If you're house hunting in Los Gatos, Saratoga, or Monte Sereno and keep coming across the term "SB9 potential" in listings, you're not alone. Senate Bill 9 has become one of the most talked-about tools in California real estate — and for buyers, it can mean serious upside if you know what you're actually looking at.

There's a house on Bonnie Lane in Los Gatos that most people driving by would never look twice at. It's a little older, a little weathered, in need of some TLC. But if you know the story, it's one of the most meaningful properties in town — at least to our family.