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los gatos neighborhood guide · property nerds® at compass
Rinconada Hills, Los Gatos Homes for sale, recent sales and a Property Nerd’s guide
A gated planned community of 394 townhouses and 40 single-family homes on 107 acres off Pollard Road, built in five phases from 1968 to 1981 around a two-acre lake.
Rinconada Hills by the numbers
rinconada hills by the numbers · live from the mls
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Calculated in your browser from MLS data for Rinconada Hills: the gated community south of Pollard Rd (approximate). Sales are single-family homes, townhomes and condos.
homes in rinconada hills · live from the mls
Homes for sale, for rent and recently sold in Rinconada Hills
Every active listing, rental and closed sale in Rinconada Hills from the MLS, updated automatically, with a map of the neighborhood outline.
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Listings come from MLSListings and other MLSs through IDX and show their listing brokerage; confirm details with the listing agent. The map outline is the neighborhood boundary used by our listing search (Rinconada Hills: the gated community south of Pollard Rd (approximate)); it may not match every local definition.
the story
How Rinconada Hills came to be
Rinconada Hills is 434 homes on 107 acres, behind one gate. The association says Brown & Kauffmann designed and built it in five phases between 1968 and 1981. That produced 394 townhouses, from about 1,268 to about 2,400 square feet, and 40 single-family homes. Listing records for individual homes fit the phasing, with build years of 1974 on El Olivar and 1980 on Calle Larga.
The name reaches back much further. Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos was the 6,631-acre Mexican land grant made in 1840 to José María Hernández and Sebastián Fabián Peralta. It covered present-day Los Gatos and Monte Sereno and part of Campbell, and the name is usually translated as "corner of the cats," after the mountain lions in the nearby hills. Several things on this side of town still carry it, including the Town's La Rinconada Park a few blocks east.
The idea was the opposite of a standard tract. Instead of one house per lot facing a public street, the homes are grouped in clusters along private lanes, and most of the land is shared. Per the association, that shared land holds a two-acre lake, three cascading ponds with a waterfall, 10 pools, three tennis courts striped for pickleball, a bocce court, community gardens and a clubhouse with a commercial kitchen, a fireplace and a library alcove. The association also keeps a separate lot for extra cars, boats and RVs.
streets and homes
The streets and the houses
You enter on Avenida del Sol from Pollard Road, where the association's office sits at 100 Avenida del Sol. Every lane inside is private and carries a Spanish name. Casitas Bulevar is the main loop; Vista del Lago and Via Lago run along the lake near the middle of the property; and short lanes such as El Pinar, El Olivar, El Porton, El Altillo, Los Patios, Los Alturas, Puesta del Sol, Via Collado, Calle Larga, Calle Corta, Calle Nivel, Callecita, Plazoleta, Sierra Linda, Rio Vista, Casa Grande and Altura Vista branch off to the clusters. The association describes views of the Santa Cruz Mountains and the valley from the property.
Most homes are attached townhouses. A 1974 example on El Olivar in listing records has three bedrooms and two and a half baths in about 1,640 square feet; a 1980 townhouse on Calle Larga has about 2,035 square feet with a main level and a primary suite upstairs. The 40 detached homes are mixed in among them. Because the townhouses sit on small individual lots, you generally own the ground under your unit and share the open space through the association.
Because the outside of each cluster, the landscaping and the lanes are shared, plan remodels around interiors such as kitchens, baths, flooring and floor plans, and expect anything visible from the common area to need association approval before you start.
streets in rinconada hills
- Avenida del Sol
- Casitas Bulevar
- Vista del Lago
- Via Lago
- El Pinar
- El Olivar
- El Porton
- El Altillo
- Los Patios
- Los Alturas
- Puesta del Sol
- Via Collado
- Calle Larga
- Calle Corta
- Calle Nivel
- Callecita
- Plazoleta
- Sierra Linda
- Rio Vista
- Casa Grande
- Altura Vista
parks and places
Parks, shops and landmarks near Rinconada Hills
- landmark
The lake and clubhouse
The two-acre lake, three ponds and waterfall sit near the middle of the community, with the clubhouse, pools, tennis and pickleball courts, bocce court and community gardens spread around it. These are private, association-run amenities.
