Foster City, 94404,  shares a zip code with the city of San Mateo but that’s the only thing they share.  Foster City is a planned community, meaning it was planned from the ground up, and was one of the first two planned communities in the US.  There are apartments, condominiums, townhouses and single family homes around the town.  It sits at bay side and many communities within the town have waterfront property.

It’s a town with outstanding schools.  The three elementary schools and one intermediate school
have high test scores and are among the best within the San Mateo/Foster City School District. They are a major attraction to the town for new residents.

Last week’s median price was $1,218,000.  Fewer homes have seen price reductions than other cities. The houses are generally around 30 years old in Foster City and larger than in many of the other local communities.  Lots generally are not very large but there are more parks in Foster City than in any other community in San Mateo County.  Many homes back up to parks within their own neighborhood.

The average time on market has risen over the past weeks and is now about 56 days but there were only 18
homes to choose from so it is a seller’s market.  The price of homes has risen over the past couple of years but Foster City’s large choice of townhouses, some of which are as large or larger than a single family home, affords families the schools without the high cost of those houses. The houses in the highest quartile generally sit with a waterfront view.  This kind of lot commands several hundred thousand dollars more than the homes across the street without one.

The town sits south of highway 92 and east of 101.  It’s an easy commute either north or south, east
across the San Mateo/Hayward Bridge or west to Half Moon Bay.  The winds of the bay temper the weather making it a little cooler than other places on the Peninsula, a welcome relief for many.  Again my data comes from Altos Research and if you’d like for information please let us know.