I’m always pleased when people’s charity shines through; I found this at the Santa Cruz County offices when I was researching a property and thought you might find it useful.
It’s great to see that there are still social programs available, and I think this clearing house phone number makes the services easily accessible for folks in Santa Cruz County to obtain the help that they’re looking for. It’s also great to know that this service is anonymous for those issues that require discretion.
United Way’s service is posted as “…fast, free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in more than 150 languages. Trained specialists will help match your needs to local services.”
There is access to information on the following in Santa Cruz County:
• Housing
• Health care
• Senior services
• Child care
• Legal aid
• Substance abuse
• Many other public service programs
For a full list of services available or for more information, please visit: www.2-1-1santacruzcounty.com/ or call 211. If you can’t dial 211, then call 800-273-6222. TTY please call 415-808-4440.
David Morrell
Coldwell Banker
International President’s Elite
DRE License # 01301485
824B Mission Street, Santa Cruz, 95060
831-239-1255 | Fax 831-844-2313
www.DavidMorrellSC.com
Hardworking, professional, enthusiastic, and experienced.
Many Silicon Valley homes are now receiving multiple offers; many with all cash. The uptick for that market has been phenomenal, and is, in part, due to the declines in the stock market and the crazy goings-on in politics. The buyers see real estate as a safe haven for their money, and those getting loans are effectively competing to purchase because the interest rates are low. Santa Cruz County real estate is usually 6 months behind the pace set by Silicon Valley, so we are hoping some of their good fortune trickles over the hill in the form of greater demand for homes here, which will clear out some excess inventory and normalize the flow of homes listed, homes pending, and closed homes sold. We all want what is best for the consumer, which I believe is a level of inventory that gives buyers good choices and a level of demand that allows sellers to go on the market with some assurance that their home will sell if priced well, and if it has been properly maintained.
Coldwell Banker
International President's Elite
DRE License # 01301485
824B Mission Street, Santa Cruz, 95060
831-239-1255 | Fax 831-844-2313
Hardworking, professional, enthusiastic, and experienced.
Dear Friends and Homeowners,
Santa Cruz County has passed a vacation rental ordinance. This law does apply to residences within the incorporated cities of the county. There are many rumors out there regarding these new regulations, so I thought I would publish the ordinance as written. It's important to remember that these rules are born of the desire to keep neighborhoods quiet for those that live in these communities year round. I don't think that the spirit of the law is meant to quell the celebration of this beautiful county. People come here from all over the state and the country. We do not have adequate hotel and motel accommodations here; so many people choose to stay in available vacation rentals in the neighborhood. Residents rightfully want peace and quiet on their streets, so, remember, keep your parties quiet and calm, and show common courtesy to everyone here. It's civility, which is a good rule to follow in all things.
Thanks for reading this blog. I want to provide all of you with the latest news, as well as my impressions of our market. I will work to stay current with this blog, sometimes with cut and paste information, sometimes with generalized impressions of trends. Stats are great, but the pulse of anything involves nuance and interpretation. This ordinance was meant to keep peace street to street, though I'm sure to many it seems like over-regulation.
DISCLOSURE ISSUES AND DEADLINES RELATING TO THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY VACATION RENTAL ORDINANCE
By: Terry Rein
Bosso Williams, APC
Santa Cruz County’s vacation rental ordinance was approved unanimously by the California Coastal Commission on July 12, 2011. The vacation rental ordinance applies to a single-family dwelling unit, duplex, or triplex (including condominium and townhouse units, but not including apartments or manufactured homes in a mobile home park), which are rented for the purpose of overnight lodging for a period of not more than thirty (30) days. The vacation rental ordinance affects the entire unincorporated area of the County (but not incorporated cities and not the Pajaro Dunes area). Some of the vacation rental ordinance regulations include:
• Maximum Occupancy. The maximum number of guests allowed in a vacation rental cannot exceed two people per bedroom plus two additional people, except for celebrations and gatherings between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., when the maximum number of people allowed is twice the maximum number of guests allowed. Children under 12 are not counted toward the maximum numbers.
• Local Contact Person. All vacation rentals are required to designate a contact person within a 30-mile radius of the vacation rental. The contact person shall be available 24 hours a day to respond to tenant and neighborhood questions or concerns. The name, address, and telephone number(s) of the local contact person must be submitted to the Planning Department, the local Sheriff Substation, the main county Sheriff's Office, the local fire agency, and supplied to the property owners of all properties located within a 300 foot radius of the boundaries of the parcel on which the vacation rental is located. The name, address and telephone number(s) of the local contact person must also be permanently posted in the rental unit in a prominent location(s). Any change in the local contact person's address or telephone number shall be promptly furnished to the agencies and neighboring property owners.
• Signs. All vacation rentals are required to have a sign identifying the structure as a permitted vacation rental and listing a 24-hour local contact person responsible for responding to complaints and providing general information. This sign must be placed no more than 20 feet back from the nearest street. The sign may be of any shape, but cannot exceed 216 square inches. There is no minimum sign size so long as the information on the sign is legible from the nearest street.
• Posting of Rules. Vacation rental rules must be posted inside the vacation rental in a location readily visible to all guests. The rules need to include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following: number of guests allowed (2/bedroom + 2, children under 12 not counted; for celebrations and gatherings between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., the maximum number of people allowed is twice the maximum number of guests allowed ), number of vehicles allowed (not to exceed the number of existing on-site parking spaces, plus two additional on-street spaces), noise, illegal behavior and disturbances, trash management (e.g., trash to be kept in covered containers only).
