Many people have trouble relaxing, even in their Santa Cruz homes.  Why?  Frequently, it’s because of too much visual stimuli such as unfinished projects, knickknacks and clutter.

You may think the answer to being able to relax is to move into a “better” home.  However, what usually happens is that you move your unfinished projects and clutter with you.  Instead, if you take the time to get organized, you may find – like many owners who have backed out of a sale – that you don’t need to move, you just need to re-organize.

Take a moment from your busy, stressful life to read these tips and discover how you can improve and de-stress your personal castle:

1. Add money to your wallet. Unwanted or unused items can be turned into cash. eBay and Craigslist…

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Santa Cruz condos or houses:  that is the question!

You may be thinking of getting a home but wondering how much space you really need. If you opt to look at houses, your choices are vast.  Houses, both large and small, are abundant in today’s real estate market.

Even though Santa Cruz condos are typically smaller than most houses, there are large condos available (even condos larger than houses).  And, just like traditional houses, there are a lot of condos available in this buyer’s market.

So, how do you choose?  Your selection should be based on your current and near-future needs.

Let’s demystify the differences and clarify your selection:

  • Space: Is your family large?  Are you planning to add many more?  Do you work from home?  Consider your…

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Many real estate aficionados worried that the ending of the homebuyer tax credits would mean an end to sales. However, a new real estate survey, conducted April, 2010, says homeowners with a home for sale in Santa Cruz and throughout the nation have more chances to sell their homes.

Survey Group
     • 1,000 American consumers
     • Ages 25 – 64
     • $35,000 + household income

Survey Results
     • Over 90% of American consumers think the homebuyer tax credit program helped the real estate industry and first-time buyers.
     • 65% actually looking for a home don’t consider the end of the tax credit program to be a factor in their own decisions.
     • 46% expect area real estate prices to increase over the next year.
     • 12% expect area real estate…

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Owners of Santa Cruz homes for sale are wondering, “What are buyers looking for?” This is especially true if the home has been on the market for a while. Well, homeowners aren’t the only ones. Several companies, including Better Homes and Gardens and Avid Ratings, the exclusive research provider for the National Association of Home Builders, have researched this question.

So, what are buyers looking for in national and Santa Cruz homes for sale? In a 2010 Avid Ratings homebuyer’s study, over 22,000 homeowners, who bought their homes in the past nine years, provide some clues. In short, the study says practicality beats out extras any day.

The days of formal dining rooms, oversized backyard patios and community clubhouses are gone. Swimming pools aren’t…

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You may just be targeting the wrong market. Young families, Gen-Xers and 30-somethings tend to want to move into a Santa Cruz home with high technology: expensive items like home theatres or home automation. Older buyers, however, have a frugal mindset, are often on a fixed income, and have a different set of requirements for their potential Santa Cruz home.

Why would you want to market to older buyers? Several reasons, but the main reason is the size of this market, especially the size of the baby boomer generation.

The Population Reference Bureau reports that there were 76 million births during the 19 years covering the baby boomer generation.  A large percentage of these baby boomers, who are now between the ages of 46 and 64, are looking or soon…

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If you have never purchased a home before, you may not yet recognize how crucial it is to acquire the services of a professional Santa Cruz real estate agent. 

Buying a home will probably be the most expensive purchase you ever make.  Therefore, you undoubtedly should consider enlisting the help of a REALTOR® who has experience, extensive knowledge of the area and integrity.

Benefits of using a professional Santa Cruz real estate agent

Having your own buyer’s agent to walk you through the entire home buying process saves you a lot of time and stress, as well as money. 

You decide:

     • Size of home desired
     • Style preferred
     • Location
     • Price range

That’s easy!  With this basic information, your agent begins the hard part: searching…

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We, meaning the real estate industry, say, “It’s a buyer’s market!”  Buyers think that means that deals are available out in the big wide world of Santa Cruz homes for sale. Although that’s true, it’s not the whole truth. The whole truth is that money pits, bad deals and half-hearted sellers still exist. Without careful consideration, you may not get the deal you expected.

If you’re in the market for one of the Santa Cruz homes for sale, follow these tips to help you get a great deal:

1. Go back to school. In other words, do your homework. Yes, due to the buyer’s market, you have an advantage, but you still need to do your research.  Talk with a real estate agent who specializes in the area and look at the prices of homes sold within the past year. The…

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Home staging has long been a way to sell Santa Cruz homes for sale. In short, stagers come into your home, look the place over and start packing (if it’s not already empty). They bring furniture, draperies and other things to make the home look warm, beautiful and inviting to buyers.

The trick is to make the Santa Cruz homes for sale inviting in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the buyer’s personal tastes. It’s worked, selling thousands of homes that might not have sold otherwise, and selling them faster than non-staged homes.

For the past year or two, however, virtual (or conceptual) staging has come into the real estate world. Somewhat like traditional home staging, the virtual stager spruces up your home for sale. The differences are where the work is…

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As you may be aware, there are two primary ways to sell and buy Santa Cruz homes. One, FSBO (For Sale By Owner), means just what it says – the owner sells the home. The second, of course, is selling the home through a real estate agent. What you may not be aware of is the main reasons why so many choose to hire an agent, whether selling or buying Santa Cruz homes.

Should you hire an agent? Of course, I’m going to say yes. However, what I really want you to do is make up your own mind after reading. Only you can answer this question because only you know your situation, but you need to know the facts:

Fact #1, for buyers – Real estate is one of the biggest areas of fraud in the U.S., and a fraud in which the scammer is less likely to be caught. Instances…

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It’s open season on homes for sale in Santa Cruz, and no hunting license is needed. You might want to wear bright orange jackets if you’re a seller, though. It’s a buyer’s market and, in this case, you want the house hunters to see you.

Now, you can only take the hunting analogy so far; I don’t think you’d appreciate being hung on a wall as a trophy. You will appreciate hunters setting their sights on homes for sale in Santa Cruz, however. Here are a few tips to ensure that your home is the one they target:

Stand out in the open
To put it simply, buyers are using more and more technology nowadays. Obviously, you, as the seller, want to be where the buyers are, right? Embrace the Internet. Twitter, Facebook, blogging and other forms of social media are…

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