Best Realtors in New Almaden, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
New Almaden is a small historic community at the south end of the Almaden Valley, along Almaden Road and Alamitos Creek below the hills of Almaden Quicksilver County Park. It grew up around the old quicksilver mines, and today it mixes older cottages along the road with rural and hillside homes on larger lots, most with San Jose 95120 mailing addresses. None of the agents we verified name New Almaden itself on their profiles; the list below includes agents whose profiles name the Almaden area or ZIP code 95120, and we say which.
This guide is published by Diamond Real Estate Group, one of the brokerages listed. Our broker is listed first; other agents are in alphabetical order. The order is not a ranking, and inclusion is not an endorsement.
How we chose the agents in this guide
Each agent below met three checks in October 2026:
- A current California license. We opened each agent’s record on the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) public lookup and confirmed the name, license type (salesperson or broker) and a "Licensed" status, with a responsible broker or broker-associate affiliation that matches the brokerage on the agent’s profile.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the brokerage they work under.
- A public page tied to the area. We opened each agent’s MLS profile and confirmed it names Almaden or ZIP code 95120 as a service area. No profile we opened named New Almaden by name.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. Licenses and affiliations change, so check the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
New Almaden housing in numbers
The Census Bureau does not publish figures for New Almaden on its own. The closest measure is ZIP code 95120, which also covers the much larger Almaden Valley suburbs of San Jose.
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | ZIP code 95120 |
|---|---|
| Population | 36,967 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $2,000,001 (top-coded) |
| Median household income | $250,001 (top-coded) |
| Persons per household | 2.9 |
| Median age | 47.5 |
| Mean travel time to work | 33.1 minutes |
| Housing units | 12,981 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 95120, as presented by Census Reporter. The value and income figures are the survey’s top reporting limits, so the real medians are higher; these numbers mostly describe Almaden Valley, not New Almaden.
A home on Almaden Road in New Almaden and a house in an Almaden Valley subdivision are different markets. Ask agents for closed sales of comparable rural or hillside properties.
Living in New Almaden
New Almaden sits where the Almaden Valley narrows into the hills, with Almaden Quicksilver County Park above it and Almaden Lake and the valley’s suburbs to the north. Most of the community is unincorporated, so Santa Clara County handles zoning, building and septic permits, and older homes on the historic stretch of Almaden Road may face extra review before changes. Hillside parcels can rely on private roads, wells or small water systems. For more, see our New Almaden real estate guide, parcel jurisdiction and services, private roads and site access, rural water and wastewater and rural home comparable sales pages.
Costs and rules specific to a New Almaden purchase
- Transfer tax. The Santa Clara County Ordinance Code, Division A30, Chapter III sets the county tax at 55 cents per $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000), and the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder collects transfer tax at recording. If the parcel is in unincorporated county land, San José’s city taxes, including Measure E, should not apply; if it is inside San José city limits, they can. Check the title report and confirm the total on your escrow estimate. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- County permits. Ask the County what the zoning allows before you plan an addition, ADU or new home, and compare permit records with what is built.
- Fire zones and insurance. The hills around New Almaden carry wildfire risk. Check the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, read the County Fire Department’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan, get an insurance quote early, and see our AB 38 guide.
- Water, septic and roads. Confirm the water source, order a septic inspection where there is no sewer, and ask for any road maintenance agreement.
- Flood, slope and other hazards. Homes near Alamitos Creek can fall in mapped flood zones and hillside lots in landslide zones; read the natural hazard disclosure report and check FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center. Our acreage ownership budget covers typical carrying costs.
Agents near New Almaden with verified licenses
Matthew Martinez, Diamond Real Estate Group (publisher of this guide)
Matthew Martinez is the Founder, CEO and Managing Broker of Diamond Real Estate Group. He is based in Sonoma County; contact him to discuss a purchase or sale in New Almaden. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicki Banucci (licensed as Nicole Andros Banucci) | Compass, San Jose | Salesperson #01405054 | ZIP code 95120, San Jose, Santa Clara County (not New Almaden by name) |
| Mike Hammill (licensed as Michael D Hammill) | Compass, Los Gatos | Salesperson #01859722 | ZIP code 95120 and other San Jose and Los Gatos ZIP codes (not New Almaden by name) |
| Danielle Marcucci | Compass, Morgan Hill | Salesperson #02111424 | ZIP code 95120; Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy (not New Almaden by name) |
| Mary Pope-Handy (licensed as Mary Eleanor Pope-Handy) | Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno, Los Gatos | Salesperson #01153805 | Almaden, Cambrian, Willow Glen, Blossom Valley; ZIP code 95120 (not New Almaden by name) |
| Suzie Snowden (licensed as Suzanne Marie Snowden) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Los Gatos | Broker #02030931 | Almaden, Cambrian, Blossom Valley; ZIP code 95120 (not New Almaden by name) |
On the DRE record, Compass agents are licensed under Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235), Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno agents under Sereno Group, Inc. (DRE #02101181), and Coldwell Banker Realty agents under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304). Because none of these profiles names New Almaden, ask each agent about their experience with rural and historic homes along Almaden Road. For more agents nearby, see our San Jose and Santa Clara County agent guides.
How to vet an agent for a New Almaden home
- Ask about rural and historic sales. Ask which sales along Almaden Road or in the nearby hills the agent would use as comparables, rather than valley subdivision sales.
- Ask whether the parcel is county or city. Ask how they confirm jurisdiction, since permits and transfer taxes differ.
- Ask about water and septic. Ask how they confirm the water source and review septic records.
- Ask about older-home permits. Ask how they compare permit history with the house as built, especially for older cottages.
- Ask about fire insurance. Ask when they recommend getting quotes and how they handle AB 38 documentation.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
New Almaden questions we hear
Is New Almaden part of San Jose?
Mostly no. It uses San Jose 95120 mailing addresses, but most of the community is unincorporated county land. The title report shows the legal jurisdiction.
Does Measure E apply in New Almaden?
Measure E is a City of San José tax, so it should not apply to a parcel outside city limits. Confirm the jurisdiction and the taxes with escrow.
What do homes cost in New Almaden?
The Census does not report New Almaden separately, and ZIP code 95120’s median value is top-coded at $2,000,001 for 2020–2024. Ask an agent for recent sales of comparable rural homes.
Why don’t these agents name New Almaden?
It is a small community inside a larger ZIP code, and agents usually list the Almaden area or 95120 instead. Ask each agent about local experience.
Is the agent order a ranking?
No. Our broker is listed first because we publish the guide; everyone else is alphabetical by last name.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, ZIP Code Tabulation Area 95120 (ACS 2024 5-year)
- Santa Clara County Ordinance Code, Division A30, Chapter III, Real Property Transfer Tax (county rate of $0.55 per $500; section A30-40 credit for a conforming half-rate city tax)
- California Attorney General Opinion 06-1009 (documentary transfer tax and city credit)
- County of Santa Clara, Clerk-Recorder’s Office
- City of San José, Measure E real property transfer tax
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Santa Clara County Fire Department, Community Wildfire Protection Plan
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- Agent profiles on mlslistings.com, linked in the table
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Nearby agent guides: San Jose · Los Gatos
Related: New Almaden real estate guide · New Almaden home valuation · Santa Clara County agents guide · 20 tips for choosing a real estate agent
License-status update: the linked California DRE public records were checked November 2, 2026 and showed "Licensed." Public profile research retains the dates stated above. Names on DRE records may differ from public profile names; verify status and brokerage before selecting an agent.
