@_jamesdo

Bay Area Realtor based in San Jose. Writing about what I actually see in the market. Closed $50M + total deals since 2021.

 San Jose, California
jdorealestate.com/
Joined April 2026
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32Media
Nobody talks about how emotional the home search actually is. The late night Zillow scrolls. The offer you lose by $5k The neighborhood you fall in love with but can't afford. It's a lot. I see you. Let's figure this out together.👇
A prospective homebuyer sits on a couch with their face in their hands while looking at home listings on a laptop. A coffee mug, notepad, and paperwork are nearby, capturing the stress and uncertainty many buyers experience when searching for a home in a competitive real estate market.

ALT A prospective homebuyer sits on a couch with their face in their hands while looking at home listings on a laptop. A coffee mug, notepad, and paperwork are nearby, capturing the stress and uncertainty many buyers experience when searching for a home in a competitive real estate market.

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When sale prices drop but rent keeps climbing in the same city, that’s usually when renters start seriously thinking about buying. Has that crossed your mind if you’re renting in Sunnyvale?
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Sunnyvale’s housing market is a good reminder that cooling prices don’t automatically mean less competition. Prices have softened, but desirable homes can still attract multiple offers. Buyers need to understand both sides of the market before making a move.
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But rent’s moving in the opposite direction. Sunnyvale rents are up about 12% year over year, while home prices are up around 4%. Buyers may be getting a little more breathing room on prices, but renters are feeling the squeeze.
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I broke down the numbers, what’s keeping Sunnyvale competitive, and what buyers should know before making an offer: jdorealestate.com/blog/sunny…

Sunnyvale Home Prices Are Cooling. The Bidding Wars Have Not Gotten the Memo

What the 2026 Numbers Actually Show, and the Silicon Valley Buying Customs Every Relocating Buyer Needs to Know First

jdorealestate.com
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Central Milpitas alone jumped 42.5% this year, the biggest single-neighborhood move in the city. BART access is dong a lot of heavy lifting here. Would that make you move fast?
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Rent in Cupertino is actually pretty chill by comparison, $4,128/mo, up just 1%. Apple keeps demand steady here without the crazy swings you see elsewhere.
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Rent’s sitting at $3,830/mo average, noticeably cheaper than Cupertino or Mountain View just a few miles over.
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Milpitas is kind of sleeper pick of the South Bay right now.
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That walkable downtown on Castro Street is a big reason people keep paying up here. Worth it to be that close to a major employer or nah?
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Westside Cupertino is even hotter than the city average, homes selling in under 18 days. Would you pay extra just to be that close to Apple’s campus?
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Cupertino is scoring an 88 out of 100 on competitiveness right now, which is basically as hot as it gets.
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Mountain view keeps climbing thanks to all that tech demand.
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Central Mountain View hit a $2.6 M median, up a wild 34% from last year and homes are gone in about 10 days.
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Renting in Mountain View is not cheap either. Google HQ sitting right in the middle of it all pretty much explains everything.
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Menlo Park remains one of the Bay Area's priciest markets. The typical home value is around $2.9M while the median sold price recently reached $3M. But the pace of growth depends on which metric you track.
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Rent isn't exactly easing up in Menlo Park either. The average is around $4,800/month, and that's across bedrooms and property types. Some larger homes list for $8,000 or more. Renting here isn't cheap either.
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West Menlo Park is moving fast👀 The median sale price is around $3.9M, up 15% year over year, and homes are selling in about 10 days. Would you consider buying here, or would you look at other nearby neighborhoods for better value?
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Palo Alto just lives in its own tier, honestly. The median sale price is around $3.5M, up nearly 6% from last year. It’s one of the priciest markets in the country, and prices are still climbing😳
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Renting isn’t cheap either. 😬 Average rent across the Bay Area is around $3,460/month. To keep that at 30% of your gross income, you’d need to make about $138K a year. And that’s just rent not utilities, savings, or other expenses. Bay Area affordability is a real challenge.
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Old Palo Alto and Crescent Park are usually the priciest per square foot in the entire Bay Area. Would that kind of premium ever be worth it to you?
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