BEFORE & AFTER - HOW TO TRANSFORM YOUR HOME TO SELL FOR MORE MONEYBY JESSICA WALLCE - YOUR SANTA CRUZ REALTORAs a real estate agent, my ultimate goal is to help my clients achieve the highest possible price for their homes. And I’m proud to say that I achieved just that with this special Westside Santa Cruz home.When I first saw this property, I saw its true potential. It was clear to me that with the right updates and a bit of TLC, this home could really shine. It was built in 1950 and had never been sold before. There were so many cool vintage elements that I wanted to enhance and stay true to the character of the home. BEFORE - KITCHEN AFTER KITCHEN We started with refinishing the hardwood floors that were hidden under the old carpets. This small update alone made a world of differen... 04/17/2023

 Hi everyone, my name is  Jessica Wallace, your Santa Cruz Realtor and today I’m gonna go over the top 5 mistakes that people make when selling their home in Santa Cruz County. Tip number 1 is not properly preparing and staging your home for sale. Looks aren’t everything but they count for a lot when you’re selling your home. The photograph looks so much better when  you have  a home that is staged. So any vacant home should definitely be staged.  If you are living in your home, we can still work with the items that you have and may bring in a couple of more days to accentuate all the great features of your  home and decluttering is essential and depersonalizing your home when you’re marketing it for sale. Tip number  2 is not doing inspections of your property up front before it goes o... 06/02/2021

 Hi everyone, my name is Jessica Wallace, your Santa Cruz Realtor and I am here with your latest update on the Santa Cruz housing market. It’s almost May of 2021 and I have to tell you, it’s crazy out there! Everyday I am looking at the hot sheet and I am seeing what’s selling and  honestly, it’s blowing my mind. The housing crisis in Santa Cruz County has gone up dramatically, even in the last 6 months. So what’s going on here is the classic story again of supply and demand. We do not have nearly enough homes for sale in Santa Cruz County to satisfy the demand of everybody that wants to be here. Right now, it would take only one month to sell all the homes that are on the market in Santa Cruz County. So we have a one month supply of inventory.A balanced market is a 6-month supply, we h... 05/19/2021

 Hi guys! It’s Jessica Wallace, your Santa Cruz REALTOR. I wanted to tell you briefly today about Proposition 19 in California and what it can mean for you and your family.One of the things that Proposition 19 will do is that if you are over 55 and you own a home and you sell it and you move somewhere else in California you get to keep your property tax basis with you.A lot of people that are older in California have owned their homes for decades sometimes. They have very low taxes, property taxes, and now you could take those property taxes with you to a new home.So it’s gonna allow people over 55 to move a little bit more freely throughout the state and keep their nice low property taxes.Another thing that Proposition 19 does that is totally different from the 55 and over is that the ... 04/29/2021

 Hi Guys, it’s Jessica Wallace here, Santa Cruz REALTOR. I wanna give you a brief update about where we stand in February, 2021 in the Santa Cruz housing market.This is the most extreme seller’s market I have ever seen. What’s causing that is high buyer demand and also very very low supply of homes.We are at one of the lowest I’ve ever seen, at 135 homes currently active on the market in the entire Santa Cruz County. What this is causing is home prices to rise dramatically.In January, 2021 our average home price reached $1,244,000 in Santa Cruz.A year ago, in January, 2020 our average price was 965,000. So home prices have gone up a lot. And what this extreme lack of inventory is causing is many multiple offers on any property that is well-priced.And it’s not just 3 offers or 5 offers, ... 04/28/2021

Bringing a special NonProfit a bit of Awarness.  Beach Neighbors Spotlight Beach Neighbors is featuring BirchBark Foundation (BBF) is a unique thread in the safety net of our central coast community. They are both an animal welfare and human service organization, striving to protect and honor the critical human-animal bond that brings happiness, wellness, and love to many.  Dr. Merrianne Burtch, a veterinarian practicing locally for 28 years, started the foundation in 2013 to provide three critical programs to help pets and their families: financial resources, education, and emotional support.BirchBark works with local veterinary clinics to provide financial assistance to low-income families with pets in a fixable, life-threatening, or life-compromising crisis. All of the lives they sav... 04/15/2021

Beachfront Home Buyers Guide in Santa Cruz, CAWe provide a comprehensive guide people can use to identify ways to get the best deal for beachfront homes in the city of Santa Cruz, California. Buying a home is one of the most financial investments a person will make in his or her lifetime. You'll want to get as much information as possible to ensure you get a good deal. Beach property hunting is a unique experience since the homes are in such high demand and have varying laws and regulations you'll have to consider. If you have any questions about the process of buying a home, let us know, and we'll be glad to help.Check out our original blog post at https://ambermelenudo.com/.Fees and CostsAll home buyers planning to make a purchase will want to consider other fees associated with a pro... 11/26/2019

