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Pleasure Point Oceanfront home a single story home for sale in Santa Cruz

Gregg Camp — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:17:00 GMT

Ocean View home with a private beach

• 1,600 sq. ft., 3 bath, 3 bdrm single story - MLS® $2,600,000 - Crashing Whitewater Views

Pleasure Point, Live Oak - This single level ocean front home in the Pleasure Point Surf area. Rare front row location with no street in front of you and just the crashing waves to take your breath away. Truly one of those locations you go WOW!

Property information

For a personal showing contact Gregg at 831-818-7524 or visit www.propertyinsantacruz.com

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Dining out in Seabright, East Santa Cruz...... at the Drunk Monkey

Gregg Camp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:35:00 GMT

We went to dinner the other night with a group of friends to celebrate a birthday. We ate at the Drunk Monkey, a new place that is sort of an Asian fusion place I guess you would call it. We had a variety of dishes and about 4 different appetizers.

A couple had steaks, one was a skirt steak and the other, I do not recall, but both diners like theirs. One had I think it was a mahi-mahi on rice with a corn and red pepper mix, very good. Another had the sea scallops, which were a relatively small portion of 3 medium sized ones, but also very good.

I had a Shrimp and sausage noodle dish they called a phad thai, but the name was slightly different. It was a noodle dish with a variety of sublte flavors and textures.

We had the Korean ribs as an appetizer, some ahi, and another dish that eludes me, I think it was a tartare. We all started off with the impression, this would be good and looked forward to the rest of our meal. We were not disappointed.

Dinners cost about $17 dollars for a main dish. We had saki as well as beer and wine. Definitely a nice place to eat. The husband chef and wife host/waitress made for a great combination. The Hungry Monkey is in Seabright, east Santa Cruz. It is located next to Brady's Yacht Club, a local bar, in the old Al Dente location.

Our service was good, the place seemed to be doing fine for a new dining establishment. There was inside as well as outside dining. I would recommend you check it out. Nice to have new places around in old spaces.

If you like being able to walk to good eateries like this and want to look at some East side Santa Cruz real estate in Seabright, check out the home here. Seabright is a great place to live with a different feel. There are lots of different housing choices here from ocean view homes and condos in Seabright to older beach cottages.

The Drunk Monkey is located 415 Seabright Ave,Santa Cruz, CA 95062 (831)713-5195. Don't let the odd prefix throw you off, the number is good. Parking is on the nearby side streets.

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GM's troubles are self inflicted; the 100 MPG Volt might help them charge towards salvation

Gregg Camp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:31:00 GMT

GM is a behemoth that the congressional leaders are wrestling what to do. Once again GM and the other automakers keep missing clues. As Toyota with its Prius and Honda with its erstwhile Civic hybrids have steadily been gaining ground, GM has been asleep at the wheel. Redux 1973.

The oil spike will be shown over time to do what common sense couldn't, change the behavior of the world and namely many people like you and me. The world is choking on our emissions and our economy is choking on its debt in large part because of George Bush. Not helping that is the fact we send 500 billion or so dollars overseas for our gas addiction.

While Ford has been proactive as of late with their Escape Hybrids, they have bought technology to get a foot in the door. GM is a latecomer, but has a real possibility with their car the Volt.

GM is working on getting the EPA to get certification of their technology forward car, the Chevrolet Volt at 100 MPG. No other car on the market now gets more than 40 or 50 miles per gallon that is generally available. If GM is able to get this certification, it will satisfy the driving needs of probably 80 or 90% of its car driving commuting customers, I suspect. I find as a Santa Cruz real estate broker I rarely drive more than 100 miles in a day.

Most commuters would be able to travel about 40 miles on its batteries, then the 1.4 liter gas engine takes over. The EPA has to develop new testing methodology in order certify this car. The car will primarily be an electric car, but the gas engine will be there for the range extending needs of its customers.

Since the classification as an electric car will allow it to shed hundreds of thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually, I suspect both parties are looking forward to getting this done.

Whether we have two major automakers of US origin or not, I don't think really matters in today's global economy. With quite a few foreign manufacturers on US soil and you and I buying the best product and value, often GM, Chrysler and Ford are not our first choices.

I am hopeful that GM with its new Volt due out in 2009 or 2010, that is will get it recharged and be the leading vehicle in its charge toward a leaner more effective manufacturer. Mangagment is largely to blame as you and I make the choices with our wallets. The executives with their fat salaries are not too keen to shake up the company, not saying turning around a battleship is a one man operation, but the lead has to start from the top.

While many decry the handing of billions of dollars without concrete assurances that further mismanagement won't continue to afflict the organization, the potential damage from walking away may be too severe. There are so many ancillary businesses and services that support or live off the those who work for the big three automakers that a flat out walkaway strategy would be more economically devastating to the region already hit by cash-flow problems.

