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Santa Cruz, CA Real Estate News

By Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker, Put 40 years of experience to work for you
(Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker)
You could probably build a pretty good case against funnel cakes from this photograph. Yesterday was warm, sunny and in the low 70s, which was perfect weather to visit Santa Cruz from Sacramento. Where else do you go in Santa Cruz for a little excitement and beachy stuff but the Boardwalk? This is the view from the wharf. It is similar to the Fun Zone in Newport Beach, in southern California. Except for the fact the Fun Zone has only one ride and not an entire amusement park. Oh, and the Fun Zone does not have a beach, nor is it located on the ocean side; it's on the bay. So, except for those points, it's not really much like the Fun Zone as I did not see a frozen banana anywhere. As I was standing on the wharf and listening to this sea lion sing, my phone rang. It was a short sale neg...
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By Gary Frimann, CRS, GRI, SRES, REALTOR and Broker, Notary
(Eagle Ridge Realty / Signature Homes & Estates)
The market has really improved in Santa Cruz County.  Not only are prices up by 10% month over month, they have also risen almost 20% year over Year.  That is good news for homeowners in Santa Cruz, Aptos, Capitola, Rio Del Mar, Scotts Valley, and Watsonville! Sales Statisticsfor SANTA CRUZ County CA Realist's most recent sale date for this county is 06/17/2012  Single Family Residence  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   May 2012 267 $485,000   May 2011 157 $407,000   Apr 2012 184 $445,000   Apr 2011 150 $404,455   2012 YTD 925 $450,000   2011 1,852 $425,250   Condominium  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   May 2012 37 $262,500   May 2011 17 $279,500   Apr 2012 31 $325,000   Apr 2011 24 $321,800   2012 YTD 132 $285,750   2011 225 $290,000 
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By John Flaniken, Realtor Santa Cruz Homes For Sale; Santa Cruz CA
(American Dream Realty- Broker Associate)
Santa Cruz Real Estate | New Prices Create Deals in Premium Locations - The Santa Cruz real estate market offers first time homeowners an opportunity to purchase in premium locations for a great price. Investors are also scooping up rental properties in prime Santa Cruz neighborhoods thanks to the adjusted market prices on conventional listings plus bank-owned and short sale properties. I recently listed and sold two premium Capitola properties at very reasonable prices. Both City of Capitola listings were in ideal locations for primary homeowners and 2nd homes. Each home was quietly tucked away from the street avoiding the 41st Avenue commercial corridor while being a quick walk to shopping, businesses, Capitola Village and the beach. The soon-to-be owners of 4350 Clares St. #3 got a ...
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By Jessica Wallace, Santa Cruz Realtor (831) 419-9345
(Coldwell Banker - Santa Cruz)
SANTA CRUZ GARDENS HOMES FOR SALE - MARKET REPORT 2011 Santa Cruz Gardens neighborhood is located in Santa Cruz County, zip code 95065.  The Santa Cruz Gardens homes are a great place to find affordable, well-sized homes with room for the whole family.  Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary School is located in this neighborhood, making it an easy walk to school location and it is also close to Highway 1 for those that commute to work.  Let's take a look at Santa Cruz Gardens homes for sale and home values in 2011:   There were 18 homes for sale in the Santa Cruz Gardens in 2011.  The average Santa Cruz Gardens home sale price was $530,000. Homes for sale in the Santa Cruz Gardens sold fairly quickly on average in 2011, the average days on market (DOM) was only 31 days.  Homes in the Santa Cruz...
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By Jessica Wallace, Santa Cruz Realtor (831) 419-9345
(Coldwell Banker - Santa Cruz)
SANTA CRUZ GARDENS HOMES & NEIGHBORHOOD Santa Cruz Gardens is a great neighborhood located in Santa Cruz, right up Thurber Lane off of Soquel Drive.  Santa Cruz Gardens neighborhood is on top of a hill which affords it more privacy and some views of the mountains and a few homes have ocean views.  Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary School is located there, hence the name.     The Santa Cruz Gardens neighborhood is a great place to raise a family, I don't know if I have been to a neighborhood that has more basketball hoops in the streets than Santa Cruz Gardens!  Kids can walk to school and the location is good for parents too, close to Highway 1 and shopping.     Santa Cruz Gardens neighborhood is located in the 95065 zip code and is part of unincorporated Santa Cruz County.  Most homes in S...
