AccessAlmaden

May 2019 Almaden Valley Real Estate Market Update

/in /by

Things have slowed down a bit.

Almaden Valley residential real estate continues to show transition to a buyer’s market. The number of active single family home listings increased almost 24% from April 2019 and a whopping almost 81% from the same time last year. Meanwhile, the number of homes that closed sale during May 2019 decreased by over 34% since April and over 45% since the same time last year. The average price per square foot retracted about 4% from April and a bit over 7% since the same time last year.

Overall, indicators would seem to show that the Almaden Valley real estate market has cooled from its relatively long run of growth. From my personal experience, homes that are staged well and competitively priced are still selling quickly. Agents need to be pro-active; marketing has become vital.

If you are thinking about selling your home, contact me and let me show how I can make your home stand out in our changing market. Additionally, Compass can front the money for upgrades until close of escrow with no interest.

May 2019 Almaden Valley Real Estate Market

Leland High School Speech Workshops

/in , /by

Leland High School Speech WorkshopsLeland High School will be hosting two speech workshops for elementary school students this summer. The workshops will be led by coaches from the nationally ranked Leland High School Speech and Debate team, under the guidance of Gay Brasher, celebrated public speaking coach and Leland teacher.

The workshops are for students entering second grade through sixth grade and will be conducted in two sessions. During the workshops, students will be trained to write, practice and present short speeches. They will get a chance to develop key public speaking skills that will remain with them for a lifetime. The details are as follows:

Session 1: June 26, 27, 28
For students entering 2nd – 4th grades
Cost: $160
Location: Leland High School, Room J-2
Time: 9:00 am to 11:00 am

Session 2: July 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
For students entering 4th – 6th grades
Cost: $390
Location: Leland High School, Room J-2
Time: 9:00 am to 12:00 noon

To register, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/summerelementaryworkshop2019
Checks are payable to Leland Speech and Debate and all proceeds will benefit Leland Speech and Debate.

Almaden Community Center Summer 2019 – UPDATED 2022

/in , /by

Almaden Community Center Summer 2019[CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS TO MORE RECENT ALMADEN COMMUNITY CENTER ACTIVITY GUIDE.]

Almaden Community Center Summer 2019

Spring is well under way, and with just a few short weeks left of the school year, are you wondering how to keep your kids engaged during the summer? Well, here are the highlights of the popular summer camps and activities at the Almaden Community Center. You can view the full catalog here: Almaden Community Center Summer Catalog 2019

Dance

From fairy-tale themed dances for the tiny tots to the more energetic hip-hop and cheerleading style moves for the older kids, the dance camps will have them moving and grooving in no time. Look up:

  • Camp Dance
  • Anna and Elsa Dance Camp
  • Cheerleading/Hip-Hop Dance Camp
Sports by Skyhawks

The sports camps by Skyhawks are intensive camps for both beginner and intermediate levels, where participants have fun and also pick up essential skills to excel. Some of the sports taught by Skyhawks are:

  • Basketball
  • Beginner Golf
  • Flag Football
  • Tennis
  • Volleyball
  • Track and Field
STEM with Mad Science

For kids with a curious bent of mind, the STEM camps conducted by Mad Science are sure to keep them thinking and tinkering all summer long. Check out:

  • Eureka! Young Inventors Camp
  • Fizz-Ical Phenomena and Che-Mystery
  • Jet Cadets
LEGO and Minecraft

For the little gaming and engineering enthusiasts, the LEGO and Minecraft camps are sure to enthrall. Consider:

  • Harry Potter Magical and Master Engineering
  • Bash’ em Bots
  • Brixology
  • Jedi Engineering
  • Minecraft Build Adventure and Survival Game
  • Minecraft Edu Theme Park Mania
Art and Craft Camps

For the budding young artists and the crafty kids, there are:

  • 3D Printing
  • Art Start
  • Art with Masters
  • Origami

The camps run on a weekly basis from June through August. Be sure to register as soon as possible on or after May 4th at 10:00 AM for Summer 2019! For more information, call the Almaden Community Center at 408.268.1133 or visit: www.sjregistration.com

 

San Jose Water Lantern Festival

/in , /by

Water Lantern FestivalBook your spots today for the San Jose Water Lantern Festival! Don’t miss this mesmerizing visual experience, which will stay with you for a lifetime.

