(May 18th) The Amgen Tour of California is coming through Santa Cruz today as stage 3 of the 8 day race. Over 120 world class cyclists left San Francisco at 11:15 this morning and the first racer is expected to finish between 3:20-4:00. This afternoon cyclists will be ripping through town coming down from Bonny Doon through the Westside before finally coming to a day's end at the Boardwalk. The event is a great excitement to residents as this is the largest cycling event in America and the style of the race is compared to the infamous Tour de France with a route of about 800 miles. The event began on May 16th in Nevada City and will come to a close on May 23rd in Agoura Hills. It was initially to be held in February but was postponed do to the rain. It was rescheduled at the same time a... 05/18/2010

WESTSIDE SANTA CRUZ CONDOS - BAY TREE CONDOS BY UCSCThe upper Westside of Santa Cruz, CA is arguably one of the best places to live in Santa Cruz with the sunny climate and pleasant neighborhoods.  Westside Santa Cruz Homes and Condos tend to be higher on average than other parts of Santa Cruz County because there is a demand here; many people want to own homes or rent homes on the Westside of Santa Cruz.  Visit here to see a current list of Condos for Sale on the Westside of Santa Cruz!UCSC (University of California at Santa Cruz) is located on the upper Westside of Santa Cruz.  There almost 20,000 students at UCSC and this creates a huge demand for housing during the school year.  Rents on the Westside of Santa Cruz remain some of the highest in the nation because of the influx of stu... 03/28/2010

Price: $529,000 FIZBER.com ID 15268907 Single Family with 2 bed, 1.0 bath, in 2158 Burr Court Santa cruz, CA, 95062 http://www.fizber.com/15268907/ 2158 Burr Court - For Sale By Owner Property Details: Type: Single Family Address: 2158 Burr Court, Santa cruz, CA, 95062 Sq footage: 963.0 Floors: n/a Bathrooms: 1.0 Bedrooms: 2 Year built: 0 View full property details and seller's contacts. View more California homes for sale. Homes for Sale by Owner. Description: Upgrades include new roof, new paint, new carpets, new linoleum & new light fixtures. Living room has a brick FP w/gas starter and wood mantle. Dining area opens to the backyard & patio. Oak cabinets, new vinyl floors & tiled counters in the sunny kitchen. Two large bedrooms with cedar floors in the closets & overlook the back y... 03/24/2010

Price: $629,000 FIZBER.com ID 15172603 Single Family with 3 bed, 2.0 bath, in 519 Park Way Santa cruz, CA, 95062 http://www.fizber.com/15172603/ 519 Park Way - For Sale By Owner Property Details: Type: Single Family Address: 519 Park Way, Santa cruz, CA, 95062 Sq footage: 1075.0 Floors: n/a Bathrooms: 2.0 Bedrooms: 3 Year built: 1910 View full property details and seller's contacts. View more California homes for sale. Homes for Sale by Owner. Description: Vintage Cottage with white picket fence. Completely remodeled from top to bottom. New windows, new carpet, new tile, new fireplace, new kitchen cabinets, Granite counters and Stainless appliances, new bathroom, new crown moldings & new paint. 3 BR/ 1 BA 1075 SF, 7797 SF lot. Quality updates. The living room has a Slate & Glass tiled ... 03/21/2010

SANTA CRUZ ON A BIG WAVE DAY When a big ocean swell hits Santa Cruz the whole aura of the town seems to change.  There is a heightened level of excitement even if you are not a surfer for some reason, it must be contagious.  Santa Cruz is a quintessential surf town.  We have so many surf spots and different types of waves for every level.  When a big ocean swell hits and the waves are breaking people flock to the beaches and bluffs to watch the surf.  Just up the coast at Mavericks a couple weeks ago a big wave surf contest was held, over 20,000 people came to watch the waves and surfers that Saturday. The photo on the right was taken at Steamer's Lane.  You can see all the people gathered at the point to watch the surfers and swell.         It's Beach near the Lighthouse on West Cliff ... 02/22/2010

Price: $749,500 FIZBER.com ID 14469007 Single Family with 3 bed, 2.5 bath, in 201 Cardiff Place Santa cruz, CA, 95060 http://www.fizber.com/14469007/ 201 Cardiff Place - For Sale By Owner Property Details: Type: Single Family Address: 201 Cardiff Place, Santa cruz, CA, 95060 Sq footage: 1839.0 Floors: n/a Bathrooms: 2.5 Bedrooms: 3 Year built: 1980 View full property details and seller's contacts. View more California homes for sale. Homes for Sale by Owner. Description: Immaculate Contemporary home with new tile, new carpets, new paint & mostly all new dual pane windows. The tiled entry opens to the formal living room. Adjacent family room with open beam ceilings, brick fireplace with wood mantle and gas starter, and windows that overlook the backyard. The dining room has room for a l... 02/15/2010

