Let us analyze the reasons why it is a great place to invest on properties. First and foremost while investing in a property one needs to ensure that it is not only a great place to stay but also a location where a property has a resale value. Santa Cruz properties fit both these criterion.

The Santa Cruz County with its amazing coastal beach, miles of sandy shoreline and bright sunny sky all around the year is an ideal place to stay. Its delightful downtown and amazing coastal mountain backdrop is a real treat for the eyes. The mesmerizing Mediterranean climate here makes the place even more appealing to all.

With the convivial summer temperatures which are a bit cooler if one moves down past Capitola to Seacliff and Rio Del/Seascape, the place for sure is a great location to build a house. Not only the summers but also the winters are also pleasant.

This county is a great place for outdoor activities with plenty of parks, landscapes and places. One can indulge in several activities like sailing, fishing, windsurfing, kite boarding etc. It is well surrounded by greenery and has an excellent natural landscape. The oldest amusement park in California makes the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk the Santa Cruz Wharf one of the most attractive places.

Such attractions and options for recreations make the place an ideal choice for home investment. The residential investment opportunity is simply unbelievable in it. Looking for a great home or an income generation property? This can be your best bet! This excellent place will allow you to live amidst nature in style.

The area has a bustling economy too and excellent job opportunities. Great educational institutions like University of California make it an ideal choice for people looking for home. Being situated at the center of California, it is an ideal destination for real estate investment. This is a place that has developed and at the same time retained its cultural charm. No wonder then investing in Santa Cruz Real Estate is a great idea.

Experts opine that despite a crisis in the economy the prices of real estate in Santa Cruz will not decline at a rapid pace. This is because it is a place that is well balanced because of its appealing landscapes and weather, great quality educational institutions as well as a booming economy. Are you keen to know more? Then Gregg can provide you with all the information you are looking for.

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Buying a home ocean front – Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz County is very pretty and uniquely situated with several nice ocean side communities. Located within 3 hours drive from approximately 5 million people, it has been a magnet for relaxation and enrichment for well over a century. With Silicon Valley only 45 minutes away and San Francisco just an hour and a half, the beach house you want is close at hand. As with most great real estate investments, location is usually one of the strengths. Proximity to the water or to quaint little local towns like Capitola, Seacliff or Rio Del Mar, have a lasting appeal. Of course the best location is at the beach. Having a beach front home on the sand or a more private one on the bluffs, not only says you have arrived, but it has a superior investment potential. They are not making any more beaches and the world keeps getting more populous. Think ahead and guess what the prices maybe in 10 years, then buy now.

Why buy a beach house in Santa Cruz, California?

For many that is not a question of why, because it is a great place to unwind and recharge, but which community and beach? Who does not like going to the beach in Santa Cruz? So really the decision comes down to what you can afford, when do you plan to use your home or investment, and how will you use it? For some the idea is making money with their beach house, for others, it is a place for family gatherings and a place to get away. Renting your beach home can be economically beneficial as it can help defray some of the costs. People pay the most to stay at the beach, on the sand or in close proximity. So if you consider the potential payback of an ocean front home, the investment can be attractive from an income and tax perspective. As with any such consideration consult a CPA or an exchanger in doing a 1031 tax deferred exchange. You can exchange out of apartments or other rental properties for a beach condo in Pajaro Dunes or at the Seascape Resort, or a home on the sand in Rio Del Mar.

What other real estate investments are good in Santa Cruz?

Since Santa Cruz beach houses continue to grow in value, investing in one can be a wise decision. Beach houses often have the highest appreciation. These properties are in relatively short supply, and there are no more beach front or oceanfront developments. Buying a home nearby a few streets back can also be a good decision. The cost is less, and you can be a matter or 5 or 6 blocks from the water for half the cost. After all, even if you don’t plan to live in the house or to rent it out, simply reselling it in the future may help you achieve a nice profit. You could consider an ocean view condominium in Capitola, or Seascape as a lower cost investment as well. Frankly I believe that real estate is a 5-10 investment window and the single family homes that are on the Rio Del Mar beach front or ocean view bluff homes in Santa Cruz will appreciate the most. Property in Santa Cruz and the surrounding communities are at great prices now, and there is a good selection. The time to buy a home is now while the rates are low.

