San Jose Real Estate

What is San Jose known for?

Founded back in 1777, San Jose is the seat of Santa Clara County, one of the most prosperous counties in California and the U.S. It’s also the third-largest city in the state and the 10th largest in the country.

The city has grown from being an agricultural community to manufacturing military equipment in WWII, then hosting aerospace and other tech industries, and now being the capital of Silicon Valley.

Not only is San Jose known for being home to a wealth of famous IT companies, but it also boasts the highest real estate prices in the United States. Additionally, it’s reckoned to be one of the country’s most ethnically diverse areas.

The city’s 60 miles of hiking trails and 285 miles of on-street bikeways are popular with visitors and locals alike. San Jose also celebrates its prominent place in the world of technology with museums, tours and related events.

What are the best neighborhoods to buy a home in San Jose?

There are more than 40 neighborhoods in San Jose, and these can be grouped into five main areas: Downtown/Central and the North, East, West and South zones.

Downtown/Central

Downtown is the main business district of San Jose. It’s home to the Tech Museum of Innovation, where visitors can explore fascinating high-tech gadgets on the cutting edge of technology. Japan Town, just north of the center, was settled by Japanese people following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and is known for its authentic artwork, shops and cuisine. All in all, there are more than 250 restaurants downtown offering an enormous range of multicultural dishes. Plus, the Mineta San Jose International Airport is only four miles away.

North San Jose

North San Jose encompasses most of the city’s largest tech companies, including IBM, Intel, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, Apple and SanDisk. The neighborhood of Alviso is located in this region and served as the city’s port.

East San Jose

East San Jose Alum Rock is one of the districts here and is home to the Lake Cunningham Regional Skate Park, the largest skate park in California. The Lick Observatory is atop Mount Hamilton and offers a fantastic day out where visitors can have a glimpse of the universe using one of the most powerful telescopes in the world. Little Portugal, an interesting neighborhood, is bordered by 33rd St. and Highway 101 and is considered a rich historical area.

West San Jose

West San Jose is bounded to the north by the city of Santa Clara and is known nowadays as an upscale residential neighborhood, especially in its westernmost part. There are many shopping options here, including Westfield Valley Fair and Westgate Mall, as well as more than 20 movie theaters. Burbank, conveniently located near the downtown area, is considered one of the more affordable neighborhoods in San Jose in terms of real estate (by comparison, of course).

South San Jose

South San Jose is bounded by the city of Morgan Hill to the south, Camden Avenue to the west and Highway 101 to the east. The area allows access to several open spaces that nature lovers will enjoy, including the Guadalupe River Trail, the Almaden Quicksilver County Park and Santa Teresa County Park. Of the neighborhoods here, Seven Trees has a large Hispanic population; Coyote Valley is quite rural, but is targeted for development; and Edenvale, just south of the center, has more accessible housing options. Almaden Valley also has more accessible housing options, as well as a relaxed atmosphere further south.

What kind of jobs are there in San Jose?

San Jose has the seventh-highest cost of living in the United States, which also makes it one of the highest in the world. However, this is compensated by the fact that six-figure salaries have become common here. In fact, San Jose boasts the highest concentration of ultra-rich residents on the globe.

Technology is, by far, the primary industry in the city. As such, multiple Fortune 500 companies have their headquarters here, such as Adobe, eBay, PayPal and Cisco, just to name a few. And, San Jose flaunts a lower-than-average unemployment rate of 6%.