• Noise. All residential vacation rentals are required to comply with the County’s noise ordinance (Chapter 8.30 of the County Code) and a copy of that chapter must be posted inside the vacation rental in a location readily visible to all guests.
• Transient Occupancy Tax. Each residential vacation rental owner is required to meet the regulations and standards set forth in Chapter 4.24 of the County Code, including any required payment of transient occupancy tax for each residential vacation rental unit. Owners of vacation rentals must obtain a permit and pay transient occupancy taxes. Existing vs. New Permits. There are two types of vacation rental permits, existing and new. To be considered for an existing vacation rental permit the owner shall provide a complete application to the Planning Department within 90 days after the certification of the ordinance by the California Coastal Commission, including evidence of payment of the applicable Transient Occupancy Tax. The benefit of obtaining an existing vacation rental permit is that no public hearing or notice of application for a permit is required.
AN APPLICATION FOR AN EXISTING VACATION RENTAL PERMIT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED BY THE COUNTY IF SUBMITTED AFTER THE 90 DAY DEADLINE.
Live Oak Designated Area. In the Live Oak Designated Area (“LODA”), a new vacation rental permit cannot be approved if 20 percent or more of the total parcels on that block are existing vacation rentals. In addition, no more than 15 percent of all of the parcels that allow residential use in the LODA may contain vacation rentals. Notwithstanding these maximums, each block in the LODA that has parcels that allow residential use may have at least one vacation rental. Staff reports that they believe that around 10% of all parcels in the LODA are vacation rentals, but this information has not been confirmed. If eligible, owners should move quickly to apply for an existing vacation rental permit in the LODA. The 90 day deadline is all the more important for vacation rentals in the LODA.
Life of a Permit. Each vacation rental permit runs with the land in perpetuity, except a vacation rental permit issued for property located within the LODA expires five (5) years from the date of issuance of the original permit.
Revocation of Permits. Vacation rental permits are subject to revocation as provided for in County. Code Section 18.10.136. A permit may be revoked upon a finding that any term or condition of the permit has not been, or is not being complied with or that the permit has been issued or exercised in violation of any statute, law or regulation, or in a manner which creates a nuisance, or is otherwise detrimental to the public health and safety. Following the revocation of a permit, no application for a permit for the same or substantially the same use on the same parcel shall be filed within one year after the date of revocation, without the prior consent of the Board of Supervisors.
David Morrell
Coldwell Banker
International President's Elite
DRE License # 01301485
824B Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-239-1255 | Fax 831-844-2313 | david@davidmorrellsc.com
Hard working, professional, enthusiastic, and experienced.
The 318 Pacheco house is a Craftsman style, with beautiful features. The neighborhood is a pedestrian walkway, so it's friendly. The garages are in the back, so people use their front yards. For many people it is their favorite street, though it's a little dense. All the frontages on the homes are 50 feet, with very few exceptions.
727 Pine Street has a different type of floor plan, with small bedrooms in an upstairs loft area that does not have a bathroom. Guests (or kids) would need to walk downstairs to use the shower, so some adjustments would need to be made to allow for a cohesive day to day lifestyle for four people. The finishes here are beautiful. It's obvious someone put a lot of love into the house. this house is ideal for two people who want a home office and a serene backyard.
The 116 Brookwood house is a new listing and will go fast. It borders DeLaveaga Park, so it's like you have a 1000 acre backyard. It's also on a flag lot, so there is great privacy. I live a few doors away, so I'm biased. It's my favorite neighborhood in town.
David Morrell
Coldwell Banker
International President's Elite
DRE License # 01301485
824B Mission Street, Santa Cruz, 95060
831-239-1255 | Fax 831-844-2313
Hard working, professional, enthusiastic, and experienced.
This past week the County of Santa Cruz median sales price went up $100,000 year over year, from $435,000 in June of 2010, to $535,000 in June of 2011. Year over year median prices in a small county can be deceptive; they work off a relatively small number of sales. In 2010 149 homes sold, in 2011 it was 167. However this number does reflect movement in the high end market. Despite 60 distressed properties (those listed as bank owned and short sales) the median price went up.
A different sampling of high end homes (listed over $900,000) located between Scotts Valley and La Selva Beach, listed over a time span of the past 9 months, shows that homes in this price range are selling. There are currently 144 homes for sale in this category. There are 23 homes pending sale; which are homes in escrow scheduled to close in the next 30-60 days. 55 homes sold, and the sales prices in most cases were within 5% of asking price. A few homes sold for over asking, and there were some homes that sold off market. This is a very high number of properties for sale relative to pending sales. Buyers in this price range have choices.
Sellers are willing to negotiate here in Santa Cruz, but in some cases we are seeing multiple offers. A home on Lisa Court went on the market for $998,000 and sold with four offers for $1,025,000. This particular property is in excellent condition, and the home is located on a quiet street and is near UCSC.
Numbers can be misleading, but they are an important window to an understanding of the nuances of the market. I would argue that even with distressed properties for sale, that we are in a normal market. People are moving here, and people are relocating to other areas. It's normal movement in and out of town driven by life circumstances. The buyers want homes here, and they are qualified for loans and have money saved for their down payment. This is no different that the forty years between 1965 and 2004, with few exceptions.
I have also noticed a palpable increase in interest for multi-residential properties. A ten unit complex near UCSC sold in 6 days, and is currently in escrow. Though this property is still a month from being a recorded sale, it represents a desire of buyers to invest in real estate in our area.
Coldwell Banker
International President's Elite
DRE License # 01301485
824B Mission Street, Santa Cruz, 95060
831-239-1255 | Fax 831-844-2313
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Visit me on the web at www.DavidMorrellSC.com
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