19 Mar 2021The State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection recently proposed new regulations that could drastically affect landowners in Santa Cruz County, more specifically, those impacted by the CZU Lightning Complex fires that burned in Northern California starting August 2020.
10 Mar 2020Each year, homeowners in Santa Cruz County face the threat of wildfires and the potential loss of property. Because of this unfortunate reality of living in California, local groups have designed multiple resources that are accessible for free to the community. Homeowners can use these resources to better safeguard their homes - and their families - against the devastating effects of wildfires. An abundance of resources exist for community members to ensure that homeowners remain
2 Aug 2019If you’ve been following the Santa Cruz City Council legislative process, there’s no doubt that you’re curious where the Council stands today on Rent Control and Just Cause for Eviction legislation, the Rental Housing Task Force, the Housing Blueprint, and other legislative measures that have been proposed and accepted or rejected along the way. In this article we’ll give a broad overview of the City’s legislative actions related to these housing-related topics and discuss where
2 Aug 2019Are you one of the growing numbers of people interested in alternative (and often less expensive) housing options like yurts? If so, it’s important to understand your local government’s rules and regulations related to living in these structures year round, as a primary residence. Read on to explore the option of living in a yurt in Santa Cruz County. What is A Yurt? Traditionally, yurts consisted of an expanding wooden circular frame overlaid with a
9 Jul 2019Back in 2016, Merlone Geier Partners purchased the Capitola Mall from its previous owner, Macerich. In a recent town meeting, plans for the re-envisioned Capitola Mall were discussed. You can read more about the meeting in this article from the Santa Cruz Sentinel. The focus of this meeting was to present the plan for the “Capitola Town Square,” as well as to provide an opportunity for members of the community to ask questions and have
8 Feb 2019Are there rent control or just cause for eviction laws in the City of Santa Cruz? In this short post, we discuss the succession of events related to rent control and just cause for eviction laws in the City of Santa Cruz after the November elections. We answer the question above and help you understand what is being proposed, and where the City Government is in the legislative process. As a reminder, voters rejected Measure
24 Jan 2019How you price your home will determine if and how long it takes to sell. Pricing it well requires an in-depth understanding of our local real estate market conditions. On average, in 2018, homes that had a price decrease were on market for 69 days and sold for $554 / square foot. Compare that to all homes that sold without a price decrease: on average, they were on the market for 17 days and sold
17 Jan 2019With great restaurants, cafes, walkways, beaches and community, Pleasure Point feeds the body, mind and spirit. What makes this one of the most desirable places to live in Santa Cruz County? Check out some of the highlights of Pleasure Point below! The Surf Spots and East Cliff Dr There are two surf spots in the Pleasure Point area: The Hook and Pleasure Point. Whether you are catching waves or admiring them from afar, you’re sure
16 Jan 2019The Importance of Curb Appeal There is no consensus exactly how much landscaping enhancement and outdoor features will impact the sales price of your home. However, there are some strong findings that suggest that investing in your home’s curb appeal will produce rewards at the time of the sale. According to a survey done by the National Association of Realtors, RealtorsⓇ ranked standard lawn care service as the number one project that appeals to buyers,
10 Jan 2019On Tuesday, January 8th, 2019 the Santa Cruz City Council, voted to push an “interim” Just Cause for Eviction ordinance to the next round of voting. However, during the second meeting held on January 23rd, the City Council voted to postpone moving forward with the ordinance due to a large amount of community feedback (over 1000 letters) opposing the measure. Having originally voted "yes" on the ordinance, vice Mayor Justin Cummings proposed tabling the initiative
7 Jan 2019In the wake of a passionate election season in which affordable housing was one of the major topics of debate, a large housing project was just approved in the City of Santa Cruz. The Pacific Front project is a 205-rental unit housing project which includes ground-floor commercial space and two floors of parking garage. Have you ever heard of Measure O? Under this measure, developers of housing projects must make a certain percentage of their
10 Dec 2018If you own property in Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, or Monterey County, today (December 10th, 2018) is the deadline to pay your first installment. If you do not pay by 5:00 PM PST, a 10% penalty will be added to your bill. Note: if you intend to pay your Property Tax by mail in the counties list above, the envelope in which you send the payment must be post-marked with today's date to avoid late-payment
30 Nov 2018Now that the election season has passed and a majority of the votes have been counted, where do we stand with the many local and statewide housing-related ballot measures? Below we’ve summarized both Santa Cruz County and California ballot measures and proposition results, and what each means for our local market. Note, after November 6th, there is a 30 day “canvasing” period in which vote-by-mail ballots, provisional ballots (including conditional voter registration provisional ballots),
6 Nov 2018Trends At A Glance October 2018 Prices Continue to Rise The average sales price for single- family, re-sale homes hit a new high in September. It was up 15.5% year- over-year to $1,083,100. This is only the second time the average price has been over one million. The median sales price was up 5.9%. Sales of single-family, re-sale homes in September were down 25.1%, year-over-year. There were 128 homes sold. The average
2 Nov 2018When adding onto or significantly modifying your property, you will likely be required to obtain permits. Unfortunately, the permitting process in Santa Cruz County can be costly. According to this Sentinel Article, the average county Planning Department fees for accessory dwelling units less than 640 square feet are from $11,500 to $4,200. These high costs often disincentives homeowners from build accessory dwelling units (ADU’s). Things are changing. Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors have approved
30 Oct 2018What is a Green Home? The definition of a “Green Building” can vary widely depending on who you ask. Green buildings are often constructed in a way and/or with building materials that result in less pollution during construction and energy-consumption over the lifetime of the building. Green features can range from energy-saving features to being zero-net energy (a building that produces all of the energy it consumes). Why Green Homes Are A Good
19 Oct 2018It just became easier to legalize unpermitted living spaces on your property. The Problem Do you own a home with unpermitted space? If so, make sure that you understand the risk involved: Building codes are designed to make a structure safe. Regardless of how good your contractor is, if a tenant or visitor gets hurt in an unpermitted space, you may face serious legal consequences. When selling a home, unpermitted spaces is
9 Oct 2018The Santa Cruz City Council commissioned an independent and impartial analysis of the Santa Cruz Rent Control and Tenant Protection Act (The Act) or Measure M. This analysis is limited in scope and only focuses on the financial and administrative impact that the "Rent Board" will have on the City of Santa Cruz should Measure M pass. If Measure M is voted into law, a City Rent Board comprised of City residents will be created.