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By Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®, Santa Cruz CA Homes for sale
(eXp Realty)
Imagine owning a Beach Home in Santa Cruz, CA Welcome to the BEACH! Are the kind of person that has always dreamed of having a BEACH HOME in Santa Cruz CA? Can you just imagine the waves crashing on the shore and you listening to the sound of the ocean?   Are you interested in buying or selling a BEACH HOME in Santa Cruz? I will show you only the best homes with ocean views and beach access! Not many of these homes are foreclosures or short sales and I just happen to know of one that is not on the market yet that is a screaming deal ocean views and beach access. It would be perfect for a contractor that can remodel the home and make it worth more. It is already a income property that is such a memorable place to vacation that people just keep coming back. Here is just a few of the best ...
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By Jessica Wallace, Santa Cruz Realtor (831) 419-9345
(Coldwell Banker - Santa Cruz)
WESTSIDE SANTA CRUZ HOME SALES REPORT - WHERE HAS ALL THE INVENTORY GONE? If you are looking to buy a home on the Westside of Santa Cruz this year you have probably noticed that there are not many homes on the market right now, and that the well priced homes are receiving multiple offers (sometimes as many as 17) and selling very quickly.  So where has all the inventory gone? Well priced homes for sale on the Westside of Santa Cruz are selling quickly, so we are absorbing the good inventory fast.  The overpriced homes are still sitting on the market of course and we have been seeing them for months or longer.  But anything aggressively priced is going fast, you really have to be on your toes as a buyer in this market so you don't miss out.  As crazy as this may sound after years of goin...
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By Jessica Wallace, Santa Cruz Realtor (831) 419-9345
(Coldwell Banker - Santa Cruz)
PIEDMONT COURT - SANTA CRUZ 55+ CONDOS Piedmont Court is an elegant 55+ Santa Cruz condominium building located on High Street on the Westside of Santa Cruz.  Piedmont Court condos were built in 1912 by William Bray.  There are about 26 units in Piedmont Court, mostly 1 bedroom condos.  Some of the Piedmont Court condos face in the the interior courtyard while other face outwards and have views of Santa Cruz Downtown, city lights and even some ocean peaks.   Piedmont Court is a historic building built in the Mission Revival style design.  The interior courtyard with fountain, reminds my of my time in Spain.  That type of design with rooms around an interior courtyard is common in Spain and is originally a Moorish design. The elegant interior of the Piedmont Court 55+ condos is at once g...
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By M.C. Dwyer, MC Dwyer-Santa Cruz Mountains Property Specialist
(Melody Russell Team at eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Fun stuff to do: San Lorenzo Valley, Scotts Valley, and Santa Cruz   February 25th – Saturday – the 31st annual Clam Chowder Cook Off Tastings start at 1 pm at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, featuring 70+ cooking teams; winners announced at 4 pm    Attendance is free, but a Ballot and Tasting Kit cost $9    www.beachboardwalk.com/clamchowder   Feb 26th – Sunday   Blue Chevrolet at Henflings in Ben Lomond – starts at 9 pm  http://www.henflings.net/   March 2nd – Friday 6:30  - 8 PM Scotts Valley Satellite features          Local Underwater Photographer and Author Marc Shargel   http://www.thesatelliteinc.com/about/events/   March 3rd Crab Feed - Boulder Creek Volunteer Fire Department Annual Fundraiser Saturday 6pm at the BC Firehouse on HWY 9       Make your reservation: there will only be 2...
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By M.C. Dwyer, MC Dwyer-Santa Cruz Mountains Property Specialist
(Melody Russell Team at eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
City of Santa Cruz Home Prices are stable ....Results for 2012 through mid March   HOMES So far, 83 Single Family Homes have sold in the City of Santa Cruz (through March 14th 2012).   The average home sales price so far this year is $592,528.    This compares quite well to the 104 homes that sold for an average sales price of $590,735 during the 4th quarter.      Click here if you’d like to look at homes in the area that are for sale right now.   Here’s a chart showing the average sales price, compared to the average list price, over the last year.   As you can see, prices are holding steady, and the discount between listing price and sales price is pretty slim at 2%, despite a dip to 3.75% in January. CONDOS and TOWNHOMES  24 Townhome/Condominiums have sold so far this year, at an ave...
