builder filesfile 19 of 42built here c. 1970s–1990sboyenga team at compass
Ponderosa Homes
Jim Peters and Albert DeYoung founded Ponderosa Homes in 1968, with a division in San Jose. A management group bought the Northern California business in 1985, and that company still builds from Pleasanton. Listings credit Ponderosa with homes from the 1970s to the 1990s in San Jose’s foothills, Milpitas, Cupertino and San Bruno. Here’s what the records confirm and what the homes resell for.
- builder
- Ponderosa Homes
- founders
- Jim Peters and Albert DeYoung, 1968
- divisions
- San Jose, Newport Beach and Phoenix, under Peters
- 1970
- bought by Kaiser Aetna interests and Aetna
- 1985
- Northern California business bought by a group led by Kile Morgan Jr.
- today
- Ponderosa Homes II, Inc., Pleasanton
- listings say
- “built by Ponderosa,” “Ponderosa-built”
- sales on record · live…
- median $/sq ft, last 2 yrs…
- for sale now · live…
- homes in California by 1981, per a San Diego city report12,000+
where they are
Where listings place Ponderosa homes
We found no tract maps naming Ponderosa here, so these areas come from resale listings.
| community | city | years | homes | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blossom Valley foothills | San Jose | — | — | Colleen Dr, Mary Evelyn Dr, Brenda Lee Dr, Elder Ct, Bowen Ave and Ct, Galen Dr and Lyric Ln. Listings name the Countrywood, Hickorywood and Kensington models and a “Kentfield Tract.” |
| Evergreen foothills | San Jose | — | — | Broken Oak Ct, Ruby Ave, Gage Ct and Requa Ct; one listing names “Plan 34.” |
| East foothills | San Jose | 1974 (one listing) | — | Mabury Rd, Salem Dr, Cape Buffalo Dr and Orange St near Cimarron Park. |
| Cambrian and Houge Park area | San Jose | 1977 (one listing) | — | Cranford Cir, Booksin Ave, Rupert Dr, Ashbrook Cir, Hecate Pl, Almansa Ct and Eberly Dr. |
| Almaden | San Jose | 1996 (one listing) | — | Via Bella, Via Del Rio, Contessa Ct and Apennines Cir; a 1996 listing names the “Crown Point Collection.” |
| Parktown area | Milpitas | — | — | Carlsbad St and Mesa Verde Dr. |
| Pacific Heights | San Bruno | 1980 (listings) | — | Spyglass Dr cul-de-sacs. Listings say “built by Ponderosa Homes in 1980,” with plans up to about 2,810 sq ft. |
All of these come from resale listings; we found no tract map or city record naming Ponderosa here. A listing also credits it with a semi-custom home on Tuscany Pl in Cupertino. Sunnyvale’s Ponderosa Park is a different story: Bahl filed the Ponderosa Pines and Ponderosa West tracts there in 1966–67, before Ponderosa Homes existed.
the homes
What the homes are like
From resale listings and Hall of Fame profiles of the company’s leaders.
- plans
Named models
Listings name Countrywood, Hickorywood and Kensington models in Blossom Valley and a “Plan 34” in Evergreen, a sign the company sold from standard plans.
- sites
Foothill streets
Many listed Ponderosa homes sit near the foothills in Blossom Valley and Evergreen, often on courts and cul-de-sacs.
- types
One and two stories
Listings describe single-story homes and two-story 4-bedroom plans, some with three-car garages.
- 1985
One name, two companies
The 1968 company was sold in 1970, and in 1985 a management group bought its Northern California business and formed today’s Pleasanton-based company, per Hall of Fame profiles.
- myth check
Not Ponderosa Park
Sunnyvale’s Ponderosa Park neighborhood carries the name, but Bahl built its first tracts in 1966–67, before Ponderosa Homes existed.
the sales ledger
Every recorded Ponderosa sale
Each dot is a sale whose listing names Ponderosa Homes, mostly in San Jose. Hover a dot for the address, date and price.
- sales on record…
- median price…
- median $ per sq ft…
- latest sale…
one recorded salemedian for the yearprice per sq ft = sale price ÷ listed living area
| sold | address | price | $/sq ft | bd / ba | sq ft |
|---|
Many Ponderosa homes sell without the builder named, so the ledger undercounts them. Sales come from the MLS records available to us and include every sold listing whose description names the builder, so a few homes may be labeled by the listing agent rather than confirmed from tract records. Sold data is shown with the listing brokerage. Price per square foot uses the living area in the listing. Ask us for a full comparable-sales report on any address.
on the market
For sale now
Active listings whose description names Ponderosa Homes.
Checking active listings…
owning one today
Owning one today
- Homes of this ageListed Ponderosa homes here date from the 1970s to the 1990s. Plan for roof, window, electrical panel and drain-line checks on the older ones. Our Inspection Decoder covers what to order.
