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        <title>Santa Cruz Real Estate News &amp; Information</title>
        <link>https://www.mysantacruzrealestate.com/blog/2008-12/</link>
        <description>Lifestyle, community, day trips, restaurants, real estate, home improvements, and more. Discover what makes Santa Cruz County such a great place to live. Presented by My Santa Cruz Real Estate.</description>
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    <guid>https://www.mysantacruzrealestate.com/blog/tips-for-first-time-santa-cruz-home-buyers.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.mysantacruzrealestate.com/blog/tips-for-first-time-santa-cruz-home-buyers.html</link>
        <author>lauren@laurenspencer.com (Lauren Spencer)</author>
        <title>Tips for First Time Santa Cruz Home Buyers</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Are you considering buying your first home?  I'm sure you already know that now's an amazing time to buy your first home.  You have the perfect combination of low interest rates, low Santa Cruz home prices and President Obama's stimulus plan which gives you additional incentive to buy now.

To help make your first time Santa Cruz home buying experience the best it can be, here are some tips:

1) Know What You Can Afford

It is easy to get carried away with what you want versus what you can actually afford. Start with reasonable expectations.

2) Decide Exactly What You Need

Consider your current family status and what your immediate future might hold, then decide on the number of bedrooms you require and the amenities you feel you can't do without. If you love to cook, a well-equipped and spacious kitchen will be important. If you eat out 90 of the time, it is wasted space.

3) Make Good Use of the Internet

If you're like millions of other Americans, you spend a lot of time online.  Make use of the many available free programs and calculators to give you a better idea of what you can afford and what your mortgage payments will be. There are mortgage calculators that give you an instant idea of what each home you find will cost you monthly.

4) Don't Hesitate to Ask Questions

Call around to get insurance quotes so that you have a reasonable estimation of what to add to the total cost of your monthly mortgage. Check the information on the Santa Cruz home properties you are interested in to find out what the taxes are.  Add that amount to your total monthly mortgage cost too.

Buying your first Santa Cruz home should be the thrill of a lifetime and with proper planning it can be. 

If you'd like to work with a real estate agent who specializes in helping first time home buyers get their dream home at the best price, call me today at 831.662.6522 or email me at lauren@laurenspencer.com

 

LINKS:

stimulus plan

mortgage calculators

total cost of your monthly mortgage 
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.mysantacruzrealestate.com/blog/slow-markets-and-santa-cruz-homes-bringing-them-together-for-the-sale.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.mysantacruzrealestate.com/blog/slow-markets-and-santa-cruz-homes-bringing-them-together-for-the-sale.html</link>
        <author>lauren@laurenspencer.com (Lauren Spencer)</author>
        <title>Slow Markets and Santa Cruz Homes: Bringing Them Together for the Sale</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Today’s slow real estate market is a hard place to sell Santa Cruz homes. However, the fact remains that homes are still being bought and sold.  Buyers are out there; you just have to attract them to your home.

Here are a few tips for getting Santa Cruz homes sold in a slow real estate market: 

Prepare for the SaleYour home needs to stand out from the rest. Give it a lot of sparkle and shine:

• Make minor repairs:  Patch holes, fix faucets and replace cracked tiles.• Clean inside and out:  No cobwebs, dirty carpets, worn rugs or smelly odors.• Check your curb appeal:  Mow the lawn, plant flowers, trim bushes, etc.• Remove clutter and de-personalize:  If it isn’t essential, pack it up or get rid of it. • Straighten your cabinets and closets:  Buyers will open them; make sure they’re nice and neat.

Stage Your HomeHire a professional home stager or read informational home staging articles on doing it yourself. Here are a few quick tips:

• Carefully choose your window coverings.• Tie new bathroom towels with ribbons for a “finished” bathroom look.• Use color psychology.• Bring in plants.

Use Good Marketing TechniquesA strong marketing campaign is a must.  A few techniques you want to be sure you or your agent includes in your marketing campaign are:

• Take photographs with good lighting that show off the positive aspects of your home.• Create a virtual tour that showcases both the inside and outside of your home.• Display the photos and virtual tour on as many real estate websites as possible. 

Selling Santa Cruz homes isn’t a quick or easy endeavor. Especially now, aggressive marketers are the winners. Taking the time to clean and stage your home, as well as create a wide-reaching marketing campaign, can get that for sale sign taken down for good.

If you’d like to sell your home, let me create a strong, wide-reaching marketing campaign to get your home sold.   Give me a call today at 831.662.6522 or email me at Lauren@LaurenSpencer.com or visit my website at www.MySantaCruzRealEstate.com for additional information.

Links:

Replace cracked tiles

Informational home staging articles

Create a virtual tour

 
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.mysantacruzrealestate.com/blog/5-questions-to-ask-your-santa-cruz-real-estate-agent-when-selling.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.mysantacruzrealestate.com/blog/5-questions-to-ask-your-santa-cruz-real-estate-agent-when-selling.html</link>
        <author>lauren@laurenspencer.com (Lauren Spencer)</author>
        <title>5 Questions to Ask Your Santa Cruz Real Estate Agent When Selling</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
If you’re ready to sell your home but it’s not yet on the market, asking the right questions of your Santa Cruz real estate agent is a good way to help your home get sold.  These questions assist agents in creating a customized marketing plan for your home, as well as helping you know what to expect.  The top five questions are:


1.  When is the best time of year?  Spring is supposedly “the” time of year to put home on the market, but it all depends on the specific area.  In addition, many historic trends are completely disappearing and can’t be trusted as an indicator.  Your Santa Cruz real estate agent can help you with a good timing strategy to get the best out of your particular area.


2.  What features can I accentuate?  Take the time to walk through the home with your agent.  Discuss with him what you’ve enjoyed about the place and listen to their suggestions as well.  Together, create a list for the agent to use in his sales and marketing tactics once it goes on the market.


3.  How can I de-clutter my home?  Statistics show that homes sell faster and for more money when they appear roomy, clean and are clear of personal clutter.  Your agent can look over your home and give you suggestions to achieve that goal.


4.  What’s the bottom line price?  Let your agent know what you’d like to get from the sale, as well as the lowest price you can afford to accept.  Your Santa Cruz real estate agent will evaluate your property as compared to other similar properties that have sold recently and recommend an accurate price range. 


5.  What do I have to disclose?  You may be obligated by law to disclose certain problems about your home, as well as common insurance and utility costs.  Make sure you find out from your real estate agent exactly what you have to disclose to maintain legal compliance.


Remember, a good Santa Cruz real estate agent is there to help you.  You don’t have to do it alone, so share the responsibility. 


If you want to sell your home, let me put together a custom marketing plan designed to sell your home fast and for top dollar.  Call me at 831.662.6522 or email me at lauren@laurenspencer.com for more information.


 


Links:


De-clutter my home 


Disclose certain problems 


A good Santa Cruz real estate agent
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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