Common Ways of Holding Property Titles
Check out the chart below that shows the different ways you can hold a title to real estate properties.
LASD's Excellent Neighborhood Schools
There are a lot of reasons why many buyers choose to search for homes in the cities of Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Mountain View areas. But, the high quality schools offered within the Los Altos School District (LASD) probably tops them all. Dedicated and experienced teachers offers outstanding opportunities to all elementary and junior high school students. Check out this brochure that shows the features, benefits and ratings by happy parents.
https://tinyurl.com/33muhyht
Thinking of Moving Out of California?
If you're thinking about moving out of California, read the article below for one guy's experience and his list of reasons why you should reconsider.
Brett Alder moved to Austin, Texas for work and regrets the decision, calling the move an expensive mistake.
He calls out 10 things he learned in this honest account, like expensive utilities, the oppressive heat, the lack of public space, and why he pulled his three children out of the local elementary school.
This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.
I moved my family from California to Austin, Texas and regretted it. Here are 10 key points every person should consider before relocating.
A lot of people, including myself, move from California to Austin because of the hype and the perception that California and Austin are reasonably comparable in lifestyle. We found that to be far from the case.
Here's what we learned, or 10 reasons why Austin is not the "California of Texas." But first, what does Austin have in common with California?
Austin, like California, is not affordable.
The thing that California and Austin definitely have in common is that they're both very expensive. Austin is not cheap. Let the words sink in. Austin is not cheap, it's actually quite expensive.
We moved from San Diego in 2015 (owning a 2,000-square-foot house on a 1/3rd acre) looking for a boost in lifestyle. If you're looking for great schools, the southwest and northwest sectors of Austin are the main options. The only caveat is that NW Austin (Travis County) is some of the most expensive real estate in Texas.
So we bought a 4,000-square-foot house in Bee Cave (an affluent suburb of Austin) with "great schools." We heard Austin was extremely hot so we got a place with a pool. When you look at a 3D affordability map, these are the factors we discovered people are not taking into account:
Taxes: We all know property taxes are high in Texas. They actually weren't that bad for us and ranged from 2% to 3% depending on the neighborhood. We bought a home at 2.1% and, with the homestead exception, were paying at 1.79% (vs. 1.25% in California). Don't buy at 3%, you won't be able to sell and your house won't appreciate.
Power: Energy is incredibly expensive. You want a big house, and they're so cheap, but then it costs a fortune to heat and cool. We were paying $400 per month during the summer and winter and we were uncomfortable (our thermostat was set to 79 degrees F in the summer, and 65 degrees F in the winter). To be comfortable would have cost us $700 to $1,000 per month.
Water: Water is also shockingly expensive. In NW Austin they pump water from Lake Travis, which is only a few miles away, but that doesn't stop greedy water collectives from shaking you down. We paid $89 per month just for the privilege of being connected to city water (using 0 gallons). And they just jacked that base rate to $97. We had a well for landscape watering, but otherwise our water bill for a young family, watering about 10,000 square feet of grass would have easily been $300 to $400 per month. New sod? Try $1,200 per month, for water. Our water in San Diego (and now San Jose) was cheaper, during a drought, and we got it from like two states away.
Services: We thought living in Texas, stuff would be cheap, but with so many people moving to Austin, the service industry is in red hot demand. Expensive pool maintenance, expensive landscaping services, expensive home repairs, expensive dining and movies.
Travel: For reasons described below, most anyone who can leaves Austin for a month or two during the summer to escape the heat. That's expensive since to get anywhere interesting involves flying and hotel stays. Budget another several thousand dollars per year.
Weather: Texas weather is hard on houses. Hail storms will ruin your roof, torrential rain and scorpions will get inside. We spent tens of thousands on unexpected home repairs and remediation, and talking to other people, it wasn't uncommon.
Finally - key point - lifestyle: Although we doubled the size of our house (and kitchen and yard), we felt more cramped and cooped up in Austin than San Diego or San Jose due to the bad weather and lack of public spaces. A 2,000-square-foot house with a yard in Austin is cheap compared to the same house in San Diego, but offers no where close to the same lifestyle because your yard in San Diego is living space and in Austin it's not.
1. The weather
Sure, you've heard it's hot and humid, but how bad could it be? It's just weather, right?
Wrong. First of all, Austin is wet, getting almost 90% as much rain as Portland, Oregon. That sounds great, and the greenery looks great, but it comes at a cost. Expect all of the problems that come with a wet climate: mold, allergies, mosquitoes, and water penetration. And the rain comes in a handful of days, often pouring inches in a single night. More on that later.
Humidity is great for your skin, but causes food to spoil fast, towels to get mildewy and drastically limits the temperature range where you feel comfortable. For me, 32 degrees in high deserts like Nevada or Utah is not that bad, just chipper. 50 degrees in Austin is butt cold, not cozy, snuggle up cold, but annoyingly cold.
And Austin is hot. It's not California hot, it's Texas hot. California heat is weak by comparison. In much of California the temperature cools down at night. You can open windows, breathe fresh air, and drastically limit your utility bill. In Austin, it would only get down to a smothering 80 degrees at night during the summer. This means your AC will be running all day and all night. Evening walks are less than refreshing when it's 11 p.m. and you're sweating. It's hard to describe how oppressive it is.
Although we had a huge yard and our own half basketball court, we really only felt like going outside about 3 to 4 months of the year. The rest of the time it was too windy, too hot/cold, too mosquito/horse fly/fire ant ridden or pouring. Often the kids would go outside anyway and come back with heat rashes and bug bites.
Compare this to San Jose or San Diego where you can enjoy being outside pretty much every day (at least during some part of the day).
2. No public land
Think about public land much? Yeah, me neither. On the west coast, we take public land for granted. Soaring Sierra Nevadas, sandy beaches, public space canyons, and even trails along creeks are standard fare in the West - not to mention Yosemite. Not so in Texas.
Because of Texas' history and lack of natural barriers (mountains, oceans) to settlement, most all of the land around is private and flat or rolling hills. Yes, there is a lot of land in Texas, but it all has barbed wire fences and no trespassing signs on it. Even creeks are parceled up as private property.
So even though Austin is supposed to be outdoorsy, there are very few places to go, and because there is a very limited number of public spaces serving such a large population, good luck getting in.
One example, we drove 90 minutes to visit Enchanted Rock, a granite rock outcropping that would largely go unnoticed on the west coast. We visited on a Saturday and met a 3-mile-long line of cars waiting to get in. Running out of gas, we grabbed lunch at a nearby town and tried again later. No dice, the parking lot was full and closed.
We've now christened the site Disenchanted Rock: 3 hours of driving and no hiking. What's even more annoying is when you consider how much land is in Texas and the state didn't build a big enough parking lot. We confirmed it was very common not to be able to get into other public attractions on weekends and holidays.
Even our neighborhood creek was divvied up as private property. So much for the kids exploring and catching crayfish.
Aside from the fact that everything is private, where are you going to go, anyway? There are no snowy mountains, no raging rivers, and no soaring arches. If you live in Austin things don't change much in a huge 7-hour-drive radius. Since we love the outdoors - exploring, climbing, rafting - Austin was not our cup of tea.
4. Dishonesty
Think about integrity much? I didn't. I've worked with hundreds of companies and thousands of people in California. Sure, there are bad apples, but by-and-large integrity is a default way to treat people here. It's not even something we talk about. Not so in Austin.
First it was the people we bought the home from. They lied about the cause of a leak, failed to disclose well water quality issues that made us sick, lied about how much stuff cost to repair, etc. But it didn't stop there.
We hired a guy with a 5-star rating on Yelp to pull up flooded carpet who completely and very obviously busted our closet doors while removing them and never said a word about the damage. Or whose carpet cleaner made a foot long burn mark upstairs and left without a word. Or the mover (also 5 stars on Yelp) we hired who offered to help sell our leather sectional and $600 ping pong table and split the proceeds with us.
We never heard back from him. We're not holding our breath.
