https://n2v.paloaltoonline.com If it is local and useful, it is on PaloAltoOnline.com. en-us Copyright 2025 PaloAltoOnline.com https://paloaltoonline.com/art/top_logo.png https://n2v.paloaltoonline.com If 2023 was the year that the local housing market defied expectations in the face of economic challenges, then we can expect 2024 to be a year of continued improvement. Here's what to anticipate along the Midpeninsula.]]> At $12.5 million, a newly built home in the Old Palo Alto neighborhood sold with the highest price tag. Out of this week's 27 sales, Palo Alto saw the most transactions with nine homes sold. ]]> Whether downsizing, joining a retirement community or relocating closer to family, navigating the real estate market can come with a unique set of challenges for older homebuyers. Here's how Seniors Real Estate Specialists can help.]]> Paying a bit more attention to your trees can make a world of a difference. With the new year here, now is a good time to establish a maintenance routine to keep your trees healthy year round. ]]> At $16.8 million, a newly built 7,276-square-foot contemporary home with nine bathrooms in West Atherton sold with the highest price tag on the Midpeninsula.]]> With interest rates expected to drop in the coming year, many real estate experts and economists are optimistic that the housing market will see housing prices ease in 2024. ]]> There were plenty of homes that sold for eight figures along the Midpeninsula over the past year. We've compiled a list of 12 single-family homes that sold for north of $20 million in the region during 2023. ]]> With most fruit trees dormant during the winter, this is the optimal time to prune most deciduous varieties (except apricot and cherry). ]]> At $24 million, a 12,778-square-foot Atherton home with seven en suite bedrooms, a wine cellar, a one-bedroom guest house and recreation room with a sports bar sold with the highest price tag. ]]> Whether you're looking to maintain your winter landscape, want to head outdoors to explore fungi during the rainy season or are in need of homebuying resources, you'll find plenty of opportunities in our January events calendar. ]]> At $9 million, a Mediterranean home with vaulted ceilings, a custom pool and trail access to Rancho San Antonio park in Los Altos Hills sold for the highest price tag. ]]> Want to explore the Midpeninsula's neighborhoods? Embarcadero Media's new "A Day In" series highlights the history, architecture and points of interest of different local neighborhoods on an interactive map each month. ]]> Whether you're a home buyer, seller, landlord or tenant, there are several new laws set to go into effect in California in 2024 that will impact housing. Here are six laws you should know about.]]> A single-level 4-bedroom-, 3-bath home with a guest house on 1.1 acres in Los Altos' Country Club neighborhood saw the highest sales price at $6 million.]]> When California passed a rent cap to protect tenants from rent hikes, they exempted hundreds of thousands of units reserved for some of the state's poorest renters. Now, advocates are pushing for new Bay Area tenant protections. ]]> The number of homes sold in California in November dropped to the lowest level since the Great Recession in the early 2000s, according to a new report from the California Association of Realtors. <br /> ]]> ]]> As trees shed their leaves for the winter, you can learn a lot about their health because you will be able to see their natural shape without all that greenery in the way, making December a good time to give them a seasonal pruning.<br /> ]]> A remodeled 1960s-era home with classic French details and original landscaping by 20th-century landscape architect Thomas Church, who is credited with creating the "California style" garden, fetched $12.75 million in Atherton. ]]> Most people who have ventured into Shoreline Park have seen the Rengstorff House. Years before the mansion became Mountain View's history museum, it was part of the motive behind one of the country's largest mass kidnappings.]]> With artificial intelligence handling tasks once done by real estate professionals, homebuyers might wonder why they need a Realtor at all. Here's what a Realtor can do for buyers that AI can't. ]]> Palo Alto's overall home sales have taken a dip compared to last year, but not all neighborhoods, reflect this trend. In fact, five of the city's 13 neighborhoods have closed more deals this year than last. See how they compare.]]> A 7,880-square-foot home with a 750-bottle wine room, tennis court, pool, spa and library sold for $11.7 million in Atherton. See which homes sold for the highest amounts in various cities along the Midpeninsula.]]> With home prices rapidly appreciating nationwide over the past year, the federal government has decided to raise the limits for loans it backs in 2024 to $1.149 million in most counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.]]