Deborah's Beach Blog (Santa Cruz)

Santa Cruz Area Musings: Soquel Tidbits

2008-09-11T15:10:18Z

Here are some facts I found interesting about the district of Soquel:

Rumor has it that Mission records indicate an alternative for the Native American name for, "Shoquel" was "Osocales"
Soquel Creek was originally Soquel River (I will write more about this in future blogs)
Charles Darkey Parkhurst (upon death discovered to be CharlotteParkhurst) may have been the fist woman to cast a vote for President in 1868 at Tom Mann's hotel (if you know the exact location of this hotel, please email or call me)
Edward Porter was "Soquel's first merchandiser." Ned Porter's store reportedly sold "groceries, drygoods, and hardware with hard liquor a sideline." The source of this quote (noted below) says the store was located where "Angell's store is today," but since the book was written in 1941, I am not sure where that might be. If you know, please email me or call me.

(Source for all of the above: Rowland, Leon. 1941. Santa Cruz County. Local Author Collection, Santa Cruz Public Library.)

Santa Cruz Area Musings: Soquel Ave. Redevelopment (Between Branciforte & Morrissey)

2008-09-11T14:40:30Z

One day I noticed that Soquel Ave., between Branciforte & Morrissey Blvd. seemed somehow brighter, more vibrant - it was like it happened overnight, although I am sure that is not the case. After doing a little research, I found that this stretch comes under the Santa Cruz Redevelopment Agency Storefront Improvement plans to update neighborhood aesthetics. About the same time I noticed these improvements, I also read somewhere that the issue of redevelopment is a controversial one - gentrification concerns . . .

Aesthetically, I personally appreciate the new look of the neighborhood and believe that whatever brings people together in community will have positive benefit. The area is like a second downtown, with a variety of businesses, cafes & restaurants.

Santa Cruz Area Musings: The Importance of Architecture & Design

2008-09-11T13:36:23Z

I have been thinking about places that are well loved (Capitola, Carmel & San Francisco, come to mind) and although very different from each other, these aesthetically pleasing locales seem to have several traits in common: Interesting architecture, a seemingly innate reverence for the importance of "community" & how that plays out in architecture - and a design aesthetic that translates to qualities of "charm" and "character".

In the 1960's when strip malls seem to have been invented, ugly was the design default. I don't know how the architects who "designed" those monstrosities can sleep at night - their horrible "creations" actually negatively impacted the people who had to live in and among the bland, blocky, uninteresting buildings - masses & blobs of concrete, blacktop, flattop, gray, drab, dreary, hopeless-looking structures . . . In contrast, many places that are considered desirable have kept architectural integrity in the forefront and seem to have been designed with community in mind, with actual thought given to how buildings fit into the larger scheme of people's lives. Buildings reflect an area's values. We design them, and they design us, in return - they impact the way we live & ultimately, who we are and how we function in the particular community. I believe architecture & design *should* be taught in school, but then the schools would have to be aesthetically pleasing - that's a whole other rant . . .

Santa Cruz Area Musings: Gory Billboards Courtesy of Harvey West . . .

2008-09-11T12:39:57Z

Just by coincidence, awhile back I met Richard Beal, the author of Highway 17 (1991 The Pacific Group, Aptos, CA). When I got back to my office, I pulled the book off the shelf and began thumbing through it. What a gold mine of local history! I saw that the year I graduated high school (no hints) there were 36 fatalities on "17!" (I don't think my parents knew that, otherwise, why would they allow a crazy teenager to regularly drive over the hill?). According to Beal, Harvey West was responsible for installing "gory billboards" up on 17 - complete with red day-glo images of skeletons & coffins, as a way to discourage unsafe drivers. It seems to have worked!

I get nostalgic every time I read about the towns of Alma and Lexington being flooded to create Lexington Reservoir. I seriously wish history had unfolded differently. I miss those towns I never knew! It's also interesting to look at the old maps & pictures of the Santa Cruz Mountains & the various routes from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz & imagine how it once was from the days of Mountain Charlie to eccentric Riker's Holy City . . .

