As houses continue to sit on the market without the slightest sign of interested buyers, sellers are lowering prices and pouring more money into upgrades and remodels. While these updates might help increase sales, you could achieve the same results with your Santa Cruz home by spending less cash and adding more green.

With the growing demand for green features, buyers like the idea of purchasing a house that already contains a few eco-conscious elements. From environmentally sound materials to energy efficient windows and doors, just adding one green upgrade could be the ticket to spark interest and sell your Santa Cruz home.

6 eco-features buyers love:

1. Water-saving appliances – Install low-flow toilets and aerators on showers to reduce your water…

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Do you know how closing costs actually work? Or, how you’d use CMAs (comparative market analysis) to evaluate Santa Cruz real estate? And, can you decipher all of the abbreviations and acronyms, such as FDR, lo dues and MLS.

Purchasing a home is frustrating enough without having to go through the frustration of decoding all the complicated speak and legalese. If you brush up with a real estate dictionary before your home-buying search, you’ll gain valuable knowledge and save yourself a lot of time and headaches in the long run.

Basic lingo every Santa Cruz real estate buyer or seller should know …

• ARM – This stands for Adjustable-Rate Mortgage, which is a type of mortgage where the interest rate periodically adjusts.

• Closing costs – These are…

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The fact is that not all Santa Cruz real estate agents are created equal.   There are important differences you need to consider before choosing an agent to help you buy a home.

Here are some fictional beliefs people have about Santa Cruz real estate agents and the facts behind them.

1. Fiction:  Any agent you contact about a property is now your buyer’s agent and is looking out for your best interests. 

Fact:  When you call the agent whose name is on the For Sale sign in the front yard of the home, you’re calling the seller’s agent.  That agent is looking out for the home seller’s best interest, not yours.   Hire a buyer’s agent and ask him or her to show you homes you’re interested in seeing.

2. Fiction:  When you hire a buyer's agent, you have to…

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Looking to buy a new house? Do you have a specified budget in place? Are you going to need to take out a loan? In such a tumultuous real estate market, there are many frustrating financial hurdles that you need to jump before you can purchase your Santa Cruz home. However, with a pre-approved loan you could reduce stress and move in quicker.

A pre-approved loan is when a bank provides you with an amount they would be willing to lend you for a Santa Cruz home and a period of time for which this offer is good. They determine this amount based on several criteria that you must provide and prove, such as your current income, bank statements, income tax returns and credit history.

 

 

Perks from pre-approval


• Know what you can afford –Using a…

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Shopping for a mortgage is as important as shopping for a Santa Cruz home to buy.  It’s the only way to get the best interest rate and terms with a lender you trust.  Take your time, do your research, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you found the mortgage that meets your needs.
Here are six tips to help you find the best mortgage to use to purchase your Santa Cruz home:


1. Find a lender you like and trust.  Ask your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and most importantly, your real estate agent for names of lenders they admire and enjoy working with.  You want to find one who is knowledgeable about the mortgage industry, will answer all your questions and can talk with you about loans in a way you understand.


2. Explore your options.  There is a…

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It’s the time of year we all dread… time for your 2010 tax filings.  While I am not a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or even a plain old accountant, I do want to share with you some basic tax tips all Santa Cruz home owners should consider before filing their taxes.

• Contact a tax expert.  My motto is always, if in doubt, contact a tax expert.  There’s no way around it; taxes are complicated.  While some don’t want to spend their money on tax experts, I’ve found that they’ve saved me much more money than they’ve cost.  And, the peace of mind they provide is priceless.

• Claim your Santa Cruz home owner’s tax deduction, if you’re eligible.  In 2002, a study was conducted that showed that 61% of eligible home owners did not claim their home owner’s…

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You’ve found the Santa Cruz home you want to buy, and you’ve hired a professional home inspector.  But, wait!  You’re job isn’t done.  You still need to personally participate in the inspection on your Santa Cruz home.

Here are 5 reasons why you should attend your home inspection:

1. See for yourself.  There’s a big difference between reading a report and seeing first-hand what’s right and wrong with the home.  Armed with this knowledge, you’ll be able to determine if a problem is serious enough to walk away from the home if the seller is unwilling to fix it. 

2. Learn practical information about your home.  You’ll discover where things such as the water valve and electrical box are located.

3. Experience your prospective home through the eyes of an…

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There are a few misconceptions about how to set the sales price for your Santa Cruz real estate.  Here are five common pricing myths and the reality behind them.

Myth #1:  It’s OK to test a high price on your Santa Cruz real estate just to see if anyone will buy it at that price. 

If you’re serious about selling your home, don’t play games.  In this buyer’s market you have a very small window of opportunity to pull in serious buyers when your home first enters the market.  If you play games, like over pricing your home just to test the market, buyers will stay away in droves. 

Myth #2:  You should price your Santa Cruz real estate higher than the market value to allow for room to negotiate.

Truth:  No matter what your reasoning or rationale,…

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Are you a first-time home buyer?  There are a lot of things you’ll want to learn before making that first purchase.  Here are 9 tips to help you get a Santa Cruz home you’ll love and be prepared for additional costs you may not have considered:

1. Ask yourself if you're ready. Are you financially ready to buy a Santa Cruz home?  Do you have a steady job and income?  Do you have money for the down payment?

2. Get pre-approved.  When you get pre-approved for a mortgage loan, your lender checks your credit and lets you know the amount of mortgage for which you qualify.  Having a pre-approved loan will put you at the top of the list when presenting an offer.

3. Identify closing costs. The cost of closing on the sale of your Santa Cruz home shouldn't be…

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Some Santa Cruz County home buyers have an advantage that others don’t in today’s housing market.  They can qualify for an FHA loan. 

Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans help Santa Cruz County home buyers who would otherwise have trouble being approved for a mortgage.  You can qualify for a loan if you have less than perfect credit.  FHA loans are available even after bankruptcy and foreclosure, if you have maintained good credit for the following two to three years.

What are the requirements for FHA loans?
FHA loans have strict home appraisal guidelines.  The appraisal value helps determine the FHA mortgage limit.  Each state has its own rules regarding maximum loan limits.

What are the advantages to FHA loans?
One advantage of an FHA loan is…

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