A dozen reasons not to go house shopping in Cupertino this weekend

A $1.7 million Kentwood Ave. single family home, 1,200 square feet indoors. Photo courtesy of Zillow.A $1.7 million Kentwood Ave. single family home with 1,200 square feet indoors. Photo courtesy of Zillow.

Looking to buy a house in Cupertino this weekend? Then you best prepare yourself for a monthly mortgage payment greater than $4,688, not including HOA fees.

On Zillow.com, there are just 12 homes for sale listed (not including homes in pre-foreclosure), with the least expensive being a 1,171 square foot condo in the Montebello complex near Stevens Creek and De Anza Boulevard listed at nearly $1.2 million, along with $467 in monthly HOA fees. There’s another, slightly more spacious condo at 22330 Homestead Rd. that’s also going for nearly $1.2 million, but with $520 in monthly HOA fees. All other homes currently listed by Zillow in Cupertino are single families, which you can expect to far exceed in list price.

What most of these homes have in common? With prices so high, realtors are often reminding buyers that it’s all about “location, location, location”. “You will love this luxury 2bed/2bath single level condo…in the heart of Cupertino with top schools,” according to the least expensive listing. One listing even shows a photo of the Apple spaceship along with the home’s features in order to draw buyers.

Naturally, the real estate listings don’t mention the ongoing housing crisis that has made relatively modest properties unaffordable to most people, even highly paid Apple engineers.

That includes this Kentwood Avenue property, a nearly $1.7 million single family home that doesn’t require HOA fees and has a private garage and yard space, but offers just under 1,200 square feet indoors.

Seven of the 12 listed properties are over $2 million, including an attractive 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 2,126 square foot home on Ramona Court going for $2.3 million.

For those with oodles of cash, consider this Regnart Road home for nearly $9 million that boasts an over 5,600 square foot home on nine acres with three separate parcels that include a pool and spa, tennis court, and a horse facility with eight stalls, seven paddocks and a 2 bedroom apartment above it.