July 2020

Multiple offers are a given in today’s market

July 27, 2020But that wasn’t always the case. In the old days, when properties were often on the market for three or four months, they were the exception rather than the rule. The first inkling of a multiple-offer market in Santa Cruz came in the late 90s. Right around the time we began to see our first few million dollar home sales. Before that, the notion of a million dollar home in Santa Cruz was an oxymoron of sorts. That’s quite a contrast to the $900,000 median...

Traditional Paradigms

July 21, 2020The traditional paradigm of real estate teaches young Realtors how to sell homes. But the longer I do this work, the more I realize it’s never just about selling homes. That’s really the smallest part of the job. And thanks to an astonishing market these days, also the easiest. Real estate is really more about the profound life transitions that lurk beneath each sale. The all important “whys” that shape someone’s pivotal decision to move. No one sells their home for fun. Or decides to...

Summer is the new spring

July 13, 2020One of the side effects of the coronavirus is that it morphs the passage of time. The disruption of daily routines makes hours crawl by with agonizing slowness even as months fly by in the blink of an eye. The pre-pandemic days of late February are a lifetime ago and the normal progression from past to present has been altered. Which of course, seques into today’s column since the usual flow and regular timing of the real estate market has gone a bit wonky too....

Why do Sellers occasionally choose out of town Agents to list their homes?

July 7, 2020Today’s question: Why do Sellers occasionally choose out of town Agents to list their homes? It always surprises me when unusual signs pop-up or new listings come on the MLS offered by Agents who don’t live or work here. There are almost 1200 Realtors in Santa Cruz County. You’d think Sellers would have plenty of options right here in their own backyard. I guess I can think of a few reasons why Sellers might hire non-local Agents. I just can’t think of any good ones. ...