buylive from the mlshomes for sale nowboyenga team at compass
Homes for sale, by the decade they were built
From pre-1920 Victorians to houses finished this year: every home for sale in a city, live from the MLS, sorted into the decade it was built, with what each era asks per square foot, the house styles of the time, and the rules that turn on the year a home was built.
- for sale now…with a year built
- median year built…of those homes
- oldest for sale…year built
- built 2010 or later…homes for sale
the decade ladder
What’s for sale in San Jose, decade by decade
Each row is a decade. The bar is how many homes from that decade are for sale now; the figures are their median asking price and median asking price per square foot. Tags show the year-built checkpoints below that can apply. Select a decade to see its homes.
Year built as entered in each MLS listing; a rebuilt or heavily remodeled home may still show its original year. Asking prices, not sale prices: the sold records in our feed don’t carry a year built.
for sale
For sale from the decade
Homes for sale from the MLS through our IDX feeds, with a year built on record. Listings without a full address aren’t shown as cards.
year-built checkpoints
Rules that turn on the year a home was built
A few California and federal rules start or stop at a year built. Here is each one, with how many homes for sale in the city and filter you picked were built before that year.
Summaries, not legal advice; each rule has conditions, and the disclosure forms and program pages decide. Sources: California Government Code 8897.1 and 8897.2, the federal lead-based paint disclosure rule (EPA), Earthquake Brace + Bolt (California Residential Mitigation Program) and Civil Code 1102.6f.
the eras
What Silicon Valley built, and when
A short field guide to the eras behind the decade ladder, from our Home Styles pages. Each style page shows how to read the house from the sidewalk and every matching home for sale.
- 1870s to 1910sVictorian and Edwardian houses: bay windows, bracketed cornices, raised basements and a front stoop. San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Clara and Los Gatos still have whole blocks of them. Victorian & Edwardian
- about 1905 to 1930Craftsman bungalows, with low gables, deep porches and tapered columns, filled the streetcar neighborhoods of San Jose, Palo Alto, Burlingame and San Francisco. Craftsman & bungalow
- 1920s and 1930sThe Spanish revival, after the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, and period-revival Tudor and storybook houses in residence parks and tracts. Spanish & Mediterranean · Tudor & storybook
- after the warRanch tracts replaced orchards across Santa Clara County; San Jose alone issued permits for 5,722 single-family homes in 1958. Modern tracts with exposed beams and walls of glass went up from the late 1940s into the 1970s. California ranch · Mid-century modern
- 1949 to 1974Joseph Eichler built more than 11,000 homes in California, about 2,700 of them in Palo Alto. Eichler homes · Eichler tracts
- 1970s onContemporaries with shed roofs and big glass, and later architect-designed modern houses in the hill towns. Modern homes
- tract by tractWho built which tracts and townhome communities, from the 1940s to now. Builder Files
- 2010s and 2020sRebuilds and new homes built to California’s current energy code with rooftop solar, including the modern farmhouse look. Modern farmhouse & new construction
the nerd check
Buying a home from another decade
Older homes
- Ask what’s been updatedRoof, electrical panel, plumbing, foundation and windows: an older home’s price depends on which of these were redone, and with permits.
- Plan for more than one inspectionA general home inspection doesn’t cover sewer lines, lead, asbestos, mold or pests, so older homes often call for a sewer scope, a pest report and other specialists. The Inspection Decoder explains each one.
- Check the seismic pictureAsk whether the house is bolted to its foundation and braced. Pre-1980 raised-foundation houses may qualify for a Brace + Bolt grant.
- Read the year-built disclosuresThe pre-1960 earthquake guide, the pre-1978 lead disclosure and, in fire zones, the pre-2010 hardening notice. The Disclosure Decoder walks through each form.
Newer homes
- Know the HOA and its rulesMany newer homes and townhomes sit in an HOA; read the dues, reserves and CC&Rs. The HOA Lab compares dues by city.
- Get the warranty in writingNew construction may come with a builder warranty; ask what it covers, for how long, and who to call.
- Inspect anywayNewer doesn’t skip the inspection: check drainage, roof flashing, permits and final sign-offs.
- Weigh house against lotNewer homes can trade more house for less lot. The Lot Value Lab shows how lot and house size each priced out in recent sales.
Year built is a clue, not a verdict. A well-kept 1955 ranch can need less work than a newer home that was never maintained. The disclosures, permits and inspections tell the real story, and we’re glad to read them with you.
questions
Questions we hear
Where does the year built come from?
From each MLS listing, as entered by the listing agent. A home that was rebuilt or heavily remodeled may still show its original year, so check the permits for what changed.
Why are sale prices not shown by decade?
The sold records in our feed don’t carry a year built, so this page works from homes for sale and their asking prices.
Why does asking price per square foot change by decade?
Homes from different decades differ in size, lot, location and condition, and price per square foot mixes all of that. Compare homes of similar size and location before reading much into it.
Do the checkpoints apply to every home from those years?
No. Each has conditions: the earthquake guide covers 1–4 unit wood-frame homes built before 1960, Brace + Bolt needs a raised foundation and an eligible ZIP code, and the home-hardening notice applies only in High or Very High fire hazard severity zones.
Which homes are left out?
Listings without a year built, land, multi-unit buildings and mobile homes. The note under the decade ladder gives the count without a year built.
Does an older home mean more work?
Not necessarily; it depends on what has been updated and how well it was kept. Ask for permits, the inspection and pest reports and the seller’s disclosures.
more to learn
Keep going
- Every city at onceMedian year built of the homes for sale in 26 cities, with the share from each era (October 2026).
- Home Styles Field GuideNine house styles drawn and labeled, with every matching home for sale.
- Eichler HomesPost-and-beam homes from 1949 to 1974, and the Eichlers for sale now.
- Builder FilesWho built Silicon Valley’s tracts and townhome communities, and when.
- Lot Value LabWhat a bigger lot and a bigger house each sold for, city by city.
- Inspection DecoderWhat inspection and pest-report findings mean, and what to ask.
- Disclosure DecoderThe California disclosure forms, one by one.
- Feature FinderHomes for sale with the features you search for.
Based on listings reported to the MLS through our IDX feeds, read live each time the page loads. Shown as reported and not guaranteed; repeat records are removed. Year built, living area and lot size are as listed.
talk to a property nerd
Drawn to a particular era?
Tell us the decade or the style you love and we’ll watch for it, including homes that come up before they hit the open market. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.
