Los Gatos jumbo loans and 2026 loan limits.

Los Gatos became a town in 1887, after the railway came through. Its downtown runs along North Santa Cruz Avenue and Main Street, with Los Gatos Creek and its trail on the east side and Vasona Lake a little way north. Highway 17 passes beside downtown and climbs south past Lexington Reservoir. The Loma Prieta earthquake of October 1989, centered in the mountains to the south, damaged many downtown buildings and older houses, and much of what stands there now was repaired or rebuilt afterward.

Around downtown are Victorian, Craftsman and bungalow houses on small lots, several of them in historic districts. East of Los Gatos Boulevard are ranch-house neighborhoods from the 1950s and 1960s. On the hills at the edge of town are larger houses on sloping lots. Townhouses and condominiums stand near downtown and along the boulevards. South of town, the mountains hold houses of every kind on wooded acreage.

The age of the house downtown, and the land and services in the mountains.

An older house downtown may have been strengthened after 1989, or may not. Ask what was done to the foundation and chimneys, and look for permits. Houses in the town’s historic districts need review before the outside is changed. The appraiser reports condition, and an insurer may ask about wiring and plumbing.

In the mountains, a home is often on a private road, with a well or a small water company, a septic system and propane. Lenders generally ask for a road maintenance agreement and may ask for well and septic reports. Some mountain cabins were built as summer places: a lender wants a house fit for year-round living.

Much of the hills and mountains is in mapped fire hazard zones, and insurance there can be the slowest part of a purchase. Get a written quote before removing contingencies. Winter storms also close mountain roads at times, which appraisers know and buyers should ask about.

Almond Grove is a historic district just west of North Santa Cruz Avenue, on streets such as Almendra, Bean, Nicholson, Tait, Massol and Bachman avenues. It was laid out in the 1880s on a former almond orchard and is one of the town’s earliest subdivisions.

The houses are Victorians, Craftsman bungalows and cottages, on narrow lots within a few blocks of downtown. Many have been carefully restored, and some have a new foundation, a basement or a rear addition behind the original front. Because the district is historic, the town reviews exterior changes and demolition. An appraiser looks at what remains original and at the quality of updates, and compares the house with others in the old part of town. Ask the seller what was done after the 1989 earthquake: foundation bolting, chimney repair and bracing all matter to an insurer. Garages are small or absent on some lots, and street parking is tight on event days. The ground is level, but check the address on the town’s fire hazard map.

Blossom Manor is on the east side of Los Gatos, off Blossom Hill Road, east of Los Gatos Boulevard. It is one of several ranch-house neighborhoods built there in the 1950s as orchards gave way to houses.

Lots are regular and level, larger than downtown, and the original houses are single-story ranch homes with attached garages. Over the years many have been remodeled, extended to the rear or given a second story, and some have been replaced. Appraisals are usually direct, because similar houses sell regularly and the appraiser can match age, size and condition. The questions that come up are about the work done: permits for additions, the age of the roof and the state of the original plumbing and wiring. Deep back yards leave room for an accessory unit, and a permitted one generally leaves the property a one-unit home. Parts of the east side joined the town later than others, so confirm whether an address is in the town or the county. That does not change the loan limit, but it changes where permits come from.

The Los Gatos mountains are the wooded ridges and canyons south of town, along Highway 17, Summit Road, Old Santa Cruz Highway and Bear Creek Road. They are unincorporated. Addresses on the near side of the summit are in Santa Clara County, and some beyond it are in Santa Cruz County.

Homes range from old cabins to large modern houses, on lots from a fraction of an acre to many acres, among redwoods and oaks. Nearly all are on septic systems, with water from a well or a mutual water company, and many are on private roads. A lender generally wants a road agreement, and may want water and septic reports. The house must be suitable to live in all year. Appraisals take longer, since every property differs and sales are spread over a wide area. The state maps fire hazard zones across these mountains, and homeowners insurance may come through the California FAIR Plan with a companion policy. Line it up first. The 1989 earthquake was centered a short way south, across the county line, so ask about the foundation and any slide repairs.