Stay cool, stay green!

Photo Credit - Orson

Last month we had a heat wave here in Silicon Valley. The record-breaking temperatures reached up to 100 degrees – and it was only April!  Just a few days of reminding us what summer’s going to be like, how we start to complain about the incessant heat, how we rush to switch on our a/c, and how we long for just a few clouds to blot the horizon.

This reminded me of the steps we should be taking to reduce the heat in the home, WITHOUT rushing to turn on the a/c, steps which I learnt as a Brit relocating to Silicon Valley from England 14 years ago, steps I had to learn as we didn’t have the luxury of a/c in those days.

I enjoyed reading Greenlagirl’s blog on tips to stay cool without the air conditioner and recommend everyone to read it, both newcomers and long-time residents alike.  It doesn’t hurt to be reminded of ways in which we can reduce the carbon footprint as well as our electricity bill by keeping our homes cool without the a/c.

What made a huge difference for me when we relocated to Silicon Valley, was keeping the windows closed and curtains/blinds drawn to keep the rooms cool and dark.  In England, my mum would always open the windows wide on a sunny day “to let in the warm fresh air”, but when you’re talking about 60 to 70 degrees outside, that works!  However, if the temperature outside is higher than the temperature inside, keep the doors and windows closed to stop the hotter air coming in.  Sometimes it can be dinner time before we can open the doors and windows again.

We have air-conditioning now, installed when we remodelled our home 4 years ago.  But it’s hardly ever used.  We still follow the basic rules for keeping our home cool and it’s rare the a/c is turned on.  We can stay cool AND green!

Why it pays to live in Silicon Valley!

Photo Credit : Karl Gohl

I learnt a new word yesterday – STAYCATION!

It was while I was out for our weekly hike with my friend, Lisa, at Rancho San Antonio.  After a fairly hard climb, we reached a point where there was a breathtaking view of  Silicon Valley.  The sky was a perfect blue, the vista was crispy clear and we just stood and took it all in.   We both had the same thought : “Aren’t we blessed to be living in an area where, just 10 minutes drive from your home in suburbia, you can be enjoying the beautiful wooded countryside?    Where else could you be sitting in commuter traffic one minute and then the next be completely alone in these wonderful natural surroundings, where, after a short climb, you can witness  amazing views from San Francisco down to San Jose?  And with gorgeous weather as well!

After appreciating what we had in that moment,  in spite of the doom and gloom awaiting us back home -  friends without work, friends who are sick, friends with mortgages they can’tpay, cars with dead batteries (that part we didn’t know till we got back to the parking lot!) – we both agreed that one of the huge benefits of living in Silicon Valley is that you didn’t have to go too far to have a wonderful vacation.  No long plane rides to the resort, no 3 day car trips to the mountains, we have it all HERE.   I’ve blogged about the reasons to relocate to Silicon Valley before, but as a way of saving money – that one I hadn’t considered!

So as Lisa explained to me, staycation is a term coined today as the ability to take your vacation trips from your doorstep instead of booking a hotel/resort/condo/cabin and going there by plane/car/train for your vacation!  And that’s what’s so great about living in Silicon Valley.  No need to go on vacation – it’s right here!  We have the coast, beaches, surf, sailing, wind-surfing, fishing, whaling, hiking, mountain biking, all manner of snow sports, theme parks, then there are the obvious – San Francisco, Carmel, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Disneyland (OK – a five hour drive) … the list is endless!  Think of all the money you save by using your home as your base and taking day trips to all these places!

And friends and relatives?  You don’t have to go visit them either, they’ll all come to you for their vacation!  Moving to California from England was a hard decision for us  – leaving everyone behind, but I needn’t have worried.   Are you kidding?  A free place to stay in a perfect place with perfect weather?  We can’t keep them away!  Every summer we’re taking in visitors and have such fun showing them around this glorious area.  Saves us a trip to visit them!!

Have I missed any places you can “staycation”?  Let me know!!

