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

 First Time Homebuyer Program in Santa Cruz This First Time Homebuyer Program offered by the City of Santa Cruz  is something I stumbled across while researching the Santa Cruz Rental Inspection Program.  When I saw the words First Time Homebuyer Program I felt I had to share.  The First Time Homebuyers in Santa Cruz have the opportunity to obtain a silent second from the City of Santa Cruz.  The loan could be used to supplement a First Time Homebuyer in Santa Cruz with additional down payment needed at closing.   First Time Home Buyers in Santa Cruz do have options and opportunities that sometimes we just stumble upon.  Mortgage rates are still at an all time low.  The inventory of homes offered for sale in Santa Cruz is healthy and there are many great deals.  Contact us if you want t... 08/21/2011

The City of Santa Cruz (not entire county) has recently approved a program where inspections will start taking place in home that have been identified as rentals.  Priority will be given to rentals with known code violations.  In coming months homeowners will be receiving a letter from the City of Santa Cruz about the program.  This link to the city of Santa Cruz answers many of the questions that homeowners have regarding theCity of Santa Cruz Rental Inspection Program. Search Santa Cruz Homes for Sale 08/17/2011

        Notice the crowded beaches here in Santa Cruz  West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz is a great place to take in the fantastic views of the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay.  Enjoy a bike ride or a walk on the path that runs along side the ocean then take in the wonders of Natural Bridges. There have been 271 homes/condos sold in the city of Santa Cruz YTD.  Homes/condos sold in Santa Cruz ranged in price from $169,050 to $2,900,000 with an average sales price of $623,744. Search Santa Cruz Homes for Sale  08/08/2011

THE CORE's SANTA CRUZ RUN SWIM RUN Have you always wanted to do a run swim run from Santa Cruz to Capitola?  Here is your chance! The Core's 8th Santa Cruz Annual Run Swim Run  takes place August 2nd at 6am sharp, meet at the Santa Cruz wharf. The Run Swim Run is a fantastic event that takes you on a jog and swim along the beautiful beaches and waves of Santa Cruz, CA. The Santa Cruz Run Swim Run is scheduled to take place during extremely low tide so it is possible to do this event.  It is a unique and fun way to experience the Santa Cruz coastline. Proceeds from the run swim run will benefit the Core which is non profit youth organization that helps mentor and provide positive experiences for the youth of Santa Cruz. For more information and to register for the run swim run visit:  Th... 07/26/2011

July 11, 2011 I visited a beautiful Prospect Heights home with an English Garden peppered with hand crafted fountains. The owner has planted an orchard in the backyard with four to five different sitting areas, as well as a raised bed area for herbs and vegetables. Clearly, plants love Santa Cruz. We have a temperate climate, with fertile soil, and it’s rarely too hot, so a wide variety of plantings thrive. The area between the ocean and Prospect Heights, that angles its way up through Seabright as a bent cylinder, is commonly called the Banana Belt. I have asked the question for years; does the name reference the shape of the area on the map, or does it reference the growing of bananas? For decades the marine layer in Santa Cruz was thicker than it is now, but this one area, shaped lik... 07/13/2011

We have homes on the Eastside of Santa Cruz priced under $800,000 that would have sold quickly for much more. Four Hundred Six South Branciforte Avenue is a beautifully kept Victorian on a quiet corner lot with wrap around gardens (award winning roses), and two den/studies. I was really taken with this house; you get a choice of bedrooms, upstairs or down, and there are three different sitting areas, so it’s possible to have a big party that would have intimate pockets for discourse. This home is located in the Seabright area, which is sought after for its proximity to the ocean, and also its own shopping and entertainment district. You can also walk to downtown or the Boardwalk from here. And if you go south, you are within minutes of the Santa Cruz Wharf and Harbor. I’m surprised this... 07/13/2011

SANTA CRUZ FIXER HOME FOR SALE ON HUGE LOT! 606 Rodriguez St, Santa Cruz *  Santa Cruz fixer home for sale on huge lot (almost 17,000 SF) is located on Rodriguez St, just off 7th Avenue.  You are minutes to Highway 1, Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor and beaches.  The older farmhouse is a fixer home and has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.  It is livable now but needs work - this property is a contractor's special!  There are also 2 detached out buildings with water, electricity and sewer.  They can be used for a workshop, gym, office, bonus room . . .   Detached outbuilding: Another great potential for this Santa Cruz fixer home for sale on a huge lot is to do a lot split.  The seller had plans and permits to do a lot split so you can build a whole other home here = Developer opportunity! This fixer... 07/07/2011

Santa Cruz is known for many things; the Monterey Bay, beautiful beaches, big waves, Natural Bridges, Monarch butterflies, the Santa Cruz Pier, and Lighthouse to name a few. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk celebrated it's 100th anniversary in 2007.  Since then there have been some milestones with the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk historic rides.  The Looff Carousel is celebrating it's 100th anniversary this year.  The Giant Dipper is the 5th oldest roller coaster in the nation and is still in its original location.   Both the Carousel and the Giant Dipper have been designated National Historic Landmarks by the U.S. National Park Service. Search for Santa Cruz Homes for Sale 07/06/2011

FREE MOVIES ON THE BEACH AT THE SANTA CRUZ BOARDWALK The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk offers FREE movies on the Beach in the Summertime on Wednesday nights. Come down to Santa Cruz main beach in front of the Boardwalk with a blanket and a picnic dinner and enjoy these free movies on Wednesday nights. Here is the lineup for the Santa Cruz Boardwalk's Free Movies on the Beach (most are 1980's classic movies!) July 6th - The Lost Boys (as this movie was filmed in Santa Cruz this is a great movie to go to) July 13th - Ghostbusters July 20th - Top Gun July 27th - ET August 3rd - Raiders of the Lost Ark August 10th - Back to the Future For those of you looking to make Santa Cruz home or a second home read my article: Santa Cruz Beach Homes for sale   06/21/2011

SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAIN BREWERY WING DING COOKOFF The 4th annual Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery Wing Ding Cookoff is taking place this weekend, June 18th, 2011. I have attended the past 2 years and the Wing Ding Cookoff is not to be missed by chicken wing connoisseurs or excellent organic beer lovers! The entrance fee for the Wing Ding cookoff is $20 for all you can eat chicken wings, a souvenir Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery pint glass and 2 beers.  There will be live music this year The Down Beats and Western Skylarks. The Wing Ding Cookoff will take place from 4 to 8 pm at the Westside Santa Cruz Farmer's market at the end of Western and Mission St.   06/17/2011

CROW'S NEST THURSDAY NIGHT BEACH BBQ It's that time of year again - The Crow's Nest Thursday Night Beach BBQ is back starting June 16th with local favorite band Sambada. The Crow's Nest Thurday Night Beach BBQ starts at 5:30 and goes until sunset.  A BBQ dinner is served on the beach accompanied by live music.  The setting is beautiful, right on Twin Lakes Beach by the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor.  Admission is FREE and there is a bar and food available. Here is the June 2011 Schedule for the Crow's Nest Thursday Night Beach BBQ: June 16th - Sambada June 23rd - Extra Large June 30th - Ribsy's Nickel July 7th - Harry and the Hit Men July 14th - Extra Large July 21st- Serendipity Project July 28th - Ribsys Nickel August 4th - Wooster!!   The Crow's Nest Thursday Night Beach BBQ runs through e... 06/15/2011