The Power of an Open House

We are getting ready to transition into yet another year of our successful Real Estate career. There are less than two weekends left in 2016 with Christmas falling on a Sunday. 

In Realtor-speak this really means we have only 2 opportunities left to hold open houses.

We were fortunate this year to have a steady flow of properties for sale and also a great network of fellow Realtors who will ask personally for us when they are unable to hold their own listings open.  There was no shortage of Open House opportunities. 

We held Open Houses in the pouring rain when it was so wet the streets were flooding. There were Open Houses where so many people showed up we couldn't keep track. There were also Open Houses on days where no one showed up.  There were weekends where we were spread out anywhere between the Los Gatos Mountains all the way to Soquel. We met some wonderful people; we met some not so wonderful people. We had signs break- some could be mended while others were beyond repair. There was no shortage of dull moments. But if I had to sum it all up into one succinct sentence.......

In 2016 we did A LOT of open houses. 

I take a lot of pride in being able to say this.  After all, Angel was assistant coaching our son's  competitive soccer team. Games were played on the weekend anywhere between Aptos to Palo Alto or Morgan Hill.  Our daughter was playing on a Mid-County recreational team. Add to the mix client showings, birthday parties, social events, holidays, and LIFE in general, we often found our calendar was overflowing. There were weekends when I didn't think we could do it all. Something would have to give. Would it be work or family?  But in the end as I sit and reflect, we didn't miss one game, our social life didn't end, and we still did A LOT of open houses.

Just how many? Take a guess!  LIKE our Business Facebook page and COMMENT on this post with your guess. The winner will receive a gift card.  The winning gift card will be the same dollar amount as the winning guess.

Aimee Thayer-Garcia is a Real Estate Broker Associate at Bailey Properties. She is a Top-Producing Agent and practices Real Estate full time with her husband, Angel Garcia. Mom of 3. 831-435-9146. ATGarcia@BaileyProperties.com

How to House Hunt with Kids

Take it from me, I have lots of experience with kids.  50% of my clients have house-hunted and purchased homes with kids in tow.   I've shown hundreds of properties to families with children ranging in age from newborn to 17 years and families ranging in size from 1 kid to 6 kids!

House-hunting can be overwhelming. Here are some tips I have found which keep the process simple AND productive.

Be Realistic about Showings 

In a perfect world, if you can line up childcare (nanny, playdate, or grandparents?) you'll get the most out of your house-hunting experience. But the world isn't always perfect, so if you do need to bring the kids along the most important piece of advice is really very simple: Be Realistic About Showings.  
We've found 6 homes to be a reasonable number of properties for adults to see in one showing. Anything beyond 6 and it's no longer a good use of time. Fatigue sets in, properties start blurring together, and inevitably someone ends up being "hangry" (hungry + angry.)

With kids along for the ride, we like to limit the number of homes we see to 3.  It's still novel, fun, and exciting for the little ones. We'll pick the 3 that we think is the best fit and the best use of your time.  We tour all of the homes every week and you can be sure we are only going to show your family the houses that best meet your needs- location, condition, and budget all being taken into consideration.

Work with an Agent that understands Kids

I've seen and done it all. Diaper change in the backseat, check. Pit stop for nursing mom, check. Flower gathering while Mom and Dad take final measurements, check. I'm an expert at multi-tasking.  (I'm a mom after all!)  I know how to get down on their level and keep them occupied while simultaneously working with you to come up with the best plan of action to get your offer accepted.  Being a parent, I also understand there are the cries for attention and the Def-Com 10 cries which mean there's actual real injury involved. If buyers are ok talking over the cries for attention, there's no judgement from me! On the other side, I also know there will be real moments when the kids come first and house-hunting may need to be postponed.

Our Crazy Brood. Lilly.

Our Crazy Brood. Micha.

Our Crazy Brood. Leo.

