by Clair Handy, Mary Pope-Handy | Mar 10, 2023 | Homes & Housing Market, Los Gatos Real Estate, Monte Sereno Real Estate
The City of Monte Sereno is a popular community bordering Los Gatos, Saratoga, and the Santa Cruz mountains. It’s also quite small, with just about 3,500 residents, so tracking the real estate market trends for the area can be tricky.
Info at a glance (details further below):
- While January had 5 closed sales – a little higher than typical January numbers – there were NO closed sales in February, nor any in February 2022. There’s a real lack of sales data in these charts!
- This city is currently in a seller’s market with low inventory, just 6 available homes at the end of February, and fewer sales.
- Pending sales grew month-over-month and remain a little low year-over-year.
- As of today, March 10, 2023, there are 9 available homes for sale, 2 closed sales so far this month, 1 pending sale, and 0 contingent sales in Monte Sereno.
The number of houses sold in any given month will always be extremely small and the data will jump around. Checking the Los Gatos market will also help, but the best pulse on the market will come from particular sales in particular neighborhoods.
Houses make up most of Monte Sereno – there are no commercial buildings, just a post office, city hall, some churches or religious grounds, and an elementary school. There are also extremely few residential properties that are not detached single family homes. We don’t track the condo or townhomes in this area as we do in other communities because there just wouldn’t be enough (if any) data for it!
First up for the market analysis is the Altos Research weekly profile for Monte Sereno (uses list prices, not sales). This is updated automatically, so feel free to check this article weekly to see what’s happening now with list prices.
Trends at a Glance from the RE Report:
February 2023 had 0 closed sales, so some older charts are provided below to offer more context to this limited data.
| Trends At a Glance |
Feb 2023 |
Previous Month |
Year-over-Year |
| Median Price |
$0 (-100.0%) |
$3,250,000 |
$0 (N/A) |
| Average Price |
$0 (-100.0%) |
$3,386,120 |
$0 (N/A) |
| No. of Sales |
0 (-100.0%) |
5 |
0 (N/A) |
| Pending |
5 (+66.7%) |
3 |
9 (-44.4%) |
| Active |
6 (+50.0%) |
4 |
4 (+50.0%) |
| Sale vs. List Price |
0.0% (-100.0%) |
97.4% |
0.0% (N/A) |
| Days on Market |
0 (-100.0%) |
51 |
0 (N/A) |
| Days of Inventory |
0 (-100.0%) |
24 |
0 (N/A) |
January 2023 had 5 closed sales, a little higher than typical for the start of the year.
| Trends At a Glance |
Jan 2023 |
Previous Month |
Year-over-Year |
| Median Price |
$3,250,000 (N/A) |
$0 |
$4,525,000 (-28.2%) |
| Average Price |
$3,386,120 (N/A) |
$0 |
$7,166,000 (-52.7%) |
| No. of Sales |
5 (N/A) |
0 |
4 (+25.0%) |
| Pending |
3 (-40.0%) |
5 |
3 (0.0%) |
| Active |
4 (-42.9%) |
7 |
4 (0.0%) |
| Sale vs. List Price |
97.4% (N/A) |
0.0% |
109.7% (-11.2%) |
| Days on Market |
51 (N/A) |
0 |
95 (-46.5%) |
| Days of Inventory |
24 (N/A) |
0 |
30 (-20.0%) |
December 2022 brought NO closed sales of homes in Monte Sereno.
| Trends At a Glance |
Dec 2022 |
Previous Month |
Year-over-Year |
| Median Price |
$0 (-100.0%) |
$3,424,000 |
$5,100,000 (-100.0%) |
| Average Price |
$0 (-100.0%) |
$3,424,000 |
$5,447,160 (-100.0%) |
| No. of Sales |
0 (-100.0%) |
2 |
5 (-100.0%) |
| Pending |
5 (+66.7%) |
3 |
6 (-16.7%) |
| Active |
7 (-12.5%) |
8 |
2 (+250.0%) |
| Sale vs. List Price |
0.0% (-100.0%) |
93.3% |
103.7% (-100.0%) |
| Days on Market |
0 (-100.0%) |
48 |
10 (-100.0%) |
| Days of Inventory |
0 (-100.0%) |
116 |
12 (-100.0%) |
MLS info pulled directly: the charts below all were pulled from MLS Listings.com
(more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Mar 7, 2023 | Homes & Housing Market, Los Gatos Real Estate
As of today, March 7, 2023, the Los Gatos real estate market in 95030 & 95032 is showing signs of cooling. That said, some homes are still selling fast and with multiple offers and overbids. .