It wasn’t that long ago that I thought our relocation business was in danger of closing down. During the Dotcom crash of the early 2000’s, some of our clients went belly-up, some just cut back on outsourcing and some even laughed at us and said “Why would we pay to bring someone to California to work for us when there’s a magnificent pool of executives out of work right here?” And yes, more U-Hauls were being hired to move people OUT of the Bay Area than to bring people IN.

Somehow we struggled by and got through those years to come out the other side with more business and new clients as companies got back on an even keel and started hiring again from far and wide. So it was gratifying to see in the San Francisco Chronicle this week that the US Census Bureau confirmed that not only has the population rate risen in California by 1% from 2007 to 2008, but Silicon Valley (Santa Clara County) specifically saw a rise of 2% in the same time frame.

Silicon Valley has an attraction to many, whether it be the lure of the pot of gold – through taking a start-up public, finding venture capital for that business you’ve been cultivating through enterpreneurship and innovation, or because here is where you’ll find both the huge variety of high-tech companies looking for your particular gifts, as well as the plethora of motivated people, talented in those fields which you may need in your venture.

I’ve already blogged about the 10 reasons to move to Silicon Valley, but I’d love to hear your thoughts.

What do you think the reasons are for this increased population in Silicon Valley?

And thanks to Mary Pope-Handy for sharing how to create the nifty graphic above!

Silicon Valley in pictures?

It’s hard when you’re thinking of relocating to a new area which is unfamiliar to you. You want to know what it looks like  – how are the homes, shops, streets, schools compared to where you live?

Aside from travelling there and driving around, taking in as much as you can visually, as well as emotionally and practically (can we afford this area? What are the schools like?), there is not much you can do to get the “feel” of a place… Until now. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology I can load photos of all the areas in the Bay Area of any interest onto my website, not just the “tourist” areas, but the places that families and individuals who are moving here would like to see – streets, parks, schools, shops.

So I’m beginning my tour of the Bay Area with Sunnyvale – easiest place to start as I live here. Check out the photos of this wonderful town on the cities page. And let me know what you’d like to see there. If there’s anything in Silicon Valley that I can point and shoot at, consider it done!

Anything to help my customers get themselves situated in this beautiful part of the world!

2008 Best Cities for Relocating Singles

It was back in May that I blogged about 2008’s Best Cities for Relocating Families. Well, Worldwide ERC and Primacy Relocation have done it again, this time compiling a list entitled the 100 Best Cities for Relocating Singles.

San Francisco, San Mateo and Redwood City ranked #8 on that list. At #29 came San Jose, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara. Out of the largest 100 U.S. metro areas, that’s fairly reassuring for any single male or female when considering relocating to the Bay Area or Silicon Valley.

When we, at California Concierges, are presented with a client who is single for relocation to this area, we look at a totally different set of criteria to help him or her assimilate into their new home than if we are dealing with a family.

Families need neighborhoods populated by other families for their kids to play with, quiet (preferably tree-lined) streets, some sort of back yard, especially if a dog is part of the package, decent schools, grocery stores within a mile radius, a short commuting distance so the spouse spends as little time as possible away from family and probably looking to purchase a property within their first year of arrival.

My most recent client was a single male from Pittsburgh and his criteria for his new home were : a rental apartment close to a downtown street with lots of restaurants, close to Caltrain so he could easily get to San Francisco at the weekend, commuting distance not an issue, and he didn’t even ask about grocery stores!

Likewise, Worldwide ERC and Primacy Relocation used specific criteria focussing on the individual when compiling this survey :

- Population criteria, such as the local single population aged 25 to 34, male to female ratios, diversity, density and growth.

- Economic criteria, such as the cost of living, job growth, higher education costs and availability of rental property.

- Quality-of-life criteria, such as prevalence of restaurants, bars, health clubs, sporting events and concerts, weather, crime rates and the percentage of the population utilizing online dating and subscribing to magazines targeting singles.

