Stephanie Martin Group Reports Rise in Senior Homeowners Selling Long-Held Properties
News related to:Stephanie Martin Group · 2 min read
SAN JOSE, CA, UNITED STATES, October 29, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Stephanie Martin Group, a South Bay-based real estate team, is reporting a steady increase in senior homeowners selling long-held family homes in Silicon Valley. According to the group, 40 percent of their current business involves homes that have been owned for 25 years or longer. This figure has grown each year since 2024, reflecting a significant shift in the real estate market.
The rise in senior homeowners selling their long-held properties is largely attributed to Proposition 19, which allows California residents age 55 and older to transfer their existing property tax base when they move within the state. This amendment has effectively removed one of the largest barriers that previously kept long-term owners from selling their homes.
Despite the financial benefits, the most common hesitation among senior sellers is emotional. Many of the group's clients have lived in the same home for 30, 40, or even 50 years and are facing a major life transition.
The Stephanie Martin Group has seen the most consistent rise in senior-driven listings across San Jose and Cambrian Park. Emotionally weighted moves are common in Willow Glen, while lower-volume but higher-value transitions are taking place in Saratoga and Los Gatos. Most sellers are staying local, downsizing into smaller single-story homes, townhomes, or condos within Santa Clara County. A smaller share are moving closer to adult children, including into accessory dwelling units on family property.
In one recent transaction, the group worked with a family selling a property that had been in their hands since it was built. The elderly relative who had lived there for most of his life was leaving the only home he had ever known. After an extended period focused on supporting the seller through the emotional side of the move, the team coordinated repairs, staging, and marketing. The home sold for more than 300,000 dollars above the original list price.
The Stephanie Martin Group expects the trend to continue over the next two to three years as more long-held homes reach the point where aging in place is no longer practical and Prop 19 portability supports in-state moves. The team anticipates rising demand for single-story and low-maintenance housing and continued absorption of original-condition properties across established Silicon Valley neighborhoods.