Nestled at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, Claremont is a suburban city that has enjoyed numerous accolades for its livability. It is home to an estimated 36,000 people, according to its 2019 census, which accords its population more than enough space as it encompasses a total area of 13.35 square miles of land, as well as 0.05 square miles of water. It is located on the eastern edge of Los Angeles county, and is about 30 miles away from downtown LA. It borders Upland and Montclair, and Pomona and La Verne.
Claremont features a Mediteranenan climate, which means that it gets very hot in the summer; temperatures can sometimes go beyond 100 degrees Fahrenheit, in fact. In the autumn, however, it can experience the “Santa Ana Winds”, and winters in the city usually treats residents to rainfall, much like the LA metro area. Snow is rare, but it is visible from the San Gabriel Mountains. And during spring, Claremont goes through a lot of overcast days, which locals call “May Gray” or “June Gloom.”
Also called the “City of Trees and PhDs”, Claremont is home to a host of educational institutions, including the Claremont Colleges, and is popular all over the country for its tree-lined streets and historic buildings. The city has won the National Arbor Day Association’s Tree City USA award for 22 years, owing to its tree-planting tradition that dates back to its incorporation in 1907. It is one of the remaining places in the entire North America that boasts of still having American Elm trees that are free from the Dutch elm disease.
Due to its unique charm, it nabbed CNN/Money magazine’s fifth spot in their list of the best places to live in the United States in 2007, topping the state of California. Additionally, it was named the best suburb in the west by Sunset Magazine in 2016, and was heralded for being a “small city that blends worldly sophistication with small-town appeal.”
Brief History of Claremont, CA
Claremont’s very first inhabitants were the Cahuilla Indians, which were followed by Spanish settlers. Then in 1887, it was founded by the Pacific Land Improvement Company, which was a subsidiary of the Santa Fe Railway, and coincided with a land boom that introduced transcontinental railroads to Southern California. It was incorporated as a city in 1907, and it is believed that it is named for Claremont, New Hampshire, the hometown of one of Pacific Land’s company directors.
Shortly after 1889, Claremont was developed as an educational center, after Pomona College moved to the area. It also saw the formation of California’s very first citrus in 1893, and for a time, the northern portion of the city was marked by its citrus groves and open spaces.
Later, it saw construction developments, which eventually included that of the Stone Canyon Preserve and created the Wilderness Park. In 1930, it witnessed the formation of the historic site Padua Hills Theatre, and much later, the Claraboya residential area. Today, it is home to the Claremont Colleges, which is a consortium of institutions that share campuses, and which include Pomona College, Claremont McKenna College, Pitzer College, Scripps College, and Claremont Graduate University.
Homes for Sale in Claremont, CA
Claremont has one of the most competitive real estate markets in the area, scoring 62 out of Redfin’s 100 and noted by NeighborhoodScout to have among the highest real estate costs in the country. Its median house value ranges between $790,000 to $830,000, and median listing home price per sqft amounts to about $379. Meanwhile, homes in the city sold for about $795,000.
Claremont’s housing scene was largely shaped by the return of American soldiers after World War II, who built homes along the edges of America’s cities through the GI Bill. From the 40s to the 60s, these homes were largely designed to be capes and ranches, and today, Claremont’s real estate features mostly single-family detached homes.
Building sizes and types are predominantly three and four-bedroom dwellings; other housing types that are prevalent are large apartment complexes and high rise apartments, row houses and attached homes, duplexes, and small apartment buildings.