Having kids also gives us an advantage because we know the schools! Whether you're looking for the best-rated schools, after school care options, dual immersion programs, or a sense of community we can show you strengths (and weaknesses) of most of the schools in Santa Cruz County.  Plus, we donate $500 to the school of your choice at the successful close of escrow to start you off with a warm welcome.

Play Tag

Especially with young children in carseats, it's ok to play tag with your partner.  Often, parents spend more time unbuckling and buckling their kids into car seats than they do actually looking at a home.  It's ok to leave the kids in the car with your partner and then "tag" the other when it's time. Trust me, your sleeping infant won't be disappointed they didn't see the hardwood floors or crown moulding.

When looking at homes that are occupied, this can be an especially useful tool as well. You'll be less worried about the kids climbing on furniture or the possibility of breaking something.  If leaving them in the car is not an option, having them play in the backyard also works well.

RELAX

Relax. Children are resilient and they're tough.  So take a cue from them and approach your house-hunt with the same enthusiasm and energy.  All will be well when you're in good, professional hands.

Aimee Thayer-Garcia is a Real Estate Broker Associate at Bailey Properties. She is a Top-Producing Agent and practices Real Estate full time with her husband, Angel Garcia. Mom of 3. 831-435-9146. ATGarcia@BaileyProperties.com

Back to School Bucks.

JUST SOLD!!!

Thanks to K.P.  and her recent sale in Santa Cruz, we are able to offer a $250 donation to a local school.

Since Back to School Shopping is upon us, we thought it would be fun to offer the funds to a local teacher to be able to spend on Classroom Supplies or Student Enrichment.

Nominate a Teacher by August 24, 2016 at 5pm and let us know why they should receive the Back to School Bucks. We will post the receiving Teacher on September 1, 2016.

Nominate your Teacher by commenting on our Facebook page at :

https://www.facebook.com/aimeeandangel/

Is Bigger always Better?

You've seen it happen.  You know what I'm talking about. 


Your favorite hole-in-the-wall place to eat takes a leap of faith and moves to a larger space. They expand their menu and the place that once had a line out the door at lunch and dinner can now accommodate dining for 100 people.

Is Bigger always Better?

Expansion is tricky.  You have to balance on the (very) fine line between being able to physically serve more guests while still retaining the charm and exclusivity of the smaller, original location.  Don't forget the Food and Quality. If you expand at the expense of the Food and Quality, you might as well save the time, money, and effort and just close up shop.

Lillian's Original Location

We've been watching the impending move Lillian's was going to make from their small, intimate dining room to the much larger space behind the Post Office. Literally, we've seen the construction and work in progress as we drive by on a daily basis.

Angel and I ask each other regularly:
Will they make it work?

What will it look like?

Will they be able to fill tables?

Are they making a mistake?

Is Bigger Better?

These little monsters were at Grandma's.

Last night we decided to take a chance and try out their new, much bigger location. We know from experience Lillian's always has a line.  We were ready to wait for a good half an hour. I mean, how long could the wait be on a Saturday night at 8pm?

90 minutes.

Yup, 90 minutes is right. Woah. Well, if we're going to wait 90 minutes for a meal we might as well take advantage of it tonight since we are kid-free!!!

We waited. We wined. We dined. The Food AND the Service was spot on. Our server Savannah was sweet and attentive and did her job selling us the specials.  We started with the 1/2 dozen raw oysters. Raw Oysters are one of our favorite things to eat and we are always shocked by how few restaurants in our beach community choose to offer these on a regular basis. We live next the OCEAN for goodness sakes.

I ordered the Spicy Prawns in Fettucini.  We like spicy food and we can handle the heat. We were not disappointed. The double chili icon next to the meal description was right on target. Angel ordered the special, Raviolis and sliced portabello mushrooms. Our only criticism was that the plating was less than stellar. The flavors worked, but visually the entree looked more like a small plate or appetizer.

Is Bigger Better?  In Lillian's case, Yes. However, Bigger still hasn't helped with the wait time for a table. Plan on making a reservation or waiting 90 minutes on a busy night.

