Archives
March 2008
|
 "Blossom Hill" is the name of the small hill that rises up underneath - you guessed it - Blossom Hill Road in Los Gatos. That particular stretch of the long road where the hill heaves upward is a dangerous one for pedestrians, cyclists, skateboarders, and folks on rollerblades especially (and is no fun for drivers of large vehicles or new drivers either). There is no sidewalk, and the white line that marks the edge of the road goes into a hill on one side and a cliff on the other for a few dozen yards.
Jim just came in from a drive over that patch of Blossom Hill Road and was amazed to see a rollerblader carrying a hockey stick skating down the middle of the road. (In fairness, there is no "side of the road" there.) I know it's inconvenient to go down Camino del Cerro and through the "Blossom" streets to get over to Union Avenue, but it would be a lot safer than being in the middle of the flow of traffic. It's a far safer "bike route" or route for people on foot or in self-propelled vehicles of any kind.
What Would It Cost to Build A Sidewalk Along the Dangerous Part of Blossom Hill Road?
I've often wondered what it would cost to get a sidewalk put in along that part of the road. A similar problem exists in Saratoga as Highway 9 goes into the town but they put a raised sidewalk into the hill. (I'm sure it's not cheap.) For the safety of everyone, I'd love to see an improvement made there. And I'd like to know if this issue has ever been considered. If not, it's time we talked about it.
Anyone who's more politically involved than I am - do you know the scoop on this hazardous section of road? Your comments and feedback are welcomed and appreciated.
|
|
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link :: Email This Entry
|
|
The Los Gatos Observer was the first to break the news that yesterday, just before noon, a man was killed at a townhome complex (Rancho de Los Gatos) on Overlook Drive, which is walking distance to downtown Los Gatos. Within a few hours, other news sources picked up on the story and we learned that the victim was a former bar tender and bar owner, the much beloved Mark Achilli.
Apparently a man dressed all in black had been hanging around this normally sleepy neighborhood for a few hours. He shot Mr. Achilli at close range with a number of bullets. Experts believe this is not a random shooting.
Right now, there are more questions than answers. Police are seeking any information. Please call (408) 354-8600 if you can help with this case. The suspect is still at large.
Mark Achilli is a former owner of Mountain Charley's Saloon and 180 Degree Restaurant and Lounge, and prior to that was a bartender at Carry Nation's - all three in Los Gatos.
Crime in Los Gatos
Los Gatos enjoys a very, very low crime rate, so this is particularly shocking for the townsfolk. The type of crime found here can be read in the local papers or online, and usually consists of things like drunk in public, domestic dispute, theft (often from or of autos), burglary, and so on. More serious offenses include rape, drunk driving and assault - but they are not too common.
A visit to CrimeReports.com enables the visitor to plug in the address and see, on a map, the types of crime there. You can see for yourself that this murder is an abberation for the otherwise ultra-safe part of Silicon Valley.
Link to CrimeReports.com's page for 18400 Overlook Road, Los Gatos, CA 95030
The police has a volunteer group, Volunteers in Policing, and these 150 or so goodly folks assist in a lot of ways around the town. Residents here experience good rapport with the police as well and it's hoped that together, we can assist our peace officers in solving this crime, bringing answers to Mark Achilli's loved ones, and again making our town peaceful and safe. If you know anything that might assist in this investigation, please call the police at (408) 354-8600, or phone the Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Tip Line at (408) 399-7531.
For more on the investigation of this crime, please see these articles in the Los Gatos Observer: Los Gatos Police Investigate Shooting
Los Gatos Police Seek Murder Suspect
|
|
Comments (2) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link :: Email This Entry
|
|
.jpg) St. Patrick's Day is being celebrated in Los Gatos over a period of days, so everyone will have an ample opportunity to wear the green and enjoy the fun! Below please find a list of fun places to visit to partake:
Sunday, March 16th: C.B. Hannegan's, located at 208 Bachman Avenue in downtown Los Gatos (close to N. Santa Cruz Avenue and the Bank of America). Hannegan's always overflows with patrons for this feast, so they are celebrating a day early to be able to use the B of A parking lot. Visit their website for information on their St. Patrick's Day celebration
The Los Gatos Brewing Company, found at 130-G N. Santa Cruz Avenue (near Wells Fargo Bank in downtown Los Gatos) is offering a special menu both 3/16 and 3/17. You can always count on them to celebrate all the holidays!
