Santa Cruz & Silicon Valley Real Estate News & Market Trends

You’ll find our blog to be a wealth of information, covering everything from local market statistics and home values to community happenings. That’s because we care about the community and want to help you find your place in it. Please reach out if you have any questions at all. We’d love to talk with you!

Feb. 23, 2023

FEBRUARY 2023 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY MARKET WATCH

SPRING HAS SPRUNG, GET READY! 

February 2023 MARKET WATCH: The Market Continues To Ramp UP!

 

Most people think of Spring once we hit March or April, but here in the Santa Cruz County real estate market, it’s already here! As predicted, the pool of buyers that were on hold during our crazy, stormy winter are now out in droves. So if you’re one of them, it’s time to check in with us so you can easily compete for that dream home that popped onto the market yesterday. And if you’re entering the market as a seller, it’s time to fast track getting your place in tip top shape and we have a brand new tool for that too, it’s our Keller Concierge, which essentially taps into our Keller Williams group’s interior design division. With the most popular colors, staging and visual transformation planograms in hand, our popular Ready to Sell program with 0% loans payable with earnings at the close of your sale, you can get that curb appeal, new roof or kitchen refresh taken care of to get top dollar.

 

This hyper-dynamic market is just getting revved up so all you need to do is contact us to have us help you navigate it all.

 

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We hope you enjoyed this edition of Market Watch. Have you checked out our library of resources, including our READY TO STAY & SELL programs allowing 0% financing for 12 months to fix up bathrooms, your roof, landscaping and so much more whether you’re in the market to buy or sell your home. Plus, our Mortgage & Home Value Calculators will help you crunch your numbers.

 

Don’t forget to sign up for our e-newsletter so you don’t miss out on all our news, trends and market information to keep you in the know too as it’s released each week.

 

Thank you for letting us be your real estate resource!

-Erick Fernandez

 

 

Feb. 10, 2023

2023 HOME BUYER WORKSHOP

Save the date! Both EF Homes and our partners, Santa Cruz Lending Group, are excited to be hosting a buyers workshop on the evening of March 8th 2023!  Be sure to grab your seat today as this is an intimate event meant for a very personalized experience.

 

This event is perfect for:

1st Time Homebuyers

Upsizing or Downsizing

Renting vs. Owning

Prepping for Your Search

How To Beat Your Competition

 

This will be a jammed packed learning opportunity for all of you out there. Whether you are a first time buyer looking to get into home ownership or a long term homeowner wanting to downsize we will have all the information you need. Our current Real Estate market is very dynamic and now more than ever you need to prepare for it. 

 

Gayle's goodies will be served. All guests will get our home buyer survival kit, as well as being entered into our raffle for a prized Gayle's gift card. Stay tuned for more info. 

 

We've purposely created this event to be an intimate gathering so you can have a personalized experience where you can get all the answers you need in a comfortable setting. We recommend getting in touch with us to grab your seat, just text, call (831) 247-0477 or email us to RSVP.

 

We look forward to seeing you,

Erick Fernandez

 

Jan. 27, 2023

JANUARY 2023 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY MARKET WATCH

THE HYPER-DYNAMIC MARKET IS HERE! 

January 2023 MARKET WATCH: Triple Digit Open House Visits Are Coming?

 

The Santa Clara County market is typically 6 months ahead of us here in Santa Cruz County so buckle up as our prediction for a SUPER HOT market is just getting started. The pool of buyers is growing so the competition for “move in-able” homes is getting fiercer by the day. There are definitely ways in which to elevate your home shopping game, and sellers, well, it’s time to tap into our Ready To Sell program if your property isn’t quite there and just needs a couple updates. At 0% for 12 months, that curb appeal, new roof or new backyard living project could all be paid for with your sale’s proceeds…just hand us the keys and it’s taken care of.

 

No matter which side of the deal you're on, this market is HYPER-Dynamic and we’re here to help you navigate it all. Whether it’s through the resources mentioned below or a quick call or visit, let’s get you prepped for taking on February!

 

________________________________________________

 

We hope you enjoyed this edition of Market Watch. Have you checked out our library of resources, including our READY TO STAY & SELL programs allowing 0% financing for 12 months to fix up bathrooms, your roof, landscaping and so much more whether you’re in the market to buy or sell your home. Plus, our Mortgage & Home Value Calculators will help you crunch your numbers.

 

Don’t forget to sign up for our e-newsletter so you don’t miss out on all our news, trends and market information to keep you in the know too as it’s released each week. Our Vlog Bio or EFHomes.com/blog has all the resources we’ve mentioned waiting for you.