Enjoying Your Private Beach House in Santa Cruz

Of course, if you decide to purchase a Santa Cruz beach house, you don’t have to sell it for a profit or use it only as a rental property. Rather, you can enjoy all that Santa Cruz has to offer and keep it as your own private retreat! There are a number of beautiful beaches, including Capitola beach, Rio del Mar Beach, my favorite, Sunset Beach, Seabright Beach, Manresa, and Natural Bridges. People come from all over the United States to enjoy these beaches, surf and play – just imagine having one of them in your own backyard. When you are ready to learn about the benefits and beauty of owning Santa Cruz real estate, go to propertyinsantacruz.com and see the videos of Capitola, Aptos, and find the Santa Cruz beach house of your dreams.

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Nowadays, the majority of people looking to buy or sell a home or do anything real estate wise are going to the internet first. Years ago, people would get ready to buy or sell, and then walk into a local Realty office and get themselves a real estate agents. Now, they can start researching real estate anywhere from 3 months to 5 years before they actually make a move! That means real estate professionals need to come up with new ways to catch these real estate leads early, so they have time to work them and turn them into clients. There are two major ways to do that now: purchasing a lead generation service and paying for real estate leads and creating your own website with contact pages to generate your own real estate leads.

Which way is better? Truthfully, if you’re not doing both, you’re not being as successful as you could be. Any real estate professional who wants to be a top producer NEEDS their own personal website with homeowner information, contact forms, a blog, etc. That way real estate leads can FIND you on the web.

On the other end, the majority of top producers out there not only have their own website, but they also subscribe to one or more lead generation service, such as HouseValues or GetMyHomesValue. Companies such as these sell real estate leads to agents either at a monthly subscription price, or having the agent pay per lead. These services set up websites offering homeowners free home value information in exchange for their contact information. Basically, a homeowner goes and fills out a simple form about themselves, their contact information and their home and submits it to the company’s website. The company in turn, gives this “lead” to whatever real estate professional they have subscribed in that lead’s area and it is up to the real estate agent themselves to work up the value and follow-up with these real estate leads.

Each lead generation company does things a bit differently: for instance, GetMyHomesValue offers exclusive leads – where the lead is given to one and only one agent in the area, whereas other companies out there will sell the same real estate leads to several different agents. HouseValues has extensive e-mail drip campaigns and scripts to make follow-up a bit easier for agents, while GetMyHomesValue has their staff attempt to contact the leads several times for the agent and then leaves the rest of the follow-up to the individual agent.

The criticism most of these lead generation companies receive has to do with what actually constitutes real estate leads. Because these “leads” are filling out information online, they can often give fake information to avoid being contacted. This then makes it harder for the agents to follow up with the leads.

The successful agent, however, does not give up with confronted with real estate leads that give a property address and e-mail address, but a bad name and number. A great agent will exhaust all options of follow up before scrapping ANY lead, such as using public directories like the White Pages online, tax records of the property, reverse look-ups, etc. They will e-mail the lead on a weekly basis and even stop by the property listed in order to determine who actually submitted the lead.

What happens if the owners of the property claim they did not request their home value information, nor are they looking to sell? The no-so-hot agent will be angry at the waste of their time and blame the lead generation company for selling bogus real estate leads. The HOT agent will introduce themselves anyway, offer their services in any way they can and hand out a business card, then lead the home content in the knowledge that although they may not have gotten to the bottom of the lead, they did just add another prospect to their pipeline of real estate leads.

Online lead generation tools are a HUGE asset to real estate professionals – when used correctly. To be successful with real estate leads gathered online, you’ve got to be ready to work hard and long. You may not convert the lead for 6 months, a year, even two years, but as long as you’re working your real estate leads and keeping your name in their head, you’ve got a leg up on the competition.