Sometimes surgery and amputation is the only way to keep a patient alive. How they go on from whatever monies they get from this or the new administration will be seen. I am hopeful that they finally "get it" and the rest of the US wakes up t the fact global warming is a man made problem. The US as one of the largest energy users in the world needs to take ownership and responsibility for the problem and I think you and I are finally willing to do that.

The next administration in my opinion can serve us well by spending money on infrastructure of energy. Programs like solar, wind and natural gas production and distribution facilities can benefit all of us. Keeping our dollars and employment on our own shores, can help us achieve more energy independence, a cleaner emission profile, and stimulate an economic recovery quicker.

Spare the air day and help reduce respiratory problem...Santa Cruz unaffected

Gregg Camp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:28:00 GMT

The Spare the air day idea is fairly simple. If you burn wood based products, you produce smoke. With many areas this smoke gets trapped under the cloud layer and creates smoky conditions with high levels of particulates.The San Joaquin Valley is notorious for heavy low clouds and when people in the bay area burn, the prevailing winds blow it there where it gets trapped in the valley. This in part is what lead to the burn ban.

While the EPA had their phase 1 and 2 particulate reductions did help quite a bit, I suspect in part due to the high numbers of existing open fireplaces and non phase 2 wood burning appliances, the measure is in place.Now in the bay area and surrounding communities, the fireplace police will be out sniffing for people burning when they shouldn't be. The fines can be hefty, so listen up. The burn ban happens from November 1 through to February 28th.

Over the years many have gone with gas stoves or pellet stoves which burn much more efficiently. The new wood and pellet sotves, when burning hot are virtually smoke free. Santa Cruz Hearth and Home is a place where you can check out the latest and nicest fire places and gas burning appliances. Gas fireplaces are unaffected by this ban as they are clean burning and beautiful.

While we are lucky in that we have the ocean breezes in Santa Cruz to blow the bad air away, not all are so fortunate with their geography. Some of the Santa Cruz real estate I have seen have fireplace inserts, which burn more cleanly than a conventional fire place. Most all the new homes have gas fireplaces, which are very clean, need virtually no cleaning, and are pretty much smoke free. You get instant heat instead of waiting half and hour or so for warmth. When the wood stove or fireplace is done, you have a nice bit of ash to clean up. Good for the garden, but bad for the air, and you don't have nearly the fire hazard with a gas appliance. Consider the maintenance and work involved and you may decide gas it the way to go.

When you look at Santa Cruz real estate, one of the things you will want to check out is the fireplace, if they have one, for safety and warmth. These old masonry or even "zero clearance" fireplaces put out much more smoke and particulate matter than a new wood stoves or insert. Burning you fires hot instead of damped down is the cleanest burn.

Stop by the store at 844-17th avenue in Santa Cruz and see what your choices are. Going smokeless and sparing the air is a pretty thing to do. To check out the air quality in the Bay Area follow the link. Here in Santa Cruz or Rio Del Mar, the air is almost always fresh, but you can check out the air in the Monterey Bay and see what other environmental concerns might be of interest. The Santa Cruz air quality and wood stove rebates and other burn program information can be accessed.

Burn hot, burn clean, clean you fireplace and chimneys for safety and the sake of all of us. If you are looking for a Santa Cruz home with a fireplace, let me know and I can help you find it. A hearth in the home is a heart warming experience.

Clean your closets and help the needy with winter coats in Santa Cruz

Gregg Camp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:26:00 GMT

This is the time of year where we get together with family and friends. Often we give thanks for what we have, and reflection on the world. We are a nation that is reeling at the moment and many have lost their jobs. This is the time where we are most charitable, and now is an opportunity to show that in an easy to do fashion.

A local dry cleaners, Classic Cleaners ( 423-2630) is collecting, cleaning and distributing winter coats for the poor. Check your closets for those winter coats that you may have outgrown or forgot you even had.

Sometimes you find in storage, clothes and coats your kids outgrew long ago. These would be perfect for the families that need them. You can of course donate new ones, but many of us have plenty of serviceable clothes and getting rid of one or two would be a good thing.

You can donate your Santa Cruz coat and drop them off at Classic Cleaners at the main location at 609 Soquel, across from Shoppers Corner. Their other locations in Live Oak and Capitola also accept these charitable donations.

As we face more economically hard times in Santa Cruz County, these good deeds will be greatly appreciated. Santa Cruz real estate values have made it hard for people to make ends meet. With the Watsonville real estate market having a high number of foreclosures, many are now renting or left to scramble. Staying warm will be something we take for granted, and having a warm coat make life more bearable during these times of stress.

If you have other clothes, consider donating them to other organizations like the Salvation Army or St Vincent De Paul. They will often come and pick these items up. Like unused clothing that can be put to a better use if you have a home you would like to donate to charity or set up a beneficial tax structure so that you get income and the charity of your choice gets the proceeds before or after you go the the next chapter of life contact me at my site www.propertyinsantacruz.com or call me, Gregg at 831-818-7524.

