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The spring & summer months are the busiest time in the real estate industry. The sun is shining, kids are out of school, and people have more time to dedicate to travel and house hunting. After a busy start of the year, I decided to take a couple vacations and treat myself, because LIFE IS SHORT -- take your vacations! We went to Portland and Napa and had very memorable dinners. I figured it would be fun to share these experiences with you as they were trips/dinners of a lifetime! Below you will see some foodie pictures of our dishes from The French Laundry in Napa and Le Pigeon in Portland:

That being said, if you are a buyer or a seller, do not "sleep" on selling or purchasing in the colder winter months! Inventory is still incredibly low, so if you decide to list your home, you will get multiple eyes on your property. Instead of having multiple homes on 1 block for sale, your home will be the only one, making it more of a rare commodity and the star of the show. I do want to note that, since interest rates are higher, you need to listen to your trusted realtor (me) and get your home ready for market. We will likely never have 2-3% interest rates again, so you will need to put in some work to sell your property.

If you are looking to buy, you will be outsmarting the masses who are "waiting for interest rates to go down" or waiting for the warmer months to shop. You have less competition and more leverage to ask for discounts by getting the sellers to credit you money to "buy down your interest rate" or negotiating a repair.

December Holiday Gift Ideas and Business Spotlight- Inspired by Past Clients

Clients- Sue & Rick

Founded by their daighter and son in-law, Cotton Crustacean is a family-owned, pop-up

paleontology t-shirt shop and biology boutique based out

of Pacifica, CA (Bay Area); featuring original biological

illustrations drawn by company owner and internationally published scientific illustrator, Aaron John Gregory. 

Their shirts are screen-printed locally in the Bay Area on the highest quality, super soft, premium fit t-shirts made by WRAP certified brands like American Apparel, Bella Canvas, Next Level, and Royal Apparel.

"We’re sharing our passion for natural history, paleontology, marine biology, and ecology in hopes of inspiring wonder and conversation in people of all ages."

Client- Midge

Dreaming of a quick gettaway in nature?

Airbnb Gettaway!

Sunshine Ridge: A peaceful mountain retreat!

You have found the ideal place to stay while you explore this beautiful part of California. During the days enjoy Yosemite (40 min away), wineries, casinos, nearby lakes & the darling town of Coarsegold...or nothing at all on our huge deck. Spend your evenings in our HOT TUB & have your breath taken-away by the stillness & the night sky full of stars!

Sunshine Ridge is the PERFECT SPOT for a memorable family vacation or a romantic get-away

Clients- Niall & Katie

Niall Keogh is an AMAZING tattoo artist! He can work with all styles, colors, and fine details.

He is so popular that he works at 2 locations:

The Holy Scythe Tattoo 1043 Park Ave, San Jose, CA 95126

California Electric Tattoo Parlour 4637 Soquel Dr Soquel, CA 95073

To book an appoitment contact:

 Email: nkeogh@live.com

Clients- Marta & Anabel

Anabel's family produces local Watsonville honey!

Honey - Rivas Bees

Anselmo Rivas, beekeeper extraordinaire, based in Watsonville makes wonderful local honey 

Follow them on IG: Instagram

Honey can be ordered from the Homeless Garden Project in the link above OR can go direct to Litos Market, Deluxe Foods, Corralitos Meat Market, and Ace Hardware in Watsonville!

Clients- Forrest & Stacy Lippman

714-401-9693

Stacy runs her own Esthetican business here in Capitola where she shares space with Industry Hair Studios. She also used to work in San Jose, but now focuses on in-home visits as a concierge service in that area.

She offers an array of services! Extractions, redlight therapy, waxing, light peels, eye brow shaping and lifting, and soo much more!

I have personally been to her multiple times and I have very sensitve red skin, and she did not irriate it at all- just made it better :) She does not try to upsell you on any products, if anything she will show you the amazon link to order it at a great price ;). Call or text her!

Clients- Myrium & Nate

Both clients work as UCSC and have a wealth of knowlege.

Talking to Myrium is very exciting because her profession is something many of us dream about.

How many people can say they get to work with meteorites and talk about planet formation?! SHE DOES!

There are many scientific articles about Myrium, but here is a recent podcast interview she just did to learn all about planetary science!

SPACEPOD Podcast

Clients- Michelle & Danny

highperformanceelectric.net

Michelle and Danny own their own electrical company and have their office in Aptos and Watsonville.

If you would like a bid on any issues you are having, I highly encourage you to reach out. I am not exagerating when I say Michelle and Danny are some of the nicest people and would love to help update or reslove any electrical isses you are having.

Client- Melissa

Sleddinghillpottery.com

Melissa just moved to Santa Cruz from out of state. She is still getting settled in to her new home and embrassing living close to her family and grandkids.