“It’s well known that the success of a relocation is strongly reliant on the transferee’s ability to assimilate into the new community and recreate his or her support, social, medical and lifestyle networks,” said Cris Collie, CAE, Chief Executive Officer of Worldwide ERC. “Our newest ‘Best Cities for Relocating Singles’ survey provides substantive information for companies whose ranks of renters, a group largely comprised of singles, have been on the rise.”

Yes, needs are different for every client that comes our way, even within those social groups. And we’ve been asked everything, from “I need an apartment with a bicycle path just outside” to “We need a high school with a lacrosse team”. A successful relocation is totally possible when you have someone working on your side of the tracks! Check out our website for tons of information about this area if you’re thinking of relocating to Silicon Valley.

And, in case you’re wondering, top of the list of the 2008 Best Cities for Relocating Singles was Boston and Quincy, MA, with Grand Rapids and Wyoming, MI, coming in at #100.

Relocating Obama

I read with interest the article which Relocation.com recently published about their offer to move the incoming President, Obama or McCain, free of charge, to the White House when he takes up office in January 2009.

Maybe it’s in rebellion to the current gloom and doom of our economic situation or maybe it’s just a way of finding some humor in the current slew of presidential campaigning, but my comedic side took over after reading this! Being in the relocation business myself, I began to imagine what the conversation would be like between an out-of-touch new female trainee in relocation and Senator Obama.

For the sake of my warped humor, she doesn’t realise who she’s talking to nor that it’s THE actual White House he’s moving to.  Naturally, she starts with the usual line of questions which trained consultants use to find out more about the family and their needs.  Let’s pick Obama – just for example’s sake.

“Good morning, Mr Obama.  I’m Jane Smith from your new relocation company.  I understand you will be relocating your job from Chicago to Washington DC?

Great, well congratulations.  You and your family must be very excited.  A nice promotion, hopefully.  So, part of our service is finding you the right home for you and your family.  You have kids?  How many?  Two?  OK, well I have here a very nice home I think you’ll like which will accommodate you perfectly.  Hmmm, it actually has a few more rooms than you may need.  How many?  132 actually, with 16 guest rooms and 35 bathrooms, so you could have lots of family and friends to stay, something to think about when you’re moving away from home.

And here’s the great news, forget the long commute, Mr Obama – it comes with its own office, I think it’s round or egg-shaped so that’s something novel to look forward to!

You have a two storey-home right now?  Well, how does six floors sound?  Don’t worry, there are three elevators so you won’t tire yourself out too much!  But the stairs would keep you fit, eh?

And what is the square footage of your current home?  Really?  Well, we often see families having to compromise on space when they move to an expensive area, but you’re in luck- what do you think of 55,000 sq ft?!  Yes, you’re right, lots of hoovering, but I think the job may come with a cleaning service so don’t worry the missus too much right now – I’ll look into that.

And do you have any thoughts on color?  Sorry, I mean the color of the outside walls.  Well, this house is white and it apparently has to stay white for some unknown reason.  I know it’s not the most appropriate color – would look grey quite soon with all the pollution if it didn’t get painted too often.  Oh wait a minute, I see that the regular repainting of the house exterior is part of the package – that’s good because it takes over 300 gallons of paint to cover it!  And I guess it has to stay white because it’s called “The White House” – some imagination, huh?  Oh, did I forget that part? Yes, it already has a name, so you can’t just use 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW as your address.  But don’t worry, I’m sure the mailman will find you.  And we can help you with “Change of Address” cards.

Now, the garden.  What size lot do you have right now, Mr Obama?  Ahaa.  Well, I hope you like gardening because your new backyard covers about 18 acres!  A little bigger, huh?  Note to self, check on gardener.

And do you or your wife have any outside interests?  It probably has an outdoor pool, let me check.  Ah yes, a pool AND a tennis court AND a putting green AND a jogging track AND a games room AND a bowling lane AND wow, even an indoor movie theatre.  Hey, Mr Obama, can I be your new best friend?  Just kidding!!

