Tucked within a group of small rolling hills, the aptly named Los Altos Hills is a residential community in Santa Clara County, considered a bedroom community to the nearby town of Los Altos (which happens to be just over five miles from Palo Alto).
One of the largest draws is the relatively easy commute to Silicon Valley. That coupled with the privacy, sprawling estates, some lots that afford San Francisco Bay views, and access to open space preserves such as Rancho San Antonio and Westwind Barn, which transport residents a million miles away from the tech-boom’s pressure-filled center. Los Altos Hills also is about 40 miles from San Francisco.
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Boundaries
Los Altos Hills is bounded by Page Mill Road on the north, Foothill Expressway on the east, and Moody Road and Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve to the west and the south.
Price range
Los Altos Hills ranked No. 8 (a substantial climb from No. 11 in 2015) on the 2016 Forbes list of "America’s Most Expensive Zip Codes," with a median asking price of nearly $6.1 million.
"All of the homes in Los Altos Hills are single family. Values for land or tear-down homes start at about $3.5 million, going up to $15 million for finished estates," said Chris Iverson of Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty. "Currently, there are several homes on the market between $30 million and $68 million."
It should be noted that properties are set on generous lots ranging from one to 10 acres, and properties conveniently located closer to the Village of Los Altos fetch a higher asking price.
Housing stock
Los Altos Hills is a direct reflection of emerging trends over time of both architecture and industry in California.
"This area was mostly developed in the 1950s, so California ranch homes (averaging 2,500 square feet) are common," Mr. Iverson said. "The first wave of redevelopment was in the 1980s, and there are a number of large, boxy homes from that era."
"During the dot-com boom of the 1990s, another wave of development ran through Los Altos Hills, and pink Mediterranean and Tuscan homes blighted the landscape. Now the third wave is happening and beneficiaries of the current tech wave are building ultra-modern green homes with the latest solar and LEED technology," Mr. Iverson said.
"Many of the homes in the hills are not gated, so they have a welcoming feeling. The Town of Los Altos Hills does have strict building and size restrictions (one primary home per lot and no multi-family dwellings), so homes are not overbuilt for the lot size," said Judy Bogard-Tanigami of Alain Pinel Realtors in Los Altos.
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What makes it unique?
There are no sidewalks or glaring street lamps here. "Los Altos Hills offers a rural feel with horse and running trails, excellent access to nature preserves, horse properties and panoramic views, while still being a short commute to the campuses for Google, Apple and the heart of Silicon Valley," Mr. Iverson explained.
"The small-town feel of neighboring Los Altos creates a close-knit community, yet the minimum one-acre lots retain a certain amount of privacy, too," Ms. Bogard-Tanigami said.
This Provencal inspired home located at the end of a country lane in Los Altos Hills is currently on the market for $3.8 million.
GOLDEN GATE SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTYLuxury amenities
"Los Altos Hills is not zoned for commercial amenities, townhomes or apartments in the town itself," Ms. Bogard-Tanigami said.
"But it has a very close connection to the town of Los Altos, which has a selection of refined restaurants and casual cafés, including Mediterranean spot Urfa Bistro and Japanese yakitori eatery Sumika," she said. "Los Altos also offers unique, locally owned shops and boutiques as well as seasonal events like the Thursday’s farmer’s market, Art in the Park, and holiday Festival of Lights Parade. It’s a charming community with a very noncommercial small-town feel."
(Los Altos is a very high-end area, as well, with Zillow estimating that the median home price is $2.8 million.)
There are two private schools within the town, Peninsula Waldorf School (early childhood through high school) and the Pinewood School (elementary school through high school). The area public schools are also some of the most highly sought-after, and Foothills College, is one of the top-ranked community colleges in the state.
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Who lives there?
Expect neighbors to be a who’s-who of the tech industry. "There are a large number of founders of Silicon Valley technology companies with young families, and high-level executives," Ms. Bogard-Tanigami said.
Mr. Iverson concurred and noted that, "Because of the entry price, most buyers now are either tech executives or overseas investors, primarily from China. Los Altos Hills residents range from people who moved there years ago in search of horse property or a quieter lifestyle, to tech titans and more recently, international moguls."
Notable residents
Ms. Bogard-Tanigami mentioned that high-net worth residents looking to retain anonymity purchase their homes in an LLC in an effort to maintain privacy.
However, it’s difficult not to name drop. "Google founder Sergey Brin lives there, and Russian billionaire and tech investor Yuri Milner made news a few years ago by paying $100 million for a home on La Paloma Drive," Mr. Iverson said.
Actress Adrienne Barbeau, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, real estate developer and former Oakland Athletics owner Stephen Schott also currently reside in Los Altos Hills.
Past residents include former San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Wallace Stegner and Hewlett-Packard co-founder David Packard.
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Outlook
Los Altos Hills is certainly having its moment. "The market for Los Altos Hills homes is very strong especially for those with a close-to-downtown Los Altos location or with San Francisco Bay views," Ms. Bogard-Tanigami said.
There is no lack of interest, especially for younger families. "As the current generation of tech entrepreneurs and executives ages and start families, many are moving from Palo Alto, Los Altos and Mountain View to Los Altos Hills in search of more space and privacy, while still having reasonable commutes to Apple and Google," Mr. Iverson said. "This has heated up the market, especially for ‘tear downs,’ as many millennial buyers want to build custom, green homes."
He added that this has increased demand for homes in the $3 million to $8 million range in Los Altos Hills, and prices have consistently increased over the last few years.
"The homes that are well located on mostly flat or buildable lots are selling quickly," Mr. Iverson said. "Properties with freeway noise, steep slopes with narrow roads or a steep driveway take longer to move."