Trashing out Santa Cruz... the holiday garbage schedule

Gregg Camp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:24:00 GMT

The holiday always bring an extra dose of work to those in the service industries. For some it is where they may their money for the year, for others it is where they work overtime to take care of us consumers.

As we gorge our selves on Thanksgiving or gleefully shout with joy at Christmas, the garbage men are usually working overtime to clean up from our excesses.

If you are a customer of Green Waste garbage service, please note that the holidays have changed the usual pick up times for garbage. Since Thanksgiving occurs on Thursday Novenber 27th,2008, your service will be pushed back a day. For those who usually have service on Friday, your garbage service will be on Saturday.

Christmas Day, December 25th, which is also a Thursday, will have the service moved forward one day.

New Years day, January 1, 2009 ( hard to believe it is so near), also a Thursday, will have the refuse picked the up the following day.

Please continue to recycle you Santa Cruz waste. Recycling is so necessary to save ourselves money and global pollution reduction. The cost of building another waste disposal site is difficult and expensive as no one wants to have their Santa Cruz home near one.While Santa Cruz real estate prices are coming down, the cost of land is still a big impediment. Recycling is the best way to keep the costs down, the pollution of our soil and air, and our local economy healthier.

Greenwaste recycling is something we can all get behind. So while you enjoy the holidays, remember to sort out all the recyclables that you can from your garbage. For more information, call 831-426-2711

If you are a City of Santa Cruz waste customer call them at 420-5220 for more information on additional pick ups, but your pickup days will not change for the holidays.

Santa Cruz lighted Boat Parade..family holiday fun at the best price- FREE

Gregg Camp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:21:00 GMT

The Santa Cruz Yacht Club is hosting it's annual lighted boat parade in the Santa Cruz, Ca harbor. This event is fun for all and it a free event. As it is done at night, be sure to dress warmly,mittens and scarves.

I find that unless you bike there, to bring quarters to feed the meters. I would also advise you to bring a thermos of coffee or hot chocolate and maybe even an umbrella in case it rains.

This fun local event is held at the Santa Cruz yacht harbor Saturday December 6th at 5:30. Come and have fun at the FREE local event.

If you want to come to an earlier event, the Tall Ships tour, Hawaiian Chieftan will be on display December 2nd -4th. This beautiful tall ship is pretty to just look at during the day. Check it out.

If you decide the yacht harbor is where you want to be and want to look at Santa Cruz yacht harbor homes, it is a great place to live with it's own different flavor. If you want to watch with a comfortable location, Johnnys Harborside restaurant has great food or the Crowsnest where you can watch from the coctail bar upstairs.

Santa Cruz Ca is once again a top vacation destination....Really?

Gregg Camp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:18:00 GMT

Santa Cruz is a place that seems to make it on many peoples vacation radars. Mostly we have vacationers from California, though we have many from out of the the country. When I travel and I mention where I am from, often people know of Santa Cruz California.

Some know of it as a surf spot, but many have heard it is a cool and pretty beach town. It is both those, but Santa Cruz is a place with many different faces for different reasons. Rio Del Mar beaches are great long beaches good for getting that long reflective walk.

Santa Cruz beach homes are often in demand for rentals when people come back once they have determined that yes, this is a cool spot to visit or live. Santa Cruz was recently named by a national magazine, Travel + Leisure as one of the 10 top spots to enjoy Christmas. Not sure why exactly, but hanging out at the beach for Christmas is actually pretty cool. Actually it is often warm and sunny, which may be the reason. Now you won't confuse our waters with those of Bali's, but Santa Cruz is a whole lot closer for most folks.

Travel + Liesure Magazine- Top places to enjoy Christmas

Some of the Top 10 places are in the states. I would think you could make a list of just California as well. The other spots are world wide. Here is the list of the Top 10 greatest places to spend Christmas,Santa Cruz Ca included.

Charleston, SC
Bali
Bay of Islands, New Zealand
Boston
Edindurgh, Scotland
Montreal, Canada
Munich, Germany
Park City, Utah
Puerto Rico
Santa Cruz, California

There are many beautiful lighted displays and different areas have appeal for vacation and holiday travel. For instance Park City, Utah real estate gets a lot of interest in the winter time, because is has fabulous world class snow, and has it's day during the winter primarily. For many skiers having a home at a ski resort town is great family fun year round. Many winter cities have a great summer business with mountain bikers and hikers too. Santa Cruz has nice year round weather and is not just a nice place to visit in summer. I think that probably the Rio Del Mar beaches are prettiest in the fall, though people come here for the nice beach weather mostly in the June-September time frame.

Santa Cruz has a wealth of natural beauty and activities from world class surfing, to mountain biking, kite board sailing, fishing and a variety of wineries to sample. Santa Cruz is a great year round place, and not just for Christmas. Santa often is seem surfing at Pleasure Point surf breaks or in Capitola, so check for homes in the area if you like to surf or go to the beach.