Talking around we realized that our experience wasn't exceptional. People are used to it there and know to do extra due diligence - more inspections, more testing, more distrust. But for us coming from California, it was a big shock and disappointment, not to mention financial set back.
5. Yelp
Yes, there is good food in Austin, but you can't trust Yelp to find it because it doesn't work in Austin.
We drove 40 minutes for good Southern Indian food at a 4.5-star rated establishment. It was one of the worst service experiences of my life. Notice the tear drop stains on this post? In general you couldn't trust Yelp as much, which was so disconcerting, especially for a new person.
6. Rudeness
I'll probably take the most heat for this one, but Austinites are rude. We met some amazing people in Austin (like my work colleagues and church congregation) and even bumped into Matthew McConaughey at our kid's flag football game. There are some very wonderful, friendly people, but we also met more than our share of the others.
Exhibit A was the dad (also at a kids flag football league) wearing the "Don't move to Austin" t-shirt, a play on "Don't mess with Texas." Let me get this straight, I uprooted my family, moved across four states, and that's the welcome I get? And the worst part of it all is that it's not even funny. There's a bumper sticker in the West: "Montana sucks. Tell your friends!" Same message, but with some humor.
And then there are the native Texans, usually older, who stick pretty closely to the stereotypes. I've never been told so often what to do and what not to do, and the delivery is in a "this is just the way it's done" tone that is completely oblivious to any other viewpoints on the matter.
Our friends from Tennessee also confirmed that Austin does not conform to the notion of Southern hospitality, but I will say that most younger Texans were really cool.
Austin drivers are also terrible, I mean, reptilian brain terrible. They don't yield to pedestrians on crosswalks unless forced, will inexplicably tail gate and illegally pass you on a double yellow just to drive 30 feet in front of you for the next 10 minutes on open roads, and they may be conservative, but not with their horns. I drive all over the country and hands down Austin has the worst and most inexplicable driving I've experienced.
The service is also generally awful. Doesn't matter if it's a rental car company, a restaurant, you name it. We found a few exceptional waiters and hosts, but Austin is generally the worst service I've experienced nationwide. I mean, you're at the Austin airport with two pieces of luggage and you just ordered 6 items. They don't even ask if you want a bag, you have to initiate the request, and even then they just hand you the bag.
7. A conservative dystopia
If you ask people from other parts of Texas, they'll say that Austin is not representative (despite that most people moving to Austin are from Texas) of all of Texas. That is probably true, but here are a number of messed up things about Travis County/NW Austin:
A lot of the newer developments are built on converted ranch land, which may be distant from other developments. Despite the fact that Texas leads the nation in natural gas production, they don't mandate that modern utilities be run to these new developments. In one affluent neighborhood, Belterra, the residents are suing the developer for signing a 30 year, auto-renewing contract for captured propane that leaves residents with $600 per month heating bills in the winter. Is this a sick joke? Greed run amok.
There's also little public school choice. In California there are charter schools, two day schools, public schools, cash/combo charter school/homeschooling, you name it. In west Austin, just public schools. Don't know why, but I heard that the high school football industrial complex opposed charter schools.
And then there's water, again. Austin will literally have water restrictions in place while it's flooding. "Can't you just take some of the water from here and…never mind." And your Texan neighbors will call you out for having a green lawn, even if you water from a well, which is a possibility they can't quite seem to imagine.
8. Monoculture
I love getting to know people from other cultures. In California we've had Vietnamese neighbors, Iranian neighbors, Filipinos, Palestinians, you name it. We love it.
In parts of Texas it's not just a monoculture, but a monoculture that doesn't seem to be aware of it's own blandness. Think about it, are you ready to have your son judged based on his suitability for a future career in football? Are you ready to network by attending the local high school football game with the guys? Because that's a thing in Texas.
And it's not just that. The lack of openness to diverse ideas leaves you with the feeling that you traveled 15 years back in time technologically moving there. They voted out Uber and Lyft and think that's not a big deal because - wait for it - they have a ride sharing Facebook group. Yeah, that should be great for out of town visitors.
They also don't have a lot of the options we enjoyed in San Diego like "game-only soccer leagues" for kids. The car washes were lame. You just couldn't trust things to be as well thought out and executed as in California.
9. Punitive, militaristic schools and sports
We had three kids in the local elementary school, rated 9 out of 10. For sure some of the teachers were excellent and very caring, but the school was run like a micro-managed military academy.
Our kids complained most about the PE and music teachers (aren't they supposed to be the fun ones?). We heard stories about kids running laps or missing recess just because they didn't sit "criss-cross applesauce." Who thought of taking away recess? And it seemed the more ignorant the coach or teacher, the more he insisted on being addressed as "Y'Sir" - which is still the norm, even in Austin.
There was a massive emphasis on conformity that was good for teachers, bad for kids. I went to read to my kindergartner's class and felt like I'd landed in a dictatorship. They had aides making sure all of the kindergartners faced forward while marching in line to the cafeteria. Kindergartners.
We withdrew our children. Our school may have been particularly bad, but it's something to look out for.
10. Cedar allergies
There's a good chance you'll be sick the whole first year in Austin being exposed to a new set of pathogens. We were, and it's not uncommon.
Then we heard that after a few years it is also common to develop cedar allergies, if you don't already have them.
They're so bad that we knew at least two professionals going through subcutaneous immunotherapy (shots over a period of years) because their allergies were ruining their lives. Allergy treatment centers are very common. There are really only two types of trees in Austin, cedar (really juniper) and oak, so no getting away from the cedar.
11. (I couldn't stop at 10) Big, luxury home obsession
I'm guessing because of the lack of public land, terrible weather, etc. that Austinites get really into their houses. We saw some unbelievably ornate homes - castle-esque.
And there's pressure to keep your house immaculate. You can buy a home that is really nice by California standards (updated kitchen, crown moldings) only to find that everyone else's house is much nicer than yours, which we didn't care about until we found that no one wanted to buy our less-than-luxurious home.
Moral of the story
It would take a lot of money to buy a "California-like" lifestyle in Austin. If you're moving to Austin, make sure it's because of the things that it offers (downtown lifestyle, BBQ, football, live music, nice houses, professional opportunity) and that you won't miss the things you're leaving behind (good weather, public spaces, etc.).
It was an expensive mistake, but my family and I now see California in a completely new light. We feel very fortunate to be living in the Bay Area.
Brett Alder is a sales executive working in the semiconductor industry based out of San Jose, CA.
New State Laws Supersedes Los Altos' Rules for ADUs
In their quest to promote affordable housing, The City of Los Altos had outlined provisions for the construction of ADUs (Accessible Dwelling Units) by its residents. However, the State of California has recently pass new laws that will supersede the city's codes. Currently, Los Altos only requires a building permit, along with other associated permits, for owners of single-family or multi-family residences to build ADUs. Click on the link below for more details.
https://www.losaltosca.gov/communitydevelopment/page/accessory-dwelling-units-adus
Los Alto Hills' "ADU" Solution to New State Laws
Los Altos Hills' City Council has put together a proposal that would reward residents constructing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by their standards versus the new California ADU laws. The state laws prohibits requiring a setback of more than 4 feet or more than 1 additional parking spot. But, in exchange for adhering to the city's 30-foot setbacks and additional parking spaces, residents will be allowed increased building height and additional floor space. Click on the link below to read more on this topic.
https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/sections/news/199-city-affairs/62337-los-altos-hills-identifies-solutions-around-state-imposed-adu-rules
Mountain View's Arbor Day Celebration
The City of Mountain View will be hosting an Arbor Day Celebration on Saturday, March 14, 11am-1pm. The event will take place at Pioneer Park, located at 1146 Church Street.
For more details, visit http://www.mountainview.gov/arborday
Mountain View's 2020 Summer Camp Fair
Summer will be here before you know it so it's time to start thinking about signing the kids up for summer camps! The City of Mountain View will be hosting a Summer Camp Fair so you can check out all the options and speak directly with vendors to answer any questions. You'll also have the opportunity to register for camps onsite. The event will take place 9am-11am on Saturday, February 29 at the Mountain View Community Center, located at 201 S. Rengstorff Avenue, MV.