Price: $510,000 FIZBER.com ID 14469006 Single Family with 2 bed, 1.0 bath, in 210 May Avenue Santa cruz, CA, 95060 http://www.fizber.com/14469006/ 210 May Avenue - For Sale By Owner Property Details: Type: Single Family Address: 210 May Avenue, Santa cruz, CA, 95060 Sq footage: 672.0 Floors: n/a Bathrooms: 1.0 Bedrooms: 2 Year built: 1938 View full property details and seller's contacts. View more California homes for sale. Homes for Sale by Owner. Description: Saltillo tiled walkway leads to the front door of this Mediterranean Charmer. Oak floors throughout. Living room has new dual pane windows & gas wood stove. The country kitchen has built-in China cabinets, gas stove, custom tiled counters, backsplash & a French door to the backyard. The front bedroom has an original arched windo... 02/15/2010

LIVING IN HISTORY - VICTORIAN HOMES IN SANTA CRUZ, CAIn the City of Santa Cruz and throughout Santa Cruz County you will find many lovely Victorian Homes.  In Santa Cruz City many Victorian Homes are located close to Santa Cruz's Downtown area on the tree lined Walnut St, Lincoln St, Chestnut, Church, Union and Locust Ave.  Santa Cruz was first incorporated as a town in 1886 and many of these Victorian Homes date to the 1880's and before.  For a current list of Santa Cruz Victorians for sale go here:  Victorian & Craftsman homes for sale in Santa Cruz'Victorian Home' is actually a misnomer because 'Victorian' refers to a period not a style.  The Victorian period was from about 1840-1900.   There were many architectural styles during the Victorian period like Queen Anne, Gothic, Romanesq... 02/03/2010

55+ ADULT COMMUNITIES IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA For seniors and people over 55+ in Santa Cruz County there are a many adult communities 55+ for you.  In Santa Cruz City there is a lovely historic building that houses a co-op condo residence called Piedmont Court located on High St in Santa Cruz.    Built in 1912 Piedmont Court exudes period charm and is a beautiful and comfortable place to call home.  Piedmont Court is made up of 1 bedroom and studio units.  A 1 bedroom unit in this Santa Cruz 55+ adult community sold in December 2009 for $210,000.            Another Santa Cruz County adult community 55+ is located in Watsonville, the Adult Village.  This is an adult community of about 600 single family homes, mostly 2 bedrooms and single level.  This adult community 55+ is located withi... 01/30/2010

WESTSIDE SANTA CRUZ 2 BEDROOM HOME FOR SALE IN FANTASTIC NEIGHBORHOOD! *This home SOLD in July 2010 *  For information about other Santa Cruz Homes for sale or to see what your home is worth call Jessica at (831) 419-9345 or email cjess4homes@yahoo.com Westside Santa Cruz 2 bedroom Home for sale is located in an excellent neighborhood on the Upper Westside of Santa Cruz close to UCSC.  Mira Vista Dr is a quiet street with lovely properties, this would be a great family home with the nice backyard and there is room to expand up or out.  Expanding up would have potential ocean views! and increase the home's value. This Westside Santa Cruz Home for sale features 2 bedrooms, 1 recently updated bathroom, 2 car garage and a great backyard with fruit trees.  This is a classic clean home built ... 01/27/2010

HOME PRICES IN LIVE OAK, CA - A Neighborhood in Santa Cruz County Live Oak is a part of Santa Cruz County, CA that lies between the Seabright/Yacht Harbor area and Capitola, CA.   According to the 2000 census there were almost 17,000 people living there at that time.  Live Oak is not its own city like Capitola or Scotts Valley but it is an area in Santa Cruz that has its own characteristics and attributes.  There are some lovely beaches in Live Oak, like Sunny Cove at the end of 17th Ave. Within Live Oak there are suburban type neighborhoods with more moderate home prices for the Santa Cruz area.  There are also ocean front beach homes that sell for millions of dollars.  In 2009 the highest home price in Live Oak was a beach front home that sold for $5,125,000.  The lowest home sale in ... 01/21/2010

Santa Cruz Homes - 2009 Annual Report Well ... the data is in. We can now create a 2009 Annual Report on the state of Santa Cruz Homes sales. There are a number of positive indicators to report. •         For starters, the number of sales in 2009 was up 23.1% over the number of sales in 2008. •        The median price of a single family home in Santa Cruz County reached $560,000 in December. This was up 24.4% over December the year before. •         The year ended with the lowest amount of active inventory since March of 2005. •         Accordingly, the Days On Market indicator is at 97 days. This is the lowest it's been since 2004 when it was a strong Seller's Market. The chart below illustrates a relationship between Median and Average Sales prices as compared to the number of actual ... 01/11/2010

This custom contemporary home is located just 3 blocks from West Cliff Drive. A private courtyard surrounds the front yard, with dry stream landscaping and a stamped concrete walkway to the front door. Walk into the Italian-tiled entry, and to the sunny and light living room with a Bay window overlooking the courtyard entry, a gas log fireplace, and a wall of windows overlooking the backyard. The Italian tile continues through the dining room and kitchen. The dining room has two sections of glass windows with a French style door in between, and built-in glass shelving at either end. The gourmet kitchen has a Granite tile counter and work island. The Granite is detailed with hand made Annie Glass starfish. There are Maple cabinets, a built-in pantry, 2 ovens, Jen Air dishwasher, double c... 12/27/2009