Good Deeds for a sick society and economy in Santa Cruz

Gregg Camp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:15:00 GMT

As a Santa Cruz real estate broker for 20 years I have often had the privilege of working for people that have lovely gardens. Sometimes these are homes have nice old fruit trees. When I have these Santa Cruz homes to sell, they are often vacant, it comes to mind what a waste of this lovely fruit or produce.

So in these difficult economic times it occurs to that as agents we can contact our sellers and ask if we can donate the fruit to a charity such as Grey Bears ( http://www.greybears.org/contact.html ) or Second Harvest food bank (http://www.thefoodbank.org/)

Please look into your pantries, talk with neighbors who aren't harvesting their bounty of their yards and give what you can to the needy. This time of year persimmons are usually around and are a great healthy treat and store well. Oranges are often coming into season, and sometimes a few lemons are useful as well.

If you know of a neighbor or someone who has a bounty, contact one of the above organizations or myself and we'll see what can be done to distribute the food.

If you feel like volunteering, the state has a program called California volunteers that is of course state wide.If you prefer to volunteer in our community, Volunteer Centers of Santa Cruz is another place to give your time as well as things that can be life changing for both you and the child by volunteering for Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Any of the above would greatly appreciate you help, big or small as the time or resources you can. Have a safe holiday season.

Sometimes just calling on a senior to cheer them up or a neighbor who is elderly, will give you and them cheer, so look around for opportunities. More than money your heart and help is need most. Don't get me wrong all these institutions need you support. Places like United Way of Santa Cruz help a great many organizations and are another one stop shot for donating to many causes, though you can specify which you want if you have a favorite. The spirit of the holidays is not about getting, but about giving and humanity. Be good to yourself and others.

PCS.... Santa Cruz high school 3rd best in the nation

Gregg Camp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:13:00 GMT

For the second year in a row, little Pacific Collegiate School, a private charter school is in the top 5 of all high schools in the nation. Following up on their last year being rated second with a third is not bad. Kudos to the kids, parents and staff on this achievement. While the school teaches 7th graders and up, it has a rigorous curriculum that "emphasizes international, cross-cultural, and technological education in order to prepare graduates for life in the 21st Century."

Santa Cruz has a wide variety of academic choices for students and people of Santa Cruz. For a list of the Santa Cruz schools that might benefit your child, follow the link. While some live in west side Santa Cruz homes, the kids can come from all over.

It has always struck me how as a society we say teachers are necessary and valued, but pay them peanuts. There is a certain disconnect as parents no longer seem to discipline their kids, so the task falls on teachers. Most teachers I know are fairly low on the economic scale but not on the college education needed to teach. Many other occupations pay more and have less of an impact on our future citizens. Until the citizenry decide education is more important and raise their taxes to increase the salaries, the good teachers will stay out of public education and go to places that value them more.

Santa Cruz housing is expensive and while the home prices are down, for an average teacher and spouse, a home is still out of reach. Thankfully there are some places that are starting to get affordable, even though just condominiums, at least it is a start. You can do a quick search for Santa Cruz foreclosures here.

Detroit Auto makers get it partially right..... great video future

Gregg Camp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:10:00 GMT

That Detroit has it's hand out once again, surprisingly not. Detroit has been making good cars, great cars and crappy cars for a long time. Their recent failures have been in part due to management not having a diversified view. The top management has fought tooth and nail for years against the higher fuel economy regulations.

The unions have been a grab all we can get too mentality, which is not healthy. So with the phantom energy crisis in the early 70's and the later one in the late 70' s where I recall waiting in line, odd and even days as necessary, it strikes me what we have is a management problem, not a, do we know how to make good or efficient cars problem.

The 70's illustrated you couldn't continue making crappy cars, as the Japanese automakers got their foot in the door and you and I as the American consumer bought the best product at the best price. Detroit's management screwed up, which was a benefit for all consumers. The UAW is not without blame for the high cost of labor. In part, because of that ,the Japanese and Germans are building cars in Tennessee and Mississippi. The workers do high quality work, and have a wage they find acceptable, and are non-union.

So the issue is in my view is in part resources were not focused early enough and in great enough quantity on renewable or alternative energy because the auto makers were so tied to cheap gas. American consumers are culpable too as they continued to support this short sighted behavior.

The good thing is that the Americans can and do, make some great products, and do have some good technology. Why is it that Honda and Toyota were working on alternative vehicles and bringing to production the Prius and Insight? Did they see the future? We have visionaries in American industry, just not the big auto industry. I-Pod anyone? E-bay? Just a few of the game changers we all know.

