Relocating to Silicon Valley: Tips & Advice

Search for San Jose area rentals on the MLS

Search for rental housing on the MLS on my sites: 1- find a home by map Go to http://www.popehandy.com/find_silicon_valley_real_estate_and_homes_for_sale_by_map.html In lower left corner you'll see "property types" - scroll down and find Read More...

Posted: Wednesday, June 01, 2011 6:31 PM by Mary Pope-Handy | 0 Comments

Filed under: San Jose, Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County, rental

How is buying a home in Silicon Valley different from in other parts of the country?

Yesterday I was asked how the San Jose - Silicon Valley area is different from other parts of the US for home buyers. What did they need to be concerned about here versus in the midwest or east coast? They knew about earthquakes, and having to strap water Read More...

Posted: Tuesday, March 15, 2011 10:53 AM by Mary Pope-Handy | 0 Comments

Filed under: San Jose, Relocation, Silicon Valley, home buying, house, soil, clay, building, expansive

Sunny Silicon Valley: Sunrise, Sunset, Dawn and Dusk Times

A couple of days ago I made a quick trip to Spokane, Washington, on some family business. As I'm writing this in mid-December, just short of the winter solstice (shortest day of the year), I was struck by how early the sun set and then, the following Read More...

Posted: Saturday, December 18, 2010 8:03 AM by Mary Pope-Handy | 0 Comments

Filed under: climate, San Jose, Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County, subtropical, weather, Los Gatos, Los Altos, South County, Almaden Valley, rainfall

Finding New Homes for Sale in Silicon Valley

Frequently, people new to Silicon Valley and the San Jose area arrive from places where their last home was new construction, and they hope to find a brand new home here, too. Unless you are looking to purchase a condominium or a townhome, though, it Read More...

Posted: Thursday, October 14, 2010 6:55 AM by Mary Pope-Handy | 0 Comments

Filed under: San Jose, Relocation, Silicon Valley, home buying, Silicon Valley real estate Market, Willow Glen, Rivermark, relocate, flipped, remodeled, new homes

Understanding School Scores in Silicon Valley

If you are coming to the Silicon Valley area from outside of California , you may not know what to make of our school scoring system. It's actually pretty straightforward: the API scores ( Academic Performance Index ) are based on a 1 - 1,000 point Read More...

Posted: Thursday, October 14, 2010 5:48 AM by Mary Pope-Handy | 0 Comments

Filed under: San Jose, Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County, school districts, API, scores

Where are the Silicon Valley luxury homes? Where are the more upscale Silicon Valley neighborhoods?

If you are relocating to Silicon Valley and wish to choose an upscale or luxury neighborhood, where should you begin looking? Where are the very best areas in or near San Jose? Here are some quick lists of areas in Silicon Valley areas which enjoy beautiful Read More...

Posted: Thursday, October 07, 2010 4:20 PM by Mary Pope-Handy | 1 Comments

Filed under: San Jose, Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County, Palo Alto, Los Gatos, Los Altos Hills, Monte Sereno, Los Altos, Almaden Valley, luxury neighborhoods, Luxury homes, estate properties, Hillsborough, Woodside, Portola Valley

Linguistic Quirks in Silicon Valley

Linguistic quirks in Silicon Valley Read More...

Posted: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 8:40 PM by Mary Pope-Handy | 0 Comments

Filed under: San Jose, Silicon Valley, relocate

Rush Hour Traffic in Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley rush hour traffic and basic traffic issues discussed. Read More...

Posted: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 4:18 PM by Mary Pope-Handy | 0 Comments

Filed under: San Jose, Relocation, Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County, Campbell, Los Gatos, Cambrian Park, relocating, light rail, Scotts Valley, traffic, 85

What are the Major Sports Teams in Silicon Valley?

What are the major professional sports teams in Silicon Valley? Read More...

Posted: Tuesday, January 05, 2010 9:53 AM by Mary Pope-Handy | 0 Comments

Filed under: San Jose, San Jose Sharks, Raiders, relocate

Urban Living Neighborhoods in Silicon Valley and San Jose

Urban living areas in Silicon Valley include downtown San Jose, Willow Glen, Campbell, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Santa Clara's Rivermark neighborhood. Read More...

Posted: Friday, September 11, 2009 9:52 AM by Mary Pope-Handy | 0 Comments

Filed under: San Jose, walk-to-town, transportation, urban living, Campbell, Mountain View, Willow Glen, Palo Alto, Rivermark, Los Gatos, Saratoga

Microclimates in Silicon Valley

A discussion of micro-climates in Silicon Valley (Santa Clara County, San Jose, Los Gatos, etc.) Read More...

Posted: Saturday, July 25, 2009 9:08 PM by Mary Pope-Handy | 0 Comments

Filed under: climate, San Jose, Relocation, Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley: A Word About the Climate

People coming from out of the area to relocate to Silicon Valley might not know what to expect from the weather in the San Jose, Santa Clara County, or Silicon Valley Area. What's it all about? In a nutshell, this is a "sub tropical" area, Read More...

Posted: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 10:14 PM by Mary Pope-Handy | 0 Comments

Filed under: climate, San Jose, Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County, subtropical, weather, relocate, Pacific Ocean, rainfall

Tools You Can Use When Relocating to the San Jose Area

If you're moving to San Jose, Santa Clara or Silicon Valley from out of the area, there are a few items you may want to assemble in your "toolkit" as you are choosing a place to live. Some of these you can obtain for free, online or from Read More...

Posted: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:53 PM by Mary Pope-Handy | 0 Comments

Filed under: San Jose, Relocation, Silicon Valley, Schools, natural hazards, maps, Santa Clara County, earthquake fault zones

Town and City Boundaries in Silicon Valley vs School District Boundaries

In Silicon Valley, or Santa Clara County, we have a relationship between city or town boundaries and school district boundaries that is unusual compared to most parts of the country. They just don't always line up! I blogged about this at my Live Read More...

Posted: Monday, October 15, 2007 6:15 PM by Mary Pope-Handy | 0 Comments

Filed under: Real Estate, Community Information, San Jose, Relocation, Silicon Valley, Schools, Districts, relocating

Thinking of Relocating to Silicon Valley?

If you're thinking of moving to the San Jose area, or Silicon Valley, you probably have a lot of questions: What's the climate like? How's the crime? Are people friendly? Is there anything fun and interesting to do? What is the local culture? Read More...

Posted: Monday, October 15, 2007 5:27 PM by Mary Pope-Handy | 0 Comments

Filed under: climate, culture, San Jose, Relocation, Silicon Valley, questions