June 2009

Commercials are all over the TV about getting reverse mortgages on your Santa Cruz home.  Sounds great - but there is a lot of conflicting information going around about reverse mortgages.   Can you qualify for a reverse mortgage?  Will it affect your Social Security benefits or Medicare coverage?  Here are some quick answers to your reverse mortgage questions:

• Who qualifies for a reverse mortgage?  The very first requirement is that the borrower be at least 62.  There aren’t any income or credit limitations for a reverse mortgage, and the down payment can be included in the loan.  Even if you don’t have money to put down, and you're on a fixed income, you can be approved for this type of loan.

• How much can I get with a reverse mortgage?  A reverse…

Just because you live in the city doesn't mean you can't have a great garden that not only provides hours of pleasure, but good food for you and your family. With the current desire to get healthy, growing your own fresh vegetables and fruits only makes good sense. You can grow a nice vegetable garden in a very small space right in your Santa Cruz home backyard (or front yard, and even condo patio) if you know how to manage your space well.

Plan Your Space

If you have a huge yard and lots of space, you can experiment with various plants, varieties and tastes. However, if you are limited to a small Santa Cruz home yard or condo terrace it is vital to choose wisely. Select plants that do not take a lot of space, and those that produce vegetables you know…

We all know it’s important to go green in our Santa Cruz home, but did you know that you can take steps to make your existing bathroom green?  You can pick up everything you need to begin at your local home improvement store. 

Here are a few ideas:

• Change out the showerhead.  You can replace your inefficient one with a low flow showerhead with very little effort.  The unexpected benefit of a low flow is lower water heating costs.

• Install a new toilet. Though toilets are better designed these days, the average fixture uses anywhere from 1.5 to 7 gallons of water per flush. You can reduce your water usage by installing a low flow (or low flush) toilet.  Additionally, you can save up to a gallon a flush by displacing the toilet bowl water.  It’s…

You may be wondering how to get the best price for your Santa Cruz real estate.  Good preparation and a little hard work is the key to getting the most money when selling your home.  Here are a few tried and true improvements you should make before you list your home:

• Revamp the exterior of your Santa Cruz real estate.  Pretend that you're a potential buyer and take a critical look at the outside of your home.  Could it use a new coat of paint?  Perhaps the current paint scheme makes it look out-dated and old-fashioned.  Painting and adding new light fixtures and railings can immediately improve your home's value.

• Look to the landscaping.  Trim any trees or bushes that obscure the view of your home from the curb.  Highlight the best view of your…

There are several indications that the new stimulus bill passed by Congress will have a positive influence on the struggling housing market. If you are considering buying a Santa Cruz home for the first time the stimulus plan may help make that happen.

How the Stimulus Bill Stimulates the Bottom Line

The biggest effect the stimulus plan will have on new home buyers is a tax incentive. We all want to get more money back on our tax returns and the stimulus bill has an $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers purchasing a Santa Cruz home.

How You Qualify

In order to qualify for the stimulus tax incentive you must:

• Not have owned a home in the past three years.

• Use the new home as your primary residence.

• Have an income of less than $75,000…