- park
La Rinconada Park
A Town of Los Gatos creekside park on Granada Way at Wedgewood Avenue, a few blocks east of More Avenue, with a half-mile trail along Smith Creek, a tennis court, lawns, picnic tables with barbecue pits and a playground, per Town records.
- shopping
Safeway at Pollard Road and More Avenue
A Safeway-anchored center at 1500 Pollard Road sits at the community's northeast corner, close enough to walk from much of the property.
- park
Vasona Lake County Park
The county park on Blossom Hill Road, with its lake and the Los Gatos Creek Trail, is about 1.7 miles southeast in a straight line.
schools and commute
School districts and getting around
School districts
Listing records and Census Bureau district boundaries put Rinconada Hills in Campbell Union School District for elementary and middle school and Campbell Union High School District for high school, even though the mailing address is Los Gatos. Rolling Hills Middle School, a Campbell Union School District campus, is on More Avenue just across Pollard Road. Attendance boundaries change, so check the exact address with each district.
Campbell Union guide · Campbell Union High guide · Silicon Valley school districts
Getting around
- Highway 85 runs just north of Pollard Road; the More Avenue pedestrian overcrossing crosses it on foot toward Campbell.
- Highway 17 is about 1.8 miles east in a straight line, and downtown Los Gatos is about 2.3 miles south (approximate).
- VTA light rail ends at Winchester Station in Campbell, about 2.6 miles northeast in a straight line. VTA's planned extension from Winchester to a Vasona Junction station near Highway 85 was put on hold by a VTA board committee in 2019.
- The West Valley College Transit Center in Saratoga, about 1.4 miles west, is the closest VTA bus hub (approximate).
- The Los Gatos Creek Trail is reachable at Vasona Lake County Park, about 1.7 miles southeast (approximate).
nerd notes
Buying or selling in Rinconada Hills: what we check
Buying here
- Read the full association packet before you commit: CC&Rs, bylaws, budget, reserve study, recent minutes and the master insurance policy. Ask exactly what the dues cover, such as roofs, siding, paint, landscaping, lanes, the gate and the pools.
- The association posts rules on rental restrictions. If you might rent the home later, read them first.
- Check the title report to confirm what you own: the lot under your unit, the common area share and any patios or parking assigned to your unit.
- Homes date from 1968 to 1981. Check the electrical panel, plumbing supply lines, windows, and any enclosed patio or added room against the permit record.
- Look up the address on CAL FIRE's Fire Hazard Severity Zone viewer and read the natural hazard disclosure, since the community sits at the edge of the foothills.
Selling here
- Order the association's resale documents as soon as you decide to sell; buyers and lenders ask for them early.
- The association has its own rules for agent signs. Check them before you plan signs, open houses or showings, and arrange gate access for showings.
- Buyers compare like with like here. Know your plan, its square footage and its position: lake or valley views, distance to the nearest pool, end unit or interior, one level or two.
- Pull permits for any remodel, especially kitchens, baths, windows or added space, and have association approvals for exterior changes ready.
nerd noteCommissions are always negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what's included.
faq
Rinconada Hills questions, answered
How many homes are in Rinconada Hills?
434, according to the association: 394 townhouses and 40 single-family homes, built in five phases from 1968 to 1981 on 107 acres.
Is Rinconada Hills gated?
Yes. Entry is through a controlled gate with camera surveillance on Avenida del Sol off Pollard Road, per the association, and all the lanes inside are private.
What do residents share?
Per the association: a two-acre lake, three ponds with a waterfall, 10 pools, three tennis courts striped for pickleball, a bocce court, a clubhouse, community gardens, walking paths and a separate lot for extra vehicles, boats and RVs.
Is it in the Town of Los Gatos?
Yes. Addresses are Los Gatos 95032, and the property falls inside the Town limits on the town boundary we checked. School districts are a different matter: listing records show Campbell Union districts here.
Which school districts serve Rinconada Hills?
Campbell Union School District and Campbell Union High School District, per listing records and Census district boundaries. Boundaries change, so confirm the exact address with the districts.
Can I rent out a home in Rinconada Hills?
The association has rental restrictions. Read the current rules in the resale packet before you buy if renting is part of your plan.
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