``Buyers looking at (Mount Pleasant) are price sensitive more than anything,'' said Rigo Bracamontes, real estate broker with Century 21 Golden Hills.
There were no available listings as of July 9, according to Bracamontes, but there were six pending sales. They ranged from a low of $245,000 for a three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home, to $299,950 for a five-bedroom, three-bath home.
In the past year there have been about 30 sales, including a low of $208,000 for a two-bedroom, one-bath on Mount Rainier and a high of $336,000 for a three-bedroom, one-bath on a half acre on Mount Pleasant.
Convenience is another of the neighborhood's chief selling points.
Long-time residents George and Vera Patrick point to the area's proximity to local schools and colleges such as Evergreen Valley Community College and the National Hispanic University, the wealth of local churches, nearby shopping centers like Eastridge Mall and recreational amenities including Lake Cunningham Regional Park and Raging Waters.
Add to that the view of the east foothills, and Vera Patrick said she really can't picture a better neighborhood.
For many residents, the name Mount Pleasant sums it up.
``I can go out and sit in my yard and see the foothills. It's just really nice,'' said Ron Golart, president of the Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Association and a long-time resident along with his wife, Rubie.
Golart said the quality of the neighborhood had been sliding, so the association was formed in 1996 to organize community events, especially activities for children, and to clean up the neighborhood.
Since then, a variety of annual events have taken hold, including a harvest festival, fun fair, a clean-up day, a community-wide garage sale and a holiday lunch. Most of these events are held at either Robert Sanders Elementary School or August Boeger Middle School.
The residents and Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Association were recognized this spring by San Jose's District 5 Councilman Manny Diaz for their role in helping to secure a $300,000 grant that will be used to purchase a portable classroom building to house a community center at Sanders Elementary School.
The grant is being administered by the Mount Pleasant School District, Golart said. A date has not been set for opening the center.
``It's really coming around,'' he said. ``There's not much graffiti. We've cleaned up abandoned vehicles and cars on the lawn. It took us a while, but code enforcement has been out here regularly. We can see a difference in how residents are keeping up their homes. We're friendly with one another and generally get along. It's also improved in recent years because we get out and talk to each other and make an effort to communicate.''
Kelly Loughrey has lived in the neighborhood for seven years with her husband and three children. She echoes Golart's assessment that there has been a noticeable improvement in the overall neighborhood but feels it's an ``uphill battle'' as home ownership gives way to rentals and as multiple families try to live in the area's modest homes.
``There was a lot of enthusiasm and excitement,'' she said. ``It peaked. It was great while it lasted, but now it's faltering.''
Vera Patrick is active in the association. Her daughter, Patricia Lamar, and four grandchildren live in the neighborhood at least part of the year. Jamar, a graduate student in Boise, Idaho; Jamel, a student at Fresno State; Kamel, a recent graduate of Mount Pleasant High School; and their sister, Sara, who attends Valley Vista Elementary School, all pitch in at community events.
``I love it here,'' Patrick said. ``It's an integrated community. We're all friendly. We share. And as a senior citizen, I really enjoy doing these things to help the community be a better place to live.''
This MPNA web page sponsored by eNative, "Get to know your neighborhood!"