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By Christine Cumming SeaRealEstate.com, California Real Estate and Business 831.588.7767
(Real Estate Portfolio Acquisition)
Santa Cruz Condo for Sale - Near Cowells Beach, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and more. High end complex near Santa Cruz most popular beach.  Cowells Beach, West Cliff, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, The Santa Cruz Wharf, Easy commute distance to Universitiy of Santa Cruz UCSC, Transportation Downtown and more.  Seller is offering financing to qualified buyer.     ·     1 Bedroom ·     Loft ·     1 Bathroom ·     Fireplace ·     Inside Laudry Hook-ups ·     Patio ·     Garage ·     Pool ·     Spa ·     Gated Community                     
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By Jessica Wallace, Santa Cruz Realtor (831) 419-9345
(Coldwell Banker - Santa Cruz)
SEABRIGHT HOME VALUES - MARKET REPORT 2011  Seabright is a great neighborhood in Santa Cruz, CA filled with charming craftsman, victorian, and beach bungalow homes.  People love to live in Seabright and be able to walk to Seabright Beach, Betty's burgers, the Seabright Brewery, Java Junction, La Posta . . .  Seabright is a classic California beach neighborhood. Home values in Seabright have remained fairly strong compared to many other areas over the past few years.     Let's take a look at Seabright, CA home values in 2011:  There were about 38 homes sold in Seabright in 2011 with an average sale price of $753,000.  The highest priced home home sold in Seabright in 2011 was a 4500 SF oceanview, craftsman style home that sold for $2,660,000, all cash. The lowest priced home sale in Seab...
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By Jessica Wallace, Santa Cruz Realtor (831) 419-9345
(Coldwell Banker - Santa Cruz)
WESTSIDE SANTA CRUZ CONDOS – Market Report 2011 The Westside of Santa Cruz is a great place to live, you are close to beaches, walks on Westcliff Dr, Santa Cruz Downtown, the Boardwalk, shopping and entertainment.  Westside Santa Cruz condos are great for first time home buyers and families of UCSC students.   Here is the Sales Activity Report for Westside Santa Cruz Condos 2011: Westside Santa Cruz condo sale prices are down slightly in 2011 to an average of $312,000.  In 2010, the average price of a Westside Santa Cruz condo was $360,000. The number of Westside Santa Cruz condo sales is up just a bit, there were 44 closed escrows in 2011, compared to 42 Westside condo sales in 2010. The highest priced Westside Santa Cruz condo sale in 2011 was a 3 bedroom, ocean view condo on Beach Hi...
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By Christine Cumming SeaRealEstate.com, California Real Estate and Business 831.588.7767
(Real Estate Portfolio Acquisition)
Santa Cruz loan program for low income first time buyers. Good News for some… The City of Santa Cruz has a first time homebuyer funding called (“HOME” funds) It’s a program designed to help low income first time buyers.  And its available in the form of a “Silent Second” mortgage.  Silent second mortgage requires no monthly payment of principal until one of several events occur at a point in the future.  This Silent Second is designed to fill the gap that the buyer will qualify for from a lender and the amount of the purchase.  It acts as a down payment. It’s based on the property, the price, location, buyers income and it even pays the closing costs.  Application and information  can be obtained from The City of Santa Cruz Housing Programs Corrdinator. Many cities offer similar program...
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By Christine Cumming SeaRealEstate.com, California Real Estate and Business 831.588.7767
(Real Estate Portfolio Acquisition)
A Movie filmed in Santa Cruz CA is tentatively being called Of Men and Mavericks, and has been filming through Oct, Nov and presently December 2011.   The movie is about a Maverik Surfer named Jay Moriarity who died in a diving accident just before turning 23.  Jay Moriarity was well known throughout  Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay and Pacifica CA for his world-famous surfing the Mavericks, near Half Moon Bay.   Gerard Butler is playing Jay Moriarity's mento, Rick "Frosty" Hesson, and Jonny Weston is playing Jay Moriarity. A lot of filming was done at Pleasure Point,  Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, and Santa Cruz West Cliff.  As well as Half Moon Bay, Pacifica and other beaches near and around the San Francisco Peninsula I had the opportunity to meet with Gerard Buttler.  Here we are at the Cro...
