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Column by Devin Davis
A home in the Tri-Valley doesn’t need to have a high price tag or a lot of square footage to be considered luxury.
“We live in California, where luxury to a lot of people includes a view, gated community or something near a golf course,” said Tracey Esling, 2025 president for Bay East Association of Realtors.
“Luxury living comes in many forms,” she said. “Indoors, it can be anything from paint color, rugs, and window coverings to spa showers, soaking tubs, and wine rooms. Outdoors, that could mean a swimming pool or adding an outdoor kitchen or a pergola.”
Esling said that while there are homes in Pleasanton which meet that definition, there are many others that are luxurious for other reasons.
According to the National Association of Realtors, a luxury home is defined by properties with high prices, significant square footage and high-end amenities. While there are homes in the Tri-Valley and Pleasanton that have these characteristics, there are other things that make them “luxurious”.
Esling said many homebuyers and current residents find luxury in both how a home functions and community amenities.
“For Pleasanton homeowners there’s more to ‘luxury’ than just having a big or fancy home,” Esling said, “Quality of life can also be as important, if not more important.”
Easy access to a vibrant downtown, community events, high quality or unique restaurants or a short drive to schools is what can be considered living in luxury to many people in the Tri-Valley.
Esling said when people think about luxury in California, they’re likely thinking of coastal homes with an oceanside view or winery estate homes, but if you’re moving to the Tri-Valley that may not be something you care all that much about.
Homes on the market with a sale price exceeding $1 million were once considered to be luxury according to NAR. The median sales price for a single-family detached home in Pleasanton has exceeded $1 million for the last 10 years.
“People moving to the Tri-Valley from out of state or other regions of California may expect the prices they pay to cater to the traditional sense of the word luxury, but once they’re here, they adjust to the lifestyle that includes more than what they paid for their house,” Esling said.
Esling shared that some amenities that may not have been considered a “luxury” became a must-have during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. NAR expressed a similar sentiment reporting amenities such as extra bedrooms and bathrooms, and homes on large lots, became necessities rather than just luxuries.
Those types of amenities have continued to add value post-pandemic as many Pleasanton homeowners are still able to work from home. “Luxury could mean having an extra room to use as a home office,” Esling explained.
Esling concluded that lots of factors contribute to the luxuriousness of a home, saying, “Luxury is subjective, and here in the Tri-Valley, it’s really anything that makes the difference between a property just being a house and becoming a home.”
Editor’s note: Devin Davis is the public affairs specialist for the Bay East Association of Realtors, based in Pleasanton.
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