2019 real estate sales in Belwood, Belgatos, Surmont & nearby
The Belwood area in east Los Gatos had a healthy number of sales in 2019 (sales which closed or originated in 2019). The map below indicates the listings and sales of single family homes (houses) in the Surmont, Belgatos, Belwood, and contiguous areas last year. (There was also one duplex, info on that below.)
The tables below are a bit small to read, but if you click on them, it will open up in a new tab as full width (1200 px instead of 700 px). Here’s what did close escrow in 2019 for single family homes. Click image to enlarge.
Please click on image to enlarge – table with info on 2019 sales in Belwood, Belgatos, Surmont, and adjacent areas.
There was one duplex just off of Belwood Gateway (the two courts near the cabana have duplexes).
Click image to enlarge
Right now, here’s what is available (there’s a “coming soon” sign on a property on Belwood Gateway right now, too):
Please click on the image to enlarge – it will open in a new tab
The Bacigalupi family of Los Gatos – some history
We happen to live on Bacigalupi Drive in Belwood of Los Gatos, a lovely street you might walk to get to Belgatos Park. A classmate of mine at Saratoga High School was a Bacigalupi and I have noticed that one of the old buildings in downtown Los Gatos is the Bacigalupi Building (it houses Mountain Charley’s, I believe – it is in the La Canada or Hofstra block near the corner of Main and North Santa Cruz). So I wondered, who were these people with the hard to pronounce name? (I can say it, but I speak some Italian!)
The Bacigalupi Family c.1922 – click to visit the Los Gatos Local History Research Collection and see a larger image and info on this family
The Hooked on Los Gatos project was a collaborative project by the Library and History Museum which appears to have since become the Los Gatos Local History Research Collection. This collection includes page after page of online resources, including all the photos in their archives relating to the Bacigalupi clan. Clicking on each image leads to more information. For instance, here I found information on James A. Bacigalupi, Sr.
I was very impressed to learn that he was the first president of the Bank of Italy, and then worked with A.P. Giannini to form the Bank of America. He may not be the most famous Los Gatan, but he’s certainly a big deal! To the right, this photo features Mr. Bacigalupi with his family, in approximately the year 1922. Click on the image to visit the original photo on the Local History Research Collection page, see a larger image and learn more about the family in this image.
As you probably know, the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake did a great deal of damage to many of the older, historic buildings in downtown Los Gatos. The La Canada (Hofstra) block was no exception. The Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce reported on its “walking tour” page (which has since disappeared, but thankfully has been archived) after the quake, that block was restored by the Bacigalupi, Farwell, Brady and VanDalsem families, so we can thank them for their continued love of our town and its history. (On a side note, if you’re interested in a Los Gatos walking tour don’t despair! The old walking tour has been swapped with a high-tech model: LOST Gatos the walking tour App.)
Belwood, Belgatos, Surmont neighborhood
Welcome to my site regarding a beautiful neighborhood in east Los Gatos, including Belwood of Los Gatos, Belgatos, Surmont, and adjacent tracts & subdivisions. Here I’ll provide ongoing real estate information, some events that are happening in the community, photos of Belgatos Park and other nearby areas, and items of concern to residents in this pretty corner of Los Gatos.
Please note that this is NOT the Belwood Homeowner’s Association website. For the HOA site, and phone numbers for the Cabaña or HOA, for lifeguard jobs, please visit BelwoodHomes.org
Enjoy this slideshow of photos of our scenic neighborhood.
Belwood, Belgatos, Surmont & nearby Los Gatos sales year to date
How’s the real estate market in Belwood of Los Gatos, Belgatos, Surmont, and adjacent areas in east Los Gatos? I thought my neighbors might enjoy seeing how the first three quarters of 2019 have been going. The Silicon Valley real estate market has been decent in 2019, but not like the first half of 2018, which was the peak of the market. You can get info for all of the town’s realty market conditions here (on the Live in Los Gatos blog): Los Gatos real estate statistics and market trends. The map below represents homes for sale (green houses), pending (orange house – hard to see since a red one is on top of it – far left side of the image), and properties which are sold and closed (red houses). They are fairly well spread out.
Map – 2019-10-19 Belwood area real estate activity YTD
Most of the sales, 9 out of 12, were sold for between $1,615,000 and $1,960,000. Two properties sold in the low $2 millions, and one, a large home with acreage, sold for $3.1 million.
In the image below, DOM stands for Days on Market, meaning the number of days between when the house was listed on the mls and seen publicly to when it was a contingent or pending sale. Of the 12 sales, 5 sold in 14 days or less (the 0 for one of them suggests an off market sale). Four others sold within 1 month. With 75% of the solds here pending within a month, it’s a pretty decent real estate market in this corner of Los Gatos.
The houses which usually sell the fastest have a few things in common.
