SOLD WITH MULTIPLE OFFERS IN 8 DAYS!

Fabulous opportunity in West San Jose – a beautifully remodeled 4 bedroom, 2 bath house with top Cupertino schools and exquisite English country garden is now for sale, offered at $1,099,000 at 1486 Larkin Avenue, San Jose CA 95129.  This is not just any ranch style home in Silicon Valley, but a lovingly and impeccably updated, remodeled and maintained home on a scenic, tree lined street.  A visit will convince you that this house has been cared for and upgraded with a tremendous level of detail and sophistication.

Top Cupertino schools, all with API scores well over 900!

Schools are a major driver of real estate desirability in Santa Clara County, and nowhere is that more true than in Cupertino and the parts of San Jose which enjoy its schools.  All three educational levels of school enjoy extremely high Academic Performance Index or API scores.

The grammar or elementary school for this property is John Muir Elementary School (API 944).  The middle or junior high school is Joaquin Miller Middle School (API 981) and the secondary or high school is Lynbrook High School (API 943).  All three of these schools are very highly regarded, and in fact prestigious.

Not just a school district – this is a marvelous West San Jose home and yard!

Lest we treat this as though buyers were only interested in schools, let’s talk about this wonderful house too.

The kitchen is an absolute showpiece with a professional grade Viking range, Vent-a-hood, granite counters, ultra hard maple cabinets (painted white), dramatic vaulted ceilings with 2 large, electronically operated skylights, and much more!  Throughout the home you’ll find high quality elements, including dual pane windows, hardwood floors (some under carpeting), remodeled baths, and on and on.  I invite you to have a look at the virtual tour, embedded below, and to read the description on each page.  There’s even more information immediately below that with the MLS information added too.

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Median List price for San Jose 95129

Average Days on Market for 95129

Inventory of houses for sale in San Jose 95129

Mid-century modern homes, including those designed by Joseph Eichler, dot the Silicon Valley & South Bay Area real estate landscape.  There are probably more than 5,000 Eichlers in Santa Clara County altogether, plus all the other homes of that genre with the similar modern style, which was influenced by the ranch and prarie styles as well as the dramatic work by Frank Lloyd Wright (open beam ceilings, nearly flat roofs, lots of exposed wood & glass windows stretching from the floor to the ceiling).  Eichlers, especially, put a premium on privacy from the street but open to the outdoors otherwise.

Not every community in Santa Clara County has Eichler homes, but most have the mid-century modern style homes & neighborhoods. These homes vary from tiny, modest cottages of 1100 square feet to large & elegant  houses of nearly 3,000 square feet, featuring big, central atriums or courtyards.  (There are also some co-ops in the valley too.)  The quality varies, as the homes were constructed by several different builders with different home buying budgets in mind.  Real estate prices range from “entry level” to very expensive, depending on the location (city and schools), size of the home & lot, and condition of the property. Most of them are now about 50 years old, though some are a little younger.

Some of the West Side Silicon Valley Communities which feature Eichler and Mid Century Modern Homes

In Los Gatos there are no Eichlers but there are a small handful of single family homes which are mid-century modern on Eastridge Drive (just off Blossom Hill Road and Hillbrook). There are a couple more at the end of Magnuson Terrace (off Magnuson Loop and Los Gatos Blvd).  Additionally, there are some smaller mid-50s homes on El Gato (and adjacent portions of Escobar) off of Los Gatos-Almaden Road. Unfortunately, not all of these homes are “well kept”, though many are.

Monte Sereno is home to 16 Eichler designed houses on Via Sereno beginning at the intersection of Winchester Blvd with Via Sereno.  These houses were built in the late 60s to early 70s.

Visit Saratoga and you’ll see 35 larger Eichler homes (on larger lots) just off Cox Avenue (“in the schools“) along De Havilland Drive. I showed one a few months ago and noticed that this street, despite enjoying the famed Saratoga Schools, is not so well kept – it could be that some neighbors were simply conserving water due to the then 10% water cutback demanded by San Jose Water due to the drought.  One home owner added on or remodeled but it was such that the architectural style of the original building was lost – a shame!  Many of these homes enjoy a creekside location.  The only real negative is that there’s freeway noise from nearby highway 85.  There are a few more Eichlers near the busy intersection of Quito & Allendale (facing Quito) along the Campbell border. 

