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Santa Cruz, CA Real Estate News

By Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®, Santa Cruz CA Homes for sale
(eXp Realty)
SOLD! 815 Balboa Ave UNIT 104, Capitola, CA 95010 Overview Maps Photos Market Stats IDX Search $418,000 Condominium Main Features 2 Bedrooms1 Full Bathroom1 Half BathroomInterior: 800 sqftYear Built: 1975 Location 815 Balboa AveUNIT 104Capitola, CA 95010USA Sandy Wallace - REALTOR® eXp Realty(831) 818-7099seesandy4homes@gmail.comhttp://seesandy4homes.com         Listed by: Sandy Wallace Our recent listings Single Family Residential | $699,999 | WATSONVILLE, CA623 Amesti Rd Watsonville CA 95076-0761 | Home for Sale | $700,000 | Watsonville, CA310 Warren Dr Santa Cruz CA 95060 | Santa Cruz Estate for Sale | $799,000 | SANTA CRUZ, CA Subscribe to our listing feed See more Capitola, CA real estate for sale Powered by RealBird.com
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By Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®, Santa Cruz CA Homes for sale
(eXp Realty)
Are you tired of your daily routine? Are you looking for something to make your life more interesting?  The daily cycle of getting up, going to work, and coming home can get repetitive and boring. I know what you're going through, so let me tell you something I learned. Sometimes, all we need is a little twist to bring the fun back in our lives. This is why I moved to Santa Cruz in 1998. I needed to change where I lived so I could change how I lived. Santa Cruz is the perfect spot to get both the intellectual zest of the city and the exciting and relaxing influence of a coastal lifestyle. Keep reading to learn how to find the perfect oceanfront home for your needs! Be careful though, because it doesn't take much to convince someone to buy an oceanfront home for themselves! Want to be ha...
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By Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®, Santa Cruz CA Homes for sale
(eXp Realty)
Two doors from the sand for under $1 million! Imagine yourself walking distance from one of Santa Cruz's sunniest beaches, oceanfront restaurants, nightlife, cafes, world-class kayaking and sailing excursions on the Monterey Bay. A converted 2-car garage with two sets of French doors opening onto a private oceanview patio offers an additional sanctuary. Live here year-round, use it as a beach getaway, or earn income renting it as a vacation home. It's ready to move in, and an excellent value at $989,000.  SOLD! 108 7TH Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 Overview Maps Photos Market Stats IDX Search $701,000 Single Family Home Main Features 2 Bedrooms 1 Full Bathroom Interior: 967 sqft Lot: 3,049 sqft Year Built: 1963 Location 108 7TH Ave Santa Cruz, CA 95062 USA Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®eXp Realt...
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By Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®, Santa Cruz CA Homes for sale
(eXp Realty)
This is a charming 4 bedroom home on 6700 SF lot with an artist studio at the end of Dougmar. The Backyard is a tropical retreat with lush plants, water features in both the front & back yards. This spacious single level home has an open kitchen, dining room, family room with brick fireplace out to the private backyard several decks lounging & for a nice BBQ. You'll be cooking with gas in the kitchen. We have a master bedroom with in suite bathroom and 3 more bedrooms.  SOLD! 1500 Dougmar Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 Overview Maps Photos Market Stats IDX Search $595,000 Single Family Home Main Features 3 Bedrooms 2 Full Bathrooms Interior: 1,600 sqft Lot: 6,534 sqft Year Built: 1964 Location 1500 Dougmar Dr Santa Cruz, CA 95062 USA Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®eXp Realty (831) 818-7099 seesandy...
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By Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®, Santa Cruz CA Homes for sale
(eXp Realty)
California Air + Breathtaking Ocean Views = Your New HomeFrom the moment you pull up into the driveway and see these homes for the first time, you will instantly want to move in! Only the most spectacular homes at the best value for your money are offered here. Right along Highway 1, this is the quintessential California beach town... Santa Cruz has all the essentials of California living. Getting an ocean view home for sale in this town places you an hour away from San Jose and two hours from San Francisco. This town has enough beaches for everybody! You have Mitchell’s Cove Beach which is perfect for taking your furry companions out on a walk. The Natural Bridges State Beach is a 65-acre state park, offering guests jaw-dropping sightings of birds, whales, and seals! The Santa Cruz Bea...
