Fairmede — the Santa Clara tract Eichler buyers keep landing on
Immediately northwest of West San Jose, near Stevens Creek Boulevard and Mary Avenue, Fairmede is a 1957 tract of 121 homes built by Mackay Homes and designed by Anshen + Allen — the same firm behind much of Eichler's best work. It isn't Eichler-built, but the California courtyard plans and expansive glass put it firmly in the same conversation, with the added draw of Cupertino-adjacent school districts.
Same architects, different builder
In 1957, developer John C. Mackay commissioned Anshen + Allen — one of the two architecture firms most associated with Joseph Eichler — to design a mid-century tract in Santa Clara. The result was Fairmede: 121 homes near Stevens Creek Boulevard and Mary Avenue, showcasing California Courtyard plans (including the “Belmont” model) and the walls of glass that define the era.
Fairmede is often discussed alongside the Eichler neighborhoods because it shares the aesthetic and the architect. The key difference: these are mostly solid-ranch plans arranged around open courtyards, without true interior atriums. Buyers who love Eichlers frequently end up here — and appreciate the trade-offs.
It sits in Santa Clara Unified for K–8 and Fremont Union for high school (Monta Vista), which adjoins Cupertino Union territory — a meaningful draw for school-focused buyers.
Courtyard modernism, Eichler-adjacent
Fairmede's homes deliver the mid-century feel: low-slung profiles, wide eaves, grooved wood and stucco, and generous glass connecting the interior to private outdoor space. The California Courtyard layout wraps living areas around an open court, giving much of the indoor-outdoor flow Eichler buyers want.
Because the construction is more conventional ranch than true post-and-beam, some Eichler purists draw a line here — but the Anshen + Allen design DNA is unmistakable, and for many buyers the schools and the courtyard living more than close the gap.
Fairmede at a glance
- Built
- 1957, by Mackay Homes
- Architect
- Anshen + Allen
- Size
- 121 homes; California Courtyard plans (e.g. the “Belmont” model)
- Not an Eichler tract
- Shares the aesthetic and architect; mostly solid-ranch plans around open courtyards, without interior atriums
- Location
- Santa Clara, near Stevens Creek Blvd and Mary Avenue, just northwest of West San Jose
- Schools
- Santa Clara Unified (K–8); Fremont Union High District — Monta Vista High
- The draw
- Mid-century design plus Cupertino-adjacent school districts
Mid-century looks with a school premium
Fairmede trades on two things at once: the Anshen + Allen mid-century aesthetic, and a school assignment that Willow Glen's Eichler tracts can't match.
- The schools carry weight. Fremont Union / Monta Vista is a significant driver of value here — the same dynamic that lifts Cupertino's Fairgrove Eichlers above San Jose's.
- Cross-shopped with Eichlers. Many Fairmede buyers were looking at Eichlers first; the courtyard plans and glass scratch a similar itch, and the districts often decide it.
- Ranch construction, easier ownership. No radiant slab or post-and-beam roof in the Eichler sense generally means fewer of the specialized maintenance items — a point in Fairmede's favor for some buyers.
- Condition and courtyards. Homes that keep the original courtyard connection and mid-century lines show best; unsympathetic enclosures and additions detract.
Santa Clara convenience, mid-century streets
Fairmede's location near Stevens Creek Boulevard and Mary Avenue is genuinely central — Santa Clara, West San Jose, Cupertino and Sunnyvale are all close, and the commute options are broad. The streets themselves are quiet and established, with the low, horizontal look of a well-kept 1957 tract.
Everyday shopping is minutes away, and the wider area's parks, trails and retail — from Santana Row to the Cupertino and Sunnyvale centers — are an easy drive.
What to know before you offer
If your priority is a Fremont Union / Monta Vista school assignment with a mid-century house, Fairmede is one of the better answers in the area. Confirm the exact school assignment for the specific address, since boundaries can shift.
Inspect it as the ranch it is — roof, foundation, systems, and any courtyard enclosures or additions — and decide how much the original Anshen + Allen character matters to you.
Getting top dollar for your Eichler
Market both halves of the story: the Anshen + Allen mid-century design and the school districts. Show the courtyard, the glass and the horizontal lines, and be explicit about the K–8 and high school assignments.
Restore or highlight the original courtyard connection where you can — it's the feature that separates Fairmede from an ordinary 1950s ranch — and time the sale for when the outdoor space photographs well.
Fairmede, in pictures
Thinking about Fairmede?
Send us the address or the block you're watching. We'll tell you the plan, the condition issues to expect, the comps, and what it's worth — by hand.