The November 2018 Almaden Valley real estate market report reflects that the market is winding down for the year as both buyer and seller interest wane with the approaching holidays. We’ve seen a few patterns in 2018 that give some indication that our real estate market is transitioning from one controlled by sellers to one that favors buyers, but we’ll wait until the end of the year to go into depth.
Enjoy the holiday season!
As we ease into the holiday season, here are a couple of exciting Almaden Community Center holiday events coming up in the next couple of weeks.
Breakfast with Santa on Saturday Dec. 8, 2018
The Almaden Community Center is hosting its annual Breakfast with Santa event on Saturday December 8th. A special holiday breakfast will be served and guests can participate in seasonal arts and crafts. During the event, there will be a visit from Santa with opportunities to take pictures. This event is open to all people of all ages. Registration required.
North Pole Party on Thursday Dec. 13, 2018
Make the holidays extra special for your child with this fun-filled holiday party that will transport them to the North Pole. The North Pole Party includes food, singing, art, activities, and even a special gift from the North Pole. Bring your child and come see the Almaden Community Center transformed into a winter wonderland. The party is for ages 4 to 6 and takes place from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm. Registration required.
To find out more about these events and to register, go to the Almaden Community Center website or call the Almaden Community Center at (408) 268-1133.
October 2018 Almaden Valley Real Estate Market Update… Almaden Valley real estate is firmly in the grips of the seasonal slowdown. The number of single family homes on the market in October was down to 35 from 39 in September and the number that sold dropped to 22 from 24 over the same time period, indicating that both buyers and sellers are showing less interest as we approach the holiday season. The average price per square foot drop to $659 from $723 the previous month bears out this observation.
When comparing this past month to the same time last year, we see a bit less activity. The number of single family homes on the market is up over 59% from October 2017. I’ve been mentioning in other market reports that sellers have been more active this year, and this number demonstrates that. Sales, however, have cooled slightly: 26 single family homes sold in 2017 versus 22 last month. However, the average price per square foot was $619 in October 2017 versus $659 this past month, which may explain why sales were a bit more brisk in comparison.
Overall, the holiday season tends to be a good time for buyers as inventory is good and competition is not nearly as keen as it is other times of the year. If you are thinking about buying a home, drop an email, text or call and let me show you how YOU can take advantage of the holiday market!
Calling baseball’s little champs and enthusiasts! Almaden Little League Baseball registration is now open for the 2019 season.
The league welcomes children, both boys and girls, between the ages of 4 and 15 years, who live or attend school in 95120, 95141, or 95042. The Almaden Little League is a part of the Little League International and District 12. Prior experience of playing baseball is not required. So, if your child enjoys baseball and loves to have fun, Almaden Little League Baseball is a great place to meet new friends and learn to be part of a team.
Registration is open until December 31, 2018. For more information call 650-224-8955. To register online, visit www.almadenll.org.
It’s Thanksgiving month and Almaden’s most popular community event of the season is coming up. Bret Harte Middle School Booster Club’s “Run Turkey Run 2018” is on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22, 2018. This family fun run event is the biggest fund-raiser for Bret Harte Middle School, and is gaining popularity with increased participation every year.
Both the 5K and 10K runs begin and end at Leland High School on Camden Avenue at 8:30 am. They are run on paved trails along the Los Alamitos Creek trail, making it easy to participate with family members including children and seniors.
The registration for Run Turkey Run is open, but prices increase after November 15th. Run Turkey Run spirit T-shirts are also available. All proceeds go to Bret Harte Middle School Booster Club. So, hurry and book your place at the start line!
For more details and to sign up, visit: https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/SanJose/AVRTR
Pumpkin patches, haunted houses, costume parties and great neighborhoods for trick-or-treating. It’s Halloween, and Almaden Valley is abuzz with festive spirit. Here’s what is haunting the neighborhoods this week.
Castillero’s Cobra Crypt: This year, Almaden’s Castillero Middle School’s Drama Department has started a new Halloween tradition. It’s hosting the “Cobra Crypt”, a week-long Halloween fest that includes a pumpkin patch, haunted house, carnival, games and a variety of activities. The fest is every day from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm till October 31st. Tickets are $5. This is Castillero Drama’s biggest fundraiser, and by all neighborhood accounts, not to be missed.
The Simpson’s Halloween at the Britannia Arms: On October 30th, at 7:30 pm at the Britannia Arms, you can enjoy a Simpson’s themed Halloween event. There will be a costume contest, Simpson’s trivia, special food and drinks, and more.