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By Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®, Santa Cruz CA Homes for sale
(eXp Realty)
The place looks good and the new price makes it look even better! Just reduced! With fresh paint, new baseboards, and new carpet, this two bedroom unit, nestled in this quaint complex is just a bike ride away from the ocean. It has a very open floor plan and a private patio to enjoy. There is an inviting pool and spa. Capitola Mall is within walking distance, as well. It's NOT a restricted income unit.  SOLD! 2909 Leotar Cir, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 Overview Maps Photos Market Stats IDX Search $250,500 Single Family Home Main Features 2 Bedrooms 1 Full Bathroom Interior: 871 sqft Year Built: 1983 Location 2909 Leotar Cir Santa Cruz, CA 95062 USA Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®eXp Realty (831) 818-7099 [email protected] http://seesandy4homes.com        Listed by: Sandy Wallace Our recent listings...
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By Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®, Santa Cruz CA Homes for sale
(eXp Realty)
Landscaped front yard quiet & friendly street at the entrance to Monterey Bay Heights! Quality remodel! Kitchen has Caesarstone Ikea quartz counters new cabinets sink, stove, oven. Dining, kitchen and family rooms have new tile floors. The rest of the home has new bamboo & wood floors. Fresh paint, skylights, dual pane windows,2 car garage w/ laundry hookups & driveway parking.  SOLD! 5484 Entrance Dr, Soquel, CA 95073 Overview Maps Photos Market Stats IDX Search $675,000 Single Family Home Main Features 4 Bedrooms 2 Full Bathrooms Interior: 1,541 sqft Lot: 4,922 sqft Year Built: 1972 Location 5484 Entrance Dr Soquel, CA 95073 USA Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®eXp Realty (831) 818-7099 [email protected] http://seesandy4homes.com        Listed by: Sandy Wallace Our recent listings310 Warren D...
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By Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®, Santa Cruz CA Homes for sale
(eXp Realty)
Desirable location near Trendy westside establishment. Very clean, some hardwood floors, inside laundry area, newer roof, private fenced yard, and patio. Not far from the water and scenic Westcliff dr.     SOLD! 159 Ladera Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Overview Maps Photos Market Stats IDX Search $655,000 Single Family Home Main Features 3 Bedrooms 2 Full Bathrooms Interior: 1,362 sqft Lot: 5,009 sqft Year Built: 1949 Location 159 Ladera Dr Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®eXp Realty (831) 818-7099 [email protected] http://seesandy4homes.com        Listed by: Doug Buenz Our recent listings310 Warren Dr Santa Cruz CA 95060 | Santa Cruz Estate for Sale | $799,000 | SANTA CRUZ, CA  Subscribe to our listing feed See more Santa Cruz, CA real estate for sale SOLD LISTINGS Powered ...
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By Marcy Moyer, Probate, Trust, and Investment Specialist
(eXp Realty of California Silicon Valley Probate, Trust, and Investment Sales)
The rains are starting again. Yay!!! This is great news for California. It is not always great news for Santa Cruz home sellers. Many Silicon Valley rental property investors go to Santa Cruz when the sun is shining and the temps are in the 70's, see what a great place it is, discover how high the rents are and how relatively affordable the Santa Cruz housing prices are, and decide to buy a Santa Cruz rental property in the summer, along with the everyone else.As you can see from the chart above there was significantly less competition for Santa Cruz homes last winter in the heavy rains than after the rains stopped. The chart shows sales to list price ratios by month.  In general, the more buyers there are the higher the price will be and the higher over list price a Santa Cruz home buy...
