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I’ve gotten a number of requests from prospective homebuyers to provide more information about Fremont.  So, I’ve put together a brief overview below that describes the five districts (Mission San Jose, Irvington, Niles, Centerville and Warm Springs) that comprise Fremont.  Each district has its own atmosphere and unique attributes, making the Fremont experience greater than the sum of its parts.

See my previous post for more information about the Mission San Jose district.

As well as being a great place to find a home, the Irvington district is Fremont’s largest shopping area, with everything from small locally-owned shops and restaurants to the mainstream shopping stores available at The Hub shopping center and Gateway Plaza, both located close the BART station.  Irvington is also home to Lake Elizabeth at Central Park. The park and recreation area was recently ranked by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the best urban outings in the Bay Area (March 5, 2009).

The Niles district, another of Fremont’s historic districts, was Hollywood before there was a Hollywood.  It is the famous home of many of the Charlie Chapin and Bronco Billy films. Proud of its history, Niles is a community within a community. Located along Mission Blvd (old Highway 238) and tucked below the green foothills, the homes are both some of the oldest and some of the prettiest in Fremont. Niles is the small town inside the big suburb. It is also one of the best places to find antiques in the East Bay.

The Centerville district is currently one of the more affluent of Fremont’s districts and has one of the most diverse ethnic populations in Fremont.  Containing the newly developed Ardenwood neighborhood, with the high scoring Ardenwood elementary school, it has become the go-to place for many working professionals looking to buy their first home. Centerville is rich with multi-cultural pride.

Warm Springs at the south end of Fremont is the newest of the five districts and the closest to Silicon Valley.  But simply calling it a great place to live while you work in San Jose or Mountain View would overlook its own importance in the Bay Areas economic boom. Within the Warm Springs district, you’ll find the headquarters of many high-tech companies including Nielsen Norman Group, Corsair Memory and Lexar, Elitegroup Computer Systems, Asus and many of the country’s top bio-tech firms. The district is also home to NUMMI, Fremont’s largest employer (a joint automobile manufacturing plant for General Motors and Toyota). With well respected elementary schools, Warm Springs has become a highly desirable place to raise children.  Warms Springs will soon have a new Asian Shopping center near the interchange between highway 680 and highway 880.  What’s more, it is now home to the large Pacific Commons Shopping Center.

Including all the schools listed above, Fremont is served by the Fremont Unified School District. Fremont has 29 elementary schools, five junior high schools and six high schools: Mission San Jose High School — which was ranked as the 49th best high school in the nation; American High School, Irvington High School, Washington High School, Robertson High School and Kennedy High School.  Alsion Montessori Middle/High School and California School for the Deaf are also located in Fremont as well as a number of private schools.  For advanced studies or summer enrichment courses, Stanford, the UC Berkeley main campus and University East Bay in Hayward are within 35 minute drives.  UC Berkeley also has an extension campus located in Fremont. And as I mentioned, Ohlone College is a top community college with highly regarded nursing, computer science and green technology programs.

Fremont is a wonderful place to live with a great deal of home buying opportunities currently available. As a Fremont realtor with over 15 years of experience here, I’d be glad to provide you with more information on the Fremont real estate market.  Feel free to get your Fremont homes search started on my website today.  

I’ve gotten a number of requests from prospective homebuyers to provide more information on the various communities that I have expertise on.  So, I’ve put together a brief overview for Fremont’s Mission San Jose district below.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions that you may have.

Fremont has 201,334 residents situated over 92 square miles, according to the census of 2008, making it the fifth largest city on the Bay Area.  Its established itself as the Bay Area home of many high-tech and bio-tech firms and is known for its attractive, manageable commutes to other tech companies located in the South Bay and on the Peninsula. In addition, San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley are accessible within 60 minutes on BART. 