The Willow Glen area of San Jose has an abundant supply of large & gracious Eichlers on wide roads: there appear to be hundreds of them spread out over several developments.  For the most part, these are beautiful neighborhoods with tree-lined, wide streets and a great sense of space. Most of these homes are more affordable than you’d expect and the reason is the public school scores in the area.  Had the homes been built out of the San Jose Unified School District area in into the Campbell schools area, they’d certainly sell for much, much more.  In that area is the very popular St. Christopher’s School (Catholic), which many kids in Willow Glen attend.

More affordable Eichlers can be found in central San Jose near Fruitvale and Bascom and again in parts of Sunnyvale.  In the least expensive areas, though, beware of deferred maintenance.  Last year I showed a home near Fruitvale in San Jose which was simply riddled with foundation cracks.  These are hard to repair with a slab foundation – it can mean jackhammering up the whole foundation! 

There are some mid-century moderns in the Cambrian Park area of San Jose both in the Rosswood/Bel Estos area (scattered in with some more traditional ranch style homes) and also just off Hillsdale and Foxworthy in the Hacienda Gardens neighborhood.

Cupertino and Santa Clara also have a good showing of Eichlers (Santa Clara also has “cooperatives”, which are a bit like condos or townhomes, which are Eichlers too). 

Continuing north, the supply of Eichlers in particular increases dramatically as you get to Los Altos and then even more in Mountain View and Palo Alto, where Eichler enclaves number in the thousands.  (Word of caution: some of these Mountain View homes are in the 100 year flood plain and it will require flood insurance if you purchase a home there  and utilize a loan.) Want to live on the Peninsula? You can find many mid-century modern homes there too.

Special concerns with mid century modern or Eichler homes

As with any 50 year old home, there are things to watch for in purchasing these properties! While many of the mid-century moderns are built on raised foundations, some aren’t – and Eichler’s aren’t. That wouldn’t be such a big deal except for the fact that the plumbing is embedded in the slab, and so is the radiant heating coils. If they go out, it can be a pain to replace them. (Eichler often built with copper pipes, luckily.) The radiant heating systems do sometimes fail and if/when that happens, homeowners can either add baseboard (which is fairly inexpensive and easy to do) or rip up the concrete and fix the coils.

A more common and persistent problem is with the open beam ceilings and the tar and gravel roofs over them: there’s no insulation.  Luckily, in recent years foam roofs have become a popular solution.  They not only protect the roof from the rain and other elements, but they insulate beautifully.  The downside is that if an area becomes damaged, you can’t “patch” it like you can with other roof types – instead, you really need to replace the whole roof. Yes, that’s expensive.  But clients of mine who’ve gotten the foam roof love it as their homes are more comfortable both in summer and in winter.

Many non-Eichler properties had plumming with galvanized steel pipes. Watch for that – those tend to last about 40 years, so if the home hasn’t been repiped it may be an expense waiting to happen.

A small concern with radiant heat is the type of floorcoverings that can be used over it. Often these homes are built with vinyl, linoleum or other hard surface flooring.  Carpeting can be difficult because the heated floors can be a problem.  So area rugs are usually preferred.

For further reading, please check out the Wikipedia article on Joseph Eichler and another on the Mid-Century Modern style.

What does it cost to buy an Eichler home in the San Jose, Los Gatos or Saratoga Area?

As of right now, prices range from a low of somewhere in the $500′s to well past a million dollars to purchase an Eichler style house.  These homes in Monte Sereno or Saratoga will cost much, much more than a similar home in Santa Clara or Willow Glen.  Browsing is perhaps the best way to get a feel for the pricing.

Some of the Eichler homes currently for sale or sale pending in Silicon Valley

If you’re interested in buying or selling one of these classic homes, please contact me today!

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Merrivale West is a very popular community of 248 townhouses, built by Ditz-Crane in beginning in 1972, in the “West San Jose” area offering beautiful grounds & homes as well as a fantastic commute location and low HOA dues (homeowner association fees).

Where is Merrivale West?