Darn, I’ve just noticed a small downside to moving into this house.  At certain times of the year, you have to let Joe the plumber visit your home and gardens.  How many Joe’s?  Let me see, – around 2 million a year!   Well, that’s the price you pay for having such a nice place.  Maybe you and your family can go hang out in Chicago and see old friends when they come around?

So, what do you think, Mr Obama?  Sounds like a perfect fit to me.  Do you want to check with the wife and kids and get back to me?

#1 on your list – Find a home!

Without a doubt, the hardest part about relocating to a new area is finding a home.  Once that is checked off the list, everything else will fall into place.  As Pliny the Elder once said (a LONG time ago) :

“Home is where the heart is”

and no more is that true than when you have to leave yours.

There are many homes for rent and for sale in Silicon Valley. The real problem lies in which areas to search for it.  Without any help or guidance on the huge variety of neighborhoods here, all of which may seem suitable – good commuting distance from work, decent schools, affordable prices – it is extremely difficult to know where to look and ultimately where to live.

When I think back to the homes we nearly bought in other neighborhoods, I feel so grateful that by some amazing luck we ended up in a neighborhood which we really liked and which we can now easily call home.

So how do you find these lovely neighborhoods?

Research, research, research. Talk to people, ask your new colleagues before you move here, visit schools if you have kids, ask for parents’ references from the principal so you can contact them, drive around and check out the streets and homes and ask yourself -

Are the houses being looked after?

Is the yard in front just dead grass or well landscaped?

Are there old cars lying around waiting to be worked on or do people keep their vehicles in good shape?

Is there a good park nearby where we can walk to?

You’ll be surprised how easy it is to get a “gut” feeling about an area.  Get out of your car and walk around, ask anyone you see about their neighborhood, people are generally very open to chatting and giving you information about where they live, positively or negatively.

You can also use a relocation service whose job it is to find you your new home, and will take your specific criteria into account.  Their job isn’t done until you’re happy. And they’ve done this before – many times.

We moved a family recently into Sunnyvale with four kids and a dog and cut their searching time down to a totally manageable amount.  With ample preparation, conversation and research beforehand we were able to pinpoint 6 homes for them to look at in the perfect area – one day to find a home!  The priceless look from the grateful Mom is still etched in my brain!

But if you want to go it alone, check out these websites for ideas on homes, rentals and purchases, neighborhoods and prices.

For rentals:

• www.rentnet.com
• www.search-for-apartments.net
• www.move.com
• www.apartments.com
• www.apartmentsearch.com
• www.craigslist.com
• www.rentals.com

And f you want to buy a home straight away, or just get a feel for the market here, go to www.mlslistings.com – a great way to find out what homes are on the market, what they look like, where they are and how much they want for them.

And if you have any stories about moving to this area and finding your home, let me know!

Good luck!

API – Are Parents Interested?

It’s September. Our kids have just returned to school and we’ve just found out how well – or not – our schools did last year according to the API (Academic Performance Index) scores printed in the San Jose Mercury News last week.

Do we feel proud? Or disappointed? DId we check the neighborhood schools to see if we came out on top? Or did we glance over at our friend’s school in a different school district to see if they did better than ours? Does it really matter? How important are these API scores?

What are they anyway? And why do we care? Steve Leung on his Silicon Valley Real Estate Blog gives an excellent summary :

The API (Academic Performance Index) scores are considered the cornerstone of California’s Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999, and measure the academic performance and growth of the state’s schools according to a range of academic factors.

API scores were introduced in California in 1999 to provide a means of measuring a public school’s academic success from year to year. Those of us who already have children in these public schools may be mildly interested in how our schools are doing and take a certain pride if those numbers have gone up from last year. We may even feel a little smug at the realisation that our house prices may have increased at some corresponding percentage.

