Every year for Labor Day weekend the Begonia Festival is held in Capitola. The Begonia Festival began in 1952 and is now celebrating its 63rd year in existence, a long history is at the center of the festival. The festival features an array of fun family friendly activities. Some of the events held this weekend include a sand sculpture contest, fishing derby and the pinnacle event, the float parade. The float parade will feature dozens of floats decked out in their finest begonia attire. Watch as teams race to put the finishing touches on their floats to make it in time for the parade. The Begonia Festival is put on by 100% percent volunteer effort, displaying the strong and supportive community that Santa Cruz county has.These floats are beautiful displays of craftsmanship showing the ... 09/04/2015

The California Association of Realtors has released some new data about the attitudes those in the LGBT community have in regards to home ownership and what they are looking for when purchasing now on;y a home but the agent that they would like to work with. This data was gathered by the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals, to learn what the survey found out check the infographic below. 08/28/2015

Summer not only brings warming temperatures but also more home sales. While more sales are always welcome, many buyers find the process daunting and confusing as many do not have all the information needed to make the process as smooth as possible.Of those buyers who knew what their credit score was 70% reported that they were more confident heading into the home buying process according to a recent California Association of Realtors survey. This same survey also found that 54% of prospective buyers do not know their own credit scores, making the process that much more monolithic. For some of the ways that potential buyers are taking to increase their credit scores check out the infographic below. If you are interested in more information about Santa Cruz, such as local events please fe... 08/14/2015

This Friday August 2nd marked the first day of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemportary Music celebrating its rich 50 year history which will run until the 16th of August. During these two weeks audiences will be joined by famed  conductor Marin Alsop as she leads an orchestra of talented musicians. Joining Alsop will be other artists, from preeminent composers to new emerging artists. The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music will have many ways for attendees to find pusposeful engagement with music. There will be 'Meet the Composers' events, workshops for new composers and conductors, educational programming for anyone of any age as well as a street festival to celebrate Santa Cruz artists and performers. There is something for everyone to enjoy at the Cabrillo Music Festival. The mai... 08/07/2015

Everybody Wang Chung Tonight Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Free Concertby Michelle Carr Crowe, Silicon Valley real estate agent"Everybody Wang Chung Tonight" July 31, 2015New wave band Wang Chung plays tonight at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk "Free Friday Night Bands on the Beach Concerts". Over their 30-year career they have released 5 albums and 2 Greatest Hits compilations. They have had 6 US Top 40 hits including a number 1 hit. Their huge smash "Everybody Have Fun Tonight," with its now famous line "Everybody Wang Chung Tonight" saw the invention of a new verb, 'to Wang Chung'. Iconic television characters including Homer Simpson and Frasier Crane name-dropped the band on TV and Wang Chung achieved punch-line status in the Austin Powers movie, "The Spy Who Shagged Me".When looking fo... 07/31/2015

VINTAGE SANTA CRUZ BEACH HOME FOR SALE115 CEDAR ST, SANTA CRUZ, CA 95060 Adorable vintage home located in the heart of Santa Cruz.  This home was originally built in 1908 and is located just steps to Downtown Santa Cruz, beaches, restaurants, shopping, bus lines and close to UCSC.  This is a small vintage bungalow home of 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom on a large, sunny lot.  This home would be a perfect vacation rental, second home or first time buyer opportunity.  The entire home has hardwood floors that were just recently refinished and give the home a warm and bright aura.  The living room and kitchen are open to each other making a comfortable living space.   There is a nice dining area in the window nook as well as a dining bar in the kitchen.  The bathroom has been updated with a newe... 07/23/2015

The median home price in Santa Cruz has stayed above $700,000 dollars for three months in a row according to new data from May home sales. This is great news for homeowners who are seeing the value of their properties continually rise, fueled by a surge of buyers from the Bay Area and expanding tech scene here in Santa Cruz. The median home price in April was $755,000 with May's numbers being down at $700,000 which is still up about $25,000 from this time last year, showing a steady increase. 22% of the home sales for May were for homes above one million dollars, a steady trend from months previous averaging around 20% of home sales.  If you are interested in more information about Santa Cruz, such as local events please feel free to contact me at pete@petecullen.com. With such great gr... 07/19/2015