At: The Almaden Lake Park
On: Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28, 2019
Time: 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Decorate your lanterns with messages of hopes and dreams, set them afloat, and watch them light up the waters of the beautiful Almaden Lake Park. The Water Lantern Festival, being held this weekend at the Almaden Lake Park, will be a dazzling spectacle that you can enjoy with your entire family.

The festivities begin at 5:00 pm, when you can enter the venue (from the Winfield Blvd. entrance) and enjoy music and snacks from food trucks. During this time, you can also decorate your lanterns (provided at the entrance) prior to setting them afloat. The lantern launch is slated to begin at 8:00.

Tickets include the festival entry pass, a floatable lantern, and a commemorative bag. Remember to carry a folding chair, bug spray, camera and some cash for the food vendors.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit: https://www.waterlanternfestival.com/sanjose.php

March 2019 Almaden Valley Real Estate Market Update

/in /by

March 2019 Almaden Valley Real Estate Market Update… The Almaden Valley real estate market ended the month of March showing solid signs of recovery from the holiday doldrums. The number of single family homes under contract jumped from 19 in February to 35 in March, and the number of sales rocketed from 9 to 20 in the same time frame, while the number of single family homes on the market increased from 25 to 37. The average price per square foot inched up from $673 in February to $678 in March.

When we compare the Almaden Valley market performance to years past, we can see that the wild ride with sellers at the wheel has slowed down considerably, and the market continues showing signs that it is turning to a normal market. We are not seeing quite as many single family homes selling for more than the list price, indicating that inventory is more than meeting demand. The number of homes sold each month has been trending slightly downward, a sign that demand has cooled a bit from the past frantic activity we saw.

Make no mistake, demand for homes in Almaden Valley is healthy, but the market shift means it’s not quite as easy to sell as it was in times past, when almost all it took was putting a “For Sale” sign in the yard. The spirited bidding wars are not nearly as common as they were, either. But homes that are move-in ready and priced well still receive a lot of attention. And now that all our rain has appeared to have stopped, it is quite possible that buyers will soon be out again in droves.

If you are thinking of selling your home, contact me and let me show how I can help you make the most of our changing market!

March 2019 Almaden Valley Real Estate

On the Wildflower Trail in Almaden

/in /by

Wildflower trail AlmadenSpring is well and truly upon us, and with it comes the enchantment and wonder of the wildflowers. After a particularly wet winter, the hills around Almaden Valley and the nature parks surrounding it are now bejewelled in a riot of colors in the form of spring wildflowers. Besides the poppies, daisies and clovers carpeting the meadows, one can also find the jewelflower, the California gilia, the California buttercup, brodiaea, baby blue eyes, woodland star and the shooting star, among other varieties dotting the hills.

For the avid nature lover and photographer in you, the following trails in the county parks surrounding Almaden Valley are bound to delight in their abundance of wildflowers.

Almaden Quicksilver County Park:
  • Senador Trail to Guadalupe
  • Trail to Mine Hill
  • Castillero Trail
Calero County Park:
  • Serpentine Loop Trail
Coyote Lake – Harvey Bear Ranch County Park:
  • Coyote Ridge Trail
  • Calaveras Trail
Santa Teresa County Park:
  • Rocky Ridge Trail
  • Stiles Trail
Grant County Park:
  • San Felipe Trail at Corral Trail
  • Halls Valley Trail
  • Brush Trail at Dutch Flat Trail

Whether you are a dedicated outdoors person or prefer to explore nature at leisure, now is the time to hit the trails. Walk or hike on these easily accessible trails and experience the many splendours of spring wildflowers in Almaden.

For more information, visit: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/Whats-Happening/Documents/sccp-wldlfr17-web.pdf

January 2019 Almaden Valley Real Estate Market Update

/in /by

January 2019 Almaden Valley Real Estate Market Update… Almaden Valley single family home sales are coming out of the sleepy holiday season as January statistics show. The number of homes on the market increased slightly from 14 in December to 15 in January, but the number of homes under contract jumped over 33%, from 9 to 12 over the same time period.

When comparing longer-range trends, it would appear that the red-hot nature of the real estate market has cooled a bit compared to our dramatic performance in 2018. Despite more homes offered for sale, the number of homes under contract in January of this year dropped almost 30% from the same time last year (17 versus 12) and the number of solds over 13% (15 versus 13).

It appears that the Almaden Valley single home market is transitioning from being controlled by sellers to a more balanced market. The drop in price per square footage that we saw in January (down from $681 in December to $642 and down from $672 in January 2018) bears this out.

