If you follow what goes on in the world of real estate, there is one news story you just can’t get away from. You know what it is. How many times have you heard some variant of “the housing market is turning around”? With real estate news outlets starved for good news, you can’t blame them for their excitement.

But there’s a lot more to the story than spin. There are solid numbers behind the turnaround. Look no further than what’s happening in San Jose.

Census reports indicate that permits for single-family homes in San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara rose from 830 to 1,284 from 2011 to 2012, a 55 percent jump. More good news came out of a recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Urban Land Institute. Their metrics determined that San Jose is third in the nation for development prospects, and second in new home construction.

In some ways, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the area is ground zero for growth in the real estate department, since Silicon Valley is one of the nation’s most fertile job markets.

Low unemployment goes hand-in-hand with a strong housing market. In May, Forbes for MSNBC made San Jose the poster child for this phenomenon, writing, “San Jose is a veritable oasis of prosperity,” and that nothing more than simple “job and population growth are fueling housing demand.”  Again, this is more than journalistic hot air: the Bay Area Council Economic Institute reports that unemployment indeed dropped, from over 9 percent in October 2011 to just over 8 percent in October 2012.

San Jose looks so good that even the LA Times can’t resist putting aside the old NorCal- SoCal rivalry for a moment. A recent article discussed the Bay Area’s falling inventory and rising prices—and sees a robust market in spite of it all. People want to work in San Jose, and live here too, and they’re willing to pay the price to do so.

Both buyers and sellers can gain from the current conditions of the market. As John Walsh, the president of DataQuick put it, “We’ve probably passed that most attractive of mathematical sweet spots, the one that combines low interest rates and low prices … potential buyers are also encountering fewer homes for sale.”

Are you considering making the move to San Jose? Click here to get started. Americans have always moved West in search of opportunity. In spite of the state’s recent crisis of confidence, California— northern or southern— is still a very good place to be.