Deborah's Beach Blog (Santa Cruz)

Santa Maria's Beach - The September Day of the Tsunami Warning

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:05:39 -0500

Late last week, Santa Cruz County was issued a tsunami warning following the quakes in Indonesia/Samoa. The beaches were closed for the day. These pictures were taken in the early evening, just before sunset on 18th Avenue, overlooking Santa Maria's beach. I believe that might be Jupiter in the picture below.

Twin Lakes & The Yacht Harbor - A Beautiful Early Evening in Santa Cruz County

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:53:14 -0500

It was 5:45 mid-week. A beautiful day on the coast (there aren't many that aren't - not bragging, it's just the way it is in Santa Cruz County). Anyway, I asked my little rescue pooch if he wanted to go for a walk . . . I knew I wanted to go to the beach, but which beach? Seacliff? A really long walk if you go left or right . . . no, Capitola? . . . too many tourists still . . . How about Twin Lakes & the Yacht Harbor? Yeah that's the ticket . . . The short drive was worth the effort. I parked in front of Twin Lakes Beach - the weather was still warm. We walked down to the Yacht Harbor, and outside the restaurants, a group of "oldies" were playing music and singing oldies.

The volleyball courts were going full steam, and there was a sail boat race! Twin Lakes is one of the few beaches in Santa Cruz County that still allows bonfires, and some people were getting them started early. Families were down by the jetty with toddlers spashing in the waves. Young boys were skim boarding and boogy-boarding on medium sized waves.

The Jewel Box - A Quintessential Capitola Neighborhood

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:12:02 -0500

Last evening, I parked my car at the Capitola Community Center, and my doggie and I walked through the charming Jewel Box neighborhood, down the Union Pacific Railroad stairs to Capitola. The Jewel Box is a very eclectic neighborhood up the bluff from the Capitola Village and Beach. The streets, not surprisingly, are named after jewels:

Topaz
Opal
Jewel
Garnet
Emerald
Crystal
Diamond
Jade
Ruby Ct.

(The last three streets, I consider an adjunct to the "official" Jewel Box neighborhood, which is laid out on a grid. The "official" Jewel Box is comprised mainly of single family residences, with some duplexes and multi-res structures thrown in for good measure. Diamond, Jade, and Ruby Ct. are home to condos and/or manufactured homes, and are affordable choices for those wanting to live the Capitola experience. The beach, the Village and shopping are all within walking distance.

Some of the homes in the Jewel Box proper, are very quaint. These cute homes were on our route last night:

Nothing is Lost in the Universe - Wisdom From a Park Bench in Capitola, CA

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:44:45 -0500

After taking a walk down to Capitola last night, with my pooch, we stopped to rest for a minute on this park bench, which overlooks the Capitola Pier. I turned around and saw this inscription, which says it all to me. I am sorry I do not know who the bench commemorates, but what a nice surprising and encouraging message!

Tuesday Office Tour - A View of the Cement Ship - Seacliff, California

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:03:30 -0500

Wow. Sometimes I forget how awesome it is to live and work in Santa Cruz County. I think most Realtors have office tours after their Tuesday morning meetings, BUT how many agents are touring not-so-great areas? I hate to brag, but this was the view from a new listing in our office - this was taken off the deck in the late morning. The picture is of "The 'Cement' Ship," the Palo Alto, a Seacliff fixture (literally).

Capitola-By-Sea - A Village on the California Coast

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:21:23 -0500

I love it when cities or towns are smart enough to retain character (if they were lucky enough to ever have it). Capitola is a city, rather a village, that many people say has European-like charm. Vintage houses (those are the Six Sisters below), beautiful natural surroundings. This is where Soquel Creek empties into the Pacific Ocean.

I vacationed in Capitola as a child, so I can attest to the fact that much of the charm of this jewel on the beach has been retained. Sadly, no more swings on the beach (if memory serves they were facing the sea wall in front of the Venetian Court). I read that way-back-when there was a mini-roller coaster in that area.

Also, on the Esplanade, while many of the buildings appear to be the same, the uses are different, at least from a big kid's perspective (I'm the big kid in case you are wondering). When I was a child, my dad gave me a few coins and I could roam around freely and play skee ball in one of the bars (I still recall my barefeet on the wooden plank floors). It's great to actually live in a vacation destination.

The Value of a Buyer's Agent to a Real Estate Buyer

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:31:13 -0500

I work with both sellers and buyers, but have a special affinity for buyers because finding the right home for someone and then getting the transaction to successfully close is like an old fashioned treasure hunt, complete with prirate-like obstacles. Finding a property is the easy part. Getting a transaction to close takes skill and tenacity. I have always said "real estate is not for the faint of heart." You have to be internally strong to endure all of the obstacles that are to be encountered in today's marketplace.