Monday, March 17th: The Boulevard Tavern, located at 15043 Los Gatos Boulevard (near Lark Avenue, between Lark and Highway 85), honors the patron saint of Ireland with green beer, free corned beef & cabbage (I've been to Ireland and just have to add that I've never met an Irish person who actually eats corned beef and cabbage), Irish music, and all around fun. No cover charge. They don't appear to have a website, but their phone number is 408 358-0774.
Number One Broadway, which is actually not ON Broadway but instead at 102 B. South Santa Cruz Ave. (near the intersection with Broadway) will be open with a DJ and dancing.
What's the Hulabaloo Over St. Patrick's Day This Year?
The celebration of St.Patrick's day, with all of its secular aspects, is rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition of honoring a saint on his or her feast day. St. Patrick, who was actually not Irish himself (that's a long story!), brought the Christian faith to the emerald isle and now is its patron saint. Because this holy man died on March 17th (year disputed), that's when he's honored in the church. (So the celebration doesn't normally move around as other feast days do which are dependent on a lunar or solar calendar.) In many cities today, Mass preceeds the parade - though not in all places where a parade is held.
Every once in awhile, there's a "liturgical conflict". That means that one religious observance basically steps on another - often because one thing is based on the fixed date and the other on a moving calendar. So, for instance, during the penitential season of Lent, Catholics abstain from meat on Fridays. Sometimes, though, St. Patrick's Day will fall on a Friday in Lent. The local bishop usually gives a dispensation (think of it like a free pass) and the feast day basically takes precedence.
Unfortunately, this year, St. Patrick's Day actually falls during Holy Week (the week which begins with Palm Sunday and goes through the triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday prior to Easter Sunday). This is a very solemn week for all Christians, Catholics included. The Pope and the Bishops feel that feasts are not appropriate for Holy Week.
So there's the dilemma: we have an important feast which, like Christmas, has both religious and secular aspects to it. In some places, the observance of the religious aspect was moved rather than dropped (in Savannah, they moved it to Friday the 14th).
Getting less press, but along the same lines is the Solemnity of St. Joseph. This is a huge feast day in Italy and I believe the tradition is still strong to have a feast in one's home and invite the homeless in - at least that's what friends of mine in Sicily tell me. St. Joseph is the Patron of this Diocese and, as Mary's husband, is very important in the Church. St. Patrick's Day pretty much got dropped from the calendar here in the Diocese of San Jose this year, but the Solemnity of Joseph got moved from March 19th (same problem - Holy Week) to today, March 15th.
There's been a lot of uproar over St Patrick's Day being dropped religiously all over the country. It hasn't stopped the secular celebrations, though. I wonder if there's an equal fuss being made over the patron of homes (and of real estate), St. Joseph?
Luckily we won't see this calendar problem again for 50 or more years. May all our problems be so small!
|
|
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link :: Email This Entry
|
Los Gatos Home Sales Trends
The following chart shows median and average price trends plus sales in the Los Gatos real estate market of single family homes (this is for the zip codes 95030 and 95032, not the mountain areas of 95033). The chart uses a 12-month moving average to eliminate any seasonal variation. Note that overall, prices of sold homes continue to rise, even as the number of sales has been declining.
The next chart is the same as above but uses a 3-month moving average. This smoothes out month-to-month variations yet shows seasonal variations. What is unusual here is that the number of sales is not rebounding as much as is seasonally normal.
This chart shows the current inventory of homes for sale compared to the number that have sold. The larger the gap between inventory and sales, the harder it is to sell, of course. So it is a little amazing that prices are rising at all.
The next series of charts shows the same real estate data as above but for condominiums and town homes in the Town of Los Gatos. As you can see, it's a little harder on the condo and townhome market in Los Gatos. Prices do not appear to be rising in this segment of the market.