Best Schools in Santa Cruz, CABest Elementary SchoolsHappy Valley Elementary SchoolHappy Valley Elementary School is the top-performing elementary school in the district. The school has 132 students and offers classes between the 1st and 6th grade-level. The average Mathematics test score of the school is 74% while English test score is at 84%.Brook Knoll Elementary SchoolBrook Knoll Elementary School is an awarded early learning center and one of the best performing schools in the Scotts Valley Unified School District. The school has 550 new enrollees for its classes between the 1st and 5th grade-level. The school has an average test score of 74% for Math and 73% for English.Tierra Pacifica Charter SchoolTierra Pacifica Charter is a private educational institution providing advanced ac... 09/06/2019

Beaches in Santa Cruz, CASanta Cruz, like many other cities in California, offers beautiful beaches facing the Pacific Ocean. These beaches provide ideal family-friendly outing opportunities where you can enjoy sunny days with family or friends. If you are planning to go out, our post offers a helpful guide on excellent options you can consider visiting.Check out our original blog post on https://ambermelenudo.com/. Seacliff State BeachSeacliff is the perfect getaway if you're looking for a quiet place to relax on the beach. The narrow stretch features beautiful cliffsides with fantastic ocean views and a lovely pier with various shops and restaurants. The beach is pet-friendly with areas you can have your dogs run around and have fun. Main Beach and Cowell BeachMain Beach and Cowell Be... 07/31/2019

THE CLEAN OCEANS MURAL PROJECT IN SANTA CRUZ The Clean Oceans Mural is currently started in Santa Cruz right on Mission Street! At 600 feet this wil be the largest mural completed in Santa Cruz. The concept is to bring awareness to the health of our oceans. Head artist and director Taylor Reinhold has been working on bringing this project to life for over 2 years now. In this video I talk to Taylor Reinhold about the concept for the mural and how it all got started:  The Clean Oceans Mural is right on Highway 1/ Mission Street in Santa Cruz with over 40,000 people driving by a day. This is such a large scale project with the ambition to really raise awareness about the health of our ocean and the sea life right here in the Monterey Bay.  I love that so many people will be driving by thi... 06/27/2019

CROWS NEST BEACH PARTY SCHEULDE 2019 - FREE CONCERTS ON THE BEACH IN SANTA CRUZ!Santa Cruz has some much free entertainment during the summer and year rounds.   The Crow's Nest Beach Parties are an local favorite held on the beach in front of the Crow's Nest Restaurant starting at 5:30 pm Thursday night in the summer. Here is the line up for the Crow's Nest Thursday Night Beach Parties for the summer of 2019 June 20th - The House Rockers June 27th - The Leftovers July 4th - No beach party due to the Holiday July 11th - Extra Large July 18th - Sambada July 25th - Viva Santana August 1st - The Lost Boys with James Durbin August 8th - Soulwise August 15th - Sambada August 22nd - Hall Pass August 29th - Extra Large Hope to see you out there this sumner!  Your Santa Cruz Realtor, Jessica Wal... 06/21/2019

Closing Costs in Santa CruzClosing Costs are the fees and expenses that buyers and sellers can expect to pay for when buying or selling homes. There are many costs involved in a real estate transaction aside from the actual price of the property. You will want to know these fees, especially if you are planning on buying or selling real estate in the future. The average closing cost in the city of Santa Cruz is between 2% and 5% of the price of the house.  Check out our original blog post at https://ambermelenudo.com/. Buyer's Closing Costs Loan Origination Fee Generally around 1% of the loan amount. Points Each point is equal to 1% of the loan amount. Points buy down the interest rate typically by 0.25% per point. Application Fee Paid to the lender or the broker to check credit and proc... 06/10/2019

Lost Boys June 19 Open Beach Boardwalk Free Movie Nights  Love movies? Love the beach? Love free fun?    Then mark June 19 on the calendar as "The Lost Boys" opens the summer 2019 season of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Free Movie Nights. On Wednesdays at 9:00 pm from June 19 through August 14, the Beach Boardwalk begins the summer season of Free Movie Nights. The iconic teenage vampire film, "The Lost Boys" stars the classic duo of "the Coreys"-Corey Feldman and Corey Haim. Dianne Wiest, Kiefer Sutherland, Jamie Gertz and Jason Patric also feature. Much of the flick was filmed locally, including key scenes on the iconic Beach Boardwalk, Carousel and beach with Santa Cruz standing in for "Santa Carla-the vampire capital of the world." With the theme of "Sleep all day. Party all night. ... 06/06/2019