For more details, visit: https://www.mountainview.gov/civicax/calendar/inc/blobfetch.aspx?BlobID=31544
ADU to Offer Affordable Housing
The State of California has a new ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) law that went into effect January 1, 2020 and Santa Clara County is in the process of updating their ADU rules accordingly. If you've given some thought to building an ADU on your property, click on the link below for more info on the changes, as well as answers to some of the frequently asked questions and instructions on how to get started.
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/dpd/DocsForms/Documents/ADU_Handout_LawChanges_2020.pdf
Home Prices are Up Across the Nation
According to a recent report by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, home prices are going up across the country, including California. If you are thinking of relocating to another state or even elsewhere in California, don't wait too long as you may end up paying more than expected. Click on the link below for more details.
https://www.keepingcurrentmatters.com/en/2019/07/26/home-prices-up-5-05-across-the-country-infographic/
The Forecast for Home Prices
Real estate experts agree that home prices will continue to appreciate throughout the rest of 2019 and the next few years. Check out the chart below to see who these experts are and what they are predicting.
Mountain View's Summer Outdoor Family Movie Nights
The city of Mountain View will continue its tradition of hosting weekly outdoor family movie nights at rotating park locations around the city. The first movie is scheduled for July 12 , with a showing of "Incredibles 2" at Cuesta Park, followed by Smallfoot at Sylvan Park July 19. Shows begin at 8:30 or when darkness falls. Bring a blanket or low lawn chair to sit on.
For more information on the Summer Outdoor Movie Night Series, please contact the Recreation Division at (650) 903-6331.
Mountain View's 2019 Thursday Night Live Series
Mountain View's Thursday Night Live series will once again close down Castro Street 5:30-8:30 p.m. etween Mercy and Villa Streets starting July 11 and running through Aug. 15. The event will feature live music, an area for children to play, car show, and booths from local businesses and nonprofits.
For more information about Thursday Night Live, please call the Recreation Office at (650) 903-6331.
Mountain View's Concert on the Plaza
Summer is just around the corner and the City of Mountain View is off on a great start with their bi-monthly Concerts on the Plaza! The concert series takes place on the first AND third Friday of the month through September from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. So, gather your family and friends for warm summer evenings enjoying great music, food, drinks and entertainment for the kiddies. Here's a list of upcoming concerts:
June 7 - Martin Murray June 21 - The RPM Band
July 5 - Trio Sol de Mexico July 19 - Kevin Pfeffer
August 2 - Brian Belknap August 16 - The Swingin' Blue Stars
September 6 - Haopinaka Hawaiian Group September 20 - Sandi Bell
Intero Foundation's 2018 Recap
I take great pride in belonging to a company that supports local non-profits in the community we serve. In 2018, we have donated more than $500,000 to 42 organizations!
Bay Area Cities Among Top 5 Richest in the Country
Each year Bloomberg ranks the 100 Richest Cities and Towns in America and Atherton has topped the list as #1. Los Altos Hills and Hillsborough ranked #4 and #5 respectively. The rankings are based on U.S. Census data for average household income from two years prior and in cities with at least 2000 households. Click on the link below for more details.
https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/sections/news/297-news-features/59573-bloomberg-crowns-lah-fourth-richest-city-again
Celebrate an Early Valentines Day in Los Altos
Downtown Los Altos will host a Valentine's Stroll during its First Friday activities on February 1st. The event is scheduled for 5-8pm with live music, extended open hours at shops and children's activities.
For more information, visit: losaltosfirstfriday.org
High Tech Growth Keeping Silicon Valley's Office Market Strong
High tech companies, including Google, Facebook and Apple, show no sign of slowing down their thirst for more office space in Silicon Valley. 2018 was the strongest year for office leasing within the last 20 years and the trend is expected to continue in 2019. Click on the link below to read more on this topic.
http://mercurynews.ca.newsmemory.com/?publink=03b95a865
2019 Crab Feed in Mountain View
The Rotary Club of Mountain View will host an all-you-can-eat crab feed on Saturday, February 2, 430pm-730pm. Along with the fresh dungeness crab, there will be live music and a no host bar with beer, wine and soft drinks. All proceeds will go to local charities. Click on the link below for more details and to purchase your tickets!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rotary-club-of-mountain-view-crab-feed-2019-tickets-30907428952
Google Continues to Grow in Mountain View
Google has big plans for it's home city of Mountain View, with plans for a major development that will include retail, office and residential space. Click on the link below for more details.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/09/google-reveals-north-bayshore-mountain-view-development-plan.html?__source=sharebar%7Cemail&par=sharebar
41st Annual Los Altos Festival of Lights Parade
Now in its 41st year, the Los Altos Festival of Lights Parade will celebrate the start of the Holiday Season at 6pm on November 25, the Sunday after Thanksgiving.This event attracts a crowd of all ages to Main and State streets for a display of illuminated floats, marching bands and costumed characters.
For more information, visit losaltosparade.org.
Mountain View Firefighters Serving Pancakes!
Mountain View firefighters are slated to host their 14th annual Pancake Breakfast and Silent Auction 8-11 a.m. Saturday at Fire Station No. 4, 229 N. Whisman Road. Along with pancakes, there will be demos of CPR training gear, vehicle extrication and fire and injury prevention.
Proceeds will go toward the Mountain View Firefighters Random Acts, which helps residents impacted by fire-related incidents. The nonprofit plans to donate the money raised Saturday to the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, an organization dedicated to preventing burns and fires, and provides services to survivors of burn injuries.
Tickets to Saturday's event are $10 for adults and $6 for children.
Mountain View's Annual Monster Bash
The annual Monster Bash in Mountain View is scheduled for Saturday, October 27, 2018, 1pm-3pm at Pioneer Park (1146 Church Street). This is a FREE family event!
For more information on the Monster Bash event, please contact the Recreation Division at (650) 903-6331.
Real Estate Mortgage Rates: The Trends Over the Decades
Over the last several decades, mortgage rates have fluctuated tremendously from double to single % rates. Today, homebuyers who have recently borrowed fixed-rate mortgages have benefited from interest rates at historical lows, averaging around the 4% level. Click on the link below to read more on this topic.
https://www.valuepenguin.com/mortgages/historical-mortgage-rates
Real Estate Remains as America's Top Investment Choice
According to a gallup poll, real estate has been ranked as the favored financial investment for the 5th year in a row! Most Americans, ranging from baby boomers to millennials, picked real estate over other popular investment opportunities, such as stock and mutual funds. Click on the link below for more details.
https://www.keepingcurrentmatters.com/2018/07/27/americans-rank-real-estate-best-investment-for-5-years-running-infographic/
Los Altos Offers Training in Emergency Preparedness
The cities of Los Altos and Los Altos Hills are offering Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training to prepare residents to help their neighbors in the aftermath of a major disaster. The training involves 21 hours of covering topics such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. Click on the link below for more details.
https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/sections/community/177-features/58240-emergency-preparedness-training-courses-open-to-local-residents
San Jose Eases Rules for Backyard Accessory Dwelling Units
In an effort to ease the cost of housing in San Jose, the city has approved zoning amendments allowing more homeowners to build backyard accessory dwelling units – better known as in-law units or granny flats. Click on the link below for more details.
http://mercurynews.ca.newsmemory.com/publink.php?shareid=025948617
Redfin Continues to See Losses, Yet Still Has Less Than 1% Market Share
In it's bid to gain market share, Redfin, a tech-focused real estate brokerage company, lost over $36M in the 1st quarter of 2018. The huge loss occurred despite the company investing millions of dollars into advertising their services. Click on the link below for more details.
