Homes Sold in Cupertino School District Continue to Sell For More than Asking Price. In May 2011, the Average Single Family Residence sold within the Cupertino Elementary School District sold for 101% of its Asking (List) Price as strong demand and limited supply pushed prices up.  Data are from the local Multiple Listing Service, MLSListings, Inc. The Cupertino School District boundaries do not coincide with City boundaries, so the Chart below shows sub-total for each City and the number of May 2011 sales in that City, plus the total. For information about Buying or Selling a home in the Cupertino School District, please call of e-mail me.  The lessons I've learned from 35 years of local real estate sales experience benefit my clients in many ways throughout a real estate transaction. 06/01/2011

Hiking to the Stevens Creek Reservoir from Fremont Older Open Space, in Cupertino/Saratoga CA.  This 4-5 miles hike takes about 3.5 hours. If you are looking at a longer hike that takes you through some great diverse zones in nature, then this is a great hike for you.  Start at the Prospect Road parking lot.  If you arrive later in the day, the small lot can be full, as many hikers come for the easy slopes and the dog-friendly atmosphere.  Head up any of the trails, in within minutes you see a full panoramic view of Silicon Valley.  This picture is showing the past (dead tree in an orchard) looking down on the future (Silicon Valley). As you can see, the trails are clearly marked.  There is even a brochure box at the parking lot to help you navigate the trails.  This side of the mountai... 06/01/2011

CINEMA AT SUNDOWN at the Memorial Park Amphitheater in Cupertino. The park will be showing evening movies during the summer, you should check it out!  Starts at 8:30pm. July 14th:     How to Train Your Dragon July 21st:     The Sandlot July 28th:     Iron Man August 4th:   National Treasure I have to say, events like these are great.  Take your blanket, some microwave popcorn, a pot of coffee or hot chocolate, and relax in the outdoors and watch a movie. Hope to run into you there! Memorial Park is located at 21267 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino CA 95014 More can be found at www.reg4rec.org or calling the Cuperitno Parks and Recreation at 408-777-3120 05/27/2011

It's here!!!!  The Summer Concert Series at Memorial Park in Cupertino, CA.  Come on out to the park on a evening in June!  Bring your blanket, some food and bring the crew.  These events are free, and will be performed at the Amphitheater in the park.  The concerts start at 6:30 and should run till 8pm. Here is the line-up this year! June 2Cupertino Symphonic BandA local non-profit organization, featuring music from musicals and movies, classical, big band and more!  June 9TinManA 5-piece professional band presenting the greatest rock classics of all time! June 16Mariachi AztecaThis Mariachi band has been serenading the San Francisco Bay Area for over 25 years. June 23Highwater BluesMusicians with a passion for blues-based American music. June 30OTRClassic rock & roll and R&B dance mus... 05/26/2011

4th of July at Memorial Park and Blackberry Farm in Cupertino! Thinking of where to go and what to do this year?  Well, the City of Cupertino is having it's yearly 4th of July festivities at Memorial Park and Blackberry Farm.  Festivities start at 7am. Memorial Park 7am - 11am         Pancake Breakfast (in the Quinlin Community Center) 9am:                      Flag Raising at the Veterans Memorial 10am:                    Children's Parade 10:30-12pm         Live Music "The Peelers" Blackberry Farm 10am-4pm           Free Swimming 12-2pm                 BBQ Lunch (limited to first 800 people) 12-3pm                 Live Music "The Groove Kings" Memorial Parkis located across from DeAnza College in Cupertino.  21267 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino CA 95014. Blackberry Farmis located behin... 05/24/2011

Are you a resident of the City of Cupertino, and have some stuff to get rid of?  Wait, I not talking trash, I mean stuff that can be recycled, and you are not sure what to do with it? Environmental Recycling Day & Document Shredding Event May 21, De Anza College  The City of Cupertino & Recology offer this free drive-through, drop-off service for Cupertino residents twice a year to encourage extended use of products and to prevent valuable resources from being sent to the landfill. ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS: Shred your confidential documents - two box limit Yard Waste (processed for compost) Reusable furniture, clothing and shoes (for donation; NO dirty, broken, stained or torn furniture)  Children's plastic toys and play structures (for recycling) U-Waste (batteries, cell phones, compact fl... 05/19/2011

Just 3 Cupertino, Calif. 95014 Distressed Homes for Sale by Michelle Carr Crowe, Top 5% Santa Clara County real estate agent, ABR, CDPE and West Valley expert Right now there are only * 3 * (three) Cupertino 95014 Distressed Properties for Sale on the market without contracts...yet. Some are Cupertino foreclosures, some are bank-owned homes in Cupertino and others are short sales (or potential short sales) in Cupertino 95014. Prices range from $1,248,888 for an 1883-sf home on a 9600-sf lot in Cupertino, to $948,888 for 2,053-sf on a 9,375-sf lot, also in Cupertino. MLS #        Street Address                 Price    DOM Br/Ba Bldg SF Lot Size City       Age   A 81109172 10068 Adriana Avenue $1,248,888 163 3 3(2/1) 1,883 9,600 SqFt Cupertino 60   A 81103902 10122 South Tantau Avenue $9... 05/13/2011

