Thank you for your interest in our apartments!

The Blue Hills Studios offers Studio apartments and garages for rent at a great value.  I believe we provide our residents with the best value in the West San Jose/Cupertino area.  I hope I get a chance to rent to you!

We are located in Jose, CA.  We're located right between the 85 and the 280 freeways, we're just down the street from Apple Computer Company, and around the corner from De Anza College.  We're very close to Cupertino, Sunnyvale, and Saratoga.

Here's some information you'll find useful:
What apartments are coming available?
Information about our apartments
Video Tour
Our Pet Policy
Our Prices
Visiting our apartments
Applying to rent
Signing your lease

Find us on Google+!  You can also follow us on facebook and  Twitter.  

Once you've completed your application, please email me at propmgrjay@gmail.com to schedule an appointment to drop it by and tour the property.  I look forward to meeting you!

Video Tour

Follow me on Twitter (@bluehillssj) or Facebook!

Current Rent Rates

May 2013 Lease $1200
June 2013 Lease $1200

Unfortunately, I can only offer 12 month leases on most units.  No month to month tenancies (in most cases).  Once your lease term has completed, you may hold over on a month to month tenancy.


The security deposit is $500 + a surety bond (Value of surety bond is $1000)  

Refundable Security deposit = $500
Non refundable Premium for surety bond = $175
Total needed for deposit and bond (not including rent) = $675

If you'd rather not use a surety bond, you can replace the $1000 value of the bond by adding $1000 to your deposit for a total refundable deposit of $1500.

For more information about surety bonds, please read the article I've written that explains what they are and how they work.

Garages are $225 (month to month) and $200 per month for a 12 month lease that accompanies a 12 month lease for a studio.


Remember, we are in an expansion phase of the housing/rental market.  Supply is drying up, rents for vacant units are going up.  It's about to become harder and more expensive to find an apartment to rent. 

If you're expecting to be in the market for an apartment soon, don't delay.  Get your rental secured and get yourself a 12 month lease while you still can.

Future Vacancies

Available dates are approximate:

Available Now!
Unit G09: Ready to Rent! -- This is a garage, not a studio.
Unit G12: Ready to Rent!  -- This is a garage, not a studio.
Unit C15:  Rented
Unit E15:  Rented!
Unit C07:  Rented!
Unit E04:   Ready to Rent!


Available in June!
D16:  June 7
E16:  June 7
C05: June 7

Available in July!
Unit B05: TBA - Offered below market value!  Contact me for details!!
Unit B10:  TBA - Offered below market value!  Contact me for details!!
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Check back here once a week or so.  Future vacancies will be posted here as I become aware of them.

All dates are approximate, and may change based on the actual date the apartment is vacated, and on the condition of the apartment when it is vacated.

There are two ways to receive automatic notifications about future vacancies. you can click the "like" button on my facebook page or follow me on Twitter.

Calabazas Library Opening Announced

Yesterday I noticed a banner on the library announcing a grand opening celebration on June 8, 2013 at 11 am.  Great news we can finally expect our neighborhood library to be open in June.  I've been here for 3 years and we've been without a local branch the whole time so I'll be so nice to finally have it open.

How to make a plant pot from a plastic bottle

Price Change

Price Change Effective Today at Noon:

Studios: $1200

Refundable Security deposit = $500
Non refundable Premium for surety bond = $175
Total needed for deposit and bond (not including rent) = $675

Total needed to move in = 1 month of rent + security deposit + bond

You don't have to use a surety bond!  If you'd rather not use a surety bond, you can elect to replace the $1000 value of the bond by adding $1000 to your deposit for a total refundable deposit of $1500.  Read this for more information about surety bonds.

Garages: $225  (if you do a 12 month lease on the garage, the price is $200).

Price Change

As of today, prices for studios are as follows:

$1295 monthly rent
$500 deposit (refundable) + bond (non-refundable $175)

Painting

You may notice some paint samples on a couple of the garages.  We're in the process of picking colors so we can paint the property.  We have a vendor lined up to do the painting, and we hope to start painting before the summer begins.  We intend to paint the entire property, including all buildings, balconies, and covered parking structures.