The food was so good we were
too busy eating to take
pictures.  This is the only
 photo we snapped at the
new Lillian's.

Aimee Thayer-Garcia is a Real Estate Broker Associate at Bailey Properties. She is Top-Producing Agent and practices Real Estate full time with her husband, Angel Garcia. Mom of 3.  831-435-9146. ATGarcia@BaileyProperties.com

East End GastroPub: The much-needed newest addition to Kings Plaza Shopping Center

In the spirit of "neighborhood research" we decided a trip to East End Gastropub was in order. 

Open for less than two weeks we were excited to see what the owners of West End Tap had in store for Capitola.  As it stands, Angel and I are HUGE fans of West End Tap. Two words: Salmon Board.  If you’re regulars of this hip eatery located at the end of Mission St you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about.

Our first trip to East End actually turned out to be hugely unsuccessful.  Maybe we were trying to be ambitious showing up at 7:30 on a Thursday evening; but once we were actually able to FIND the place, there was an hour wait for a party of 4.  With kids in tow, we decided our neighborhood research could wait another day.  

Don't Get Lost

I sure hope East End owners will contact Google and get their map updated. (Hint, hint.) But, in the meantime, East End Gastropub is located right across from the Cinelux inside the shopping center, tucked on a corner next to Palace Art and Office Supply and Flying Crane Massage.  Massage, Craft Beer, and Office supplies; Anyone? If you Google map yourself to 1501 38th Ave or 1501 41st Ave (depending on where you’re pulling your directions), you’ll end up driving up and down 38th Ave. There’s no signage for the new Gastropub on 38th Ave or 41st Ave.

Despite the lack of signage and proper Google directions, this new eatery doesn’t seem to be having a problem drawing in business. Our second attempt was for an early dinner at 4pm on Friday evening. We were a party of 5 and were seated right away. We timed it just right, because over the course of the next hour, the place filled up quite quickly. 

The Menu (No pictures! We are that family that puts away our phones at dinner!)

Angel and I ordered the Goat Cheese & Bacon pizza, lamb chop (small plate), and brussel sprouts (small plate.)  The brussel sprouts were undeniably both of our favorites. Portions were plenty as we went home with 1/2 of the pizza for leftovers.   Our oldest ordered a hamburger.  Her french fries were crispy and seasoned well. The two small kids ordered from the kids options ($8): chicken tenders and a cheese pizza.  Food Hack Alert: The kids cheese pizza is a full pizza pie. It easily would have fed both our 6 and 8 year old.  

Miscellaneous, but important details

The two bathrooms were very clean and one even had a baby changing station.  Although we are no longer in need of a changing station, most of our friends, family, and clients do still have babies in tow. Service was great.  From the hostess to the wait and bus staff, everyone was very friendly and on-point.

4 Stars

I give this place 4 out of 5 stars. I would love to see a flight of wine offered.  After all, they do offer two beer samplers. With a great selection of wines, it would be great to be able to order a tasting flight.  Will we go out of our way to return?  I'm not sure. It's equally distant for us to head to East End or West End, and I do love that Salmon Board. 

Aimee Thayer-Garcia is a Real Estate Broker Associate at Bailey Properties. She is Top-Producing Agent and practices Real Estate full time with her husband, Angel Garcia. Mom of 3.  831-435-9146. ATGarcia@BaileyProperties.com

Use your Tax Return to take years off your Mortgage

T-minus 38 days and counting until the IRS deadline for filing Tax Returns.


With the various credits and deductions related to housing, children, and retirement contributions, most people we know are fortunate enough to receive a sizable return every year. I'm always curious to see where people spend their tax refund.

Does the money go to pay down debt, fund the next family vacation, or finance the bathroom
remodel?


