the hidden costs of santa cruz home ownership

So, you’ve found a home you love, at a good price and you’ve even managed to cobble together a down payment.

That’s it, right? Just look after the monthly mortgage payments and enjoy life as a Santa Cruz home owner.

Not quite.

Although the monthly mortgage payment will likely be your largest monthly expenditure, it won’t be the only one. Each step of home buying and home ownership comes with a number of hidden costs that may come as a surprise to the uninitiated.

Have no fear. In the spirit of preparing you, take a look at our run through of the hidden costs of home ownership. Arm yourself with the right information and you won’t surprised when extra costs crop up.

Before You Close

Don’t be surprised when costs arise even before…

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will eco-friendly renovations improve the value of my home?

Let’s cut right to the chase, shall we?

Will eco-friendly renovations improve the value of my home? The short answer is yes!

While few things in this world are quite that simple - generally speaking spending a lot of money to renovate your home won’t lead to a direct increase in your home’s value. The truth is that you’ll rarely recoup the full cost of renovations when it comes time to sell.

The exception to this rule is certain eco-friendly home improvements.

Savvy home buyers aren’t just thinking about the initial upfront costs of purchasing a home, but also the regular costs - the ones that come from home maintenance and monthly utility bills. In addition to being highly attractive to buyers, eco-friendly home features have the added…

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Boulder Creek is the classic small, mountain community in a lot of ways.

As Highway 9 winds its way down its main strip, Central Avenue, you can’t help but be in awe of the towering trees that shade the roadway. The businesses that line this main street have managed to retain a great deal of the original charm of the community’s early 20th century founding.

As the “gateway to Big Basin Redwoods State Park”, Boulder Creek is the home base to many adventures into the backcountry. Big Basin Redwoods State Park isn’t just one of Northern California’s largest state parks, it’s also its oldest.

The well established park has provided a welcome escape for residents of many of the larger nearby cities, such as Santa Cruz, San Jose and even San…

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230 center avenue in aptos, california 

A true beach house, 230 Center Avenue in Aptos, California presents the perfect opportunity to experience an unmatched central coast lifestyle.

The stunning Seacliff home is positioned mere blocks from the Seacliff Pier and Seacliff State Beach for easy access and the home was built for entertaining. The reverse layout creates a wide-open, upper floor living area that flows from the open, newly-renovated kitchen through the living room and onto the large deck, accessed through a set of huge, over-sized sliding glass doors. The classic beach house living spaces boast stunning hardwood floors throughout as well as a gas fireplace.

In addition to one bedroom on the upper level, the lower level features two additional bedrooms, as well as an office…

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