WESTSIDE SANTA CRUZ HOMES FOR SALE - MARKET UPDATE 3-13 Anyone who has been trying to buy a home on the Westside of Santa Cruz this year knows that the name of the game is:  Low inventory and multiple offers.  Oftentimes homes for sale of the Westside of Santa Cruz are selling for over list price so far in 2013.  This has been frustrating to many buyers, especially first time buyers and very encouraging time for Santa Cruz home sellers.     This month of March 2013 we have had a slight increase in inventory of Westside Santa Cruz homes for sale - we have about 56 active/pending homes for sale on the Westside of Santa Cruz, up from just 20 in January.  The median list price of a home for sale on the Westside of Santa Cruz in February 2013 was right around $650,000 while the median sale p... 03/05/2013

The Penny Ice Creamery Expands to Pleasure Point, CA If Pleasure Point did not seem attractive enough, it is now home to the second location of The Penny Ice Creamery! 41st Street is hopping with surf shops, delicious food, and ice cream made from scratch in house. Penny Ice takes pride in their participation in the third wave of ice cream; in which they mean, “the combination of traditional culinary methods with modern and whimsical flavors to devise truly unique ice cream creations.” This ice cream would not be possible without Kendra and Zach. Kendra was the Executive Pastry Chef at two Micheline star Manresa Restaurant and Zach was directing operations and product development at a San Francisco startup. Their combined efforts have created a business that has the characteristics of S... 02/22/2013

5 Things to do for Valentine's Day | Santa Cruz County Valentine's Day is here! Here are some great ideas of things you can do around the area for the holiday or any other time you are searching for something to do. Share with a loved one or go with a group of friends. These opportunities should be taken advantage of and shared!   1. Take a Wine Tour of the Santa Cruz Mountains Whether you're a seasoned wine connoisseur or new to the experience of sniffing and swishing, you are likely to enjoy and learn from the tasting rooms at area wineries. Look for a guided tour or go the cheaper route and explore on your own. Try Bonny Doon Vineyards open Wednesday's through Sunday's 12pm-5pm.   2. Kiss on the Tram at Shadowbrook Restaurant                                       Visit one of Capitol... 02/13/2013

Local Businesses in Pleasure Point, California Pleasure Point is famously known for its premier waves that surfers can ride all year, but I also believe that the Pleasure Point Business Association strengthens this community. Pleasure Point has many businesses that are managed by the local community, and these businesses compliment each other instead of trying to drive a neighboring business out of the area. The Pleasure Point Business Association has strived to represent, network, and advertise local businesses for over 10 years. Local businesses in this association commit to cleaning up the neighborhood and take part in major projects in the county. A festive tradition, which started in 1995, is that business owners decorate their shops with holiday lights in December. This not only e... 01/17/2013

HOMES FOR SALE IN SEABRIGHT - SANTA CRUZ - YEAR IN REVIEW 2012 Seabright in Santa Cruz, CA is a wonderful beach neighborhood that falls between Downtown Santa Cruz and the Boardwalk to the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor.  The Seabright neighborhood is a highly desirable area due to the prime beach location, you can walk to restaurants, coffee, shopping and Seabright has beautiful homes including craftsmans and Victorians.  Let's take a look at the statistics for homes for sale in Seabight - Santa Cruz for 2012 The median home sale price was about $545,000 for homes for sale in Seabright in 2012, which is pretty similar to the previous year.  Home prices in Seabright seem to have stabilized and may be on the slight up tick.  There were much more homes sold in Seabright in 2012 - 131 homes sold ... 01/09/2013

WESTSIDE SANTA CRUZ HOMES FOR SALE - YEAR IN REVIEW 2012 For those Realtors that specialize in selling homes on the Westside of Santa Cruz, 2012 was quite a crazy year!  We had about 20% more Westside Santa Cruz homes sell in 2012 vs 2011.  Buyer demand has been up and homes on the Westside of Santa Cruz are selling quickly! You can see in the graph below that many more Westside Santa Cruz homes sold in 2012 than previous years. GRAPH OF NUMBER OF HOMES SOLD ON THE WESTSIDE OF SANTA CRUZ 2010-2012     Low Inventory was the name of the game in 2012 for homes for sale on Westside of Santa Cruz, with the number of homes for sale almost half of what it was in the previous year.  With less homes on the market, low interest rates and pent up buyer demand, we had quite a busy year!  Multiple o... 01/08/2013

Are You A First Time Home Buyer? | Santa Cruz Real Estate The new year quickly approaches and I am sure you have made some resolutions. If purchasing your first home is one of them, consider these tips on preparing for the process. Deciding to purchase a home is a monumental lifetime decision. Doing your research, saving money and letting someone guide and assist you during the process is critical to your end result in homeownership.Start by following these simple steps and be sure to call me at 831-334-0890 if you are ready to start looking for the perfect home.   Check Your Credit ScoreLenders tie the interest rate you must pay to your credit score, so that borrowers with a score of 720 and sometimes 740 and above are the only ones who will pay the lowest mortgage rates. Borrowers wit... 12/28/2012

