Found 13 blog entries tagged as Trends.

To sell Santa Cruz homes, you have to get buyers to want them. So, what do they want? Based on the data just in from the 2011 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, here are what buyers want in a neighborhood in order of importance:

1. 67 percent favor a quality neighborhood
2. 49 percent of buyers said they want convenience to jobs
3. 45 percent look at the overall affordability of Santa Cruz homes in the neighborhood
4. 39 percent prefer to live close to family and friends
5. 28 percent of buyers are interested in having shopping close by
6. 27 percent want a quality school district
7. 22 percent ask for a neighborhood that is convenient to schools
8. 21 percent like to live close to entertainment or leisure activities

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According to AARP, seniors overwhelmingly want to stay in their Santa Cruz homes as long as possible.  With innovations in home design, it’s possible for more and more seniors to achieve this dream.

Remodelers trained as Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists (CAPS) can help homeowners adapt their Santa Cruz homes for easier accessibility and improved functionality. CAPS remodelers learn about aging-in-place home design and how to help customers create a more comfortable home.

Don’t have the money to hire a CAPS remodeler? There are accessibility and functionality improvements your handy-person or loved one can inexpensively do for you, such as:

• Installing grab bars to minimize falling
• Adding comfort-height toilets
• Constructing raised-bed…

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Across America, the decision to live with roommates in later years is becoming more common as the economy stagnates. According to the Census Bureau, from 2009 to 2010 the number of thirty-somethings living with non-family roommates rose from 10.6 million to 12 million, which is an increase of 13 percent.

If you’re considering sharing a Santa Cruz home with others, here are some of the benefits you could reap:

• Lower monthly payments: Whether through divorce, widowhood or empty nest syndrome, many people are left with too much house and way too much mortgage debt. One solution is to invite a compatible friend or two to move in and split that mortgage payment. It will also mean splitting the utility bills: win-win.

• Companionship: Sure, you have…

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