Santa Cruz, California is one of the most beautiful areas in the entire country.

Not only are there long stretches of sandy beaches, beautiful ocean views, lush plant life, and incredible architecture, but the majority of the days here are sunny.

It makes perfect sense for there to have been so many notable film shoots here in Santa Cruz. The communities here explode off of the screen!

These are the key reasons why Santa Cruz has consistently been a popular place to shoot a movie. For these same reasons, it’s also why people love to live here.

Santa Cruz has had this reputation for decades, and it’s why the community has thrived for so long and continues to do so. So many movies have used the beautiful setting of Santa Cruz to set their

 Golf is a way of life in California, and Santa Cruz has some of the best courses in the state.

With year round weather that’s fantastic for golf, it makes sense that golfers love it here. Plus, with the changing terrain of ocean views, awe-inspiring cliffs, palm trees, rolling hills, and redwood forests, every course is beautiful.

And for the non-golfers, these popular courses are still a great source of inspired views and impressive clubhouses with a wide array of services and amenities.

People travel from all over the world for a Santa Cruz golf trip, and the residents in these communities have access to them whenever they want.

Here are a few of the top golf courses in the Santa Cruz area.

Pasatiempo Golf Club

Santa Cruz
20

One of the reasons why so many people choose to move to Santa Cruz is so they can be close to its world-class surfing waves and white-sand beaches. When you live in Live Oak, you can’t get any closer to the action!

Located between Capitola and Pleasure Point, Live Oak is known for its incredible beaches. In fact, the neighborhood has such phenomenal waves, they’re often used for professional surfing competitions throughout the year.

People from across the nation flock to the area to lay on the sand at Twin Lakes or hit the waves at Pleasure Point.

Among all the fun and excitement around the community are lovely condos, townhomes, and single-family homes, perfect for all kinds of homebuyers.

Discover everything this beach-side community has

Selling your home in a highly desirable market can be an exciting feeling, but a nervous one as well. You want to take full advantage of the hot market and get the most money you can from selling your home.

Even in a white hot market like Santa Cruz, there are still things every seller and REALTOR® needs to know before listing a property. There are a number of ways to maximize your return when selling your home, and by missing a few of them, you might not make as much money as you could have.

Lauren Spencer is a REALTOR® with nearly 35 years of experience selling homes. She knows the real estate game and the Santa Cruz market, which gives her a unique perspective and well-earned reputation for knowing the best way to sell your home in a seller’s

Whether it’s your first home or your fifth, people need someone they can trust to help sell it.

Trust comes from talent, experience, and knowing exactly what tools and strategy a property specialist will use to help sell your house.

Listing and selling a home in today’s competitive Santa Cruz real estate market is an art form, and one that Lauren Spencer is incredibly skillful at. In addition to her negotiation skills, she has fine-tuned her marketing techniques over the last 35 years to be able to net the absolute highest price for every one of her clients.

Here are some of the specific ways that Lauren Spencer is able to market your Santa Cruz home.

Pre-sale Cosmetic Consultation of the Home

The cosmetic consultation of the home is a

The fantastic Santa Cruz community -- and all that it has to offer -- has made it the dream place to live. Now, due to the global pandemic, more people are working from home than ever before, which begs the question -- if you can work from home, why not work from Santa Cruz, California?

According to a PEW poll conducted in October 2020 by the PEW Research Center, about 7 out of 10 workers say their job can be done remotely, and are now teleworking all or most of the time. The way we work has changed, and it has allowed many of our home offices to be located wherever we want!

Here are a few reasons why working from home in Santa Cruz, California could be the happiest life decision you’ve ever made.

The Nearby Weekend Getaways

Santa Cruz is

Things are going to get back to normal.

It's been a tumultous year to say the least, but businesses and everyday people across the nation have demonstrated a resiliancy and true innovative spirit. It's inspiring!

With that spirit in mind, let's continue our ongoing feature that highlights some of the incredible Santa Cruz businesses that are thriving and set to continue thriving well into the future.

The Bagelry

Downtown Santa Cruz - 320-A Cedar Street
Midtown Santa CRuz - 1636 Seabright Avenue
Soquel Village - 4763 Soquel Drive
bagelrysantacruz.com

The Bagelry's main location is in downtown Santa Cruz, but bagel fans will find other convenient location across Seabright and into nearby Soquel.

The traditional style of bagels made

These days, homebuyers are looking for many specific features and benefits when they are purchasing a new house. However, some of the most popular features are of the eco-friendly variety.

In today’s world, energy consumption is something that is on everyone’s mind. Eco-friendly living is a great way to save money, help the environment, and live a happy and healthy life too! If you’re committed to sustainable living, why not start with the house you live in.

Here are 5 things to look for when purchasing an eco-friendly home:

1. Make Sure Your REALTOR® is on Board

Years ago, people were not as concerned with the environment or being eco-friendly. If you asked a REALTOR® to help you find an eco-friendly home, you would most likely get some

You’ve found the perfect home for sale in Santa Cruz and a mortgage loan with the best interest rate you can find. What’s next in the home buying experience?

Closing.

It's time to sign the contracts, ensure the contingencies are covered, and pay your portion of the closing costs.

But what exactly are closing costs?

These are the most common closing costs in Santa Cruz real estate (click for a full description of each):

• Title Fees
• Recording Fees
• Appraisal Fee
• Mortgage Application Fee
• Inspection Fees
• Points
• Brokerage Commission
• Underwriting Fees
• Property Tax

Understanding Home Buyer Closing Costs

While working with a real estate agent comes at no cost to you as a buyer, there are still fees you may be

The real estate market in Santa Cruz is booming. This seaside city in northern California has become increasingly popular in recent years, as an appealing alternative to other nearby big cities like San Francisco or San Jose.

The appeal of Santa Cruz is instantly clear. Residents love the fresh, salty air from the ocean each morning as well as the towering redwoods that habitate the state parks that border the community.

Join us as we explore a few of the lesser-known Santa Cruz neighborhoods that you may not have considered, but probably should.

Ben Lomand

The small community of Ben Lomond is set in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains, just north of the city of Santa Cruz. The wonderful mountain community provides a welcome respite,