https://therealdeal.com/2018/05/10/redfin-sees-36m-loss-in-q1-amid-advertising-hiring-push/
High-Tech Competing for Sunnyvale
With space running out of its neighboring cities, Sunnyvale has become a hot spot for growing tech companies looking to build new office buildings. But, space in Sunnyvale is also limited so competition is fierce. Click on the link below to read more on this topic.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/The-scramble-for-Sunnyvale-Tech-companies-in-12908684.php?utm_campaign=email-premium&utm_source=CMS%20Sharing%20Button&utm_medium=social
Facebook Looking for More Bay Area Real Estate
The tremendous growth of Facebook is forcing the tech giant to look beyond their Menlo Park home base in search of office space for their employees. They've already opened new offices in Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Fremont but those spaces are already full. Click on the link below for more details.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Facebook-is-outgrowing-its-hometown-Where-will-12942808.php
43rd Annual Los Altos Fine Art in the Park
The Los Altos Rotary Club is once again sponsoring its popular Fine Art in the Park! The event will take place May 19-20, 10am-530pm at Lincoln Park. Click on the link below for more details.
http://rotaryartshow.com
Los Altos Hills' 2nd Annual Flower Run
The second annual Flower Run in Los Altos Hills is scheduled for Saturday, May 12, starting at 9am. The 5K run event was organized to raise funds for Child Advocates of Silicon Valley, a non-profit organization created to support foster care kids. Click on the link below for more details.
https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/sections/community/177-features/57673-local-resident-crouse-helps-annual-flower-run-event-blossom
Asparagus Signals the Start of Spring
For many farmers and consumers, there is one vegetable that officially marks the arrival of spring: asparagus. https://www.mv-voice.com/news/2018/04/16/spring-has-sprung
Gardner-Bullis Names a 2018 Distinguished School
After a 3-year hiatus of the program, Gardner Bullis School in Los Altos Hills has been named a 2018 California Distinguished School. Click on the link below for more details.
https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/sections/schools/210-school-features/57532-gardner-bullis-honored-by-state-superintendent-as-distinguished-school
Los Altos' Annual Easter Egg
The City of Los Altos will once again host their Spring Egg Hunt on the Hillview Soccer Field this Saturday, March 31. This hunt begins at 930am and is open for kids up to 10 years old.
For more information, call 947-2790
Los Altos Hills' Hoppin' Hounds Biscuit Hunt
The 15th annual Easter Biscuit Hunt is coming to Los Altos Hills this Saturday, March 31 9am-10am at the Byrne Preserve! Click on the link below for more details.
//www.losaltoshills.ca.gov/Calendar.aspx?EID=1303
Cupertino Host the 2018 Bunny 5K & Kids Fun Run
Join your family and friends for the Big Bunny 5K and Kids Fun Run in Cupertino on Saturday March31. The race begins at 830am on Torre Ave in front of the Cupertino Civic Center. Everyone can participate! from competitive runners to first-time runners, walkers or hoppers. Click on the link below for more details.
https://www.active.com/cupertino-ca/running/distance-running-races/big-bunny-5k-2018-37281670
Terraces at Los Altos Seniors Takes to the Skies
Citing the benefits of physical and mental health, the Terraces at Los Altos have been offering drone-flying lessons to its residents. This is in addition to a variety of other lessons and activities offered at the facility. Click on the link below for more details.
https://www.losaltosonline.com/special-sections2/sections/senior-lifestyles/56953-it-s-a-bird-it-s-a-plane-terraces-at-los-altos-teaches-residents-to-fly-drones
New Wave of Chinese Investments in Silicon Valley
A recent investment marks a new wave of Chinese activity in U.S. real estate. Burlingame-based subsidiary of Chinese conglomerate Genzon Property Group, Kylli Inc., has proposed an ambitious development featuring what would be the tallest building in Silicon Valley, located on the 49-acre parcel in North Santa Clara. Click on the link below to read more on this topice.
https://www.santaclaraweekly.com/2018/issue-5-2018/santa-clara-development-proposal-signals-new-wave-of-chinese-investment-in-u-s-real-estate/
Intero Los Altos Office Achieves Highest Sales Volume in the West!
Intero Real Estate's Los Altos team finished 2017 with the highest sales volume of any single real estate office west of the Mississippi River! With an incredible $1.2 Billion in sales volume in 2017, the 144 seasoned agents of Intero Los Altos sold 608 units!
For more details, visit https://finance.yahoo.com/news/intero-los-altos-office-achieves-163300267.html
Lunar New Year Celebration in Palo Alto
Palo Alto's Gamble Garden will be hosting the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration this Saturday, February 10, from 9am-12n. The event, located at 1431 Waverley St in Palo Alto, is free and features fun activities for all age levels. Visit https://www.mv-voice.com/news/2018/02/08/home-front-lunar-new-year-camellia-care for more details.
Are You Flood Ready?
The winter season is here and with it comes the rain and potential flooding. Is your family and home flood ready? Click on the link below for some tips from the Santa Clara Valley Water District on how to prepare for an emergency.
//www.valleywater.org/Floodready/
Los Altos' Costume Bank Extends Hours
The Costume Bank, located at 169 State Street in downtown Los Altos has posted extended hours for Halloween. They will be open 12n-7pm every day during the week of October 30. Click on the link below for more details.
https://www.mv-voice.com/calendar/#!/details/Extended-Halloween-Hours-and-Specials-at-the-Nonprofit-Costume-Bank/4072789/2017-10-31T12
Mountain View's Diwali Celebration
Join Deepa Menon and her students in celebrating Diwali – the festival of lights on the lawn of the Mountain View Library (Pioneer Park) on Monday, October 30, 7pm-10pm. Please bring a blanket or low folding chairs if you would like to sit. In the event of rain, the event will move inside the Library Community Room. Click on the link below for more details.
https://www.mv-voice.com/calendar/#!/details/Festival-of-Lights-Diwali-Celebration/4162920/2017-10-30T19
Repair Cafe Mountain View's Next Event
Do you have things that you like, but no longer work? Don't toss them, repair them! Repair Café Mountain View is a volunteer-run, community service dedicated to encouraging the repair and reuse of goods. The next Repair Café event is scheduled for 1pm-3pm on Sunday, October 15 at the Santa Clara Public Library. For more information, click on the link below.
RepairCafeMV.org
Mountain View's Annual Monster Bash
The annual Monster Bash in Mountain View is scheduled for Saturday, October 28, 1pm-3pm at Pioneer Park. Come out with your family and friends to celebrate the season with this free event! Details listed below:
1146 Church Street
A New Addition to the Berkshire Hathaway Family
HomeServices of America, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, just announced its acquisition of the Long & Foster Companies. With $30 billion a year in sales volume, Long & Foster is the largest private residential real estate company in the nation. As also a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family, Intero is now part of the largest and best real estate companies is the country! Click on the link below for more details.
//rismedia.com/2017/09/07/homeservices-of-america-acquires-the-long-foster-companies/
Facebook Hosts Festival
Tech giant Facebook will be hosting a festival on Saturday, September 16 on their Menlo Park campus. The event runs from 12n-5pm and will feature a cook-off battle, a farmer's market, live music and and a kid zone. Admission is free.
Facebook Campus
1 Hacker Way, Parking Lot 15
The 46th Annual Mountain View Art & Wine Festival
Mountain View will be celebrating its 46th Art & Wine Festival on September 9-10. The event has evolved over the years and is now considered one of the premier art and wine festivals in the nation! Click on the link below for more details.
//mountainview.miramarevents.com/event-details/about-the-event.html
Movie Under the Stars in Cupertino
Cupertino will be hosting a series of movie nights starting this Friday, August 11, at the Memorial Park Amphitheater. All movies will start at 815pm and will run through the month of August. For more information, including the list of featured movies, visit: //bit.ly/2uD5LqS for the list of movies.
