November 2023 Chamber Newsletter by Scotts Valley Chamber

The Scotts Valley Exchange Club Presents ‘Light up the Night’

he Scotts Valley Community Holiday Tree next to Walgreens will be lit on December 2, 2023, from 5-7:30, continuing a tradition dating 30 years. This special community event benefits Valley Churches United and is a wonderful family event enjoyed by guests of all ages! Scotts Valley Firefighters will deliver Santa and Mrs. Clause to the Community

Center to greet guests and enjoy free photos with kids and families. Local talented Scotts Valley Community members will provide entertainment. Hot chocolate, cider, coffee, and cookies will be provided by local service clubs, along with a food truck for heartier fare. Unwrapped new toys will be accepted by the Scotts Valley Police Officers Association. Valley Churches United will be on hand to accept canned food or other donations. Look for their food barrels showing up around town soon! Sponsors that would like to support the effort can contact Victor Alejandro at victor.alejandro. usa@gmail.com or (408) 410-1566 or Donna Lind at dlindslind@gmail.com or (831) 438-4187.

Valley Churches United Announces Opening of Holiday Gift Shop

he Annual Holiday Gift Shop at Valley Churches United in Ben Lomond opens on November 1st. Amazingly talented volunteers have created an exquisite display, making this year’s gift shop an exceptional holiday shopping experience. New toys, vintage items, Christmas decorations, puzzles, household items, and much more can be found at very

reasonable prices. All proceeds from the gift shop support Valley Churches United’s nonprofit year-round food pantry. The Gift Shop is located in the heart of Ben Lomond at 9400 Highway 9. For more information, call 831-336-8258. ••• The Mission of Valley Churches united is to bridge the gap in times of crisis by providing assistance to local residents, thus promoting stability, self-sufficiency and hope.

They are a food pantry organization serving the needs of low-income residents of San Lorenzo Valley, Scotts Valley and Bonny Doon. VCU is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that does not receive government funding — they rely entirely on the generous donations of individuals and local businesses and organizations. ••• The gift shop is open Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Advertise in the Scotts Valley Chamber Newsletter • Call or Visit Today: www.scottsvalleychamber.com

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Scotts Valley Chamber News New Member Spotlight

Jersey Mike’s Subs

rett and Char Johanson, SLV residents, opened Jersey Mike’s at 1820 Mission St on the Westside of Santa Cruz in November 2021. Brett retired from teaching to run the day-to-day operation. Char is a mortgage consultant and continues to serve the community with their home loan needs. They are proud to have created jobs in our local community and provide good quality subs at that. The Santa Cruz community embraced their subs, so they decided to open a second location in Scotts Valley at 235A Mount Hermon Road. The community has been welcoming and supportive and Brett and Char would like to thank you! At Jersey Mike’s Subs, they are all about quality. What makes a Jersey Mike’s Sub so good? It’s the ingredients! High quality meats and cheese sliced in front of you, store

baked bread, and the authentic taste — served Mike’s Way, fresh lettuce, onions, tomatoes, oil, vinegar, and spices! Of course, everything is served with a smile. They also serve hot subs grilled right front of you. Have an event or party coming up? Jersey Mike’s catering is sure to please. Choose from their subs by the box or personal boxed lunches and don’t forget the dessert! Their cookie and brownie trays are the perfect finale to any type of gathering. Jersey Mike’s is hiring! The opportunity is ideal for someone who wants to work in a fun and fast-paced environment that focuses on creating a positive culture and environment for their team as well as for their customers. As part of a growing and locally owned business, there will be opportunities for advancement and career growth.

Congratulations to Ashley Thompson of Beautiful Life Estate Planning on her Official Ribbon Cutting! Celebrating 42 Years of Managing & Selling Homes throughout Santa Cruz County — 1981 - 2023 $3550/mo 3BR/2BA Townhome on Seascape Blvd in Aptos. Corner unit with full ocean view. No pets. .....AVAIL NOW $3200/mo 3BR/2BA Single-level Triplex unit on Pedro Avenue in Ben Lomond. Deck. Garage. No pets. ...........................................................................................................................................AVAIL LATE NOVEMBER $2400/mo Large sunny 1BR/1BA on Glenwood Dr. in Scotts Valley. FP. Patio. Laundry. No Pets..............AVAIL NOW $2200/mo 1BR/1BA Triplex unit on Old Orchard Road in Los Gatos. Includes PG&E, water, propane and trash. Garden. Laundry. Pets negotiable. ............................................................................................................................AVAIL NOW $2100/mo 1BR/1BA Home with ofﬁce and loft on Ralston Ridge in Boulder Creek. Custom woodwork throughout. Deck. Lanai. Garden. No pets................................................................................................AVAIL EARLY NOVEMBER $2100/mo 2-story Studio Home with large loft on Hwy 9 in Felton. Deck. No laundry onsite. .AVAIL NOVEMBER $1825/mo Unit Attached to Home on Pine Cone in Scotts Valley. Private bathroom. Shared laundry. Private patio. No pets. Includes water, garbage & PG&E ..........................................................................................................AVAIL NOW

12 / November 2023 / Scotts Valley Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

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Scotts Valley Chamber News

Holiday Pie-Looza; A Slice of Fundraiser Fun December 15th • 4-7pm • Free Admission

RO Community, is a local non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of underserved children in our community. As a registered 501(c) (3) non-profit, we are committed to providing educational and extracurricular opportunities to young minds in our community. GRO Community is hosting our first annual Pie Fundraiser held at the Scotts Valley Community Center, which we hope becomes a beloved tradition in our community. The event is free with a sliding scale donation to GRO Community. We will have 15 vendors serving their pie with the hopes to be the WINNER and secure the title of Best Pie Maker and be awarded the $1,000 prize. We will have music, coffee and other treats and hope the community comes to celebrate with us. The event will be December 15th from 4-7pm Come one and all!

