Los Gatos, California
Los Gatos real estate, neighborhoods, condos, houses, homes, market trends, history, events, lifestyle, parks, events, businesses, home, Mary Pope-Handy
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Oct. 22, 2009
If you are thinking of buying or selling a Los Gatos condo or townhouse, it's helpful to know what the market's doing - that is, what are the Los Gatos real estate trends and statistics for the condo market.
Today we'll have a look at the Los Gatos condo market in terms of pricing, inventory, and days on market. We will study Los Gatos as a whole and broken out by zip code, and also by price quartile too. The data below is via Altos Research, to which I am a subscriber & so I have the right to use the charts & graphs here. (Note: Altos Research uses list prices, not sold prices.) The charts I'm uploading will automatically update, so if you pull up this post long after it's been written, the charts will still be "live" and should be accurate.
First, the pricing trends for condos and townhomes in 95030 and 95032 combined (so all of Los Gatos together) over the last year, and separated by quartile:
Generally, it's been a year of some increases but overall decreases in list prices year over year (as of late October 2009).
Following, the two zip codes separated, but the quartiles combined:
Interestingly, the 95030 part of Los Gatos was dropping this time last year (10-2008) while the 95032 market was mostly improving. I suspect that this is due to the cost of living: 95032 is simply less expensive.
Getting more specific: now see Los Gatos 95030 condos and townhomes, broken out by price quartile:
Fascinating to see what happened with the group that had been the second quartile and ended up at the bottom! The deepest decines in value (or pricing) have come in the highest price ranges. This is true in Saratoga and other high-end markets around Silicon Valley and in parts of San Jose (such as Almaden Valley) too.
Same pricing info but for Los Gatos 95032:
The 95032 patterns seemed to follow a more understandable path than 95030.
Next, inventory - the available townhouses and condominiums to buy in Los Gatos (both zips combined)over the last 12 months: 
Inventory for 95030:
And inventory for 95032:
Now, we'll look at the average Days on Market. Things are really interesting here as we view all of Los Gatos by quartile.:
And again, we'll drill down to the zip code & quartile view of the Los Gatos condo and townhome market as we consider the average days on market:
In the 95030 part of Los Gatos, interestingly, the least expensive condos are taking the longest to sell. Why might that be the case? Here's my hunch: most of this zip code is "in the schools" (enjoying Blossom Hill Elementary, Van Meter Elementry, or Daves Avenue School as well as Fisher Middle School and Los Gatos High). The least expensive homes often fall into one of two categories: seniors housing (Alberto Way, the Los Gatos Commons) or small, entry level condos with only one bedroom. Neither of these would require the highly regarded Los Gatos Schools.
Conversely, in the 95032 part of town, it's the most expensive townhomes and condos that are taking the longest to sell. A possible reason is that people who can afford a high end condo can also afford a single family home - and right now, the houses have come down so much in price that they are not as out of reach as they were in the past. Most likely, homebuyers are preferring to buy a house (perhaps in Cambrian Park or Willow Glen) rather than a costly condo.
Even more data:
I just ran a little more info off of MLSListings.com, our MLS provider here in the San Jose area, and see that in Los Gatos (both zip codes) 26 condos and townhomes sold & closed in the last month, and there are 132 available today. That means there are 5 months of inventory, which is just a little into the seller's market territory.
95030 - 51 available, 6 sold in last month = 8.5 months of inventory - av sales price = $1,301,667
95032 - 81 available, 20 sold in last month = 4.05 months of inventory - av sales pr = $1,068,360
Very very interesting that it's approximately twice as easy to sell a condo in 95032 than in 95030. In most of Santa Clara County, the most affordable homes are the ones selling the best. That general trend appears to be in full swing here in Los Gatos among the townhouse and condo market too.
If you'd like to sell or buy a Los Gatos condo or townhouse, please contact me. I'd be happy to have a confidential, no obligation conversation with you about your wants, needs and plans.
Although it can be a bit of a challenge to sell a condominium or townhome in Los Gatos, it's not impossible if the pricing, staging, and marketing are all correct.
Oct. 5, 2009
It's early October - many years, we experience an influx of inventory in Los Gatos homes for sale at about this time (between Labor Day and Halloween). Not this year, though. It seems that the uptick in available homes for sale mostly happens in years where it's a seller's market. The Los Gatos & Monte Sereno real estate market, especially in the 95030 zip code, where prices continue to fall, has not been a seller's market in most price ranges recently. It appears that many homeowners are holding onto their homes for now - probably until the market recovers. My buyers are noticing the lack of inventory too.
