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Santa Cruz, CA Real Estate News

By Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS, Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area
(Bailey Properties, Inc.)
With demand increasing and supply of existing homes staying flat, it is becoming more common for most home sellers to receive multiple bids on their home. The California Association of Realtors has released a new infographic on how those who received multiple offers on their homes handled the situation. According to CAR, in 2013, 98% of home sellers received multiple offers on their home, with the average number of offers hover around three each. Certainly fantastic news to those who are looking to sell in the coming year.    Not surprisingly 77% of those who received multiple offers choose to go with the highest bid on their home, but some 47% also choose to go with the offer that had the best mortage qualified buyer. Make sure to check the CAR infographic for all the ways in which sel...
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By Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS, Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area
(Bailey Properties, Inc.)
With the coming of a new month it is time once again for First Friday here in Santa Cruz. First Friday is an event that invites the Santa Cruz community to come out an enjoy various locations across the city and county. The downtown area of Santa Cruz offers many different types of shops and eateries that residents can come and enjoy. Many of the shops have free offerings for those coming in to their stores during First Fridays, making this a great opportunity to explore the various businesses in the downtown area.  First Friday is not only a great time to check out local businesses but to also check out the local art scene in Santa Cruz. This First Friday the Museum of Art and History(MAH), a staple of the downtown community, will have free admission to those attending for First Friday...
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By American Dream Realty, Santa Cruz Real Estate
(American Dream Realty)
  Schedule a Showing/Request Info Search All Santa Cruz Homes For Sale Search Santa Cruz Luxury Beach Homes Search Santa Cruz Foreclosures What is Your Home Worth?   American Dream Realty   831-429-5700 Questions?Schedule a Showing! MLS#: 81401745   Licensed In:CA License #:01280979 Information valid for the date of this posting only. Please contact us for the most current information and status of this property. 2926 Leotar Circle Santa Cruz, CA  Description Photos Maps & Local Schools           View the Property Details, More Photos, Map & Schoolinformation here at the updated Virtual Tour!   Townhome in one of the best maintained complexes in Santa Cruz. Stunning design quality interior. Two master suites, two fireplaces, inside laundry area and attached garage. Swimming pool. Great...
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By Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS, Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area
(Bailey Properties, Inc.)
In recent weeks three beachfront homes in Santa Cruz have sold for more than 3 million dollars each. These sales come off the heels of a recent sale of a home in Santa Cruz near Opal Cliffs for 4.2 million dollars.  The three beachfront homes that sold more for more than 3 millions dollars were located in Seacliff, Pleasure Point and Rio Del Mar areas of Santa Cruz.  The sale of these homes seems to indicate a resurgence in the number of homes in the upper price brackets of the market as these types of home sales increase in volume. The months of December and January saw 37 homes being sold for more than 1 million dollars, an increase over the same period a year ago where only 20 homes for more than 1 million dollars were sold. Additionally more home sales are going to those buyers who ...
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By Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS, Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area
(Bailey Properties, Inc.)
The event of the season is upon us one again here in Santa Cruz. The Clam Chowder Cook-off and Festival is happening this Saturday, the 22nd of February at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. The Clam Chowder Cook-off is a great chance to come out and enjoy the culinary talent of the wonderful people and businesses of Santa Cruz County.     Admission to the event is free and those attending may purchase tasting kits for $9 which will allow you to sample up to five chowders. Chowders are available in both the Manhattan and Boston varieties with awards being given out to the top teams in both categories. There will also be awards given out to a Peoples Choice winner as well as an award for the Most Original team. With many wonderful chowders to be tasted, going back for a second or third tasting ki...
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By Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS, Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area
(Bailey Properties, Inc.)
Forgot to make plans for Valentines Day? No date for tonight and wanting to do something really fun this weekend? Twisted Tasting 2014 will be taking place this Saturday, February 15th at the top of the Rittenhouse Building in downtown Santa Cruz. Twisted Tasting offers attendees the chance to sample experimental and unique beers from twenty different breweries as well as various small plate samplings. With the purchase of your ticket for Twisted Tasting you can sample all the beer and food that you would like, making this event a great deal. The cost to attend Twisted Tasting 2014 is $65.00 with the event starting at 6:30 pm and running until 9:30 pm. If you arrive earlier there is a preview session of the beers and the breweries you can sample them from starting at 4 pm and ending at ...
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By Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS, Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area
(Bailey Properties, Inc.)
