Santa Cruz’s red hot housing streak continues

According to realtor.com, the Santa Cruz housing market is one of the hottest in the country. New numbers show in the month of July, it was listed tenth behind San Francisco, Denver and Dallas.

However, the red hot market is dousing the dreams of some potential home buyers. They’re being priced out, but it’s actually benefiting other communities. Local realtors say they’re seeing a big jump in home sales. It makes sense because of the farm community’s centralized location.

First-time home buyer Esperanza Espinosa and her husband have worked hard for years to get out of their two bedroom, $2,000 a month apartment.

“Before, I couldn’t afford to buy a house because I always worked in the fields and I don’t make that much money,” Espinosa said. “And then my husband work as a dishwasher and everything.”

They now have better paying jobs and their hard work is paying off. They’re one of many families buying into the American Dream and buying a home in Watsonville. Affordability is unlocking the door to possibility.

“A lot of people like it here because you can get a three bedroom and two bath for $450,000 right now,” said Century 21 realtor Gloria Melo. “Which in any other place you cannot get that.”

Melo says a lot of the new home buyers they’re seeing are people who have been priced out of south Santa Clara County. Many of them are commuting on Highway 152 to get to Gilroy, Morgan Hill, even San Jose. Watsonville’s location makes it centrally located for people who commute out of the area for work.

“You’re right in the middle,” Melo said. “You can go to Monterey, or you can go to Gilroy or you can go to Santa Cruz. You’re right in the middle. You’ve got five minutes to the beach if you want to go to the beach.”

In the meantime, that stack of signing papers are a welcoming sign for Espinosa.

“Our new house is gorgeous,” she said. “It has four bedrooms and a Jacuzzi and a big lot and a deck. It’s a really nice house, I’m so excited.”

Another realtor said houses are selling faster these days. So if you are in the market, be prepared to move fast. Get all of your paperwork together before you make an offer because it’s competitive out there.

Click here to see the full report from realtor.com.