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By Christine Cumming SeaRealEstate.com, California Real Estate and Business 831.588.7767
(Real Estate Portfolio Acquisition)
Surfing Santa Cruz and Jack O'Neill  Jack O’Neill is a legend in his own time. This was well earned in the world of surfing and for his love of the living ocean.     A bit of Santa Cruz and Surfing history...  Jack O'Neill opened his first “Surf Shop” in San Francisco in 1952 to support his family and his love of surfing. In 1959 Jack O'Neill moved the shop to Santa Cruz (Just a block from my office on 41st Ave and just up the street from Pleasure Point - which by the way is the picture of the moon over the surf in my blog.)       Pleasrure Point Moon   Jack O'Neill chose this location because the climate was warmer and the waves supreme. In the early 60s Jack O'Neill just wanted to surf longer and stay warmer himself in the ocean. He dabbled with materials which led to his invention of...
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By Christine Cumming SeaRealEstate.com, California Real Estate and Business 831.588.7767
(Real Estate Portfolio Acquisition)
Capitola Ca Condo's for sale Under $200,000 We’ve got a little inventory, starting to move fast – Several Capitola Ca Condo's for sale under $200,000.  A few Live Oak Ca Condo's for sale Under $200,000 and even Santa Cruz Ca Condo's for sale at the Low 100,000’s – Contact me for details on these properties for sale  831-588-7767            Email: chris@searealestate.com    Website http://SeaRealEstate.com Villas of Capitola $165,000 – and up.  2 Pools, fantastic Location Near shopping and transportation.          River Near downtown Pacific Ave - $149,000 – walk to downtown – trolley to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Seabright Condo, Atlantic Ave - $176,000 Granite counters – pool – just a couple blocks to the Seabright Beach and Santa Cruz Harbor   Live Oak Ca Condo near the Santa Cru...
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By Christine Cumming SeaRealEstate.com, California Real Estate and Business 831.588.7767
(Real Estate Portfolio Acquisition)
 Pleasure Point Vacation Rental for sale.  Pleasure Point is one of my favorite locations in Santa Cruz.  I get up early "almost" every day to take a walk along East Cliff, stop at Pleasure Point and watch the sunrise.                                      And by the way the backdrop on my blogging website is the moon rising over Pleasure Point.  This Pleasure Point Vacation Rental for sale is on 26th ave Santa Cruz, CA; just about a mile or so from Pleasure Point on 41st, .    An established Vacation Rental is pretty nice in Santa Cruz, since the County is getting more restrictive on New Rentals.    The location is fantastic!  You’re just a few steps to the stairs of a sandy beach.   Central to Santa Cruz, just a few miles to Capitola, the Santa Cruz Harbor, and of course you're right t...
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By Christine Cumming SeaRealEstate.com, California Real Estate and Business 831.588.7767
(Real Estate Portfolio Acquisition)
Live Oak Jose Park - Santa Cruz Ca.   A hidden gem in the Live Oak community is Live Oak Jose Park.  Near the Santa Cruz Harbor.  Easy access to the Upper Harbor, the South Harbor, East Cliff, Schwan Lake, Twin Lakes, and world famous Pleasure Point.    Live Oak Jose Park is tucked away in this sweet neighborhood. People don’t easily come across it.  From one section you arrive by a beautiful walking bridge that's been placed between 2 homes on a cul de sac.  The other 2 access points are at the end of 2 cul de sacs. Eddy Lane and Jose Ct.  Live Oak Jose Park has beautifully maintained grass field, Sandy Volley Ball Court,  Horse Shoe Pit, High-End Children’s Play area,  Covered Picnic Tables, BBQ's, Clean well maintained rest rooms.  Basketball Court, a Skate Board Park and beautiful A...
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By Christine Cumming SeaRealEstate.com, California Real Estate and Business 831.588.7767
(Real Estate Portfolio Acquisition)
Stand Up Paddle - Santa Cruz Harbor   my favorite sport.  I head down to the Santa Cruz Harbor a few times a week and SUP = Stand Up Paddle.  Now the fastest growing sport for women and men young and old.  I can see why.  Relaxing … yet you’re exercising your core, arms, legs and mind.  It’s beautiful, calming and just enough adventure.  (… still have not fallen in, so it’s possible I haven’t challenged myself enough.  But I’m ok with that for now)   You can take waves on Stand Up Paddle Boards, but I leave that for the seasoned surfers.       The Santa Cruz Harbor is a great place to learn.  Paddling along calm waters, checking out the sail boats, some social “hellos”, wonderful sea life … Seals, Otters, and a random race with a Pelican.  One full run from the  South Harbor to the Uppe...
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