Keeping It REAL - by Bettsy Tyler

Accessory Dwelling Units – commonly known as ADUs if you are familiar with real estate lingo. These are the “tiny houses”, “granny units”, “In-law units”, backyard cottages”, “or secondary units” that you can build somewhere on your property to house well, your in-laws, granny, friends, or rent out for extra income. Many Air B&B’s’s across America are simply ADUs, or Junior ADU’s which means an area built within the confines of your home (basement, attic, master suite conversion.) Many people will buy a house because it has an ADU and that extra rental income can be quite a windfall in helping pay the mortgage. It could also come in handy if the folks want or need to move close to you – then they can help with your mortgage! There are many advantages to having these ADUs besides money $$$. But there is no doubt that having an ADU on your property increases the value mainly because of all the options they provide. Spare work out area, office space, music room, yoga studi...

Santa Cruz County Real Estate Sales - How do things compare to last year? Listings began to climb starting in February last year, a little earlier than usual, and reach almost 400 in April. April through September of last year (2019) there was an average of 350 new listings each month. Sales numbered about 240/month April through September. This year began stronger than last with February recording 340 new listings. Come March, however, new listings dropped to 278 and in April to 236. Sales dropped as well. Though it’s too early yet to see the Covid-19 effect, sales are definitely lower than last year at this time averaging about 160/month for March and April.  Having fewer new listings, it’s only natural to expect fewer sales. Taking a look at Months of Inventory is another way to measure what’s happening. Months of Inventory is a measure of how fast all the existing homes on the market would last assuming a) no more listings are added, and b) the rate...

We are in crazy times – that’s for sure. I have come to realize that liking where I live is a vital part of staying sane throughout this pandemic. Once I got over the idea of “having” to stay home, and after a few Zoom happy hours and email correspondence, I got a better grip on the idea. Others were telling me that that they actually kind of LOVE staying at home. And if they didn’t have to ever leave home again – they’d be all right with that! Really? I couldn’t see that. I miss my interactions with people; a handshake, a hug, touch, laughing over a good joke and seeing the faces of the people I come in contact with every day, once a week or even once every month or so.   It’s really odd to not have that personal interaction and makes me sad. But it’s only temporary. We will again be able to see each other and hug and laugh – maybe even about this virus once it’s in the past. Those of us that have lost loved ones will always remember this time as a sad and somber event ...