Her sister in-law makes lovely pottery in in the foothills of the Appalachians. Although her items are sold out online, she does have more available. Shoot her a message and see if she can ship them for you-

beth@sleddinghillpottery.com

Clients- The Morse Family (I did sell my Grandmothers home)

The Original Ferrell's Donuts

Mike Morse happens to be my Uncle :). The men on my Dad's side of the family made their living embrassing peoples love for sugar and carbs lol.

My Grandfather owned a bakery and then went into sales of baking supples. My Dad and my Uncle both started their careers in owning donut shops. My father sold his years ago (before I was born), but my Uncle Mike still owns and opporates THE ORIGINAL FERRELL's DONUTS, not to be confused with Ferrell's donuts. Look for the OG in the title.

Locations:

Headquarters: 1761 17th Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

7765 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA 95003

5272 Scotts Valley Drive, CA 95066

Clients- Bela & Paras

Hopesclosetsc.com

Bela and Paras both in the tech world and are busy managing entire teams and major projects, but they still find ways to help our Santa Cruz Community.

Their daughter volunteers at Hopes Cloest once a week. I also met the director at my Rotary club.

They are a major player in the Santa Cruz community supplying youth in need with high quality second hand clothes, toys, and more.

If you have any kids clothes sitting in your closet and not sure where to donate? Drop them off at Hopes Closet. They are always looking for new socks and underwear.

Clients- Katherine & Matthew

Hitchcock Animal Shelter

Katherine and Matthew and I are cut from the same cloth in similar values and lifestyle.

Katherine and I both are major animal advocates. She fosters many animals for multiple nonprofits and has her own mini farm full of ducks, chickens, kittens, bunnies, and an occasional foster dog.

All of them get to enjoy their property they purchased in 2022 that they have tranformed into a beautiful flower garden.

Katherine had many non-profits/organizations she wanted to highlight, but one that needs the most help is the Hitchock Animal shelter. I have personal experience with them as well and they are ALWAYS FULL of animals and need help.

This shelter has 29 dogs and 38 cats! They are full and need fosters and adopters.

Client- Kathleen

Empoweredelectrolysis.com

Kathleen's daughter, Jaqueleen, runs her own electrolysis business in the heart of Santa Cruz.

She helps boost confidence by removing unwanted hairs (we all have them) while lightly removing each strand one by one.

I am one of her clients, and was nervous about pain and being red/swollen, but Jaqueleen was gentle and had no pain or irritation! I highly recommend going for a consultation. She does fill up fast!

Current SPCA Dog Sponsor...

Meet Minnie!

Loren is not just a realtor but an advocate for animal welfare. For every property transaction she closes, she sponsors a shelter dog's adoption fee at the SPCA. With an annual fundraiser and direct donations, Loren has raised over $10,000 for the Santa Cruz SPCA in the past two years.

Details Below:



https://spcasc.org/adoptable-dogs/

Santa Cruz Real Estate Data (November 2023)

These stats are from November. These are local stats, not national stats, which shows you that we are in a little Santa Cruz bubble compared to many of the headlines you hear on the news.

The market is NOT crashing! BUT every year when we hit daylight savings and it gets dark at 4pm, people are less motivated to tour homes after work. Holidays are also here, so people are a bit more distracted, but the serious buyers and sellers will be shopping and will be closing deals.

• We are still getting multiple offers IF owners did prep work on their property and are in a great location. Staging is also key!
• Inventory is down only 2% compared to last year- again, we are in a bubble here. You hear on the news that no one is selling their homes, but more people sold their home last month (in October) than in October 2022 when rates were lower. November is when we start seeing a small decline due to Thanksgiving.
• Prices are UP 4% from last year- I wish it was lower- again, we are in a bubble!
• Despite an increase in interest rates, the data shows there is only a 2% decrease in homes sold this year compared to last! Buyers want to buy and there is high demand.

Moral of the story: don't wait to buy, and the demand to purchase is still high if you are thinking of listing your home for sale.

Contact me for more details and to get started on your home buying or selling journey!

Great Listings

1182 Terracina Dr, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762

Live that Lake Life!

4 Beds | 4.5 Baths |4,060 sqft | 10,019 sq ft lot

Asking $1,325,000

Want to trade small beach house for a LARGE lake house with a pool & spa next to a Country club with sooo much golf?!

15min to Folsom Lake!

Did I mention the price?

3128 Park Avenue, Soquel 95073

3 Beds | 2.5 Baths | 2,272 SqFt | 5,053 SqFt

Asking $1,489,000

This is the home you've been looking for! It checks all the boxes from location to condition! Shop at the Cabrillo farmers market! Close to New Brighten Beach, The Farm Cafe,Bus Stop, convienent store, gas station & car wash just down the street. EZ freeway access. Meticulously maintained!

111 Lake Drive,#7, Boulder Creek 95006

1 Beds | 1 Baths | 600 sqft | $475/month HOA

Asking $399,000

This condo was completely renovated in 2018 with additional 2023 updates!

VA Loan IS assumable at 2.466%!

Down payment must be minimally $75,672.

