It’s undoubtedly one of those neighborhood evolutionary things. Not too long ago, Pine Avenue was the unofficial WGx barometer of the local real estate market, based simply by the number of houses for sale on the street.

Times have changed a bit. A stroll down one of WG’s central east-west corridors now reveals very few homes for sale … but lots of landscape being redeveloped. Or at least, lots of landscapes companies advertising their services along the boulevard.

Check it out — there are now more landscape company signs on Pine than anything else. Pearman Landscaping (twice, actually), A Scape Artist, and a newly planted big green sign for LifeScape.

Throw in the recent toilet-paper landscape across the street from the uniquely stacked wood cuttings, along with the infrequent weedscape, and you’ve got quite an interesting variety of front yards designs.

Seriously though … if you are looking for a local landscape architect, you have many choices. The California Landscape Contractors Association lists more than 80 members serving the South Bay.

It didn’t seem noteworthy at the time, but a few months ago, there were several painting service signs. Come to think of it, maybe for-sale signs are about to come back …

Remember that whole sycamore hullabaloo last year? The guilty party in the tree-cutting fiasco has quietly moved on, and the property has apparently completed escrow for sale to a new buyer.

At least that’s what we are all left to assume. Real estate agent Terry Kelly has remained secretive about the sale, and never returned WGx phone calls. Other realtors have also noted Terry’s silence on the property.

So, it’s sold. WGx – and undoubtedly the neighbors along Willow and Camino Ricardo – can’t wait to read the next chapter.

A NEW Feature on WGx … updates from local Realtor Holly Barr! Check out Willow Glen Extra for Holly’s weekly update on real estate trends and interesting homes available on the local market.

Highlights of June 12 Willow Glen Realtor Tour
Two Picks of the Week: 1394 Robsheal Dr. and 1131 Dean Ave

DEAN, James, DEAN (Avenue)

Tricky part about being a realtor in an area you love is that I find houses that I want to BUY all the time. My husband has to pull back the reins or we would be paying for a few more mortgages than there are paychecks coming in.

I am so excited about 1131 Dean Ave.! It is an REO property which means the bank repossessed it and hired a realtor to sell it. Pretty good gig for a realtor. REO properties are usually priced very well and are much easier to purchase than a dreaded short sale.
This gem at 1131 Dean Ave. is a stroll to ‘the ave.’ priced at $499,900- Yes, you read that right under $500K (barely). Granted it is small at 1130 sq ft and 2 bed 1.5 bath. However, it has new dual pane windows, hardwood floors, REMODELED Kitchen with Granite slab and NEW cabinets. There is a spa in the tiny yet, usable backyard and sprinklers! PERFECT for a rental or for a single person or even a couple! Great deal, I love this house- can you tell??? Let me know if you want to partner on this one – I am ready to buy it!

 My other top pick is 1394 Robsheal Dr. and it has that certain something jennet se qua (or however you spell that…) Great layout, wonderful location (also walk to ‘the ave’), nicely remodeled (the remodeled garage was in Sunset Magazine!). Four bedrooms and 3 bathrooms with a backyard that has the perfect blend of grass and patio. This house is a true turnkey and priced to sell at $1,250,000.

Here are last week’s listing stats for Willow Glen’s real estate scene:

• 16 sales last week in area 10 (Mostly 95125)
• 231 active listings in Willow Glen this week 6/5/08
• 235 active listings in Willow Glen last week 5/29/08

210 active listings is the gold standard for a sign of a healthy market for this area. The fact that we are consistently in the 230-240 range indicates Willow Glen to be a stable market.

What is your favorite house on the market right now?

What have you done to your house that is creative and out of the box?

Holly Barr — Coldwell Banker
Phone: 408-887-3225 — Email: holly@hollybarr.net

A NEW Feature on WGx … updates from local Realtor Holly Barr! Check out Willow Glen Extra for Holly’s weekly update on real estate trends and interesting homes available on the local market.

Every Thursday I attend a realtor tour of all the new listings in Willow Glen. It’s a great way for realtors like me to stay on top of the market, and a fantastic way for sellers to get their property seen by all the top local realtors. The tour is organized by Mike Gains of REMax, and usually includes 25-50 realtors. Every week I’ll report back on highlights from this tour – a summary of what’s going on in the Willow Glen market, exceptional new listings, stuff like that. If you ever have any questions about what I put here, or would like to see me take a different approach with this weekly summary of the tour, please let me know!

Holly Barr — Coldwell Banker
Phone: 408-887-3225 — Email: holly@hollybarr.net

This week, Holly provides pictures from inside your neighbors’ houses … no tickets to buy … no awkward open house visits …

Highlights from the June 5 Home Tour:

Some nice flips and first time buyer homes to be had in Willow Glen this week! My personal favorite is 1864 Johnston Ave. It is in the Booksin school district and is an original Kirkland Villa home. In fact they have refinished the original parquet flooring. It is a cute original 2 bed 1 bath priced at $638,500.

Three more homes stand out as flips or first time buyer properties for me. First is1005 Spencer ave 3 bed 2 bath listed at $675,000 this house is a TOP BUY for the area! Nice house! Next is 2206 Bello Ave (off Curtner) has a nice 8192 lot size and with 3 bed 1 bath mostly original the price of $699,000 is attractive. Lastly, 1545 Fucshia is also attractive with a price of $769,000 3 bed and 2 remodeled bathrooms.

Doll house cute this week is 1158 Willow Glen Way. Everyone loves that street and this house is 2 bed 1 bath for $835,000 so you certainly pay to live on that street! I loved the cute fireplace and all the curb appeal!

If you have been thinking about a 4 plex- check out 1121 Garfield ave! Right near Rotten Robbie listed at $1,100,000. The realtors on tour thought it should be below $1 million.