WESTSIDE SANTA CRUZ OCEAN VIEW HOME FOR SALE SEARCH FOR SANTA CRUZ OCEAN VIEW HOMES FOR SALE!  This lovely Santa Cruz ocean view home for sale * located on the Westside of Santa Cruz was just constructed in 2009!  Brand spanking new for all you new home lovers.  Walk only 2 blocks from this ocean view home for sale to Beautiful West Cliff Dr, one of the best places to walk in Santa Cruz County.  Enjoy the lifestlye of living by the beach in Santa Cruz.  You can walk or ride your bike to shopping, restaurants, wineries, world class Mountain Biking, and our local Organic Brewery.  There are many types of ocean view homes for sale in Santa Cruz County, really something for everyone.  Go here to a current list of WESTSIDE SANTA CRUZ HOMES FOR SALE! The features of this Santa Cruz ocean view... 12/10/2009

Living in Santa Cruz County California For more than a century, Santa Cruz County's favored climate, beautiful scenery, and abundant leisure-time diversions have drawn new residents and vacationers alike. The county's seaside meadows and mountain forests hug the often-rugged coast at the northern curve on the Monterey Bay- about 60 miles south of San Francisco. Inland, the region borders on the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains, which form a portion of the California Coast Ranges. Stretching over 439 square miles with a population of approximately 240,000, Santa Cruz is California's second smallest county after San Francisco and one of the state's oldest. Northwest of Santa Cruz, the county seat, fields are planted with brussels sprouts and artichokes or left for the native grasses, fle... 12/07/2009

This custom contemporary home is located just 3 blocks from West Cliff Drive. A private courtyard surrounds the front yard, with dry stream landscaping and a stamped concrete walkway to the front door. Walk into the Italian-tiled entry, and to the sunny and light living room with a Bay window overlooking the courtyard entry, a gas log fireplace, and a wall of windows overlooking the backyard. The Italian tile continues through the dining room and kitchen. The dining room has two sections of glass windows with a French style door in between, and built-in glass shelving at either end. The gourmet kitchen has a Granite tile counter and work island. The Granite is detailed with hand made Annie Glass starfish. There are Maple cabinets, a built-in pantry, 2 ovens, Jen Air dishwasher, double c... 10/30/2009

Late last week, Santa Cruz County was issued a tsunami warning following the quakes in Indonesia/Samoa. The beaches were closed for the day. These pictures were taken in the early evening, just before sunset on 18th Avenue, overlooking Santa Maria's beach. I believe that might be Jupiter in the picture below. 10/04/2009

Ocean, Sand & Surf & views to Capitola. Great room w/open beam ceilings, brick fireplace and walls of windows with big water views and sliding glass doors to the wrap-around deck. Open kitchen w/breakfast bar & clear story windows. Master bath upstairs. Dining area adjacent to living room. Master bedroom & bath upstairs. Outdoor stairway to downstairs w/two bedrooms and a bath. Most windows are dual pane. Large lot located at the end of a quiet cul de sac. Off street parking. Tons of potential for expanding. To directly access this property, use this shortcut:  http://www.fizber.com/california-buy-single-family-home-11648501.html 10/01/2009

Located 2 blocks from the beach at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac this home is immaculate.Freshly painted interior and new carpets. Sunny and bright this home has great light. The tiled entry opens to a reverse floor plan offering the living room, kitchen, sunroom and master suite upstairs and 2 bedrooms and one bath downstairs. The living room has open beam ceilings, skylight, marble tiled fireplace with wood mantle, track lights and ocean views.  The kitchen has white cupboards & new appliances, open beam ceilings, skylight, garden window and opens to the living room.  The enclosed sun porch has views of the ocean and walls of windows with Pergo floors and sliding glass doors to the wrap around deck.  The master bedroom is spacious with open beam ceilings, lots of closet space and has ... 10/01/2009

Charm abounds for this Westside single level home on a large 8232 sq. ft. lot. New paint, New windows, refinished Oak floors. Formal living room w/Oak floors, Brick FP & wainscoting. Remodeled kitchen with tiled floors, granite counters and work island, stainless appliances, new cabinets, recessed lighting. DR has sliding glass doors that open to the back Flagstone Patio w/Wisteria & arbor. Family room with high ceilings, Oak floors & French Door to backyard. Indoor laundry area. 4 BR & 2 BA Attached two car garage & extra storage. Private backyard w/lawn, vegetable garden area, sand box & Palm Tree. 3 blocks to the beach. Listen to the waves and hear the seals. To directly access this property, use this shortcut: http://www.fizber.com/california-buy-single-family-home-11648497.html 10/01/2009