I'm Not Your Typical Realtor

2008-08-19T00:05:52Z

No, I am not going to brag in the usual way about how wonderfully different I am, but I am going to differentiate myself from the status quo huckster mentality.

When I was a marketing rep for corporations, I had a particular problem: I had to believe in what I was selling. I figured out a way to do that and as long as I could sincerely do that, I could make my marketing calls, recruit business relationships, and sell the services of the companies I represented. Some companies were easier than others to represent. But I always had to believe in the culture, as much as was possible, and the services which I was promoting.

There came a point when I could no longer justify a company's services relative to the dollar amount customers were paying for those services. At that point, I had to cut ties and move on to something I could believe in.

Real estate seemed like the next logical career, as it combined my marketing experience with my love of architecture and design and I was spoiled being a marketing rep and liked the variety of never having two days that were the same.

But I didn't realize real estate sales was so traditional in its theory. I hadn't seen Glengarry Glen Ross yet. One of the first companies I worked for insisted that agents knock on doors, literally grab people at an open house and lead them into the home by the elbow (I could never do that), and spout canned scripts for every ocassion. There was a rookie in the "bull pen" (the bowels of the office where the rookies had to go until they proved themselves by doing six deals within a certain time frame), and I will never forget this one guy. He would dial a number and then read off a script in the most stilted way possible. When he was not on the phone, he was playing sales tapes . . . without the benefit of an ear plug. I had to break it to him that that was not going to fly in such a small space with agents crammed in every nook and cranny.

I know many agents who are incredibly successsful spouting scripts, advertising in the dinosaur newspaper that they are the best thing since sliced bread, etc. The corny and cheesy sales methods do work - but they work on corny and cheesy clients, whom I would just as soon avoid.

I prefer to work with "real" people as opposed to those who are easily impressed by fancy cars, slick sales tactics or other tacky sales methods. My dream client is someone who is genuine themselves and who appreciates quality and creativity. I have been very lucky to have had some very cool clients and hope to attract many more. I love not knowing who you are going to know next year! I love the mystery and unpredictable-ness of it all.

To me, real estate is not just about making money. It is about doing something I happen to have a natural liking and affinity for and meeting and assisting people I like.

Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf - Tuesday Specials for Locals!

2008-08-03T23:25:47Z

Last Tuesday, another Realtor friend and I went to the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf for dinner at Stagnaro's. It was really wonderful and even more wonderful because many restaurants on the wharf have specials for locals on Tuesdays. (Some dinner selections for $9.99). Neither one of us had the specials but it was really fun to eat on the wharf and we did get complimentary parking, which was a fantastic bonus. It's really nice that the wharf honors locals.

After dinner I insisted on stopping at Marini's for some candy. I can't help it. It's too good to pass up. It was a very nice summer night at the beach. I wanted to go on the roller coaster, but my dinner partner was a party pooper and had to rush home, so I will have to wait to get my roller coaster fix.

Wharf to Wharf Race, Santa Cruz to Capitola, CA 2008

2008-07-27T17:56:51Z

My middle daughter ran the Wharf to Wharf Race for the second time, a 5.8 mile run, which goes from the Municipal Wharf in Santa Cruz to Capitola. After the race, she and her friend walked to my house, not too far from Capitola Beach, where I snapped this picture.

She looks pretty pleased with herself! I am proud of her. I was safely & snugly in my house, thinking about all of the people running on the awesome coast, while I lounged about, fiddling around with my blog.

The first Wharf to Wharf Race was in 1973, just a few years before Amber was born! Not 300 people raced in that first race, compared to today's 15,000 official racers.

The race benefits local school and sports organizations and sells out early!

Passive Aggressive Agents & The Heartache & Grief They Cause to Unsuspecting Victims of Their Unconscious Wrath

2008-06-26T10:10:43Z

Ok, that was a long-winded title. But I didn't mean to irritate you. No, really!!! (Poor attempt at passive aggressive humor.) I have an advanced degree in psychology, but it hasn't helped me one iota in dealing with passive-aggressive people I run across in real estate, particularly agents. In fact, I first learned of passive aggressive behavior in a relationship. It was the most insidious, difficult behavior to cope with, because the passive-aggressor never admits that they are doing any "crazy-making" behaviors (part of the syndrome).