(On a side note: I do have buyers looking for a turnkey Los Gatos home with 4 bedrooms, 2 baths and a less than 10,000 sf lot for up to 1.5 million. Nothing currently on the market is a fit for them - if you have a home that might work, or know of one not currently on the market, please let me know. Either zip code or school area is OK.)
Today we'll have a look at the list prices and inventory for two zip codes, which combined generally make up the area included in the Town of Los Gatos and also the City of Monte Sereno: 95030 and 95032. 95030 is Los Gatos and also Monte Sereno. (There are some funky exceptions: one area with the 95032 zip code out by Pollard and Quito actually belongs to Campbell but has a Los Gatos address for postal reasons. Another area near National and Carlton along the Cambrian border has a San Jose, 95124 mailing address but is actually Los Gatos - same thing, for postal reasons the mailing address is off.)
Another caveat - and a big one - is that today's study does not include a breakdown by school district. This can be a leading indicator of how your particular neighborhood might be faring. Altos does not use this criteria so I can't factor it in with this study. On August 24th, I did a post on my Valley of Hearts Delight blog on the Los Gatos Real Estate Market that did include the school district information. This is great data but takes many hours to assemble, so it's not something I can provide often. But have a look there too - many of the trends are unchanged, even if the exact numbers are different:
The charts below were created by me with Altos Research, to which I have a subscription and the right to publish the charts. Altos uses LIST PRICES in its data fyi.
List prices with both zip codes combined, market separated out by quartile over the last 6 months:
Just 95030 - closer to downtown, usually, than most of 95032, and almost 100% "in the schools", this is a more expensive place to live than 95032: 
Now just 95032: 
Now inventory - the upper cluster of quartiles is 95032, the lower one is 95030: 
Combining quartiles is a little easier (a quartile is 25% of the market so of course the four tiers will always be about the name in number as each other). 
What's interesting is that although the 95030 zip code is usually more in demand (due to downtown Los Gatos proximity and the famed schools), those more expensive homes have not been getting scooped up by the market quite as fast as the homes in 95032. The latter are more affordable - and affordability is key in most price points. The days on market for Los Gatos homes for sale by zip code and quartile:
Altos provides a "median market action index" (greater than 30 is a sellers market) that is quite interesting - note the huge difference:
Next, by zip code and price quartile. 95030 is "all over the board, with some parts trending downward and others moving upward...
Now for Los Gatos 95032, which seems to be behaving more as a unified group than 95030:
In most of the 95032 price points, the market's been improving. It's still a buyer's market, but until August or September, it was improving steadily.
How's the market? Really needs to be, "how's your specific market?" The lowest price points in 95030 are selling well - which has been the case for months. The most expensive homes in 95030 are lagging the most - which has also been the trend. The less expensive homes in 95032 are faring better overall. If we were to break 95032 down by school district (as I did in the post referenced above), we'd find that the homes selling the best are the ones with Los Gatos Schools (not Moreland or Union).
For information on your particular corner of the Los Gatos real estate market or the Monte Sereno real estate market, please contact me. I'd be happy to chat with you - no obligation.
Jun. 26, 2009
The real estate market in the high-end communities of Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga has not been as hard-hit on pricing as in the entry level and more affordable areas like Blossom Valley and Cambrian Park, but not nearly as many homes are selling in these areas for that reason. Areas with huge (30-40%) price drops are seeing first time home buyers and investors swoop down, some paying "all cash" to get in on the fire sale pricing. That is just not happening in the tonier neighborhoods of Silicon Valley.
The west valley foothill communities aren't at these kinds of price drops, but if you're a home seller, you certainly aren't feeling like the real estate market is doing you any favors. Prices are down in varying degrees, but overall it is a "rollback" in sales prices of several years and the discount is perhaps 20-30% from the peak for most homes (worse for the luxury home market).
The charts below are from Altos Research (with whom I have a subscription) and prices are LIST prices, not sales prices. The black line represents Los Gatos, green is Saratoga, and orange Monte Sereno, and the timeframe for all charts below is the last 12 months. Properties are single family homes only (houses, not condos or townhomes).