Mountain View's Wine Walk
Mountain View's fifth annual Wine Walk is scheduled for 5:30-9 p.m. Thursday, August 10. This event, in its 5th year, will sponsor wine from several California wineries. Click on the link below for more details.
https://www.losaltosonline.com/special-sections2/sections/food-a-wine/55864-mountain-view-s-annual-wine-walk-set-for-thursday-on-castro-street
Cultivating Life-Long Friends in Los Altos
An inaugural social mixer, hosted by Los Altos Friends for Life, is scheduled for 4pm on Aug. 6 on the Downtown Green, located on Third Street, between Main and State streets. The goal is to help local families cultivate personal connection and new friendships. The event is free and open to the public. Click on the link below for more details about this event.
https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/sections/schools/210-school-features/55790-downtown-los-altos-family-mixer-promotes-lifelong-friendship
Hi-Tech Giants Sponsors Technology Showcase
The annual Technology Showcase in Mountain View is scheduled for Wednesday, July 12, 1130am-3pm at the Civic Center Plaza. The event is hosted by the city of Mountain View and the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce and is sponsored by Google, LinkedIn, Intuit and Yamaha Motor Ventures. The event if open to the public and is free of charge. For more information, please visit: //www.chambermv.org/technology-showcase
Los Altos Summer Concert Series
The Los Altos 15th Annual Summer Concert Series has already kicked off for the summer, with local bands performing on Thursday and Saturday nights into August. Check out the remaining performances below and bring your family and friends out for a concert!
Thursday, July 13: The Blackouts | Hillview Park | 6:30 p.m.
​Thursday, July 20: None Too Soon | Grant Park | 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 27: Phil 'n The Blanks | Hillview Park | 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 3: Lyin' I's | Grant Park | 6:30 p.m.
Google Eyeing San Jose for Another Campus
Google and the City of San Jose have been in discussion about the tech giant building a 6 million square feet campus in downtown San Jose. This would, in effect, make it Google's largest campus in the nation. Click on the link below to read more on this topic.
//tinyurl.com/ycf69agr
Summer Concerts in Los Altos
Los Altos' 15th Annual Summer Concert Series is coming soon so gather your family and friends to enjoy picnic dinners in the park, listening to great music! Listed below is the current musical lineup, along with the location and time.
Saturday, June 17: Peninsula Symphony | Hillview Park | 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 22: House Rockers | Grant Park | 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 29: Bruce Guynn & Big Rain | Hillview Park | 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 6: The Shanks | Grant Park | 6:30 p.m.
​Thursday, August 3: Lyin' I's | Grant Park | 6:30 p.m.
Los Altos' Annual Fine Art in the Park
The Los Altos Rotary Club once again host the Fine Art in the Park – one of the Bay Area's premier open-air art shows. Fine art pieces range from paintings and sculpture to ceramics, jewelry and unique gifts…all created by approximately 150 artists. Entertainment, food and beverages will also be on hand during this fun family event.
10am-530pm
Lincoln Park, Los Altos
Click on the link for more details: //rotaryartshow.com
National River Cleanup Day
National River Cleanup Day will take place this Saturday, May 20, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to noon and Santa Clara County officials would love to get your assistance in keeping our county clean! Last year, volunteers across Santa Clara County picked up more than 42 tons of trash from local creeks.
For more information on how you can help, visit the National River Cleanup Day website to reserve your spot at a cleanup site today!
The Bay Area's annual Bike to Work Day is scheduled for this Thursday, May 11, 6am-930am. The event is part of the National Bike Month and all 9 Bay Area counties will be participating.
The City of Los Altos Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission will once again coordinate an energizer station for tired, hungry and thirsty riders. The station will be located at the northwest corner of Foothill Expressway and Burke Road. Riders can stop by anytime between 6:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. for complimentary water, coffee and other goodies.
For more information about Bike to Work Day, including a comprehensive list of refresher stations, visit bikesiliconvalley.org.
Mountain View's City-Wide Garage and Community Yard Sales
If you're looking to get rid of unwanted household items, the City of Mountain View will be hosting its two annual events to help you to do just that!
Citywide Garage Sale is held at homes throughout Mountain View on Saturday with many homes open on Sunday too. There is no charge to register.
Community Yard Sale is held at Rengstorff Park, located at 201 S. Rengstorff Ave. Join over 150 vendors in the park for hot food and bargains! There is a $21 charge per space to register and a two space limit.
Click on the link below for more information about these two events, as well as instructions on how to register.
//www.mountainview.gov/depts/pw/recycling/events/sale/default.asp
Mountain View's Annual Downtown Spring Parade
Mountain View's 39th Annual Downtown Spring Family Parade is scheduled for Saturday, April 22, 10am-1pm. After-parade activities, featuring live entertainment, arts and crafts, games and food trucks, will be held at Pioneer Park immediately after the parade. For more information, please visit www.mountainview.gov/parade
Where Are Home Prices Headed?
According to the latest Home Price Expectation Survey, the values of home will continue to rise over the next several years, with the average annual appreciation of homes increasing 3.22% by 2021. Click on the link below to read more on this topic.
https://www.pulsenomics.com/Q1_2017_HPE_Survey.php
Los Altos' Annual Spring Egg Hunt
Spring is in the air so it's almost time for the annual Spring Egg Hunt in Los Altos! This free event will begin at 930am with activities and visits from Fun E. Bunny and the egg hunt will begin at 10am sharp! Children aged 10 years of age and under are welcome to participate. No advanced registration is required for this free event.
Date/Time: Saturday, April 15, 930am-1030am
Location: Hillview Park, Soccer Field
Bay Area's Economy is RED HOT!
According to a report released by Beacon Economics, unemployment levels in the Bay Area's job market fell to its lowest level in 15 years! The strong market also encourages higher wages. Click on the link below to read more on this topic.
//www.mercurynews.com/2016/12/16/south-bay-jobs-surge-east-bay-slumps/
Los Altos Senior Center Turns 40!
In celebration of the Los Altos Senior Program's 40 years of services, Anderson planned a number of special events. The first was a 40th anniversary luncheon Jan. 11, held in the Hillview Community Center Multipurpose Room. Read more........
2016 Los Altos Small Business Excellence Award
Hiep Nguyen - Intero Real Estate has been selected for the 2016 Los Altos Small Business Excellence Award in the Real Estate Agents classification by the Los Altos Small Business Excellence Award Program.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2016 Los Altos Small Business Excellence Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Los Altos Small Business Excellence Award Program and data provided by third parties.
About the Los Altos Small Business Excellence Awards Program
The Los Altos Small Business Excellence Awards recognizes outstanding small businesses that serve the Los Altos area. Each year, our selection committee identifies businesses that we believe have achieved outstanding marketing success in their local community and business classification.
Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value. These are small businesses that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Los Altos area a vibrant and vital place to live.
The Los Altos Small Business Excellence Awards was established to reward the best of small businesses in Los Altos. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to award the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.
Intero Foundation Update
In November, Intero Foundation donated $37,000 to the local nonprofits listed below that support low-income and disadvantaged youth.
Adolescent Counseling Services: The nonprofit received $8,000 to support Outlet, a program of adolescent counseling services. Outlet empowers Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQQ+) youth and builds safe and accepting communities through support, education and advocacy.
Chartwell School:The organization was awarded $8,000 for financial aid for bright students with language-based learning differences, including dyslexia. This money will support 8-9 students for the full K-12 program.
Each One Reach One: The nonprofit received $10,000 for workshops and classes for GED, college prep and visual arts for at-risk youth in Juvenal Hall.
Spark:The organization received $6,000 for student mentorships at local companies with hands-on projects. The money will support financially underserved students from Title 1 schools.
Mountain View's Housing Reform
It's no secret that California is an expensive place to live. Home prices and rental rates for an apartment has become astronomical in the last few years. But, the Mountain View City Council is on a mission to make living in the city more affordable. Click on the link below for more details.
//www.nytimes.com/2016/11/14/business/mountain-view-california-confronts-housing-crisis.html?_r=1
Rent-Control-Passes-in-Mountain-View
Mountain View's residents voted to approve Measure V, the city's rent control initiative, with 53% of the vote in this week's election. The key benefits of Measure V is that rents will be brought back down to the level it was in October 2015 and that rent increases will be capped between 2 and 5 percent per year. Click on the link below to read more on this topic.
//tinyurl.com/op4r533
Silicon Valley Economy and Job Market Thriving
The Bay Area and California are in for slower job growth this year and next, but the Bay Area, powered by its high-tech economic engine, will outpace the state in job creation, according to two new economic forecasts. Click on the link below to read more.