The California Association of Realtors has released some new data on which generation recent first time home buyers. Not surprising Gen Y also know as the Millenial Generation leads the pack, making up 68% of first time buyers for 2015. Check out the infogrpahic below for all the information that CAR found.If you are interested in more information about Santa Cruz, such as local events please feel free to contact me at pete@petecullen.com. With such great growth coming to Santa Cruz, now is the time to make this amazing place your new home. Feel free to email me to find your new home here in Santa Cruz and make sure to check out my website!   07/16/2015

Happy Fourth everyone! As you sit back and enjoy the much deserved long weekend, here are some local activities right here in Santa Cruz to help you celebrate our nations Indepedence. If you are looking for some explosions in the sky you are in luck. Right over in Scotts Valleyon the 17, fireworks will be in full view later in the evening at Skypark Park starting at 9:15pm. Before the start of the show, attendees can play games and enjoy music in food at the park, which will start at 4pm. The cost of entrace to park is 8 dollars. Make sure to arrive early to enjoy the pre-firework activities and get some of the best spots to view the main attraction. Remember that this is the only place in Santa Cruz that will be having a fireworks show! Want to take advantage of the beautiful ocean vie... 07/03/2015

WESTSIDE SANTA CRUZ 3 BEDROOM HOME FOR SALE606 Laurent St, Santa Cruz 95060* Here is the home you have been waiting for!  Such a charming home originally built in the 1930's in a prime Westside Santa Cruz neighbhorhood where you can walk or bike to beaches, UCSC, shopping, restaurants, and Downtown Santa Cruz.  You are also located in the Westlake Elementary School District. This home for sale on the Westside of Santa Cruz has 3 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms in the main part of the home.  There is also a detached 1 car garage plus a bonus room with a full bathroom for extra space for your guests or a nice home office.     You feel the period charm with the hardwood floors, plaster walls and stucco exterior. The interior of the home feels warm and inviting with lots of light coming throu... 07/02/2015

One of Santa Cruz's staple events is returning for its newest season! Santa Cruz Shakespeare will be begin their 2015 play season starting at the end of the month. This seasons plays will include Much Ado about Nothing, The Liar and MacBethMuch Ado About Nothing is a battle-of-the-sexes comedy – Fall in love with Beatrice and Benedick, both sworn enemies of Cupid.The Liar, is described as a hilarious 17th century farce. Adventure with young and dashing Dorante through non-stop laughs, deceptions, and exaggerations!And finally, MacBeth is Shakespeare’s wicked Scottish play. Follow ambitious Macbeth and his power-hungry wife in the ultimate supernatural thriller, full of ghosts, witches, and of course, blood!The 2015 Season will run from June 30th to August 30th  with regular tickets rang... 06/26/2015

As smartphones become ubiquitous in our society, more and more prospective buyers are relying on the screen in their plams to facilitate their next home purchase. This begs the question, is your website mobile friendly? The California Association of Realtors has released new data on the kinds of information buyers are looking up on their phones.  78% of respondents said that they used their mobile device to do comparative pricing for homes, with another 42% saying that they researched a specific home using their device. Astonishingly, 91% of respondents said that they had used a mobile device as part of the buying process in 2014, demonstrating the increasing importance that your online presence is mobile ready. Check the infographic below for the rest of the survey findings.If you are ... 06/16/2015

This weekend May 30th and 31st will see the return of The Redwood Mountain Faire to Felton, just up Highway 9 from Santa Cruz. The Redwood Mountain Faire is a great chance to come out and enjoy the beautiful mountain atmosphere of Santa Cruz.The faire will inlcude live music as well as craft beer and food for sale from local vendors, with proceeds going to the benefit of local non-profits. A great chance to come out and support the local community. The mission of The Redwood Mountain Faire is this, "The Redwood Mountain Faire strives to put on the best family friendly music festival in Santa Cruz County, celebrate the arts, and raise funds for local service organizations".The faire will open at 10:30am on both days. The cost of attendance for adults is $25, $20 for Students and Seniors.... 05/29/2015

As student loan debt passes the trillion dollar mark, those burdened by it are having a much harder time qualifying or affording new homes. The California Association of Realtors in association with NeighborWorks America has compiled some new survey data on the attitudes American adults have towards home ownership and the some of the obstacles they are facing in becoming homeowners. Not surpising, of those surveyed a mojority 60% said that home ownership was an important part of the American Dream. Of those surveyed 17% said that Student Loan Debt was an obstacle keeping them from home ownership. While we may be quick to think that this is a problem limited to those students just getting out of college, parents of the college bound are also taking up larger amounts of student debt as th... 05/21/2015

