Everybody has a horror story of some kind, when talking about Santa Cruz real estate. There are just some things most people don't think about when searching for property to buy or sell, whether you’re the buyer, the seller or even, yes, the agent.

Exhibit A

Sheryl (name changed to protect the innocent) is exhibit A. Now, she thought she’d bought a nice house at a good price. Everything seemed to be perfect. The one place that Sheryl went wrong was forgetting to do a home inspection on that beautiful piece of Santa Cruz real estate.

After a pleasant day of moving in, she went to take a shower. Turning on the faucet, she noticed the water pressure wasn’t what it should be. Ignoring the indications of worse yet to come, she flipped from faucet to…

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Just because you’ve found some interesting Santa Cruz homes for sale doesn’t mean your house hunt is up. There’s much more to do before signing those closing papers, and one of the biggest is having the home inspected. In fact, getting a home inspection will probably be drilled into you by your real estate agent. Yes, it’s that important.

What can you find out from a home inspection report?

Although many people do get a home inspection, just as many have a difficult time deciphering the reports to find out what’s serious and what isn’t. To make it worse, inspections vary from state to state. Fortunately, the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors, who has a list of inspectors all around the United States and Canada, has a specific set of…

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If you’re looking at Santa Cruz homes to rent but think you can’t afford them, you might want to take another look. This is especially true if you have a good credit history. When it comes to finding tenants, landlords have never been more willing to play “Let’s Make a Deal."

Sitting Pretty

Why would any landlord be willing to make a deal? The reason topping the list is, of course, the economy. With so many people having lost their jobs, finding tenants who can afford the rent on time isn’t easy. Second, many renters are trying to save money by having roommates. Thirdly, because of the marketing slump there are plenty of homeowners renting out their Santa Cruz homes rather than selling them. Lastly, because of the first-time buyer tax credit, many…

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Are you looking at homes for sale in Santa Cruz and feeling overwhelmed by the choices? Back in the Dark Ages before the Internet (1986 or so), if you wanted to look at a house, you had to call a real estate agent, find out the address and then physically drive to the house. Thanks to the Internet, however, you can start narrowing down your choices before you ever talk to your agent.

What do you need to know?

Looking online can give you the information you want to know about the homes for sale in Santa Cruz. However, if you just go surfing on the Web, that information can be as overwhelming as the number of choices. Before you start shopping online, make a list of the things that are important to you about the city or neighborhood in which you want to…

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Purchasing a Santa Cruz home for sale, especially as a first-time buyer, is incredibly exciting. However, just because your offer is accepted doesn’t mean the deal is done. Lots of things can still cause the deal to fall through. Here are just a few things that might slow or stop your purchase:

1. Termites – Most lenders will insist on having a pest inspection to make sure termites or carpenter ants haven’t seriously damaged the home. Even if your particular lender doesn’t require an inspection, it’s best that you get one done anyway. If the pest inspection shows there is a severe problem, you can either ask the seller to pay to have the problem fixed or walk away if your purchase agreement allows it. At less than $100, a pest inspection is definitely…

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If you have some Santa Cruz real estate to sell or you just want to raise the property value, keeping hip to the market trends is paramount.  Kitchens are one of the biggest selling points of any residential property.  Energy efficient and cost effective are the catchwords of the day, and recycled is the way to go.  Here are a few of the newest eco-friendly kitchen products that can find you buyers and up your property value.

1. EverHot – Made by Water, Inc., the EverHot is an excellent addition to trendy kitchens.  No more boiling water, which makes it energy efficient and timesaving, EverHot is an under counter instant hot water heater.  It uses less electricity than a 40-watt bulb, but produces up to 60 cups of steaming water an hour.

2. Whirlpool…

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Many putting up their home for sale on the Santa Cruz market don’t have a lot of available cash to spruce it up.  While staging houses is a definite plus, it costs, as does many of the other suggested “to-dos." 

Here are a few inexpensive, easy ways to make your home look more inviting to buyers:

1. Put up your personal stuff

Not every buyer looking at a home for sale in Santa Cruz appreciates the fact that someone still lives there.  Putting away the following things can help the buyers’ see themselves in the home:

• your pet’s things (toys, litter box, bowls)
• your medications, toothbrushes and toilet accessories
• any toys
• knick-knacks and personal pictures

2. Create more space

Small, closed in spaces are major turnoffs for buyers.  Create the…

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If you’re looking for the right price to list your Santa Cruz home for sale, you may need to call on a real estate professional.  Pricing your home to sell in this buyer's market is part research and part experience.

You don’t want to overprice your Santa Cruz home for sale because you don’t want it to sit on the market week after week.  A home that is priced too high for the area will not attract as many buyers as a more reasonably priced home.  If you price your home below market value, you’re likely to receive several offers that will drive the sale price up, so you don’t have to worry about getting less money for your home than it’s worth.

A good way to get an idea of the current value of your home is to get the sale prices of homes that have…

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Santa Cruz foreclosures are a sad fact of life.  The truth of the matter is that, for many, even loan modification isn’t an option.  When faced with foreclosure or short sale, how do you decide which is best?  While short sales have been pushed by many as a viable option, it’s hard to know what’s best for you. 

Here are some facts about the consequences of both:

Your Credit

While both Santa Cruz foreclosures and short sales will affect your credit score, the differences are wide.  A foreclosure can affect your score for as long as three years or more, and lower it as much as 300 points.  The foreclosure can remain on your public history for over ten years.

However, only late payments show on your credit with a short sale.  Your score can drop as…

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Have you ever walked into one of the Santa Cruz homes and looked down to see stained carpet or flooring?  It brings a little thought of “ew” sometimes, doesn’t it?  Imagine if you were a buyer looking at the same floor.

The right type of flooring, and flooring that is well taken care of, can make a big difference to buyers.  If your floor brings on the “ew” thought, here are a few fixes to help make sure your home sells:

Does your home have hardwood floors?

You’re in luck.  Buyers love hardwood floors and some will actually pay extra to get them.  In fact, it could be that final selling point.  If your hardwood floors are covered by carpet, painted over or showing anything but the natural wood grain, it’s time for an overhaul.  Pull up those carpets…

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