Santa Clara Valley Living » New Developments

Mission Place Townhomes Santa Clara – Rivermark

vbrasil — Sun, 10 May 2009 04:56:02 +0000

Citation homes is up to it again, developing town homes this time in Santa Clara 95054 area which has become synonymous as Rivermark. Citation homes has built a surrounding properties such as the condo development next door and the the Mission Terrace town homes on Lafayette.

These town homes are nothing unique, they are the typical 3 level townhomes that we have become accustom to in the Santa Clara Valley. First level garage and bonus room or foyer to the stairs. Second level is the kitchen and living area and bedroom and top level 2 bedrooms suites, and a “private patio” which I consider neither private or large enough to be considered a patio.

The Mission Place development keeps it simple offering just three floor plans. Plan 1 is a 1,645 sq ft plan, it is unique because it features a bedroom on the same level as the kitchen. Although this limits the living area it is an advantage for those who want to have an office or bedroom on the same level as the kitchen. The home features two suites on the top floor and the only major detractor is the tandem garage, with already limited guest parking this will be a major resale issue. This floor plan is starting in the high $500K.

Plan 2 is a 3 bedroom 3 and a half bath 1,845 sq ft townhome. It features a downstairs bonus room whose functionality remains to be discovered with an oversized half bath. The second floor features a u-shaped kitchen, living area and bedroom with bath, and top level 2 bedroom suites. This floor plan has a 2 car side by side garage, prices start in the low $600K.

Plan 3 is a 3 bedroom 3 and a half bath 1,853 sq ft townhome which features another downstairs bonus room and half bath. The 2nd level kitchen and bedroom, and top level two bedroom suites. This floor plan also features a two car side by side garage. The major advantage of this floor plan is it is the only end unit designed plan.

The community does not feature any substantial ammenities, which for those who are money conscious will help reduce the HOA fee. The major downsides that I experiences are that AC is not a standard feature but an upgrade. The tri-level units AC is a must especially in the summer months on the top floor. The plan 1 and 2 have dark living or kitchen areas due to the lack of natural light. The amenities are typical of what most developers are offering these days; corain vanity tops, granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances.

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New Townhome Development Santa Clara – Bouldevard by Shea Homes

vbrasil — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:32:24 +0000

Shea Homes Townhome develoment Boulevard in Santa Clara

Shea homes has resumed development on their Boulevard townhome project project in Santa Clara. After leaving the project dormant for almost a year they have opened up their sales center and resumed construction. This is one of many new townhome developments in the Santa Clara and Sunnyvale areas that are available.

I visited the new Santa Clara townhome development a few months ago to take a look at the product. Being familiar with the area I remember the site when it was previously Underwriter’s Laboratory which occupied the current location. Although its not my favorite location in Santa Clara, I will admit that their are some advantages. Its very close to El Camino, Mervyn’s Plaza and other shopping. Unfortunately the Albertsons and Mervyns are now gone, but there remains other shopping and conveniences near buy especially for the ethnic Indian community.

Interior of Shea Homes Boulevard Model

The stlye of townhomes is tri-level with a rear garage, no back yard or limited private out door space. Similar to which Shea built in Rivermark a few years back. However, the floorplans are different. They offer three floor plans named after famous jazz musicians; Armstrong, Ellington, and Coltrane.

The Boulevard townhomes are quite versatile and would work for different individuals and life styles. The Armstrong has a first level bedroom and a top floor bedroom, with living area and kitchen on the middle floor. The Ellington has a downstairs den, which my experience is usually not as utilized, and two upstairs suites and again living area and kitchen in the middle floor. The Coltrane, has a 2-3 bedroom configuration. Two upstairs bedrooms and a first floor bedroom, with living and kitchen on the middle floor. Each have well designed living and kitchen areas. Bathrooms are not as large as their Rivermark counterparts but functional of course.

Don’t fall for the lavishly decorated models, those come at an upgraded price and your unit is not likely to look anything like that. Kitchen amenities are fine, with different styles to choose from, interior of the cabinets are still melamine. Another nice feature is the garages are all two car side by side, which make it very convenient and do not hamper resale like their tandem counterparts. And now that they have dropped their prices about 10 percent, it makes for a better deal. Amenities are simple, which I feel most prefer. A small park or plaza type area in the middle of the development, no pool or clubhouse but that will keep the HOA low, and I’m sure that’s more of what the homeowners are looking for. I would give the overall development a B- citing mostly location as a drawback and still feel price and incentives should be higher.Similar Posts:

Oak Park Cupertino Contemporary Condos – Lofts

vbrasil — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:45:44 +0000

Oak Park Cupertino Condo interior.

