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Seb Frey

$1+ Million Aptos Foreclosure On the Market

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7429 Mesa Drive - Front of House
7429 Mesa Drive – Front of House

There’s now a $1+ Million Aptos foreclosure on the market! For the past several weeks up on Mesa Drive, there’s been a sign in front of the home at 7429 indicating that the home would soon be available for bidding on Hubzu.com, a foreclosure auction site. Weeks later, that day has finally come. 7429 Mesa Drive in Aptos is now for sale, with an initial asking price of $1.325 Million.

Obviously, with a price like that, you would expect something out of the ordinary – and this home is surely extraordinary! It’s just 12 years old, and has sweeping ocean views, a swimming pool, and a guest house, and backs up to a canyon full of redwood trees for plenty of back-yard privacy. It sits on a 2.475 acre parcel (although much of that is the aforementioned canyon), and offers 3,597 square feet of living space with 4+ bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and outdoor fireplace.

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7429 Mesa Drive Photo Gallery

Interested in seeing this in person? Contact Seb Frey, REALTOR® at (831) 704-6873 to arrange a private showing. Seb is not the listing agent, but he does live just a few minutes away and would be happy to take you on a tour.

See also: September 2014 Aptos Real Estate Report

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Be forewarned: the house does have some issues – hey, it’s a foreclosure! There’s mold in that thar house, from some kind of leak evidently. The carpets are shot, and it’s in need of a host of other minor repairs and refurbishments (carpet, paint, wood care and carpentry, etc.). There’s no doubt, though: this is a magnificent and unique home which somebody is going to be very thrilled to own.

While the MLS lists the price at $1.325 million, the auction site lists a starting bid of $989,000. As this is an auction, there is a 4.5% “buyer’s premium” on top of the winning auction price that the buyer must pay. This auction will allow the use of conventional financing – which is good news for many buyers who don’t happen to have a million in cash lying around.

Courtesy of W David Osborne, Real Home Srvcs & Solutions

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Aptos Real Estate Report September 2014

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Welcome to Prime Time, Aptos! Kids are in school, tourists are gone, and it’s time to enjoy the the quiet sunny days such as only Aptos delivers as we slip into autumn. As we bid summer a fond farewell, let’s take a quick look at how the real estate market did in the month gone by.

The median home price in Aptos in August 2014 was $721,500 – a scant 1.6% increase from the median price a year ago, which was $710,000. This is a 12% drop from last month, however, when the median price was $820,000.

The sales volume was low for the summer season: 24 homes sold, a drop of 33% compared to a year ago, when 36 homes sold in August 2013. The sales-to-list-price ratio was decent: sellers received 97.98% of asking price on their homes. Homes sold quickly in August, in an average of 45 days – much faster than last year, when homes sold in an average of 63 days in August.

Even though the August median price dropped considerably from what sellers got in July, it still remains a very strong seller’s market in Aptos. There are presently 70 homes on the market, and of those, 32 are under contract. That works out to a 98 days supply of inventory – just a little more than 3 months.

When it comes to condos and townhouses, 7 closed escrow in August, with a median price of $420,000. That’s a 9% increase over a year ago, when the median price was $385,000. It took a while to sell your condo last month – condos sold in an average of 93 days on market, and for 97.34% of asking price. The Days-on-Market number is exaggerated a bit by one of the sale sin Seascape, which took 479 days to sell.

There are presently 44 condos and townhouses on the market, and of those, 13 are under contract with 31 available. That works out to about a 3.6 month supply of condos and townhouses – which is a big improvement over last month, when there was a 4.5 month supply. It is clearly, once again, a seller’s market for condos and townhouses in Aptos!

What’s YOUR Aptos House Value?

Interested to know what your Aptos house is worth in today’s real estate market? Then head over to AptosHomeValues.com for an instant, on-line evaluation of your Aptos home’s value.

