Having spent so many years in the real estate industry, the one question I was asked most by people, not in real estate was, "Do I need, or should I use a REALTOR®?" What a great question, even after all these years. Looking back I have learned so much about the industry and that question in particular.There are many reasons why you should use a REALTOR®. Here are just a few: REALTORS® have the knowledge and experience to sell your home quickly and for top dollar. They know the local market inside and out, and they can use their expertise to price your home competitively and market it to the right buyers. REALTORS® can help you avoid costly mistakes. The home selling process is complex, and there are many pitfalls that can cost you money. A REALTOR can help you avoid these mistakes by g... 04/21/2023

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

1 / 2 Living in Soquel, California from a Local's Perspective By: Jessica Wallace, Your Santa Cruz Realtor Soquel, California is a small coastal town located in Santa Cruz County. It is known for its picturesque scenery, friendly community, and close proximity to the beach. With a population of around 9,000 people, and it's a great place to call home for those looking for a quieter, more relaxed lifestyle. I grew up in the Soquel & Capitola area an attended local schools such as Soquel High School. One of the things I love most about living in Soquel is the sense of community. The town is small enough that you get to know your neighbors and see familiar faces around town. The local businesses also play a big role in creating a tight-knit community. Many of them are family-owned and ope... 01/25/2023

Wow what an interesting year!  We started off with a bang and the housing market in Santa Cruz was super hot, with homes selling with as much as 25 offers and prices rising so rapidly it was head spinning.  Then interest rates doubled, inflation increased and the stock market got bumpy.  This did slow down the housing market in Santa Cruz, but overall we saw 10% appreciation in home values county wide in 2022.  We were heading for closer to 20% before the market cooled off. Check out my video on the latest in the Santa Cruz Real Estate Market here: Here is the real data on our Housing Market in Santa Cruz county in 2022:Single family home price appreciation:  10%Average sale price: $1,471,162Average days on market: 24 Total number of home sales in 2022:  1,480 (vs 2,089 home sales in 20... 01/24/2023

I just love helping clients prepare their homes for sale!  My process combines strategic thinking, project management, market intelligence, and art.    I use an extensive checklist to methodically and impartially score the property.     Then I help my clients understand the current market, it's possible direction, and all of their options.     If they'd like to improve their rating, and improve their odds of a successful profitable sale, I'll prepare a custom to-do list and timeline.In this case, one seller was handy and had a flexible schedule and the other was an artist.   Working as a team, we got this place up to a great score!   When we're able to get 2 offers, and sell at asking price despite the market changing, I'm reminded this is my calling.When I get a heartfelt, thoughtful 5... 10/20/2022

How to buy a home BEFORE you sell! I have talked to many people over the past year that are feeling Stuck - they want to sell their home and buy a new one and are worried about how to pull that off in this super low inventory market.  We know that your home can sell quickly, but you don't want to be left homeless, what if you can't find a replacement home?  I am here with a Solution for you!  Watch my video to hear more, or continue reading below: https://youtu.be/SWh5Tb6JWfQ I have partnered with a national firm that has found a solution to this problem that allows you to buy your new home and then sell your old home.  They will qualify you and enable you to go shopping for your new home NOW, make a non contingent offer on it and then sell your home and get the full market value for it... 01/31/2022

 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

CAPITOLA BEACH COFFEE HOUSE FOR SALE Walking distance to Capitola Beach. A prime location. Lots of walk in customers, tourists year around.  Owner gets 2 parking space with permit.  Lease is just $2750 til year end.  Inclusive of all utilities. Profitable.The Beach is now opening up. Capitola is just south of Santa Cruz and north of Monterey City. Agent:  Sam Shueh (408) 425-1601  SamShuehRealtor at Gmail.comhttp://samshueh.point2agent.com/  06/14/2020