For detailed information on specific homes or neighborhoods, contact me.. And to see more neighborhoods and more data, please visit my online report: http://www.rereport.com/sj/winmph/
Data collected from MLSListings.com (REInfolink), compiled by ReReport.com - used by permission (I am a subscriber)
Mary Pope-Handy
Realtor, CRS, ABR, e-PRO, SRES, ASP, RECS, CNHS, ACRE
|
|
Comments (2) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link :: Email This Entry
|
|
 Saturday night, Jim and I enjoyed a "date night" out in Los Gatos. He'd been given a very nice gift certificate to Forbes Mill Steakhouse for a talk he gave on semiconductors some months ago, and finally we were able to enjoy it. This had been on my list of "want to try" restaurants so I was very excited about it.
The building itself is nothing like its prior incarnations as a short lived pizza parlor or the longstanding, much beloved (and still missed) Good Earth Restaurant. Elegant, tasteful and not imposing, the Forbes Mill ambiance is relaxed and upscale but without being the slightest bit pretentious.
From the moment we arrived until the time we left, the service was exceptional. Our waitress was friendly and helpful, she stopped by often enough without hovering. The bus boy, too, checked in on us just often enough. Water was refilled frequently, which we appreciated.
How about the menu? How was the food?
With no apologies, this is a steakhouse - and the menu is, of course, very heavy on red meat dishes. (I would tell a vegetarian not to bother - unless dropping by for dessert.) Before the main course, we had a little wine, some tasty salads and warm rolls. As I recall, they had three chardonnays by the glass - not a huge selection, but I was happy with the one I got. (I asked if they had Cinnabar Chardonnay, which is my favorite, but unfortunately it is not offered that way.) I ordered rack of lamb and Jim a kobe beef steak. Both were fantastic.
I'd never tasted kobe beef before but swaped forkfuls with my better half and could not believe how tender and flavorful his meat was. It wasn't just delicious, it was an experience! The vegetables and savory bread pudding were good too - but I'll remember the evening mostly for the meat.
Since we were lingering over a nice meal, we stayed on a bit longer to enjoy a dessert sampler and coffee too. That was a treat. I wish more restaurants would offer dessert samplers - they are fun and no matter what, you'll have to like some of the dishes, if not all of them! I particularly loved the cheesecake with the mango topping. Yum!
All in all, it was a very enjoyable evening with great food, service and ambiance. Would I go back? Well, I'd like to. But it's the kind of place where it's very easy to drop $100 per person (if not more) by the time the evening's over, and with our two kids almost in college, that kind of spending is not something we'll do often at this point in our lives. But it was sure good, from start to finish, and truthfully, I do not think it was too expensive for what you get.
The Verdict: Two thumbs up!
A word on the portions is in order. The serving sizes were generous, and I'd misread the menu and ordered side dishes of two more veggies, so we had a lot of extra food when it was over. I did ask for a "doggie bag". Our bus boy kindly took my plate away and returned with the food in a single box. Unfortunately, that meant that my creamed spinach, asparagus, green beans, carrots, bread pudding and 2 lamb chops were all mushed in together as a soggy mess. If I could suggest something to the good folks at Forbes Mill Steakhouse, it would be to not throw all the leftovers together in one big box, but perhaps to use the styrofoam containers which have sections in them instead.
And finally...do you know why the place is named Forbes Mill? It was around this first mill in town that the current town of Los Gatos grew up!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NB: This is not a paid post, nor did the proprietors ask me to do a review.
Forbes Mill Steakhouse
206 N. Santa Cruz Avenue
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Tel 408 395-6434
http://www.ForbesMillSteakhouse.com
|
|
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link :: Email This Entry
|
Date: Mar. 10, 2008
Tags: San Jose Mercury News, Los Gatos, San Jose, Real Estate, El Dumpo, Fixer, Fixer Upper, Cosmetic Fixer, Bulldozer, Dozer
The San Jose Mercury News was a Realtor's close friend in the 50s, 60s and 70s. It was more current than the multiple listing book (which at that time was updated about once a week with tearout or replaceable pages) and scanning the ads was crucially important to know what was going on back then. Each morning, my mother, Pat Pope (a Realtor from '56 to '96) would pour over the Merc with her morning coffee to stay current on the market.
 Most of the ads were pretty plain. One stood out for its frank humor - and it ran for what felt like years. The "old timers" in the industry may remember it. In large letters, this San Jose fixer-upper was listed boldly as "EL DUMPO". It eventually did sell but while being marketed, gave a lot of folks the chuckles.