What Your Money Buys You – Houses

While the median price for homes in Aptos in August 2014 was $721,500, the least expensive home went for $378K and the most expensive went for $2.239 million. Here’s what that kind of money buys you in Aptos today:

1041 Cathedral Drive
1041 Cathedral Drive , 2/1, 1125sf, list $378K, sold $392K, 17 DOM – short sale
481 Vista del Mar Drive
481 Vista del Mar Drive, 3/3, 2486sf, list $739K, sold $725K, 55 DOM
638 Bayview Drive
638 Bayview Drive, 3/2.5, 2802sf, list $2,599,000 sold $2,390,000 68 DOM

What Your Money Buys You – Condos

While the median price for condos in Aptos in August 2014 was $420,000, the least expensive unit sold for $320K and the most expensive went for $855K. Here’s what that kind of money buys you for an Aptos condo/townhouse today:

3019 Corte Cabrillo
3019 Corte Cabrillo, 2/2, 900sf, list $320K, sold $320K 28 DOM – Measure J
2603 Willowbrook Lane#24
2603 Willowbrook Lane#24, Aptos 95003, 3/2, 1448sf, list/sold $420K, sold off market
44 Seascape Resort Drive
44 Seascape Resort Drive, 2/2, 1138sf, list $889K, sold $855K, 479 DOM – cash sale

What about the rest of Santa Cruz county?

Want to know what’s going on in all of Santa Cruz county? For a complete report on Santa Cruz county as a whole, check out the Santa Cruz County Real Estate Report for September 2014

Mar Vista Read-a-Thon 2014

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Mar Vista Elementary School is having its first-ever Read-a-Thon this year! This is a new fundraising initiative being organized by the Mar Vista Parent’s Club (the Mar Vista version of a PTA). Funds raised from the Read-a-Thon will go in large part to the Mar Vista Elementary library, which suffers from limited and outdated reading materials for Mar Vista students. The Read-a-Thon will run from November 3rd through the 14th.

As California seeks to reverse years of declines in academic performance, it has adopted the Common Core curriculum. With Common Core, academic basics such as reading and math are heavily emphasized. Mar Vista Elementary is a California Distinguished School, and aims to stay that way. It is hoped that by further encouraging students to read, academic performance will be further enhanced.

The Mar Vista Parents club is seeking local businesses who are willing to sponsor classrooms for $250 each – approximately $1 per student per day of the Read-a-Thon. Sponsoring businesses will receive:

  • Thanks on the Mar Vista Parent’s Club Facebook page
  • Logo placement on one flyer thanking everyone involved with the Read-A-Thon
  • Logo placement and thanks in an all-school email blast
  • Invitation to meet and greet with sponsored class
  • Placement on a banner outside the school thanking them for participation

In addition, the Mar Vista Parent’s Club is seeking “community readers” – members of the community who can come in to the school and read with the children, and perhaps spend some time talking with them about the reading material. The children would be thrilled to read with fire fighters, paramedics, life guards, law enforcement, doctors, lawyers – anyone with a good story to share and discuss!

If you have a local business and are interested in sponsoring the Read-a-Thon, or if you have a suggestion for someone who would be a good guest “community reader,” please contact Sebastian Frey via phone at (831) 704-6873.

Read-a-Thon Logo
Read-a-Thon Logo

My First Aptos Chamber meeting

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I joined the Aptos Chamber of Commerce a few months ago, at the beginning of the summer. Little did I know they have a summer hiatus – so the months went by with no meetings to go to. I’d long wanted to go to an Aptos Chamber meeting – for years I’d kicked around the idea of getting up at 7:30 and going to check it out.

Today though was the first meeting of the new Chamber “season” which apparently runs from September to May, so today was my First Aptos Chamber meeting. This meeting’s main topic was a farewell to Aptos/La Selva Fire Chief Jeff Terpstra. Many community leaders, including State Senator Mark Stone, and representatives from the offices of Sam Farr, Zach Friend, and Bill Monning came to honor chief Terpstra.

Chief Terpstra himself gave a funny – and dare I say it – heart-warming speech (I guess you’d call it that) which was well received by everyone in attendance. Lots of laughs and smiles. I don’t personally know chief Terpstra but I kind of felt like I did, a bit, after he’d finished talking – which is an amazing feat. Few speakers can generate that kind of connection with a crowd in such a short period of time.