According to the California Association of Realtors, 2013 was a great year for real estate here in California. Across all counties throughout the state median home prices were up for last year. As expected the area of the state with the highest median home prices was the Bay Area with median prices in the City coming in at around $890,000. The reigning county with this highest median home price in the state were the homes in Marin County clocking in at around $950,000. Here in Santa Cruz county the median home prices clocked in at $660,000 on the dot. Below you will find the infographic put out by the California Association of Realtors detailing the median home prices in other California counties. Please feel free to check out the infographic and see what the median prices in your area ...
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By Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS, Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area
(Bailey Properties, Inc.)
Last year the California Association of Realtors discussed their top home improvement projects that home owners should avoid. These were projects that not only had high costs to complete but when it would come time to sell your home you could expect only a small return on your initial investment, a one-two punch of terrible.  With the New Year CAR has released their list for the home improvement projects that home owners should do if they are looking to maximize their returns on investment when they sell their home. Want the most return for your hard earned dollars? Should your house only have one bathroom in it, then you are in luck, by adding another bathroom to your home it is estimated that you could see returns anywhere from 80 to 130% of the cost of the addition. For a complete li...
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By Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS, Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area
(Bailey Properties, Inc.)
It is that time of year again, the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers are once again sponsoring their first Passport Day of 2014 this Saturday, January 18th. For those of you new to the area or who have not heard of the event, Passport Days were created in order to celebrate the rich history of the wingrowers, vintners and the families that make up the tradition of winegrowing here in the Santa Cruz Mountains. These celebrations occur on the third Saturday of January, April, July and November during the course of the year.    On Passport Days guests are welcomed into over 30 different wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains where each will have their own sampling of wines and gourmet foods and entertainment. Most wineries are closed to the public on Passport Days so this is a great opportuni...
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By Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS, Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area
(Bailey Properties, Inc.)
When you help your clients they love you, or at least in this case they like you a whole lot. The California Association of Realtors has released a survey of the top five things that home buyers liked about the work that there realtor did in finding them their new home. With 91% of California home buyers using a realtor in 2013 to help them through the home buying process there was a lot to love.  California homebuyers overwhelming said that their realtor did an excellent job in finding them the best possible home for their needs. Respondents to the survey also said that their realtor did an excellent job in negotiating a good deal for them and with prices having risen some 24% since March of 2012, a good deal is increasingly paramount for buyers.  Check out the rest of the top reasons ...
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By Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS, Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area
(Bailey Properties, Inc.)
Thinking of doing some additions to your home that might make great returns on investment when you decide to sell your home? Make sure to check out this list of some projects to avoid if you plan on selling your home in the next year or two. Of note the California Association of Realtors cautions creating expensive over-the-top landscaping projects as the cost of such projects rarely will make a difference in the asking price for yout home. If you are interested in more information about Santa Cruz, such as local events please feel free to contact me at pete@petecullen.com.  Feel free to email me to find your new home here in Santa Cruz and make sure to check out my website!
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By Jessica Wallace, Santa Cruz Realtor (831) 419-9345
(Coldwell Banker - Santa Cruz)
  Westside Santa Cruz Homes for Sale and Sold Report for November 2013   Westside Santa Cruz, CA 95060 homes for sale have seen steady price improvement month to month as well as year to yearas inventory levels remain at all-time lows. The Numbers Month to Month and Year to Year The median sales price for Westside Santa Cruz, Ca homes for sale was $757,500 in November 2013 compared up from $587,500 from November of 2012! The number of homes for sale on the Westside of Santa Cruz that sold (closed escrow) was 13 in November 2013 vs. 18 in October 2013 and 14 that sold November 2012. A few highlights of the current Westside Santa Cruz Homes for sale are shown below and represent a nice cross section of properties available, in contract and that have sold. This Months Most Expensive The mo...
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By Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS, Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area
(Bailey Properties, Inc.)
The California Association of Realtors has released a web graphic showing the top 10 cities who are leading the housing recovery. The Association came up with their metric for measuring which cities were leading the recovery based on a number of factors including median price and days on the market along with a few other factors. Of this list of 10, two bay area cities are in the top 5 with Oakland taking the number one spot. Take a look at the graphic and see if your city or region made the list.      If you are interested in more information about Santa Cruz, such as local events please contact me at pete@petecullen.com so I can show you why you will Love Livin' in Santa Cruz. Feel free to email me to find your new home here in Santa Cruz and make sure to check out my website!
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By Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS, Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area
(Bailey Properties, Inc.)
Starting on November 15th and running through December the 8th, Shakespeare Santa Cruz will be performing their yearly holiday show. This years show will feature nine actors playing dozens of your favorite Bedford Falls characters. The holiday show will be in the styling of a live 1940's radio broadcast as play goers are turned into a live studio audience, becoming part of the performance. The show will feature many amusing holiday jingles that are perfect for the entire family. The Shakespeare Santa Cruz holiday show has become a favoriite amongst community members here in Santa Cruz and should not be missed.  The cost of the event depends on the kind of seating you wish to have, with ticket prices ranging from  $18 to $40. The event will have accessible seating available to those who ...