The lycrics to the Temptations "Smiling Faces" comes to mind:

". . . Smiling faces sometimes pretend to be your friend.
Smiling faces show no traces of the evil that lurks within . . ."

Per the Mayo Clinic: "Passive-Aggressive behavior is a pattern of expressing your negative feelings in an indirect and often obstructive way - instead of openly addressing them."

Previous to my career in real estate, I did marketing for corporations. I am sure there were passive-aggressive personalities lurking amongst the folks I interacted with, but the corporate culture must have inspired them not to act out too blatantly because I don't remember having the kinds of problems I have run into in my real estate career.

My complaint is that some agents are just plain unprofessional. I first suspected I might have a problem when the agent I was in escrow with suddenly refused to return my calls or emails and left me wondering how to accomplish the goal of closing a transaction, single-handedly.

The interaction with this agent sent me to the Realtor's Code of Ethics. Yep, we have agreed to abide by the Golden Rule in our business dealings, and we are supposed to hold ourselves to the standard of "Fair and Honest Dealing." And no, this agent apparently missed that lecture at the Board or was sick the day we had to sign the acknowledgment that we agreed to abide by those tenents.

In case you think I am an insufferable stickler for "the rules," I do try to live my life in accordance with certain standards and when I fail, I try to own up to it and make any necessary corrections or amends. I am far, far from perfect, but this is not about me, it is about other agents who give good agents a bad name. Agents who think nothing of wasting my time, my client's time, the client's mortgage broker's time, the client's lender's time, or my broker or their broker's time, not to mention their own clients. That's a minimum of ten people's time that is wasted in phone calls, emails, loss of sleep, worrying, trying to figure out, trying to guess what is going on, surmising this, surmising that. All because an unprofessional business person, agent in this case, won't return phone calls or emails. And there is nothing that can be done about it.

Passive-Aggressive behavior is said to be the result of pent up childhood rage. The child often learned that it was not safe to express their anger, so they learned to let it leak out sideways, mostly unconsciously, but often consciously. Their unprocessed rage is like a poison that attaches to any irritation. People who aggravate or irritate them in any small way, are treated to a full dose of obstructive antics such as dragging their feet, not returning phone calls, employing sarcasm, and a full array of anti-social behaviors. And they won't own up to any of it. They will smile at you and hate you to the core.

I recently called this agent who won't return my calls or emails and caught them off guard (called from an unidentified phone). They actually answered. As SOON as I identified myself they said, "Can I call you right back?" I asked them if they wanted us to cancel and they said, "If you want, Debbie." I said my clients wanted answers and they said, "Can I call you back? and I said "Yes," gritting through my teeth and hung up. Of course they never called me back. How much easier it would have been to say, "We are having a problem with 'x'" or "we will be delayed a few days,"or something like that, but instead, we have no explanation and no clue what is going on. And this has been going on for six weeks so far and shows no sign of resolving, My buyers are just incredulous.

It makes you wonder about a person's values, and how they manage to be successful in this career, having such a poor work ethic. It makes you wonder what you could have done to have affected a different outcome . I can honestly say I can't think of anything short of not working with this agent. I had no idea this was going to transpire. I can tell you that if I ever have buyers who want to bid on one of this agent's properties, I will refer them to work with them directly. I wouldn't want to wish working with them on any agent I value in terms of a referral. Unfortunately, if that happens, they will benefit, monetarily, but it is worth it to me not to be in the position of making my life completely miserable for months, for no good reason. I do feel so sorry for their clients.

Hell is other people.

Bella Roma - A Slice of Italian Ambiance in Capitola, CA

2007-10-22T17:33:02Z

Bella Roma, Capitola, CA.

I have been enjoying meals at this restaurant for a few years now. It is owned by Gaetano Balsamo and is located in Capitola Village, just a short walk from the beach.

