San Jose is the largest city in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area’s tech heart. Its history stretches back to agricultural origins (orchards and vineyards) and expansion as a suburban city for San Francisco, then rapid growth with the tech boom. Within the city you’ll find neighborhoods like Willow Glen, Almaden Valley, Berryessa, Rose Garden, downtown core and newer technology campuses around the edges. Housing types range from modest mid-20th-century single-family homes, to modern townhouses/condos, to large luxury homes in foothill enclaves. The city is urban/suburban in character with some low-density fringe zones, but little true rural land within city limits. As part of the Bay-Area metro, the major nearby large city is San Francisco (~50 miles away) though San Jose itself is a major node. Home prices in San Jose are steep: average home value ~$1.38 million as of recent Zillow data. Some listings show single-family median ~$1.675 M For building new homes in premier neighbourhoods, you might easily be in the US$2 M+ to US$3 M range depending on lot size and finishes. The tech-wealth effect raises the cost of all housing across the city.