Just west and south of the intersection of Blossom Hill Road and Harwood Road sits a neighborhood of Los Gatos homes with three subdivisions: Belwood of Los Gatos, Belgatos & Surmont. Nearby public landmarks are Belgatos Park and the Walgreen’s shopping center (corner of Blossom Hill and Harwood), with a Mountain Mike’s Pizza and a Starbucks coffee shop.
For many Los Gatans, all three of these east Los Gatos areas (and sometimes a broader one still) are generally referred to as “Belwood” or “Belwood-Belgatos.” (The Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police cert map identifies the whole region plus the Strathmore neighborhood, which is across Blossom Hill Road, as “Belwood” generally.)
The terrain is nearly level, with very low, gentle hills over most of the area. With winding, mostly tree-lined roads and tidy houses, it’s a very attractive neighborhood overall. For those looking for an arduous climb on foot or bike, though, Harwood Road provides a nice challenge. At the top, you’ll see a fantastic view of downtown San Jose and Silicon Valley for your trouble. (There are some challenges to be found in the open space trails, too.)
Belgatos Park and trails
At the middle of this community is the very inviting Belgatos Park, a scenic, setting which includes a playground near the parking lot, picnic areas, restrooms, trails into the hills (with some wonderful valley views), and access to the Heinz Open Space Preserve and its network of trails also. (And it’s not far to the Santa Rosa Open Space area either.)
One hill attracts kids who enjoy sliding down it on bits of cardboard, and thus has been nicknamed “cardboard hill” for decades. Most of the time these cardboard sledding enthusiasts are pretty good about picking up their “sledding vehicles” when done.
The paths are popular with people on foot, but also those on mountain bikes or horseback. As there are a few larger properties which are zoned for horses in the area, this is a very nice equestrian option.
For photographers, the park has abundant worthy subjects year round, both of the open space and the valley views below. In the early morning hours, or near sunset, you may see some deer too. But be careful: bobcats and mountain lions are in these hills also.
What are homes like in Belwood, Belgatos and Surmont?
Most houses were built over a fairly short span of about 20 years in the sixties and seventies, and most are the typical 1-2 story ranch style of architecture which is so common in Silicon Valley. Houses are usually between about 1800 and 3000 SF, though a few in Belwood are just under 1500 SF, and some larger houses in Surmont exceed 3000 SF. Lot sizes are usually around 10,000 SF, but again there’s variation, with some as small as 8,000 and others approaching 1/3 of an acre.
Cost? Generally, real estate prices in the area run between $1.5 million and $2.2 million for a house which is in good shape (land value only sales will be under the $1.5 million price point). In the current market, homes are going for more than before with sales in the last 12 months between $1,499,000 and $3,200,000 (the next most expensive sale was at 2.4 mil). Most sales are just under $2 million.
Belwood tends to be all tract housing, though some owners have extensively remodeled or rebuilt. Belgatos is semi-custom and sells for more than Belwood most of the time. Surmont is more custom or semi custom and is sometimes on much larger lots. For a better feel, please watch the “driving tour” video below.
What about nearby? On either end of these subdivisions in Los Gatos there are more expensive areas (but on the San Jose side, less expensive ones). If you move just slightly east and south from this area, the Alerche, Crider, Harwood Hills area boasts acre sized parcels (or more) with larger, luxury homes, many with valley views. These high end properties begin at about $3.2 million and go up from there.
The Belwood Cabaña
The other centering point for the community is the Belwood of Los Gatos Cabaña. Originally only available to those in the Belwood area (appx between Harwood and Belgatos Roads), now most of the streets from Harwood to Westhill qualify, either as “class A” (mandatory) or “class D” (optional membership, but dues are a bit more expensive, and technically not Belwood since it’s not a mandatory area). A newer part of Bacigalupi, and Jamie Court behind it, are in the class D area, as well as the properties between Belgatos and Westhill on the west side. You can see the class D map on the HOA’s website (BelwoodHomes.org). (BelwoodOfLosGatos.com is another one of my sites.)
Video: a driving tour through Surmont, Belgatos, and Belwood, plus nearby Alerche and Harwood Hills, with a view of Belgatos Park, the Belwood CabaC1a and the local horse ranch on Harwood Road in the hills
Browse homes for sale in the Belwood, Belgatos & Surmont neighborhood
- List View
- Map View
- Grid View
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Lot Size11,583 sqft
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Home Size2,761 sq ft
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Beds4 beds
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Baths3 baths
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Year Built1965
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Days on Market
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See all Belwood Belgatos Surmont AVAILABLE.
(all data current as of
4/28/2019)
Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.
- List View
- Map View
- Grid View
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Lot Size10,219 sqft
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Home Size1,748 sq ft
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Beds4 beds
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Baths2 baths
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Year Built1963
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Days on Market
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Lot Size11,326 sqft
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Home Size2,190 sq ft
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Beds4 beds
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Baths3 baths
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Year Built1961
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Days on Market
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Lot Size9,469 sqft
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Home Size2,448 sq ft
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Beds6 beds
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Baths3 baths
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Year Built1965
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Days on Market
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Lot Size9,665 sqft
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Home Size2,420 sq ft
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Beds4 beds
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Baths3 baths
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Year Built1979
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Days on Market
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Lot Size11,708 sqft
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Home Size2,771 sq ft
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Beds4 beds
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Baths3 baths
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Year Built1963
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Days on Market
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Lot Size11,430 sqft
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Home Size2,448 sq ft
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Beds4 beds
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Baths3 baths
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Year Built1965
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Days on Market
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Lot Size10,624 sqft
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Home Size2,424 sq ft
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Beds4 beds
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Baths3 baths
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Year Built1965
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Days on Market
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Lot Size9,787 sqft
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Home Size2,783 sq ft
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Beds4 beds
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Baths3 baths
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Year Built1964
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Days on Market
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Lot Size10,023 sqft
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Home Size3,246 sq ft
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Beds6 beds
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Baths4 baths
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Year Built1968
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Days on Market
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Lot Size43,189 sqft
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Home Size3,094 sq ft
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Beds4 beds
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Baths3 baths
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Year Built1986
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Days on Market
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See all Belwood Belgatos Surmont SOLDS.
(all data current as of
4/28/2019)
Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.
Would you like to learn more about buying or selling your Los Gatos home? Please call or email me today! 408 204-7673 or email mary (at) popehandy.com
More more info on this area, please see my Belwood-Belgatos website: BelwoodOfLosGatos.com .