The food is enjoyable and a highlight for me, is the "old world" ambiance. The wait staff is awesome!

Bella Roma

316 Capitola Ave.

Telephone: 831.464.2608.

Bella Roma, Capitola, CA

I Got My Act Together on Day Five of the Coldwater Classic in Santa Cruz!

2007-10-14T15:20:10Z

Now this is more like it! Cold Water Classic, Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz, CA

A couple of days ago, I posted a blog on my camera battery conking out on the Fourth Day of the Cold Water Classic. Day Four was drizzly, weather-wise, but Day Five was unbelievably beautiful - clear and warm. Day four was on a Friday, so parking was a not an issue - it was a little more challenging on Day Five, a Saturday, but since the weather was so beautiful it was pleasant walking along West Cliff Drive and experiencing the surrounding beauty of the Pacific Ocean.

Santa Cruz Feng Shui Notes: Why Clutter is So Pervasive

2007-10-12T19:45:58Z

I think this is a good example of the reason many people cannot clear their clutter.

This cat was recently given to me by my mother. She said it belonged to her mother and that it was a "lucky cat" full of nickels.

When I brought it home I had absolutely no idea what to do with it, so it sat on a dresser for several months. Just today I decided it has to go down to the basement (yes, some old houses in Santa Cruz have basements).

One of the reasons for my procrastination in assigning it to the basement is the fact that as unattractive as it is, it is a family heirloom of sorts. It evidently had some meaning to my grandmother and it is full of nickels she collected.

When I pass on to the next realm, I would like my children to not just toss it out like the junk it looks like it might be, but who has time to tell one's children about every last thing they own? Not me, hence it has stayed in my house till I just can't take it anymore.

I still don't know how I will convey that it was my grandmother's lucky cat without attaching some kind of note to it, which is what my mother spends a lot of time doing with her stuff. Maybe there should be a family book of semi-important notes for such things.

But the larger point is about clutter. Clutter clearing is all about making decisions in the moment regarding what to do with "stuff." This is just an example of "semi-important stuff." There is also "broken stuff waiting to get fixed," "stuff I might be able to wear someday when I lose 'x" amount of pounds," "stuff I might read some day," "stuff I might want to use to cook a special dish," "stuff I need to take care of but not right now," etc., etc.

Creative Harmony

My Battery Died at Day Four of the Cold Water Classic in Santa Cruz!

2007-10-12T17:28:43Z

Not a Great Photo of Steamer Lane, October 12, 2007 - 4th Day of Coldwater Classic - My Camera Battery Died. Those two "dots" in the water are surfers waiting for the waves that eventually came when my battery was COMPELTELY dead.

I made the ten or fifteen minute trip across town specifically to take pictures of the Coldwater Classic. I found a parking space right away, jumped out of the car, made my way to the cliff. Point and click and then point and click again, and NOTHING. No juice. The first picture was supposed to be a test. I had just charged my batteries two days ago. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

So click here to see what the Cold Water Classic is really about.

The day was not a total loss. I made up for the fiasco by having the best burger you can get at Jack's!!! I love Santa Cruz!

The Upper Yacht Harbor & Arana Gulch Santa Cruz: Just Before Dusk in October

2007-10-10T23:49:44Z

Upper Yacht Harbor, Santa Cruz Just Before Dusk, October 2007 (c)

Another walk with my friend on a warm October early evening . . . we started at the Upper Yacht Harbor off of 7th Avenue in Santa Cruz. We quickly climbed into another world - the natural habitat known as Arana Gulch in the city of Santa Cruz. It is amazing that on the ocean side you have the busy Yacht Harbor, and behind it lies the natural Earth . . . no development allowed.

Arana Gulch at Dusk

A totally amazing tree in Arana Gulch

Schwann Lake Park - An October Walk in Santa Cruz . . .