Santa Cruz California Property for sale.  This wonderful Town of Davenport is just about an hour drive south of San Francisco, and about 10 minutes drive north of Santa Cruz.  The Davenport Mill has been around for 30 + years and is ready for semi-retirement.  The building and the land is all for sale.  Sitting on almost an acre, at the end of a cul de sac, near a beautiful creek, is privacy and scerentiy.  The wood shop has about 9000+ ft of work space. There are too many fixtures to list, but for the right person, this could be fully occupied, or they can lease out sections to cabinet makers ... etc. The seller is willing to carry a portion of the note, is willing to negotiate price, terms, etc. Listed for $1,490,000                      12/14/2012

Holiday Events Around Santa Cruz County - Santa Cruz, CA People choose to buy Santa Cruz real estate and live in Santa Cruz County for many reasons. Who would disagree that the diversity of Santa Cruz and the variety of things to do in the area makes is a great place to live? Take a look at these upcoming holiday events to entertain and bring a little more magic and cheer to you and your family. From the trains at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to New Years at Cocoanut Grove, wreath making at Wilder Ranch State Park and the original Nutcracker Ballet at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, there is something for everyone in Santa Cruz County. Santa Cruz Holiday Lights TrainDecember 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 21-23    Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalkhttp://www.beachboardwalk.com/holidaytrains/Vintage excurs... 12/06/2012

OCEAN VIEW HOMES FOR SALE IN PLEASURE POINT - SANTA CRUZ If you are looking to buy ocean view and ocean front homes for sale in Santa Cruz County, one of the best places to look is Pleasure Point.  Ocean view homes for sale in Pleasure Point can run into the multi-million dollar range and there are some around 1 million dollars.     You will find the best ocean view homes for sale in Pleasure Point on streets like Rockview Dr, Pleasure Point Dr, East Cliff Dr and the Avenues.  Some will be ocean front homes, where you can walk down the stairs from your backyard and be on the beach.  Other Pleasure Point ocean view homes for sale may be a block or so back, with great views but not direct beach access.     Pleasure Point is a quintissental Northern California beach community.  World class... 11/30/2012

HOME PRICES ON THE WESTSIDE OF SANTA CRUZ NOVEMBER 2012 Home prices on the Westside of Santa Cruz continue to rise this month as inventory continues to drop - see a correlation here?  With the scarcity of homes for sale on the Westside of Santa Cruz and buyer demand strong, Westside Santa Cruz home prices are steadily rising.  We are seeing a lot of multiple offers on Westside Santa Cruz homes for sale and homes being sold for over asking price.  This is great news for sellers that have been waiting for this to happen for the past few years.  Maybe now we will start to see some more homes for sale on the Westside of Santa Cruz?   Graph of Westside Santa Cruz Median Listing Price vs Median Sold Price 2012 Westside Santa Cruz Home Price Report Summary The current median list price on the ... 11/29/2012

The Holiday Fun Continues in Santa Cruz, CA I hope that everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving and the extended weekend that followed. Now, get ready for more fun events happening the next couple weeks! This Saturday, December 1st is the annual Downtown Santa Cruz Holiday Parade. From 10am to noon there will be floats, marching bands, fire trucks, horses, classic cars, and this season’s biggest celebrity, Santa Clause. Watch them and other organizations make their way down Pacific Ave and indulge in what Downtown has to offer. There are plenty of coffee shops to keep you going through the morning! As the President of the Board of Directors representing the Friends of Santa Cruz Public Libraries, I am excited that the FSCPL will be marching in the parade. Their dedication to supporting the... 11/29/2012

SEABRIGHT HOMES FOR SALE - A SANTA CRUZ BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD Seabright in Santa Cruz is a classic Northern California beach neighborhood where you will find some beautiful Seabright homes for sale.  The Seabright neighborhood falls between the Santa Cruz Boardwalk & Downtown to the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor.  Seabright is in a great location for walking to the beach, restaurants - La Posta, The Crepe Place, Lillians, Charlie Hong Kong's . . .  a plethora of great grocery stores: Staff of Life, Whole Foods, Shopper's Corner.   Life is good in this sunny Santa Cruz beach neighborhood.  Homes for sale in Seabright in Santa Cruz, CA range from the grand Victorians on Ocean View Avenue to small beach cottages, Craftsman style homes, and luxury ocean view homes.  People who are looking for homes ... 11/29/2012