The historic Mission San Jose district is a very desirable area for home buyers and families.  It is located just off of Highway 680 and sits below the foothills of Mission Peak. The district prides itself on maintaining a small town feel – for example, the Olive Festival is held annually, Independence Day parades bring residents out onto the sidewalk in summer, and in winter a Christmas tree lighting event is held close by. Ohlone College (see more below) is the hub of activity in the area and a number of small commercial businesses, retail shops, and eateries are within walking distance. The Mission San Jose district is a short drive away from The Hub shopping center in the Irvington district, Gateway Plaza near the BART station, the newly developed Pacific Commons Shopping Center in the Warm Springs district and NewPark Mall in the city of Newark.

The Mission San Jose district is also home to cultural and community centers like the impressive Smith Center for Performing Arts at Ohlone College and the Olive Hyde Art gallery.  In addition, Fremont has plenty of indoor and outdoor recreation areas. The popular and highly ranked Lake Elizabeth (Central Park) with golfing, a dog park and sporting fields will soon house a new water park opening in May of 2009.  Additionally, residents and visitors enjoy Quarry Lakes Park, sections of the Alameda Creek trail, Fremont Teen Center, Fremont Senior Center, and of course the mountainous hiking trails of Mission Peak.

As for schools, Fremont is served by the Fremont Unified School District, and families flock to homes in the Mission San Jose district to enroll their children in Mission San Jose High School, ranked as the 49th best high school in the nation.  Known locally as “Mission” or MSJ, the high school was founded in 1964 and is known for its strong academics, sending 93% of its graduates to post-secondary schools.  For advanced studies or summer enrichment courses, Stanford, the UC Berkeley main campus and Cal State University East Bay in Hayward are within 35 minute drives.  UC Berkeley also has an extension campus located in Fremont.  Ohlone College (a community college) with highly regarded nursing, computer science and green technology programs has its main campus located in the Mission San Jose district. 

Mission San Jose is a wonderful place to live with a great deal of home buying opportunities currently available. As a Fremont realtor with over 15 years of experience here, I’d be glad to provide you with more information on the Fremont real estate market.  Feel free to get your Fremont homes search started on my website today.  

The City of Fremont and President Obama want first-time home buyers to achieve their dreams.  Now is a fantastic time to purchase your first home.

As part of the economic stimulus package, President Obama signed into law a first-time home buyers tax credit of $8,000. First-time homebuyers who purchase a home this year between Jan. 1 and Dec. 1 may be eligible for the tax credit.

Additionally, The City of Fremont offers loans through its First Time Home Buyer Program of up to $40,000 to eligible homebuyers for down payment assistance

UPCOMING WORKSHOP – CITY OF FREMONT FIRST TIME HOME BUYER PROGRAM

Tuesday, April 21, 2009.  Registration is now open

Registration is mandatory.

Visit the City’s First Time Home Buyer webpage to register for the April workshop.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the City of Fremont First Time Homebuyer Program and CalHFA financing may be able to assist with down payment assistance for a Fremont home, provided that you meet certain qualification.  According to the City’s website, you are eligible for the program if you:

  • Attend one of the mandatory two-hour First Time Homebuyer Workshops.
  • Live or work in Fremont currently, or previously lived in Fremont.
  • Have not owned a home in the last three years.
  • Meet the income guidelines (see Income chart).
  • Are able to secure a mortgage and have good credit.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: In February 2009 the city published a list of lenders in Fremont (available here) which are approved for the Fremont First Time Home Buyer Program. The list includes select branches of: Bank of America, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Countrywide Home Loans, Diversified Capital Funding and Jacinto Mortgage Group.

To see if you are eligible, or for further information, please contact me.  As a Fremont realtor, I’d be glad to provide you with more information on making your home ownership dream a reality.

Veena Grover, RE/Max | http://www.FremontHomesTeam.com | 510.378.7546   

The San Francisco Chronicle recently listed Fremont’s own Lake Elizabeth (Central Park) as one of the best urban outings in the Bay Area (March 5, 2009).  The park is set on 450 acres with an 83 acre lake. It is noted for its relaxing, natural atmosphere, walk-ability, separate dog park, boating, and ample bird watching. The park grounds also contain a number of sporting fields, a golf course and a water park opening in May of 2009.