2007-10-08T16:12:42Z

Amazing Tree in Schwann Lake Park

There are so many hidden gems in Santa Cruz County, from interesting architectural surprises around every turn to beautiful parks and amazing gardens. The other day, a friend showed me a place I had never seen before: Schwann Lake (or Lagoon) Park - a part of Schwann Lagoon County Park. It was dusk, the weather was perfect, and the sights were amazing.

The area has a magical quality to it, which I personally equate to nature just doin' it's thing, without too much interference from humans (some would debate me on this point, as there are definite human influences about, such as patches of ivy which can choke out indigenous plants).

As a child, I got the same feeling while walking through weed-high acres on my way home from a friend's house. Just the feeling that you are connected to the Earth and that the Earth has mysteries that must be experienced - words won't do the majesty of it all, justice!

A Clue in Pleasure Point

2007-09-29T22:37:09Z

I walk on East Cliff Drive frequently, and I have recently become obsessed with the history of Pleasure Point (I go through phases where I focus on different areas). Just this week, I found a "clue" on Pleasure Point Drive - but I am not sure what it is a clue to. It is a portion of an old time wood plank sidewalk. I had been searching for the location of "The Owls" house . . . which is said to have been where the Pleasure Point Plunge was . . . To date, I can't find these landmarks, but in the meantime, it was fascinating to stumble (almost literally) on the wood plank sidewalk.

I'm Not an Attorney . . .

2007-09-24T09:45:07Z

But I:

Fill out contracts
Fill out disclosures
Advise my clients about all of the above, plus a ton of other stuff, as it arises
Negotiate with various parties

In California it is against the law to practice law without a license. I believe the intent of this law is to prevent unscrupulous people from practicing law for profit, but I think the idea that a private citizen cannot "practice law without a license" is a slippery slope. The Berkeley upstart Nolo won a victory for ordinary people who felt they were smart enough to research law and represent themselves in all kinds of areas of law, beginning with divorce law, but then expanding to many areas.

The practice of real estate is curious as respects matters of law - we are specifically licensed by our states to practice real estate, not law per se, yet the practice of real estate involves many aspects of law from agency to contract to disclosure.

Disclaimer (a legally derived term, I'm sure!): I advise my clients to get whatever expert opinions may be needed as various issues arise throughout the scope of buying or selling.

Los Gatos-Saratoga Tidbit: Old Hotels

2007-09-21T15:02:36Z

I think my current fascination with old hotels probably had its roots in my childhood.

Growing up in Los Gatos, I distinctly remember the Lyndon Hotel on the corner of

Santa Cruz & Main Streets. When I began high school, the hotel was mysteriously demolished. I had no idea why this occurred & still don't know. In researching history in the Los Gatos, Santa Cruz, and Santa Cruz Mountains, I am amazed how many truly grand hotels & resorts there once were.

Strangely, many old hotels were reported to have burned down. I am curious why that would be the case. Most old houses did not burn down (evidenced by the fact they are still standing!), but most hotels did. Why?

Another unanswered question I have has to do with the reporting of these events. The literature I have read usually states that a particular hotel burned down in 1910 or whatever, & never gives a cause of the fire, nor mentions how the parcel of land subsequently became city owned (in the case of the Capitola Hotel, once privately owned, now apparently City of Capitola turf). I would much prefer a beautiful, elegant hotel to what is on the parcel now (a lawn, some stairs, & some miscellaneous privately owned businesses), although I did read recently that something more interesting is being considered for the site, but for the life of me, I can't remember what.

Why I HATE Scripts

2007-09-20T13:05:52Z

This blog was inspired by a "members only" post that I can't reference here because this post is public, but it was a post advocating, amongst other things, the use of scripts in real estate.

The word "scripts" makes me crazy (okay, i will grant you it doesn't take much sometimes). I don't know what the original core trauma might have been, but when I was in training at a local firm, there was a guy "in the bull pen" who would loudly practice scripts using a tape recorder, then use the most stilted, elementary scripts on actual phone cold calls. I thought this was the height of cheesiness. For one thing doing anything loudly in a room full of other people is just plain rude, but then to call strangers and spout these rehearsed, inane sound bites was more than I could handle.