A lot of the meeting was given over to individual attendees to introduce themselves and say whatever they wanted. For whatever reason, I’ve never particularly enjoyed these kind of round-robin introductions – especially when it came for me to pipe up. This one though was actually pretty cool – a lot of amiable, witty folks at that Aptos Chamber meeting!

When it was my turn to stand up, I introduced myself, and made an announcement about this web site, AptosCommunityNews.org, and how I’m offering free business profiles. Hopefully we’ll be seeing some more business profiles up here soon! Also, I mentioned that I am a new member of the Mar Vista Elementary Parent’s Club, as I have a son who has just entered kindergarten there – and that in that capacity, I will be contacting Aptos Chamber members to see if they would be interested in sponsoring a classroom for our Read-a-Thon, to be held November 4th-14th.

I met some great folks there at the Aptos Chamber meeting, and I am genuinely looking forward to getting to know more members and participating in the coming months and years.

Run for Rio 5K Race – September 14

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The Second Annual Run for Rio 5K Race will be held this year on Sunday, September 14, 2014. The run begins at 8:00 AM in Seascape Village, and the course winds its way through nearby neighborhoods. The fee to participate is $30 per runner or $120 for a family of up to 5. Proceeds from the run will directly benefit Rio Del Mar Elementary Parent Alliance which funds many important programs at Rio del Mar Elementary School.

Seascape Village Fitness and Physical Therapy is hosting both pre- and post-run gatherings at their Fitness Center, with healthy snacks and beverages and guided warm-up and cool-down periods. Seascape Foods will also be providing a post fuel station.

See also:

Run for Rio 5K Race
Run for Rio 5K Race

Gourmet Grazing on September 27 in Aptos Village Park

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Get ready for Gourmet Grazing on the Green on Saturday, September 27 from 12:00 to 4:00 PM at Aptos Village Park! This event is in its 11th season, and it’s a fantastic day of excellent wine, delicious food and, of course, live music! While away the day savoring the rich flavors from dozens of the most acclaimed local restaurants and wineries.

This event is put on by the Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit Group, and all proceeds from the event go to support the cause. Tickets for the event can be purchased here.

See also: Santa Cruz Cancer Benefits Group

Hidden Beach Cleanup, September 20

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The Rio Del Mar Improvement Association is joining Save Our Shores for a Hidden Beach Cleanup, September 20. Volunteers will meet at 9 AM at Hidden Beach Park to get cleanup supplies, and will clean Hidden Beach from 9 until 11 AM. Anyone who likes their beaches clean is invited to join in this important neighborhood event.

Special note to all you high schoolers! High school students seeking community service credit can bring their forms for signature to the event for “sign offs” and credit! Those looking for more information are encouraged to contact Fay at fayjoe1@yahoo.com.

See also: http://rdmia.org/volunteer.html

Beach Cleanup
Beach Cleanup

Aptos Real Estate Report August 2014

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I bring you good news, my fellow Aptos home owners!

The median home price in Aptos in July 2014 was $820,000 – that’s up a healthy 11.56% from a year ago, and up 9.48% from the prior month, when the median price was $749,000.

The sales volume was healthy: 35 homes sold, which was the same number as sold a year ago in July 2013. The sales-to-list-price ratio was a little weak: sellers received 96.35% of full asking price on average, compared to a year ago when sellers got 98.18% of full asking price on average. Homes sold in an average of 79 days, a bit longer than a year ago, when they sold in 61 days on average.

If you’re looking to sell your home, now is a great time: as of today, there are just 110 homes on the market, but of those, 33 are under contract, meaning just 77 homes are available for purchase. That works out to about 3.5 months worth of inventory – still, a strong seller’s market.

When it comes to condos and townhouses, 9 closed escrow in July, with a median price of $686,000 – which represents a big jump of 97% compared to a year ago, when the median price was $348,500. It should be noted, though, that a lot of units which sold in July were ocean-view condos located along Rio del Mar Boulevard.