As a Fremont realtor, I understand how appealing and important access to an open park setting can be to those who are looking to buy a home here. The park is a short driving distance from most Fremont homes and many are within walking distance. The surrounding area has a good mixture of residential homes and shopping at Gateway Plaza and The Hub. 

Families who live near the park send their children to high ranking schools like: John Gomes Elementary School, William Hopkins Junior High School and top performing Mission San Jose High School. The homes are also conveniently located near important public services like the Fremont Main Library, Fremont Teen Center, Washington Hospital and the Kaiser Permanente campus, California School for the Deaf and the Fremont Police station.

Lake Elizabeth is a wonderful park and is one of the many things that make Fremont and great place to live. Its great to see it receiving the applause it deserves.

You can read the full SF Chronicle article here.

Veena Grover, RE/Max | http://www.FremontHomesTeam.com | 510.378.7546   

There’s been a lot of discussion among the media, economists, and even us real estate agents in Fremont, about what President-elect Obama will do about the housing market.  Based on a review of Obama’s previous legislative record, senior leaders of National Association of REALTORS stated that Obama has generally supported legislation favorable to homeowners. Fore example, while in Illinois, Obama supported tax credits for property owners. As a U.S. senator, he’s argued for a stronger Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and voted for the economic stimulus bill that increased loan limits in high-cost areas, like Fremont.

From a Bay Area real estate perspective, I believe increasing the FHA-backed loan limit is really important. The 2008 conforming jumbo loan limit in the Bay Area is $729,750, making it difficult for buyers of higher-end properties to get financing. This limit expires on December 31, 2008, when the lower conforming loan limit of $625,500 takes effect. It certainly explains why higher sales volume has recently been in the mid-range properties. For example, in September, the median price of a home sold in Alameda County was $389K, vs. $555K the previous September. Simply put, the more difficult financing environment has resulted in more unsold inventory (less sales) in higher-end properties, but more sales in mid-range properties, where loans are more easily available.

Veena Grover  |  RE/Max Accord, Fremont CA  |  http://www.FremontHomesTeam.com

The latest test score results for Fremont indicate that the Mission San Jose area schools continue to outperform the rest of the Fremont Unified School District.  Although this has rung true for quite some time with Fremont schools (and is reflected in price premiums for Mission homes), the internet provides us with more transparency on this.  For example, GreatSchools.net obtains state test scores for each grade, in each subject (e.g., math, English) and then calculates a rating from 1 to 10 for each public school in the state.  An overall GreatSchools rating of 10 for a school means that the percentage of students that scored at the “proficient” level (or higher) on the test is in the top 10% in the state.  By contrast, a GreatSchools rating of 6 means that the percentage of students that scored “proficient” (or higher) on the test is in the top 50% in the state (but not the top 40%).  Note that “proficient” is defined by the state education department, not GreatSchools.

You can see the full report for Fremont schools here.  Note that you can get more information like parent reviews (and write your own reviews) for each school.  A few highlights worth mentioning are that all high schools (Washington High School, Mission San Jose, Irvington, American High and Kennedy) are essentially the same when it comes to class size (30-33 students).  On the API (the test performance), Mission San Jose comes in well ahead of the pack, about 15% ahead of IrvingtonIrvington comes out ahead of American and Washington High School by about 5%.  American and Washington High School come in 10% higher than Kennedy High School.

Note that this information does not necessarily mean that the highest scoring schools are “better”, as this does not factor in parent feedback, school activities, or teacher quality.  Instead, its simply a quantifiable way of seeing test scores, which is just one way of assessing a school.

Veena Grover  |  RE/Max Accord, Fremont CA  |  http://www.FremontHomesTeam.com