There is an entire industry that promotes the use of scripts in real estate, and many "top producers" evidently use them and they seem to "work." The problem for me is that they are phony. I guess the people that respond to them must also be on the phony side. Who else would be attracted to such transparent sales schlock?

I much prefer to have authentic relationships with people and if that means that I will miss out on representing those that prefer a slicker persona, then we are both better off.

I would rather someone call me up (but don't do it - I am registered on the DO NOT CALL list) and say, "I want to sell you something," then spout a rehearsed, idiotic script. I warned you that this subject makes me crazy.

The people I have discussed this issue with always come back with the argument that scripts are good because they prepare you to respond to real life obstacles with smooth responses.

There is a difference between researching, studying, and preparing yourself for different scenarios and rehearsing canned scripts.

Did I say I HATE SCRIPTS?

Thank goodness we are independent contractors and don't HAVE to do things one prescribed way.

Pleasure Point . . . A Saturday in September

2007-09-17T16:48:07Z

The Hook, September, 2007, Pleasure Point, CA

September in Santa Cruz is amazing - I can't get over it.

Last Saturday, one of my daughters joined me for a walk on East Cliff Drive. There were lots of surfers in the water. A beautiful day, even when waiting for the perfect set.

We walked from the parking lot at 41st Avenue (The Hook) down to 26th Avenue (and back). On the way to 26th Avenue, we went the beach route. Once we got to 26th Avenue, we cut though back neighborhoods. We're both interested in architecture and landscaping and it was fun looking at the different houses - some very modest and some totally remodeled.

The Pleasure Point area is unique. Originally modest, always eclectic and charming. Still many very small "beach shacks." Then there are those that have been remodeled over the years, and turned into the cutest and/or most magnificent beach houses you have ever seen.

Capitola, California - An Early Evening Walk in September

2007-09-16T13:03:00Z

The mouth of Soquel Creek where it meets the Pacific Ocean. Capitola Lagoon, Early Evening September, 2007. Note: The lagoon is shored up in the summer time to provide more beach for tourists. In the off-season, the creek runs naturally to the ocean.

September in Santa Cruz County is amazing. The weather is generally warm, clear, and beautiful. That was the case last week when I took an early evening walk from Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz to Capitola.

I thought this lavender colored rose was beautiful!

It's Ten O'Clock: Do You Know Where Your Avenues Are?

2007-09-11T20:58:09Z

This blog was inspired by Janet Guilbault who asked me to check out some condos on 22nd Ave. At the time, I thought to myself, "22nd Ave. is not on my radar," but I didn't think much more about it until I went to look at the condos. Right away, I realized there was no 22nd Ave. I have no idea what happened to it. There is 21st Ave., Coastland, and then Corcoran lagoon and 23rd Ave. No 22nd Ave. I knew there were other streets "missing" in Santa Cruz, so I decided to chronicle them. This is what I found:

There are streets and avenues in Santa Cruz. It all begins with 1st, 2nd & 3rd Streets, which are pretty much parallel to the Main Beach in Santa Cruz (where the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is). Third St. curves around with the San Lorenzo River which empties into the ocean at, of all places, River Mouth!Then on the other side of the river you will find 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Avenues (on the North side of the Yacht Harbor). So there is 1st Street and 1st Avenue, 2nd Street and 2nd Avenue, 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue. The Streets are in the Beach Flats section of Santa Cruz and the Avenues are in the Seabright neighborhood and beach (which was called Castle Beach when I was a teen because there was an actual castle on the beach).

On the South side of the Yacht Harbor, you will find 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th Avenues.

There is no 11th Ave.

Between 10th and 12th Avenues is one of the Twin Lakes, "Schwan's Lagoon" and Twin Lakes Beach (the other twin lake was Woods Lagoon where the Yacht Harbor is now.

12th Avenue to 21st Avenue, then you have Corcoran Lagoon.

There is no 22nd Avenue, which is what started this entire inquiry!

Then you have 23rd Avenue through 41st Avenues, which go along East Cliff Drive on the ocean, except there are no 27th, 28th, 29th, 31st or 39th Avenues!