- Hillside lotsFoothill homes can sit on slopes. Check drainage, retaining walls and any geologic hazard disclosures.
- Warranty and SB 800California’s Right to Repair Act generally limits defect claims to 10 years after completion, so these homes are past that window.
the nerd check
Buying or selling one
What we check when you buy
- Confirm the builderWe check the deed and permits, since listings credit Ponderosa by name and few records do.
- Which model?We match the home to its model and year, which sets the comparables.
- Lot and drainageOn foothill lots we review drainage, retaining walls and hazard disclosures.
- The right comparablesWe compare against the same model in the same neighborhood first.
How we market one when you sell
- Name the modelBuyers search for Ponderosa models by name, so we confirm the model and say so in the listing.
- Show the settingWe photograph the views and the lot that set foothill homes apart.
- Prep with a planOur Prep Lab budgets repairs and refresh before you list.
- Price from real salesWe price from recent sales of the same model nearby.
questions
Questions we hear
Who founded Ponderosa Homes?
Jim Peters and Albert DeYoung, in 1968, according to Peters’ California Homebuilding Foundation Hall of Fame profile. It had divisions in San Jose, Newport Beach and Phoenix while he led it.
Is Ponderosa Homes still building?
Yes. Kile Morgan Jr. led a buyout of the Northern California business in 1985, and that company, now Ponderosa Homes II, Inc., builds from Pleasanton, mostly in the East Bay.
Did Ponderosa Homes build Sunnyvale’s Ponderosa Park?
We found no sign of it. Bahl’s own tract list shows Ponderosa Pines and Ponderosa West there in 1966–67, before Ponderosa Homes was founded.
Where are Ponderosa homes here?
Listings credit Ponderosa with homes in San Jose’s Blossom Valley, Evergreen, Almaden and Cambrian areas and in Milpitas, Cupertino and San Bruno. We haven’t found tract records naming the builder, so confirm with the deed and permits.
sources
Sources
Hall of Fame profiles, a city report, local press and listings, checked October 2026.
- California Homebuilding Foundation: James M. PetersFounding in 1968 and the San Jose divisionwww.mychf.org/peters-james-m
- California Homebuilding Foundation: Kile Morgan Jr. (1997)The 1985 buyout of the Northern California businessmychf.org/node/183
- City of San Diego: Mira Mesa historic context statement (draft, 2022)The 1970 acquisition and 12,000 homes by 1981www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/draft_mira_mesa_historic_context_statement_20220809.pdf
- Pleasanton Weekly: Tim Talk (May 2026)Still building in Pleasantonwww.pleasantonweekly.com/?p=730112
- Bahl Homes: chronological tract listPonderosa Pines and Ponderosa West, 1966–67www.bahl.com/Pages/History/chronological_list.html
- MLSListings: 1940 Spyglass Dr, San Bruno“Built by Ponderosa Homes in 1980” (listing)www.mlslistings.com/property/SF426122697
- California Civil Code § 94110-year limit for construction-defect claimscalifornia.public.law/codes/civil_code_section_941
builder files
Every builder file, by era
Bars show the years each builder was building here. See all builders or the home styles field guide.
- Fernando Nelson1880–1920s
- Gellert (Sunstream)1922–1972
- Birge Clark1922–1970s
- Stoneson1920s–1960s
- Doelger1927–1960s
- McKeon1927–early 1970s
- Gardner Dailey1930s–1960s
- William Wurster1930s–1960s
- Rousseau1931–1933
- Bohannon1936–1955
- Cliff May1950s
- Stern & Price1951–1953
- Mackay Homes1950s
- Mardell1955–1959
- Hayman Homes1960s–1970s
- Ditz-Crane1962–1984
- Brown & Kauffmann1960s–1981
- Bahl1968–1986
- Ponderosa Homes1970s–1990s
- Shapell1971–2000s
- SummerHill Homes1976–today
- Pinn Brothers1976–today
- Robson Homes1989–today
- Pacific Peninsula Group1989–today
- Barry Swenson Builder1990s–2010s
- Classic Communities1990s–2010s
- Warmington1990s–2020s
- DeNova Homes2000s–today
- City Ventures2011–today
- Trumark Homes2012–today
- Dividend Homes2010s–today
- KB Home1980s–today
- Brookfield1990s–today
- Pulte Homes2000s–today
- Shea Homes2000s–2010s
- Lennar2000s–today
- Toll Brothers2000s–today
- Taylor Morrison2007–today
- D.R. Horton2010s
- Tri Pointe Homes2012–today
- K. Hovnanian2014–2018
- Meritage Homes2010s
talk to a property nerd
Own a Ponderosa home?
We can match it to its model and value it against recent sales of similar homes nearby. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.