Los Gatos real estate market statistics
Here is some Los Gatos real estate market data that I pulled directly from the MLS today.
Numbers of homes sold
Normally we don’t share the stats on how many houses are selling each month, but it’s so terribly low that I thought it would be good to point this out. In February, just 10 houses sold. Check out the sales for the same month from 2017 on and you can see how abnormally low it is.
Months of Inventory
(more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Mar 2, 2023 | Homes & Housing Market
Things that grow on your roof will shorten its life span, so do not allow debris such as leaves, twigs, or moss to stay there long if they appear.
Leaves, Debris, Weeds: Growth Of A Green Roof?
Winter is a great time for dirt, leaves, and other debris to pile up in your rain gutters. Leave it long enough and there will be buildup. Leave it a really long time and those bits of dust, plant life and other things will mush together and decompose, eventually becoming plant-worthy soil. Add a few seeds and some rain, and before you know it, green sprouts are popping up on your roof!
I passed a home in Los Gatos in which this seems to have happened. Grass and weeds were sprouting out of the rain gutters and had crept onto the roof quite a few inches. (Not a great photo – taken with my ancient cell phone’s camera years ago and enlarged to show the roof but trying to keep the house itself anonymous.)
Why is this a problem? Because the more moisture you have trapped up there and the more organizms growing the faster the roof decomposes. You don’t want things like fungus and dry rot to munch away at your home, and having plants grow on your roof is going to lead to exactly that.
Even if you clean it once a year and don’t give it time to decompose, that might not be enough. If you enjoy lush, mature trees near your home your gutters might need to be cleared a few times per season. When a clog occurs, rainwater may be forced back up, spilling over the edge and possibly right into your roof and down your walls – inside or out!
Clean Your Roof! Things that grow on your roof will cause loads of problems!
Different homes require different levels of upkeep this way, so get to know what your home needs and stay on top of maintenance. Keep your roofs and gutters clean so problems like this do not have a chance to start. It is infinitely easier, and often much cheaper, to prevent this than to cure it!
If it’s hard to keep up with the cleaning, consider investing in gutter guards. Also called gutter covers, strainers, or filters these are installed in the opening to catch debris and prevent accumulation and clogging that stops water flow in the gutter. They still require maintenance, but can lessen buildup and make it much easier to complete your cleaning chore!
Keep a special eye on the north facing area, as moss will attempt to grow on your roof there especially.
Specialty “Green” or “Living” Rooves
While not the subject of this post, adventurous homeowners curious about getting a real “green” or “living roof” should contact a roofing professional with experience in that field. These are specialty systems designed with the weight, water, and material considerations necessary to support plant growth while providing a structurally sound roof – they are complex, expensive, and require different maintenance than more typical systems.
More related articles from this blog:
Why is a Frosty Roof a Good Thing?
Fanciful roof art
Remembering San Jose’s “El Dumpo”:What Makes a Fixer a Fixer?
And related posts from our other blogs:
Silicon Valley is Rife with Roof Rats. Is Your Landscaping Attracting Them?
Some HOA roofing concerns considered here: Silicon Valley homeowner associations: they’re not all alike
by Clair Handy | Oct 20, 2022 | Historic Districts, Homes & Housing Market, Los Gatos History, Los Gatos Real Estate
If you drive through the Edelen, Almond Grove, Fairview Plaza, Glenridge and other older and historic Los Gatos neighborhoods, you may have wondered how far back in time these architecturally interesting properties go. What are the oldest residences in town, or close by?
Los Gatos Historic Homes
Are there Adobes?
In the Santa Clara Valley, there are a handful of old adobe homes here and there, such as the Peralta Adobe in downtown San Jose (built in 1797), and the Santa Clara Women’s Club Adobe (built in 1790), and many more. I can’t say for certain if there are any remaining 18th-19th century adobe homes in Los Gatos. If they exist the most probable properties are around the Los Gatos Saratoga border, are private, occupied homes, and have extensive additions and modifications.
Victorian Era: Gold Rush to Gem of the Foothills
When discussing historic homes in the Bay Area, the Victorian undoubtedly comes to mind. And Los Gatos has plenty! A search of county real estate records for Los Gatos homes (in town, 95030 & 95032 plus the mountains, 95033) spanning the era from 1837-1901 revealed hundreds of properties identified as Victorian construction. It displayed about about 375 in 95030, 120 in 95032, and also about 140 in 95033. (more…)
by Clair Handy | Sep 2, 2022 | Events, Homes & Housing Market, Land Use, Los Gatos Government
If you want a say in shaping the blueprint of Los Gatos’ future, now is your opportunity to comment on the Housing Element.
