An old apricot orchard used to line Blossom Hill Road between Union and Leigh Avenues until the 1990s.  The former owners, Ralph and Sophie Heintz, lived there in their farmhouse until their deaths, at which time the property was willed to the University of California at  Berkeley for eye research.

Sophie and Ralph were interesting people. He ran a small train on their property and was an inventor. She was a ham radio operator.

In 1998, the Heintz land (and house etc.) was sold to Summerhill Homes and a portion developed as housing. That Los Gatos neighborhood is now called Heritage Grove A strip of trees was planted along Blossom Hill Road, reminiscent of the history of the area.  A large section of land was made a permanent open space, now known as the Heintz Open Space Preserve.  This open space connects directly with Belgatos Park, which also connects with the Santa Rosa Open Space Preserve. So the network of trails is quite extensive. (Link to Town of Los Gatos page with pdf files of these three trail maps. Link to Google Maps map of Blossom Hill Trails, drawn by Jim Handy.)

The Heintz’s big, old farmhouse has been renovated and is being lived in.  Ralph Heintz’s old workshop, the Ramohs Laboratory, is preserved with signs explaining the history of the place nearby.

Summerhill Homes did a nice job of developing the land to keep some of the historic character.  Please enjoy the slideshow below to get a feel for the area…. This scenic spot is well worth a visit: enjoy!

There are only five streets that make up Heritage Grove:  Regent Drive, Regent Court, Ayala Court, Ramohs Way, and Heintz Court. Regent Drive is a long loop road while the rest of the streets are quite short, so the vast majority of Heritage Grove homes are on Regent Drive.

How big are Heritage Grove homes and lots?

The size of houses and lots within Heritage Grove varies a bit, as you might expect in any subdivision, but additionally there’s the historic Heintz farmhouse.

The farmhouse is appx 4100 square feet and sits on 3/4 of an acre (31,000 sf lot).

The rest of the neighborhood consists of newer homes on smaller lots. The houses range from about 2850 square feet to about 3750 square feet.  Parcels of land may be as small as 10,000 SF (appx 1/4 acre) to as large as 25,000 SF (a little more than a half acre).

What does it cost to buy a home in Heritage Grove?

There are a lot of variables here!

Potential ingredients to make a home more affordable would be smaller home, smaller lot, proximity to Blossom Hill Road, a backyard or home with another higher up (and “looking in” – a lack of privacy).

Raising the value of the home would be things like a view, having open space or a large lot adjacent (less crowded feeling), being further into the development, having a larger home, larger lot, three car garage.

Historically, prices have gone from over $1,000,000 to under $2,500,000.  The most recent solds in Heritage Grove have been for about $1.7 million for homes on the smaller side that sold in 2007 or 2008.

Other items of note:

Regent Drive rises as it gets away from Blossom Hill Road; many of the homes nearest to the Heintz Open Space Preserve enjoy nice views of Santa Clara County and downtown San Jose in the distance.

Heritage Grove is a great commute location as it’s close to Union Avenue, which provides fast access to highway 85.

It’s also close to shopping – the Downing Oaks Center, which includes a Safeway, a local (non chain) coffee house, a restaurant, and other services, is less than a mile away.

Heritage Grove is served by the Union School District and the Campbell Union High School District.  Schools are Alta Vista or Noddin Elementary,  Union Middle School, and Leigh High School.

The scenic Strathmore neighborhood of Los Gatos lies close to the foothills, including both Blossom Hill and the coastal range rising behind it.  Homes here enjoy that very beautiful backdrop and access to the park and trails, but many other benefits too.

It’s a pedestrian friendly area with sidewalks and tree lined streets, so it is not uncommon to see people out enjoying a stroll, a jog, a bike ride or otherwise taking in the peaceful region.

Additionally, Strathmore residents share a community pool (or cabana) with a neighborhood swim team.   One of the biggest draws of all is that on top of these features, kids in Stratmore get to attend fabulous public schools too. The profile on this neighborhood is overwhelmingly positive!

Where is the Strathmore neighborhood?

Located in east Los Gatos, Strathmore is just off of both Blossom Hill Road and Union Avenue.  The main road through the neighborhood is Anne Way.

It’s a quick trip, less than a mile, to the on ramps at Highway 85 (and less than that to the nearest grocery store, Safeway on Union Avenue).  It’s about 2.5 miles to Vasona Lake County Park and just a little further to downtown Los Gatos.  So this is a wonderfully convenient location.

In those nearby hills, Belgatos Park and the Hines Open Space Preserve offer trails just a few blocks away.

Highly Regarded Public Schools

The Union School District has the Strathmore area children assigned to the following public schools (link to the school’s map for this area) – please verify with the Union School District in case the boundaries have changed or the schools are impacted):

• Alta Vista Elementary School (API 938)
• Union Middle School (API 892)
• Leigh High School (API 817)

API Scores are as reported in the 2010 Santa Clara County List of Schools. Please see online report for details on student test scores for all public schools in this area.

What are the homes or houses like in the Strathmore area?

Houses here are primarily single story ranch style homes but there are some two story homes as well. Most of them were built in the 60s or 70s, are on 8000 square foot lots (some a little bigger) and the living area runs between 1500 and 2500 square feet in most cases.

