FREE FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERTS AT THE SANTA CRUZ BEACH BOARDWALK - SUMMERTIME The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk puts on FREE concerts on Friday nights during the summer.  The first concert is kicking off this weekend on June 17th!  The free Santa Cruz Boardwalk concerts take place on the beach at the Bandstand in front of the Boardwalk.  There are 2 Free concerts at the Boardwalk every Friday night, one at 6:30 and one at 8:30pm. Here is the 2011 Summertime Free Friday Night Concert Schedule: June 17th - Starship featuring Mickey Thomas June 24th - Eric Burdon and the Animals July 1st - The Family Stone July 8th - Great White July 15th - Loverboy July 22nd - Average White Band July 29th - The Edgar Winter Band August 5th - Gin Blossoms August 12th - Berlin August 19th - Santana featuring origi... 06/13/2011

  Santa Cruz , California is the largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946. It is located on the northern edge of the Monterey Bay, about 72 mi (115 km) south of San Francisco.  The county is a strip about ten miles (16 km) wide between the coast and the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains at the northern end of the Monterey Bay. It can be divided roughly into four regions: the rugged "north coast"; the urban City of Santa Cruz, Soquel, Capitola, and Aptos; mountainous Bonny Doon, San Lorenzo River Valley; and fertile "south county", including Watsonville. Agriculture is concentrated in the coastal lowlands of the county's northern and southern ends. Most of the coastline is flanked by cliffs.   In the ... 06/11/2011

WESTSIDE SANTA CRUZ HOME SALES - MID YEAR REPORT 2011 It has been a busy year for Westside Santa Cruz Home sales so far.  The Westside of Santa Cruz is a highly desireable area because it has great weather (less fog than other coastal neighborhoods), it is located close to UCSC making the Westside of Santa Cruz a great rental market.  Also for those who commute from Santa Cruz, the Westside is a good location because it takes out the Fishhook and Highway 1 traffic. So we are half way through 2011 and there have been 45 home sales on the Westside of Santa Cruz (closed escrows) The average home sale price on the Westside is about $650,000.  This is much higher than Santa Cruz County as a whole, where the median home sales price in April was $445,000, according to a recent article in the S... 05/31/2011

The Alfaro Winery located in Corralitos California is proud to host a wine tasting event and dinner at the Ma Maison retstaurant in Aptos on June 2. The event is featuring a pre-dinner tasting of the 2010 Alfaro Rose' Pinot Noir, and 2009 Alfaro "Lester Family Vineyards" Pinot Noir.  They encourage attendees to bring a bottle of your favorite Santa Cruz mountain pinot noir to share, or wines are available for purchase there from their extensive wine list.  The events menu is as follows: First Course:Burgundy Pate' Persille'served with spring mix saladEntree:Braised Lamb ShankNew Zealand lamb with garlic & rosemary sauceProvencale tomato and haricots cocoORWild King SalmonSun dried tomato BernaisePomme "Pont Neuf" and organic seasonal vegetableDessert:Candy Cap Mushroom Creme Bruleewith... 05/25/2011

The world (well, maybe not world, but definitely Californian) Famous surf museum atop Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz, CA will be celebrating 25 years of history this Friday, the 27th. The museum was started by various surf clubs in Santa Cruz in the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse (a young surfer who died had this lightouse constructed in memory) to preserve the surf culture and history of our beautiful city. It seems as though this  has worked out well, for Santa Cruz was also named an International Surf Preserve just earlier this year. Santa Cruz has a long history of being one of the first areas of the mainland to indulge in surfing, with special artifacts proving this within. There are special artifacts within detailing the first sight of Hawaiin princes surfing the opening of the mouth... 05/25/2011

JAMES DURBIN PLAYS AT THE SANTA CRUZ BEACH BOARDWALK Last Thursday most Santa Cruzians were bitterly disappointed when James Durbin was eliminated from American Idol.  We knew that if he had stayed on we would be treated to a concert at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk by James Durbin.  Since he was not in the top 3 we knew that was not going to happen now . . . But for the first time ever American Idol allowed James Durbin his Hometown day in Santa Cruz anyways! Saturday morning it was in the Santa Cruz Sentinel that James Durbin would be playing 3 songs at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, preceded by a parade from Downtown Santa Cruz to the Boardwalk.  James came out of the Louden Nelson center and signed many autographs on his way to his convertible and parade.   The crowd for James Dur... 05/17/2011

