Real Estate in Santa Cruz County

07/09/2026

Pending sales have been losing steam since May, when the growth rate reached a selling-season peak of 4.8%. That coincided with a steady climb in mortgage rates driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which put upward pressure on oil prices and fueled inflation fears.

Pending home sales in August dropped for the first time in eight months against a backdrop of surging mortgage rates.

01/09/2026

41% of waiting homebuyers already regret not buying before rates or prices climbed further, and 17% say they'd have bought sooner if they could redo the last year.

Many overestimate current mortgage rates, a survey of 1,000 homebuyers found. Knowing the real numbers could open the door to homeownership sooner.

29/08/2026

"Homeownership is the biggest thing to create generational wealth, not even a question. Instead of rent, you have a house that rises in value, you're paying down the mortgage," Hertzberg said. "It creates real value, real generational wealth for people."

The measure would allow the state government to issue bonds to help residents borrow up to 17% of their down payment, requiring them to contribute at least 3% themselves.

26/08/2026

California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection Approves First-in-the-Nation Zone 0 Defensible Space Regulations

23/08/2026

There’s no question insurance has gotten pricier. From 2018 to 2024, average inflation-adjusted premiums increased between 18.3% and 43.3% across the four regions analyzed by the NAIC. But over that same period, insurer-initiated non-renewals rose much faster.

Home insurance premiums are rising, but that's not the only problem. Nonrenewals are surging, leaving some homeowners with fewer options.

19/08/2026

Practicing real estate professionals are living through historic industry disruptions—from tectonic commission lawsuits to rapid AI implementation. They don’t need another sanitized press release or a vendor-sponsored puff piece.

How Complacency is Surrendering Our Professional Value to Unregulated Algorithms

14/08/2026

Ten state attorneys general filed a lawsuit on Tuesday seeking to invalidate a pair of Office of the Comptroller of the Currency rules that allow certain banking institutions under its supervision to sidestep state laws requiring them to pay interest on mortgage escrow balances.

A new lawsuit challenges recently issued rules from federal banking regulators that preempts state laws requiring banks to pay interest on escrow accounts.

04/08/2026

Happy National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day

02/08/2026

Regional divergence remains the defining feature of this cycle, though the composition shifted modestly in May. Looking ahead, the summer market faces a more complicated backdrop than earlier in the year. Mortgage rates have risen to 6.58% as renewed geopolitical tensions push energy prices higher and keep the Fed on hold, a meaningful shift from the brief sub-6% window that defined the early spring.

U.S. home price growth edged up to 1.1% in May2026, with Midwest strength and Sun Belt declines widening housing market divides.

27/07/2026

The result reflects a buyer pool that has not fully stood down, even as borrowing costs hit their highest level since last summer.

Buyers stepped in despite the 30-year rate climbing to its highest level since August 2025