If you follow our Homes of Silicon Valley blog, then you know that we believe in facts, reality, authenticity and our favorite thing of all… silver linings! Because we know that your newsfeed is filled with everything related  to COVID-19, we wanted to provide some balance and share the good news that you may have missed! The updates below may not change the world, but if they bring a smile to yours – that makes us happy.
HOUSING: Property Tax Portability Hits The Ballot Again
You have seen this issue hit the ballot before and it is back with changes: look for the Family Home Protection and Fairness in Property Tax Act to appear on your ballot this November. This measure would expand property tax portability statewide for homeowners 55 years or older who choose to sell, allowing them to keep their current property tax base when purchasing another home – regardless of the difference in home values. Provisions not included in previous versions pertain to owner occupancy in family transfer situations and commercial property tax reassessments.
Read More: November ballot measure would limit property taxes for some older homebuyers
TRANSIT: BART Opens Up In Santa Clara County
It came late, it came in $100 million under budget (yay!) and it is opening amidst a pandemic… but BART’s Silicon Valley Phase 1 is complete and service will begin on June 13th with new stations in Berryessa and Milpitas! Phase 2 of the project is in the engineering phase and will connect to the new transit hub at Diridon (yep, Google’s Transit Village) with a slated opening in 2028.
Read More: BART and VTA finally set to begin San Jose service
FOOD: 16 Bay Area Commendations Among The James Beard Awards
Tech may have put us on the map… but the food (and the friends we enjoy it with!) are what make Silicon Valley life really worth it! Earlier in the month, 16 Bay Area restaurants and chefs achieved national finalist status among the 30th annual James Beards Awards. Verjusy in San Francisco is in the running for ‘Best New Restaurant’, while Manresa in Los Gatos made the cut for the Outstanding Baker & Outstanding Chef categories. **Insert stomach growling sounds***
Read More: 16 in Bay Area make the cut as James Beard Award finalists
BUSINESS: 38 Bay Area Companies Made The Fortune 500
You know that the Fortune 500 are responsible for 2/3 of the US economy, but did you know that Uber Technologies made the list; the rideshare giant now ranks #228 in its Fortune 500 debut. Companies in San Jose and San Francisco represent $1.37 trillion of the list’s $14.2 trillion in revenue. While the usual suspects of Cisco, Apple, NetApp, PayPal, Intuit, eBay, Adobe and the like made the list, another notable data point is the record of 37 women CEO’s – including two from the Bay Area (Jennifer Johnson at Franklin Resources and Sonia Syngal at Gap).
Read More: The Fortune 500 is out. How did the Bay Area do this year?
EDUCATION: 10 San Jose Metro Area Schools Rank Among The Nation’s Best
Every year, US News & World Report releases its ranking of the ‘Best High Schools’ among 17,700 public establishments in the country. Scores are calculated based on 6 factors: college readiness, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rates. The 10 schools recognized in the San Jose Metro Area include Lynbrook High, Saratoga High, KIPP San Jose Collegiate, Monta Vista High and more… and the best part: all the schools are located in areas where Homes of Silicon Valley does business! ;)
Read More: How Silicon Valley's high schools rank across state, U.S.
We hope you have enjoyed keeping up with the news that is on the up in Silicon Valley!
All my best,
Mark Barber, Homes of Silicon Valley