This video of the futuristic plant in Brazil gives hope. With good visionary top down direction, the US Automakers can once again make great affordable products. The vast chasm of executive pay at the US Automakers and many other companies is an excess that should be stopped. Maybe bankruptcy would be the best solution? The American worker can and often is the best most efficient worker in the world, so having them be part of the solution is paramount to the US auto industry regaining it's home ground advantage and having our energy resources within country. The Future of the global auto industry

Electric cars have the potential to do vast good. Think about it, less money over seas, less noise, less global warming,less health issues from all the particulates of diesel and carbon di- and mon-oxide.

I think the future can be good, but sweep out the top leadership that is in for more of the same. The high gas prices were a good thing as Americans are finally realizing that our dependence on foreign oil is not a good thing, and since we have been unwilling to install comprehensive mass transit systems, those vehicles we do ride around in, need to be powered with another source of energy from our country.

This video illustrates the need for diversity, innovation and a non segregated workforce.. Those corporate jets should be for all employees...... don't you think?

Santa Cruz housing price changes October 2008 house and condo sales

Gregg Camp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Santa Cruz home prices have changed again for

October 2008

We are seeing a similar pattern and a volumes that we have been seeing for the past year. The trend for more sales of the Watsonville short sales and foreclosures , has created a lot of buying opportunities. There are more buyers once again in the Watsonville market as the home prices have reach affordability levels not seen in years.

TABLE OF SOLD PROPERTIES BY City IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
County / City /Area	No. Sold	October 2008	October 2007	% Change Yr.to Yr.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY	164	$459,250	$664,750	-30.91%
APTOS	14	$662,500	$804,000	-17.60%
BEN LOMOND	6	$615,000	$580,000	6.03%
BOULDER CREEK	8	$322,500	$419,500	-23.12%
CAPITOLA	5	$780,000	$650,000	20.00%
FELTON	4	$420,000	$462,500	-9.19%
FREEDOM	6	$297,500	$209,000	42.34%
SANTA CRUZ	48	$600,000	$704,750	-14.86%
SCOTTS VALLEY	9	$730,000	$730,000	0.00%
SOQUEL	3	$440,000	$672,500	-34.57%
WATSONVILLE	59	$335,000	$510,000	-34.31%

The San Lorenzo Valley real estate market has been one of good opportunities as well.

Call me when you are ready to purchase so we can talk about the best opportunities for you and how to be prepared. Call Gregg a@ 831-818-7524. To see other Santa Cruz homes for sale or see if there are any Santa Cruz beach houses of interest

Sea Breeze Tavern....Rio Del Mar's local bar...an Aptos original

Gregg Camp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:57:00 GMT

The Sea Breeze tavern is a nice local bar. It has a great location across from Rio Del Mar beach and is within easy walking distance if you are vacationing. No need to drink and drive.

It is one of those local hole in a wall places where people are friendly. The place has it's locals who enjoy being able to leave the car at home,walk down and have a beer or mixed drink. During holidays or during the summer tourist rush for the beach, this is a welcome place particularly.

The place has the feel of an old place, but this local Aptos bar is new, and old. Originally part of the Rio Del Mar Development in the mid-late 20's as the sales office, is has seem many deals. It has the old Spanish style architecture as that was the norm for Rio Del Mar. As it sits now, many deals are probably discussed in it's friendly confines. The storied history of Aptos can probably be heard in it's walls with the wind whistling outside.

It is one of those places that would be fun to hunker down with a storm out side and it's friendly confines inside. Walk out check out waves crashing on the beach across the street, see how the waves are raging on the beach from the Seacliff Beach bridge as they crash into the Palo Alto cement ship.

As a summer spot it is nice to pop in for a beer and head out to the sand for some rays. They have a mild bar menu for the casual diner who does not want one of the other lunch choices. Stop in for the holidays and have a good time. Be responsible and have fun. The Seabreeze Tavern is nice local watering hole to enjoy during the holidays and year round.

Santa Cruz real estate bull market video.....people are active

Gregg Camp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:54:00 GMT

The Santa Cruz real estate market has started to be active and I think we have turned the corner. I also believe the stock market has hit it's bottom and will be choppy, but up trending this year. With the new president, there is a sense of hope. With that I think there will be a bull market in real estate. See the video of the bull market and get prepared to run. See the video of the Santa Cruz real estate bull market.

If you think the property in Santa Cruz real estate market is poised to take off, or Rio Del Mar beach homes are going to be sought after see how they are doing. With the prices down, who doesn't want a house at the beach? Gotta run.......:)

Cell phone law changes.... are you listening? No texting while you drive..

Gregg Camp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:44:00 GMT

I drive around a lot as a Santa Cruz real estate broker. Since I am out a lot, I get to see many people driving. The cell phone laws changed in Santa Cruz California, as they did across the state. The first portion of the cell phone law went into effect in July 2008. The law change((California Vehicle Code [VC] §23123)) required that all drivers over 18 use a hands free devices and not hold the phones up to their ears. I am glad to see that I mostly observe teens being responsible. Yeah for the maligned teens! Now if only those 20-50 year old would wise up and save the rest of us grief and dangerous situations as they blab endlessly as they drive. Who knows, could you be one of them?