I always encourage clients, friends, and family to make an extra mortgage payment once that refund arrives.  I'll be the first to admit it doesn't seem very glamorous or exciting to make an extra mortgage payment.   Why would anyone do that when they could spend the week on a tropical beach in an exotic locale?  There's no instant gratification in making an extra mortgage payment, no box that arrives with Amazon Prime tape, and no girls weekend in the City.


You make the payment and then move on.  The reward may not come until much later, but I promise it will be sweet.  You see, making ONE extra payment a year will save you about FOUR+ years in mortgage payments.


Let's break down the basic math.

Assume you have a $500,000 30 year mortgage with a 4.0% interest rate. Your payment is about $2,387 a month. Make one extra payment with your tax refund and you will reduce your mortgage by 4 years, 2 months and save over $58,000 in interest.

Now what would you do with an extra 4 years of NO mortgage payments?

Aimee Thayer-Garcia is a Real Estate Broker Associate at Bailey Properties. She is Top-Producing Agent and practices Real Estate full time with her husband, Angel Garcia. Mom of 3.  831-435-9146. ATGarcia@BaileyProperties.com

Proper Driving Etiquette for a Roundabout

If you've been down to the Wharf & Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, you may have noticed drivers scratching their heads with a bewildered look on their face as they come upon the intersection of Pacific Ave, West Cliff Drive, and Beach St.

Many US drivers have never seen a roundabout before and have trouble navigating this circular intersection.  In many other parts of the world, roundabouts are very common and even considered the standard.

Benefits of roundabouts (when used properly... emphasis on properly) include:

• less traffic congestion
• ability to perform a U turn within the normal flow of traffic
• reduce the likelihood and severity of traffic collisions, specifically T-bone and head on collisions
• better fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and decreased wear on brakes

Here is how to navigate a roundabout properly.

Here is how NOT to navigate a roundabout.

Santa Cruz County currently has 4 roundabouts in use. Two in Santa Cruz near Depot Park and the Wharf; one in Aptos at the Esplanade; and one in Watsonville at Clifford Ave.  Capitola has plans for the intersection of Bay Ave and Capitola and a second in Watsonville at Main Street & Freedom Blvd.

The use of roundabouts will likely be on the rise so remember to yield when you are faced with this circular phenomenon.

Aimee Thayer-Garcia is a Real Estate Broker Associate at Bailey Properties. She is a Top-Producing Agent and practices Real Estate full time with her husband, Angel Garcia. Mom of 3. 831-435-9146. ATGarcia@BaileyProperties.com

Making a Difference One Sale at a Time

About 6 months ago, Angel and I made a very public commitment to donate a portion of our income from every sale we completed. Since then, $1,250 has been given to Delaveaga Elementary PTC,  $1,000 to Santa Cruz Gardens Home and School Club, $750 to Branciforte Middle School Associated Student Body, and $500 to Westlake Elementary PTC.

We are firmly committed to supporting local school systems. We voted YES! on Measure O and P. We never miss the opportunity to help with fundraising.  We understand that it takes a village, and that every little bit helps.

We are lucky to have had the opportunity to work with very close friends of ours on a sale and purchase. This family designated the Santa Cruz Gardens Home and School Club as the recipient of the donated funds. Here is where the story gets really good.  Rather than just forwarding the donation on to the Home and School Club, this family advocated tirelessly to see that the funds would be put to good use.  The $1000 donation on its own wouldn't fund an entire program, but, with the Home and School Club matching the donation, Santa Cruz Gardens will be able to kickstart a new Science curriculum.


Science is Elementary will be made available for Kindergarten and 1st graders.  The program relies on a trained volunteer, utilizes small group sizes, and hopes to spark a lifelong interest in science.

Bravo to our friends, to the Home and School Club, and to all of the parents, students, and teachers at Santa Cruz Gardens.

A Tale of Elderly Abuse and Fraud

Working in a line of business where it's a necessity to have your cell phone number plastered all over signs, newspapers, and the internet can lead to some pretty interesting phone calls. 

