Buying homes in Silicon Valley during a "buyer's market" takes courage. Doom and gloom grace the cover of the newspaper and online articles. Everyone has a bad story to share about someone else who lost a home, or had a bad experience trying to buy a short sale or distressed property. Perhaps most of all, at work or in social circles, friends and coworkers will advise you "if you wait, you will get it for less".

This is what always happens in a buyer's market. Folks who are themselves afraid of taking the plunge talk loudly about why buying a home in San Jose, Campbell, Monte Sereno or nearby is not a good idea right now. 

When would all of these people say is the "right time to buy"?

Everyone wants to buy low and sell high, whether it's in the stock market or in real estate. Timing the exact bottom or exact top is impossible. In fact, we only know we've hit it once it's past. Once the bottom has been identified by the populus, guess what? All the fence sitters jump in. Demand rises faster than supply. Prices go up.

Now may or may not be the right time for you to buy. It may not be the right time to buy certain types of homes in certain areas. An example that comes to mind of what NOT to buy is in parts of the distressed market. Buying in areas & pricepoints where foreclosures are rising would not be my professional advice to anyone. As those numbers swell, prices will be pushed down.

But there are many healthy markets and pricepoints where there's simply a soft spot in the zone where you want to buy. In recent days I've looked at the condo and townhouse market in several upscale parts of the valley such as Los Gatos, Saratoga, and Almaden Valley. For some reason, townhomes and condominiums in these lovely areas are taking a bit of a beating right now compared to the single family home market. This appears to be a nice buying opportunity. Real estate in these west valley neighborhoods is usually beyond reach for many people. Right now, though, you may be able to get your foot in the door.

Additionally, there are some markets in which single family homes are selling very well (especially in Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Mountain View). For Silicon Valley seniors who'd like to downsize, this may be an ideal market. Sell the home in a strong market, buy the retirement condo in a buyer's market. What more could you want?

It is also a very good time for buyers who are bringing their money in from Europe as the exchange rate makes a home buy anywhere in the US a great bargain. This is even more true if one is a renter now, as rents are going up!

There are no easy answers as to when the best time is to buy or sell for everyone, because each person and each market is unique. Your individual circumstances, from your available savings and credit report to your job situation, will have a huge impact on how the market looks to you.  That said, the current market presents great opportunities to the saavy consumer who's willing to study and weigh the precise market situation that they are in as buyers or as sellers.  Rather than sitting on the fence because that's what most everyone seems to be doing, it might be the perfect time to plunge in. Only with a little research will you know if this is what's best for you and your financial future.

When you hear the easy answers, whether it's "buy now!" or "sell now!", know that Silicon Valley real estate never has been so simplistic as to warrant a one-size-fits-all answer. Get good data and good counseling to make a good decision.

Santa Clara County Parks 

Here, please find links and a little info on the wonderful county parks in and near Silicon Valley.

A word of caution: in the grassy, hilly areas especially, please hike or jog with friends and pay attention as you walk or run the trails. Rattlesnakes tend to sun themselves in the clearings - which means on the path!  Mountain lions, also known as pumas, are not commonly seen but they are indigenous to the area, as are ferrel pigs, bobcats and coyotes. Any of these could ruin your day with a wrong encounter, so please go in groups and pay attention to your surroundings!

Almaden Quicksilver  this was once the largest mercury mine in the world, named after a similar mine in Spain. The mine shafts extended all the way into what is now Los Gatos (off Hicks Road) This is a great spot for field trips. Don't miss the split graveyard on Bertram Road- and look the grave for just Bert's arm (nope, I'm not kidding).

Alviso Marina they stopped dredging this years ago but it is now a park. Eventually there will be a trail ringing the bay. Awesome place to birdwatch and take photos.

Anderson Lake waterskiing destination in the east foothills over Morgan Hill

Calero south of Almaden toward Morgan Hill.

Chesbro Reservoir west of Morgan Hill - fishing & non-power-boating. No trails yet.

Chitactac Adams Heritage County Park  now this is cool - it's a 4 acre site just outside Gilroy and Morgan Hill which is all about the Ohlones who used to inhabit this beautiful valley of ours. Free park. Open from 8am til sunset. Self-guided tours available.

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 Natural Hazard Reports are included in the disclosures when homes are bought and sold here in Silicon Valley. Those reports will indicate whether or not the property is located in areas with known natural hazards, including 

• Flood Plains
• Liquifaction Zones
• Earthquake Fault Zones
• Unstable Soils Areas

But wouldnt you like to know where those places are before ever writing an offer?

Many Realtors utilize a tool that combines this natural hazard information with other boundaries that may be of interest to you, such as zip code lines, town boundaries, school district boundaries, district names within San Jose (like Berryessa, Cambrian Park, Evergreen, etc.) and so on. This is the Barclays Locaide and you can buy it online or in Realtor stores in the San Jose area. They arent cheap at just under $60, but they are extremely helpful and worthwhile for having a sense of where the issue areas are in Santa Clara County.

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For people relocating to Silicon Valley, there can be some significant surprises (beyond the 'sticker shock of our home prices in the San Jose area). Here are a few pointers to help you in your transition:

• The school district boundaries do not follow the boundaries for the city or town
  • For instance, in the Town of Los Gatos there are 3 school districts
  • So being in Saratoga could mean having Cupertino Schools or Moreland Schools or  Saratoga Schools. Part of San Jose has San Jose Unified Schools, but in some areas its Union Schools or other districts.
  • The reason for this confusing situation is that the school district boundaries were drawn before all the cities and towns in Santa Clara County were clearly defined (or the boundaries expanded)
• The mailing address city or town may not be the 'actual location of the property
  • This is a rare situation, but sometimes the mailing address will say 'Los Gatos when in fact the home is part of San Jose or Campbell. This has to do mostly with postal routes or with unincorporated areas using a mailing address for a long time and then being incorporated.
• We have 'expansive clay soil here and water is a big issue. (Please see related post on buying hillside homes in Silicon Valley.)
• Most of our housing is ranch style tract homes. Were sorry about that. Developers went nuts in the post WWII boom and created massive urban sprawl, one of the only things that isnt so delightful in the Valley of Hearts Delight.
  
  And just a few non-real estate surprises too:
  

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