Monte Sereno tends to have the most expensive homes generally of the three communities, and this small city has been hit the worst with price drops because higher priced homes generally have had the biggest damage done to pricing, and more affordable homes have been less hurt by the price cuts.
Again, Monte Sereno has the biggest struggle with the longest days on the market. Saratoga is experiencing a better market. This does not surprise me because I have some homebuyers for that city and we are having a hard time finding much that's within their budget and meets their needs. In Los Gatos, where I also have buyers (different from Saratoga), we are finding a lot of homes are still priced too high for the market, so the buyers continue to wait.
The relisted homes chart is a reflection of how many sellers were unsuccessful the first time around, but the owners really do want or need to sell, so they get the house back on the market. Sometimes it's with a new coat of paint and far better staging, sometimes a much better price, sometimes a new agent and brokerage - or maybe all three.
. 
Inventory levels are climbing in all three of these expensive Santa Clara County areas. Buyers are having a hard time in most cases because if they're moving up, it's difficult to sell the home they already own due to negative equity and it's also very difficult to get a loan for high end real estate. If sellers can offer financing, that could be very helpful to a lot of buyers (get professional assistance from your Realtor, CPA and attorney before attempting this, though).
Sellers:
Most often, when a home doesn't sell, it's the pricing that is incorrect for the market, though condition (and staging) can have a big impact too. While a few buyers may be willing to pay "top dollar" for a home in average or worse condition, the majority of home buyers will not. Pricing & condition need to be aimed at the bulk of likely purchasers of the property, not the unlikely, rare homebuyer. In this market, when most homes are not selling in Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and Saratoga, that means staging and pricing aggressively. If there's a "better deal" than your home, that's the one the buyer will choose. In this market, the lowest price and best condition "wins" with a sale.
There are things you can do to increase the odds your home will sell and even make your home sell for more:
- get the home cleaned, cleared of clutter, and nicely staged (get help and professional advice on this)
- make the front yard appealing with colorful annuals, nicely trimmed bushes, and a healthy green lawn - if the front yard looks bad, the buyers will not even get out of their car to see inside your home
- make the home easy to show, use a lockbox, do NOT make showings appointment only through the listing agent or yourself
- when the home is being viewed by potential buyers, do not be home - your presence will make the buyers uneasy and unable to speak frankly about the house
- price your home in the lowest 20% of available homes that are similar to yours - all the marketing in the world cannot sell an overpriced home
Buyers:
While the majority of homes are "sitting" and not selling, the best properties are actually selling quite fast. So if something comes on the market that interests you, don't wait. It may not be there on the weekend for the scheduled open house!
Today's post is general in nature for each of the towns discussed. The market will vary from one price point to the next, one school district to the next etc. Please contact me for assistance with your own particular situation.
Some homes have been on the market and sellers won't reduce the listing price but may entertain an offer significantly lower that the list price. So have your agent inquire or just "write it up" if you like a home.
Apr. 29, 2009
The real estate market seems to be turning, but primarily in the lower priced areas of Silicon Valley. The single family homes in the lowest price points seem to be flying off the market. In some areas, the majority of houses that fit that description are bank owned and short sale properties (such as the Alum Rock district of San Jose, where all but 5% of home sales in the first quarter were distressed property sales).
But what about Los Gatos?
At this point there are 254 homes for sale (single family homes, condos and townhomes), 56 pending sales and 29 which have closed in the last thirty days. That represents an inventory of 8.75 months (listings divided by closed sales). It's also evident that not everything which sells actually closes since the ratio of pendings to list prices is stronger than the ratio of closeds to list prices.
The lowest priced homes in Los Gatos are faring better than more expensive homes in Los Gatos, which is also the case throughout Santa Clara County.
Here are some graphs to help Live in Los Gatos readers to see what's happening in Los Gatos:
As you can see from the graphs, the condos (representing the lowest price points in Los Gatos) seem to be faring better than the single family homes.
Below is a chart of the list prices for single family homes in Los Gatos with 95030 and 95032 zip codes ("in the town") as well as 95033 (county area in the mountains). In all cases, the market is more favorable in the lowest price points.
May. 9, 2008
Los Gatos Home Sales Trends
How's the real estate market in the Town of Los Gatos? The Los Gatos housing market varies from one price point and neighborhood to the next, from one type of housing to the next, and even between the town's two zip codes, 95030 and 95032. Here we'll take a view of the overall movement in the market; please understand that it may or may not apply to your Los Gatos home so please call or email me for specific information relating to your property.