If buyers think that an agent is simply someone who finds you a house, and then does "some paperwork," they couldn't be further from the truth. The idea that the real estate contract, addenda, and disclosures are just some random paperwork that has to be filled out is a commonplace perception. I know because sellers often ask me how much I will charge to "just do the paperwork" if they find the buyer. Real estate transactions involve REPRESENTATION on both sides.

On the buyer's side, once the desired property is found, then the agent must explain any known pitfalls or cautions to the buyer. This is disclosure. It's like playing Devil's Advocate. Once a buyer has all of the information that is known about the property, then they can make an informed decision whether or not the property meets their criteria. If there are risks (as there often are), then the buyer can decide if they want to take the risk and move forward (a risk could be a flood plane, an earthquake zone, big trees close to the property, unpermitted rooms (in this market, because so many buyers are FHA or USDA buyers, this last issue has taken on mammoth proportions - the lender will not lend in such cases, but for an all-cash or other conventional lender, it is often a risk issue for the buyer to confront).

On the way to close of escrow, the obstacles can be any number of things that might occur . . . the agent has to keep the buyer in contract by advising contingency removal dates (loan, appraisal, inspection, other . . .) and has to advise the buyer on blips that arise from inspections, additional information surfacing, etc.)

Selling a home is not at all like selling a car. The relationship between the agent and the client (whether buyer or seller) is like a serious, short-term relationship. Emotions can run high because all sides are playing for big stakes and issues get "triggered."

A buyer's agent who can provide some perspective to the buyer can assist in smoothing ruffled feathers. Explaining to a buyer that there is "no such thing as a perfect property" is one of the first points I try to get across (a subject for another blog).

Taking the role of the seller to explain to the buyer why the seller may not be chomping at the bit to offer a credit of $20k to replace ugly green shag carpet or anything else when the initial price was under market in the first place (and please note the comps that were produced to illustrate this), can give the buyer a realistic view of the market and what is reasonable and possible. Of course, if they insist upon asking for an "unreasonable" credit, for instance, I am obliged to present that request. I just like to make sure they understand the bigger picture and weigh all options . . . I try to always keep my eye on the ball and get the buyer to a successful close, achieving as many of their goals as is possible.

Meat and Loans . . .Who Knew?

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:50:51 -0500

I had a floor call recently from a buyer in the Salinas, CA area. While our office may have listings in Salinas and some agents might do business in Monterey County, I prefer to specialize in Santa Cruz County. So I found an agent to refer the caller to, as well as a mortgage professional. In speaking with the mortgage professional to screen him for the caller, I told him the buyer is a first time buyer. I asked him if he was aware of programs for first time buyers (because one of the things I love to do is hook people up with resources and Santa Cruz County has a wonderful First Time Buyer program).

The mortgage guy was telling me about a particular program and I was taking notes, but I thought I was not hearing the name of the program correctly. I asked him to spell it out. He said:

U-S-D-A

I said, "you mean the government meat department?" It turns out that the federal government has a 100% financing program for first time buyers in particular rural areas. So they do meat and loans. I couldn't believe it.

Not all mortgage brokers seem to know about this program or if they know about it, many of them don't promote it. I like to make sure people investigate every possible option to get them to the goal of home ownership.

In this market (or any market, for that matter!) an 100% financing option is nothing to sneeze at.

This link doesn't tell you much, but it does prove that the program exists. USDA

Call me for a referral to a mortgage professional who is familiar with this program.

831-247-2753

Resources for First Time Buyers in Santa Cruz County

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:15:04 -0500

The definition of who is considered a First Time Buyer in Santa Cruz County might surprise you. If you have not owned property for three years, you might qualify as a First Time Buyer. The program is an amazing resource that allows people of lower to medium income to get a foot in the home-ownership door. The basics of the program are as follows:

You cannot have owned property for three years
You must meet income restriction requirements (see County website for specifics)
You must contribute five percent of the down payment towards closing costs
The program will lend you up to 25% of the purchase price for a down payment
The funds are recorded as a "Silent Second" - no payments are required as long as you live in the house and the loan must only be paid back if you sell the property
One of the principals in the transaction must either live or work in Santa Cruz County
The home must be used as a primary residence

Check out the County of Santa Cruz website for specific details.

I have assisted buyers in utilizing this program and it is amazing! Please call me if you would like me to coordinate resources for you.

831-247-2753

Capitola-By-The-Sea - An August Afternoon at the Beach

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:50:45 -0500

Yesterday, my dog and I took a favorite walk along Soquel Creek, where it empties into the Ocean at Capitola Beach. It was a beautiful day - the tourists were out in full force, frolicking on the beach, eating ice cream, moseying around. You can forget all of your cares in a moment when you smell the saltwater. There's nothing like the beach. It is so beautiful and relaxing.

Those of us who live in Santa Cruz County are lucky to have this amazing resource to enjoy. I am fortunate to live not a mile from this beach. It just changes your perspective to get out in nature where you can get in touch with the thrill of just being alive.

Realtors Are A Dime A Dozen!