10 Sep 2018Santa Cruz County Coastal Zone Map: What is the Coastal Commission? The California coast is a unique treasure loved by locals and visitors alike. To protect California’s coast and ocean for present and future generations, citizens came together in 1972 to enact the The California Coastal Conservation Initiative. Through this initiative, the Coastal Commission came into being. Four years later, the State Legislature enacted the California Coastal Act, which is the primary law that
17 Aug 2018When planning your next real estate purchase or sale, imagine having up-to-date, accurate market statistics at your fingertips. The Schneider Estates Real Estate Report Dashboard allows clients to analyze local markets in depth and it’s easy to use. Watch this short tutorial and see for yourself: Save this link so that you can access the dashboard anytime: https://schneider.rereport.com/ Questions? Feel free to contact us: (831)
10 Aug 2018The installation of solar panels has been increasing for over a decade. The graph below shows total solar capacity* in California over time. According to surveys, a majority of homeowners choose to “go solar” to save money on energy bills and reduce a home’s carbon footprint. source Have you considered installing solar panels on your home or purchasing a property with solar panels? If so, it is important to understand how solar panels
7 Aug 2018Now that the Rent Control and Just Cause for Eviction measure is officially on the ballot, the counter movement has begun to gather steam. Santa Cruz Together, a grass-roots movement to stop the measure from passing, has collected $60,000 from supporters and hopes to raise up to $200,000 to fund their campaign. The California Apartment Association, nation's largest statewide trade group, has also promised to fight the ballot measure and has raised $403,000 thus
30 Jul 2018With the passage of Prop 64 and Senate Bill 94*, the Medicinal And Adult-use Cannabis Regulation And Safety Act (MAUCRSA) made the sale and taxation of commercial cannabis legal in the state of California. MAUCRSA also created the general framework for the regulation of both commercial medicinal and adult-use cannabis in California. To legally cultivate, manufacture, and/or distribute cannabis, both a state and local license will be required. Additionally, both unincorporated and incorporated areas
9 Jul 2018When you purchase a mobile home on a leased-lot, you will be asked to sign a rental agreement. State law allows you a choice of signing a month-to-month or a one year agreement. The management is also allowed to offer you a long-term (more than one year) lease. Did you know that if you sign a long-term lease you may lose valuable rent-adjustment protections? There is currently a santa cruz county rent stabilization ordinance,
19 Jun 2018What is Santa Cruz City government doing about the housing crisis? City Council is focused on the issue and has created a Housing Blueprint Subcommittee to gather community input and make suggestions. The result of this process is the Santa Cruz City Housing Blueprint. In the blueprint, subcommittee members outline “first priorities” which have been selected after considering both City Council recommendations and community feedback. They are: Community Engagement Legalization of Unpermitted Dwelling Units
15 May 2018When thinking of an ADU, many picture a small, free-standing building in the backyard. This kind of thinking may deter those with smaller lots from exploring the option of adding an ADU to their existing structure. This is a shame, given the additional rental income and living space that ADU’s often afford. The truth is, ADU’s come in all shapes and sizes, and under the right circumstances, even small lots can support them.
27 Mar 2018Should disagreements arise, the right to evict is an important component of property rights, giving real estate owners the ability to re-gain possession of their property in difficult situations. There is a new ballot initiative that is circulating throughout the city of Santa Cruz that poses to, in many situations, take away this right. This will increase the risk of renting in the City of Santa Cruz.
13 Feb 2018Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) proposed legislation on January 11th to repeal Costa-Hawkins, which would have allowed local governments to implement new rent control policies. The bill failed. But this is not the end of the rent-control battle. The California Local Rent Control Initiative, which would expand local government's authority to adopt rent control and repeal the Costa-Hawkin's Rental Housing Act may be on this year's November ballot. Locally, the Sentinel reports that
20 Oct 2017Have you ever considered buying a manufactured or mobile home in Santa Cruz County? This blog post covers important topics on manufactured and mobile home ownership, including financing and the appreciation-potential of your asset. Would you like to see a list of mobile homes for sale in Santa Cruz County? Mobile Homes For Sale in Santa Cruz County: What Are Your Options? Find Out Today: We Do Not Share Your Information or Spam You. Questions? Please refer to
27 Sep 2017Previously, you needed a 4,500 square foot lot, or larger, to build an Additional Dwelling Unit (ADU), also commonly known as a granny unit. Now, any legally built unit within the existing footprint of your home can be turned into an ADU under new state law. This applies to new projects and conversions, so long as the unit is within the pre-existing structure and is build legally (meaning it was permitted and build to code).