But consider those who are moving into Silicon Valley with children of school age – how do they decide – how would YOU decide? Purely on API scores? Remember the Wall Street Journal article “The New White Flight” of November 2005 which talked about Monte Vista High School in Cupertino? Now there’s a school for you which continues to reach the 900+mark every year and where the growing Asian American student population is the main factor in these high scores – but also where several white parents decided to withdraw their children from the school and move them to a high school with lower scores. They did not want their child to be 100% focussed on academics or feel slighted or even stupid that they did not get an A, only an A- in that test.

At the end of the day, it’s all about YOUR child. Where would he or she thrive? Do you want him/her sitting next to a high achiever? Maybe so – maybe that competitive edge will keep her on her toes and strive to do better. Or maybe that A+ student sitting next to her will only make her feel stupid and fairly worthless. Is your child more interested in sports and extra curricular activities or does he do best on a balance of both?

The Great Schools website which is a wonderful resource for checking out particular schools has an interesting page on how to choose your school. Factors from extra curricular activities to student diversity to technology should all come into play when making that choice.

So yes, check out your school’s API scores, feel proud that your child has contributed to that success, if success it is. But if you’re relocating to Silicon Valley, don’t let API be your only guide.

The fruits of Silicon Valley

Many of you relocating to Silicon Valley may not realise that there used to be a different type of thriving industry in this area.  Santa Clara Valley, or the Valley of Heart’s Delight, was home to hundreds of orchards which, for the most part, gave way to the massive urbanisation created by the discovery of the Silicon Chip.

I knew about this from hearing those grievances of folks who have lived here a lot longer than I have, but a gentle reminder from the Technology Section of the New York Times brought it home to me this week just how much that old fruit industry has been swallowed up by its technological successor.

The newly remodelled Fiesta Super Market at 391 San Antonio Road in Mountain View is the focus of this publicity.  Seems that, according to Bits,  this is also considered the location of the birthplace of Silicon Valley by a “William Shockley, the famous (some would say infamous) physicist who started a semiconductor laboratory on the site and hired many of the chip industry’s founding fathers”.  It appears that Mr Shockley decided that Silicon was the best material for building semi-conductor devices and the rest, as they say, is history.

It’s very befitting, then, that a valley, originally called Santa Clara Valley and only known for its plethora of fruits and vegetables, the home of Libby’s fruit cannery, should now house a fruit and vegetable market on the very spot where Silicon Valley was ostensibly born.

Can we say “What goes around, comes around?”

For more information on Silicon Valley and its history, check out my website page.

Taking the Heat in Silicon Valley

I’d like to tell you a little about the weather here and how to keep your home cool in the heat. For those relocating to Silicon Valley from out-of-state who frequently ask me about the weather here, let me tell you – it’s hot in the summer, mild and a little rainy in the winter and the timing of when summer leaves and fall arrives can vary from year to year. By the way, I don’t often get asked by Europeans – they always KNOW it’s fantastic weather compared to their home town – that’s one of the reasons they want to move here!

We often experience hot Septembers, as now, when the temperatures are up in the 90’s, calling them “Indian Summers”. However last week was down in the 70’s.  And I have vivid memories of watching our school Halloween parade at the end of October in sweltering heat and feeling ever so sorry for the kids who decided to dress up as Superman, covered head to toe in a stifling costume.   Then again, I also remember trudging round Trick or Treating with my young kids in rain – but that is very occasional.  So moving out of summer into cooler climes can vary from month to month every year.

I was reminded to write about the heat here – and it’s a very pleasant heat – not humid or sticky, but dry – when I saw an upstairs bedroom window open down the street and thought how hot that room must be getting during the day.

My American husband advised me when we relocated out here from England thirteen years ago – to close all the windows whenever it was hotter outside than inside, and open them as soon as it got cooler outside which can be as late as 8 pm!  This makes so much sense  – leaving the windows open on a hot day – as we did in England – brings the hot air inside.  You close the windows in winter to stop the hot air going out – the reverse is also true.

When it’s hot outside, keep your windows closed and your house will stay so much cooler.