Feel free to have a look at the color samples.  At this point I can't answer any questions about which colors will be chosen, but I'll update this as soon as I can after the colors have been chosen.

Moving Safety

Please keep safety in mind when you're moving in.  Don't take unsafe shortcuts.

B16

Unit B16 should be available for rent by March 16, 2013.  It's in a great location on the second floor, on the corner of the building so there is very little foot traffic past the unit, and it has great views of the Saratoga Mountains.

C10

This unit is no longer available. It is on the second floor, faces East, and is located on the corner of the building.

This is a great unit because not only is it located on a corner (less neighbors, less foot traffic infront of your apartment) but it's also located over a garage, so you'll never have anyone living below you.

Get it while you still can, it should rent quickly.

Christmas Tree Safety

Please remember if you use a live tree to celebrate the holidays, never let your tree dry out.  If it begins dropping needles, dispose of it immediately.  Dry trees are an extreme fire hazard that will destroy your home in less than 60 seconds if ignited.  Please watch the short video below for more information.  Please have a safe and happy holiday this year!

Good advice, no matter where you live...

Daylight savings time ended this morning....

Security Deposit Change

The Security Deposit requirement for November 2012 rental will be as follows:

$800 refundable deposit + $1000 surety bond OR $1800 refundable deposit, your choice.  Click here for more information on surety bonds and how they work.

San Jose Public Library in October

 San José Public Library has a treat for you ...

Plenty of fun and spooky events await you this month at a library near you. Check the list below for a quick preview of a few of the events you can expect this month.  

All events and exhibits are open to the public and FREE of charge. Enjoy!

Fri, Oct. 26 - Halloween Parade - Join us for our annual Halloween Parade. We will parade throughout the library up to the fourth floor. Come in costume and be prepared to get some nice Halloween treats. This is a fun program for the whole family. 3:30-5:30 p.m. - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library (Children's Room)

Sat, Oct. 27 - 6th Annual Harvest Festival & Holiday Boutique - You won't want to miss this "Spooktacular Family Fun" event! There will be costume parades throughout the day, a haunted hallway, pumpkin patch, story times, bake sale, carnival games, holiday gift shopping and a spooky in Transylvania Town.  11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. - Almaden Branch Library and Community Center

Sat, Oct. 29 - Spooky Halloween Science - Get ready for Spooky Halloween Science Fun! In this workshop, you will handle slimy worms and learn about their role in decomposition, turn your lab partner into a "mummy", make a witch's potion, concoct Ogre boogers, create a skull mask, and observe a real sheep's brain.   For children ages 5-12.  4 p.m. - Evergreen Branch Library

Tues, Oct. 30 - Halloween Parade - Children wear your Halloween costumes and join us for a fun treat-filled parade through the library. We'll have a balloon artist here to make you a cool balloon animal too! 4 p.m. - Cambrian Branch Library

Wed, Oct. 31 - Halloween Party - Join us for some freaky and exciting carnival games, spooky fun in the Haunted House, a Costume Contest, and a Halloween Sock Puppet craft. Plus, Balloon Artist Marc Gemellos, will be creating fun ballon designs kids can take home. Don't miss out! 4:00 p.m. - Tully Community Branch

For a more extensive list of events visit sjpl.org/calendar and type in keyword "Halloween"

Did you know? San Jose is among the top 5 best cities in the country for trick or treating- According to Zillow, a real estate marketplace website.

New Hotel coming to Cupertino, Summer 2013

Starwood Hotels & Resorts 
Worldwide announced its new 
destination sensation brand, 
Aloft® Hotels, will open a new 
property in Cupertino, 
California in early 2013. Aloft Cupertino will be the third Aloft to 
open in California and its second in Silicon Valley, following the 
opening of Aloft San Francisco Airport in 2012. Owned by a 
venture between Shashi Corporation and Somera Capital 
Management, Aloft Cupertino will deliver style at a steal with 123 
spacious, loft-like rooms, forward-thinking technology and a 
vibrant, social atmosphere.

“The Aloft brand is perfectly suited for Cupertino, one of the most dynamic cities in Silicon Valley,” said 
Allison Reid, Senior Vice President of North American Development for Starwood. “Aloft is now 55 plus hotels 
and, fueled by the brand’s popularity among savvy travelers, we continue to aggressively grow the brand 
across North America and around the world.”

