In today’s economy, many people are relocating to start a new career. While you may be excited about your new job, moving can be an expensive proposition. You’ll need to sell your current home, buy a home in Santa Cruz and move all of your possessions.

All of those things can potentially be expensive headaches. Fortunately, many employers will help defray the cost of your move if you ask. Even if they don’t lend financial support, you may be able to negotiate a smooth transition in other ways. Here are five tips to help you when considering relocating for your career:

1. Negotiate a relocation allowance. Ask about a relocation allowance during the interview. Some companies will already have a set relocation package. Those that don’t are often…

2193 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

With the kids settled back in school, September brings the promise of a normal routine and cooler weather. Don’t get sucked into autumn’s peaceful pace! It’s more important than ever to have your Santa Cruz home looking its best so that you can sell quickly and be in your new home before the holidays.

Most buyers will have multiple properties with comparable features to look at, so you’ll want your house to be the one that stands out — in a good way. To help, here are five inexpensive staging tips to separate your property from the pack.

1. Start with the front door. The front door of your house is the first thing potential buyers see. A few dollars spent on a fresh coat of paint and a couple of updated light fixtures can give your Santa Cruz home a…

1270 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

They say that language reflects culture, and certainly, the difficulties in the real estate market are showing up in the list of new words for this year. If you’re buying or selling Santa Cruz real estate, you may already have taken note of some of these new words. Here are three for your consideration:

Water: Not Just For Swimming Anymore
According to the keepers of the language flame at Merriam Webster, “underwater” has a new definition. “Underwater” now officially also means "having, relating to, or being a mortgage loan for which more is owed than the property securing the loan is worth."

Many people in underwater mortgages are choosing to delay selling until their home value comes back up. The good news is that values are indeed rising again, so…

1157 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

If you are about to put your Santa Cruz home on the market, it’s worth investing some time and a small amount of money in staging. It not only helps your home sell faster, but it can also help you get a higher price for your home.

Here are six staging tips: 

1. Banish clutter – Removing excess clutter is the single most important thing you can do when staging your Santa Cruz home. Clean, open space will sell your home. Non-descript, non-threatening décor allows people to envision living in your home and putting their individual stamp on the place. Ogling your collection of troll dolls, no matter how much they may be worth, will interfere with this process. Consider putting excess possessions in storage and keeping out only what is absolutely…

1335 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

A “short sale” is a sale of real estate in which the lender accepts less than is owed on the mortgage so that a new owner can buy it and the current owner can avoid going in to foreclosure. If you’re struggling to make your mortgage payments, if you owe more on your home than its current market value or if you’re nearing foreclosure, you may want to consider selling your home as a short sale in Santa Cruz.

Not every homeowner qualifies for a short sale. Whether you qualify depends on how your financial situation has changed since you took out your mortgage. Your mortgage provider determines if you qualify for a short sale in Santa Cruz, but here are some basic requirements to give you an idea if you might qualify:

1. Your home’s market value has…

1445 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Sellers need to know if you are serious about buying their home. Earnest money is a good faith deposit that demonstrates to the sellers that you are serious about purchasing their Santa Cruz home. This deposit can, and probably will be, forfeited if you walk away from purchasing the property.

What is a standard earnest money deposit? There is no set amount, but 1% to 3% of the agreed upon sale price of the Santa Cruz home is typical. The amount varies depending on local customs.

Here are a few precautions you should take to protect your earnest money:
• Never give an earnest money deposit to the seller – not even if you’re buying a home that is for sale by owner (FSBO).
• Make the deposit payable to a reputable legal firm, escrow company, title…

1420 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post