Was reading a recent blog post about the charity of heart. As opposed ot the charity of the wallet, such as for me Boys/Girls Club, Big Brother/Sister and Alzheimers. Yes I know, I have the beginning, and the end. Well as I sell Santa Cruz Real Estate, people make those changes when they get kids, and when they are too old for a home, or it does not meet their needs. Santa Cruz homes come in all sizes, mostly smaller, so finding the right one is sometimes challenging. Some do charitable selling or charitable remainder trusts( CRT) where they donate their Santa Cruz real estate, which get sold, and produces some great charitable, and tax benefits too.

In reading the blog it made think of all the different things that we as realtors come across, do, in the…

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While I think there are so many ways to sell things, sometimes the hype is more than the substance. Hopefully all the hype to have people get up for 4 AM to shop sales, will get consumers to move past their points of fear and drive retail sales to good levels for business.

Now, we all know we are a consumer nation.Fewer of us produce something, as many of those jobs have moved overseas because it is cheaper to produce there. In real estate we often have to go outside of the box to sell difficult properties. Sometimes it is because we have recalcitrant sellers who fail to realize, that usually it comes down to price. Part of the process of sales is service, in fact I think it is the larger part, the one that gets remembered, rather than price. The customer…

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Scotts Valley, Ca is a nice community located about 15 minutes north of the Santa Cruz beaches in Santa Cruz, CA.Recently the Scotts Valley Senior Center held it's second annual Wine and Chocolate Festival. The day was sunny and the crowd was steady throughout the day.My date was a spry 86 year old who was not told of the surprise. She was surprised and please to learn of the wine and chocolate.

We tried the different vendors one by one. She sampling the chocolates, me the wine and chocolate pairings suggested by the winemakers. Their were about 6 wineries represented and about 10 chocolatiers. The event was a very fun affair that raised $1700 for the Scotts Valley Senior Center. As a Seniors Real Estate Specialist(SRES), supporting such an event was a…

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The Santa Cruz county local chapter of the Alzheimer's association is doing their annual Memory Walk to raise funds for this dreaded disease. It currently affects 50% of the people over 85.

As you and I get older, this is likely to affect us. Currently when a loved one gets this disease it spiritually, emotionally and financially bankrupts the surviving family members and spouses.

Please support this endeavor that I support in my community of Rio Del Mar in the Santa Cruz, Ca area. There are some fine memory care facilities in Santa Cruz County, but with Santa Cruz, Ca real estate so expensive the cost of care is higher here than in other lower cost states. You can donate on line with your credit card  on the link above or by mailing a check made payable…

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Capitola had it's final celebration of it's birthday September 2, 2009. It was a gorgeous day, and a beautiful evening.

Music for the final concert series was provided by the Digbeats,who had us all rockin out. The weather was great with mild temperatures and puffy clouds above. The clouds were an aberration, but they were beautiful with the moon peaking through them later in the evening. The moon shining on the water, peeking in and out of lazily drifting clouds,was really pretty and many pulled out their cameras to capture the moment.

This was truly a fun Capitola event. Those of us who earn our living helping others buy Capitola homes,know this is what our friends and clients will like about Capitola. Real estate is varied and there are cheap…

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The Santa Cruz real estate market has been getting healthier with the trend being towards more sales in the Santa Cruz real estate market.While Ca.Coastal homes have been lagging, with the summer and low prices, many who have been locked out in the past are planning for the future with purchases now. Santa Cruz ocean view buyers have been scarce in the higher ends, but I think they will come back with competitive prices and great selection.We have been seeing alot of health in the Santa Cruz home market, which has supplanted the activity level in the Watsonville real estate market. That is a good sign, though may be due to a lack of inventory to purchase in the Watsonville area. That area has been red hot for Santa Cruz county home buyers and…

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The Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization is holding their 2009 annual Day on the Bay regatta fundraiser for the Santa Cruz area Big Brothers and Big Sisters. This great event is fun for the community, and give the citizens at large and opportunity to have fun, get out on the water and sail on Monterey Bay. Who knows, after a day out sailing and having fun, you just might want to buy a Santa Cruz home or a boat to keep in Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor!

This event is a fun event  from mid morning to mid afternoon. In addition to sailing, there willl be a BBQ, music, and prizes. The race will be fun for all and no experience or boat is needed. Starting time is 10Am -5PM at the Santa Cruz Yacht club as the base, located at 244-4th ave. Be sure to bring…

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California Home Sale Price Medians by City in Santa Cruz County.

See the Santa Cruz home price changes year to year in the area you live in.
Search for Santa Cruz real estate active properties here.

Home Sales Recorded in April 2009

TABLE OF SOLD PROPERTIES BY CITY IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY County / City /Area # Sold April 2009 April 2008 % Change Yr.to Yr. SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 163 $404,000 $591,500 -31.70% APTOS 19 $650,000 $684,750 -5.07% … Read Full Post