My pick of the week is 1148 Kotenberg. Highly desirable street in Willow Glen, this house is a beautifully remodeled 3 bed 2 bath on a large 9300 sq ft lot. The owners have done some creative and well thought out remodeling to work with the interior space of 1520 to make it more functional as well as beautiful. Here is a picture of the creative crown that is two layers of crown with paint in between the layers to make it look even larger! Also take a look at the breakfast nook carved from the granite slab in the galley kitchen- Works well in this home.

Here are some interesting numbers about this past week in Willow Glen’s real estate scene:

• 11 sales last week in area 10
• 235 active listings in Willow Glen this week 6/5/08
• 225 active listings in Willow Glen last week 5/29/08

210 active listings is the gold standard for a sign of a healthy market for this area. The fact that we are consistently in the 230-240 range indicates Willow Glen to be a stable market.

What have you done to your house that is creative and out of the box?

A NEW Feature on WGx … updates from local Realtor Holly Barr! Check out Willow Glen Extra for Holly’s weekly update on real estate trends and interesting homes available on the local market.

Every Thursday I attend a realtor tour of all the new listings in Willow Glen. It’s a great way for realtors like me to stay on top of the market, and a fantastic way for sellers to get their property seen by all the top local realtors. The tour is organized by Mike Gains of REMax, and usually includes 25-50 realtors. Every week I’ll report back on highlights from this tour – a summary of what’s going on in the Willow Glen market, exceptional new listings, stuff like that. If you ever have any questions about what I put here, or would like to see me take a different approach with this weekly summary of the tour, please let me know!

Holly Barr — Coldwell Banker
Phone: 408-887-3225 — Email: holly@hollybarr.net

Holly started strong last week. Here’s this week’s installment …

The theme of this week seemed to be 3 bedroom 1.5-2 bath in homes on busy streets.

View Larger Map

I have to say that the 1200 block of Malone Road — where a 3 bed 1.5 bath priced at $829,000 in original condition — is a great part of Malone. However, the name Malone rings busy for many buyers and the rest of the agents seem to think it was a bit over priced (we shall see if we were right).

Down on the busier part of Malone in the 1000 block near the corner of Lovoi the 3 bed 1.5 bath priced at $750,000 close to original condition the group of realtors seem to think it was priced well (again, we shall see!).

Here are some interesting numbers about this past week in Willow Glen’s real estate scene:

• 15 sales last week in area 10
• 225 active listings in Willow Glen this week 5/29/08
• 225 active listings in Willow Glen last week 5/22/08

210 active listings is the gold standard for a sign of a healthy market for this area. The fact that we are consistently in the 230-240 range (225 again this week!) indicates Willow Glen to be a stable market.

My pick of the week is 1798 Grace Avenue. I imagine it is sold with multiple offers by now. Quiet street, FOUR car garage, priced well at $1,297,975 with good layout and recent quality updating.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LISTING RIGHT NOW?

From WGx: Regular WGx readers will probably welcome Holly’s positive perspective on the homes for sale along the western half of Malone. She didn’t even mention the growing metropolis on the eastern end of Malone at Almaden Road.

A NEW Feature on WGx … updates from local Realtor Holly Barr! Check out Willow Glen Extra for Holly’s weekly update on real estate trends and interesting homes available on the local market. (more…)

For anyone who missed the WG Home Tour a few weeks ago, here’s another chance to peruse your neighbors’ mansions — or at least one of them. This news comes from the SVCN Saratoga News, which promoted the show in a print edition earlier this month: (more…)

The 26th Annual Willow Glen Life Styles Home Tour is scheduled for this upcoming weekend, with tours available on both Saturday and Sunday:

Willow Glen
Lifestyles Home Tour
Saturday and Sunday
May 3 & 4, 2008
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Proceeds from the tour of “owner-occupied” homes across the neighborhood benefits the non-profit San Jose Day Nursery, itself located in Downtown SJ. (more…)

The mini housing boom along Malone Road in WG appears to continue unabated … never mind the supposed real estate downturn.

The Almaden Walk condos are open for viewing and sales (Grand Opening on April 26), the aforementioned Glens are almost sold out, and now three new houses are proposed for the corner of Malone & Harmil, a few blocks east of Lincoln where an older home has been patiently waiting to be torn down.

(more…)

Today’s front page of the Mercury News highlights the challenges of the local housing market with a surprising twist: Homes not far from WG — originally intended for first-time, low-income buyers — sit vacant, waiting for those buyers to materialize:

The 17 brand new cottage-style condos near downtown San Jose were supposed to sell swiftly, especially since they were priced to be affordable to low- and moderate-income people, and the developer offers generous loan programs for first-time buyers.

But in the eight months since the for-sale signs went up on West Alma Avenue at Almaden Avenue, only one condominium has sold, even though the developer, non-profit Neighborhood Housing Services Silicon Valley, has cut prices twice.

With home buyers reluctant to buy in a declining market, even non-profit developers who aim to provide affordable housing to the valley’s lower-income residents are getting hammered by conditions in the real estate market.

If you take Almaden Expressway to Downtown SJ, you drive past these shiny new condos every time. Snuggled into the corner of Alma Street and Almaden Expressway, Villa Almendra is waiting for buyers who can afford it. For half-a-million? Seriously?

It may be in the shadow of the fancy Skyline at Tamien building — four blocks east and nine stories down — but that doesn’t seem like an affordable price for the neighborhood … especially not with Burbed reporting on a $600,000 house on the southern edge of WG. What’s $150,000 these days?

WGx enjoys poking fun at silly Real Estate names that don’t make any sense — the Glens are almost sold out — but Villa Almendra seems really out there. Almendra means Almond …. Villa …. hey, it’s practically called a “Nut House” …