Homes are remaining on the market for longer as well. We saw a rather dramatic jump in days on market in December (31 days) to January (51 days). Contrasting last month to the same time in 2018, we see an even more dramatic jump from 20 days.

What does this mean for home sellers in Almaden Valley? Selling a home may take longer and prices are quite possibly not going to go as high as last year’s record high ($757/sq ft in June 2018), so try to catch the spring market if at all possible. There was a lot of rain in February, but as soon as the sun comes out, I am sure we will see dramatic improvement. If you have any questions or are ready to make a move, give me a call!

January 2019 Almaden Valley Real Estate Market

Almaden Swim & Racquet Club Courses

/in , /by

Almaden Swim and Racquet ClubThe Almaden Swim & Racquet Club (ASRC) is hosting a series of American Red Cross Certified Lifeguard training courses between March and May 2019. The courses will be provided by Norcal Lifeguard Training under the guidance of instructor Tami Moore.

The dates are as follows:

  • Session 1: March 9 – 10
  • Session 2: April 13 – 14
  • Session 3: May 18 – 19.

The costs are $125 for a one-day recertification course and $200 for a two-day new certification course. The training is open to all participants 15 years or older.

NorCal Lifeguard Training is an authorized American Red Cross provider. This Lifeguard certification also includes First Aid, CPR and AED certification, and is valid for two years.

For more information, contact Tami Moore at Tami@NorCalLifeguardTraining.com or call 408-772-9016, or visit http://www.almadensrc.org/swimming/red-cross-classes

December 2018 Almaden Valley Real Estate Market Update

/in /by

December 2018 Almaden Valley Real Estate Market Update… The Almaden Valley real estate market ended 2018 on a quiet note. Active, pending and sold listings all ended lower than they were in November, which is a pretty typical holiday season feature. The average price per square foot was up over 5% from November, ending the year at $681.

When compared to previous years, we saw some elements of the white-hot Almaden Valley single family home market cool down a bit the last few months of 2018. Months of Inventory available in December 2018 was significantly higher than it has been in recent years, due to an increase in sellers entering the market. When comparing 2018 to years past, we can see that overall inventory often met or exceeded demand, which is a hallmark of a transition to a market where buyers exert more market influence, and sellers compete for buyers rather than vice versa as we’ve seen in the past.

The gradual increase in average price per square foot seems to bear out the gradual cooling, especially when comparing prices from previous Decembers. In December 2017 we were at $671/sqft level. This increased to $681/sqft in December 2018, a rather modest 1.5% increase as compared to the much higher 9.3% increase we saw from December 2016’s $614/sqft level to December 2017.

But, don’t worry, things appear to be picking up these past couple of weeks as we head into the spring selling season. If you’re thinking about getting into the market, send me an email or give me a call!

December 2018 Almaden Valley Real Estate Market

Almaden Community Center Winter 2019 Activities and Classes – UPDATED 2022

/in , , , , /by
Almaden Community Center Winter 2019

[CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS TO MORE RECENT ALMADEN COMMUNITY CENTER ACTIVITY GUIDE.]

The Almaden Community Center Winter 2019 activities and classes are open for registration. Here are some of the exciting new offerings for the season.

Art with the Masters – Participants will learn about some of the great masters in art and study their paintings.

Painting Party with Ms. Marla – Learn to paint from scratch. All painting material including canvas, paints and brushes will be provided.

Apprentice Electrical Engineering: Electrified – Participants use Snap Circuits and other engineering design process tools to design, create and test various electronic circuits. Objects designed include a flashlight and a magnetic levitation vehicle!

Electronic Game Design: Racing Games – Participants create their own racing games complete with cars, race tracks and the full racing environment. Fun stuff for the young speedsters.

Junior Civil Engineering: Fun Foundation – In this fun class, children understand the engineering concepts behind big infrastructure projects like skyscrapers and bridges.

Junior Wedo Lego Robotics 2.0: Robots in Motion – Children learn to build robots using Lego Wedo.

Little Sports Medicine – In Little Sports Medicine, your child can learn about common sports related injuries and how real doctors do their diagnoses.

Minecraft YouTubers: Let’s Play – This is an exciting one for the diehard young Minecrafters. Participants create and upload Minecraft videos for YouTube, and in the process also learn about Internet safety.

New Year, New You – As we move towards 2019, find your inspiration through this motivational course. Goals, dreams, ideas and joy. Explore your inner zen.

For more information on these courses and to enroll, call 408-793-5565 or view the full catalog here.

Skip to content