Keller Williams Realty's Red Day, was May 12th, 2011.  We joined over 80,000 associates, staff and leadership in giving back to our community...  RED Day stands for Renew, Energize and Donate.  Here is part of our group.  My Cupertino office had over 90 people donating thier time! This year, we helped out West Valley Community Services.  He re-habbed some transitional housing for battered women.  We painted, sanded, prepped, gardened, pulled weeds, cleaned, and spend hours giving back! We headed over to the WVCS headquarters for lunch sponsored by Comstock Mortgage. This is one of the banners we had placed outside one of the projects...  It was really cool! Melissa, Karen and Tiffany having lunch! Our RED DAY shirts! It was an amazing day to help those in our community that really need ... 05/13/2011

It's that time again...  Its the "Friends of Cupertino the Library" used book sale!  When?  May 14th and 15th, 2011 Where?  The Cupertino Community Hall.  10350 Torre Ave, Cupertino CA 95014 Time?  Saturday 9-4pm, Sunday 12-3pm. Website? http://www.santaclaracountylib.org/cupertino/CUbooksale.html Gotta love books.  I know we can find so many think on the internet...  But there is something about books that you can hold and read.  I personally read 4-5 books to my son every night, and seem to have over a hundred...  BUT, I still seek out books to expand our library at home. The Community Hall is located between the Library and City Hall.  Under the awnings.  Just come right in!  Right in front of the fountains. I hope everyone is having a great Tuesday, and I look forward to seeing you ... 05/10/2011

Last Saturday's First Time Home buyer event in the City of Cupertino was awesome!  What a great panel of experts leading a lively discussion on helping buyers into their first home. There were close to 50 people in the room, and the attendees obtained lots of helpul information.  From left to right:  Moise Nahouraii with Referral Realty.  Grace Keng with Re/Max.  Nina Daruwalla with Coldwell Banker and me (Chris Alston) with Keller Williams Realty. We each spoke about a different subject revolving around home onwership.  I spoke about why you should get approved for a loan prior to looking for a home.  Other topics were selecting the right realtor, winning in multiple offers and selecting the right home. The lenders that were before us were Richard Miller with Proficio Mortgage.  Ken Ch... 05/10/2011

Interesting stats for the City of Cupertino CA.  Active is homes that are currently on the market.  Red is homes that are currently under contract but are not closed yet.  And green is homes that have sold in the last 30 days.  (+/-)  This information is tracked by hand. The first chart is for Single Family Homes here in the city of Cupertino CA.   We are seeing the normal cycle that results in an increase in the amount of inventory that is for sale.  Last year we saw a spike in the pendings in April and sales in May...  However we may see the market continue to rise as we head into summer.    The next chart is for the Condo and Town Home market.  We are seeing a different set of numbers as opposed to the chart above.  Listings are on their way up with pendings trending down.  The sales... 05/09/2011

Just 2 Cupertino, Calif. 95014 Distressed Homes for Sale by Michelle Carr Crowe, Top 5% Santa Clara County real estate agent, ABR, CDPE and West Valley expert Right now there are only * 2 * (TWO) Cupertino 95014 Distressed Properties for Sale on the market without contracts...yet. Some are Cupertino foreclosures, some are bank-owned homes in Cupertino and others are short sales (or potential short sales) in Cupertino 95014. Prices range from $1,248,888 for an 1883-sf home on a 9600-sf lot in Cupertino, to $948,888 for 2,053-sf on a 9,375-sf lot, also in Cupertino. MLS #        Street Address                 Price    DOM Br/Ba Bldg SF Lot Size City       Age 81109172 10068 Adriana Avenue $1,248,888 142 3 3(2/1) 1,883 9,600 SqFt Cupertino 60 81103902 10122 South Tantau Avenue $948,888 86 ... 05/06/2011

Multiple Offers in Cupertino, CA 95014 Well-priced single family homes are in high demand up and down the Peninsula and in the Silicon Valley, with multiple offers the norm in many locations, in many price ranges. Cupertino is no exception, and buyers need to be ready to move quickly when they find their dream home. Last month my buyer went to an Open House the first day it was open; she went back a second time that same day and brought friends and family with her; she returned to the Sunday open house and I met her there. By then, she had made an emotional connection to the house, and everyone she brought in to see it agreed it is the perfect place for her. That evening we downloaded and read all the disclosures and reports (pest, property, pool, roof, hydronic heating, etc) We met the... 05/04/2011

