The Santa Clara County Association of Realtors (SCCAOR) will be holding its Homeownership Fair 2008 at the Santa Clara Convention Center on Saturday, April 5, 2008 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The Homeownership Fair is a one-stop shop for anyone interested in real estate and consists of 80 information tables, 24 educational seminars, and dozens of professional speakers. Whether you are a buyer, seller, investor, or someone just looking to learn more about real estate, the Homeownership Fair is a fantastic venue to get lots of valuable information.

You can even take the Light Rail to the Homeownership Fair. Just exit at the Great America Light Rail station.

SCCAOR Homeownership Fair 2008
Saturday, April 5, 2008
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Santa Clara County Convention Center
5001 Great America Parkway
Santa Clara, CA

Downtown San Jose’s Three Sixty Residences was featured recently on KTVU Fox Channel 2’s “The Malou Review.” Advertised as downtown San Jose’s most prestigious address, the video clip prominently displays many of Three Sixty’s condo and complex amenities, including a Smart Home feature. What’s a Smart Home? According to the video clip, the Smart Home feature allows you to control certain features of your home from a computer anywhere in the world. Turn on the lights from your office. Roll down the window coverings while you are on vacation. You can have a Smart Home at Three Sixty.

The Malou Review is hosted by two-time Emmy Award winner Malou Nubla. The weekly “info-tainment” program combines useful information with exciting entertainment.

Click here to watch the episode of the The Malou Review and learn more about Three Sixty Residences. The clip about Three Sixty is halfway through the video.

I recently found this cool short video on YouTube about downtown San Jose by Turnhere Films. The video is a little over three minutes and points out some of the fantastic features of downtown San Jose, including the Children’s Discovery Museum, O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub in San Pedro Square, and Downtown Farmers’ Market. The video itself is a bit grainy but still definitely worth a look. Check out this video to see what downtown San Jose has to offer you!

Another month, another round of statistics to digest. From January to February, the numbers remained relatively constant. The February 2008 median price actually jumped $50,000 from January 2008 and even surpassed the median price from February 2007. However, the number of closed transactions in February 2008 was almost half of what it was the previous year and the inventory available is significantly up from the same period in 2007. And that’s not even counting the new construction in downtown San Jose (i.e., City Heights, North Keystone, Axis, and soon to be The 88). So if you’re a buyer, you’ve got plenty of inventory to choose from. The following statistics represent Central San Jose’s (MLS Area 9 which includes downtown San Jose) condos, townhomes, and lofts.

*These statistics are generated using information from the MLSListings, Inc. (formerly RE InfoLink) MLS, but have not been verified and are not guaranteed. MLSListings, Inc. disclaims any resposibility for the accuracy and reliability of these statistics. This information should not be relied upon for real estate transaction decisions.

Downtown San Jose’s newest high-rise condo building, Axis, is holding pet-friendly, downtown walking tours on Saturday, March 15, from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. The “Pet Axis” event is designed to give potential high-rise residents and pet-owners alike the opportunity view models, tour downtown San Jose, and experience living in downtown with their pets. Tours for “Pet Axis” are scheduled to begin every half hour beginning at 9:00 am.

“Pet Axis” will also include “Downtown Doggie” and “City Kitty” contests with prizes courtesy of Andy’s Pet Shop. In addition, South Bay Purebred Rescue will be providing pet adoption information and copies of Humane Society Silicon Valley’s “City Pet: Guide for Downtown High-Rise Living for Pets and Their Owners” will be on hand.

“Pet Axis”
Saturday, March 15, 2008
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Axis
38 N. Almaden Blvd.
Downtown San Jose

Do you live in downtown San Jose and own a pet? What has been your experience living in downtown with a pet? Where do you take your dog for a walk? What parks or dog parks do you and your four-legged friend visit? Feel free to share your downtown-living-with-pet experience.

The St. James Historic District Neighborhood Association (SJHDNA) will be holding its annual Fun and Fellowship BBQ Potluck in conjunction with its general meeting on Wednesday, March 12, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm at the Trinity Cathedral Hall in downtown San Jose. San Jose District 3 Coucilmember Sam Liccardo will be one of the keynote speakers at the Fun and Fellowship event. The meeting will also provide information and updates on developments in the St. James Historic District, proposed North San Pedro Park, and plans for St. James Park.

The annual fun and fellowship event is designed to promote community awareness among the residents in the St. James Historic District of downtown San Jose. The district is comprised of residential neighborhoods around St. James Park including St. James Place, Villa Torino Apartments, The Plaza, Park Townsend, and 350 N. 2nd Street Lofts. Recent complexes added to the SJHDNA include College Park Lofts, College Park Townhomes, North Keystone, and Ryland Mews.

At the meeting, SJHDNA will be collecting gently used jackets and coats for Sacred Heart Community Services. If you are attending the event, please consider bringing an item to donate to Sacred Heart Community Services. The event is being catered by Smoke Tiki Lounge.

St. James Historict District Neighborhood Association
Fun and Fellowship BBQ Potluck
Wednesday, March 12, 2008, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Trinity Cathedral Hall
81 N. 2nd Street
Downtown San Jose

For additional information, please contact stjameshistoric_sj@yahoogroups.com.

Many of you have been waiting and asking about the new legislation, the Economic Stimulus Act, that temporarily modifies conforming loan limits. Wait no longer, the new conforming loan limits have been released by the US Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The new conforming loan limit amount for Santa Clara County is $729,750, which is the maximum amount under the new legislation. The new conforming loan limits vary by county.

For more information about this “FHA Forward Loan” or to view the new conforming loan limits for other counties, visit the HUD site.

In case you missed it, there is a nice article in today’s San Jose Mercury about the Groundwerx team in action in downtown San Jose. The Groundwerx crew consists of two teams whose primary functions are: (1) to provide concierge services for residents and visitors in downtown (ambassadors), and (2) to provide cleaning services, which includes the use of high-powered scrubbers (clean team). The concierge ambassadors can answer questions and give directions to restaurants, shops, and theaters in downtown. The clean team members give downtown an extra level of cleaning to keep the downtown environment a little fresher and give it an extra sparkle.

Groundwerx is the result of a special tax paid by property owners in a property-based improvement district (PBID) in downtown San Jose. The Groundwerx team started in January 2008.

While the real estate market may be a bit slow, construction at The 88 in downtown San Jose is full-steam ahead. With a sales office scheduled to be open in April 2008, the developers have requested from the San Jose Redevelopment Agency to allow construction on the next three Sundays. The additional construction work on Sundays is anticipated to complete the northeast corner of The 88 building in order to have a sales center ready by April.

The 88 is a 22-story, 197-unit high-rise condominium tower with approximately 32,000 square feet of ground level retail. The luxury condo developement in downtown San Jose will feature a pool, spa, state-of-the-art fitness facility, courtyard, and media center. A sales center for The 88 is scheduled to open in April 2008.

The following work is scheduled to occur at The 88:

Sunday, March 2, 2008
Install storefront frames and glass at The 88 retail level
Sheetrock first floor retail space
Install curtain wall at man-lift opening
Install steel for first floor canopy

Sunday, March 9, 2008
Paint and tile inside first floor retail space
Install storefront frames and glass at The 88 retail level

Sunday, March 16, 2008
Finishing touchup work and owner fixture installation
Install storefront frames and glass at The 88 retail level