> Whether you're looking to enjoy holiday displays, lend a hand at a farm, find renter/landlord resources or hone your interior design skills, you'll find plenty of opportunities. Check out our December home & garden events calendar. ]]> Poinsettias aren't the only plants that can be used for Christmas decorations. From tropical Amaryllis to Christmas cactus, there are plenty of other plants that can make your holidays festive.]]> A custom-built home with two swimming pools, a 100,000-square-foot guest house, wine cellar and bocce ball court sold for $40 million in Atherton. ]]> After living with a dated, cramped 1960s kitchen for more than a decade, Karen and Geoff McKinley decided it was time to make a change. They knocked down the interior walls and bumped out the exterior wall to create their dream space. ]]> The income of a typical homebuyer in the U.S. jumped to $107,000 from $88,000 last year, underscoring the increasing income required to buy a home, according to a recent report from the National Association of Realtors.]]> Last winter, residents experienced the second largest flood in East Palo Alto history. Now Bay Area nonprofits are installing gardens designed to soak up stormwater and mitigate future flooding.]]> This week's highest sale is a two-level home in West Atherton that features 6 bedrooms, 6 baths and an in-law apartment that sold for $13.2 million. ]]> California's housing affordability has dipped to its lowest point in 16 years with only 1-in-5 (15%) homebuyers able to afford a median-priced, single-family home, yet the Peninsula continues to see homes sell for over asking price.]]> ]]> Santa Clara County is the second most expensive housing market in the nation with 16 of its ZIP codes ranked among the top 100, including those in Los Altos and Palo Alto, according to a new report by PropertyShark.]]> This week's most expensive home sale is a 6-bedroom, 7-bath modern-style home perched on 3.02 oak-studded acres in Los Altos Hills. The home comes with a 1,600-square-foot guest house, an infinity pool and views of a private lake.]]> Obtaining new homeowners insurance policies -- and even securing renewals on existing policies -- has become increasingly difficult in parts of the Midpeninsula and throughout the state considered high-risk for wildfires.]]> With inflation cooling more than expected, economist Lawrence Yun forecasts that the Federal Reserve will adjust its monetary tightening posture, and buyers could see mortgage rates drop to 6-7% by early spring. ]]> As California grapples with its housing crisis, one Stanford grad has come up with an affordable solution for families living in East Palo Alto and Menlo Park by designing "plug-in" ADU kits that convert garages into living space.]]> ]]> Of the 31 homes sold, eight had price tags over $5 million and nine were listed for under $2 million. Menlo Park saw the highest sale at $6.2 million and recorded the most sales with 11 transactions. ]]> With artificial intelligence all around us and here to stay, real estate professionals find themselves navigating the ups and downs of using this powerful technology to sell homes.]]> Whether you're looking to tour a garden, hone your home maintenance skills, get some gardening tips or learn homebuying strategies, you'll find plenty of opportunities. Check out our November home & garden events calendar. ]]> Looking for November gardening tips? Want to know why the leaves on yours citrus tree look gnarled and disfigured? Experts from UC Master Gardeners can help. Send your questions and they will diagnose your plant problems.]]> Of the 42 homes sold, 30% had price tags under $2 million. Palo Alto recorded the most sales with 12 transactions. Atherton and Menlo Park each saw sale prices above $9 million. ]]> Silicon Valley's heyday as the "Valley of the Heart's Delight" may be gone with the disappearance of most of its farmland, but one company is looking to reconnect the region with its past by establishing backyard urban farms.]]> Median home sale prices have skyrocketed in Silicon Valley's hottest housing markets, and residents are moving out.]]> First-time homebuyers may be eligible for financial assistance through the Housing Affordability Fund, which recently reached the $2-million mark in grant money to help California residents from underserved communities purchase a home.]]> Flegels Design, a longtime downtown Menlo Park institution that has provided custom-made furniture and interior design services to generations of customers, likely will be closing the doors of its showroom by the end of the year. ]]> Of the 47 homes sold, nearly a quarter (21%) had price tags over $5 million. Palo Alto recorded the most sales with 13 transactions. Atherton saw the highest home sale at $27.9 million.]]>