The Silicon Valley Association of Realtors will be co-hosting a First-Time Home Buyer Seminarin Cupertino on Saturday May 7th.  It will run from 9 till noon, at the Cupertino Community Center at 10250 Torre Ave, Cupertino CA 95014.  This FREE event is to help buyers understand how to navigate the waters around buying your first homein a safe setting.  It looks to be another awesome local event, right here in Cupertino! I will be one of the speakers at this awesome event, so come out and say hi!  After the seminar, attendees are invited to stay for refreshments and a resource fair.  Attendees can receive information from participating oorganizations on foreclosure prevention, consumer credit counseling, landlord/tenant counseling, fair house and much more! For more info, call Vera Gil at... 05/03/2011

Cupertino's Free Cherry Blossom Festival Sunday May 1st By Michelle Carr-Crowe, Cupertino Schools real estate expert and guide Cupertino's 28th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates the traditional welcoming of spring on Sunday, May 1st, with the fragrant and eye-appealing cherry blossoms at Memorial Park in Cupertino, Calif. Many of those blossoms are from the original 200 trees brought to Cupertino as a gift from the initial sister-city delegation from Toyokawa, Japan. The event is coordinated by the sister city relationship between Cupertino, Calif. and Toyokawa, Japan. Located at Memorial Park on Stevens Creek Blvd., across from De Anza College, the event features delicious Japanese and American food, large koi fish displays, and outdoor entertainment by taiko drum groups, class... 04/30/2011

Bank of America Presents: Exclusively for real estate professionals. You're invited to a free home buying seminar.   Please join us for an informative seminar, hosted by Bank of America Home Loans®. We'll bring you up to date about mortgage products, services and tools that can assist you and your clients through the home buying process.   Date: Wednesday, May 18, 2011 Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Location: 203K @ The Silicon Valley Business Center1375 S De Anza BoulevardCupertino, CA 95014   Featured Topic: FHA 203(k) Loans Are your clients interested in purchasing a home that needs repairs? Qualified buyers can take advantage of a fixer-upper home and make repairs with an FHA 203(k) rehabilitation mortgage from Bank of America. During this seminar, we’ll discuss: Qualifying with as l... 04/30/2011

Competitive Bidding Wars in Cupertino, California Push Prices Up The $1,214,367 average Sale Price of Single Family Residences sold in Cupertino CA in April 2011  was 101% of the average Asking Price according to local Multiple Listing Service (MLSListings, Inc.) records.  Multiple offers created competitive bidding wars raising Sale Prices above Asking Prices. Cupertino, California is most popular to families with school-aged children. The Cupertino School District has an excellent academic reputation, even in foreign countries including China, I'm told.  Prospective home buyers typically know the Academic Performance Index (API) test scores for the neighborhood schools. Home prices correlate nearly perfectly with those scores.  Quality education is the dominant amenity for these home ... 04/27/2011

Help! Someone Stole My Shoes By Michelle Carr-Crowe, Top 5% Silicon Valley real estate consultant Someone actually stole loan officer Rod Carlisle's shoes from an open house last weekend. It was not likely a mistake, as his shoes were nearly new, inside and dry; whereas the "trade-in" pair were old, well-worn and outside. This event can be turned into a great prospecting opportunity. Kudos to him for trying to help out his real estate agent clients as well as make himself available to potential customers by holding open houses. Believe it or not, Rod is actually NOT the first person this has happened to, although maybe it's the first where it appears the shoe stealing may be intentional. We had a similar situation happen in Cupertino of a shoe theft (in a case of mistaken identity, the ... 04/25/2011

Cupertino, Calif. Open Houses Open Homes Easter Sunday, April 24 2011 By Michelle Carr-Crowe, ABR, CDPE, SRES Cupertino Saratoga San Jose Lynbrook Homes Expert Today, Easter Sunday, April 24, numerous residential properties for sale are holding open homes in Cupertino, Calif.  All of these homes fall within the "Cupertino Schools" area. High schools for these homes are either Monta Vista or Cupertino High. To see any of these homes or obtain market research and information, Text or Just Call 408.252.8900 to speak with the San Jose Saratoga Lynbrook High Homes experts. 81115804 22332 REGNART $2,999,000 5 4|0 4,794 90,169 Sqft Cupertino 4/24/2011 1:30 PM-4:30 PM   81116333 10650 S. TANTAU $1,328,000 6 3|1 3,467 5,985 Sqft Cupertino 4/24/2011 1:00 PM-4:00 PM   81114883 10759 JUNIPER COURT ... 04/24/2011

ZERO DISTRESSED HOMES FOR SALE in Cupertino, Calif. 95014 by Michelle Carr-Crowe There are currently, as of April 16, 2011, ZERO DISTRESSED HOMES FOR SALE in Cupertino, Calif. 95014. In West San Jose, there are only 2 DISTRESSED HOMES FOR SALE. In Saratoga, there are a total of 6 DISTRESSED HOMES FOR SALE. 04/17/2011