thanks Grace and April for your input - really like the hillsside setting but don't want the drive ,though its only 2 to 3 miles to Mt Eden area since the road is windy it must take some time -esp during commute hrs, I will look for other areas within Saratoga given our tolerance level :) -will contact you if I need help with the search .

Hi Bayarea 123,

I am a Realtor and a Saratoga resident. I would agree with Grace. Everyone's tolerance is different. "Trying" the commute is a great way to investigate before making that final decision and purchasing. If a home in the hills is something you are considering, I think Pierce Road offers a better commute than homes off of Bohlman in that you have two exit routes to the highway, either Highway 9 (Big Basin) or Saratoga Sunnyvale Road. It seems to me that the city has the light timing down to a science at the intersection of Pierce and Saratoga Sunnyvale Road. It is very unusual for me to see more than 3 cars stacked up at that light. However, I can't personally speak about the drive down in the morning as I don't live in the hills.

Purchasing a home and choosing the perfect location is a balance of many things. Where do you work? What hours do you work? How many more years do you expect to be commuting to that office? Do you have children and what ages are they now? How long will you need to worry about transporting them to and from school and how does that compare to how long you hope to stay in your home?

Saratoga is a great city with lots of pluses. I have had clients that thought the drive into the Saratoga Hills was just to windy and took too long. I have had other clients that wouldn't trade the wooded, private settings with gorgeous views for anything. Only you can really decide what will fit best into your lifestyle and how to best priortize the pros and cons.

Let me know if I can be of assistance to you as you search for the perfect home to meet your unique needs.

Happy House Hunting,
April Tavares, GRI, ASP
Realtor, DRE License #01742179

Hello Bay Area and thanks for your post.

Personally, everyone has a different view of "tolerable" with respect to a commute. My husband, for example, does not like ANY stoppage on a road when driving in the morning, and I can--unless in a rush--sit, drink coffee, sing a couple of Fleetwood Mac songs and feel perfectly fine waiting to get to the bottom of the hill, the turnoff or the street light where I need to be. So long as I'm on time, I'm fine--otherwise, a stoppage is stressful.

If you're more like me than my husband, the 2.5 mile commute on Pierce should not be too intolerable. Remember, however, that this is (unless you want to go back into the hills and up along the ridge) the only way out to the main streets in Saratoga, so all of the homes along Pierce and auxillary streets will need access along Pierce Road to get out in the morning. I might also add that the commute into and out of Saratoga is never an easy one whether coming from the hills or from the Platinum or Golden Triange areas--since the main access roadways are all only two lane roads through the town.

My best suggestion to you is that you go to the house that you wish to purchase at about 7 in the morning, and attempt a commute into your office from this location around the time you would normally leave your home. You'll be able to witness and experience, first hand, the commute on Pierce as well as Saratoga Sunnyvale, Cox and other interior streets within Saratoga before agreeing to purchase the home.

Good luck! If you need any other information, feel free to contact us again!

Sincerely,
Grace Morioka, SRES, e-Pro
Area Pro Realty
See my blog on Facilitation to Save Money on Your Next Home Purchase
Co-Host "Naked Real Estate" on http://www.blogtalkradio.com