This condo development is hardly new. Its been in the works for years, Pinn Brothers the developer of the site had two projects in Cupertino simultaneous. This project has quite a bit of possitives going for it. Number one is the location. Its right across the street from the Apple head quarters, and in the top school area for Cupertino Schools (Monta Vista, Garden Gate, Lawson).

The negatives is the road noise from 280 and the lack of any functional common areas. Also I found a majority of the units to be dark, which to the defense of the complex is typical for any condo development, especially for those bottom level units.

: Oak Park Cupertino Condo Exterior

They have several floor plans to choose from ranging from 1 bedrooms to 3 bedroom units and prices range from the $400K’s to $700K’s. The units were marketed as contemporary and lofts. The sytle and amenities I thought were ok, certainly not high end, but typical of these mass developers. Appliances were a plus, Bosch quality. Cabinets featured a modern look, but were average in quality. Countertops were alto a nice plus, Zodiac brand and contemporary looking. Windows were also consistend with the contemporary style. Althought not super top of the line they did stay consistent to the style.

The best units by far where the top level units and were the first to sell out. They featured high dramatic ceilings with bright interiors and were certainly attractive to the eye. First through third floor seemed like typical condo style units. They were dark in the interior, the only units that seemed bright were the southern exposed units a they were few. Over all I give the development a solid B for value, and a good investment choice for any speculators out there.

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How the California NEW HOME Tax credit Affects the Santa Clara Valley

vbrasil — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:08:16 +0000

California announced it’s own, $10,000 tax credit for any homeowner buying a new home between March 1, 2009 and March 1, 2010 regardless of whether they’re a first-time buyer or not. This comes on top of the federal first-time home buyer tax credit of $8,000 announced by the Obama administration as part of the federal stimulus package. Unlike the federal bill the California home buyer tax credit does not have restrictions on income qualifications, nor do you need to be a first time buyer to participate. The only restriction is that the home be new construction and be purchased between March 2009 and March 2010.

While it is still unclear exactly how the California Home Buyer Tax Credit program will work, here is what we do know:

Eligible on NEW homes purchased between March 1, 2009 and March 1, 2010 (must be new construction to qualify)
$10,000 credit paid in 3 annual installments of $3,333. Home buyers get the $3,333 off their taxes for the first three years after purchasing the new home.
No income restrictions, meaning that all home prices and incomes can participate.
Any home buyer buying a new home qualifies. You do not have to be a first-time buyer as in the Federal Home Buyer Tax Credit.
Pending escrows or recent home sales have not been determined to be eligible at this point, although it will be determined shortly.
The total credit is $100 million (h/t CR) which works out to 10,000 home sales that would qualify under the California Home Buyer Tax Credit program.

Politics aside, this seems like a bad idea for Santa Clara Valley. We have a fundamental problem of high supply and low demand in Santa Clara Valley, a very high proportion of which are older homes. This may take away buyers from those older homes and pursuade them to buy into new developments that should never have come to be.

From all the new developments out there: Summerhill – Village Square, Shea Builders – Mondrian, Shea Builders – Boulevard, Toll Brothers Verona, KB – Cannery Row, KB – Monte Vista, AXIS, Regency Homes – Gables End, Regency Homes – Altaire, 360 Residences, The 88, and City Heights. There have been price drops and incentives some better than others.

As a home buyer for a new development make sure you understand that you can write your own offer and negotiate the terms and conditions of what the builders sales department are quoting you. If you are not a good negoitator make sure your agent is, so you can get the best deal out there.

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City Heights: San Jose High-Rise with Out the High-End

vbrasil — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 19:08:12 +0000

: City Heights Downtown San Jose

City Heights

location: Downtown
pricing: $300K and up
bedrooms: 1-2
bathrooms: 1-2

This is hardly new news. San Jose currently four high-rise projects. City Heights is a bit special since it was the first on the scene. I won’t go into which one is the best but they are all quite different and offer certain advantages. City Heights is the more afordable option out of the four. It offers some very nice floor plans and decor. No pool, club house, or conceirge service. Just a small workout room and meeting area with lobby. Its not the ultra high-end, its the building that is offering less for less. With that said, it has some great deals right now if you are looking in the $300K to $400K range, you can find a great pad, with some nice views.

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