This complex is found near the intersection of San Tomas Expressway and Payne Avenue in the 95117 area of San Jose. The main road running through the neighborhood is Millich, but there are a number of smaller streets with the designation of “square” too (Merrivale Square, for instance). From this location, it’s a quick jaunt to Santana Row (just 2 miles!) or to downtown Campbell. It’s easy freeway access too. The location is one of the main reasons for the popularity of this area.

View Merrivale West San Jose Townhouse Community in a larger map

What does it cost to buy a townhouse in Merrivale West?

Homes vary in size and precise location as well as interior condition. Properties are selling from just a hair under $400,000 to the mid or high 4′s. Of course the price tag is also greatly influenced if it’s a short sale or bank owned (REO) property. Larger homes, such as the 1152 sf model (2 bed/2 bath) have sold this year in the mid to upper 400s. Overall, though, selection tends to be slim: homes here sell fast, and the perpetual desireability of the neighborhood helps to keep values up.

How much are the monthly HOA fees at Merrivale West? Who manages this complex?

The monthly home owner association fees are based on the square footage of the townhouse. Larger units pay more, smaller units pay less., but the range is all in the low 200′s. What is amazing is that this is not a stripped down community – there is a pool and clubhouse to enjoy, the landscaping is gorgeous, the private roads and parking areas are in good repair and the units are nicely painted. It’s a bargain! (The management company, by the way, is Compass Management Group in San Jose.)

What else do I need to know about Merrivale West?

If you are an FHA home buyer, you will want to know that Merrivale West is architecturally a townhouse, but the community is legally a condominium. Your lender will be able to tell you whether or not it’s an FHA approved condo complex.

Merrivale West Homes for Sale

Below is a list of townhouses for sale in and near Merrivale West.

Showing properties 1 - 1 of 1. See more 95117 zip code real estate.
(all data current as of 5/23/2012)

1. $399,900 : 4161 Blackford Ci, San Jose
   
   2 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 1,026 sq ft

   Lot size: 871 sqft
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

To learn more or to begin your home buying or home selling project, please contact me today! mary (at) popehandy.com or 408 204-7673.

A newer “mixed use” neighborhood in San Jose, Santana Row is popular with people of all ages and interests.  It is not just a “shopping center”, but is really a community, one which offers a wide variety of dining, shopping and entertainment, suitable for all kinds of budgets too. Best of all, it’s right in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Dining at Santana Row varies from very formal and expensive to casual and snack-like, and the type of food available ranges widely too.  A fairly new addition is Pinkberry, which seems to be growing quickly in popularity.  There are about thirty cafes, bistros and restaurants and to date I’ve probably visited about one-third of them – all experiences positive.

Entertainment at SR goes beyond window shopping and includes live music and, of course, films at the movie theater. Many chose to simply peoplewatch, take in a good book or catch a game of chess with a friend while enjoying a beverage.  A Farmer’s Market features produce, flowers and other goods each week (and there’s a Safeway just a block or two away also) and is a good excuse to browse the offerings. Or maybe splurge a little and enjoy some pampering at a spa or salon: Santana Row’s got that, too.

Love to shop? This is your neighborhood.  There are some places you hope to find in any mall, like Borders, but it’s much more than that. Santana Row features a number of absolutely exquisite stores and boutiques with extraordinary clothing, shoes, household goods, unique items from overseas and more.  The sales clerks that I encounter while shopping there are exceedingly helpful and polite (even if the items I’m looking at are out of budget, as was the case recently when I cooed over a cork bag at Donald J. Piner or a cobalt blue leather one at Salvatore Ferragamo).  Shopping is upscale but not snobby, which makes all the difference in the world.

It needs to be mentioned, too, that Santana Row doesn’t have to be just a destination for an afternoon or evening. The community includes the Hotel Valencia, beautifully appointed, and also apartment leasing and condo & townhouse living right in Santana Row. (Seniors will be pleased to know that there is an assisted living facility adjacent to Santana Row too, Belmont Village. My father lived there and made great use of the proximity to Santana Row, which added tremendously to his quality of life.)

Easy to find:  Santana Row is located near major highways (880/17 and 280) and is a short &  easy drive to downtown San Jose and the airport. The area nearby includes the oversized Westfield Valley Fair Shopping Center (even more shops and restaurants) and the fascinating Winchester Mystery House, soon to be the subject of a movie and always an interesting spot for newcomers and visitors.