Silicon Valley Housing Blog by Steve Leung

Santana Row has been described as a cutout of Paris' Champs Elysees transplanted to Silicon Valley.  Its main thoroughfare, which gives name to the neighborhood, is the backbone of this urban oasis, lined with luxury stores and a variety of restaurants.  And when the weekend comes, so do the luxu...

The 80's neon-and-hair relic Vallco Fashion Park in Cupertino lost its battle with Westfield's Valley Fair Mall long ago and was pushed further into complete obscurity by Santana Row.  It's hard to call Santana Row a shopping mall given its balance of city living and planned but not completely co...

Revitalization of Sunnyvale's downtown area has been an on again, off again, on again, but mostly off again scenario, and the centerpiece of downtown Sunnyvale, the Town Center mall, has been closed for quite a while with the exception of the Macy's and Target anchor stores. Sunnyvale has a subur...

You've probably heard all the perks about buying a house and how it's the centerpiece of the American Dream.  But the American Dream is less about possessing the house itself than the improvement you expect in your lifestyle when you own a home. There are times when buying a house isn't the right...

I read the San Jose Mercury News article titled "Bay Area homes' price down 1.4% from a year ago" and pictured yet another heated discussion between the two propaganda crowds.You know, the ones who blindly say the sky is or isn't falling and the others who always carry around steel-reinforced umb...

Buying the perfect home requires knowledge and preparation.  CNNMoney.com has a surprisingly insightful list of top things you need to know when buying a house, but there are a couple adjustments that need to be made for Northern California. CNNMoney.com's #3.  Debt vs. Income Housing affordabili...

First some numbers: the Wall Street Journal reports that Silicon Valley added 30,000 new jobs last year and that unemployment in Silicon Valley dropped to 4%, down from a peak of 8% in 2002.  The average salary here is up 4% from last year to $74,302 according to the same report.   The challenge ...

Traffic in the Bay Area is predictably unpredictable. Fortunately, 511.org provides real-time traffic updates that are accessible over the web or from your phone by dialing 5-1-1. There is also a test site where you can customize your driving time updates for up to four trips. 511.org...

CNNMoney.com published an article that gives you tips on 5 small home improvement projects that you can do yourself before your house goes on sale.  They rate the projects by skill level required, how much it costs, and how much you'd have to pay a professional to do it. They note that because it...

Local station CBS5.com reports that existing home sales dropped sharply in 2006 across the country.  2005 was the peak of this recent real estate boom and during that year a whopping 40% of all home sales were to investors or people buying vacation homes, according to David Lereah, chief economic...