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Local News Cupertino Debates What to Do with Expiring Affordable Restrictions Several properties in Cupertino will lose their affordable housing restrictions next year. One of these properties is the Aviare Apartments, which will lose its affordable deed restrictions in 2026 (others owned by the company will not expire until 2038). Several other nearby complexes have similar deadlines in the next year or two. In response to […]
Local News Farmers Insurance says it will add more policies in California In a surprise announcement, California’s second-largest insurance provider, Farmers Insurance, says it is going to add more policies for property owners. Starting Saturday, Farmers will start taking applications for new policies, including for condominiums, renters, umbrella, landlord, vacant and manufactured home policies. Farmers Insurance stopped writing policies for California renters and condo owners last year, […]
Local News The Ultimate Guide To Winter To show our appreciation to clients and friends, we have created this awesome guide to help you celebrate the most wonderful time of the year! Filled with delicious and easy-to-make meals, family-friendly crafts and games, and some of our favorite wintertime activities, we’re sure you’ll find plenty to explore and enjoy. Browse our guide and […]
Local News Menlo Park Council Punts on Housing Decision The Menlo Park City Council engaged in a lengthy discussion which included about an hour and a half of public comment regarding the fate of several downtown parking lots. Essentially, as part of the requirements to plan for future housing growth, one option for Menlo Park is to declare several parking lots in downtown as […]
Local News Newsom Calls for Session Start in Early December Governor Gavin Newsom is calling for newly elected legislators to get to work as soon as they are sworn into office in the coming weeks. It is expected that swearing in will occur on December 2 and instead of being ceremonial, the session will lead to a number of efforts discussed in order to “Trump-proof” […]
Local News Updated Election Results Votes are still being counted in Silicon Valley and as they slowly trickle in, a few races’ final results could still be determined by late arriving ballots. In Cupertino, former council member Rod Sinks has been overtaken by planning commissioner Ray Wang. Sinks was up over 100 votes on election night and leading Wang by […]
Local News C.A.R.-Backed Group Contests Multimillion-Dollar Fees on New Residential Projects in Los Altos Early this month, Californians for Homeownership, a nonprofit organization sponsored by the California Association of REALTORS®, that aims to address California’s housing crisis through impact litigation, announced it has filed its first lawsuit challenging excessive residential development fees. The lawsuit, filed jointly with the California Housing Defense Fund, challenges new fees adopted by the City […]
Local News Candidates’ Polls Conflict A recent poll announced by the Evan Low for Congress campaign shows Sam Liccardo with a slight lead at 48% to 45% and showing 7% of voters still undecided. However, the poll has a margin of error of 4% meaning that the race is a statistical tie. The poll included likely voters and was made from a […]
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Local News Palo Alto Candidates Set Dividing Lines At a recent candidate forum incumbents and challengers laid out their key differences on several issues Palo Alto is facing. Unsurprisingly, the candidates had familiar dividing lines between those who support property rights and those who want more city oversight of future development and housing policy. Incumbent Mayor Pat Burt made it clear he supports […]
Local News Neighbor Appeals Palo Alto Homeowner’s Tree Removal A Palo Alto resident applied for and was granted a tree removal permit for a 70-foot tall redwood that is causing ongoing damage to the home’s foundation. The tree slated for removal had previously seen several branches fall during winter storms and had even done damage to a neighbor’s home. Not wanting to risk further […]
Local News East Palo Alto Council Halts Mayor’s Plan to Clear Encampments East Palo Alto Mayor Antonio Lopez had been working with nearby cities on a plan to clear homeless encampments. The goal was to provide multiple notices in advance, share housing resources, and provide access to regional services for homeless individuals living in encampments. However, Lopez’s formal plan was tanked by his council colleagues who declared […]
Local News Mountain View Plans for Future Revenue Measure G will officially be on the ballot in Mountain View and will impose an increased transfer tax for properties sold over a $6 million threshold. City staff expect to raise close to $10 million annually and those funds will go to the city’s General Fund. General Fund revenue can be spent at the council’s […]
Local News Vacancy Tax Debated Further in Palo Alto Palo Alto has long been struggling with what to do with underutilized corridors downtown and along California Ave. At a recent committee meeting several council members discussed the idea of whether or not a vacancy tax to get storefronts filled faster had merits. Council members Lydia Kou and Julie Lythcott-Haims have considered it a strong […]
Local News Competing Los Altos Projects Clash Over Orchard While Palo Alto couldn’t agree on historic home preservation, Los Altos has spent time arguing over historic orchard preservation. Efforts to expand the library, build a dog park, and provide other civic center improvements have been hamstrung over what commitment the city has in order to preserve a historic apricot orchard on city property. This […]
Local News Conflicting Polls Released in California’s 16th Congressional District Contenders for the state’s 16th Congressional District reveal conflicting polls that claim they each are in the lead. Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, in his efforts to replace U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo, has commissioned and released a poll that seems to suggest voters strongly prefer to see him in Congress, while State Representative Evan Low’s […]
Local News Home Insurance Experts Say Changes Coming for California California’s homeowners insurance crisis took front stage at last week’s Center for California Real Estate (CCRE) panel discussion. CCRE, an institute of C.A.R., featured Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and experts from United Policyholders, the Personal Insurance Federation of California, and UC Berkeley. Key takeaways from the CCRE event: The state’s largest insurance regulatory reform in […]
Local News 10 Propositions Qualify for Statewide Ballot Through a mix of signature gathering and legislative action, 10 different propositions will be on the ballot this November. Most of them can be considered unrelated to real estate, but the continued efforts to raise revenue and enact strict rent control are back in new forms. Here is a rundown of what you will be […]
Local News Mountain View Moves Forward with Transfer Tax The Mountain View City Council voted to place a transfer tax increase on the November ballot. The new tax threshold will start at $6 million dollars and those properties below that threshold will continue to pay the $3.30 per $1,000 in value that they currently do. Properties that sell above the $6 million-dollar threshold will […]
Local News California AG looks to revive law allowing single-family lot splits California Attorney General Rob Bonta is fighting for Senate Bill 9, a state law that allows single-family lots to be split for the development of duplexes. The attorney general has appealed a decision from the California Superior Court, which struck down the legislation and ruled it unconstitutional, according to a notice of appeal filed last […]
Local News California home to 1 in 6 new jobs in May Employers in California created 43,700 jobs in May, or one out of every six new jobs nationwide, as the state’s unemployment rate dropped by 0.1 percent, Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said Friday. Since May 2020, California has gained 3,100,400 jobs, an average of 63,273 per month. The news comes after the state’s population increased for […]