Should my parents buy a house in Los Gatos, Saratoga, Los Altos Hills or the Santa Cruz mountains? (San Diego: rent, mortgage)

[JSD45]

I'm a sophomore at SCU and I grew up in San Diego. My parents really love the mountain areas and are looking to buy a vacation/part time home here. It' s a little strange having my parents living so close, but I have a good relationship with them, so it doesn't really bother me. They really like the forest and the large lots. They are not interested in a big house, as it's the two of them. They want a house on a "rural feel" lot with trees and be within a reasonable distance of businesses. Quiet is a big factor. My parents are not very "high maintenance", but they like nice places to eat. They also like access to trails and/or nature.

What is the difference between: Los Gatos (hills), Los Altos Hills, Saratoga or the SC mountains? They're all great, but my favorites are way, way up in the mountains above Los Gatos, in Montevina (sp?) road or on the south side of the 17. I'm also partial to "los altos hills" just because I've been there a lot.

My dad likes the town of Los Gatos, so I guess that's #1. But I want them to look at these other communities.

1. What is your favorite and why?

2. Is living in the SC Mountains on Skyline Blvd. not a smart option? I really like this option, but the weather can be extreme (I got stuck in a snow storm once)...but I feel that my parents will like the colder weather (east coast born) and sometimes the snow. Although price isn't really that big of an issue, the SC mountains is a lot cheaper and you can get more land. Downside is that it isn't that close to a town.

3. Any communities in the north bay? Monterey Area? I think they're pretty set on the south bay area, so they can keep an eye on me...

Thanks!

[sonarrat]

Sounds like they might also like the Holiday Lake Estates subdivision of Morgan Hill where I grew up. The only downside is that it can get very hot, but you get the rural feel and close-knit neighborhood feel together, which is very hard to find, and it's easier to get to than Santa Cruz or the Los Gatos mountains.

[krudmonk]

Go deeper into the mountains: Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Felton, etc. Los Gatos, Los Altos and the like abut the mountains but are still the suburban market. Homes cost much more and you lack the full experience.

[davidbob]

ya . great man. ur parsent must bto buy it?

[jaynetarzana]

I would tell them to wait a year or two. Prices will come down quite a bit. They might have the money, but no one wants to throw it away. Perhaps they would rent a vacation home until then to see how they even like it before taking the plunge.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by krudmonk

Go deeper into the mountains: Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Felton, etc.

Los Gatos extends up into the mountains as well, and provides as cool a mountain-living experience as the Hwy 9 towns (see above), with a little closer proximity to civilization in the valley. Just understand what Santa Cruz Mountain living is all about before buying.

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

Los Gatos extends up into the mountains as well, and provides as cool a mountain-living experience as the Hwy 9 towns (see above), with a little closer proximity to civilization in the valley. Just understand what Santa Cruz Mountain living is all about before buying.

Especially the firestorm issue. With services so far away that's a little sketchy.

[hsw]

Woodside nr Mtn Home Rd...costly but likely to hold value better than most areas, b/c of difficult permit process for new construc and some of world's wealthiest people as neighbors...likely to have roads, etc repaired more quickly post-any quake, etc b/c of crowd that chooses to live there

Prefer Woodside's more bucolic, wooded terrain vs more arid stuff of LAH/LG; easy proximity to mtn rds for pleasure drives; wouldn't want to live too high up in mtns, as roads are treacherous esp in rains...and at nt w/drunk drivers, etc

VillagePub in Woodside is OK grub; PA has great pizza; SF is ~35mins away for more serious grub

LG has hotter, inland valley weather; worse air quality as smog settles over S Bay; good grub w/Manresa; awfully far from SF; traffic on nearby fwys tends to be slower than Woodside area 280...some prefer LG culturally as downtown is cleaner than any of the downtowns of PA or MP....and many in LG prefer to be distant from PA's (or SF's) annoying socialist ethos...LG has an LA-like feel...much like NwptBch or Calabasas or Brentwood ethos

[Ludachris]

Originally Posted by jaynetarzana

I would tell them to wait a year or two. Prices will come down quite a bit. They might have the money, but no one wants to throw it away. Perhaps they would rent a vacation home until then to see how they even like it before taking the plunge.

Those areas haven't shown much of a price drop so far compared to the less desireable areas in Silicon Valley. I'm not so sure they'll drop "quite a bit" in the next year or two. And will the price drops outweigh the low mortgage rates we're seeing now? It might just be a wash, especially if they're planning to live there for a long time. Those are some of the most desirable areas in the nation. If they drop dramatically in price, everyone should be worried.

If your parents really like the mountains, I'd say look up in Redwood Estates (up Highway 17 before the summit) or past the summit in little towns like Felton or even Scotts Valley, like someone else suggested. I'm assuming they can easily afford a million dollar home though if they're considering Los Gatos, Saratoga, Los Altos Hills, etc. They can get more for their money in the Santa Cruz mountains (the areas I suggested) and be located halfway between the Bay Area and the beach. The only downside is that they'd be a little further from shopping and dining. It's really beautiful up there.

[krudmonk]

Originally Posted by Ludachris

It's really beautiful up there.

for emphasis