//www.mercurynews.com/2016/09/28/forecasts-bay-area-job-market-economy-poised-to-shine/
Mountain View's 4th Annual Oktoberfest
The 4th Annual Mountain View Oktoberfest, presented by Steins Beer Garden, Tied House, and the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for this weekend, October 1 & 2, 11am-7pm in downtown Mountain View. The Festival will feature authentic German Beer, Cuisine, and Entertainment. The huge 7000 sq. ft. Oktoberfest beer tent will keep you shaded while you enjoy a variety of German Beers and socialize with other festival attendees. The Alpiners USA, SF German Band and Big Lou's Accordion Princess will keep the crowd entertained with Oktoberfest music. Children are welcome and the free kids area will be larger than last year and will include jumpy houses, face painting, games and prizes for all of our young ones. Benefiting non-profit organizations SOAR and Community Services Agency of Mountain View.
Steins & Drink Tickets will be available for purchase but admission is free. If you have your own steins or a glass that you purchased from previous years, bring it with you!
For more information, please visit: //mvoktoberfest.com
Los Altos Fall Festival 2016
Los Altos Fall Festival 2016 is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. October 1 - 2 in downtown Los Altos. The event includes a Children's Alley, a classic-car show, live entertainment, arts and crafts for sale, and food and beverages. For more information, visit: losaltoschamber.org.
Train Days Chugs into Los Altos History Museum
The Los Altos History Museum's Train Days event is making its annual stop 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the museum, 51 S. San Antonio Road.
According to organizers, Train Days celebrates the joy and wonder of model railroading. Elaborate layouts, intricate scenery, scaled renditions of prototypes and whimsical engines and theme cars – complete with steam, lights and sound – will speed the rails. Visitors can explore the gauges and scales associated with model railroading as private collectors and clubs showcase their trains and field questions about the mechanics and electronics of their layouts and the history behind the locomotives and railroads that inspired them.
Click on the link below for more details.
//www.losaltosonline.com/news/sections/community/178-upcoming-events/53650-train-days-roll-into-los-altos-museum
Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival
The 36th Annual Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18 at Central Park. The event will feature the talents of local and regional artists with over 160 arts and crafts booths to visit, 25 community groups serving delicious Festival food favorites, six vintners pouring fine wines, new shaded craft beer garden, stellar live entertainment on three stages, the ever-popular Kids Kingdom and Toddler Town! Click on the link below for more details.
//santaclaraca.gov/visitors/art-wine-festival-3618
Bike Stations in Downtown Los Altos
Los Altos' "Cycle Saturday" launched last Saturday to encourage residents to use an alternate mode of transportation while visiting downtown Los Altos. Bicycle stations outfitted with temporary racks were installed outside 4 separate coffee shops in downtown locations – Red Berry Coffee Bar, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Manresa Bread and Voyageur du Temps. Cyclists are give claim checks by volunteers who park and guard their bicycles while they enjoy coffee or walk around downtown. The 4 coffee shops are also hoping the program will attract the many cyclists riding along Foothill Expressway and become a lasting tradition.
Mountain View's Art & Wine Festival
The annual Mountain View Art & Wine Festival is scheduled to take place on Saturday and Sunday, September 10-11. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The festival takes place on Castro Street from El Camino Real to Evelyn Avenue and admission is free. Click on the link below for more details.
The Return of Los Altos' Third Street Green
The City of Los Altos is pleased to announce the return of the Third Street Green in Downtown Los Altos. The Green is located on Third Street between State Street and Plaza North through August 28. Click on the link below for more details:
//www.losaltosca.gov/community/page/third-street-green-returns-downtown-los-altos
5th Annual International Dance Festival of Silicon Valley
The International Dance Festival @ Silicon Valley celebrates its fifth year of hosting workshops in a range of dance styles for dancers of all levels, from absolute beginner to expert, with a finale performance on Sunday, Aug. 14, at 5 p.m. at the Mountain View Masonic Center, 890 Church St. More....
MVCPA Celebrates its 25th Anniversary
On Aug. 6, the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a festival downtown. There will be free performances on three stages featuring a wide range of entertainment, including comedy, dance, jazz, short films and theatrical performances.
//www.mv-voice.com/news/2016/08/02/free-performances-festivities-mark-mvcpas-25th
The Beauty of Filoli Gardens
Local residents often overlook local attractions when thinking about where to go sightseeing, but we should keep in mind that visitors from throughout the world make the Bay Area their destination for a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Filoli Estate and Gardens in the Crystal Springs area of Woodside is among the location attractions. With its annual outdoor sculpture show in full swing, we made several visits in July, driving the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and 2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring compact sport-utility vehicles.
//www.losaltosonline.com/special-sections2/sections/on-the-road/53425-beauty-in-our-own-backyard
Google and LinkedIn to Swap Land
Google and LinkedIn announced a surprise deal for a massive property swap that would trade real estate and development rights, consolidating Google's presence in Mountain View and effectively sending LinkedIn out of North Bayshore and over to the Sunnyvale border. Click on the link below for the full story.
//www.mv-voice.com/news/2016/07/12/google-linkedin-announce-massive-land-swap
Bay Area Home Prices At New High
The median price for singlefamily homes in the Bay Area jumped to a record $750,000, reflecting the region's red-hot demand for housing — even as short supply drove down the number of homes sold.
Masonic Lodge to Host the Los Altos Art and Wine Festival
The Los Altos Masonic Lodge has scheduled an open house this weekend during the Los Altos Arts and Wine Festival.
Zillow CEO Sold His Home For Way Less Than Zestimate
Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff may have recently given real estate agents a gift they won't soon forget: a sure-fire way to show that Zestimates can miss by a mile. How? By selling a property for much less than its Zestimate. Click on the link below for the full story.
//www.inman.com/2016/05/18/zillow-ceo-spencer-rascoff-sold-home-for-much-less-than-zestimate/
Los Altos' Bike Valet Cafe Ride
The City of Los Altos will be providing free bike valet stations for cyclists to use while visiting downtown on Saturday, July 11, 9am-1pm.
Your bike will be watched over by volunteers so you can enjoy yourself worry-free!
Valet stations will be in front of the following establishments:
Voyageur du Temps
Red Berry Coffee
Mountain View's Summer Outdoor Movie Night Series
With the summer season just around the corner, the City of Mountain View will kick off their Summer Outdoor Movie Night series on July 8th! All movies begin at 8:30 p.m. or when dark outside. Bring a blanket or lawn chair to sit on. Here's the movie series line up for this year:
Friday, July 8, 2016 at Cuesta Park - Minions (PG)
Friday, July 15, 2016 at Sylvan Park - Kung Fu Panda 3 (PG)
Friday, July 22, 2016 at Eagle Park - Inside Out (PG)
Friday, July 29, 2016 at Stevenson Park - Peanuts Movie (G)
Friday, August 5, 2016 at Whisman Park - The Good Dinosaur (PG)
Friday, August 12, 2016 at Rengstorff Park - Zootopia (PG)
Mountain View's Citywide Garage and Community Yard Sales
Citywide Garage Sale
The annual Citywide Garage Sale will be held on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at homes throughout Mountain View. Many homes are open on Sunday too. Event sponsored by the City's Solid Waste & Recycling Division of Public Works. Visit the link below or call (650) 903-6311 for more information.
When: Saturday, May 14, 2016
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Join the Community Yard Sale at Rengstorff Park on Saturday, May 21, 2016. Contact Recreation at (650) 903-6331 for more information.
For more information on either of these events, visit: Citywide Garage Sale & Community Yard Sale Website
2016 Filoli Flower Show
Celebrate Mother's Day at the 2016 Filoli Flower Show May 5-8. Enjoy floral interpretations of "California Then and Now, 1916-2016" created by dozens of floral designers. You will visit many of California's most iconic sites and events of the past one hundred years in Filoli's beautifully furnished and preserved historic house and renowned formal garden. Sellouts are expected, so be sure to purchase online tickets early. For more information, visit: //www.filoli.org/flower-show/
Mountain View's Ala Carte Festival
Mountain View's 20th Annual Ala Carte & Art festivalis scheduled for Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Castro Street (between Church Street and Evelyn Avenue). The event features two days of live music, the wares of hundreds of artisans, food and drink, a farmer's market, classic-car show, kids' activities, and more! Admission is free.
