San Mateo Real Estate Agent
From 1927 Baywood to new construction near Bay Meadows, San Mateo sells neighborhood by neighborhood. Representation that starts with your district and your zoning.
Lisa M. Lum is a San Mateo real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty, working from the office at 1706 El Camino Real in Menlo Park. San Mateo spans roughly 12 square miles between the Bay and the foothills.
Its housing stock ranges widely. Baywood-Aragon’s historic streetscapes sit west of El Camino Real, Hillsdale has mid-century ranch homes, and newer, denser development has grown around Bay Meadows and the Hillsdale Caltrain station.
Downtown and the B Street corridor anchor dining and shopping. Central Park sits in the middle of the city, and Coyote Point Recreation Area has a beach, a marina and the Curiodyssey science museum. Hillsdale Shopping Center provides regional retail, and the San Mateo County Fair runs each summer at the Event Center.
Three Caltrain stations serve the city at San Mateo, Hayward Park and Hillsdale. US-101 runs along the eastern edge, and State Route 92 crosses the city toward the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge.
School districts, zoning sub-districts and historic surveys all change by neighborhood here. Those differences belong in the conversation before you set a number.
Meet Lisa M. Lum
Lisa is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Realty, working from the brokerage’s Menlo Park office at 1706 El Camino Real. She has been licensed in California since 2018 (DRE #02005150) and studied Legal Studies at UC Berkeley.
More about Lisa →Selling your San Mateo home
With homes that run from 1927 Baywood to new construction near Bay Meadows, a citywide figure says little about one house. Lisa prices from comparable sales in your neighborhood.
Through her Home Refresh program, Lisa manages the vendors for repairs, paint, staging and curb appeal, and you approve every estimate before work begins.
Home Refresh also covers a pre-listing inspection and a disclosure package, so the standard California disclosures are ready at launch.
In Baywood, Aragon and San Mateo Park, the era and the architecture belong in the marketing.
If a heritage tree near the house needs work, check the permit requirements with the city well ahead of photography.
San Mateo County’s documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 applies at recording, and the City of San Mateo adds its own real property transfer tax. Confirm the current rate with escrow when it opens.
When offers arrive, Lisa reviews each one with you on price, terms, contingencies and the buyer’s financing.
Go deeper: current San Mateo seller data and the Home Refresh program.
Lisa’s guide
The Home Refresh Guide
How Lisa prepares a home before it goes to market, from the pre-listing inspection to staging.
Buying a home in San Mateo
Schools come first, because San Mateo has more district variation than smaller Peninsula towns. Most areas fall within the San Mateo-Foster City School District, and smaller K-8 districts cover specific neighborhoods.
The Baywood-Aragon area is zoned for Baywood Elementary, Borel Middle School and Aragon High School. Other neighborhoods feed San Mateo High School or Hillsdale High School.
Confirm the assignment for the exact address with the district before you write an offer.
Next, the zoning. R1-A is the predominant zoning in Baywood-Aragon, and the city’s R-1 sub-districts carry different minimum lot sizes and floor-area limits.
If you plan new construction, a second-story addition or a substantial remodel, talk with San Mateo Planning early. Design review applies to most projects above certain thresholds.
Historic status is still in motion. In 1990 the State Office of Historic Preservation identified Baywood, Aragon and San Mateo Park west of El Camino for documentation as historic districts, and the San Mateo Heritage Alliance is pursuing National Register listing for Baywood.
Follow designation progress through City Planning. Any Mills Act effect is a question for your tax advisor.
The Heritage Tree Ordinance requires permits to remove qualifying species and sizes.
For the full picture of the market, see the San Mateo community guide and Lisa’s buyer’s guide.
San Mateo neighborhoods served
- BaywoodPre-war East Coast-inspired homes from 1927 on 6,500 to 10,000 square foot lots.
- Aragon1920s to 1940s estate architecture on 7,000 to 12,000 square foot lots under mature canopy.
- Hillsdale1950s and 1960s ranch homes on roughly 5,500 to 7,500 square foot lots in central San Mateo.
- San Mateo Park1910s to 1930s estate-style homes on 7,500 to 12,000 square foot lots.
- SugarloafElevated foothill lots of 8,000 to 15,000 square feet with Bay views.
- Hayward ParkPost-war homes on 5,000 to 7,000 square foot lots near the Hayward Park Caltrain station.
- Beresford ParkMid-century ranch homes on 5,500 to 7,500 square foot lots south of central San Mateo.
- ShoreviewMid-century homes on roughly 5,000 to 7,000 square foot lots near the Bay and Coyote Point.
- Mariners IslandA master-planned waterfront peninsula on the Bay, with a marina and US-101 access.
- Shore AcresA bayfront neighborhood with Bay Trail access, near US-101 and the Foster City lagoons.
- SunnybraeTree-lined established streets beside Baywood.
Every neighborhood above has a full profile in the San Mateo community guide.
