You have just bought your first home making the transition away from renting to buying. You are finishing packing your moving truck ready to make some big moves as you check your rearview mirror, your gas tank and set out... up the block to your new home! The California Association of realtors has released some figures on just how far away current renters would like to live from their current residences when they buy their first home. The data may or may not come as a shock but the majority of respondents stated that would either stay in their current county or the same neighborhood that they currently live in. For the full list of places renters would like to move to when they buy check out the graphic below! If you are interested in more information about Santa Cruz, such as local eve... 08/26/2014

55+ Home for Sale - Villa Santa Cruz Co-Op Park 2435 Felt Street,  Santa Cruz, CA 95062   Located in one of the best 55+ Senior Parks in Santa Cruz where you own the land - this is a Co-op Park with low monthly HOA dues.  The amenities in this 55+ Senior Park in  Santa Cruz include:  Swimming Pool, hot tub, billiards, clubhouse, communal dinners, activities, exercise room, car wash area . . . all in a walk to beach location.  This park is immaculately maintained and has a great sense of community.       This home for sale in Villa Santa Cruz 55+ Cooperatively Owned Park features 2 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms.  The interior is bright and light with built in bookshelves, window seats, double pane windows, crown moulding, light carpet.       The kitchen has been remodeled and has white t... 08/24/2014

Data collected from the sale of homes in Santa Cruz in May has shown that the median home price in Santa Cruz has risen to its highest value since February 2008. The median home price in Santa Cruz county now sits at $675,000. This data confirms the trend of steady price increases for homes in Santa Cruz.  On top of the increased median home price there was also an uptick in the amount of homes that are going up for sale. This is good news as the Santa Cruz market has suffered from a lack of current home owners looking to sell their properties. Hopefully as prices continue to rise coupled with plenty of interested buyers more home owners here in Santa Cruz will place their homes on the market. The May data also shows more homes are beginning to sell for a million dollars or more in Sant... 08/22/2014

Last year 1 in 5 homeowners began work on some sort of home improvement or remodeling project. These new projects ran that gamut from simple paint jobs all the way to new additions to their homes.  The California Association of Realtors has released some data on the kinds of projects that these homeowners were most likely to do. 70% of these remodeling homeowners were likely to work on a remodel of their kitchen. These remodeling homeowners were also 49% more likely to have worked on an addition to their home. Clearly homeowners last year were not afraid to get their hands dirty tackling some big projects of their own. For the complete list of projects that remodeling homeowners were most likely to take on, see the CAR inforgraphic below.  If you are interested in more information about... 08/15/2014

Despite the harsh economy for millenials, many still view a home as a great financial tool for their increased security. With high debt loads and tight credit for lending institutions millenials are still looking to make that first home purchase and the data suggests that many are making the jump away from renting and into mortgages. The California Association of Realtors has released some numbers on just exactly the generational makeup of new home purchases and despite a plethora of articles saying that millenials are eschewing home ownership en masse millenials have made up 1/3 of all new home purchases. For a full rundown of the average millenial buyer please take a look at the graphic below. Have a great weekend! If you are interested in more information about Santa Cruz, such as lo... 08/01/2014

Santa Cruz Wharf to Wharf Race Every year, runners from around the world come together in Santa Cruz to run the 6 mile Wharf to Wharf Race. This event draws elite running athletes from all over the world as they compete to be the first to cross the finish line in a race going from Santa Cruz to the Capitola.                                                                                         The Wharf to Wharf race begain in 1973 with a few locals running across the two cities. Now the event draws competitors world wide and has become a top race for competition. Top champions in the Wharf to Wharf race have even included some Olympians, showing just how elite the competition is. With the beautiful seaside weather that Santa Cruz has to offer this race is one where, even if you do not... 07/25/2014

This Saturday the 19th of July, the Winegrowers of the Santa Cruz Mountains will once again be having their passport days. Passport days were created in order to celebrate the rich history of the wingrowers, vintners and families that make up the winegrowing tradition in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This years July celebration will feature the Silver Mountain Vineyards location in the Santa Cruz Mountains as well as their West Side location in Santa Cruz at the Surf City tasting room.       In addition to the great wine you will enjoy there will also be different music acts, as well as many different local vendors from around Santa Cruz selling their unique items. Most wineries are closed to the public on passport days so this is a great opportunity to meet the winegrowers in a unique pers... 07/18/2014

With a recovering economy, more and more young renters are considering making their first home purchases. The California Association of Realtors has released a new infographic about the attitudes young renters have in regards to their first home purchase. To start, 89% of young renters surveyed in 2013 said that they had planned to buy a new home sometime in the future, indicating that despite low homeownership rates amongst the young, most are still looking to make that first purchase. Of those young renters surveyed, 81% agreed that buying a home allowed you to live in a nicer home versus renting. 80% of those surveyed agreed that buying a home was good investment in building wealth along with 76% of those asked saying that buying a home would be a good investment over time. Another 6... 07/11/2014

Happy Fourth everyone! As you sit back and enjoy the much deserved long weekend, here are some local activities right here in Santa Cruz to help you celebrate our nations Indepedence.   If you are looking for some explosions in the sky you are in luck. Right over in Scotts Valley on the 17, fireworks will be in full view later in the evening at Skypark Park starting at 9:15pm. Before the start of the show, attendees can play games and enjoy music in food at the park. The cost of entrace to park is 8 dollars. Make sure to arrive early to enjoy the pre firework activities and get some of the best spots to view the main attraction. Remember that this is the only place in Santa Cruz that will be having a fireworks show!   Want to take advantage of the beautiful ocean view here in Santa Cruz... 07/04/2014