For more information, call 650-964-3395 or visit Ala Carte & Art.
Intero Foundation Gives Back
A BIG thank you to Friends and Clients! With your direct support over the years, either with a real estate transaction and/or a referral to someone who did, together we have been able to make grants to these wonderful charities that are making a huge positive impact for the children in our community. And if there's a charity that you would like to nominate for the next round of grants, please let me know…Hiep Nguyen, hnguyen@interorealestate.com, 650-996-3305.
Sacred Heart Nativity School: Funded $7,500 //www.shnativity.org/
InnVision: Funded $6,000 https://ivsnsummercamp.wordpress.com/
Breakthrough Silicon Valley: Funded $5,000 //www.breakthroughsv.org/
Shop with a Cop: Funded $7,000 //www.shopwithacopsv.com/
Far West Wheelchair Athletic Association: Funded $6,000 //fwwaa.org/
Cake 4 Kids: Funded $5,000 //www.cake4kids.org/
Jose Valdes Math Foundation: Funded $6,000 //www.josevaldesmath.org/
Animal Assisted Happiness: Funded $5,000 //www.animalassistedhappiness.org/
Mountain View's 38th Annual Downtown Family Parade
The City of Mountain View invites you to participate in the City's 38th Annual Downtown Family Parade, a family event that celebrates community spirit with a new theme each year. This year our theme is 'Ready for Rio.' Post-parade celebrations include food, games and entertainment held at Pioneer Park until 1:00 p.m. The parade is held RAIN OR SHINE.
For more information please go to: Downtown Spring Family Parade
Where: Castro Street and Pioneer
Deer Hollow Farm Spring Tours
Deer Hollow Farm's annual Spring Farm Tours are scheduled 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 16 at the farm, located in San Antonio Regional Open Space Preserve just south of Los Altos. The tours offer an opportunity for participants to learn about homestead farming as it was practiced 150 years ago. The 163-year-old Grant Cabin will be open this year, with docents dressed in 19th-century garb on hand to answer questions. The cost of the tours is $7 and free for children under 1. For more information, visit www.deerhollowfarmfriends.org
Los Altos Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Event
The City of Los Altos and Santa Clara County will be hosting their annual Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Event on Saturday, April 16, starting at...Read More
Mountain View Lauds Google's New Designs
Google's revised plans for its new campus off East Charleston Road in Mountain View has drawn the approval of the Mountain View City Council...Read More
Los Altos' Annual Easter Egg Hunt
The activities for the annual Easter Egg Hunt in Los Altos' Hillview Park is scheduled for Saturday, March 26, beginning at 930am...Read More
Mountain View Farmers' Market Hosts an Easter Egg Hunt
Round up the kids and hop over to the Mountain View Farmers' Market for the Easter festivities! The hunt for Easter eggs...Read More
Cupertino Teen Wins the 2016 "Junior Nobel Prize"
Maya Varma, a resident of Cupertino, was awarded the First Place Medal of Distinction for Innovation in this year's Intel Science Talent Search...Read More
Palo Alto's 11th Annual French Fair
French culture, food and fashion will be on display at the 11th annual French Fair this Friday...Read More
3rd Annual Great Grizzly Fun 5K Run
Los Altos' Gardner Bullis Elementary School will host its annual Great Grizzly Run again on March 12 to help the Los Altos...Read More
17th Annual Run for Zimbabwe in Mountain View
St. Joseph School will be hosting its 17th annual Run for Zimbabwe Orphans & Fair on March 20, 1-4pm. This year's event...Read More
Free Concert in Mountain View This Saturday
The Community School of Music and Arts in Mountain View presents pianists Klara Frei and Temirzhan Yerzhanov in a free concert scheduled 7 p.m. Saturday, March 27. Both pianists...Read More
Mountain View's Annual Zimbabwe Run and Fair
The 17th annual Zimbabwe Run and Fair is scheduled to begin at noon March 20 at St. Joseph School, 1120 Miramonte Ave., Mountain View...Read More
Animal Therapy Coming to Los Altos High
Citing the therapeutic and calming effects of exposure to animals, Los Altos High student Riley Fujioka has set her sights on opening a branch of Animal Assisted Happiness...Read More
2015 Intero Foundation Grant Allocations
Intero Real Estate's commitment and dedication to having an impact on the growth and well being of children in our communities is...Read More
Errors in Zillow's Zestimates Causing Headaches
Many consumers are turning to technology to help in estimating the value of a home, whether they are in the process of selling or buying a home. One of the more popular online real estate information site...Read More
Bay Area Science Students Headed to Washington D.C.
Five high school students from Santa Clara County have been selected to participate in the 2016 Intel Science Talent Search...Read More
Annual Physics Show in Los Altos Hills
Los Altos Hills' Foothill College will be hosting their 10th annual 90-minutes Physic Show this Saturday and Sunday, January 23 – 24 in their Smithwick Theatre. The event...Read More
Silicon Valley Italian Festival
Palo Altos' Oshman Family JCC will be hosting the Silicon Valley Italian Festival on Thursday, January 21, 730pm-9pm. Internationally acclaimed pianist Laura Magnani...Read More
Los Altos High Students Hosts a Hackathon
Computer science enthusiats from Los Altos High Schools have organized the Bay Area's first hackathon, named Los Altos Hacks, an event that encourages future engineers, designers and programmers to create apps...Read More
Music for Minors Fundraising Event in Los Altos
Music for Minors, a leading provider of music education programs in Bay Area elementary schools, will be hosting a fundraising event at the Los Altos Golf and Country Club on February 6. The organization...Read More
Fun Run in Los Altos
The annual New Year'sDay Fun Run along Main and State streets in downtown Los Altos is scheduled to start at 9am on Friday, January 1....Read More
Christmas Caroling in Los Altos Hills
Residents and visitors alike are welcome to join in a free Christmas caroling and hiking event scheduled for 730pm-9pm on Christmas Eve. No singing experience...Read More
The Nutcracker Comes to Palo Alto
The Palo Alto Children's Theatre presents a performance of the "Nutcracker", a popular holiday play about a little girl's journey to the "Land of Sweets". The performances...Read More
Aurora Singers Presents a Holiday Performance
The Aurora Singers chorus has scheduled a holiday concert, "All Creatures Great and Small," 7 p.m. Dec. 19 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto...Read More
Los Gatos Fantasy of Lights
The 17th annual Fantasy of Lights at Vasona Park in Los Gatos continues to be the premier holiday lights spectacular in Northern California. It's a 1.5 mile drive through holiday lights...Read More
Cupertino Events to Start the Holiday Season Right!
The City of Cupertino can help to kick off your Holiday season with a couple of events this weekend at the Quinlan Community Center, located at 10185 N. Stelling Road...Read More
Mountain View Tree Lighting Celebration
Celebrate the holidays with friends and family at the Mountain View Community Tree Lighting Celebration. Enjoy live holiday music, refreshments, lights and the arrival of Santa Claus...Read More
Is the Housing Bubble in Silicon Valley a Myth?
Silicon Valley has been growing leaps and bounds in regards to the influx of hi-tech businesses. Many hi-tech companies, including Apple, Google, LinkedIn and Facebook, are...Read More
Los Altos High School Marching Band's Fall Finale
The Los Altos High School Marching Band and Color Guard will showcase its 2015 competition drill at its annual Fall Finale event on November...Read More
Annual Harvest Craft Faire in Los Altos
The Los Altos United Methodist Women organization has scheduled its annual Havest Craft Faire on November...Read More
Hot Rod for Cool Cats
The 9 Lives Foundation will be featuring memororabilia from the 50's, 60's and 70's at their...Read More
Mountain View School Principal Wins National Recognition
Mountain View's Huff Elementary is on a roll! Earlier this year, the school...Read More
Apple Buys More Land in San Jose
Is Apple, Inc. looking to get into the electric car business? That's what some observers...Read More
STEM Week at Los Altos High
Los Altos High hosted its 10th Annual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Week recently and...Read More
Los Altos' Costume Bank Provides More Than Costumes
If you're still looking for that perfect costume to wear to a Halloween party, look no further than the Costume Bank in Los Altos......Read More
4th Annual Shoreline Pumpkin Splash!