FREE Friday Night Bands on the Beach at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalkby Michelle Carr-Crowe, Silicon Valley expert and San Jose real estate agentLooking for some FREE fun on the weekends this summer? Whether you live in Santa Clara or Santa Cruz County, just call some friends, pack a beach blanket, jacket and chairs then experience the FREE Friday night concerts at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Each Friday night during the summer season from June 14 through August 30, 2019, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk sponsors two FREE shows, one at 6:30 and one at 8:30. You can hear the music playing whether riding the Big Dipper roller coaster, eating a corn dog on the boardwalk, dining on the pier or just chilling with your toes in the sand on the beach. The Summer 2019 band line-up includes Smash ... 05/28/2019

Cost of Living in Santa Cruz, CACost of Living IndexCost of living is the day to day expenses a household has to spend at a given time in order to maintain a good quality of life in a particular area. There are several factors affecting the total amount including housing price, utilities, transportation, food, services, healthcare, and more. If you plan to move into a new city knowing how much you're likely to pay to live there is an excellent way to see if the move would be financially good for you.The table below showcases the different factors of the cost of living in Santa Cruz compared to the national and state average. These are scored based on a point system method with 100 points being the national average. These costs can go up or down depending on various studies that identify... 05/03/2019

Santa Cruz, CA Market Report for 2018Santa Cruz County in California is a coastal region of cities, unincorporated communities, and nature preserves on the western coast of the country, located south of San Jose and San Francisco. It is known for its beautiful beaches, nature preserves, small towns, and the highly urbanized city center of the city of Santa Cruz. Other notable towns and communities in the county are Scotts Valley, Capitola, Watsonville, Aptos, Bonny Doon, Brookdale, Corralitos, Felton, Larkin Valley, La Selva Beach, Los Gatos Mountains, Rio del Mar, Scotts Valley, Seacliff, and Soquel.The diverse land area of Santa Cruz county offers a wide selection of housing options for families planning to purchase a home in the region. There are apartment buildings, townhouses, cond... 03/12/2019

West Santa Cruz, California Community Information and Market ReportReal Estate in West Santa Cruz, California West Santa Cruz is the part of the city between the Wilder Ranch State Park and San Lorenzo River. The district includes several neighborhoods including Westlake, Escalona, Laurel, Beach Hill, Bay Laurent, Alta Vista, Moore Creek, Garfield Park Circles, Wrigley Plant, Lower West Side, Lighthouse Cowell, and many more. The downtown neighborhood located west of the river is also included in the district as well as the California State University Santa Cruz Campus.Residential Real Estate in West Santa Cruz houses a good portion of the city's population. These include suburban neighborhoods with single-family homes, exclusive gated communities, beach communities, mobile home parks, ... 02/02/2019

East Santa Cruz, California Community Information and Market ReportReal Estate in East Santa Cruz, CaliforniaEast Santa Cruz includes parts of the city that are located east of the San Lorenzo River. The land area of the district consists of the eastern part of Downtown Santa Cruz as well as the many neighborhoods west of Live Oak and Twin Lakes. Residential areas in the region are in the northern and southern parts of the city while the areas along Soquel Avenue and East Downtown are commercially developed districts. Real Estate in the community is diverse and it includes single-family homes, beach homes, condominiums, townhouses, apartments, luxury homes, mobile homes, and many more. Check out our original neighborhood page at https://ambermelenudo.wpengine.com/. East Santa Cruz Ameni... 02/02/2019

Westlake, Santa Cruz, California Community Information and Market ReportReal Estate in Westlake, Santa Cruz, CaliforniaWestlake is a residential neighborhood in the northwestern part of the city of Santa Cruz, California. The primarily suburban community is between the University of California Santa Cruz Campus and the downtown area of the city. Real Estate in Westlake is mostly suburban single-family homes which cover a good portion of the district. There are also low-rise condominiums and luxury properties in different areas of the neighborhood. Homes in the community similar to other residential developments in Santa Cruz come in different custom designs and architecture. Residences in the area also provide various features that give additional value to the property. These include sw... 02/02/2019

Seabright, Santa Cruz, California Community Information and Market ReportReal Estate in Seabright, Santa Cruz, CaliforniaSeabright is a mostly residential neighborhood located in the southeastern corner of Santa Cruz, California. The district is bordered by the Live Oaks and Twin Lakes neighborhoods to the east, Soquel Avenue to the north, the San Lorenzo River to the west, and the ocean to the south. Seabright primarily has single-family homes within its many residential city blocks. These homes vary in design, architecture, price, layout, features, and many other factors. There are also prime real estate properties near the beaches providing fantastic views of the ocean and various beachside amenities. Check out our original neighborhood page at https://ambermelenudo.wpengine.com/. Se... 02/02/2019