Advertising Feature: Real Estate
THE EXAMINER.
Weekend Edition, February 11-12, 2006
Showcasing
| Hillsborough
The Peninsula’s Most Charming Town
Hillsborough stands out as a Town that strays from the cookie-cutter homes
typical of suburbia and strives for a unique and elegant feel.
BY MEGAN LYNCH
Hillsborough seems like an idyllic place to
live from the get go. Passerby’s love the striking
trees and greenery that line the streets. Homes
are all single-family units and are uniquely built
in different styles as well as with varying amenities. Each house is built on a large plot of land,
at minimum 1/3-1/2 acre. “Hillsborough is
a beautiful place to live,” said Mayor Thomas
Kasten. “We have a great park-like setting and
quiet atmosphere that makes for a very nice
environment.”
What homebuyers won’t find here: tract
homes, small yards and overdeveloped plots of
land. Hillsborough defies suburban clichés and
exudes an aura of charm and luxury.
The Town of Hillsborough is a residential
community located on the Peninsula, almost
exactly halfway between San Jose and San
Francisco. Unlike many other Peninsula cities,
Hillsborough prides itself on being an exclusive
residential community with only single-family,
uniquely designed homes. Mayor Kasten boasts
about its “rustic character with rural charm-the
hallmark of our Town.”
Hills, flatlands and other interesting geographical landscape gives theTown an interesting
topography that offers something for everyone.
Homebuyers are likely to find what they are
looking for, be it a home on the hills with a view
of the Bay or a house closer to the freeway for
easier commuting.
Because it is solely a residential community,
homeowners benefit from the amenities of a
small town while being in close proximity to
shopping and commercial districts in neighboring Burlingame and San Mateo. “We have the
best of all worlds-people can enjoy the commerce and services available in nearby cities and
come home to a quiet town,” said Mayor Kas-
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PHOTOS BY MARYANN BOLOGNA , THE EXAMINER
ten.
The lack of commerce means than Hillsborough has fewer of the problems that arise in
live/work communities.The extra traffic, parking problems and noise common to commercial
areas have yet to plague the Town.
Hillsborough is a safe community and offers
residents some of the best amenities possible.
“Many people are surprised to hear that 11,000
people live in Hillsborough because the Town
offers all the amenities (fire, police, and public
works) available at any large city,” said Mayor
Kasten. “We have a team of dedicated employees who serve the town exceptionally well.”
“The amenities are excellent,” said Hillsborough residents and Realtors Lizette and Collette
d’Almeida. “Our Fire and Police departments
respond within seconds.”
Another benefit of a well-managed towneasier and more organized processes for adding
to or modifying homes. According to local
Realtors, Hillsborough has a well-defined
and easy-to-work-with process for remodeling.
“The commission works closely with home
owners to make the remodeling process easier,”
said Lizette d’Almeida.
D’ Almeida is a member of the San Mateo
County Association of Realtors (SAMCAR),
a professional trade organization that organizes
Realtors on the Peninsula. The Association
provides members with opportunities for community involvement and access to a network
of professional resources and business contacts.
Realtors must abide by a strict code of ethics
and participate in additional training above and
beyond state real estate license requirements.
Many families choose to move to Hillsborough because of the excellent school system
catering to children in grades K-8. “One of our
most important community values is education,” said Mayor Kasten. “We have a fabulous
school system with outstanding schools, all of
which have won awards.”
In fact, every Hillsborough School has been
cited as a California Distinguished School.
Crocker School was even named one of the
best schools in the world by the Swedish Royal
Academy of Engineering Sciences.
These qualities and more make Hillsborough a highly desirable place in which to live.
Residents who move here rarely move away
unless they are transferred to another city or are
looking to downsize their homes. Realtor Stanley Lo has lived in Hillsborough for more than
40 years “I have lived here since 1975, I raised
my family here and have worked here since then.
It is my roots.”
The drawback to living in such a perfect
town: extreme home prices. Fixer-uppers start at
$1.75 million and the median price of homes is
around $2.3 million. Many people can’t afford
to even think about living in Hillsborough,
which in the end, makes it a very elite community.
All in all, residents love the small-town feel
and thrive from the close-knit neighborhood.
“If you could design the ideal place to live with
all the amenities imaginable available close by
but that retains that quiet town feel, you would
build Hillsborough,” said Kasten.
Information in this series of community profiles
is provided by the San Mateo County Association
of REALTORS® (SAMCAR). Megan Lynch is a
freelance journalist based in San Francisco.
Please send questions, suggestions or feedback
by e-mail to [email protected] or call
650.696.8200.
The Top Five Reasons to Live in Hillsborough
BY MEGAN LYNCH
1. BIGGER PROPERTIES
Space is hard to come by on the Peninsula.
Most homeowners are lucky to get a small or
medium-sized backyard and have little room
to grow beyond that. Hillsborough residents
are lucky to live in the exception to the rule.
According to local Realtors, most houses are
built on larger plots and have a minimum
of 1/3-1/2 acre of land. The extra space
means more play room for the kids and more
opportunities to garden.
2. OUTSTANDING SCHOOLS
Hillsborough is renowned for its excellent
school system, which educates children in
kindergarten-8th grade. Studies conducted
indicate that virtually 100% of their students
graduate from high school and are expected
to graduate from college. All Hillsborough
Schools have been cited as California Distinguished Schools and Crocker School
has been named
one of the best
schools in the
world by the
Swedish Royal
Academy of Engineering Sciences.
3. EASYTO-WORK-WITH
BUILDING CODES
In some towns,
building an addition to a home can
be a nightmare. It
can take months
to get the proper permits and get plans
approved through the appropriate channels.
The Hillsborough Building and Planning
Departments work together to make sure
the process is well-defined, clear and easy to
work with.
4. RESIDENTIAL
ENVIRONMENT
Hillsborough is
solely a residential
neighborhood.
There are no
businesses in the
Town and no plans
for future business
growth.The result:
a community with
focus and a
commitment to
ensuring its residents get the best
service possible.
This gives Hillsborough a small-town feel
and helps relieve the pressures of balancing
economic and residential development. It
also means less traffic congestion, parking
problems and noise issues associated with
business areas.
5. UNIQUE HOME DESIGN
For people looking to express their individuality, Hillsborough is a great place to
live. Each home in the Town is uniquely
designed and has its own personality. There
are no tract homes or cookie cutter properties. The diversity in design distinguishes
Hillsborough from other Peninsula cities
and provides an escape from the homogeneity of most suburban neighborhoods.
Information in this series of community profiles
is provided by the San Mateo County Association
of REALTORS® (SAMCAR). Megan Lynch is a
freelance journalist based in San Francisco. Please
send questions, suggestions or feedback by e-mail
to [email protected] or call 650.696.8200.
Maryann Bologna 415.359.2652
Anson Chan 415.359.2822