Santa Cruz Real Estate Agent

Whether you’re looking to buy or sell a home, finding the perfect Santa Cruz real estate agent can be tough. The process is often overwhelming and you want to ensure that you have the right person by your side — someone who’s trustworthy, hard-working and knows what they’re doing!

That is why it’s extremely important to do your research thoroughly when it comes to Santa Cruz real estate agents. You need to interview several agents, follow through on referrals and ensure they have the proper credentials.

All the acronyms after agents’ names can be confusing, so here are a few that describe specializations you might need:

• SRES – This stands for Senior Real Estate Specialist. The SRES designation is for agents who work with buyers…

As the new year starts, pursuing your dream of buying a Santa Cruz home may be on your list of resolutions. Prices and interest rates are extremely low, which means 2012 could be the perfect year to buy a home. As exciting as that is, I bet it can also feel a little overwhelming.

One of the best ways to attack a big goal is to break it down into smaller goals. So here are four smaller goals you can tackle to accomplish your larger goal of buying a home:

1) Prepare for battle: Before you begin looking for a house, look at your financial situation. Do what you can to clean up any credit blemishes, pay off debt and save toward a down payment.

2) Check your qualifications: There's no sense looking at million dollar mansions if that's not in your…

Happy New Year! Now that the champagne corks have been popped and Auld Lang Syne sung, the clean slate of a fresh year may have you busily writing up resolution lists of 2012 goals.

Top of the list for my goals is to continue providing exceptional customer service to my clients!

Whether you’re a long-standing client I've seen through several purchases or a first-time home buyer considering taking the plunge, I want to make sure you're as happy as you can be with your Santa Cruz home.  I always welcome suggestions on how I may be of more help, so please connect with me and share your thoughts.

If you're like many Americans, your resolutions probably involve ways to become healthier and happier. Buying your first Santa Cruz home or moving to a home that…

Should you try to sell your home on your own as a Santa Cruz home for sale by owner (FSBO)? The 2011 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers has new information about FSBOs that can help you decide if you should try to sell your home without the help of a real estate professional.

Here are the top 4 facts you need to know if you’re considering selling your Santa Cruz home for sale by owner:

1. It’s harder to sell your Santa Cruz home for sale by owner in today’s market. FSBO transactions accounted for 10 percent of sales. That’s slightly above the record low of 9 percent in the 2010 study, but well below the record high of 20 percent set in 1987. The share of homes sold without professional representation has trended lower…

In this economy, cash buyers have the advantage and are swooping in on great housing deals to beat out buyers obtaining loans through banks. Sellers are jumping on these offers because the cash is already secured, they don’t have to worry about finances falling through at the last minute, and it can guarantee quick closing dates on their Santa Cruz homes for sale.

While dealing in ready money definitely gives real estate investors an advantage, don’t get discouraged. There are a few guidelines financed buyers can follow to give them a better hand when it comes to beating out competitors that throw down the cash card.

• Get pre-approved. Talk with a reputable bank and get a pre-approved home loan for a certain amount before you start shopping for Santa…

At this time of year, as thoughts turn to gobbling down turkey dinners and watching football, it's easy to get caught up in the details and lose the spirit.  So today, I want to take a minute to say something important:

Thank you!
Because of you, I have a job I love: being a Santa Cruz real estate agent. 

Thanksgiving is a holiday of gratitude, and yet too few of us remember that when we're stuck in traffic going over the river and through the woods to grandma's house for her famous pumpkin pie. 

So today, I'd like to say again, thank you.  

Thank you for contributing to this community, online and in the real world, by asking questions, adding your insights, and trusting me with your housing dreams.   

If we've worked together in the past, please…

Whether you’re looking to buy or sell Santa Cruz real estate, you’re going to need help from a certified professional. So which do you choose — a REALTOR®, real estate agent or broker? Most people don’t even know there’s a difference between the three and use the titles interchangeably.

While these three titles are similar, they are not identical. Depending on your knowledge of the real estate industry and the complexity of your transaction, you’ll want a professional with complementary education, expertise and experience. Below are title descriptions to help you get your terms straight and pick the right professional when it comes to buying or selling Santa Cruz real estate.

Real Estate Agent
A real estate agent is someone who is licensed to sell real…

If you're sitting in your apartment right now thinking: I wish I could paint it, but my lease doesn't allow it, maybe it's time to talk to a Santa Cruz real estate agent about purchasing a new home.  Before you rush off to the store to look at paint samples or, more importantly, sign on the dotted line of any mortgages, consider the pros and cons of buying.

Pros

1. Financial Investment: Given the gloomy news on foreclosure rates across the country, it is easy to forget that buying Santa Cruz real estate is also a means of saving and investing.  The money you pay in rent to your landlord goes to your landlord; the money you put toward a mortgage goes toward building equity in your home.

2. Pride of Ownership: By buying a home, you will be able to paint…

All things must pass. No matter how the gardening at your Santa Cruz home went this year, it’s getting time to move on and change with the seasons. Here are some tips to help you:

• Dig those sweet potatoes. Harvest sweet potatoes before the first frost, or they will be ruined. If you wake up and find the frost has hit before you had the chance, run out there immediately and at least cut the vines off at the base of the plants. This may stop damage to the roots, but you still need to dig your sweets before the next frost. After digging, cure them by keeping them in a warm, dark place like the attic of your Santa Cruz home. This sweetens them up and gets them ready for storage. After curing, store them somewhere that never goes below 40 degrees; they can…

In today’s precarious job market, many luxury homeowners are finding they can’t afford their massive, custom-designed properties any longer. As the once rich are having to quickly sell or abandon their Santa Cruz real estate, you might be able to snag a good deal on a distressed luxury home.

There are many horror stories associated with short sales and foreclosures, but if you do your research, are patient and can act quickly, you might be able to purchase the home of your dreams. If you want to take advantage of this sour market, then consider the following guidelines — and happy house hunting!

• Find an agent who has experience with distressed real estate. Interview Santa Cruz real estate agents to find out their history of dealing with foreclosures…