Southern Parts of Almaden Valley - What is it like? (San Jose: real estate, condos)

[dburbs1975]

We are planning a move to Northern California, had originally wanted to be closer to San Francisco, but were advised to consider San Jose as well, so we will be going to spend some time in San Jose next week.

I am looking at housing in general, and would be open to living farther out with excellent schools. I came upon this property listing:

21720 CHONA Ct San Jose, CA 95120

21720 CHONA Ct, San Jose, CA 95120 | MLS# 81343535 | Redfin

and googled the property to see what it looked like around it.

What the heck goes on in this area? The property is strewn with vehicles, and the neigboring properties have all kinds of plastic barrels. Around the cul de sac the lots are brown and look plowed. Is this agricultural, or new neighborhoods about to be put in? Or something else entirely? Is this an area of natural beauty or a dump?

The property is in a great school district, but with the neighborhood looking like it does....

[chessgeek]

There are better homes to choose from in the southern Almaden Valley. I spent my teenage years in Almaden Valley in the 1970's and still visit my sister and some friends who still live in that area. There is a Safeway grocery store at the Almaden/Camden intersection. Almaden also has a post office a block from that center and some medical and dental professionals near there as well.

It is generally a very nice and safe neighborhood and there are far more parks and trail systems than back in the 70's, too. There are upper class homes in the hills and middle to upper middle class homes in the valley itself. Blossom Hill Avenue is a short drive north to the large Oakridge Mall and Princeton Plaza shopping center. The restaurants on Blossom Hill are mostly the chain variety (Olive Garden, Chili's, Chevy's, Red Lobster, some fast food places, etc). There is also a Costco store.

Your best bet for a good breakfast place IMO is Country Inn next to the Bank of America near the Almaden/Camden intersection.

There is a nice French restaurant called La Foret in a rural creekside setting in the community of New Almaden about four miles south of the suburban tracts of AV and most people think it is worth the occasional splurge.

They also used to have an actual vaudeville/cheer the hero; boo the villain live show in a brick building near there with free popcorn. My friends and I went to a few performances, but they closed it down. They still have a museum there featuring the history of the area that focuses on the quicksilver mines that used to be in the area.

It will be difficult to buy a home below $600,000 in Almaden Valley, though the one you provided may qualify(?).

Leland High School, which I attended in the late 70's, is still very highly regarded as one of the better public high schools in San Jose.

Depending on where you live in Almaden Valley, it will be between 8 to 12 miles to downtown San Jose. The Calero Reservoir is only a short drive south of Almaden Valley on McKean and allows speed boats. Smaller Almaden Lake is on the north side of AV and only allows sail boats.

Almaden Valley has a lot of families that spend time watching their children's sporting activities on weekends (baseball, soccer, etc). It is a good family community. The AV library is now modern looking as it was recently renovated. It is worth checking out.

[chessgeek]

OK, I just checked your listing again and it is $598,500 (just under $600,000). You would be in a semi-rural area south of the housing tracts of Almaden Valley. The Calero Reservoir is nearby (maybe a few miles at most). There is a popular hot dog/polish sausage stand at the McKean/Harry Road intersection in the warmer weather months (March-October). The guy that owns it is super friendly. Good luck with your search!

[Local123]

That looks like it needs a couple hundred thousand to make it a comfortable place to live. With real estate here if it seem to good to be true (low price) there is most certainly a catch.

[silverkris]

Almaden Valley is indeed a nice area. However, the commute distance and time from major employment centers (e.g. North San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and beyond) can be onerous - so that has to be accounted for if you work in those areas. Nearest major employers are Xilinx (Union Avenue and 85) and Netflix (Los Gatos).

[jbunniii]

Originally Posted by dburbs1975

What the heck goes on in this area? The property is strewn with vehicles, and the neigboring properties have all kinds of plastic barrels. Around the cul de sac the lots are brown and look plowed. Is this agricultural, or new neighborhoods about to be put in? Or something else entirely? Is this an area of natural beauty or a dump?

Almaden Valley transitions abruptly from suburban to rural when you cross Harry Road. The house you linked to is in the rural section. I think the rural part is lovely - take a drive down McKean Rd to see what I mean. But whether any individual property is worth buying would be another question, and it would involve considerations that you don't have to worry about in suburbia, for example possibly being situated downwind from a manure field. Also look carefully at the water/sewage situation - you may well be dealing with a well and septic tank. Also consider the possibility that the guy who owns the nice vacant field next door may sell to developers who will cram 100 houses and condos on it. South of Harry Road there might be development restrictions which would preclude this, otherwise it would probably already have happened. But laws can change...

[dburbs1975]

Chessgeek,
Thanks, you are telling me exactly the kind of info I would like to know.

Local123, yes at minimum I would think 200K, but I have been watching real estate and lots of the REO's go for much lower than the cost of rehab and many get flipped. I would much rather do the gutting myself and know what I'm getting. we have done a few major restoration/renovations, so no stranger to this.

Silverkris, the location is not bad from the place I am looking to work at, but my spouse... it may be an issue.

jbunniii, thanks for the insight, I was wondering about greenbelt areas. I have not been able to find out this info. as for well and septic - can save money in the long run but setup costs are high.

I was just concerned about the appearance of the properties around it, but you are saying agricultural.

[mstnghu2]

To the OP, there have been a lot of great responses here. In all honesty, if you have the money to rehabilitate the property, it may turn out to be a great investment. There are no "bad" parts of Almaden Valley. My mom grew up in AV and her parents paid $16k brand new for the house she grew up in. It's now worth over $800k in its current un-remodeled original condition. As mentioned, AV ranges from middle class (although these homes still typically sell for well over $600k) to upper middle class to very upscale. The further south you head the more rural it is.

AV is close to downtown Los Gatos and is also close to being out in the middle of nowhere. It's only about 15 minutes from downtown SJ, yet it feels secluded from the rest of the city. You really can't go wrong purchasing a property in AV, even if you have to spend some money to fix it up. Schools are also excellent in the area which will help resale values. Good luck with whatever you decide.

On a side note, somebody mentioned the $$$ restaurant, La Foret. That's where I proposed to my wife.

[CousinMaynard]

Ah thats nuthin... I live on the other side of the santa teresa hills/coyote peak etc... from that area. its full on hillybilly haven down here, lots of farm workers and rednecks.

new almaden kind of reminds me of being in mendocino county i like it. if manicured front yards and neighbors w/ shiny bmws in the driveway are important, the area up by quicksilver is very nice.

[Local123]

Originally Posted by dburbs1975

Chessgeek,
Thanks, you are telling me exactly the kind of info I would like to know.

Local123, yes at minimum I would think 200K, but I have been watching real estate and lots of the REO's go for much lower than the cost of rehab and many get flipped. I would much rather do the gutting myself and know what I'm getting. we have done a few major restoration/renovations, so no stranger to this.

Silverkris, the location is not bad from the place I am looking to work at, but my spouse... it may be an issue.

jbunniii, thanks for the insight, I was wondering about greenbelt areas. I have not been able to find out this info. as for well and septic - can save money in the long run but setup costs are high.

I was just concerned about the appearance of the properties around it, but you are saying agricultural.

If you are up to it and can afford it it's a big piece of land and something to consider. We are going through a major addition/gut renovation and it is not cheap around here. I am happy we are doing it but holy cow! It is no joke in terms of time and money.