Ashley Lichty

http://www.articlesbase.com/sales-articles/real-estate-leads-101-online-lead-generation-tools-134174.html

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Too many agents are more worried about getting a check than ensuring their clients’ satisfaction. It doesn’t take much time or money to show that you see more than dollar signs when you meet with your real estate leads. By spending only $200 or less per month, you can show your gratitude in a way homeowners can appreciate.

Use some of these 5 great ideas to show appreciation for your real estate leads (after all – they ARE the ones who will wind up paying your salary!):

1. Free goodies – you probably print up thousands of calendars, magnets, pens, or bottle openers a year with your name and logo on them. Are you just giving them to current clients? I surely hope not. You’ve already got their business and by all means, you should DEFINITELY be showing them appreciation, but the little trinkets with your contact information need to be going out to your real estate leads. Everybody can use a magnet, so don’t be shy about sending free things to ALL your potential customers – better yet, you’ve got a car, use it – rather then spend money on postage, deliver little gift bags to your real estate leads personally.

2. Gift cards – everybody loves a nice gift card, all the more so when it’s a totally unexpected surprise. You can spend $100-200 a month to get gift cards in increments of $5 and send them to 20-40 of your real estate leads that seem to have the most potential. It doesn’t have to be a gift card to anywhere fancy – Blockbuster, Home Depot, a super market, even to an area restaurant – show your real estate leads that you appreciate them even if they HAVEN’T decided to list with you yet – their time is precious and they didn’t HAVE to spend it with you, but they did anyway.

3. Tickets to an event – if you know some of your real estate leads really like baseball, or love the theater, you may want to splurge a bit on a pair of tickets. Find a great local show and buy a few tickets or get tickets to the games of your local baseball team (doesn’t have to be the major leagues) and personally drop them off at your lead’s house. Make sure the tickets are far enough in advance so the lead can schedule around the event. If you feel fairly confident with the lead, make it a condition that you’ll take them to the event! A few hours with the lead and you’ll likely come out of it with a friend and a new client!

4. Stuff for the kids – if you know your real estate leads have kids, use it to your advantage. Put a little gift bag together for the kiddies – nothing too crazy though! Try to stay away from things parents may not want to give their kids, like sweets and candy. Keep it simple – perhaps a children’s book, or a simple toy like a ball or a yo-yo. Again, not something that will break your bank, but just something to show you’re thinking not just of the lead, but their family as well. If they don’t have kids, but do have pets, you may want to look into buying something for Fido – some people treat their pets the same as they would their children!

5. Be crafty – if you’ve got a creative streak, don’t be afraid to throw something together (or go online to get gift ideas). For example, one agent I knew made something she referred as Dishtowel Angels. It basically involved a dishtowel and matching pot holder put together with ribbon and wire to resemble an angel. Something like that, or a gift basket with useful tools, or even a nice flower for planting in the front yard can really warm someone up to you. Using something you put together yourself gives it that extra little touch that shows your real estate leads you care.

Those are just five quick and easy things you can do to show your appreciation and hopefully convince your real estate leads that no other agent can give them the kind of attention you can. Take these ideas and run with them, come up with your own gift ideas – especially once you’ve gotten to know your leads a bit better. Even if you’ve never talked to them before, but you’ve driven by their home and noticed them playing with their dog, or gardening out front – use what you know to come up with the perfect way of thanking your real estate leads. It puts you one step closer to turning them into clients!

Ashley Lichty

http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/real-estate-leads-101-5-ways-to-show-your-appreciation-137331.html

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“Locally the median price has dropped about $100,000 in 2007 and is expected to drop another $100,000 in 2008,” said the central coast California realtor, “but we are in better shape than many areas.”

Not too many years back realtors were knocking on doors trying to find listings because property values were shooting up. It was reminiscent of Tokyo real estate in the 1990’s, a time when any fool could make money in real estate.