If you’re reading this article, you probably live or work in Los Gatos and have a real interest in it’s future. Like much of California, Los Gatos has been in a housing shortage for decades. The Housing Element will determine how to meet the needs of the Town’s future, and engagement from locals will help direct how it meets the needs of the community.
Every 8 years the state requires each municipality to create a plan for future development, especially housing development, to meet the needs of current and future populations (read about it on the Town’s page on the General Plan). Back in March we shared information about one of the first community meetings on the Town of Los Gatos Housing element. As of late August 2022, the first draft has been published and is in the public review and commentary period.
To view the plan draft, visit EngageLosGatosHousing.com/. There you can find a copy of the plan as well as a timeline, scheduled public events, sign up for email updates, and even submit commentary on some of the selected sites. Read to the end of this article for a quick list of ways to engage, including in-person and virtual opportunities to ask Town staff questions about the plan.
Affordable Housing In Los Gatos
For this planning cycle, it has been determined that Los Gatos needs to increase housing by 1,993 units. Nearly 58% of that has been allocated to moderate and above moderate income housing and the other 42% is allocated lower income household. We need all of those homes!
(more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy | Jul 31, 2022 | Homes & Housing Market
España Oaks townhomes in Los Gatos
Are there Los Gatos homes for sale under 1 million dollars?
With average and median single family home prices between $2 and $4 million, it can be hard to find Los Gatos homes for sale under 1 million dollars. Look hard enough, though, and there’s often an opportunity – usually a condo, sometimes a townhouse. Maybe a fixer in a more remote location.
What are the best odds for finding Los Gatos homes for sale under 1 million?
There will be some strategy involved to find a lower priced home in Los Gatos 95030 or 95032. First, it’s important to understand the impact of the proximity to downtown and the role of schools. Find a home with Los Gatos High that’s in one of the official historic districts and you are likely to pay a premium for it!
Go further out, and away from pristine Victorian homes from 100 years ago. and the prices will soften. Things will also improve if you consider smaller homes on smaller lots. But probably not enough to get a house in town.
A house, townhouse, or condo?
A quick check of the MLS just now revealed that all recent sales in Los Gatos under this price point were condos or townhomes in 95032 or 95030. Must have a house? Then you’ll be buying in 95033, the mountains area.
A townhouse in west LG with Westmont or east LG Leigh High may be in budget if it is small and needs remodeling and updating.
To improve the odds of success, you may want to concentrate on either condominiums or on properties in the 95032 zip code with Campbell Union High School District (Westmont or Leigh High).
Or improve the odds better and go beyond the town’s boundaries and consider the Los Gatos Mountains (zip code 95033). With the latter, you’ll get much more home for your money. The downside, of course, is that your commute will be longer and you may have issues from living in the mountains.
Senior housing at The Commons: Los Gatos Homes for Sale Under 1 million dollars
If you are over age 55 or if you aren’t planning on living there yourself – if it’s an investment property – you may want to think about buying a home in one of the seniors condo complexes. The Los Gatos Commons is nicely situated in the central or downtown Los Gatos area and as of this writing, in 2022, units can be purchased for well under $1,000,000.
Villa Capri on the Campbell border will also be in budget. It’s a gated seniors community that’s close to Vasona Station.
Non senior options
There are non-senior condos on Lora Drive which will also be in budget as of this writing. The negative for that location is the proximity of the freeway, high voltage lines, and train track.
Other strategies
Another tactic to employ is to watch for homes that have been on the market a long time and are hovering at 10% or so above your target price point. In every real estate market, no matter how hot, there are some houses, townhouses, and condominiums which are simply over-priced. I don’t suggest targeting more than about 10% over budget because “low-ball”offers usually serve to offend sellers and backfire on buyer’s good negotiating intentions.
Browse Los Gatos homes for sale under $1,000,000
- List View
- Map View
- Grid View
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$848,000
-
Lot Size
-
Home Size
1,413 sqft
-
Beds
3 Beds
-
Baths
2 Baths
-
Year Built
1980
-
-
$579,000
-
Lot Size
-
Home Size
768 sqft
-
Beds
1 Bed
-
Baths
1 Bath
-
Year Built
1978
-
-
$879,000
-
Lot Size
-
Home Size
864 sqft
-
Beds
1 Bed
-
Baths
2 Baths
-
Year Built
1962
-
See all Los Gatos Homes $1 mil and under.
(all data current as of
3/28/2023)
Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.