 

Thank you for letting us be your real estate resource!

-Erick Fernandez

 

 

Posted in Market Updates
Dec. 29, 2022

[industry edition] WHAT YOU GET FOR YOUR DOLLAR IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

 

What you get for your dollar here in Santa Cruz County might be one of your first questions, so we breakdown the natural price points of just around $1M, $1.5M and $2.5M + in this edition along with some geographic layouts of neighborhoods throughout our vast region. We’ll be sure to update this video as the market changes so you and your clients can keep up on what to expect when exploring Santa Cruz for that move, vacation home or investment property.

 

Along with this edition, we hope you’ve had the opportunity to catch an episode or two of our Explore Santa Cruz County series as well as some of our resources your clients can take advantage of as they discover our region. We invite you to send a quick text or email or even drop by our conveniently-located Capitola office if you’re in town visiting for the holidays. 

 

We have numerous intricacies that impact buying a home or property in our county and we welcome the opportunity to guide you and your clients through the process so it's a completely seamless transition and would enjoy the opportunity to chat and get to know each other to help make that potential, future referral transaction even more seamless.

 

As your go-to Santa Cruz County referral partner, we’re all about supplying you with local intel to keep your clients informed in their coastal and mountain property search. We love making the referral process very turnkey with your clients and we’re happy to navigate our region together, we’re experienced in properties ranging from vineyards to coastal luxury and everything in between.

 

We’ve developed a variety of resources ranging from our neighborhood home search tool and mortgage calculator to our Prop 19 and Fire Protection resources which will give your clients an edge when considering their next property in our area.

 

Thank you for allowing EF Homes to be your Santa Cruz Real Estate resource and we look forward to meeting you and please do reach out if you're visiting our area.

 

- Erick Fernandez

DRE# 01856066

 

 

 

 

Posted in Industry Resources
Dec. 21, 2022

DECEMBER 2022 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY MARKET WATCH

 

HERE’S WHAT’S COMING IN 2023 

DECEMBER 2022 MARKET WATCH:

The Pool Of Buyers Is Growing Right Now!

 

‘Twas the the night before the New Year, and the buyers were anxiously waiting for January…ok, we’re not going to try that. Basically, our message is that the market is raring to go with the pool of buyers growing by the day in anticipation of 2023 kicking off. We need more sellers to increase the inventory to maintain some stability, so while buyers are anxious, sellers are in control at the moment. The key will be to have a property that shows well, doesn’t need much work and qualifies as “Moveinable” for buyers who don’t want the hassle of a fixer upper if at all possible. Below, you’ll see a link for our amazingly turnkey Ready to Sell program to help you get your curb appeal, roof and/or kitchen and bathroom ready to go. So keep that in mind as you toast 2023 and from all of us here at EF Homes, cheers to a fantastic 2023!

 

______________________________________________________________

 

We hope you enjoyed this edition of Market Watch. Have you checked out our library of resources, including our READY TO STAY & SELL programs allowing 0% financing for 12 months to fix up bathrooms, your roof, landscaping and so much more whether you’re in the market to buy or sell your home. Plus, our Mortgage & Home Value Calculators will help you crunch your numbers.

 

Don’t forget to sign up for our e-newsletter so you don’t miss out on all our news, trends and market information to keep you in the know too as it’s released each week. Our Vlog Bio or EFHomes.com/blog has all the resources we’ve mentioned waiting for you.

 

Thank you for letting us be your real estate resource!

-Erick Fernandez

 

 

Posted in Market Updates
Dec. 9, 2022

A SANTA CRUZ HOLIDAY TREE ADVENTURE

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from everyone at EF Homes and our friends at Santa Cruz Lending Group! We hope you enjoy our fun holiday short film that celebrates the season!

Nov. 21, 2022

[industry edition] GET TO KNOW SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

 

We hope you’ve had the opportunity to catch an episode or two of our Explore Santa Cruz County series as well as some of our resources your clients can take advantage of as they discover our region. We invite you to send a quick text or email or even drop by our conveniently-located Capitola office if you’re in town visiting for the holidays. 

 

We have numerous intricacies that impact buying a home or property in our county and we welcome the opportunity to guide you and your clients through the process so it's a completely seamless transition and would enjoy the opportunity to chat and get to know each other to help make that potential, future referral transaction even more seamless.

 

As your go-to Santa Cruz County referral partner, we’re all about supplying you with local intel to keep your clients informed in their coastal and mountain property search. We love making the referral process very turnkey with your clients and we’re happy to navigate our region together, we’re experienced in properties ranging from vineyards to coastal luxury and everything in between.

