazz on the Plazz tonight at the Los Gatos Town Park Plaza. Get there early with your cooler & lawn chair, as this immensely popular singer will fill the park to capacity and then some. The show runs from 6:30 - 8:30. More About: Tunes , Summer , Cool , Enjoy
Music in the Park - Season Finale<br>with The Joe Sharino Band
2007-08-28 02:57:00 Sunday was the season's closing event for Music In The Park in Los Gatos, and the immensely popular Joe Sharino Band made for a great sendoff. Folks arrived early and danced lots. The weather could not have been nicer or the crowd happier. It was packed, but happy. Thank you, volunteers and sponsors! As with all the free concert series in town, Music in the Park is supported by sponsors and would never happen without a lot of volunteers. A special thanks to Valerie Hopkins, the Music in the Park Arts Commission Volunteer who does so much to make this event a huge success each year! This week, the sponsors were the Beck Family, the Community Hospital of Los Gatos, and Intero Real Estate Services in Los Gatos (eight agents or teams: Kate Adams, Diana Crawford, Wendy & Rick Ebster, Bob & Kelly Kaufman, Joette Schenck - who chaired our committee and did a fabulous job, Greg Simpson, Keith Walker & Mary Clark and yours truly, Mary Pope-Handy). Sev... More About: Season , Finale
Determining Probable Market Value of a Property
2007-08-25 16:03:00 Thinking of selling your home? One of the first questions a potential home seller has is this: "what's my home worth?" Real estate professionals will establish the probable buyer value (do a market analysis) by comparing your home to others like it which have sold recently and perhaps also those which are currently under contract (sale pending). These similar homes are called comps (for comparable sale). They factor in market conditions as well (buyers market, sellers market, inventory shortage or excess). What is an ideal "comp"? It is a sold home that is: recent (within at least 6 months, but preferably 3, similar market conditions) nearby (same zip code/town, within a mile is best, within same complex or subdivision is ideal) similar type of location (interior lots vs one backing to a freeway, school, high voltage lines) like condition (similar amount of updating/remodeling) In a tract subdivision or condo complex with many recent sales, this can be e... More About: Market , Property , Term , Prop , Pert
Crime in and near Los Gatos
2007-08-25 06:14:00 Los Gato s enjoys a tremendously low crime rate overall. Sometimes I chuckle to read The Weekly's blurb on the police reports. It usually includes a few drunk-in-publics, a DUI, theft out of an unlocked car, and a domestic dispute or two. Usually, crime in Los Gatos is very minor. It's not nice, it's disheartening, but it's normally very small. In the past, I have mulled over discussing some of the seedier things that happen in Los Gatos but didn't think there was anything to learn from the topic. It's obvious to me that drunk driving is wreckless and innately immoral, and I didn't think I had anything new to add to the topic. Los Gatos IS a safe place to live. Probably one of the safest. But that doesn't make The Cats immune, and it doesn't mean we should be so casual as to invite trouble. And I think the latter point is something that should be addressed as many of us are complacent as we relax in the safety of our town. Today is a case in point. Sadly, early ... More About: Crime , Rime
Fogging for West Nile in Part of Los Gatos Tonight
2007-08-22 17:44:00 Mosquitoes infected with West Nile and birds dead from the virus have been found in the area where Los Gatos , Saratoga, Campbell and San Jose meet. The area will be fogged tonight. The program has been effective in other parts of the valley. (To see the boundaries, see the county's description here.) The chemicals are not supposed to be harmful to humans or pets and are said to dissipate with sunlight. But cautious folks may want to keep their windows closed between 11pm and 5am just the same, The county also suggests covering fish ponds, taking kids' toys inside, turning off air conditioning units during the fogging and staying indoors. The county has a wealth of information about the way in which it is addressing the eradication of West Nile online on its Vector Control page. Additionally, one can sign up for email alerts on the West Nile Virus at that page too. More About: Tonight , Part
How Can the Subprime Mortgage Mess<br>Impact You in Los Gatos?
2007-08-19 15:43:00 Here in Los Gatos and in Silicon Valley, Countrywide is a mortgage company - it sells loans. You don't see Countrywide Bank on street corners here or anywhere in northern California. Recently the lending institution, Countrywide, known to all of us, was "downgraded" and some economists are not seeing a cheery future for that company. Last week, the LA Times wrote that it went from bad to worse as there was a bit of a run on Countrywide bank in southern California. Public vote: no confidence. How can that impact you? Countrywide is the largest provider of home loans in the nation. It is having to make fewer and fewer loans (more so now that it had to borrow money to cash out some customers). In short, the money supply is tightening - even more. With real estate, it is all about supply and demand. Home buyers are really purchasing both a home and a loan (in my career I've worked with two "all cash" buyers in 14.5 years). When the money supply shrin... More About: Mortgage , Subprime , Prime , Rime
Nice Article about an Inspiring Los Gatos Woman: Peggy Flemming
2007-08-18 06:48:00 There are a lot of cool people in Los Gatos , and some of them are actually famous. You can go to Wikipedia or other places to get a partial list of the high-profile people who live here or have lived here. I tend to avoid naming names on this blog because I figure most of those folks would rather just try to live a normal life and be somewhat incognito. Yes, most of the famous people - I believe - really just want to be treated like regular folks (at least most of the time). Fame can be a great thing, but it can also be a terrible thing. It's terrible when you cannot enjoy a restaurant meal or just go shopping "like a normal person" because people won't leave you alone. It's also a downer when you aren't really sure who your friends are because so many just want to hang on your coattails because you're doing well and in the spotlight. It is a nightmare when paparazzi have you in their sites and microanalyze your every move or people follow you in your car... More About: Article , Woman , Nice , Ming
What is Adverse Possession?
2007-08-15 07:27:00 Last week, I did a post on easements and promised to do a followup on adverse possession. My intention had been to do it sooner, but we were on a trip (seeing colleges and relatives out of state) and upon my return there was an awful lot of realty work that needed my very immediate attention. So please pardon my delay in explaining this concept. In the discussion on easements, I explained that a prescriptive easment can happen if someone uses your property notoriously & conspicuously over a period of years without interruption. With adverse possesion, it goes one step further. Not only does a person use another's land notoriously, conspicuously, without interruption and for a period of years, but additionally that same person pays the taxes on the same land. By doing so, eventually the hostile takeover with taxes paid can result in a transfer of title! Every state has a law about the amount of time required and other factors, and in California the timefram... More About: Possession
On This Day in the History of Los Gatos
More articles from this author:2007-08-10 14:50:00 Happy Birthday, Los Gatos !! The Town of Los Gatos was incorporated 120 years ago today, August 10, 1887, with 1 square mile (100 acres) on either side of the Los Gatos Creek. Today the town includes about 12 square miles. Other Happenings in 1887 (though not August 10th) That was a busy year, and a significant one, for Los Gatos. Also in 1887 the Almond Grove District was created with 170 lots - 121 of which were all auctioned off in one day! And again in that same year, Albert Vollmer settled on a prune ranch in what is now known as Vasona Park. Vollmer is the one responsible for the name Vasona. As a child, he had a pony by that name, When he later arranged for a whistle stop at his ranch (so that his daughter could commute by rail to her job in San Jose), he dubbed the stop "Vasona". More About: History , Tory , S Day 1, 2, 3 |
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