Before you sign on the dotted line for your new Santa Cruz home, be sure to get the information you need to make a sound financial decision. That includes getting a thorough home inspection by a qualified professional.

This may seem like one more hoop to jump through, but a detailed and complete inspection can reveal some unpleasant surprises about your new Santa Cruz home purchase. It can also impact the price you pay for the property. Remember, part of your offer should include a clause that specifies who will pay for any necessary repairs discovered by the inspection.

When looking for an inspector:

• Ask your friends: Word of mouth is still the best way to go, as their good experience can lead to yours.

• Ask your real estate agent: Agents…

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A cozy fire, the smell of pine trees and a plate of warm cookies might be all it takes for buyers to envision themselves celebrating many holidays in your Santa Cruz home. So take the time this season to channel Mrs. Claus and cheerfully enhance your house for the holidays with these festive tips:

• Deck the Halls – While you want to remind some buyers of their yearly traditions, you don’t want to offend others. If you usually go overboard with decorations, tone it down a little this year and go for a winter nature theme — think pinecones, snowflakes and the smell of cinnamon.

• Spruce Up the Winter Curb Appeal – In the dead of winter, yards can look barren and bleak. Don’t add to the seasonal depression. Be sure you shovel snow, rake fallen leaves…

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If you need to replace flooring, countertops or a backsplash in your Santa Cruz home, consider ceramic tile. Here are some of the great attributes of ceramic tile:

• Natural, renewable and very green. The production of ceramic tile is non-polluting and energy efficient.

• Durable. It can last the lifetime of your home.

• Non-flammable. Great around the fireplace, woodstove and kitchen stove.

• Wide variety to choose from. Ceramic tile is available in a multitude of textures and colors. You can also create tile patterns to add interest to any décor.

• Easy to clean. Spills are no big deal.

• Non-allergenic. Carpet is a fur magnet and provides breeding grounds for mold and insects such as fleas.

• Beautiful. Whether you’re the creative…

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If you’re closing up your summer vacation home to head for warmer climates or leaving your home in Santa Cruz for an extended period, follow these tips to safeguard your home from harsh weather, pests and vandalism:

1. Trim bushes, shrubs and hedges. This isn’t to make your yard prettier. It’s to improve your home’s security by providing an unobstructed view of your doors and windows.

2. Prune tree limbs and branches. You don’t want any branches hanging over your house. They provide easy access to rodents and robbers and could fall during storms, damaging your home in Santa Cruz.

3. Bring in outdoor furniture and decorations. Don’t chance having your outdoor chairs, tables or decorations destroyed during winter storms.

4. Securely store…

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Within the walls of your house, you’ve probably raised a family, made future plans and created years of memories. Take time this month to be thankful for everything your Santa Cruz home has given you by giving it some green TLC this Thanksgiving.

With Christmas right around the corner, I know it’s hard to justify spending a lot of money on your Santa Cruz home. Below are a few easy and affordable green projects for you to do this Thanksgiving holiday — and they’ll start paying off immediately!

• Buy compact florescent light bulbs. You don’t have to do this all at once. As your light bulbs burn out, replace them with these energy savers for around $3 a piece. They last about ten times longer than incandescent light bulbs and can save you close to $40…

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If you’ve been thinking about replacing windows, doors,  roofing, insulation, the heating and cooling system and/or hot water heater in your Santa Cruz home, don’t delay!

You can qualify for the energy-efficiency tax credit by installing eligible energy-efficient products, but only until the end of 2011. For most upgrades, the credit is equal to 10 percent of the equipment cost (labor is usually not included), with a cap of $500. Remember, a tax credit is much better than a mere deduction because a tax credit is subtracted from the taxes you owe.

In addition, here are other benefits you’ll reap from a green renovation.

• Your home will be quieter. With tight new windows and doors, or added insulation, you won’t hear what the neighbors are doing,…

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If your Santa Cruz home still has old, single-pane windows, the answer is a resounding YES! Otherwise, it depends on the quality of your windows.

Today’s windows are improving all the time, with added features making them tighter than ever.  For added comfort, lower energy costs and a soon-to-expire tax credit, it might be time to upgrade. Before you go window shopping, it will help to know something about the following terms:

• NFRC: This is the National Fenestration Rating Council, which brings you the labels found on all new windows. They test and rate the window’s performance in several important categories.

• U-Factor: This indicates the window’s resistance to heat loss. It is the inverse of the R-Factor used in insulation, so the lower the…

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Now that summer is behind us, it’s a good time to get up in the attic and assess your insulation. If it’s been a while since it was installed, there may well be peaks and valleys in it that are less than ideal for keeping your Santa Cruz home comfortable and energy-efficient.

Luckily, more insulation can be blown in over what you already have. Blown-in cellulose insulation is a good option because it’s considered a "green" product, is highly effective and is less costly than fiberglass. Here are several benefits to adding cellulose insulation:

• Allows you to recycle while you insulate. As they say, if you don’t buy recycled, you’re not recycling. Cellulose insulation is made from recycled paper and treated with a flame retardant for safety.

• …

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With Daylight Saving Time turning back the clock this month, sellers having trouble going the for-sale-by-owner route should take a hint from Father Time: Set aside the time to “fall back” on helpful connections and get your Santa Cruz real estate sold.

Your for-sale-by-owner home is probably clear of clutter and staged to perfection, so why aren’t buyers lining up to take a peek? If it’s not the price, then it probably means you need to take a look at your marketing. The tips below will guide you on how to take some time to fall back on local connections and reach out to more people.

• Connect through all your communities. Networking online through real estate sites and social media platforms are a good place to start, but don’t stop there. Use all…

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As a seller preparing to sell your Santa Cruz home, you may be busily emptying closets and painting walls, but don't forget about the outside of your house. Home buying is emotional and, like many emotional reactions, it can be heavily impacted by first impressions.

Here are some suggestions on how to encourage love at first sight by increasing the curb appeal of your Santa Cruz home:

• Tidy up – You may be so used to seeing the crumbling stack of firewood by the garbage cans and the old paint cans by the shed that they fade into the landscape, but potential homeowners see the mess.  As you look at the outside of your house, think about what you can throw away or put out of sight. The broken swing on the tree actually takes away from the grandeur of…

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