 

We’ve developed a variety of resources ranging from our neighborhood home search tool and mortgage calculator to our Prop 19 and Fire Protection resources which will give your clients an edge when considering their next property in our area.

 

Thank you for allowing EF Homes to be your Santa Cruz Real Estate resource and we look forward to meeting you and please do reach out if you're visiting our area.

 

- Erick Fernandez

 DRE# 01856066

 

 

Posted in Industry Resources
Nov. 17, 2022

NOVEMBER 2022 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY MARKET WATCH

 

DON’T SLEEP ON DECEMBER 

NOVEMBER 2022 MARKET WATCH:

Buyers, This Is An Immense Opportunity!

 

All right, the holidays are upon us and while the majority of buyers pressed the big ‘ol pause button on their house hunting, there are serious sellers waiting for you to drop your offer into their inbox. If you want to have the best chance possible at getting the pick of the litter without the competition, the time is now to jump in head first as this only happens two months out of the year. Over the last 15 years, the number of buyers we’ve helped secure their dream home with relative ease is plentiful because of this simple focus on timing. And if you’ve seen our recent videos, there’s a definite opportunity right now so it’s worth a discussion to crunch the numbers and take a strategic approach…let’s start the conversation and we’ll make sure you have a VERY Happy Holiday season.

 

We hope you enjoyed this edition of Market Watch. Have you checked out our library of resources, including our READY TO STAY & SELL programs allowing 0% financing for 12 months to fix up bathrooms, your roof, landscaping and so much more whether you’re in the market to buy or sell your home. Plus, our Mortgage & Home Value Calculators will help you crunch your numbers.

 

Don’t forget to sign up for our e-newsletter so you don’t miss out on all our news, trends and market information to keep you in the know too as it’s released each week. Our Vlog Bio or EFHomes.com/blog has all the resources we’ve mentioned waiting for you.

 

Thank you for letting us be your real estate resource!

-Erick Fernandez

 

 

Posted in Market Updates
Nov. 7, 2022

LET'S MAKE A DEAL: 2 Part Series For Buyers & Sellers

 

The negotiations of buying and selling a home right now have definitely changed and many times it factors incentives into the picture on both sides of the deal. Whether it’s rate buy downs or making an unusual ask, nothing is off limits given our unique landscape here in Santa Cruz County.

 

PART 1

 

PART 2

 

 

BONUS

 

We hope you enjoyed Part 1 and 2 documenting how negotiations have changed given the dynamic climate in our market. Feel free to message us to get the specifics on what’s possible for your situation, we’re always ready to talk shop with you.

 

 Have you checked out our library of resources, including our READY TO STAY & SELL programs allowing 0% financing for 12 months to fix up bathrooms, your roof, landscaping and so much more whether you’re in the market to buy or sell your home. Plus, our Mortgage & Home Value Calculators will help you crunch your numbers.

 

Don’t forget to sign up for our e-newsletter so you don’t miss out on all our news, trends and market information to keep you in the know too as it’s released each week. At EFHomes we have all the resources we’ve mentioned waiting for you.

 

Thank you for letting us be your real estate resource!

-Erick Fernandez

 

 

Posted in Buyers, Resources, Sellers
Nov. 4, 2022

[industry edition] EXPLORE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY: Hiking Hot Spots

 

When it comes to stepping out on the coveted dirt trails of Santa Cruz County to hike and bike, they’re literally minutes away from just about every resident’s home…many can find trails just a few steps from their front door. Escaping the busy lifestyles we all have is essential and if your clients are battling the masses of Silicon Valley or they’ve just received a job offer there, Santa Cruz County could be the essential, calming ingredient to the next chapter in their life.

 

As we mention in this video episode, here are a couple great resources to access the many parks in our region that have amazing access to peace and quiet.

 

Top 5 Hikes from Visit Santa Cruz County

71 Diverse trails from AllTrails.com

 

As your go-to Santa Cruz County referral partner, we’re all about supplying you with local intel to keep your clients informed in their coastal and mountain property search. We love making the referral process seamless with your clients and we’re happy to navigate our region together, we’re experienced in properties ranging from vineyards to coastal luxury and everything in between.

 

We’ve made it easy for your clients to explore this diverse county with a variety of resources ranging from our neighborhood home search tool and mortgage calculator to our Prop 19 and Fire Protection resources that will give your clients an edge when considering their next property in our region.

 

Thank you for allowing EF Homes to be your Santa Cruz Real Estate resource.

 

-Erick Fernandez

Posted in Industry Resources