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By Jessica Wallace, Santa Cruz Realtor (831) 419-9345
(Coldwell Banker - Santa Cruz)
HOMES FOR SALE NEAR WESTLAKE ELEMENTARY IN SANTA CRUZ Westlake Elementary School is a K-5th grade school located on the Upper Westside of Santa Cruz at 1000 High Street, Santa Cruz, 95060.  Westlake Elementary has a beautiful campus and is also located near the University of California in Santa Cruz (UCSC) Homes near Westlake Elementary School in Santa Cruz can be anything from a traditional rancher style home to a Craftsman style home to a gorgeous ocean view home, there is usually something for everyone and taste in Santa Cruz.   For the most up to date information visit here to see all Homes for Sale near Westlake Elementary School in Santa Cruz, Ca Great Schools To see more information about Santa Cruz area schools and ratings check out Santa Cruz, CA Schools on my website. Ideal Sa...
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By Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS, Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area
(Bailey Properties, Inc.)
Are you selling a home? Trying to figure out why that townhome with two elevators and an outdoor kitchen with laminate countertops just can't seem to find a buyer? Why that beach front condo with an included wet bar has been sitting on the market for months with no interested buyers? The California Association of Realtors might just have the answers. According to a new survey, when asked, buyers listed the things they were not looking for in a home. 70% said they were not looking for an elevator in their home, 51% did not want only a shower stall for their master bedroom bath and 30% did not want ceramic tile countertops in their prefered home. Some of the items on the list seem apparent while others might be some features you might have believed were in demand. As the California Associ...
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By Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS, Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area
(Bailey Properties, Inc.)
This weekend the 2013 Santa Cruz Sea Glass Festival will be taking place at the Cocaonut Grove building located at the Santa Beach Boardwalk. Running the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd of November only, the event will run on both days from 10:00am to 5pm. The cost to attend the event will be 5 dollars, cash only. The cost of attendance will aslo entitle you to one entry in a prize raffle that will be held during the final day of the event on November 3rd. Winners of the raffle drawing will split a prize of $1000 with the first place winner getting $500 dollars and all other winners receiving $100 each. There will also be winners for other prizes that will include hats and t-shirts. In addition to the potential raffle prizes, there will also be a drawing for a signed guitar by Taylor Swift. ...
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By Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS, Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area
(Bailey Properties, Inc.)
The median housing price for a home in Santa Cruz was at $639,000 for the month of September, which is now jsut a tad off the highest peak in prices for the year. This median price while not as high as the year peak is still well above the median price for homes just a year ago which was $560,000.  The number of homes sold for the month of September stood at 161 which is the second highest number of homes sold for September since 2005 but is still down from a high of 193 homes sold last September.  While the number of homes that have been sold has fallen and the median price is slightly off from the yearly high of $640,000 there is good news in these numbers. The housing market appears to be holding steady, with prices and sales remaining at stable levels without large swings that chara...
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By Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS, Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area
(Bailey Properties, Inc.)
The Santa Cruz Wharf turns 100 years old this weekend. To celebrate the Wharf reaching the century mark there will be many events that will be put on through the course of 2014. As a kickoff for the events scheduled for next year the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History will be hosting a pop-up museum at the wharf. This pop-up museum will allow visitors to interact with historical objects, such as photographs of the wharf's history. Community members are also encouraged to bring their own photographs and their stories of their time spent at the wharf to be included in the exhibit. Interested parties will be able to have their favorite photo scanned by Bay Photo in order to preserve them for years to come, this service is free! The event will happen this Saturday, October 12th and start ...
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By Jessica Wallace, Santa Cruz Realtor (831) 419-9345
(Coldwell Banker - Santa Cruz)
TOP 5 REASONS TO LIVE IN PLEASURE POINT - SANTA CRUZ  There are plenty more that 5 reasons to live in Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz but we will get started with the top 5 here.  Pleasure Point is a classic beach neighborhood in Santa Cruz located between 41st Avenue and about 26th Avenue along the coast. 1.  Pleasure Point is a surf mecca - for those who want to learn to surf or experienced surfers, Pleasure Point offers surfing for everyone.  You can learn to surf at 38th or Sharks and enjoy the long rolling waves or try your luck at Pleasure Point or Rockview if you are a bit more experienced. 2. Leave your car in the garage - you can walk or bike anywhere!  Stroll to restaurants, beaches, surf shops, coffeeshops, Capitola Village, 41st Ave Mall . . . 3.  Pleasure Point homes are very un...
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