AGENT MLS HOME FINDER

The Aptos real estate market is showing signs of a continued rally during the month of April, according to most recent indicators. According to a May 24, 2010 article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, “Santa Cruz County saw fewer single-family homes sold in April compared to a year ago, but the median price rebounded from $420,000 to $553,000, the highest in 20 months, as distress sales dipped. Two years ago, the midpoint of what sold was $661,000.” The piece, written by Jondi Gumz, went on to say that “There were 121 sales in April, with 43 percent selling for under $500,000, compared to a year ago, when 132 homes sold with 57 percent under $500,000, according to Gary Gangnes of Real Options Realty, who tracks the numbers. Las month saw 33 bank-owned sales and 17 ‘short sales,’ where the home is sold for less than the debt, compared to 56 bank-owned sales and 11 short sales a year ago.”

One of the harder hit parts of the Aptos and Silicon Valley real estate markets, Aptos homes for sale, also showed signs of strength in recent months. According to a May 26, 2010 article released by Coldwell Banker, “Silicon Valley’s high end housing market continued to rebound from its recessionary lows with both sales and the median sale price climbing once again in April, according to Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, the Bay Area’s leading provider of luxury real estate services.” The piece went on to say that “Also encouraging, high-end homes continue to sell at a faster pace. The average Silicon Valley million-dollar sale in April occurred after just 39 days on the market, down from 53 days from March sales and 51 days for April 2009 sales.”

Commercial real estate, however, was one of the weaker sectors of Aptos and Santa Cruz real estate, according to a May 3, 2010 article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. This piece noted that “The county’s once hot commercial real estate market has cooled considerably, with nearly a million square feet of office space empty at the start of the year and asking rates dropping compared to a year ago.”