In January California home foreclosures equaled the number of sales, a daunting figure if there ever was one.

For a while the getting was good and any investment today would be worth more tomorrow. In that kind of environment sub prime lending — lending to the marginally credit worthy — began to flourish. Even the lower paid and unskilled could jump on the real estate boom and improve their net worth and equity by signing on the sub prime dotted line.

Call it greed, flipping, speculation, gambling or just bad business; call it any of those things but it has led to the worst housing crisis California has faced. The crisis is particularly bad in California’s interior. Upscale coastal areas such as Santa Cruz, Carmel, and Monterey have had a steep decline in housing values but because of the demographics and desirability, the decline has not been as severe and is not expected to last as long.

“We only have about a nine month inventory which is not bad,” said one Scotts Valley realtor, “some places like Miami have over a three year inventory which means that it will take years for that market to recover. Part of that is we are in a ‘no growth’ area so there isn’t a great influx of new homes on the market. We’re lucky.”

That is because the most desirable areas have very few first time home buyers. The upwardly mobile real estate treadmill is particularly hard when the median home price exceeds $700,000. Many of these “outside” buyers do not need financing.

Upwardly mobile locals are not buying up homes in Pacific Grove and Capitola. Non-locals from other parts of the United States and foreigners make up the bulk of home buyers. And as such, the demographics and “look and feel” have changed. No longer is Santa Cruz the hippie haven for artists; all the starving artists couldn’t afford to starve anymore and have moved out. What was once the bastion of far left liberal thinking is now slowly turning into a techie “Arnold Republican” free zone.

In towns like Watsonville and Stockton banks and construction companies are bringing in buses for foreclosed housing auctions. Rumors are rampant about cheap homes and rumors fuel speculation; what home buyer wouldn’t like a 50% discount?

“But buyer beware” said one realtor, “the truth is both the banks and construction companies are sending in their own ‘dummy bidders’ to drive up the auction price.”

“They know what they want to get for the house and they drive up the bidding to get to that price. The banks and construction companies can’t lose: they either get their price or don’t. They are not going to take it on the chin…at least just yet.”

Part of the boom in the interior was caused by Bay Area commuters looking for more affordable housing that they could pay for with high paying Bay Area jobs. But as gas approaches $4 a gallon commute costs have skyrocketed. So the poor commuter is not only seeing their home equity plummet but their commuting costs are constantly going up. For many Bay Area commuters, buying in Tracy or Merced was a big mistake.

Even many of the Latino immigrants have decided the American Dream is no longer for them. Most can tell of a cousin or brother that signed on the subprime dotted line and then walked away when they could not afford a $3800 a month mortgage.

Many of these immigrants are now saving up and planning to return and buy property in Mexico, which in many areas of Mexico is affordable if one earns U.S. dollars. Mexico is the next real estate boom. The California real estate industry itself is in a transition as it is going through a decline, consolidation and subsequent “shake out.”

“The hobby and part time realtors have closed up shop and gone back to what they were doing before the boom,” said one Aptos realtor, “some are getting bought up by the bigger players who are better positioned to weather this storm.”

We’ll see how this plays out. Just remember it has taken Tokyo a good decade for the real estate market to correct itself. It’s just not clear if California actually has a decade to make that correction.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Deal

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Some say that the real estate market is in a depression. Others call it a recession. Others are in complete denial. The third parties are usually those in politics or real estate agents. Anyone who is trying to sell a home knows it is bad out there. But the good news is that as bad as it is for sellers, it is a great market for buyers.

Anyone who has money to invest should invest part of it in real estate. There are three different reasons for this: The interest rates are rock bottom and not likely to get any lower, the housing prices are lower than ever and the market will eventually rebound. You can still make money today in real estate; you just have to look at the property as a long term investment instead of the quick buck.