Islands Restaurant Update

Islands Restaurant tweeted a photo of the progress building their new restaurant in Cupertino.  I asked them when they expected to open the store and they responded "mid-December."  I can't wait either!!

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@IslandsBurgers:  @bluehillssj The #Cupertino store will be opening in mid-December. We can't wait! #Stoked
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Open House Tomrrow!

Open House tomorrow 10/06/12, 11 am to 3 pm! Stop by and see for yourself that the Blue Hills Studios is the best value in the Cupertino area!!

I'm down to my last two vacancies of the summer.  I expect they will both rent at the open house tomorrow, so if you were hoping to get one, get here early with your application complete and a cashiers check/money order for your holding deposit!

What is a surety bond?

Many people have not heard of surety bonds and seem confused when I mention them, so I thought I'd provide some information about them that you can read at your leisure.

The surety bonds we use are provided by SureDeposit.  A surety bond is an insurance product that protects our community like a security deposit would.  We use the surety bond to enable us to allow you to to move in with a smaller security deposit.

Happy Halloween!

We don't seem to get many "trick or treaters" here on Halloween, so if this is a holiday you enjoy, you may just want to go for a nice walk through the neighborhood to enjoy all the costumes and to see the families enjoying the holiday.

It's tough here, because the outside lights can't be controlled individually, so you can't turn your light off if you don't want to participate, and having a light that's on doesn't necessarily mean you want to.

If you want to take your chances and try to lure in the little ghosts and gobblins on their quest for more candy, I recommend putting out a door mat or a sign that lets everyone know you're participating.  Likewise, if you don't wish to have trick or treaters visiting your door, I would recommend not putting any decorations that are visible outside your home.

Here are some halloween decorating ideas for apartment dwellers from ehow.com.

1. • 1
     Buy Halloween dish and bath towels. These take up no extra room as they merely replace your normal dish and bath towels.
   • 2
     Place orange decorative lights around your windows. These lights are the same as Christmas lights except that they are orange instead of red, green or white. Find these lights at craft, department and grocery stores during Halloween season.
   • 3
     Find Halloween stickers and decals and place them directly on your window. Place them inward so that you and guests can see them while in your small apartment, or outward so those passing by can enjoy your decorations.
   • 4
     Purchase a Halloween rug. If you have carpeting, consider a Halloween bath mat instead. Find these decorative rugs at department stores as Halloween approaches.
   • 5
     Hang Halloween buckets and “trick or treat” bags on the walls, as a child-like way to decorate for Halloween.
   • 6
     Light orange, Halloween and fall scented and colored candles. Scented candles are for more than aesthetic value. Certain smells can bring back memories of childhood. Light these throughout the month of October to give your entire apartment the feel of Halloween.  Be very careful using any candles in your home, and never leave them unattended while they are burning.

D14

This unit has rented and is no longer available.

Located on the second floor facing East, this unit gets lots of morning sun, and is shaded from afternoon sun by neighboring buildings.

Price Change

As of this morning, the prices for rent and for security deposits have changed as follows:

September 2012 Leases $1245
October 2012 Leases $1265 

The security deposit is $500 + a surety bond (Value of surety bond is $1000)  

Refundable Security deposit = $500
Non refundable Premium for surety bond = $175
Total needed for deposit and bond (not including rent) = $675

Total needed to move in = 1 month of rent + security deposit + bond

You don't have to use a surety bond!  If you'd rather not use a surety bond, you can elect to replace the $1000 value of the bond by adding $1000 to your deposit for a total refundable deposit of $1500.

Garages will continue to be $225 (month to month) and $200 per month for a 12 month lease that accompanies a 12 month lease for a studio.

Great news for veterans!

Students collecting the GI Bill will see an modest increase in GI Bill payments next month.

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Make Paper Clay "Barnicles" to decorate your home

If momentos of the ocean, coast, or boating are things you like to decorate your home with, you'll love these "Barnicles" made from paper clay.  Cheap, organic, and fun to make!

Here are the instructions on how to make them yourself!