Many of the single story homes have a step down living room in front and the kitchen and family areas facing the back yard.  All were built with a master suite – that is, the master bedroom has a private bath.  Virtually all which were built in the 60s or 70s are what some would call a 3/4 bath, meaning there’s a shower but not a tub in the master bathroom.

Most, if not all, have (at least) a two car, attached garage.

While not young homes, most of these properties include hardwood floors and good layouts or floor plans.

Some of the two level houses enjoy really lovely views from upstairs, also.

I should mention that this is a very tidy area where home owners keep up their houses and yards.  (In the trade we call it “pride of ownership” and it’s fabulous when you can find it throughout a neighborhood!)

Are there any special concerns, issues or problems in the Strathmore neighborhood?

High Voltage Lines

Running behind Anne Way are high voltage power lines and, of course, the occasional tower.  The proximity can and does impact resale value, particularly to the homes closest to the lines (and even more so if they’re close to the towers).

I have met clients who don’t really care and others who don’t want to be anywhere they can even see high voltage lines and everything in between.  Most home buyers want to be far enough such that if the towers fell, the lines would not touch their land.  As I understand it, this amount of distance is required by FHA backed financing also (and probably for the same reason).

Damage to homes from hillside water runoff

The other concern in the area is damage which can be caused, especially to foundations and other concrete, from water running off the nearby hills and not being diverted away from the structure.  This is not a Strathmore issue but one for all the communities close to the foothills in Almaden, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, Los Altos etc. – if you are on a hill or near to one, water is very likely an issue that you need to address to keep your home from harm.

Here are a couple of related articles on this blog that you will find helpful if interested in any of these beautiful hillside zones:

What To Consider When Buying a Hillside Home in Silicon Valley

Cracked Foundations, Adobe Clay Soils and Water in Silicon Valley

What does it cost to buy a home in the Strathmore area?

As of this writing, there are no available homes for sale in the Strathmore subdivision. So we will consider past sales here.

Depending on whether the house is new, completely remodeled and large (on a large lot) or a modest 3 bed, 2 bath home with 1500 square feet in original condition and needing a lot of work (or possibly the same but in a less desirable location), current pricing could run anywhere from over $550,000 or $600,000  (“land value”) to well past a million dollars, possibly as high as 1.2 million or more.  Most typically at this time, prices run from around $750,000 to $950,000 for most houses, but list prices could be considerably more or less depending on many factors.

Over the last 12 months, there were 6 houses which sold in this little enclave.  The closed sales price ranged from a low of $775,000 to a high of $1,040,000 (but the spread can be bigger!).  The average was a little more than $875,000 with an average square footage of 1842.  Most lots were between 8000 and 9000 SF but one was over 15,000 (that was the most expensive property).

If we eliminate the one really large home on a large lot, the averages for the area are these:
house size: 1744 SF,   lot size: 8328 SF,   sales price:  $846,000.

And here’s one more statistic you need to know: home here don’t turn over much and it’s a popular area, so the average “Days on Market” is a lightening fast 14.  If you find a cute home in Strathmore that you like, seems well priced for its location and condition, don’t wait too long because it will sell fairly fast!

Side note: in 2003 I had a darling listing which I sold in Strathmore. It was larger than typical as it had been expanded.  You can see the photos of my former Strathmore listing if interested, here.

Want more Strathmore info?

A few years back I did a blog post on the Strathmore neighborhood for my Live in Los Gatos blog.  If you’d like to see it, there’s a short video of the neighborhood. I was new to videotaping so it’s not a great production but you can see more images of the area there.

Finally, I have listed a lovely home in Strathmore that will be coming up in late summer 2011, so please keep reading this blog to stay current and ready if you want an opportunity in that great neighborhood!

The Los Gatos real estate market seems to be improving as more homes are selling now than in recent months. The “absorption rate” has been declining and is now well under the 6 months that differentiates a buyers vs a sellers market. Many are thinking that the worst is behind us.

And if that is the case, now really is the “best time to buy” in Los Gatos, San Jose, Saratoga, or anywhere in Silicon Valley.

Recently I listed a great, sunny home and it will be held open this weekend (Sat 2-4, Aug 9). If you are looking to buy a house in Los Gatos, with the schools and close to shops, stores, banks and restaurants, you will want to know about this home and see it ASAP!

120 Magneson Terrace (off Magneson Loop and Los Gatos Blvd), Los Gatos, CA 95032

Offered at $1,250,000 – New Roof as of late June!!

• 3 Bedrooms
• 2.5 Bathrooms
• Living Room, Dining Room, Study (or Music Room or Library)
• Lovely Hardwood Floors Throughout (all but bathrooms)
• Appx 1800 SF
• Lot Size appx 8700 SF
• Los Gatos Schools very close by
• Home situated on a quiet cul-de-sac
• Air Conditioning & Extra Insulation
• Laundry Room
• Attached 2 Car Garage
• So close to the schools and shops that it’s “walk to”, “bike to”, “scooter to” and for driving, “less than 2 minutes to” – no matter how you get around, this home is close to schools and shops!

Virtual Tour of 120 Magneson Terrace, Los Gatos, CA 95032