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You are here: Home / Archives for News

News

Vacation Rental Restrictions coming to Aptos?

October 5, 2014 by Seb Frey

There is a move afoot to limit the number of vacation rentals in the “coastal” areas of Aptos, specifically Seacliff, Seascape, and Rio del Mar. The limits would be identical to what is now presently permissible in the <a href="http://www.sccoplanning about his.com/Portals/2/County/Planning/policy/052-11LiveOakWeb.pdf” target=”_blank”>Live Oak Designated Area (LODA), which is the coastal area that encompasses Pleasure Point and the area near the Santa Cruz harbor.

If the restrictions are approved by the Santa Cruz county board of Supervisors, the designated areas in Aptos (SADA, or “Seacliff Aptos Designated Area”) would not allow vacation rental permits in excess of 20% of the homes on any one block. There is apparently a concern that the increasing number of homes used as vacation rentals would diminish the availability of homes used for long-term rentals, and increase the cost of renting in Aptos.

There are presently two streets in Aptos which have vacation rentals that exceed 20% of the homes on the street: Beach Drive, and Rio del Mar Boulevard between Beach Drive and the Kingsbury/Cliff Drive intersection. Under the ordinance, no new vacation rental permits would be approved on these streets.

The board of supervisors is to take up the issue at a public hearing on Tuesday, October 28 at 9:00 AM at the Board Chambers, County Administrative Building, 701 Ocean Street in Santa Cruz. People who are concerned with the issue, in favor or against, are encouraged to contact Supervisor Zach Friend or attend the hearing on October 28th.

We have posted some notes from the Santa Cruz County Planning Commission meeting on September 16, for those who are interested in learning more.

Seacliff Aptos Designated Area

Seacliff Aptos Designated Area

Filed Under: News, Real Estate Tagged With: aptos, county, rio de mar, seacliff, seascape, vacation rentals, zach friend

$1+ Million Aptos Foreclosure On the Market

September 25, 2014 by Seb Frey

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.

[CTA-Callout]

7429 Mesa Drive Photo Gallery

7429 Mesa Drive - Front of Home
7429 Mesa Drive – Front of Home
7429 Mesa Drive - Front of House
7429 Mesa Drive – Front of House
7429 Mesa Drive - Pool, Guest House
7429 Mesa Drive – Pool, Guest House
7429 Mesa Drive - Bar
7429 Mesa Drive – Bar
7429 Mesa Drive - Entry Hall
7429 Mesa Drive – Entry Hall
7429 Mesa Drive - Bedroom
7429 Mesa Drive – Bedroom
7429 Mesa Drive - Bathroom
7429 Mesa Drive – Bathroom
7429 Mesa Drive - Bedroom
7429 Mesa Drive – Bedroom
7429 Mesa Drive - Upstairs
7429 Mesa Drive – Upstairs
7429 Mesa Drive - Kitchen
7429 Mesa Drive – Kitchen
7429 Mesa Drive - Ocean View
7429 Mesa Drive – Ocean View
7429 Mesa Drive - Kitchen
7429 Mesa Drive – Kitchen
7429 Mesa Drive - Outdoor Fireplace
7429 Mesa Drive – Outdoor Fireplace
7429 Mesa Drive - View of Guest House and Pool
7429 Mesa Drive – View of Guest House and Pool
7429 Mesa Drive - Laundry Room
7429 Mesa Drive – Laundry Room
7429 Mesa Drive - Master Bedroom
7429 Mesa Drive – Master Bedroom
7429 Mesa Drive - Master Bath
7429 Mesa Drive – Master Bath
7429 Mesa Drive - Lower Hallway
7429 Mesa Drive – Lower Hallway
7429 Mesa Drive - Mold
7429 Mesa Drive – Mold
7429 Mesa Drive - Bathroom
7429 Mesa Drive – Bathroom
7429 Mesa Drive - Bedroom
7429 Mesa Drive – Bedroom
7429 Mesa Drive - Bedroom
7429 Mesa Drive – Bedroom
7429 Mesa Drive - Rear of Home
7429 Mesa Drive – Rear of Home
7429 Mesa - Redwood Grove
7429 Mesa – Redwood Grove
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

[Home-Price-Callout]

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

[Home-Search-Callout]

Filed Under: News, Real Estate Tagged With: 7429 mesa drive, altisource, foreclosure, hubzu, ocwen, real estate, reo

Aptos Real Estate Report September 2014

September 15, 2014 by Seb Frey

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

Filed Under: News, Real Estate Tagged With: condos, homes, real estate, townhouses

Mar Vista Read-a-Thon 2014

September 12, 2014 by Seb Frey

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

Filed Under: News, Schools Tagged With: children, common core, education, english, kids, library, literature, mar vista elementary, read-a-thon, reading