Moran Lake is between 26th and 30th Avenues.

Note that 42nd Avenue through 49th Avenues are behind the Jewel Box, in Capitola (not along the ocean).

So, in summary, there are no 11th, 22nd, 27th, 28th, 29th, 31st, or 39th Avenues in Santa Cruz.

I wish I knew why!

Why Isn't Local History Taught in School?

2007-09-07T10:19:36Z

For several years, I have been interested in local history. I have done a bit of research and have written several articles for my newsletter, as well as blogs on AR and Word Press, where I have another blog http://debsbeachblog.wordpress.com (which I hardly use anymore since becoming active on AR).

The other day, I was driving from my home in Santa Cruz, through the Santa Cruz Mountains on my way to Los Gatos. I often go "the back way" through the mountains to avoid traffic. It suddenly struck me how absurd it was that the rich history of Los Gatos, where I grew up, was never even mentioned in school, and how fascinating and meaningful it would have been if we had been taught the history that permeated and surrounded us.

I homeschooled my grandson for two years and during that time, part of the curriculum I designed for him was a study of some features of local history (we couldn't do as much as I would have liked because I knew he was going to transition back into public school so I wanted to keep him on track with the more standard curriculum). But I did get in a lesson or two about Mountain Charlie and Holy City.

As I was driving through the Santa Cruz Mountains, I passed the Burrell School Winery. Every time I pass it I recall that I went to school with a Burrell, but this time I thought how tragic it was that when I was in school, not a word was mentioned about the fascinating history of one of the founding Los Gatos Mountain families! Also in my school was a member of the Radonich family - another founding family in the Los Gatos Mountans and another lost local history teaching opportunity. I think this is shameful.

As I have written elsewhere, I worked on a doctoral dissertation having to do with the public school system for three years. As my research progressed, I became more and more disillusioned with the way the public school system was designed and the way it operated. Early on in my research, I was rather astounded to realize that public schools are not run locally, but at the state level. This may be apparent to everyone else, but it was news to me. I thought because there was a PTA or a Home and School Club, and the fact there was a principal and a school board, meant that there was local control and influence. I learned this is sadly untrue and that most of the structure of public schools is tightly mandated by state guidelines.

Even though schools are largely state run, it would seem that it could easily be mandated that local history be taught at some point in the curriculum. My belief is that the "teach to the test" mentality of public schools does not allow any deviation from a strict schedule of presenting prescribed material, then performing rote testing, which I happen to believe is nothing short of child abuse, but I will save that rant for another blog!

Maybe if more parents were interested in the history of the communities where they live, they could somehow convince state regulators to allow some study of local history. Just think how that could change our world and make life so much more rich and interesting! To me it seems a small leap to propose that society's preoccupation with materialism may have its roots in the fact that we as people are often cut off from our roots. We don't often know or care to know about the personal history of our own families, much less the history of the places where we reside.

That's how it appears to me. What do you think?

Santa Cruz County: Life in a Unique Beach Community

2007-09-05T14:41:10Z

26 th Ave., Santa Cruz, CA, September 2007

In November, it will be 10 years since I moved from Silicon Valley to Santa Cruz County. Living in a beach community is wonderful beyond compare. Yesterday was Labor Day, and instead of sitting in traffic for hours trying to get to a beach, I drove a couple of miles to 26th Avenue, one of the most beautiful beaches slightly North of Pleasure Point. The waves were incredible. My grandson commented that it was like "watching a show" - surfers, boogie-boarders, skim boarders - the day was clear and bright.

I think September and October are two of the best beach months in Santa Cruz. It's hard to imagine how people live in places that are not so naturally beautiful and inspirational.

"From the mountains to the sea" is a slogan many Realtors in the area use. Where else do you get the stimulating combination of a university town (UCSC), several eclectic beach towns, each with their own unique character (Davenport to Santa Cruz, Capitola, Aptos, Seacliff, Rio Del Mar, Seascape, Manresa, LaSelva Beach, Sunset Beach, just to name a few).