Mortage estimated to be $2,002/month depending on buyer qualification.

209 Seascape Resort Drive,#209, Aptos 95003

1 Beds | 1 Baths | 628 SqFt | $1,194/Monthly HOA

Asking $649,000

Your own little slice of paradise at Seascape Resort in Aptos!

Private beach, pools, restaurant, and events!

CALLING ALL INVESTORS!

Owners can stay up to 90days/per year in condo, the rest will be rented out and become passive income.

Unit is managed privately and grosses about $90k/yr from airbnb/ VRBO OR you can hire the resort to manage it for you.

2165 Chanticleer Ave, Santa Cruz CA 95062

3 Beds | 2 Baths | 1,782 sqft | 8,102 sqft lot

Asking $1,200,000

(has been sitting for 65 days! Lets negotiate!)

Prime location in Live Oak, minutes from everything you love in Santa Cruz, and right down the street from Chanticleer Park.

This is a manufactured home built in 2000 that sits on a perminate foundation on a large lot.

Contractor lives in neighborhood and built ADUs for many neighbors.

See the 3D renders for an idea of what could be if you added an ADU!

999 Old San Jose Road,#79, Soquel 95073

2 Beds | 2 Baths | 839 SqFt

| Built 2023 | $541/Space rent

*ALL AGE MOBILE HOME*

Asking $480,000

Newest unit in park. All the modern features. Most park units are 15-40 years old, so this is chance to get a new affordable place close to town (approx. 1 mile to Soquel Village, Highway 1, 41st Avenue).

I have closed multiple deals in this park and know it well. It is one of my favorite family parks in Santa Cruz. No amenities, but in a great neighborhood in the heart of town.

First time Home Buyer?

The FIRST step to home ownership is uploading bank statements, tax documents, paystubs, and any other forms of income like stocks, mutual funds, and/or retirement funds with a trusted lender. They will look over your numbers, run a credit check, and check your debt to income ratio and see what you currently quality for. This is 100% FREE to do!

Once documents have been securely sent over to the lender, we will discuss next steps. Sometimes we will be ready to go house hunting right away, other times the lender and I will set you up on short term and long term goals

Are there any first time home buyer programs?

Yes and no, I will refer you to get qualified with at least 2 lenders to shop for the best interest rates and talk about the difference between an FHA loan and conventional loan.

Bay Fed offers a great first time home buyer program where almost ALL of your closing costs will be paid for! This can be about $10k in many transactions!

Find out more HERE

I got qualified, but it is only for $500,000, can I buy a mobile home?

I get this question a lot. In order to purchase a mobile home, you must apply for a loan with a certified mobile home lender. These are harder to find. There are 2 in town I trust and will refer you to. The age of a mobile home may also determine eligibility. It is a case by case scenario.

Publications

Goodtimes Santa Cruz, Women in Business

Patch.com Local Community Leader Nomination

Loren strives to help mold all Real Estate projects into organized, seamless and successful experiences for all parties involved. She brings a little Yin and Yang to her interactions with every client, vendor, and Agent she works with by creating meaningful personal relationships while maintaining structure and producing results.

Loren feels lucky to have been born and raised on the beautiful east side of Santa Cruz. Having began working at an early age, Loren would pay her way through college and achieve her Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Communications at California State University Monterey Bay while remaining debt-free. After College, Loren would continue to work while volunteering at a number of nonprofit organizations, only to then find herself managing corporate events at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk's many venues.

After working in hospitality for 10 years, Loren made the transition to Real Estate and fell in love with the trade. In the span of just a few short years, she grew from Office Administrator to Lead Transaction Coordinator (closing up to 115 transactions per year!), before becoming the Operations Manager of an entire brokerage. After years of assisting multiple Agents succeed and thrive in this industry, it was time for her to step out and bring that energy and tenacity to her own business and clients. Loren's goal is to assist every client and circumstance with purpose, intention, quality, and distinction.

Working in Real Estate has given Loren the opportunity to combine her passion for community with her ambitious work ethic to form a successful career as a Realtor. Loren loves working at eXp because, according to her: "Just like Santa Cruz, eXp and the Santa Cruz Real Estate Team have a very progressive mindset--the key to evolution and change--while maintaining their community-based core values".

During her free time, you can catch Loren walking her dog in the forest of Nisene Marks, swimming in the ocean at her favorite local beaches, or watching live music around town.

When choosing Loren as your realtor, know that you are helping shelter dogs find their forever home. For every escrow Loren closes, she sponsors/pays for a shelter adoption fee for a dog sitting in the SPCA. After each year Loren celebrates how many "humans and hounds" she has assisted in finding a home.

If Loren sounds like a good fit for you, feel free to contact her for your next big move!

Loren Morse, Santa Cruz County Realtor

"Housing Humans and Hounds"

Closing Deals in the 831 & 408 Areas

831-345-8912 | DRE#02115062

lorensellsrealestate@gmail.com