I see a lot of idiots out there who don't seem to understand they are breaking the law. I am sure you probably notice them as they swerve along the roadways. You may even see them while looking in the mirror. While the fines are only $20 for the first offense and $50 for each violation after, I am surprised I don't see it enforced much as it is so obvious. While the violation will show on your record ,you at least won't get charged a point, which would impact your insurance. Frankly I think it should based on some of the driving I have seen. You are not supposed to hold the phone, it is to be hands free.

No drivers under 18 are to be on the phone talking and driving. The loophole to this law, was that you could text,at any age. To read the text of the hands free cell phone law that did not include texting, follow the link.

While I think texting is mostly popular in the teenage set, older drivers could have done that as well.When the original hands free cell phone law went into effect, all of us thought, how stupid that texting was not included.

You definitely have to take your eyes off the road to text. We all know how teenager love to talk and text, so that loophole has been closed. That problem with the original law is going to be changed effective January 1, 2009, where California will join six other states in banning text messaging by all drivers, not just teens.The other states with the law on the books are Alaska, Connecticut, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Washington.

The original intent of the law was to make the roads safer for all, and also to protect our young drivers.The leading cause of teenager fatalities, are from vehicular accidents. According to the National Safety council's statistics, about 44% of teen deaths in the United States are from car accidents. The CHP has determined that the #1 source of driver distraction, is the cell phone, in vehicular accidents. It becomes clear that teens particularly, engage in risky behavior, and are easily distracted. It is no wonder then that 16 years old have crash rates 10 TIMES higher that drivers in the 30-59 year age brackets. Now you understand why teenage drivers insurance is so high.

As parents, one of our jobs it to be a role model, and driving while talking on the phone is not what you want to do.Not only is it dangerous, and illegal, it is not being a positive role model for your teen.

To read up on the SB 28 by Joe Simitian on the banning of text messaging while driving and other vehicle related laws affecting you during 2009, follow the link.

Capitola, Ca birthday celebration....Capitola Mall... later at the beach

Gregg Camp — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:27:00 GMT

Capitola, the venerable seaside coastal community that has been the summer beach choice for generations is celebrating it's 60th birthday. With a history influenced by some of the county's most influential and wealthy citizens, this little beach community has changed since Frederick Hihn brought it to life. Though years ago it was a small town, Capitola is still full of life. After a rather small start with the impetus and influence of the early founder of the romantic Shadowbrook Restaurant on the banks or Soquel Creek, Brad Mc Donald, the city has found it feet. The history of Capitola is a colorful and interesting one. The 60th birthday celebration for the City of Capitola is one for all to partake. It is to be held at the Capitola Mall on January 11th, the actual city's birthday, from 1-4PM. The celebration will feature cake and ice cream and activities for the kids. Don't worry if it is rainy, as it is in the mall. Later in the year they will have another Capitola Beach celebration on the weekend of May 15-17th in Capitola Village. At this event there will be big band music, a classic car show, movies at the beach and a history tour. Should be a grand event in the village. The Capitola Chamber of Commerce is spearheading this event. The Capitola Chamber does such a great job in so many ways for the community. You should consider being a member if you are a business owner or resident. For quick view of the schedule of the Capitola Beach events calendar and to see what other things you may want to do in Capitola this year, check out the link. For the specific schedule of events for the happy birthday Capitola celebration go to the website at and find the time and event that is best for you. There are a number of different times and events and this is sure to please all. You can call them at 831-462-6522. If you fall in love with our community and are from our of the area, you can search for beach homes in Capitola Ca.

Seabright Santa Cruz, California.....cute bungalows...and cool architecture by the beach

Gregg Camp — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:27:00 GMT

I was out showing a client a cute little bungalow earlier in Seabright. As I was driving over there I saw many cute older homes. It made me reflect on the beauty of architecture that we possess here in Santa Cruz. Many for one reason or another favor west Santa Cruz over the east side, where Seabright is located. I like the Seabright beach bungalows for their variety of shapes and styles. While most Seabright homes probably aren't bungalows, there are a variety of styles and sizes and locations that makes the area quaint and desirable. The Seabright Beach Bungalows I favor the styles that were more popular in the 20's and 30's. Some people have made really nice improvements to them while keeping the integrity of the architecture and have enjoyable colors While homes in Santa Cruz isn't all you might desire in selecting an area, the weather plays a role as well as the schools. Santa Cruz has a variety of micro-climates from the Castle Beach area to the Arana Gulch to Oceanview avenue stately Victorians. The area is generally more protected than the west side Santa Cruz from the wind and has a mild climate. Futher inland from the Seabright area is the Banana Belt, which is hotter during summer due the lack of the ocean air influence. Within the Seabright Beach area favored by many are the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor beach homes. The Santa Cruz yacht harbor is a whole 'nother area that bears exploring and has a variety of homes and many over look the harbor and the beauty of the ships. If you want to check out the Santa Cruz harbor Beach camera other surf cams look under the "surfing and Stuff and follow the links. If you want to take a look at some of these homes call Gregg at 831-818-7525

