For example if you are looking for a home around Almaden Valley you can expect a nice standard of living but for a hefty price. The average person you will find living here is a Silicon Valley executive, the area has a rich heritage as it was once the location of quicksilver mines that employed thousands. You can even gasp at the beautiful Almaden Quicksilver Country Park which is located where the busy mines once were. The economy may be hitting the housing market pretty hard these days, however Almaden Valley has escaped relatively unscathed from a property market point of view.

If you ask a local of San Jose where the ‘real’ San Jose is you will probably be pointed towards West San Jose, it is here you will find luxury expensive homes, although it isn’t as exclusive as Almaden Valley. The Westgate Mall located here is the main hub for shoppers, along with the Paseo de Saratoga.

Alviso is a very different location, it is very suburban and not located near to any employment opportunities, it is also a distance from the shopping found in the south. This is shown by the average price in the area, you are looking at around $200,000 for a home here. The reason it is so much cheaper in this area is simply because of the awkward location, away from the main areas of San Jose.

The same goes for Alum Rock, an area dominated predominately by fruit orchards. You will pay around £300,000 for a home here, which is a real deal.

If you are searching for a good medium between these contrasting areas then Evergreen is the area you should check out, you can find gated communities here if you wish, or some nice middle class homes. Evergreen is easily the most mixed area in San Jose, offering up numerous options for living style.

For a truly middle ground you should look into Edenvale, homes here sell bang on the average for San Jose. The environment in Edenvale is half Almaden Valley and half Evergreen diversity, giving it a great feel where you will likely find something for everybody.

When it comes to San Jose you have a large range of choice, each area is as different as the people living there, the above list of locations is merely a drop in the ocean of what San Jose Ca homes for sale by owner have to offer. You should certainly think long and hard about the type of area you want to live before you start looking for a home in San Jose.

Many of the bedroom communities to San Jose are great places to find vacation homes.  Residents in these communities moved there because 7-10 years ago, the market was going up, and buyers saw it as an opportunity to purchase a suburb home that was also a good investment.  Sadly, the market collapsed and has only recently begun t o stabilize and start to increase, leaving many nice homes in bedroom communities up for sale at really low prices.  Hollister Ca homes for sale are no exception.  I recently saw a home that I previously sold for $405,000 sell for $80,000 at auction.  It was put back on the market and within 45 days, sold for $196,000.  Not a bad return for 45 days work.

Whether looking at San Jose Ca homes for sale, or in a bedroom community like Hollister, vacation homes are all over the Ca map. It just takes a little research and the ability to act quickly as the opportunity arises.