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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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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You don’t have to!  Many sellers are turning away buyers for their Santa Cruz real estate because the buyer can’t get the necessary financing.  Understandable, but remember, the downturn in real estate has definitely made it a buyer’s market.  Simply put, you may have trouble finding another one. 

So what’s the “holy grail” of options?  What can you do to sell your home when nobody can afford to buy it straight out?  It’s called “owner financing”, or “Owner Will Carry” in real estate terms.  In other words, you finance the sale.  It’s not the end-all, be-all answer, but it’s worked for many as a win/win situation, and here’s why:

• MaintenanceOwner financing isn’t the same as “rent to own”.  Once the contract is signed, you no longer have to worry…

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There’s at least one good thing about the drop in the dollar and it’s boosting the real estate market.  Many high-end Europeans are now looking toward the U.S. for a vacation home or permanent resident, and that could mean big hope for your Santa Cruz home for sale.  However, this also means a different way of selling. 

Stage a Benefit

No open house for high-end buyers.  Host an event instead – maybe even a benefit dinner for a worthy charity.  Let people come and view the property, but give them an avenue to mix and mingle as well.  In addition, they get to see how the house handles a bunch of guests.

Showcase a Chef

If you have a gourmet kitchen (or two), check with chefs that would like to showcase their cooking abilities.  This creates an entire…

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Selling a home isn’t easy, especially now.  Yet some homeowners believe they can stick a “for sale” sign in the ground and have the house off the market within a few days. 

While FSBO (For Sale by Owner) sales do occur, four out of five homeowners still use a Santa Cruz real estate agent.  Why?  Because selling your home on your own is hard work, and even more importantly, statistics prove that real estate agents get homes sold faster and for more money than FSBOs. 

If you’re not sure what you should do, here are a few things to think about:

FSBO

Sometimes, for sale by owner purchases are a good deal for the homeowner.  That doesn’t mean you should just jump in, however.  FSBO might be a good thing for you if:

1. It’s a seller’s market
2. You don’t…

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Want to go green but afraid it won’t work for condos in Santa Cruz?  Get rid of your worries, because it’s definitely possible.  It just takes a little thought!

1.  Go Energy Star – Anytime you get a chance, use Energy Star appliances, lighting, heating and cooling equipment.  When it’s time to replace something, look for the Energy Star option.

2.  Use a power strip – Many people have a slew of chargers and electronics.  Instead of plugging them directly into an outlet, use a power strip and then turn the power strip off when the electronics aren’t in use.

3.  Get an energy audit – If you get an energy audit you can find out how your insulation and heating and cooling equipment is working compared to the condos in Santa Cruz.  If it’s not up to par,…

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If you’re buying Santa Cruz real estate, you might start worrying about your credit score.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths about that score, and many individuals actually end up making things worse by following them. 

Read this list of common credit score myths and be in the know before talking to a lender:

1.  Close out your credit cards.  This is a big no-no, especially when you want to buy Santa Cruz real estate.  Closing out your older credit cards, especially, can actually make your credit score drop.

2.  Lower your credit limits.  Lowering your credit limits can hurt your credit score.  Part of your credit score is based on how much credit you have available.

3.  Get good credit by paying all your cards in full.  If you’re buying a…

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Driving down the streets of the city, you’ll see a lot of Santa Cruz homes for sale.  What you’ll also see, however, are homes for rent.  What’s the difference?  Why did these people decide to rent out their home?  Why did that homeowner become a landlord?

There are a lot of reasons for renting out your home, rather than adding it to the list of Santa Cruz homes for sale:

1.  The competitive factor – The current housing market is great for homebuyers, but not so great for home sellers.  With so many homes to choose from, your property has to stand out from the rest to get sold.  Sometimes, it could take months, or even years, to sell your house.  During that time, renting can be a good way to make the house profitable.

2.  Belief that the area will…

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