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... 03/31/2012

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... 03/26/2012

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... 03/15/2012

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                      03/07/2012

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... 01/24/2012

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... 12/26/2011

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... 12/12/2011

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... 12/06/2011

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... 12/06/2011

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... 11/27/2011

 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... 11/14/2011

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... 11/12/2011

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... 11/10/2011

    Santa Cruz Harbor Lighted Boat Parade one of my favorite holiday traditions. I love going to the Santa Cruz Harbor with hot chocolate in thermos, ready to feel the season set in.  Bring a chair, blanket and snuggle up to enjoy the festivities, enjoy hot drinks and snacks from the local restaurants and venues in the South Harbor.  Each year I opt for either having dinner before or going out after for desert.  Since this is a family event, and we’ve been going for years, it’s turning out that now, my adult child (still my baby) now prefers to go out after the parade.  Each are just as nice.   Sponsored by the Santa Cruz Yacht Club.  They’re including a canned food drive benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank.  A  fantastic organization focused on helping local families, and doing an ama... 11/10/2011

I am a broker in the Santa Cruz real estate market and I would like to share with you a few tips with short sales. A large number of our closings are short sales probably around 40%. Even though these transactions are extremely challenging our close ratio is over 95%. How do we do this? Here is a list of things that have made us sucessful. The person who is negotiating the short sale (this may be the Realtor or negotiator) MUST have many of these traits if they want to be sucessful with shortsales. 1) They must have above average "people" skills. They must be pacient, calm, friendly, and have an ability to solve problems. People with short tempers, arrogance, and lack attention to detail rarely make good short sale negotiators. 2) They MUST be knowledgeable with the short sale process. ... 11/06/2011

American Dream is very excited to announce our new Santa Cruz Real Estate Website. This amazing new site is easy to use and loaded with tools and information. We have a help section about Santa Cruz short sales & foreclosures. Our main page includes a weekly best buy section that is updated on Friday's. If you need help selecting an experienced Santa Cruz real estate agent we can assist you. We feature Santa Cruz County pages which have specific area information and the newest listings. Our buyer and seller sections have tips and guidelines to help answer questions you may have. We are giving away a Las Vegas trip to celebrate the new website. To enter the drawing please visit the #1 Santa Cruz Real Estate Resource and register.    Don Gerig Jr- Broker (831) 429-5700   11/04/2011

WHALE WATCHING IN SANTA CRUZ, CAWe took a little zodiak out in the Monterey Bay today to enjoy our 80 degree October Weather in Santa Cruz and were lucky enough to come across Humpback Whales.  I have been whale watching in Santa Cruz years ago but on a gorgeous day with glassy water is a special treat.We were able to get close to the pair of humpback whales and saw them come up many times over about 1 hour.Set against the back drop of the Santa Cruz mountains and coast, whale watching in Santa Cruz can provide some excellent photo opportunities. There were a few whale watching boats out today as well as kayakers, stand up paddlers, and fishermen watching the whales in Santa Cruz.  If you are looking to buy a home or second home in Santa Cruz read my article Santa Cruz Beach Homes for S... 10/22/2011

Haunted Homes in Santa Cruz   Many homes in Santa Cruz are preparing for the arrival of little ghosts and goblins on Halloween.  You can bet our 12 year old goblins are ready for trick or treating at homes in Santa Cruz.  Our favorite spot is the neighborhood around Westlake pond.  Many homes around the Westlake pond in Santa Cruz are decked out, some complete with haunted houses, and scary ghouls to meet you at the door.  We make a day of it with pumpkin carving, a little dinner and then out for a little trick or treating.     Search for homes in Santa Cruz 10/07/2011

A Day at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk! Before I went to the Santa Cruz County Fair the other day, my son Ryan and I stopped over at the beach for a picnic out in front of the boardwalk in Santa Cruz, CA. The great thing about this beach (our second trip there in the last three days) was the parking is free!  Either you go to a state beach and pay to park and enter...  Or park on the shoulder and climb down the cliffs to the beach OR you can park at the amusement parks lots for free! The parking lot is right across the street, so you can drop your stuff off after playing at the beach and just walk along the waterfront boardwalk without all of your stuff.  My son loves to go to the beach...  To dig in the sand, run in the water and play with his bucket and shovel! The boardwalk is not open ... 09/17/2011

WESTSIDE SANTA CRUZ SUMMERTIME HOME SALES REPORT 2011   Summer is winding down now in Santa Cruz and we are hoping for a sunnier Fall with less fog!  Fall can be one of the best times of year in Santa Cruz.  The Westside of Santa Cruz has some of our best weather in the County in my opinion and is also one of the stronger real estate markets in Santa Cruz.         So how did the Westside of Santa Cruz homes sales fare this summer?  Let's take a look: In June we had 20 closed Westside Santa Cruz home sales with an median home sale price of $676,700 In July, Westside Santa Cruz saw 17 homes close escrow, with an median home sale price of $675,821 In August there were 18 Westside Santa Cruz home sales with an average price of $672,006 You can see the average Westside Santa Cruz home sale p... 09/14/2011