Real Estate Articles
Mountain property has many benefits, intricate transactions
Nancy Cole, Karen Izzo and Diana Crawford shared with members their experiences selling property in the Los Gatos Mountains at last week's Los Gatos/Saratoga District tour meeting.
It takes certain types of buyers and agents to take an interest in mountain property. Agents who specialize in the field are usually mountain residents themselves and are quick to list the many benefits of mountain living. They also note these benefits do not come without unique issues.
Nancy Cole of Coldwell Banker, Karen Izzo of Sereno Group and Diana Crawford of Intero Real Estate are just some of a number of agents who specialize in Los Gatos Mountain property. They discussed the benefits of living in the Los Gatos Mountains, as well as the intricacies of purchasing property there at a recent Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® tour meeting.
Mountain living has its many assets, according to the REALTORS®. There is the fresh clean air, open space, larger properties, privacy, and still the proximity to the city and excellent schools.
A longtime Los Gatos Mountains resident, Cole said she continues to be intrigued by the incredible beauty of her surroundings. She and the other agents indicated it takes a certain type of person to gravitate to the surroundings and lifestyle. They described the typical mountain property buyer as independent, self-reliant, entrepreneurial, highly educated and high functioning.
Buyers of mountain property seek a different way of life from that offered in the city, according to Izzo. They want to escape the high density of the city and like the solitude, mellower lifestyle in the mountains.
Crawford described mountain residents as more environmentally sensitive than other people. They appreciate the supportive, positive subculture that mountain living offers, she said.
The agents said there is a demand for mountain property, and these days the market is offering better values and good buys. Buyers come from the valley, the San Francisco Bay area. Some buyers are transfers from the East Coast, which has similar properties.
Purchasing mountain property has its unique issues. The agents explained that real estate transactions involving mountain property are more complicated than the typical residential transaction in the city or suburbs. Buyers have to contend with different title reports, plat maps and easements. Then there is the issue of water – private wells, springs, septic tanks, and of course, road maintenance agreements, private roads, and homeowner associations in some communities. Property sizes vary and can range from an acre to 80 acres or more.
It's worth it, said Crawford, who has lived in the Los Gatos Mountains for more than 25 years. "I feel I have the best of both worlds," said Crawford. "It's like going on a retreat every day."
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.
For further information, please contact Rose Meily at SILVAR Public Affairs, email , or phone (408) 200-0109.