Claremont’s homes for sale have seen some of the highest appreciation rates in the United States in the last ten years, at a whopping 53.87%. For real estate investors and homeowners who are thinking of selling their property later on, this is good news! Some of the neighborhoods in the city that saw the highest appreciation since the 2000s are as follows:
- Pomona College / S College Ave
- Mount Baldy Rd / Padua Ave
- Keck Graduate Institute / S Indian Hill Blvd
- City Center
- W Baseline Rd / N Indian Hill Blvd
- Claremont School of Theology / W Foothill Blvd
- E Foothill Blvd / Sumner Ave
- Pitzer College / E 6th St
Even better, home buyers have something to rejoice about, too! Over the last year, NeighborhoodScout notes that Claremont, among many communities in California, recorded one of the highest appreciation rates in the latest quarter. However, that varies from neighborhood to neighborhood. For your reference, properties in the following neighborhoods tend to be the most expensive:
- Mount Baldy Rd / Padua Ave
- City Center
- W Baseline Rd / N Indian Hill Blvd
- Pitzer College / E 6th St
- Claremont School of Theology / W Foothill Blvd
- E Foothill Blvd / Sumner Ave
- Pomona College / S College Ave
- Keck Graduate Institute / S Indian Hill Blvd
If you’re looking for homes for sale and other properties in Claremont, CA, SmartSell Real Estate currently has 27 listings. Majority of these are for single-family homes, with some condominiums. The properties on this list range from a 986 sq ft condo with two bedrooms and two baths in Sycamore Avenue priced at $375,000, to a single family luxury home as big as 5179 sqft in N Mountain Avenue with 5 beds and 6 baths for $2,580,000.
When searching, you can refine your search according to the type of property that you want, as well as your budget. You can also localize your house hunting to specific neighborhoods. You can even sort results according to type/price, so you can have a more comprehensive idea of the homes on the market that are best suited for you.
Living in Claremont, CA
Consistently enjoying top rankings in livability scales, Claremont has a lot to offer to the young and old alike. With an overall Niche grade of A, the city strikes the perfect balance between that LA suburban feel and that small-town intimate vibe. There is a host of entertainment, recreation, and education options for families, young professionals, and retirees, and more people own their homes instead of renting them.
Claremont is considered to be a white-collar city, with over 90% of its workforce employed in white-collar jobs. A lot of the city’s residents are managers, as well as sales and office workers and professionals, in management occupations, office and administrative support, and teaching.
More people in the area also work in computers and math compared to 95% of places in the United States. Additionally, it is a city of artists; there are more artists, designers, and people working in media in Claremont than there are in 90% of other places in the US.
If you’re interested in getting top-tier education, Claremont is literally a college town that has some of the best schools in the country. More than 55% of the residents have a college degree or an advanced degree, while the national average is only at about 22%. There are also services, amenities, and opportunities that are geared toward the needs of students. Some of the schools considered to be the best in their neighborhood are as follows:
- Pitzer College / E 6th St
- Claremont School of Theology / W Foothill Blvd
- City Center
- W Baseline Rd / N Indian Hill Blvd
- Keck Graduate Institute / S Indian Hill Blvd
- Mount Baldy Rd / Padua Ave
- E Foothill Blvd / Sumner Ave
- Pomona College / S College Ave
The per capita income in Claremont was more than $44,000 in 2018, which is considered to be of upper middle level in California, and wealthy in the United States. For a family of four, the average annual income is reported to be at about $178,000.
It is also ethnically diverse; in fact, almost 20% of Claremont’s residents were born in another country. Many report their ethnicities to be white, followed by Asian. Hispanics also account for about 25% of the city’s population, and ancestries cover English, Italian, German, and Irish.
When it comes to mobility within the city, the average travel time for a one-way commute in Claremont is about 27 minutes. About 67% drive their car, about 4% take mass transit, and almost 9% work from home.
For safety, Claremont is considered safer than 23% of other areas in the US. Some of the safest neighborhoods in the city are:
- Mount Baldy Rd / Padua Ave
- W Baseline Rd / N Indian Hill Blvd
- City Center
- E Foothill Blvd / Sumner Ave
- Keck Graduate Institute / S Indian Hill Blvd
- Claremont School of Theology / W Foothill Blvd
- Pomona College / S College Ave
- Pitzer College / E 6th St
Comfort-wise by way of weather, BestPlaces awarded Claremont a comfort index of 8.8 out of 10. That’s because it gets 282 sunny days, compared to an average of 205 days in other places in the United States, only 22 inches of rain compared to an annual national average of 38 inches, and 0 inches of snow per year, compared to the average 28 inches.
Finding Your Ideal Home in Claremont, CA
If you’re looking to move into Claremont soon and you’re interested in one of the available properties listed for sale in the area, there are a few things that you should consider to ensure that the process ends successfully and satisfactorily, for you. Some of the most important information that you need will be covered in this section.