The funds raised from our Pie Fundraiser go directly towards enabling children to access after-school programs such as tutoring, dance, art, theater, and martial arts. These programs have a significant impact on the children we serve, helping them develop essential life skills, and helping maintain positive mental health. By partnering with us, you become an integral part of our mission to provide access to after-school programs that empower the next generation. We are seeking sponsorship at various levels, and we would be grateful for your consideration. In addition, your donation is a tax write-off. It’s a win-win. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or if you have any questions about this opportunity, please feel free to contact Gina Odom at ginaodom@gmail. com or 831-331-9455. We are looking forward to seeing you at the Holiday Pie-Looza!

Scotts Valley Real Estate Market Sluggish

Days on Market up by Two Weeks, But Still a Sellers’ Market By Robert Aldana

s we head into the holiday season, the story remains the same as it has throughout the year with a sluggish real estate market. While it is indeed still a seller’s market, it is neither a hot market nor a cold market, it remains a lukewarm market as the demand remains for housing even though rates continue their upwards surge. Bottom line is people need a place to live and many will jump into the market if it is the right property. For example, I recently listed a home at 2907 Granite Creek Road in Scotts Valley (2907GRANITECREEK.COM ) for an asking price of $1,590,000 and within 4 days it sold with multiple offers for $1,700,000. Why? Although the marketing certainly was on point, it was also a nice home that had features and upgrades that you don’t find every day. Unique homes that are in neighborhoods that are hard to come by and have been updated or at least staged, priced and marketed right will attract home buyers. There is indeed a demand for that type of home. Currently there are 43 total homes for sale, with 10 out of 43

listings currently pending (23%). That is just under 1 in 4 listings being in pending status which is noticeably lower than the 33-38% that we have typically seen for several years in a normal and solid market. With rates at their highest in decades, the market has come to somewhat of a standstill. And when

I mean somewhat, that means not in its entirety as homes are indeed selling, but they are taking their time to go into contract as days on market has went from 23 days at the same time last year year-to-date to 37 days currently. That is a substantial increase of two more weeks that it is taking for homes to sell on average. Another noteworthy and telling stat is the total amount of closings YTD, which as of this writing is 116, versus a total of 158 during the same time last year. That is a decrease in closings of 36%. That is a noticeable drop. But one of the reasons why there are less closings is because less people are putting their homes on the market due to some of the highest interest rates that we have seen in decades as home sellers cannot afford to make a move either upwards or downwards because it is not affordable to do so. With current interest rates in the 8-8.5% range for a 30 year fixed, that is quite the jump from 2.75-3.5% that many homeowners obtained when rates were at their low point for many years. “Real Estate” page 14

Cheryl D Rebottaro, ChFC®, AAMS™, CRPC™ Financial Advisor 221 Mount Hermon Rd Suite F Scotts Valley, CA 95066-4038 831-461-9311

Cheryl D Rebottaro, ChFC®, AAMS™, CRPC™ Financial Advisor MKT-13987-A-A2

Scotts Valley Chamber News “Real Estate” from page 13 That is more than double for a new mortgage today and for many, it just does not make sense to sell and buy even if they are downsizing. Predictions I expect more of the same throughout the holidays and heading into the new year if rates continue to stay where they are, but if rates do come down like some are predicting during election year, that will cause a surge in real estate activity. But I am talking about a noticeable downward trend in rates. Anything less that a 2% drop will not make much of an impact. Anything more than a 2% drop will without a doubt cause a surge in home buying activity. Let’s face it, rates of 2.75-3.5% for a 30 year fixed is not normal and those that took advantage of rates like that may not see that again at any time in the foreseeable future. A 5.5 to 6% rate is indeed an outstanding rate and

many home buyers are on the sidelines waiting for something close to that. Home Buyer Tips If you are buying, consider asking the seller to pay for a buy down of your mortgage rate so that you can secure a lower interest rate than the going rate. Look into what is called a 3-2-1 Buydown which buys down your rate for 3 years and settles in to where rates are today more or less after year 3. While typically rates tend to go down during election year as previously stated, which is next year in 2024, its tough to completely count on that. A buy down or 3-2-1 Buydown will help you out substantially with a lower rate and payment. Home Seller Tips Get your home ready before you put it on the market. Decluttering, paint, carpet, staging, and yard work goes a log was as does professional photography, video, 3D virtual tour and floorplans. The way your home shows from the moment a buyer sees it on the Internet is crucial. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. And of course, don’t forget the importance of a powerful marketing plan and properly pricing your home. As always, Happy Selling and Happy Buying, and Happy Holidays! ••• Robert Aldana, The LOCALS’ Choice REALTOR® | DRE #00921165 Keller Williams Realty in Scotts Valley www.robertaldana.com

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