YOU HAVE OPTIONS IN SANTA CRUZ REAL ESTATE

OCTOBER 2022 MARKET WATCH:

It’s Not So Grim, Options Definitely Do Exist

Like we always say, the Santa Cruz market is a bit different than the rest of the Greater Bay Area…it’s different here and the stats reflect it. Whether it’s creative financing options you never knew existed or maybe it’s the “starter home redefined” that gets you that slice of beach house or mountain retreat living you’ve been dreaming of, you definitely have options. Having filmed this video with newly constructed condos on one side of me and decades-old, but updated homes on the other, these homeowners have 10,000+ acres of State Park Forest directly down the street while having a brand new village and community gathering spot 1 block away in Aptos Village. A quick chat with us will shine a light on all your options so what are you waiting for?

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

There’s a reason why Silicon Valley’s executives have chosen Santa Cruz County as their personal headquarters. The ability to get to their corporate office in Silicon Valley is quick and easy. If you have clients that are relocating to the Bay Area and their new “gig” is anywhere in southern San Mateo County or better yet, Santa Clara County, their commute could fit right in as average if not, well below average. 

Are they working at Netflix? That commute from Scotts Valley clocks in at about 25 minutes. A somewhat well-kept secret, our region lets them live the beach or mountain lifestyle with quick access to the office after that morning surf session. Throw in the corporate “Lux Bus” commutes many employers have from Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley and their commute will be hyper-productive as they roll through the redwoods. Our region is diverse so be sure to have your clients check out our Spotlight Series focusing on each of our areas throughout our county.

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 {indusranging 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

[industry edition] - EXPLORE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY: Farmers Markets Everywhere!

Santa Cruz County is lucky to have a bountiful amount of fresh produce being grown throughout our region, hence, a thriving food and restaurant scene. Just about any day of the week, you’ll be able to walk, bike or quickly drive to a popular farmers market. They’re sprinkled throughout our county and many of our food destinations pride themselves on sourcing local ingredients. So get those reusable bags ready and load up!

Here’s the latest map and schedule of markets as you and your clients use our many resources to get up to speed with all that our area has to offer. And if you’re curious about some of our recent spotlights of hidden enclaves, breweries, golf course living and many other referral partner videos to share with clients, check out our playlist here.

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

MYTH BUSTING IN SANTA CRUZ REAL ESTATE

SEPTEMBER 2022 MARKET WATCH:

Surprising Stat Opens Window of Opportunity for Buyers & Sellers

We love stats here at EF Homes and we’ve been monitoring the market and a window of opportunity has just opened for both buyers and sellers. As we share in this Market Watch episode, inventory levels are once again low, very low. For the seller, the competition is now sparse and for those buyers, your competition may be less due to the headlines that don’t typically pertain to our unique market, especially with today’s financing and negotiation strategies we’ve covered in recent videos so let’s explore your situation when you’re ready.

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

WHAT’S HOT IN SANTA CRUZ: MOUNTAINS VS. COAST

As you explore Santa Cruz County, you’ll soon find there are a variety of climates, neighborhoods and types of living scenarios to consider. From rural, vineyard neighborhoods to urban shopping and food options being a quick e-bike trip down the street…we have it all. In this series of videos, we help shine a light on all your options as you discover all that is Santa Cruz.

PART 1: Urban & Coastal Living

PART 2: Rural Living

PART 3: BONUS Hidden Gem

We hope you enjoyed Part 1 and 2 as well as our bonus video of our What’s Hot in September Series. 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.

If you’re one of our industry friends, you’ll want to explore our Referral Partner program too so you and your clients can enjoy our extensive program that we’ve assembled for both of you.

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

If you’re a local Santa Cruz resident, you know. But if you’re considering the move to the coast from the Bay Area and beyond, there are some things to know first. If you’re reading the National or even Bay Area headlines, real estate can be quite overwhelming simply due to the mass competition you have when searching for a home or selling your home if it’s time to make a change.