Know your goals. The first step to buying realty, such as a home, is to know exactly what you intend to do with it. Naturally, you’d want to live in it, but if you have plans to sell in the future, buying a home that would be attractive to other potential home buyers is best. For this, you may want to opt for one that:
- Is located in a good neighborhood
- Has features that a home buyer will want
- Does not require a lot of maintenance; and
- Can appreciate in value in the future
In California, in general, home buyer demand exceeds the number of available homes for sale. Similarly, homes are expected to appreciate by about 8% over the next year. Factor these nuggets of information into your selection process, and make sure that the home that you select is best for your current and future goals.
Know your financial situation. Getting a mortgage requires satisfying some conditions in order to be approved. One of the first things that you need to do to assess your financial capacity is to take a clear look at your resources, and decide how much you can afford on mortgage payments, every month.
Most lenders follow the 28/36 rule, which means that your housing costs should not exceed 28% of your monthly earnings, and your monthly debts should not exceed 36% of your monthly income.
This second factor is also known as your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, and the higher it is, the lesser the chance that your mortgage application will be approved. If you find that your current financial situation and resources won’t be attractive to a mortgage lender, work on improving your credit score and lowering your DTI.
It is also a good idea to calculate your down payment. For traditional home loans, you will be expected to put down at least 20% of the total home cost as down payment. For homes in Claremont, which have a median home cost of about $790,000, you’ll need to have at least $158,000.
Prepare for other costs. Buying a home does not start and end with getting your mortgage application approved and settling the required down payment. You also need to factor in closing costs, which takes up about 2-5% of the home’s price.
Additionally, think about how much maintenance your home will need. This varies according to the size of houses, their available amenities, their current state and the projected repairs they may need in the future, and external elements that may necessitate upkeep, but a good rule of thumb is to prepare about 1% of your property’s total value for annual potential repairs and renovations.
Make a list of needs vs wants. When you’re ready to start looking at listings, what you’d want to do next is to determine absolute must-haves from things that you’d only want to have.
For instance, if you have children that you’d like to send to a good school, find a neighborhood that is situated close to good schools; extras such as access to entertainment and recreation spots should come second to living in a safe and good neighborhood. Knowing your needs vs wants will help you filter your search so that you end up with options that will truly make you feel like you secured a good score, in the long run.
Schedule virtual tours. Once you have narrowed down your options, schedule virtual tours with the home sellers. This will help you get a closer look at your prospects, while staying safe in the middle of this pandemic.
When you go on a virtual house tour, don’t forget to ask the seller any questions that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the house and if there are any possible problems that may crop up in the future.
It is also recommended to engage your seller in a conversation about why they are selling. This will help you customize your pitch to fit the seller’s goals and help make sure that you successfully close the deal.
Hire a good real estate agent. Finally, make sure that you have professional help. Julian Lopez and his realty team at SmartSell Real Estate have been representing both buyers and sellers throughout the Inland Empire area since 2000.
They have the local knowledge and experience necessary in navigating negotiations and discussions, keeping up with state and national regulations, and personally guiding clients towards successful results. By partnering with them, you are assured of receiving the professional assistance that you will need to make the process as hassle-free as possible, while also working towards achieving your goals.
Julian’s team is also known to offer 3D walk-throughs of available property listings, so if you are eyeing one of their listed properties, you can look at your dream home without leaving your current one.
If you’re selling a home in Claremont, Julian and his team are the Realtors to call. They employ a wide range of marketing strategies to connect to the right buyers, including a professional picture package, 3D matterport technology, listing video, and social media marketing.
And if you’re moving just across town in Claremont or to Chino, Chino Hills, and other communities in the Inland Empire, Julian can represent you as both the seller’s and buyer’s agent. Not only do you get unparalleled convenience and a more intimate level of service, you also get to enjoy 0% listing opportunity. Unlike the traditional 3% seller’s agent commission rate, you only need to pay 2% agent’s commission to Julian and his team if they also serve as your buying agent for homes in the areas that they serve.
The best part is, if you’re purchasing a new home outside of Julian’s service areas, then you simply add 1% for a total of 3% commission, as usual. And you get the team’s full suite of home selling services that’s second to none in the Inland Empire.
To request assistance, call Julian and his team at 909.996.4470. You may also get in touch with them through their social media page. If you’re interested in properties in other communities around Claremont, you may also check out other listings at https://sellmyiehome.com/communities.
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