Possibly, yes. Homes within a 20-minute commute of Apple (Cupertino), Google (Mountain View), or Nvidia (Santa Clara) are seeing renewed bidding wars. We see a significant price premium for “commute-friendly” zip codes like 94087 vs. 94085.

Yes, historically low. We have about 1.8 months of inventory (6 months is balanced). Most homeowners are “locked in” with low interest rates, so when a turnkey home hits the market in areas like Willow Glen, Cambrian or Sunnyvale expect 5+ offers.

The tax threshold for homes over $2M jumped to $2.3M on July 1, 2025. If you are buying in that price range, you can expect the tax to apply…only staying under $2.3 avoids this tax. 

Only if you work remotely. You get more land, but the commute on the 101 North is grueling again. Also, be aware that parts of these areas are now designated a “High Fire Severity Zone,” which complicates insurance and can add expenses.

It depends on the zone and on the list price of the property.  In Cupertino or Palo Alto, list prices are often teasers; expect to pay 10-15% over. In the condo market or South San Jose, homes are often selling at or slightly under the asking price.

You may need the FAIR Plan. Many major carriers have paused writing in fire zones. We will likely need to wrap the state-run FAIR Plan with a secondary policy for liability. We must get quotes before removing contingencies.

It depends on the zone and on the list price of the property.  In Cupertino or Palo Alto, list prices are often teasers; expect to pay 10-15% over. In the condo market or South San Jose, homes are often selling at or slightly under the asking price.

A luxury transfer tax. It applies a 1.5% transfer tax on properties sold for over $6 million. This rarely affects standard homebuyers but is a major factor for multi-family investors in Mountain View.

Yes.   New 2025 laws allow you to rent out both the main house and the ADU (no owner-occupancy required). This makes properties with ADU potential highly desirable for offsetting high mortgage rates.

Yes. Santa Clara County offers a “Pre-Approved ADU Program.” using these ready-made plans can save you thousands in design fees and months of permitting delays.

It varies by city. In Palo Alto/Mountain View, it’s usually split 50/50. In San Jose, sellers typically pay, but aggressive buyers often offer to cover these taxes to win competitive multiple-offer situations.

Yes, with a local lender. Big banks often reject volatile RSU income. We use local “tech-savvy” lenders who can average your RSU income over 2 years to significantly boost your purchasing power.