O'Neill Coldwater Classic 2012 - Santa Cruz The O'Neill Coldwater Classic in Santa Cruz wrapped up today and was quite a success by all accounts.  We have had AMAZING weather this week.  With 80 degree temperatures in November with no fog or wind, we have definitely been spoiled.  We were also fortunate to have decent waves for the last few days of the Coldwater Classic. This was the first time in 22 years that the O'Neill Coldwater Classic has been on the ASP Surfing World Tour and we had some all time great surfers entertaining us the past week like Kelly Slater, Joel Parkinson, Gabriel Medina, the list goes on.  It was quite a thrill to watch these pros tear up our local spot, Steamer's Lane.   Joel Parkinson doing the 'run around' during his heat at Steamer's Lane - Coldwater Classi... 11/06/2012

Went to the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor for lunch today and enjoyed the view.  The fog was in and the boats looked like ghost ships coming in through the fog. Really pretty to watch. I can highly recommend lunch at the Crow's Nest, beautiful ocean views and delicious food. My lunch guest commented on the lovely real estate surrounding the yacht harbor. Below is a  listing by the harbor for your enjoyment and review.  The great thing about this area is you can walk, ride or wheel to the beach and restaurants. Santa Cruz Real Estate Virtual Tour by Cheri Duc Trebbien Please call me if you would like to view any of the available real estate listings by the Yacht Harbor or in any Santa Cruz beach neighborhood. I can be reached at (831) 477-5792 or email me at cdtrebbien@sbcglobal.net. 10/30/2012

The warm summer days in Santa Cruz may have passed, but for surfers around the world the crisp fall air signals the time to shred the waves at Steamer Lane. From November 2nd through the 12th, the world’s top 34 competitive surfers will assemble in Santa Cruz for the O’Neill Coldwater Classic. Santa Cruz is the 10th of 11 stops of the world tour and will likely be the location where the world title is decided. The competition coincides with the 60th anniversary of the brand O’Neill. It was founded by Jack O’Neill who lived in Santa Cruz and is a pioneer of the wetsuit and other surf inventions. The O’Neill history is one of many aspects that contribute to the Santa Cruz surf community and lifestyle. Around the 1930’s surfers from Southern California made their way up north and spread th... 10/25/2012

CONDOS FOR SALE NEAR UCSC - SANTA CRUZ CA If you are a University of California at Santa Cruz - UCSC student or parent of a student, you have probably experienced the difficulty of finding a decent rental home or condo near UCSC on the Westside of Santa Cruz.  The competition is high and the rental prices are insane.  Due to this situation, many parents of UCSC students explore the option of buying a condos for sale near UCSC.  Some of the closest condos for sale by UCSC are located the complexes off of Nobel St like the Baytree and Roundtree condo complexes on Peach Terrace, Palo Verde, and Castillion Terrace.  In these ideal UCSC condos you will find both 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom condos.  You will have no problem finding quality renters either.     Another place to look for affordable ... 10/23/2012

HOMES FOR SALE NEAR UCSC - SANTA CRUZ CA The University of Santa Cruz - UCSC is located on the Upper Westside of Santa Cruz in a geographically stunning setting, surrounded by redwoods and with ocean views.  I can't think of a more beautiful University campus than UCSC.  The demand for homes for sale near UCSC is high due to both faculty and students desiring to live close to the UCSC campus. The single family homes for sale near UCSC are located is great neighborhoods, many of the homes have larger lots and more spacious homes.  You can easily walk or ride a bike to UCSC from the Upper Westside Santa Cruz neighborhoods.  For faculty with family, these Santa Cruz Upper Westside neighborhoods are a great place to live.     Students at UCSC also love to live close to campus and I have wor... 10/22/2012

Do you have a long list of restaurants in Santa Cruz that you have been meaning to try out? Or are you new in town and are eager to delve in the foodie scene? If so, then do not hesitate to attend the 8th annual A Taste of Santa Cruz community fundraising event hosted by the Santa Cruz Association of REALTORS Housing Foundation (SCAORHF). This is the opportunity to sample dishes from over 30 local restaurants, participate in silence auctions (great for one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts), all while supporting a good cause! 100 percent of the proceeds go towards the Closing Cost Assistance Grant Program that provides grants to help cover closing costs of low-income or first time buyers. Over the past seven years, there have been 150 families helped from the $300,000 collectively raised. There... 10/20/2012

    Fall is here and it is time to bundle up and get lost in the magic of documentary films. The annual Santa Cruz Pacific Rim Film Festival’s theme for this year’s films is “When Strangers Meet” which is implementing cross-cultural understandings into our Santa Cruz community. The films are set in various cities and small towns located around the edge of the Pacific Ocean, and there are three filmmakers of Santa Cruz roots who have chosen to document extraordinary situations in Indonesia, Japan, and Peru. An article about the film festival in Santa Cruz Weekly invites the community to explore the lives of others that initially seem hard to envision. They are sulfur mine workers at the Kawah Ijen volcano or fireworks makers in the Peruvian Andes, but the writer confidently states that t... 10/11/2012