DeLeon Insight- September 2025 Cover Page

The DeLeon Insight – September 2025



Has Silicon Valley and SF eclipsed NYC as America’s Top Region?

by Ken DeLeon “If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere.” This line from Frank Sinatra’s aspirational “New York, New York” reflects the long-held belief that New York is the epicenter of American commerce and progress. Yet, as technology…

Mountain View: A City of Action

Mountain View enjoys a near-ideal location, with easy access to both San Jose and San Francisco. Between the natural beauty, the wonderful business environment, and all the dining and recreation options in and around Mountain View, residents have many…

Lakewood Village may be the next Birdland

  It was an exciting day in April 2017 when Apple employees began moving into Apple Park, commonly known as the “Spaceship”. But it had already been an exciting past five years for homeowners in the Birdland neighborhood of Sunnyvale,…

Real Estate and the Millennial Home Buyer

  The American Dream has not changed for Millennials. It is very much the same dream our parents might have had: a career, a family, and a home. It’s just taken us more time to get there because we grew up in a world where unpaid internships…

Attracting Palo Alto Buyers to Menlo Park Listings

by Michael Repka | CEO & General Counsel At first blush, some homeowners in Menlo Park may assume that they should limit their search to Menlo Park-based listing agents when selling their home. Their reasoning is that a local Menlo Park agent knows…

Why Buyers Love Palo Alto So Much

By Ken DeLeon | Founder While I appreciate all of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto is the city I love the most and which I call home. From the moment I interviewed at Wilson Sonsini twenty years ago, I immediately fell in love with our amazing city. Over…

A Shot Across California’s Bow

By Michael Repka, ESQ | CEO & General Counsel (LL.M.—Taxation, NYU School of Law) Since the earliest hints at the substance of President Trump’s new tax proposal, there has been one element that has remained consistent—the elimination…

Predicting the Next Hot City

by Ken DeLeon | Founder While a rising tide will lift all boats, in real estate these boats (or neighborhoods) will not all rise at the same velocity. Though there are some mega-trends driving the housing market in Silicon Valley, there are…

The Tale of Two Cities on One Avenue

By Ken DeLeon | Founder I have truly loved my last few months living in Atherton.  The streets are so lush and the beautifully landscaped homes now make my drive to work seem more like taking a relaxing stroll through a magical park.  Atherton…

Why Buyers Love ATHERTON So Much

By Ken DeLeon | Founder While Atherton is internationally famous for its natural beauty and affluence, wise residents know that it is the idyllic charm of this community coupled with its great schools and high quality of life that makes it so attractive…