Looking for a fun event celebrating good design while at the same time helping those in need in our local area? This Saturday, May 17th, The Architects Association of Santa Cruz will be hosting their 20th annual Open Architecture Tour. Come see and appreciate good design around Santa Cruz.The tour will take place from 10AM until 4PM with a post tour gathering occuring at La Posta restaraunt on the East Side of Santa Cruz. The cost of the event is $36 which will admit two people to the tour. Tickets may be purchased at several locations around Santa Cruz county including Bookshop Santa Cruz, they may also be purchased online at Habitat for Humanity Santa Cruz.Funds from the sale of tickets will benefit Habitat For Humanity Santa Cruz making this an excellent event to not only learn more ... 05/15/2015

2315 W Vine Hill Road Santa Cruz CA 95065 Search current inventory of Homes for Sale in Santa Cruz CA Listing DetailsHomes For Sale in Santa Cruz CA2315 W Vine Hill Road Santa Cruz CA 95065Price: $1,295,000MLS number: ML81464569 Bedrooms: 3Bathrooms: 3Square Footage: 2232Lot Size: 1.19 AcresYear Built: 1964  Call David Calvello at 408-761-2858 to see if this property is still available and arrange a showing or for information about how to sell a home in Santa Cruz CA You Will Love this Beautiful HomeAmazing long-range mountain and ocean views.  Floor to ceiling windows let in lots of natural light. Close to Scotts Valley Schools, freeway access close by.  640 square foot garage and shop with 100 amp service.  Solar system, air conditioning, and low E double-pane windows keep this home c... 05/12/2015

After lagging for months Santa Cruz's median home prices have reached levels not seen since 2007. The new median home price for Santa Cruz County now stands at $749,000. Despite the higher price point, home sales were up for the month of March compared to this time last year, with 141 homes changing hands.Only 403 homes were listed for sale in April, a drop of 21 percent from a year ago. Of the homes that are up for sale, more then 1/3rd are listed above 1 million dollars. What is the cause of this rapid increase in home prices? Silicon Valley being a stones throw away from Santa Cruz. As salaries continue to rise in Silicon Valley, more and more residents of Santa Cruz are commuting over the hill for new opprotunities. Conversely, those who are already living in or around Silicon Valle... 05/08/2015

If you see drones in the air this weekend over Santa Cruz, don't be alarmed! This weekend the Drones, Data X conference will be making its way over to the Bay Area this year setting up shop in sunny Santa Cruz. the Drones, Data X conference is a unique opportunity to learn about the latest advancements in commercial applications for realting to robotics, computer visions and unamnned aerial vehicles. You will also learn about some of uses for Drones that you may not have thought of, such as search and rescue drones that can go into collpased spaces to look for survivors without putting responders lives in danger. The event will be filled with speakers talking on a variety of subjects pertaining to drones, from talks about the future of goods delivery, how 2015 will shape up to be the "y... 05/02/2015

I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw this very strange flying aircraft this evening. When I first saw this very different flying object, for a minute I thought ..."Is that a UFO"? And then after it flew by I knew I had seen this type of jet before at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas Nevada. It is called a Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber. And even if this aircraft was made in the United States of America, Vegas Bob seriously believes that the technology came from Extraterrestrials ;o) PARANORMAL STORIES and EXPERIENCES   People, friends, and others sharing stories of Real (PARANORMAL EXPERIENCES) with a group. If you are worried to Post about yourself Post someone else's story in your words. The more CREEPY the better! Robert Swetz, Founder (Vegas B... 04/23/2015

UCSC is celebrating its 50th year in 2015. The University  will be hosting its now annual Alumni Weekend event this weekend, April 23rd to the 26th. To mark the historic occassion of UCSC turning 50, several unique events are planned for those alumni returning home. UCSC has put together a photo memoir of the different decades since the founding of the college. This is a great chance to see how the campus has changed in its 50 year history, from the 60's onwards, maybe even find yourself among the photo collection. This collection is hosted online, so if you are unable to attend the alumni weekend in person you can still experience some of the 50 year history of the university.Several events are planned over the course of the weekend, enough to pique the interest of any returning slugs.... 04/21/2015