From 11am until 5:30pm, there will be loads of fun events to celebrate Independence Day in downtown Los Gatos. The town has a flyer with detailed information on the entertainment (music, dancing, games) and more.  Happy Fourth of July!

Today I stumbled upon an interesting demographics tool:  a map (and list) showing political donations in the last presidential election by city, particular address, by the donor's occupation, employer or last name.  It's on the Huffington Post and appears to search nationwide.  It is not 100% complete, though.  I actually made a donation in the last election but my name and info are not showing up - I believe that this may not have included donations in the last few weeks of the election for tha treason (that's when I sent my donation in).  Anyway, have a look around - it's interesting!

The site states that for Los Gatos:

"$1,073,805 was given by people who identified their city as "Los Gatos, CA".
$280,419 from 256 people to Republicans (av = $1095 each)
$793,386 from 773 people to Democrats" (av = $1026 each)

In neighboring Saratoga:

$1,272,097 was given by people who identified their city as "Saratoga, CA".
$456,436 from 264 people to Republicans (av = $1729 each)
$815,661 from 579 people to Democrats  (av = $1409 each)

And in Monte Sereno:

$39,448 from 36 people to Republicans (av = $1095 each)
$171,415 from 93 people to Democrats (av = $1843 each)

Interested in other areas? Start your search here on the San Jose page and then look for whatever criteria you want to use.

The gorgeous W.E. (Bill) Mason Carousel at Oak Meadow Park in Los Gatos is as historically interesting as it is beautiful. It conceals more than a surprise to two.

Built in 1915 in England, the carousel was made of horses from England and Germany (some horses made by a Frenchman too). It was a long voyage to California - it had to be shipped around the horn (the Panama Canal did not yet exist) and then it debuted at the Panama Pacific Expo in San Francisco (which began in 1915).  Following the exposition, it  toured around with a circus beginning in the 30s for awhile before finding itself in storage in Redwood City for an untold number of years. 

Happily, though, the story doesn't end there. In 1980 the ride was purchased by the town with $50,000 in collected donations, and then it resettled in this sweet spot among Siicon Valley parks.  The wooden horses, all hand painted, were lovingly restored over several years by volunteers.  Additionally, upgrades were made to the mechanical side too, bringing it up to date. The ride was name after the late Bill Mason, Sr., of the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad fame, and dedicated in 1990.

The carosoul is a great compliment to the park with its train, airplane, open space and play structures, and it's a huge hit with kids and parents alike. Is is truly "living history" right in our own backyard.

But wait, there's more!

The lovely merry-go-round is also haunted.

Not to worry, parents, the ghost is benign - in fact, benevolent.  Nothing scary happens here and it appears that the ghost simply loves the attraction.  Some employees have experienced minor events such as noises without explanation and safety belts all mysteriously appearing latched when they should have been loose, and of course, that sense that someone's there or someone's watching when no one is visible.

I was at the park yesterday with Annette Martin, who asked me to introduce her to some of the haunted places in Los Gatos, and this was our last stop.  Later this year she'll share her experiences of this visit in an article or book.  Not to spoil her story, I'll let her tell "the rest of the story" at that time.  (But be assured, she didn't find anything for children or parents to fear.)

As noted many times in this blog about Los Gatos real estate, the market is varied from one price point and school district, among other things, to the next.

The homes in the lowest price points and "in the schools" seem to be selling faster.  For today's view into the market, let's consider homes in Los Gatos, with Los Gatos Schools, with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, priced at under $1,500,000.

The days on market or "DOM" for all pendings is a misleading number of almost 100 days. If the average DOM is 100, buyers can take their time, right?

But let's have a closer look and sort the results. If we pull the data apart by the date of the sale (when buyers and sellers agreed on price and terms), a different picture of the market emerges. The average DOM now is 1/3 of what it was for the current pendings PRIOR to June 1st!

While some homes are not selling too fast, the pace appears to be quickening dramatically. It may be awhile before this is seen in the sold data, but it's very much a "real time" snapshot of the market activity now.

Sellers, if you get your home into great shape and price it aggressively, you may be able to sell your home so fast that it will shock your neighbors.

Buyers, if you are trying to purchase a home that falls into this segment, it's important to see homes that interest you quickly now, since they may not last a week or two.

If you'd like more information on data pertaining to your home or the type of home you'd like to buy, please contact me.  We can set up a meeting and go over the information that matches your own situation.

(Numbers by our MLS, MLSListings.com. Data exported, sorted and crunched by Mary Pope-Handy.)

In case you misplaced the mailing or haven't heard, West Valley Collection & Recycling is collecting an unlimited number of items from your curb at no additional cost for one day only. That day is Friday, June 12, 2009 at 6am.

To see what will and will not be accepted, please see the online version of the mailer:
http://westvalleyrecycles.com/serviceareas/annual-cleanup.html

Happy "Spring Cleaning"!

Beautifully Remodeled & Updated Los Gatos Home On Large Lot
with Room to Expand or Rebuild

15540 El Gato Lane, Los Gatos, CA 95032
offered at $768,800

Remodeled & updated 3 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom home on extra deep 8000 SF lot
MLS # 80925359

Virtual Tour: http://www.TourFactory.com/515873
View more photos

Open Saturday, June 13th, 1:30 - 4:30pm
please stop by!

For more details & information, please visit
the 15540 El Gato Lane detail page on PopeHandy.com