Mountain View's 4th Annual Shoreline Pumpkin Splash is in full swing! This event is open 11am-5pm ...Read More
Deer Hollow Farm Offers Spooky Fun in Cupertino
Cupertino's Deer Hollow Farm will be hosting a fun pre-Halloween event on Saturday, October 24, 10am-3pm. The goats, chickens,...Read More
Holiday Strolling in Downtown Los Altos
It's that time of year (already!) and preparations are underway for Los Altos' 12th Annual Holiday Stroll...Read More
Los Altos' Annual Halloween Spooktacular
In their quest to promote downtown businesses, the Los Altos Village Association presents their 52nd Annual ...Read More
Mark your calendars for Cupertino's annual Harvest Festival! This family-oriented event will take place on ...Read More
Mountain View's Monster Bash
Celebrate Halloween with your family, friends and neighbors at the Mountain View Monster Bash! An outdoor movie ...Read More
Los Altos First Friday
The next First Friday event in downtown Los Altos is scheduled for this Friday, October 2, 6pm-8pm. Many restaurants will be dishing up a "First Friday Special"...Read More
24th Annual Los Altos Fall Festival
Live entertainment, a classic car show and fine wine and micro breweries are just some of the colorful activities planned for this year's Fall Festival in downtown Los Altos...Read More
It's Time for Oktoberfest!
The 3rd annual Mountain View Oktoberfest is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, October 3 – October 4, from 11am-7pm. This fun...Read More
Los Altos Hills' Foothill College to Host the Cal Pops Orchestra Performance
The Smithwock Theatre at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills will be hosting the 27th season of the California Pops Orchestra. The theme this year is "Movie Masterpieces" and is set to...Read More
Bay Area Towns Listed Among Best Cities to Raise a Family
According to a report by Niche, a U.S. company that runs a ranking and review site, Cupertino, Mountain View and Palo Alto...Read More
Hoedown in Los Altos Hills
The annual Los Altos Hills Hoedown is scheduled for this Saturday, September 12, 3pm-8pm at...Read More
Superbowl Trophies on Display in Mountain View
If you're a big Superbowl fan, be sure you make the trek to this weekend's Art & Wine Festival in Mountain View ...Read More
Mountain View Art & Wine Festival
It's that time of year again - the 44th annual Mountain View Art & Wine Festival will officially kick off...Read More
Mountain View's Computer History Museum and Off the Grid Teams Up
Off the Grid, a gourmet mobile food market based in San Francisco, will be partnering with the Computer History Museum in Mountain View to bring food trucks and special...Read More
Soul and Wine Lounge Event in Palo Alto
Palo Alto's Oshman Family Center will be hosting a night of live music and wine tasting this Saturday, August 29, 830pm-11pm. The event...Read More
A New Era for Los Altos' Rancho Shopping Center
The "Rock Back the Clock" committee have decided that it's time for a change and will be changing their theme to a wine walk fundraiser starting...Read More
Palo Alto Festival of Arts
The 34th Annual Palo Alto Festival of Arts is scheduled for 10am-6pm this coming weekend, August 22-23 on University Ave between High and Webster Streets. Artists from all over...Read More
Mountain View Hosts Japanese Cultural Exchange Students
Six Japanese high school students from Iwata, Japan are enjoying the sights and sounds of the Bay Area as guests of families participating in the Mountain View Sister City Student Exchange program. Iwata and Mountain View have...Read More
Los Altos Friday Movie Nights
August is here and so are the Friday Movie Nights in downtown Los Altos! This popular family-oriented series will take place every Friday at 830pm during the month of August at the corner of...Read More
Los Altos Hills Resident Bikes Across America
Once Rishi Bommannan decided to ride his bike from his college in Maine to his home in Los Altos Hills to help raise money for the Livestrong Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping cancer patients, there was no stopping him....Read More
Mountain View Residents Votes for the Best
The city of Mountain View is known as the center of Silicon Valley with its high tech companies such as Google, Adobe Systems and a flurry of smaller, but successful startups. But, it's also known as a vibrant location for some of the best restaurants, shops and merchants from all areas of expertise....Read More
Mountain View and Los Altos High Students Receives Scholarships
Twenty nine high school seniors from Los Altos High and Mountain View High recently received college scholarships from MVLA Scholars, a program....Read More
Gardening for Food in Mountain View
Students in the Mountain View-Whisman School District will be actively helping to supply ingredients for their lunches this fall by growing fruit and vegetables in their school's garden....Read More
NASA Scientists in Mountain View Celebrates Pluto Mission
Scientists gathered at the NASA AmesResearch Center in Mountain View last week cheered the success of the Pluto exploration mission. NASA's "New Horizon" spacecraft completed its first flyby of Pluto after 9 years and traveling billions of miles to get...Read More
Baby Boomers Thrives at the Los Altos and Mountain View Senior Centers
Seniors in Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Mountain View are increasingly opting to grow old in their own homes (instead of a retirement facility) and head over to the senior centers near their neighborhoods to socialize, play games and have a good time. The senior centers offers classes, programs and special outings designed specifically for older adults. Studies shows that staying active and keeping in touch with friends leads to a happier and longer life! ...Read More
Wings of Freedom Tour Makes a Stop in Mountain View
One Los Altos Town Crier reporter recently experienced the thrill (and scare) of her life as a passenger of a vintage WWII-era aircraft. Megan Winslow visited ...Read More
Los Altos' Relay for Life
Relay For Life of Los Altos is slated to return to...Read More
Los Altos' Summer Concert Series Launches This Saturday, June 13
Peninsula Symphony is scheduled to kick off the city of Los Altos' Summer Concert...Read More
Local Bands Play for Fans and First Friday Visitors
Los Altos' June "First Friday" event is scheduled 6-8 p.m. on Friday, June 5 along...Read More
Los Altos Educational Foundation Has Reached Its Goal
The Los Altos Educational Foundation has just met their $3.3M fundraising goal and has...Read More
Los Altos Native Runs Boston Marathon
Lisa Miller was the only member of her family to run in last month's Boston Marathon, but...Read More
Past Meets Present in Los Altos Home
The past and the present meld in the Cotswold-style home of Stephanie and Chris Dauer on ...Read More
Palo Alto Businesses to Participate in Bike to Shop Day
The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, in celebration of national bike month, is supporting Palo Alto businesses through Bike to Shop Day on Saturday, May 23....Read More
Los Altos Kiwanis Pet Parade
The Kiwanis Club of Los Altos is scheduled to host the 68th annual Kiwanis Pet Parade 10 a.m. Saturday in downtown Los Altos....Read More
Mountain View's Bike to Work Day Kicks into High Gear
Hundreds of Mountain View workers will keep the car home and instead hop on their bikes this Thursday for the annual Bike to Work Day. Now entering its 21st year, Bike to Work Day is designed to encourage commuters to give biking a try as a viable transit alternative in the South Bay. The event, organized by the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, includes dozens of "energizer" stations, where cyclists can grab snacks, water and other ...Read More
Mother's Day Concert
Merit Scholarship Student Ensembles from the Community School of Music and Arts ...Read More
Los Altos and Mountain View High Schools to Receive Gold Ribbon Award
The Mountain View Los Altos High School District received notice today that both Mountain View High School and Los Altos High School have been selected as Gold Ribbon Schools. The Gold Ribbon Schools Program ...Read More
Mountain View High Narrows Achievement Gap
Three years ago, staff at Mountain View High School set out to increase the number of Latino and other underrepresented minority students in Advanced Placement (AP) and honors classes. The idea was that plenty ...Read More
The San Francisco Bay Area is known worldwide for its fantastic weather, vibrant cultural scene and world-class events. The popular outdoor festival ...Read More