eco-friendly backyard

Californians are no strangers to eco-friendly living, especially with the abundance of green homes in Santa Cruz dedicated to sustainability. Everything from a healthier living environment, to economic benefits, and of course a positive impact on the environment are all brilliant benefits of living in green homes, but what about your backyards? If you are curious about taking your green home to the next level, here are 5 ways to make an eco-friendly backyard, your conscious oasis!

1. Xeriscape 

With water restrictions and droughts throughout California, Xeriscaping allows home owners to still enjoy the benefits of having a garden. This alternative makes a positive impact on the environment by conserving water while reducing the use of…

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santa cruz committee cracking down on short term rentals

Santa Cruz has always been a desirable vacation and tourist destination, with second and vacation homes being a familiar part of the community landscape. The community of Santa Cruz real estate market is diverse and varied. Here you'll find a combination of homes for sale, from stunning beachfront bungalows to ocean view estates. It's reasonable to assume that some of these homes are purchased for investment purposes, which is why a short-term rentals committee was established to make recommendations surrounding the short-term rental market in Santa Cruz.

Sharing our homes has been commonplace for as long as there have been spare rooms and comfortable couches. Whether through word of mouth, ads in newspapers, or flyers on community bulletins,…

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Granny flat laws

In 2014, the City of Santa Cruz made changes to state legislation amending lot size restrictions on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU). The city decided to reduce the size of approved lots from 5,000 sq. ft. to 4,500 sq. ft. With the new state laws that came into effect in 2017, any person with a lot in a single-family residential zone is going to be allowed to build additional living spaces on their property. Even with no more restrictions on lot size, all new ADUs or Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADU) must still comply with city building codes.

According to the City of Santa Cruz, the changes that have been made to eliminating lot size restrictions for ADUs and JADUs is the first step towards decreasing the housing crisis in California. Many…

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