The Santa Cruz Sentinel posted yesterday that James Durbin of American Idol will indeed be performing at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk May 14th at 5:00 PM penidng the competition. The Santa Cruz, CA local has gone through the contest of American Idol with flying colors as the one of four contestants in the running. If he make it to the final three, Santa Cruz will be hosting one of the Fox channel's biggest shows. This event will provide for a large celebration in Santa Cruz, CA, and we can expect American Idol fans from all over Northern California coming down for the day to celebrate. This may be one of the larger events the city of Santa Cruz has had, and will definitely be so for the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. And with the show being free and a 'first come first served' seating ar... 05/09/2011

 Santa Cruz Real Estate Market Looking Up Watch this video for the latest news from Your Real Estate News Channel. This is from the RISMedia's Real Estate Information Network Press Releases     There are 19 new listings today with the price range of $175,000- $1,295,000. The lowest price of $175,000 is for land on Freedom Blvd in Watsonville. There are 4 new condo listings one each in Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Soquel & Capitola. That leaves 14 homes newly listed today.         The inventory of homes has been very going down since October of 2010 when the number of homes for sale dropped below 1200.  As a result of low inventory we have been getting multiple offers. Buyers are bidding on the low end homes under $500,000 and they will even offer all cash or slightly more money if they are ... 05/06/2011

Success in Using Santa Cruz First Time Home Buyer Programs In a previous blog I wrote about the many different Santa Cruz First Time Home Buyer programs offered through Santa Cruz County & City of SC, Watsonville, Scotts Valley and Capitola. I have a recent success story in using the County of Santa Cruz Downpayment Assistance Program that I would like to share.  My clients were a young family, just had their first child in fact.  Their price range was about $250k and we were looking at homes in that range in the San Lorenzo Valley area.  We had found some OK homes but nothing to get too excited about.  I suggested that we look into some of the Santa Cruz first time buyer programs and recommended they speak with an excellent lender I work with that has the system dialed. The lender was ... 03/10/2011

 Always a fun experience to walk the beaches. It seemed so deserted yesterday when after the training session at Santa Cruz Home Finance my wife and I took a stroll on the beach at Santa Cruz. It is 'off season" but we didn't mind. I remembers many a day when I was a lad, that we were in that water waiting for the next wave. Memories are a wonderful place that we can allow ourselves to visit now and then. The boardwalk shops and rides were all closed but new life should come back to them this summer.                                                                         What a view they have from their patio. The weather was wonderful, we didn't need a jacket, just short sleeves, kicked our shoes off and took a walk in the sand and the surf. We ejoyed our lunch at Gilda's on the wharf.... 03/10/2011

Santa Cruz Home Finance is the newest addition to the 203k lending family of course located in Santa Cruz CA. They have been in business for many years as an FHA lender and feel the time is right for the 203k loan as so many homes in the area being sold have issues.  They understand the value of being able to offer the full 203k as well as the streamlined k loan products. The service and attention to the needs of their clients is very evident as I have been close to them on a 203k and have been able to see the passion and attention to detail the crew provides to their clients. You certainly will be well served to use Santa Cruz Home Finance for your 203k needs. It is hard to believe that there are Realtors and agents that still don't understand that this is an "as is" purchase or refina... 03/07/2011

In this highly competitive market it is vital that you receive the highest level of professional representation.  I am your enthusiastic advocate throughout your real estate transaction, and beyond.  I believe that customer service has no boundaries; that you deserve to have an agent at your side every step of the way. When you are carefully listened to, when someone takes the time to get to know you and to understand the circumstances of your move, then your wants and needs can be anticipated and efficiently met.  I hold myself to that standard, and strive to exceed your expectations.  Because of these commitments to you, I have been fortunate enough to be recognized in the top one percent of Coldwell Banker agents nationwide. I am in my eleventh year in real estate and have participa... 02/28/2011

Penthouse For Sale, Yacht Harbor Ocean View in Santa Cruz CA It may be a reainy day today in Santa Cruz CA and I am having a WARM Open House! 480 Alta Loma Ln Santa Cruz CA 95062 MLS#81106293 4 more INFO send text to 88000 with message CRUZ2 Serving home made chicken soup both Saturday and Sunday 1-4 PM.   The view is of the yacht harbor and the ocean you can see the sailboats in the bay!   Why not stop by or call me to talk about the real estate market. I am always able to send you a complete market anayisist of the prices of any homes in Santa Cruz.   The Yacht harbor is one of my specialities it has great restarants. The Crow Nest has the best views and on Wednesdays it is locals happy hour all day.   In the summer the sailboat races are on Wednesday's starting at 6:00 PM. 480 Alta L... 02/19/2011