I feel so lucky to live here.

Feel free to join me, if the spirit moves you!

Are You Living in Alignment with Your Values? Life Balance is My Challenge, What's Yours?

2007-09-05T14:26:42Z

I have a graduate degree in psychology and I have always been interested in individual human behavior, as well as social and cultural issues. As part of my own educational, emotional and spiritual process, I went through a period of evaluating my values. I found the source of my values mostly to be from my Catholic Church indoctrination, as well as the Judeo-Christian origins of the public school system (I wrote three chapters of a doctoral dissertation on this subject - never to finish - but the point is don't get me started on the subject of public schools!) But I digress . . .

In evaluating my values (I like the synchronicity of that phrase), I went through a period of abandoning everything I had been taught, and then slowly adding values back in as they met my own personal test for inclusion. It was a very slow and painful process (painful because quite a bit of my former identity was tied up in the values I had to let go of and that left me feeling quite unmoored and adrift for awhile).

After graduate school I launched a Feng Shui business, but I was seriously undercapitalized and didn't realize how much promotion it would take to make the business successful. That is when I segued into real estate. I had an underwriting and marketing background, so it seemed a quite natural transition.

But practicing real estate is not for the faint of heart! It is extremely demanding in every way imaginable - you have to have very tough skin. Dealing with other people's emotions is no easy task, not to mention your own when it appears a deal you worked hard on is going sideways. It's very easy to get uncentered. I have to constantly monitor my work habits, as well as my personal habits. The shortage of time is a huge challenge.

One of my goals when I did my "value reevaluation" was to have more balance in my life, and I have to say that that is a goal that so far is always out of reach. That is why I am even thinking about this subject at this point.

One of the challenges in real estate is doing activities without knowing the payoff - in other words, you have to get out there and do floor time, do open houses, door knock, blog, or whatever prospecting system works best for you with your personality. While you are doing it, you don't know ahead of time if it is going to be productive. Lots of times, the specific activities are not productive (no one calls on floor time, no one shows up at an open house) so that is time down the drain, never to be recovered.

I am seriously trying to figure out how to live more in alignment with my values. I feel as an independent contractor, I can design how I work - I can be honest - I can be ethical, I can do real estate "my way!" That is awesome!

Let me get back to you on the balance thing.

Raw Land Deals: What Value Do You Bring to Buyers???

2007-07-01T11:42:24Z

As I was hiking through the mountains with a client yesterday, I realized that my partciular forte in raw land real estate (as in other purchases) has to do with finding properties that will meet my clients needs, facilitating the deal, and seeing that the deal concludes favorably.

What's different is that disclosure and investigation are much more detailed and more important than ever. I am an absolute fiend about disclosure and advising the client to do their due diligence, and this is especially true of the purchase of raw land.

I must admit that on the other hand, I am a little challenged in the areas of interpreting maps and applying them to actual property boundaries on raw land (some people are rather good at this). I keep saying I am going to start packing a compass because I am also directionally challenged and will inevitably have the client who asks me about specific exposures. I make sure that my clients are aware of my limitations and that they satisfy themselves as to any questions about boundaries or sun exposure or any other specific items that are important to them but are out of my area of expertise. I have no qualms about not being the expert on everything.

Buying raw land includes much more investigation than buying developed property does. It includes understanding all of the nuances of a particular property.

Some Items to consider:

Property boundaries, status of any surveys
Soil composition (i.e., clay, sand, silt, etc.)
Water concerns (groundwater, aquifer, well potential, Riparian issues)
Environmental issues: Biotics (protected species unique to the area), etc.
Status of development (where is the parcel in the process and have obstacles been uncovered?)
Septic feasibility & related costs
Special issues (i.e., fault lines, airplane flight patterns, utility status, etc.)
Zoning & General Plan
Fire protection
Easements (utility, right-of-way, equestrian, etc.)
Land division issues
Building permit estimates
Grading restrictions
Recorded items (deeds, restrictions, easements, etc.)
Special engineering needs
Road agreements
Building restrictions
OTHER!!!