Category: Real Estate

Here in the Santa Cruz Mountains, September is an interesting in-between season. The hills are dry, fire season is still very much on our minds, and yet those of us who have lived here for a while know that the first real rains can arrive before we’ve gotten around to everything on our list. That makes September one of the… Read More

A review of 642 San Lorenzo Valley real estate listings shows buyers returning, inventory expanding, and prices holding remarkably steady. For this month’s analysis, I reviewed 642 residential listings throughout Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Brookdale, Felton, Mount Hermon, and Lompico from July 1, 2024 through June 2026. The results paint a picture of a market that is neither booming nor… Read More

From Logging Flumes to Creekfront Retreats By MaryBeth McLaughlin Long before the Santa Cruz Mountains became home to commuters, artists, retirees, and weekend dreamers, the creeks determined where people settled. Water meant survival. It powered lumber mills, supplied homes, and carved the canyon routes that would later become many of our mountain roads. In the logging era, wooden flumes carried… Read More

How the Market Expanded, Contracted, and Repriced Over the last 25 Years By MaryBeth McLaughlin When I’m out showing property, I hear a version of the same comment almost every week: “Wow… prices have really gone up around here.” But what’s just as true is that compared to Santa Cruz, Silicon Valley, or much of the Bay Area, the San… Read More

What Long-Term Rainfall Data Reveals About Timing the Market in the San Lorenzo Valley By MaryBeth McLaughlin If you live in the San Lorenzo Valley, you don’t need a forecast to tell you that the rainy season is upon us. You see it in the creeks rising, road damage, and the forest in winter mode. Still, the data behind our… Read More

The MountainEar Real Estate Update By MaryBeth McLaughlin If you’ve lived in the Santa Cruz Mountains long enough, you know we aren’t the only ones who tune in to the rhythms of the seasons — the squirrels do it, too. And this month, our flannel-clad mascot has one oversized ear tilted toward a sound we haven’t heard in a while:… Read More

By M.C. Dwyer Lower mortgage rates may help — but affordability and insurance still weigh heavily in buyers’ minds. Mortgage Rates & The Economic Backdrop After weeks hovering around 6.38%, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped below  6.25% at press time. That’s near the lowest point in the past 12 months, but hasn’t yet sparked as much buyer commitment… Read More