For pretty much every buyer, there are certain features of their new home that they cannot compromise on. This can be diffucult especially if you find yourself looking for a home with a significant other as your two preferences can clash when looking at potential homes. The California Association of Realtors has released an new survey of the various deal breakers that buyers have. The survey shows the different preferences between men and women and surprisingly there are only a few deal breakers that both sexes do not share. The first deal breaker for both men and women in a home is one without sufficient outdoor living space, looks like we all want to have some nice yard space for those summer barbeques! With the gorgeous scenery of Santa Cruz you might be spending too much time indoor... 06/28/2014

One of Santa Cruz's staple events is returning for its newest season! Santa Cruz Shakespeare will be begin their 2014 play season starting next month. This seasons plays will include As You Like It, The Merry Wives of Windsor and an additional Shakesperian inspired play called The Fringe Show: The Beard of Avon. As You Like It  is a play about love at first sight, a wrestling match, some cross-dressing and a fool. This delightful romantic comedy boasts all four of these, cleverly intertwined with the trials and triumphs of love. The Merry Wives of Windsor marks the return of audience favorite Sir John Falstaff once again down on both luck and cash. In dire need he schemes to fatten his wallet by seducing Mistresses Ford and Page in an attempt to swindle their husbands' money. The Fringe... 06/23/2014

Looking for some activities to take your Father out to this weekend? Are you a young father looking for events that would be great for your entire family? Look no further, here are some suggestions for things you can do this weekend in Santa Cruz county and beyond.  Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton will be hosting two events this weekend that are perfect for those Fathers with young children. Great Train Robberies is one of the events being held this weekend at Roaring Camp, here guests will be able to witness famous shootouts and notorious outlaws as the trains make their way though the Redwoods up to Bear Mountain. The second event will be Hats Off to Dad where Fathers can be treated to a trip up to Bear Mountain as well as have a dinner from Chucks Wagon BBQ. As part of this dinner p... 06/13/2014

With a new month it is once again First Friday in Santa Cruz. With events all over the city, now is the time to come out and enjoy the beautiful June weather as well as see what local and regional artists have been working on.  The Tannery in Santa Cruz will once again be hosting events in their galleries this First Friday. UnDressed, an exhibit taking place at the Tanneries Radius Gallery, will focus on the various new ways in which technology and fabric can come together. The gallery will showcase the works of artists who are combining traditional garmet creation techniques with new tools and methods to create narrative garmets that will give exhibit goers a thought provoking experience. The Radius Gallery will also play host to AMPHORA, an art vehicle from Oakland, that will allow vi... 06/06/2014

Looking for a fun event celebrating good design while at the same time helping those in need in our local area? This Saturday, May 17th, The Architects Association of Santa Cruz will be hosting their 19th annual Open Architecture Tour. Come see and appreciate good design around Santa Cruz. The tour will take place from 10AM until 4PM with a post tour gathering occuring at La Posta restaraunt on the East Side of Santa Cruz. The cost of the event is $36 which will admit two people to the tour. Tickets may be purchased at several locations around Santa Cruz county including Bookshop Santa Cruz, they may also be purchased online at Habitat for Humanity Santa Cruz. Funds from the sale of tickets will benefit Habitat For Humanity Santa Cruz making this an excellent event to not only learn mor... 05/16/2014

A short video introduction on the passion that drives my work in real estate as well as some of the reasons why Santa Cruz is a great place to call home.    Want to make Santa Cruz your next home? Email me at pete@petecullen.com to find out how you too can love living in Santa Cruz.  05/13/2014

With the warming weather and the arrival of the month of May, it is once again First Friday in Santa Cruz. First Friday gives residents of Santa Cruz to enjoy the great artistic and culinary talents that are on offer in the city. From Downtown to the Westside and up through the Tannery onto Felton, the creative talents of Santa Cruz's are out in full force tonight. Some of the gallerys and exhibits that one can visit include Doug Ross' Other Mothers artwork. In honor of Mother's Day, Ross has created several prints of the non-human mothers that inhabit our world. This gallery is located at 1368 Pacific Ave. in Downtown Santa Cruz beginning at 6PM until 8PM. In case you do not catch the exhibit tonight, the gallery will be shown throughout the month of May. The Felix Kulpa and Sculpture ... 05/02/2014

This weekend the University of California, Santa Cruz will be holding its Alumni Weekend series of events running until Sunday night. The alumni event is an excellent time for graduates to come see the changes and current research that have happened in the time since they graduated. Come see old professors and friends who had a major impact on your life and reconnect with them. Some of the events that will be taking place during the Alumni Weekend include the SOMeCA 25th anniversary dinner where current and former student group organizers and current community leaders will come together to celebrate 25 years of SOAR at UC Santa Cruz. This event will be taking place Saturday from 6 to 9 PM at the Cowell Dining Hall.  Saturday night will also feature the Lick Observatory History and Teles... 04/26/2014

This Saturday marks the 50th anniversary of the Santa Cruz Yacht harbor, a fixture of the Santa Cruz community. To mark the occasion the Santa Cruz Port District will be hosting a re-dedication event Friday and will also place a community pop-up museum for those interested in learning more about the history of the harbor this Saturday.  In addition to the 50th anniversay of the Santa Cruz Yacht harbor, Wednesday night Sailboat racing has returned for the 2014 season. The races will run on Wednesdays through the end of Daylight Savings time. These races offer attendees the chance to check out some of the local restaraunts at the harbor as these offer some of the best viewing spots for the races.  Surrounding the harbor are some of Santa Cruz' best restaraunts that not only take advantage... 04/18/2014

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... 04/11/2014

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... 03/07/2014