- they are priced aggressively, usually a little low
- they show well – uncluttered, cleaned,in good shape / updated (or remodeled), and frequently professionally staged
- they are easy to show (short notice or vacant “go direct”)
- they are well marketed with professional photographs (after price, photos are the most important element to a successful marketing campaign), solid pre-sale inspections
Want to buy or sell a home in the area in the coming months? Please reach out to me – I’m happy to meet with you confidentially, no obligation, no pushing ever.
Interested in nearby areas in Santa Clara County? Check out neighborhood descriptions and real estate markets for various areas such as Almaden Valley, Cambrian, Campbell, Saratoga, Willow Glen, Cupertino, and more at the Valley of Heart’s Delight blog (https://sanjoserealestatelosgatoshomes.com/).
Halloween Party at Belwood of Los Gatos
Halloween fun in the Belwood of Los Gatos Community!
Put on a costume and celebrate Halloween at the Belwood of Los Gatos cabana club, Sunday Oct 27th from 3- 6pm. Enjoy games, prizes, pizza, snacks & the spirit of All Hallows Eve. The featured event will be either a spooky haunted house or a movie, beginning at 6pm. Costumes highly encouraged!
Belwood residents and invited guests only, please. Free admission, donations appreciated.
Learn more at the Belwood Homes Halloween Party event page.
Volunteers needed! Find sign-up information through the link above.
Is your sump pump ready for winter rains?
Many residents in Los Gatos and nearby communities such as the Los Gatos mountain communities, Almaden Valley, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, the Cupertino foothills, etc. have sump pumps in their crawl space to pull off water that can accumulate below the house. Water can get there for a variety of reasons, such as reverse grading (the soil should slope gently away from the house, but in some cases the slope is unfortunately toward the house), downspouts not being extended to carry roof water away from the structure, or even underground water bubbling up from below (that’s a problem for a drainage expert, not a do-it-yourself job). These situations often happen during periods of heavy rain.
Like any other appliance, sump pumps come in all ranges of quality and performance from bare bones and portable to full of bells and whistles. They also get old and need maintenance from time to time, and they can fail. Some will turn on automatically, some must be switched on manually (assuming you are home to do it). Some run only on electricity, and will be no good to you during a power outage. Others come equipped with a battery backup.
If it’s been a long time since you have checked in on your sump pump, now is a good time to do it (or pay someone else to inspect it). Also check to see if the soil under the houses is graded or has channels to bring water to the sump pump. Also double check the downspouts to insure that they are carrying water away from your home / foundation. The best time to inspect all of this is before you need it. (Anyone with air conditioning knows how hard it is to get a service call on a malfunctioning AC unit during a heat wave!) Time to upgrade? I would suggest looking into sump pumps with battery backups so that it works even if the power goes off – that may be when you need it most. It would also be good to have one that can register water accumulating and turn on automatically.
Related reading:
Cracked Foundations, Adobe Clay Soils and Water in Silicon Valley (on the Valley of Heart’s Delight blog)
What is a cripple wall? (on popehandy.com)
What To Consider When Buying a Hillside Home in Silicon Valley
Spring Craft Fair at the Belwood of Los Gatos Cabaña
Sunday April 14, 2019 – spring craft fair at the Belwood of Los Gatos cabaña, 11 am to 5 pm!
Over 40 local crafters, makers, and artists coming together for a day of Spring shopping! Just in time for Easter and Mother’s Day! You’re sure to find just the right gift for the people in your life. Handmade gifts are always a great way to show them you care! There will also be my succulent arrangements there to purchase as well as a DIY booth where you can make your own succulent terrarium! You don’t want to miss this!
Many thanks to Sandra Miller for letting me know about this event.
My daughter and I stopped in earlier and were very impressed by the offerings, so I’d encourage anyone to swing by and see the goods! Here are a few photos taken at the Belwood of Los Gatos cabana today.
It’s a perfect day for browsing and buying…
In addition to all of the outdoor tents or booths, there’s an indoor area also.
Items for sale include jewelry, home goods, and artistic creations of many kinds. There are snacks and coffee available for purchase also.
Some of my favorite items on display were the spiders and scorpions from Linda’s Obsession (Linda Fussell). If you cannot get to today’s craft fair, you can find her goods on Etsy at Etsy.com/shop/lindasobsession.
BelwoodOfLosGatos.com
This website is provided by Mary Pope-Handy, a Belwood resident and real estate agent.
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For the HOA site,
and phone numbers for the Cabana or HOA, please visit
BelwoodHomes.org
************************* Mary Pope-Handy
Belwood area resident
Realtor
ABR, CIPS, CRS, SRES
Sereno Group Real Estate
214 Los Gatos-Saratoga Rd
Los Gatos, CA 95030
408 204-7673
Mary (at) PopeHandy.com
BRE License #01153805
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