Run for Rio 5K Race – September 14

September 7, 2014 by Seb Frey

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:

  • Runner Signup Page
  • Volunteer Signup Page
  • Run for Rio Facebook Page
  • Course Map
Run for Rio 5K Race
Run for Rio 5K Race

Filed Under: Events, News, Schools, Sports/Fitness Tagged With: 5k, exercise, race, rio del mar

Gourmet Grazing on September 27 in Aptos Village Park

August 28, 2014 by Seb Frey

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

Filed Under: Events, News Tagged With: aptos village park, beer, cancer, dining, event, food, gourmet, wine

Hidden Beach Cleanup, September 20

August 21, 2014 by Seb Frey

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

Filed Under: Events, News Tagged With: beach cleanup, rdmia, rio del mar improvement association, save our shores

Aptos Real Estate Report August 2014

August 19, 2014 by Seb Frey

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

Filed Under: News, Real Estate Tagged With: condos, homes, real estate, townhouses

Walk Through Seacliff’s Amazing Past

July 28, 2014 by Seb Frey

The folks down at the Seacliff Visitor Center are putting on an event dubbed Walk Through Seacliff’s Amazing Past. It’s a 50 minute walk held on Sunday August 10th and 24th, and it starts at 11:30 AM down at the visitor’s center. Participants will learn about the history of the SS Palo Alto, and how efforts by big business to create Seacliff Park “a paradise of land and sea” were crushed in the 1920s and 30s.

You’ll learn about the beginnings of Seacliff State Beach, and how the local Native Americans, the Castro Family, and the Spreckel’s sugar cane empire all helped shape modern day Aptos. They’ll also talk about the notorious past of former Aptos resident, “The Madam of Seacliff.”

Who knew Seacliff ever had a madam? Sounds like a great way to get out and learn more about how Seacliff and Aptos came to be.

Teens on "China Beach"
Teens on “China Beach”

Filed Under: Events, News Tagged With: castro, madam of seacliff, seacliff, spreckels, ss palo alto

Aptos Real Estate Report July 2014

July 15, 2014 by Seb Frey

The median home price in Aptos in June 2014 was $749,000 – that’s up a healthy 13% from a year ago…but it’s down 18% from the previous month, when in May 2014 the median price was $914K. But last month was an exceptional month, when about half the homes sold over $1 million.

The sales volume was good: 29 homes sold, down about 9.4% compared to a year ago when 32 homes sold in June 2013. The sales-to-list-price ratio was a little weak: sellers received 97.43% of full asking price on average, compared to a year ago when sellers got 98.09% of full asking price on average. Homes sold in an average of 53 days, a bit longer than a year ago, when they sold in 48 days on average.

If you’re looking to sell your home, now is a great time: as of today, there are just 118 homes on the market, but of those, 40 are under contract, meaning just 78 homes are available for purchase. That works out to just shy of 3 months worth of inventory – still a very strong seller’s market.

Hula Girl
Enter our Hula for History Contest – win two free tickets to attend the gala event, August 8 2014!

When it comes to condos and townhouses, just 5 closed escrow in June, with a median price of $550,000 – which represents a jump of 50.9% compared to a year ago. However, that is a skewed number, since last year a lot of low-income housing units were sold on Canterbury Drive down in Seacliff. Condos sold in an average of 23 days, with a sales-to-list-price ratio of 27.6%.

There are presently 47 condos and townhouses on the market, and of those, 10 are under contract with 37 available. That works out to about a 5.5 month supply of condos and townhouses – still a seller’s market, but almost to the point of being a balanced market.

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 May 2014 was $914,000, the least expensive home went for $540K and the most expensive went for $3 million. Here’s what that kind of money buys you in Aptos today:

1941 Redwood Drive sold @ $175K, 2/1 816sf
1941 Redwood Drive sold @ $175K, 2/1 816sf
284 Hames Hollow, 2391sf, 3/2.5
284 Hames Hollow sold @ $749K, 2391sf, 3/2.5
166 Seacliff Drive, 2/2.5, 2807sf
166 Seacliff Drive sold @ $2.775M, 2/2.5, 2807sf

What Your Money Buys You – Condos

While the median price for condos in Aptos in May 2014 was $449,250, the least expensive home unit for $390K and the most expensive went for $925K. Here’s what that kind of money buys you for an Aptos condo/townhouse today:

2601 Willowbrook #7, 1/1, 784sf
2601 Willowbrook #7, 1/1, 784sf
180 Carrera Circle, 3/2.5, 1455sf
180 Carrera Circle sold @ $550K, 3/2.5, 1455sf
240 Rio del Mar Blvd #E, 2/2, 972sf
240 Rio del Mar Blvd #E sold @ $709K, 2/2, 972sf

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 July 2014

Filed Under: News, Real Estate Tagged With: condos, homes, real estate, townhouses

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