Adding value to your home doesn't necessarily mean subtracting from your bank account. The trick is to be creative! There are several things you can do yourself, even on the smallest of budgets, which will improve the overall look of your home, while adding value at the same time. Here are a few favorite tips to help get you started: Hire a professional designer or Realtor® to look at your home. Having a professional-and fresh set of eyes-come look at your home is a great way to not only get new ideas, but establish a long term design goal so you can start plugging away. Have your home inspected. Home inspectors are usually called out when a home is going on the market, but why not reap the benefits when you are still living in the home? By having problems pointed out to you now, you c... 02/17/2011

As you know, the real estate market is ever-changing. Seasonality, economic conditions and the stock market all affect the ebbs and flows of the real estate market.   Even if you're not currently trying to buy or sell a home, it's important to stay up-to-date with what's happening in the real estate market so when the time comes to make your move, you can feel knowledgeable and confident about what you're doing. To help you easily stay updated, I'm pleased to tell you that I'm now providing real estate market updates via Facebook. In addition to posting local market statistics for all of my friends to see, I'm also sharing real estate articles from a variety of sources that I think people will find informative, interesting and useful. If you are interested in receiving my market update... 02/16/2011

I met some of the nicest people in Santa Cruz a few weeks ago and they are now doing the Full 203k and the Streamlined k from Santa Cruz south to include Salinas, Watsonville, Capitola, Aptos, etc and down as far as Monterey as I understand it. It is always good to see more good people who have a wonderful reputation and a great following who have been in the business for many years "get it" about the 203k. I find it rewarding. So on that note a hearty welcome to the 203k world to Santa Cruz Home Finance.  During the Loma Prieta earthquake lots of homes fell off their foundation either towards the street or straight back towards the rear yard due to a lack of any shear wall protection. I saw another one of these homes in another area that had no bolting of the foundation and no shear wa... 02/15/2011

SANTA CRUZ BEACH HOME FOR SALE - PLEASURE POINT COTTAGE  MOANA WAY, SANTA CRUZ* Best priced Beach Home in Santa Cruz for sale!  This Pleasure Point home is charming and just steps to the Ocean and World Class Surfing.  Pleasure Point is an great place to live for those who enjoy surfing, biking, walking on the beach and having a real community feel.  This Santa Cruz Beach home for sale is located 1 block to the beach in a fantastic neighborhood.   The layout of this Santa Cruz Beach Home for sale is ideal.   Each bedroom has their own bathroom and they are separated the living and kitchen area so it makes a nice dual living situation.  Each bathroom has a skylight and are light and bright.       This charming Santa Cruz Beach Home for Sale was built in 1931 and has a real period feel wi... 02/09/2011

HOME PRICES IN PLEASURE POINT, SANTA CRUZ Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz is a classic Northern California Beach town infused with surfing culture.  Homes for sale in Pleasure Point are really a mixed bag.  There are the tiniest of beach cottages and ocean front multi million dollar homes. Over the past year, the average home price in Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz was $820,000.  Of the homes sold in Pleasure Point, the average square footage was just under 1,500.  That is an average price per square foot of $566! Here is one of the best priced Santa Cruz beach homes for sale.  Buying a home in Pleasure Point you are buying into a lifestyle not just a home.  Pleasure Point in a highly desirable area for those who want to live in an area with a real community feel, where you can walk to all ameni... 02/07/2011

I have passed by this cliff several times, but I can't recall a time driving by when there were so many surfers on one day!  It was about 1pm in the afternoon, on an overcast day. Makes you think...  Does the surfer on the wave get mad at the surfer paddling that is in their way...  Or is the paddler mad at the surfer on the wave coming right at them...  Just sayen' I ended up taking a few more pictures, since there were so many! This spot is just north of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, CA.  Santa Cruz is about 40 or so minutes south of SF on the coastline. Just on the other side of the pier, is the boardwalk. Hope your superbowl Sunday was awesome! :) Chris 02/06/2011

Me and my son Ryan at Natural Bridges State Park, in Santa Cruz, CA last weekend. Natural Bridges is a state park with tide pools, that are great for searching over and finding neat things.  Parking is $10, and there are facilities.  It is a short walk across the beach to the rocks, and it is an easy climb.  Be sure to check the tide schedule, to go when it is low tide.  AND don't forget the sunblock and easy walking shoes.  It can get slippery. :) Chris 02/02/2011