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By Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®, Santa Cruz CA Homes for sale
(eXp Realty)
This Santa Cruz CA home is lovingly maintained Turn-of-the-Century Victorian tucked away near downtown-walking distance to Beaches & Boardwalk. Old world elegance with vintage, hand-carved door & window moldings. Ceilings 10' plus & tall window casings create a warm, sunny home. Double pane windows, updated electrical & plumbing, new hardwood floors, renovated bathroom. Floor plan allows for 1 or 2-family living.    SOLD! 206 Pearl St Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Overview Maps Photos Market Stats IDX Search $590,000 Single Family Home Main Features 3 Bedrooms 2 Full Bathrooms Interior: 1,418 sqft Lot: 3,179 sqft Year Built: 1890 Location 206 Pearl St Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®eXp Realty (831) 818-7099 [email protected] http://seesandy4homes.com        Listed by: Sandy Wa...
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By Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®, Santa Cruz CA Homes for sale
(eXp Realty)
A home with a view Selling a Santa Cruz home with an ocean view has an instant advantage. It already has the built-in wow factor many buyers love - the stunning scenic view of the wide expanse of sparkling blue water. Aside from the view, who can pass up the opportunity of waking up every morning to the sound of crashing waves, or a chance to take an early morning walk along the sandy beach, or to feel the cool ocean breeze? If your home happens to be right in front of the beach, the more appealing it becomes. However, having a home with an ocean view doesn't guarantee that your home will sell successfully. There are still some things you need to do to ensure your home will be attractive to buyers. How to prepare your ocean view property When your career is taking you someplace else, an...
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By Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®, Santa Cruz CA Homes for sale
(eXp Realty)
Home valuations are estimates. If you are looking into your Pleasure Point Beach home’s worth with the intent to sell it soon, it is essential that you get the right value. As tempting as it may be to use the result of an online valuation, the best valuation will come from an experienced REALTOR® in your area.  When you enlist the assistance of the REALTOR®, the first thing he or she will do is to come up with your home’s worth. This valuation is of utmost significance since it will be the basis of your home’s listing price. Thus, it is vital that the estimate is done right and by someone who has the skills and experience to do it properly. Coming up with your home value is not an exact science. No two REALTORS® will produce the same amount.  It important to remember - valuations are ju...
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By Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®, Santa Cruz CA Homes for sale
(eXp Realty)
Each new listing Do you remember the jitters you got when you bought a home for the first time? I get that feeling each time I receive a listing. The feeling of excitement and thrill never gets old when you sell houses, because each house is different, and each pose a different challenge.  I’ve been selling homes and properties for a long time. I became a REALTOR® in 1998 and have learned many things about real estate, especially in Santa Cruz. If there is one thing I have learned from my experiences, it's that any property will sell if you have the right market and use the proper marketing tools. Each property is meant for someone!The Warren Drive property Around the end of October, I received Warren Drive on my listings. It is a wonderful property and has many unique and wonderful fea...
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By Marcy Moyer, Probate, Trust, and Investment Specialist
(eXp Realty of California Silicon Valley Probate, Trust, and Investment Sales)
 If you are one of smart Silicon Valley investors who is buying a rental property in Santa Cruz you may be buying one that has tenants in place. If that is the case it is very possible that the current tenants are not paying Santa Cruz market rental rates. Current Santa Cruz rental market rates are at a very high level. It is common to get at least $1200 a bedroom and not unheard of to get $1600 a bedroom. So what is the best thing to do if you are a Silicon Valley inverstor and have Santa Cruz tenants paying $1000 a bedroom, or less?In my opinion, as a long term Silicon Valley/Santa Cruz real estate agent and Santa Cruz rental property investor myself it is sometimes better to keep the tenants in place with gradual rent increases than to give them a huge rental increase and risk having...
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By Jessica Wallace, Santa Cruz Realtor (831) 419-9345
(Coldwell Banker - Santa Cruz)
Westside Santa Cruz Homes for Sale - We are in a real housing crunch!! Every year on the Westside of Santa Cruz for the past several years we are seeing less and less homes coming on the market which is one reason that the home prices on the Westside of Santa Cruz are rising so much.  There is just not even close to enough homes for sale for all of the people that want to buy a home in Santa Cruz.  I live and work on the Westside of Santa Cruz and am very in touch with this market.  I am working with several active buyers on the Westside that just are not seeing any homes coming on the market that fit their needs. As of today there are only 17 single family homes for sale on the Westside of Santa Cruz.  To give you an idea of how low that number is, last year at this time we had 36 home...