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 12:20:35 -0500

Realtors are a dime a dozen . . . that must be what my FORMER clients must have thought when they disrepected my time and energy one time too many. I have thought about writing about what Realtor's actually do and how we work for quite some time, but the job of a Realtor is so complex, varied, and has so many aspects, that it is almost imposssible to write anything coherent, short of a dissertation (and I attempted that once and it was not fun!).

I suspect the reason many of the public has such lack of respect for Realtors has to do with the following:

The fact that we are sales people and "slick" sales people are perceived with suspicion and disdain
The fact that they perceive that we get paid for not doing much. (I admit, when I hired a Realtor to sell my house many years ago, I had the same perception and I thought of myself as a smart person).
The fact that much of what we do is behind the scenes and no one knows about the myriad of phone calls, faxes, emails, copying, negotiating, discussing, meetings, etc.) The job is so intricate and time-consuming that it would blow people's minds to see what goes on to get a transaction to the closing table
The perception that we get paid too much for doing "some paperwork" (few people understand that commissions are split between selling and listing agents, that many people have splits with their brokers, are in business for themselves and must pay dues, fees, and operating costs)
The field is over-saturated with people clamoring for relatively few clients (giving the clients leverage from day one)
Their is no barrier to entry, resulting in unqualified and unprofessional people in the field, giving the rest of us a bad reputation. If this one thing were fixed, I think the respect level would sky-rocket
The fact that many clients perceive themselves as qualified as the agent (I had a client recently tell me that because their house had been on the market so long with various agents that they were a Realtor . . . they actually thought and said that they knew everything there is to know about real estate . . .I was dumbfounded by the delusion of grandeur . . . I have had many clients who have friends and brother's-in-law who know all about the intricacies of real estate . . . who the clients perceive as experts - how do you combat such erroneous assumptions? I am frequently flabbergasted and speechless at some of these perceptions and remarks . . .

Banks are Dumb

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:20:39 -0500

Recently, a representative for a bank was trying to get me to refer business to her. She and I corresponded back and forth and finally, I said, "I think banks are dumb." (I was referring to a specific incident where a bank could not qualify a client for a loan, but a mortgage broker got creative (in a good way) and advised the clients just what to do (sell a car to raise more cash for the down payment). We got a CalHFA loan and the clients are happily in their home. In that case, the bank did their automatic underwriting and rejected the client. There was absolutely no counseling the client as to how they might improve their qualification picture. So I made the comment to the bank rep trying to win my business that I think "banks are dumb."

But that is not the first time I have thought that. I actually have a phobia I have identified as "fear of banks," which is related totally to bank incompetence.

I first remember thinking banks are dumb several years ago when I was at a bank for what I thought of was regular business (I think I was opening a trust account for my grandson). I walked up to one of the desks on the side, explained what I wanted to do, and the "dumb" process began. The bank representative got up and walked from one end of the bank to the other. Slowly. Very slowly. I had witnessed this slow walking every time I had been in the bank and thought how utterly ridiculous it was. At this particular time (some ten or more years ago), there was not a computer to be seen in the bank. Being that the bank was smack in the heart of Silicon Valley, I couldn't help but think how absurd this omission was. The bank was all about standing, waiting, and the personnel walking from one end of the bank to the other whenever any business was to be conducted. The total systems incompetence infuriated me. I couldn't help but wonder about about consultant advice they must have just ignored.

I can really get myself whipped into a lather when I start thinkng about the archaic systems and the sheer arrogance of most banks to remain such dinosaurs . . . not to mention the fact that THEY ARE IN BUSINESS BECAUSE WE GIVE THEM OUR MONEY TO MANAGE! Every time I have to go into a bank to set up an account and am met with incompentence or a clueless attitude I know they have forgotten how they got into their super powerful positions.

Someone asked me last week what a good alternative to a bank is and I said "mattress," half jokingly. I seriously think corporate bank business needs to be reformed and needs to modernize and get a real clue that the ONLY reason they are in business is because WE GIVE THEM OUR MONEY TO USE!

One of a Kind in Capitola-By-The-Sea

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:30:58 -0500

Check out this amazing listing. Resident Owned Park, 55+. Newer model unit (2008). Low HOA fees ($110), Resort-like Facilities . . . Pool, Hot Tub, Workout Room/Library/Billiards, Putting Green, More! Close to everything. Walk to Capitola Village, THE BEACH, the mall . . . Excellent location. Capitola Lifestyle!

4160 Jade St., #56, Capitola, CA 95010

MLS # 80927422

Easy to Show! Call 831-247-2753 for more info

Santa Cruz Area Musings: Soquel Tidbits

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:10:18 -0500

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)

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:40:30 -0500

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

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:36:23 -0500

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 . . .

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:39:57 -0500

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

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:05:52 -0500

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!

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:25:47 -0500

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

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 17:56:51 -0500

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

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:10:43 -0500

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

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:33:02 -0500

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!

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 15:20:10 -0500

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

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 19:45:58 -0500

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!

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:28:43 -0500

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!