Overall, Los Gatos continues to be a buyer's market, though not as deep as in other places in Santa Clara County. Inventory is rising in both single family homes and in condos/townhomes, which is a typical trend for this time of year.
The market has improved somewhat over a month ago in terms of median and average sales price (the graphs below use a 12 month moving average, but the actual numbers do show an uptick). To view the report for Los Gatos using the actual numbers rather than the moving average, please have a look at my new online Real Estate Report. Below are links to specific pages within it that are most relavent to the readers of this blog:
(1) Single Family homes in Los Gatos
(2) Condos and Townhomes in Los Gatos
(3) The Monte Sereno Real Estate Market (SFH, not enough condos for April report)
(4) Single Family Homes in Saratoga
(5) Condos and Townhomes in Saratoga
(6) Single Family Homes in Almaden Valley
(7) Condominiums and Townhouses in Almaden Valley
How about general trends, using moving averages, in the real estate market for the Town of Los Gatos?
The following chart shows median and average price trends plus sales. The chart uses a 12-month moving average to eliminate any seasonal variation.
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. Here, you can see the uptick in the number of homes sold in Los Gatos.
This chart shows the current inventory of Los Gatos single family homes for sale compared to the number that have sold in the town.
The next series of charts shows the same thing as above but for condominiums and town homes in the Town of Los Gatos.
Please call or email me for specific information on your particular situation
in Los Gatos or anywhere in Silicon Valley.
May. 2, 2008
It remains a buyer's market in Los Gatos, but not as deep a buyer's market as in many other parts of Silicon Valley.
Below please find links to reports on the local Los Gatos housing market, broken down by zip code and housing type, current as of April 28, 2008. One of the most helpful aspects of the Altos reports is that it breaks the activity down by market quartiles, so that the activity in entry level homes, for instance, is differentiated from the luxury home market. Have a look:
Los Gatos Single Family Homes in 95030
Los Gatos Single Family Homes in 95032
Los Gatos Condos and Townhomes in 95030
Los Gatos Condos and Townhomes in 95032
These are care of Altos Research, which uses list prices (rather than sales prices). In a week or so we'll have the data on solds in Los Gatos from April, care of another subscription I have, the Real Estate Report. Please check back soon to get that information.
Apr. 5, 2008
 Is there a "best time" to buy or sell a home in Los Gatos, Saratoga, or San Jose? That's a question I get a lot. The answer is not so clear as many people would like.
Often we have some seasonally predictable patterns. Let's look at them.
Winter: inventory tends to be very low in winter (from late November until somewhere between New Year's, the Superbowl, and Valentine's Day). Each year it's slightly different, but in that "dead of winter" (as much as we have it here in The Valley of Heart's Delight) is usually the time with the lowest number of sales, the best prices for buyers, the most "absorption" for sellers, the best interest rates, but the LEAST inventory to choose from. So you may get a good price as a buyer, but may not have much to choose from. Sellers may have the best odds of selling a home during this time because there are so few homes to choose from, and some buyers are anxious to close during the calendar year for tax or other reasons.
Spring: What's best for sellers? Most years (but not all) that "best window" is from February through April. On a good year, it may continue into May. Some years, that "best window" for sellers is just a couple of weeks in March. Other years, it moves around and could be earlier, later, longer or shorter. Or just not happen at all. For buyers, spring brings a new influx of inventory and often decent rates. As more buyers come on the market, interest rates tend to creep up most years (a supply and demand issue).
 Summer: Somewhere around June, though, the tide begins to turn and by mid to late summer, sales have slowed considerably and sometimes prices even drop by about August. It varies from year to year. This can be a great time for buyers - lots of inventory to choose from, Interest rates may not be their cheapest, though.
Fall: Many years, there is a second rally (besides the one that happens near March) with a mini flurry of activity between Labor Day and Halloween. That can often be an excellent time to sell or to buy (more inventory than August or November/December).
There are pros and cons to each time on the market for both buyers and sellers. Depending on your home, any time can work. Traditionally, spring is viewed as best for both because there is a good supply of inventory but it doesn't linger too long. So in some ways, spring is the most balanced market. Any time of year CAN work, though. So do not tie your buying decision soley to something like the school year, the interest rates, or the holidays. Call me if you'd like to discuss your individual situation.
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