The days of flipping real estate properties that are accumulating so fast in value that you cannot keep up with them are gone for now. They will most likely return, but not for a while. Now you have to work with what you have which is a real estate market in which there are a lot more sellers than buyers. This puts the buyer in the driver’s seat.

Along with the fact that it is a buyers market, you can also work with the fact that the mortgage rates are lower than ever. So you have an opportunity to buy low because the market is saturated with homes for sale and not enough buyers as well as an opportunity to get a good loan package because the rates are low and lenders are dying to make loans so that they can stay in business.

If you have money to spend on real estate, you are in a great situation today in the real estate market. Look at the real estate investment as a long term investment instead of a short, get rich quick scheme. You can make money when the bubble begins to grow again, and it will. The real estate market goes up and down like the stock market. It will rebound.

You can make money today in real estate but you have to make smart choices. Purchase property in areas where the housing prices have remained stable. Also look at the growth in your area. Where is the next boom likely to hit? This is speculation, but if you track trends in the real estate market and do a little bit of a study, you can see the next area where developers will likely target. This is a good place to buy real estate, even if it is just a vacant lot.

Real estate is usually always a good investment, especially if you plan to live in the property. However, it should be looked upon as a good long term investment and not a way to get rich quick.

Heather Seitz

http://www.articlesbase.com/business-ideas-articles/making-money-in-todays-real-estate-market-428349.html

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If you are interested in buying real estate there are many ways that you can go about doing this.

(there is a free ebook, that shows you how you can make $50,000 per deal from preconstruction for you to download at the bottom of this page)

Not only can you buy new homes, but there are also other options available such as rental and commercial properties.

But even on top of all those options, there is still one that you may have forgotten about.

Have you ever heard of preconstruction real estate? If not, you should look into what this sector of the industry has to offer.

When it comes down to it you may be able to make a lot of money off of preconstruction real estate, or simply find a home that suits your every need.

The good thing about preconstruction real estate is that it is not hard to understand.

Generally speaking, preconstruction real estate is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. This is real estate that you can buy before it is ever built.

In other words, instead of buying a home that is already standing, you will pay for something that is still in the preconstruction stage.

While this may not seem like a good idea to you, there are a lot of people in today’s real estate world who are moving in this direction.

No matter if you are an investor or simply looking for a new home you may be able to benefit from what preconstruction real estate has to offer.

The first thing to know about preconstruction real estate is that it is not as widely available as homes that are already standing. The reason for this is that the number of built homes far outnumbers the ones that are going up.

But with that being said, developers are always looking to build new plans of homes so that they can make their money as well.

This is where you come into play and find preconstruction real estate that is for sale.

The best way to locate these properties is to search the real estate section in your local paper. This will give you information on a number of different preconstruction real estate sales in your area.

The biggest advantage of preconstruction real estate is that you will have the ability to buy a home that has yet to be lived in.

This works to your advantage because you can be ensured that the home is in perfect working condition when you move in.

This benefit is what draws so many people towards preconstruction real estate year in and year out.

All in all, preconstruction real estate is a great option to consider if you are in the market.

You might as well look into what this sector of the real estate industry has to offer. You may find out that this is the perfect option for you.

This has often been one of the most profitable ways to deal in real estate.

Geri Mason

http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/how-real-estate-preconstruction-can-be-a-great-profit-maker-96668.html

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Contact: Diana Mercer
David Lyng Real Estate Capitola
(831) 234-1346
diana@isellsantacruz.com
for more information about this home.

Wonderful Sunny Home in Scotts Valley!

Great 2 story home in sunny Scotts Valley. Walking distance to school & park. Home is sunny & bright. The great room has glass sliders to private decks & lovely gardens. Cathedral ceilings, bamboo and Pergo type floors. The kitchen is spacious with tile counters, breakfast bar & adjoining living room. Master suite is sweet with the master bath with custom tile floors, separate shower & tub! Perfect for relaxing in your tub! Deck living and front gardens. 2 car garage & more! Come visit me!

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