So what makes a home a "fixer"?
In my real estate practice, I find that buyers, sellers and agents can all have a different idea of what constitutes a "fixer". It comes down to a matter of degree.
Simply put, a fixer is a home that needs a lot of work.
At one end of the spectrum, there are homes that have been updated now and then over the years - perhaps with a kitchen remodel that's now 20 or 25 years old - but not recently. The carpet and paint need replacing and the look could be newer, but the home is well maintained and clean. Is it a fixer? The sellers won't think so and may be offended if that label is applied to their home. The agents may view it as borderline. Buyers may view it as "liveable but needing work". Or maybe not - perhaps they will wonder how the current owners could live in a home with that condition. They may consider it a fixer.
 At the other end of the range is the "bulldozer". These are homes that have not been kept up at all: not updated, not even cleaned. They may have dysfunctional floorplans, illegal additions. They may need more than fixing; they may need replacing.
Once when my kids were out of school (vacation or inservice day) on a real estate board tour day, I took them along with me to see a few homes. We pulled up to one in Monte Sereno. The structure was sitting on a perflectly flat view lot close to Daves Avenue. The house was the kind of thing that makes a person say "ewww" when opening doors and seeing unpleasant, moldy surprises. My daughter, then about age seven, saw it and proclaimed wisely "Mommy, it's a 'dozer'".
Here are the types of things that will make virtually all buyers and Realtors view a home as a "fixer" (not just one of these, but multiple issues):
- major systems in need of being replaced, such as the roof, electrical system, plumbing, heating
- floors badly out of level (foundation work needed, drainage work needed)
- baths and kitchens that are 40 years old
- fireplaces and chimneys that need rebuilding or extensive repairs
And here are a few more that may invoke the "fixer" label (or the milder "cosmetic fixer") among homebuyers and real estate agents:
 popcorn or textured ceilings - paneling or (most older) wallpaper on the walls
- single pane windows
- cracked and stained concrete - driveways, walkways, patios
- lack of in-ground sprinklers
- ugly landscaping (obviously a little subjective)
- baths and kitchens more than 20 to 25 years old or in out-of-date colors
- old (or stained) carpeting or other floorcovering
For agents, it's helpful to clarify with buyers what they mean when they say "I want to buy a fixer". They may mean "replacing carpet and paint is OK" but nothing else. Or they may be willing to tear down a house and rebuild a new one for the right lot and location.
 For buyers, it's important to be clear with your agent what kinds of things you'd be willing to do for the right price, and how much is too much.
For homeowners who may be thinking of selling, don't worry about completely updating your house because someone may view it as a fixer upper. You won't get your money back in the short term if you replace your kitchen cabinets, for instance. But it's a mistake to take the stance that "the buyer can fix it" for everything extreme. Many buyers cannot envision how nice your kitchen would be without the brown and white flowered wallpaper and without the brown vinyl or linoleum flooring. Some fixes will make you money when you sell and some won't. Floorcoverings and paint are often a good investment.
Please call me if you'd like to discuss your particular situation and how to maximize buying or selling a home that may be a fixer.
Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor, CRS, ABR, e-PRO, SRES, ASP, RECS, CNHS, ACRE
Helping Nice Folks to Buy & Sell Homes Since 1993
Co-Author: "Get The Best Deal When Selling Your Home In Silicon Valley"
Keller Williams, Cupertino, CA (Silicon Valley)
877 397-5391 (Direct/Toll-Free/Fax); 408 204-7673 (Cell)
www.PopeHandy.com www.ValleyOfHeartsDelight.com
|
|
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link :: Email This Entry
|
Every Sunday, Los Gatans gather downtown at the Town Plaza Park area for the farmer's market. Stop by!
(Photos for this show taken with Palm Treo 700, btw. Also, when this slideshow ends, a link will appear to offer you others to view as well. Enjoy!)
|
|
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link :: Email This Entry
|
|
Live in Los Gatos:
A blog about Los Gatos real estate, homes, houses, condos, townhomes, housing market, neightborhoods, history, events, businesses, parks, schools, photos, issues, and lifestyle.
|
RSS Blog Feed