There are presently 48 condos and townhouses on the market, and of those, 12 are under contract with 36 available. That works out to about a 4.5 month supply of condos and townhouses – still a seller’s market, and a better market for sellers than the previous month, when there was a 5.5 month supply of inventory.

What’s YOUR Aptos House Value?

Interested to know what your Aptos house is worth in todays’ real estate market? Then head over to AptosHomeValues.com for an instant, on-line evaluation of your Aptos home’s value.

What Your Money Buys You – Houses

While the median price for homes in Aptos in July 2014 was $820,000, the least expensive home went for $325K and the most expensive went for $2.71 million. Here’s what that kind of money buys you in Aptos today:

1008 Redwood Drive, Aptos 95003
1008 Redwood Drive, Aptos 95003
1/1 526sf list $325K, sold $325K after 16 DOM
1725 Cheryl Way
1725 Cheryl Way
5/2.5 2236sf listed $829K, sold $820K after 5 DOM
763 Las Olas Drive
763 Las Olas Drive 4/3.5 1503sf $3.45 million list, $2.71 sale after 59 DOM

What Your Money Buys You – Condos

While the median price for condos in Aptos in July 2014 was $686,000, the least expensive unit sold for $325K and the most expensive went for $891,500. Here’s what that kind of money buys you for an Aptos condo/townhouse today:

121 Seascape Resort
121 Seascape Resort 1/1 720sf listed @ $325K, sold $315K after 179 DOM
240 Rio del Mar Blvd,#Q
240 Rio del Mar Blvd,#Q 2/2 915sf listed @ $699,500 sold $686K Cash after 12 DOM
240 Rio del Mar Blvd #F
240 Rio del Mar Blvd #F 2/2 958sf listed @ $895K sold $891,500 after 12 DOM

What about the rest of Santa Cruz county?

Want to know what’s going on in all of Santa Cruz county? For a complete report on Santa Cruz county as a whole, check out the Santa Cruz County Real Estate Report for August 2014

First Day Back to School in Aptos

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Today was the first day back to school for many Aptos students. For some – like my son Aiden – it was their first day of school ever. Sure, most of the kindergartners (Aiden included) had been to preschool…but today was their first “real” day of school. For me, it was the first day that I’d sent any kid to school – it was a milestone for both of us.

As with many milestones I suppose, this one is bittersweet…for me, anyway. I can’t believe that almost five and a half years have gone by since Aiden was born in dramatic fashion at Sutter Maternity Center. He and I have done so much living since then – him more than me, I think, but watching him grow has enriched my life immeasurably. As much as I’ve cherished his early years, time marches on. We can’t go backward, or stand still: our only option is to move on, and savor every moment.

My parents came down from their home in Berkeley to see their grandson off. We all walked from our house, just a couple of blocks away, over to Mar Vista Elementary. As it happens, my parents had also dropped their first child off at Mar Vista Elementary some 42 years ago, when the school was practically brand new. My dad commented that it looked pretty much the same as it did back then…although I imagine the paint wasn’t so badly flaking in the early 70’s like it is today.

Some three and a half hours after we dropped him off, school was over. My son reported that it was “awesome” but yet, also “boring.” It seems that they didn’t let him play like they did in preschool. He said they spent a lot of time reading books and working with “pattern blocks” – whatever those are. He says he’s looking forward to going back tomorrow, though – so that’s a good thing!

One of the hallmarks of Mar Vista – and all Aptos schools, I’m told – is that parents are really involved with the school. I want to do my part, too, which is why I myself am a member of the Mar Vista Parent’s Club – our version of the PTA. I’m really looking forward to helping to make our children’s Aptos school experience be the best it can be.

Mar Vista Elementary School

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Valencia Elementary School is a California Distinguished School. It is part of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. The school serves children between Kindergarten through sixth grade, and has about 500 students.

See also: Mar Vista Elementary on GreatSchools, Mar Vista Elementary API Score, Mar Vista Elementary School profile on Movoto

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Mar Vista Elementary School
Mar Vista Elementary School