by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Oct 10, 2026 | Homes & Housing Market, Los Gatos Real Estate
The Los Gatos real estate market in September was strong for single family homes, cool for condos and townhouses, and a cold market in the mountains. This is a repeat from July and August, more or less.
Per Altos Research (see below), the hottest segment of the market in Los Gatos is the 95032 area.
1 – Los Gatos real estate market statistics for the “in town” areas: multi year data
Here is some Los Gatos real estate market data that I pulled directly from the MLS. This is for the in town areas of 95032 and 95030.
Inventory of available homes for sale in Los Gatos 95030 and Los Gatos 95032
Click on any of the images below and a larger version will pop up in a new tab and be easier to read.
Inventory in September rose substantially but didn’t break any records.
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by Clair Handy, Mary Pope-Handy | Oct 5, 2026 | Los Gatos Neighborhoods, East Los Gatos
The Magneson Loop area is charming neighborhood with tree lined streets and luxury homes ranging from attractive historic designs to more contemporary styles. This is a close in neighborhood with great proximity to public schools, which are in the highly regarded Los Gatos Union School District, as well as many coffee shops, stores, and eateries. It’s one of the most accessible areas in town and enjoys a Walk Score of 78 out of 100 (WalkScore.com). And the area has some fascinating history as well!
Where is Magneson Loop?
The Magneson Loop neighborhood is a smaller community of homes in the 95032 zip code centered around its namesake street.
Magneson Loop is an L shaped road that begins and Los Gatos Boulevard near King’s Court Shopping Center and ends at Shannon Road. The original subdivision included homes the length of Magneson Loop, along the east side of Los Gatos Blvd (and later office buildings on that stretch), and the north side of Shannon, ending at the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos. Magneson Terrace is a cul de sac that branches off from the turn in Magneson Loop and is also included in this neighborhood.
The older part of the street is a little narrow so in the image above you’ll note that a few cars are parked stradling the soft curb. Around the corner, as the road turns toward Shannon Road, it’s wider and this doesn’t happen, nor is this typical on Magneson Terrace, a younger tract. The Shannon intersection is one-way, though – vehicles are not permitted to turn into the Loop from Shannon, it’s exit-only. This protects the neighborhood from cut through traffic.
This area includes 2 primary subdivisions: Coombs (sometimes misspelled Coombes or Cooms) which is the light lavendar color in the map, and El Gato Rancho (Tract 1691 in the Magneson Terrace area). While both highly sought-after, these tracts are quite different from each other, which we’ll get into in the next part.
What are Homes Like in the Magneson Loop area?
There are 2 major developments on Magneson with distinctly different characteristics. If you walk the length of it, you’ll see everything from fairy tale cottages to Eichler-esque MCM to contemporary styles. But the type of home and lot can differ significantly depending on if it’s in the older Coombs subdivision or the younger El Gato Rancho tract.
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by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Oct 3, 2026 | Events, Kids
Graphics: © Marina Zlochin via canva.com
Celebrate the season in style with the Los Gatos Halloween Pet and Kids Parade! The Paw-Looza is sure to be tons of fun for all!
Details on the Los Gatos Halloween Pet and Kids Parade
The event takes place on Sunday, October 25th, 2026
Town Plaza Park | 9 AM – 1 PM Events and activities, including face painting and a costume parade
Downtown Trick or Treating | 12 PM – 2 PM Trick-or-treat at participating downtown businesses, marked by festive balloon bundles.
Please check on the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce’s webpage for all of the details for the day!
Come in costume and bring the whole family. Many downtown merchants will be participating in handing out treats to the costumed visitors participating. There will be prizes for the best costume!
There is NO FEE to attend, but donations are welcome and will support a very worthy cause, The Street Dog Coalition.
The Street Dog Coalition
The Street Dog Coalition is an amazing and wonderful volunteer organization and we are proud to support them. Per their website:
“The Street Dog Coalition provides free veterinary care and related services to pets of people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. Using a One Health approach to street medicine and pop-up street clinics, we care for lives on both ends of the leash.”
Please learn more about them at their website: The Street Dog Coalition
Many thanks to the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce and many sponsors for making this a wonderful Los Gatos tradition!
Howling Halloween – a precursor
Years ago, we had a fun dog costume parade in Los Gatos each October called the Howling Halloween Pet Parade. The proceeds used to go to the Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Department’s K9 unit – a wonderful cause. That event was hosted by Society Dog, a pet supply company that closed several years ago.
by Mary Pope-Handy | Oct 2, 2026 | Events
The Magical Glass Pumpkin Patch is returning to Los Gatos! This is a one day only event, so mark your calendars so you don’t miss it!
You’ll find gorgeous hand blown glass pumpkins and more – wonderful craftsmanship!
See the gallery of glass pumpkins and more HERE.
All the fun happens on the lawn of the Los Gatos High School on Main Street. This is a “rain or shine” event.
Their Facebook page (link below) states “We have raised over $250,000 for high school art and English programs via this annual event!”
You can get an advance look, but not purchase, the art on Friday Oct 10 from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
The items will be offered for sale on Saturday October 2 9a.m. and Sunday October 3 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Go early for the best selection!
Learn more and see all photos at the Magical Glass Pumpkin Patch website.
by Mary Pope-Handy | Oct 1, 2026 | Los Gatos Events
St. Mary’s Country Fair in Los Gatos is a fun, annual community event that occurs the first weekend in October. This year it’s October 2 – 4, 2026.
