Saratoga

The city of Saratoga is located 20 minutes southwest of San Jose and is the southernmost city of the Bay Area’s Silicon Valley. The city started as a center of industry and was also a resort town and a hot spot for agriculture before it became the residential area it is today. Saratoga boasts a stellar school district for its residents, with each school receiving no lower than an A-minus rating on Niche. Sprawling homes in the mountains are matched with smaller homes in the valley, many within walking distance of the historic downtown area and the tree-lined parks next door. It’s one of the most expensive places to live in California in terms of housing, so it can be a little out of reach. But the people who can afford a home here become part of a friendly and very welcoming community. 

Saratoga’s sprawling suburban streets contain winding roads filled with stately manors and elegant estates, largely inspired by Neoclassical and Spanish-Mediterranean design styles. Homes closer to the valley feature humbler ranch-style designs, but the larger-than-average plot size gives these homes room to breathe with well-kept lawns, hand-laid stone paths, and white picket fences that offer each property personality and privacy. Travel farther up the foothills for larger estates that include secluded driveways and ornate gates that overlook the valley below. Houses can range from the smaller valley home at around $2 million to the estates up the hill, which can go up to $6.5 million