Earlier this month, I received a phone call from a gentleman located in Idaho. He identified himself as a 2nd cousin of an elderly lady who lived in Santa Cruz County. This gentleman, who I'll refer to as Mr. Smith, represented that this lady, who I'll refer to as Mrs. Jones, was like an "Aunt" to him.

Mr. Smith began telling me that he was going to help Mrs. Jones sell her property, valued upwards of $1.1 million dollars, so she could downsize into a smaller home and have some cash on hand to help with medical expenses.

My impression of Mr. Smith was not high after listening to him for a couple minutes. I think Mr. Smith thought of himself as a smooth talker; but what ended up coming out was a convoluted idea of how he thought I should help Mrs. Jones sell her home but never actually meet with her. In the end, of course, Mr. Jones thought he was entitled to 7-10% of the proceeds that could be wired to him directly for his "role" in facilitating the sale.

Nothing felt good about the situation Mr. Smith was describing. I tried explaining to him how our marketing works, the care that we have for our clients and the importance of placing his Aunt's property on the local area MLS.  Mr. Smith was insistent we procure and represent the buyer and sell the property off market for $1.1 million even though "it is worth much more than that." I couldn't explain to Mr. Smith enough how that was a serious disservice to Mrs. Jones.

By now, my internal alarm bells are ringing. Mr. Smith hasn't given me an address and gently evades the topic when I repeatedly ask, but eventually he gives me his Aunt's name.  He ends the phone call with lots of encouragement, saying he's confident I will get the job done because he's chosen me after all.   He plans to email me pictures of the estate so I can get promptly to work and find a buyer.

Angel and I had lengthy conversations about the absurdity of what Mr. Smith was trying to do.

Sell a property without ever actually meeting the seller? Not typical, but OK we've done it before with out-of-state clients.

Sell a property without ever having ANY contact with the seller and wire funds to a third party? I don't think so.

But the ultimate question: What if this is actually a real person and someone is trying to take advantage of her?  Surely, we must do something to alert this Mrs. Jones. The whole situation didn't sit right with me.

Mr. Smith was true to his word and did send me photos of what looked like a lovely gated, estate property with a pool, pool house, and wonderful views. Yes, I'm sure it was worth more than $1.1 million.

I decided to research Mrs. Jones and, sure enough, was able to locate a property that matched Mr. Smith's description.  Angel and I decided the right thing to do was to drive out to this estate and try to make contact with the owner to warn her of what Mr. Smith was trying to do.

Angel and I went out on a Friday morning, pulled up to the home and rang the gate multiple times. After about 10 minutes of no answer, I didn't feel right just leaving so I ventured over to the neighbor's house and asked if they knew Mrs. Jones. The neighbors, of course, were extremely skeptical of me when I explained why I was trying to reach Mrs. Jones.  I was asked to present identification and credentials.  Ultimately, though, I think the neighbors could see that I had nothing but good intentions and called Mrs. Jones.

It turns out Mr. Smith was actually related to Mrs. Jones and had recently visited from Idaho to help care for Mrs. Jones who was having health issues. But everything else Mr. Smith had represented was a lie. He was trying to take advantage of his own relative and commit what amounts to elderly abuse and fraud.

Mrs. Jones was, as to be expected, shocked and hurt by my recount of events. Nobody should ever hear that their own family is trying to steal from them.  The neighbors were appreciative of our efforts and asked if most other Real Estate Agents would have done the same thing. Angel and I explained that we can't speak for the rest of the Real Estate community, but for us, because of the high standard in which we operate our business and the genuine care we have for our clients, it wasn't an option to walk away and hope that nothing bad happened to Mrs. Jones.  We needed to make sure that nothing happened to Mrs. Jones.

It was a great way to start our 2016 out in a positive direction.


Aimee Thayer-Garcia is a Real Estate Broker Associate at Bailey Properties. She is Top-Producing Agent and practices Real Estate full time with her husband, Angel Garcia. Mom of 3.  831-435-9146. ATGarcia@BaileyProperties.com