The family jewels may be more valuable than we thought... stem cells

Gregg Camp — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:27:00 GMT

Stem cells have the promise to make our lives and the lives of our seniors better in many ways. The promise is there, like the dreams a kid with a new chemistry set has, of making fantastic things. In the United States embryonic stem cell research has been hampered, due to the backwards thinking Bush administrations mixing religious views, with government policies. Californians have moved forward with their own 3 billion dollar initiative on stem cells a few years ago. A new approach from Germany is opening up in exploring how stem cells taken from men's testicles may be able to provide stem cells for men. One of the benefits hoped for, from stems cells, however their source, is to provide regenerative tissues to replace diseased ones, replacement of genetically defective genes, and new parts due to loss from illness or injury, with the persons own cells. Using one's own cells greatly reduces the likelihood of rejection and lessens the needs for immune suppression drugs as ones body tries to reject the foreign tissues, as is the case now with transplants. Seniors currently take far too many drugs, so this is good. Being able to grow your own cells for replacement parts is thought to be one of the ideal ways that may one day eliminate most surgery. Embryonic stem cells are sort of the vanilla ice cream of cells, they can be made into any other flavor of cell, it is thought. In a small group of 22 men, cells were extracted from their sperm making cells, obtained during testicular biopsies. These new cells were grown from the cells extracted from the testes of men ranging in age from 17 to 81. The cells when cultured grew into various tissues when injected into mice. The variety of tissues ranged from cartilage, muscle, nerves and other building blocks associated with various glands and organs. The test for pluripotency, the current internationally recognized standard, was confirmed after cultured cells were injected into mice bred for genetic immunodeficiency. The resulting cells form teratomas, special tumors, which contain all three germ layers in the early developmental stages of the embryo. The cells were found to grow nearly as fast a stem cells and produced many of the specialized protein markers associated with embryonic stem cells. The work was conducted by lead author Thomas Skutella, a professor at the Center for Regenerative Biology Biology and Medicine in Teubringen,Germany. As a Seniors Real Estate Specialist in Santa Cruz, California, I see seniors who are vibrant, but have lost their mental capacity due to the devastating disease, Alzheimers. The tidal wave of costs, mentally and emotionally is gigantic,but the estimated care costs are estimated to be $400 billion dollars on this disease alone by 2030. And we think we have a budget crisis now? Currently someone comes down with Alzheimers' every 72 seconds, and it is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S. So with seeing that this may be another avenue towards better health and life for our seniors is heartening. At least many of the men may have the opportunity to heal themselves with the benefits this promising new approach. With America graying in large numbers, I am hopeful that by the time I quit the rat race many of these maladies will be resolved and my achy this or problematic that, will be treatable and I'll be able to do the things you are supposed to enjoy in your sunset years. I am hoping for a long sunset too. My site at www.propertyinsantacruz.com has a senior section for housing and resources for Santa Cruz Seniors. You can contact Gregg Camp at 831-818-7524 for help or resources in Capitola and the surrounding communities.

Santa Cruz real estate prices for September 2008

Gregg Camp — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 01:02:00 GMT

Santa Cruz home sales medians for Santa Cruz County.September 2008 Santa Cruz home buyers, are still buying single family residences and condos. As investors and first time homebuyers eagerly snap up values in the south count the total sales in the Watsonville market exceeded the Santa Cruz home buyers.The Watsonville real estate market is a great market for buyers with foreclosures and short sales of bank owned homes.The opportunity to get out from renting and become a home owner has rarely been...(read more)

Banking meltdown not as bad as it seems. Check the stats and think about buying a beach home in Santa Cruz,Ca

Gregg Camp — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:49:00 GMT

The banking meltdown is not as bad as it seems. Yes there is widespread negative media, but when you look at the numbers, we are better off than we were in 1990. The are some great Santa Cruz real estate values and particularly in the harder hit areas, some tremendous values. Look at the Santa Cruz MLS and see what good deals there are. While loans are harder to get the banking system is getting healthier....(read more)

Cute in Capitola

Gregg Camp — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 23:12:00 GMT

Great little building available with a dual zoning that allows for office, retail or residential use. The fabulous location has great frontage for an office. Currently a professional use, this can be a great location for an architect, bookkeeper or attorney. It has a rare 4 off street parking spaces and is a short walk to the village.It can be a great beach house with some conversion work. Walk to the village, have enough parking which is always difficult at the beach and do a live work situation...(read more)

Foreclosure Relief in Sight for Santa Cruz, California.