Neighborhood trick-or-treats: Almaden Valley boasts some of the best trick or treating neighborhoods in San Jose. Attractive areas include Chateau Drive and the Country Club neighborhood, the Pierce Ranch neighborhood, and the Graystone neighborhood, among others. The biggest attraction might be at Little Falls Drive in the Country Club neighborhood, which draws huge crowds for the spooky haunted house display at the end of the street. Venturing there is well worth it, and give yourselves ample time to park and stroll through the streets.
Happy Halloween!
September 2018 Almaden Valley Real Estate Market Update… September wrapped up on a quiet note in preparation for the upcoming holiday season. The number of single family homes on the market jumped from 33 in August to 39 in September, while the number of homes under contract dropped from 33 to 19 and the number sold remained 24 over the same time period. The drop in pending sales is very likely due to a buying frenzy that happened in August, perhaps buyers trying to beat the next interest rate hike. The average sold price per square foot edged up from $697 in August to $723 in September, indicating that buyers are still keen on Almaden Valley real estate and sellers are responding to the near-record average sale price per sqft by offering their homes to the market.
Observing the trends over the last year and more, it appears that our real estate market is luring home owners to sell and inventory is gradually increasing above the critical levels we’ve gotten used to. Generally speaking, as inventory increases in a seller’s market such as we’ve been experiencing, the balance reaches a point of equilibrium between the number of buyers and the number of homes on the market. Overall, though, we are seeing the seasonal transition to a quieter real estate market.
If you’d like more information about current market trends or are thinking about buying or selling a home in the Almaden Valley, call, text or send me an email and I’ll be glad to help you out!
Almaden Valley high schools Leland and Pioneer both have exciting events that you can attend over the weekend and next week.
On Saturday, October 20, the Leland Parent Club is hosting its annual music and dance event, the Dandiya Raas Mela. The Dandiya and the Garba are traditional ritualistic dances performed during the Indian festival of Navratri or the “nine nights”.
This event is one of the biggest fundraisers for Leland High School. A special highlight of the event this year is a performance by the “Naach” group, a students club specializing in Bollywood dance. Tickets can be purchased both online and at the door. All proceeds go towards enrichment programs at Leland High. For more information, visit: http://www.lelandparentclub.com/dandiya.html
Next week, from October 24 to October 27, students at Pioneer High will be performing twin fall plays, 12 Angry Men and 12 Angry Women.
12 Angry Men is adapted from the American courtroom drama of the same name, while 12 Angry Women is a feminist adaptation of the same play.
Advanced reserved seats may be booked through phsdrama.ludus.com. Tickets will also be available at the door. So, come with you family and friends to watch this classic adaptation from a highly talented drama team and help raise funds for Pioneer High. For more information, visit: https://pioneer.sjusd.org/index.php/calendar/filter-by/event/699/2018/10/24/
Almaden Valley’s most exciting annual event is here: The 42nd Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival is being held at Almaden Lake Park this Sunday, Sept. 16, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
The setting itself is incredibly beautiful with dazzling white tents against the backdrop of Almaden Lake, bright yellow sunflowers, people in colorful attire strolling and sipping wine, musicians playing and artists showcasing their work.
The festival is organized by the Almaden Valley Women’s Club (AVWC) and provides a platform to local artists to display and sell their work and to local musicians with an audience to showcase their talent. It also gives family run and specialty wineries an opportunity to introduce their products through wine-tasting.
The Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival is an important local fund-raiser. The proceeds from the festival go towards supporting a host of local non-profits serving the areas of education, teens and women.
At the festival, there is entertainment for all ages. Kids have a 25 ft. rock wall and rappelling area, slides, bounce houses and a special stage for kid’s entertainment. Adults have a variety of local bands and performers on the main stage.
It’s an event not to be missed, so stroll in, sip some wine and prepare to be entertained.
For more information, visit: https://www.almadenwomen.org/
August 2018 Almaden Valley Real Estate Market Update… August was a busy month for buyers of single family homes in Almaden Valley. The number of homes under contract shot up a dramatic 89% from July, while the number of homes on the market dropped 25% during the same timeframe. We saw one of the highest numbers of homes on the market in July, and buyers responded enthusiastically.
We DID see the average price per square foot retract somewhat from July to August, from $713 to $697, but this could easily be a function of the fact that so much inventory came on the market at one time that buyers had more control than we’ve seen.
Traditionally, September is usually the starting month for the holiday cooling trend. After the excitement of the July/August bulge, it will be interesting to see what autumn brings.
If you have any questions about recent market trends or would like to get into the market, give me a call!