Our Santa Cruz market is vastly different than larger markets so those news stories really don’t apply here for the most part, so in this two part set of videos below, we break down what our Santa Cruz market means for both buyers and sellers right now at this very moment in early September 2022.

PART 1

PART 2

We hope you enjoyed Part 1 and 2 of Santa Cruz versus The Bay Area. 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

THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE

AUGUST 2022 MARKET WATCH:

The Santa Cruz Real Estate Uptick Explained…

 Whether you’re considering Santa Cruz County or already call our amazing region home, the market is changing and we’re here to update you in our August 2022 Market Watch.

We’re on top of every stat possible, as soon as it’s published and with our pulse on the market, we’re here to tell you that the market here in Santa Cruz County is still IMMENSELY STRONG! All the signs are telling and showing us day in and day out that for buyers and sellers, it’s essential to get your game plan together to secure the real estate outcome you're working towards.

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

If you haven’t heard, Santa Cruz County has become very well known for its craft beer community with new breweries (17 now open) continually popping up while conveniently-located, authentic tap rooms allow you to relax and sample creations from around the county. Many of our breweries have won International awards and have been recognized nationally (in the top 10) year after year with some lucky neighbors having a top 5 national brewery just a few blocks away to easily meet up with those in their cul-de-sac.

Below you’ll find some of the resources to explore our craft beer community to pass onto your craft beer-focused clients:

Craft brewery overview

Breweries and taprooms to check out

Additional Craft Beer Resources

Brew Cruz, The Original Craft Beer Tour Company

Fun video profiling our area’s craft beer hot spots

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

Welcome to EF Homes and for taking a minute to access our Home Value Calculator from the note we recently sent you. We're always developing new resources for you as a home owner here in Santa Cruz County. 

The Home Value button above will take you right where you want to go, but if you’d like us to provide an in depth evaluation of your property, we’re happy to do that too. You can call, text, or email us with the details, or always feel free to drop by our office on your next trip to Gayle's Bakery.

After you’ve initiated your home value evaluation, feel free to visit our blog page, filled with videos we produce each week to keep you on top of all things local real estate, or just sign up for your e-newsletter so you don’t miss any of our resources we create.

Thank you for letting us be your local real estate resource!

- The EF Homes Team

ARE YOU EXPLORING HOW TO ENTER THE SANTA CRUZ MARKET?

If you’re considering the Santa Cruz market for either a primary move, vacation home, or investment property, it’s important that you consider the dynamics of the market, but rest assured, there are several ways to make securing your home a reality. While the headlines are typically outdated since the market is moving so fast, we’re here to help you navigate it all.

In this video, we discuss how 1) sellers are buying permanent (not temporary) points for buyers’ mortgage rates to bring down monthly payments, 2) the art of the bridge loan, 3) how our Ready to Sell program upgrades you home to sell without tapping your reserves, and 4) how CRITICAL it is to speak with us because there are so many hidden opportunities and backstories that simply aren’t included in internet listings that you’re browsing to see what the market looks like.

We led off with the sellers buying points for buyers, here’s a real life scenario to spell out how it works for both sides:

Sales price: $1,220,000

Loan Amount: $855,000

Before the Buydown

Rate: 5.875  (.125) – credit to borrower, this is what they consider the undiscounted rate (closest rate to PAR pricing)

Principal & Interest Payment: $5,057.65

After the Buydown

Rate: 4.75% 2.875 – cost to borrower (this doesn’t include any loan level price adjustments, this is all buydown)

Principal & Interest Payment: $4,460.09

Essentially, they paid 3pts because they gave up the .125 credit from the undiscounted rate. This translates to a reduction of .375% in rate for each 1 point paid.

It should be noted that this is a permanent buydown of the rate. It’s often confused with the 2:1 temporary buydown, which only pays down the rate for the first couple years of the loan.

Plus, we also mentioned Bridge Loans that allow you to buy before you sell your home. There's a lot of detail and variables on this one, so it'd be best for us to chat on this since we have the best in the business as our strategic partners to assist you with this amazing option.

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.

Thank you for letting us be your real estate resource!

-Erick Fernandez