Gregg Camp — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 20:30:00 GMT

Four of the larger lenders promise to help California borrowers avoid default. They will principally maintain the loan rates when the borrower got the loan and not at the reset rate for 5 years. Many of these borrowers had sub prime loans. Our governor Schwarzenegger has been actively involved with Countrywide Financial Corp ., GMAC Financial Services , Litton Loan Servicing and HomeEq Servicing for an agreement. Many borrowers have requested rate resets for rate relief and been given no or at times,...(read more)

Alzheimer’s Promising Research

Gregg Camp — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 01:09:00 GMT

According to the Fall 2007 issue of the Healthcare Journal of Northern California, UC Davis will receive more than $21 million from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to find treatments that may reverse the common cause of dementia in Alzheimer patients. The five-year grant is the largest funding award in history to focus on the fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome or FXTAS. With the grant, UC Davis is hoping to find an effective treatment to reduce or eliminate the debilitating tremors, balance problems, and dementia associated with fragile X. As many of us get older, getting a handle on the other problems with aging helps people live better quality lives. Seniors face a wide range of diseases and while some are not all life threatening, they affect the quality of life, emotionally and physically.

This grant will allow UC Davis to form the NeuroTheraputics Research Institute. This Institute is one of nine interdisciplinary research consortia. The goal is to integrate different disciplines to address health challenges that have been resistant to traditional research approaches. In addition to finding treatments that specifically target FXTAS, institute researches will improve understanding of all age-related neurodegenerative processes. With the big bulge of baby-boomers approaching, they seek to get ahead of these diseases, which lead to a loss of quality of life. The healthier we are as seniors, the less costs burden our health care system, the better we enjoy our golden years. When we are healthier, we are less a burden to our kids, which we all want to avoid. Long term care insurance can help with this. This is different than health care insurance though. To read more about the grant go to UC Davis. To learn more about Alzheimer's such as symptoms and prognosis, go to the Alzheimer Association's website. If you are looking for special needs housing, want more information on long term care insurance or help with a senior go to http://www.cacoastalhome.com/Seniors_-_Financial_Considerations/page_1788974.html or call Gregg Camp @831-688-1830

Santa Cruz on 1

Gregg Camp — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 15:22:00 GMT

A recent article in Forbes Traveler spoke of Highway 1 being one of the top 10 scenic drives of the world. Pretty heady stuff. Living in Santa Cruz one traverses it often, on the way to Monterey or even at times up to San Francisco. It is sure is pretty and I would say there could be a strong argument made that the stretch from San Francisco to Santa Cruz is one of the best regions. As you pass from Half Moon Bay on your way home to Santa Cruz, you realize the vast amounts of real estate that are used in agriculture. Some of the remaining flower industry is still alive in Half Moon Bay, mostly in greenhouses though. Roll down the window and get some fresh air as you drive. Pretty soon you'll notice the different smells. Some cows maybe, brussell sprouts, the smell of the earth will all likely flood your nostrils at some point. The beauty of the drive is enhanced. You'll notice the swell of the ocean, if there is much that day, boats fishing maybe, and birds flying.

The rolling dry brown grassy hills are a beautiful site, punctuated by oaks and other vegetation until they fade out. Later after it rains they will beautiful swathes of rolling green meadows. The beautiful little marshes here and there and the wide variety of bird life there for the viewing. Free with a pair of binoculars. The rocky shoreline can be seen up close in Pescadero as sun splashed white water crashes over them. Further on down the down the coast you see the beautiful Pigeon Point Lighthouse. The terrain changes as you round the point. There is so much to see. Stop and enjoy, explore the tidepools too.As you arrive you may think, I'd love to live here.If you do, stop by www.cacoastalhome.com and look around. Have a beautiful day.

Santa Cruz, the beautiful

Gregg Camp — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 20:17:00 GMT

Santa Cruz is a beautiful town. If you were lucky enough to buy real estate here 3 decade ago is was slightly more affordable. Well, as with any lovely place, once it is discovered, the price goes up. What doesn't go away though, is the beauty that brought so many of us here and call it home.If you already own property in Santa Cruz, hold on. While the values are soft now, and a great value for buyers, as you know they usually only go up in price.

The area is rich with natural beauty.Whether you like to sail, surf or mountain bike, the area has it all for the nature lover and out door enthusiast. While the cost of homes is high, the proximity to earning a good living is silicon valley is only 45 minutes away. For those international travelers, San Francisco is only 1.5 hours away. While the cost is higher in San Francisco,locally the weather and beaches are nicer here.To check out the area, see local surf cams and some others, go to www.cacoastalhome.com or www.propertyinsantacruz.com and see what homes may cost should you be as smitten with the area as I was 30 years ago. Maybe a retirement beach condo is in your future?

Recently Outside magazine thought what many of us have known for awhile, Santa Cruz is a great blend of many good things. To read more on their article, click on the link and see why they think we are the best place onthe coast.