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By Marcy Moyer, Probate, Trust, and Investment Specialist
(eXp Realty of California Silicon Valley Probate, Trust, and Investment Sales)
  Many of my Silicon Valley Investors are finding that the price it costs to purchase an investment rental property  in someplace like Palo Alto, Mountain View, or even downtown San Jose has gone up much faster that the rental market value has.  It is not unusual to see CAP rates of 1 or 2 % which is the return on your investment after expenses are paid, but before any costs for a mortgage. So if your mortgage is 4.25% for an investment rental property and you only make 2% after expenses and before a mortgage you will lose 2.25% in cash flow over the year. What that means is that on a million dollar property with a $700,000 loan you will have a negative cash flow of about $17,500 every year. When the market appreciates you make up for the loss in appreciation, but when the market goes d...
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By Marcy Moyer, Probate, Trust, and Investment Specialist
(eXp Realty of California Silicon Valley Probate, Trust, and Investment Sales)
I am a realtor and a Santa Cruz rental property investor since 2000. There are many reasons to invest in Santa Cruz rental properties, some of which I have discussed in this article. Today I want to talk about what the pros and cons are in renting to UCSC students.  Here are the pros that I have experienced.1. Vacancies are virtually non existent: There are almost $18,000 UCSC students and in any given year there is only room to house about 8,000 of them on campus. There are always many thousands of students looking for a place to rent, so the potential pool leaves no vacancies in your Santa Cruz investment rental properties. 2. Students pay more money:  They frequently will pay more per bedroom and sleep 2-3 in a room just to have a place to stay. Here is a link to what students expect...
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By Marcy Moyer, Probate, Trust, and Investment Specialist
(eXp Realty of California Silicon Valley Probate, Trust, and Investment Sales)
Santa Cruz, known for the beach, the boardwalk, Pacific Ave, hippies, and organic food, along with University of California Santa Cruz is also probably the best place for investors looking for rental properties right now. Here are some reasons why.  62% of Santa Cruz residents live in rentals, compared to a ntional average of 43% Average sale price of Santa Cruz homes has doubled in the last 5 years Cap rates for Santa Cruz rental properties are between 3.5-4% very easy to obtain, as opposed to 2.5-3% in The Silicon Valley No rent control but there is a one year moratorium on Santa Cruz short term rental permits so Air B&B investments not the way to go now. While the market is apprectiating the competition for investment homes in Santa Cruz is not as great as in Silicon Valley There are...
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By Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®, Santa Cruz CA Homes for sale
(eXp Realty)
Moving out of Santa Cruz? Thinking of putting your Santa Cruz home up for sale?   Upsizing, downsizing, career move or personal reasons, these are only some of the reasons why you will need to sell your home. It is not an easy decision, especially since your home is one of your biggest financial assets. However, once you have decided that a move is in order, the next step is knowing how much your home is worth. Knowing your home’s value is important in pricing it correctly. When you have the right price, your home will easily sell in the market. If you price too high, it may not sell. Price it too low and you’ll end up losing money.  To get things right, you need the help of an expert.  This is the best time to contact your best local REALTOR® like me, Sandy Wallace.   How to know your ...
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By Sandy Wallace - REALTOR®, Santa Cruz CA Homes for sale
(eXp Realty)
Longing for your own beachfront property? You are not alone! Many people would like to own a beachfront home.  Just imagine being able to breathe the crisp, sea breeze and waking up to the breathtaking view of the sea each day. To live near the beach and have access to its amazing view is one of life's simple pleasures. There is something so peaceful and restorative about being near the water, especially the beach.  It’s not just about the views. If you are into watersports, you save plenty of precious time when you’re just steps away from the waters. If you are looking for a second home or considering getting a beachfront property, the best place to look is Santa Cruz, CA. This county is home to some of the best beaches in California. You can easily find a second home or vacation home ...
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