As 100 million of us adapt to a new way of life seemingly overnight, REALTORS must quickly find new ways of doing business in California, New York, Illinois, Ohio and other states rapidly following suit with "stay at home" orders.    It's time to think outside the box and employ new ways to help our sellers and buyers, while preventing accidental spread of the novel coronavirus.     Listing courtesy of Ronnie Trubek, Century 21 Showcase REALTORS This fabulous home on 1/2+ acre, built in 1990 [which is practically new around here] was listed on 3/17/20.    Later that day, the Santa Cruz County wide "shelter in place" order was announced.    The next day, our MLS eliminated broker tours and public open houses.   For weeks, I'd been planning to host Saturday and Sunday Open Houses at this ... 03/23/2020

San Lorenzo Valley, Santa Cruz, and Scotts ValleyReal estate market -  January 2020: 4th Quarter 2019 review SUMMARY:Santa Cruz County average single family home prices eased about 3% during the 4th quarter, versus the 3rd quarter, but, prices were just 1% lower than this time a year ago.   The number of homes sold was about equal to the number sold during the same time period last year.  To quote my year end 2018 blog, “After consecutive years of double digit price appreciation, I consider this softening healthy for the overall housing market, although … disconcerting to home sellers.   Real estate is cyclical; the last trough in prices was …in 2009.   No one wants a repeat of the “great recession;’ a soft landing is preferable.”   On average across Santa Cruz County, it takes about 8 ... 01/15/2020

Here is my 2020 real estate forecast for Santa Cruz Countyincluding San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts ValleyThe Washington Post published an article this week that surveyed over half a dozen real estate and financial economists: the National Association of Realtors, REALTOR.com, Redfin, Zillow, the National Association of Home Builders, the Mortgage Bankers’ Association, and BankRate.com.30 year fixed mortgage rates are expected by most experts to stay below 4% this year.   In a rare move, the Federal Reserve actually came out and said they did not intend to move interest rates this year.   For perspective, early last year interest rates were projected to be increasing.    Currently the 30 year fixed mortgage rate is averaging 3.7% - it was 4.5% this time last year.    Looking back at 2000,... 01/11/2020

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

San Lorenzo Valley, Santa Cruz, and Scotts Valley Real estate market update: 3rd Quarter 2019AFFORDABLE HOMES NEAR THE SILICON VALLEY: Average single family home prices continue to range between $1 to $1.5 million across Santa Cruz County and the greater San Francisco Bay Area.   Many people who work in the Silicon Valley are delighted to discover affordable housing in the San Lorenzo Valley - within 45 minutes to an hour’s commute to major employers like Apple, Alphabet (Google), Facebook, etc…      The San Lorenzo Valley offers a more relaxed, rural lifestyle at about half the price of neighboring Scotts Valley, which combines the conveniences of a small city with a sense of community.   Santa Cruz home prices have been stable at about $1.1 million, where residents can enjoy legendary... 10/08/2019

I wanted to write this article because I have been getting a lot of questions and concerns about an upcoming Recession and what that will mean for the housing market in Santa Cruz.  I want people to know that a Recession does not equal a Housing Crisis! Watch my video to hear more:   We all remember the last Great Recession in 2008 and that is was caused by the housing market and subprime loans.  Home prices dropped dramatically in 2008 in Santa Cruz (over 22%!)  The next Recession, which will occur sooner than later, will not be caused by the housing crisis. It is more likely to be caused by the stock market, trade war or global event.  When the Recession happens, it does not necessarily mean that home prices will go down.  There was a recession in 2001, and home prices in Santa Cruz a... 09/12/2019

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

WHAT IS THE SEWER LATERAL INSPECTION ORDINANCE IN SANTA CRUZ? This year in 2019 we have a new ordinance in both the city and county of Santa Cruz that mandates that the sewer lateral of a home be inspected and repaired at point of sale.  In this post I will go over what a sewer lateral is and how the ordinances in the City of Santa Cruz and county of Santa Cruz differ. What is a sewer lateral?A sewer lateral is the pipe that connects your home's sewer to the public sewer main.  The way a sewer lateral pipe is inspected is to put a video camera down the pipe so you can see the whole line.  What the inspector is looking for is root intrusion, cracks, off sets in the pipe.  With the many older homes that we have in Santa Cruz, the chances that your sewer line may need some repair or even f... 08/07/2019