Each year it’s a little different, a little better.
Open to everyone, and with no admission fee, the three day fundraiser is a great place to enjoy so many cool things, including:
- Butler Carnival rides (separate tickets)
- bouncy house
- country store shopping
- arts & crafts (such as pumpkin decorating)
- martial arts displays
- dancing
- dining (good and affordable!) – several food booths to choose from
- raffle
- play games
- giant slide
- full service coffee shop
- margarita booth
- talent show
- live bands
- bingo (of course!)
- Harvest Market
Hours for the St. Mary’s Country Fair:
Friday, October 2, 5 pm to 10 pm
Saturday, October 3 11 am to 10 pm
Sunday, October 4, 10 am to 3 pm (same as last year)
Hours for the Harvest Market Thursday Oct 1:
11 am to 4 pm free admission!
Evening Shopping from 5 pm to 9 pm $20 entrance fee
Shop, Appetizers, Drinks, Raffle & Music
Tickets presale or at the door
See even more at the event’s website.
This is a fabulous place to walk through and simply bump into friends & neighbors from all over Los Gatos and the nearby communities. It’s also a fun place to take photos. Each day is a little different, some return again and again!
Location details on the St. Mary’s Country Fair:
St. Mary’s Church and School are located in downtown Los Gatos on Bean Avenue near Tait (and near North Santa Cruz Avenue) in the historic Almond Grove neighborhood. You can also reach the party by co-To get all the details on the hours, booths, events, please check the (new) event website for all details
Extra tips:
Like a bargain? There’s an easy way to save money. Visit the parish or school office before Friday at 2pm and buy your Butler ride tickets at a substantial discount – and avoid the lines! (Tickets are sold in the 2 weeks leading up to the fair most years.) In 2025, advance tickets can be purchased at a discount until Sept 29th at the event’s ticketing site!
Also, much of the Almond Grove District of Los Gatos has permit parking only in the evenings. So don’t park in the neighborhood! There are lots of public parking spaces between North Santa Cruz and University Avenues in Los Gatos, and they are no cost, so park there instead. I usually like to park between North Santa Cruz Avenue and University Avenue in the public lot. If you’re in biking distance, consider cycling in – just remember lights are required when biking in the dark, and remember road safety!
by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Sep 29, 2026 | About Monte Sereno, Monte Sereno neighborhoods, Monte Sereno Real Estate
An Introduction to the city of Monte Sereno, California
The city of Monte Sereno is cozied into the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains on the west side of Santa Clara County (about an hour south of San Francisco and a few minutes from San Jose), adjacent to the town of Los Gatos. It is a scenic, small city which is semi-rural with neither sidewalks nor street lights. It has, in fact, the tiniest population of the 15 cities within the County, having just about 4000 residents in about 1.6 square miles.
There are no businesses in town, just residences, the city office, a church or two, and Daves Avenue School. It is one of the most highly regarded and upscale communities in Silicon Valley.
Monte Sereno enjoys many rolling hills and green views of the coastal range, particularly El Sereno, the peak of which rises over the the city and has an elevation of 2249 feet. There is an open space preserve there now, with 1415 acres and 7.4 miles of trails. Please see the El Sereno Open Space Preserve website for information on parking, trail maps, equestrian trails, and more.
As you might imagine, the city is named for this mountain: monte – mountain, sereno – serene, calm or pleasant. And it is a pretty calm place to be.
It shares schools, police, parks and the library with the town of Los Gatos, so they have much in common.
Please also see The Monte Sereno Real Estate Market (updated monthly).
City of Monte Sereno Zip Codes
Almost 100% of this small city falls into the 95030 zip code, with a very tiny sliver belonging to the 95032 zip code. Both of these zip codes are also utilized by neighboring Los Gatos.
Public Schools
Of the approximately 1250 households in the city, all but about 60 of them fall within the boundaries of the highly regarded Los Gatos School District. The other small minority is in Campbell Schools.
by Mary Pope-Handy | Sep 26, 2026 | Events
The Santa Clara Valley Wineries are hosting a passport weekend again Oct 24 & 24, 2026 from 12 noon to 4 p.m.. For $55, it’s a great reason to stop by a number of local, fine wine tasting rooms, including Cinnabar and Cooper-Garrod, both in Saratoga. The rest are in South County (Morgan Hill, San Martin, or Gilroy).
What’s offered?
Your passport is valid Saturday and Sunday, October 24–25, and includes ten winery stops.
Each participating winery will offer at least tastings of two wine. Some wineries may include their own special experiences such as new releases, harvest activities, food, live music, bottle specials and more.
The 2026 Passport Weekend wineries include:
~ Cinnabar Winery: 408-867-1012
~ Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards: 408-867-8441
~ CordeValle Winery: 408-686-1050
~ Cottage Creek Vineyards: 408-318-2355
~ Lion Ranch Vineyards & Winery: 408-713-8501
~ Miramar Vineyards: 408-686-0280
~ Sarah’s Vineyard: 408-847-1947
~ Satori Cellars: 408-848-5823
~ Twice Tyger: 408-659-6719
~ Verde Vineyards: 408-728-1793
Details can be found and passports purchased online here: SCVW Fall Passport
Related Reading: More Local Events
Los Gatos Halloween Pets and Kids Parade (on this site)
Magical Glass Pumpkin Patch (on this site)
