Yes, Folks, it is definitely a Buyer's Market...

I've mentioned before that what people are seeing/hearing/reading about Real Estate from our major news sources is NOT necessarily what is happening HERE.  There are micro-climates that are easy to observe if you know what to look for, and each agent has a personal experience with the market where they reside, and with the understanding that statistics can be skewed to suit anyone's purpose, I declare loudly, WE ARE IN A BUYER'S MARKET!  Suddenly, we have more inventory.  Suddenly, loans are easier to get.  Suddenly, there are NICE and PRETTY houses on the market at an affordable price!  It's been true for a while that there wasn't much of a price spread between foreclosures, short sales, and regular sales, but NOW buyer's are finding some pretty good houses for minimal hassle and a good price.  My crystal ball is still in the shop, but even without it, I feel like we're in a good place to service our Buyers.  What are YOU waiting for?  Now is a FANTASTIC time to buy a house!

Who do you know that is looking for a home in San Jose, CA?  Would you share my name with them?

History of our landmarks

I love the Hayes mansion in south San Jose.  The elegant, 41,000 square foot, 60-room Mediterranean-style structure was designed by architect George Page and was built in 1905, was once intended to be the residence of wealthy faith healer Mary Hayes Chynoweth and her two sons, Everis Anson (E.A.) and Jay Orley (J.O.) Hayes. Mary ordered the home built to replace a 40-plus room Queen Anne Victorian that had burned to the ground in 1898. Prompted by the fire, the family ordered the new home to be built with turn-of-the century cutting-edge safety in mind. Mary died a few months before the mansion was complete, but the estate stood for more than 50 years as the home for Mary's sons and their families. Already wealthy from a Michigan mining venture with their mother, the Hayes brothers, both lawyers, turned their attention to community service. They purchased The San Jose Herald and the Mercury, two local papers they combined to form the San Jose Mercury News. Because the Hayes brothers wielded political power, the mansion was host to many prominent political quests. After the Hayes family sold the mansion in the 1950's, the dwelling became empty by 1980, desperately in need of repair. It attracted the attention of both public and private sectors. In 1975 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 1981, declared a city landmark and purchased for restoration to its original splendor. Under the care of the Network Conference Company, which leases the site from the City of San Jose and operates the Hayes Conference Center, the mansion was restored and an addition was built in 1996 to match the mansion's architecture. The mansion is available for self tours with a free brochure available from the hotel desk.

Opened to the public in 1994, the property quickly became the region's premier facility for meetings and events.

An expansion and renovation, completed in 2002, enhanced the distinctive architectural characteristics of the original structure, and created even more additional meeting & event space.  There is an awesome restaurant (Orlo's) and a Spa that brings us locals back over and over.

Our Homes have Style

My area has so many styles and sizes of homes and land around them.  We have some agricultural properties with old farm houses with wood siding and large porches, and big gardens.  There are Tuscan vineyard-style homes that invite families and guests to sprawling patios, out-door rooms, and indoor splendor.  Many Spanish haciendas with courtyards, rounded tile roofs, bouganvilla reaching around the walls and skyward are sweetly settled on land that is rich with views of the mountains.  Modern homes with angular lines, sparse landscaping, with a feeling that is clean and uncluttered are available on no-nonsense lots in some of the more highly populated areas (sunnyvale, santa clara, mt. view).  Doll houses dot the charming streets of the willow-glen area in San Jose, where rounded cottage-style roofs, coated with moss and welcoming flower gardens welcome you home.  In some of the downtown areas, you can find 100 year old majestic victorian homes and bungalows maintained and restored beautifully in quaint neighborhoods with shady sidewalks where you can walk to shops, japan town, museums, churches and universities.


We have some wonderful mobile home parks for seniors with organized activities for active folks every single day.  There are lower cost homes and mobile homes for families of all cultures.  The needs of a busy life in the Bay Area has created the need for luxury condos, duplexes and muli-plex housing that is pleasing to the eye and accommodating for singles and couples who are climbing the corporate ladder.