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🌱 Patch AM: Will Palo Alto really crack down on ‘billionaire compounds’ next year?

You won't want to miss LIT BY THE BAY - NYE Celebration & Dance Party on the Palo Alto Patch calendar

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Hello again Palo Alto! We’re bringing you the latest town highlights. Don’t miss out, keep going! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Will Palo Alto really crack down on ‘billionaire compounds’ next year?
  • How one Palo Alto home listing went viral and sold fast
  • Can Palo Alto hand Saratoga a loss in their next matchup?

Also on today's calendar: LIT BY THE BAY - NYE Celebration & Dance Party and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did the windowsill say to the glass? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Monday: Morning rain, then a shower, with a high of 61 and low of 53 degrees.
  • Tuesday: A shower in the p.m.; breezy, temps: high: 62, low: 50.
  • Wednesday: A morning shower, then rain, with a high of 60 and low of 49 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Palo Alto councilmember's proposal to crack down ‘billionaire compounds' (nbcbayarea.com) — Palo Alto officials are weighing new rules that would curb so‑called “billionaire compounds,” where ultra-wealthy buyers assemble multiple lots into a single mega-home, including a project linked to Mark Zuckerberg’s family in Edgewood. Councilmember Greer Stone’s proposal would limit multi-lot purchases, long vacancies, construction schedules, and private security use, aiming to ease neighborhood disruption and protect scarce housing as the council takes it up early next year.
   

2. This Bay Area home was Redfin's most viewed in 2025 — thanks to one strange brag in the listing (sfchronicle.com) — A Palo Alto house on Ortega Court became Redfin’s most-viewed listing of 2025 after its description bragged that past owners’ children all attended Harvard or Stanford, helping it sell quickly above its $4.89 million asking price. The story also compares this viral listing with other quirky, attention-grabbing homes around the Bay Area and beyond.
   

3. Soccer Recap: Saratoga Finishes Even with Santa Teresa (maxpreps.com) — Saratoga’s boys soccer team battled Santa Teresa to a 1–1 draw, moving the Falcons to a 3-2-1 record on the season. Their next test is a road match against Palo Alto on January 3, 2026, giving local fans an early-January rivalry game to circle on the calendar.
   

4. Official takes aim at Silicon Valley billionaires with new law targeting massive housing compounds: 'The growing discrepancy … has never been more clear' (thecooldown.com) — A Palo Alto council member is pushing a new law to curb billionaires from buying up clusters of homes and running long, disruptive renovation projects, after neighborhood complaints about Mark Zuckerberg’s compound construction. The proposal would cap renovation frequency, require detailed impact plans, and limit leaving homes vacant, with the goal of easing noise, traffic, and the city’s tight housing supply for regular residents.
   

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Finally got the Xmas decorations set up today…this is the latest we have ever done it!
    We have an artificial tree my parents gave to us years ago (we have saved tons of $ on trees!) and so Jeff and I got all the containers down from the… (Nextdoor Duveneck - St. Francis)
  • I need your help.
    Have you been cheated at the cash register at the Midtown Safeway? I have, too many times to count. The problem, which has been repeatedly reported… (Nextdoor Midtown)
  • CSC Generation, Inc. posted a job opening for Seasonal Kitchen Assistant (Sur La Table) in Palo Alto. Apply here.
  • P.F. Chang's China Bistro posted a job opening for Server in Palo Alto. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Palo Alto here.

Ok Palo Alto! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I feel your pane.
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