Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/802302
So there you are, showing property to well-meaning buyers from the Mid West. Suddenly, without warning, the poor souls slip into a state of anaphylactic sticker shock, stung by the surprise of what seems to them, like the surreal real estate prices in Santa Cruz. Quickly, you administer the emergency epi-pen you keep in the glove compartment. You rehydrate them with Evian Spring Water and get them resting comfortably in the shade of the back seat while you wait for the visceral tightening in their throats and the sudden ache in their wallets to subside. And then you try to explain….It's simple really. It's real estate in the old sense of the word. It's land. The terra firma under our feet that flows along the curves and contours of the countryside and creates the remarkable geography that surrounds the Monterey Bay Sanctuary. Home to rolling hills and sunny meadows, redwood forests and long stretches of pristine sand and surf that trace the broad curving coastline of the Bay. Land is the part of the equation that really costs money. Great dirt is why we live here. Give Fresno our weather. Our ocean views. Our air to breath. And all the natural beauty that surrounds us. And guess what? The prices there, would knock the stuffing out of those same midwestern buyers. So what's the skinny on owning a nice piece of the rock here in our little corner of paradise? What makes some land more desirable than other land? What are the qualities that people dig most about dirt - in a place where the last few vacant parcels are rapidly disappearing? Perhaps today's featured parcel can provide a little perspective on the value of land in Santa Cruz and the relative scarcity of it. Seeing is believing and we invite you to visit and take a short walk around. This is a sunny, 4.2 acre parcel with open rolling meadows adorned with soulful old oaks and a serene park-like atmosphere sloping up to a more densely wooded ridgeline. It sits at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac that combines welcome privacy with a comfortable neighborhood ambiance. And it's all just a half mile from historic Aptos Village and the Forest at Nisene Marks. Right off Trout Gulch Road and set just above the peaceful environs of Meadow Ranch Estates. This is the last remaining unbuilt parcel from a small land division project that was completed in 2000. It is blessed with a huge, south-facing building envelope that's already been approved. One that offers views of the Bay and the Peninsula from the homesite elevation, just a few hundred feet up from the street. There's plenty of room for a 5,000 sq ft house, pool and sport court and just about anything else you can think of that might enhance quality of life in the future. The road is in. Public utilities and storm drain access are ready. Surveys, topo maps, soil tests, geo tech studies, perc tests were all done as part of the previous minor land division process. Someone who wants to build here is already way ahead in the process, compared to most other building projects in the County. In a county almost built out, in a county predicated on slow growth, in a county where geography makes it difficult to expand past the urban service line, how many places are there that offer all of the above? Very few. And the number is growing smaller every day. If you have a desire to design and build your own home to your own needs and specifications and have been trying to dig up just the right dirt...relax... here it is! 320 APTOS HEIGHTS (Xsts: Trout Gulch Road & Victoria Lane) Offered for $799,000 By Tom Brezsny FEATurEd PrOPErTy • Small Neighborhood Enclave of Custom Homes. • Private Cul De Sac Location • Less than 1 mile from Aptos Village & The Forest at Nisene Marks • 4.2 Acre Parcel *South-facing views of Bay & Peninsula *Rolling Coastal Meadow w/Old Oaks • Large Approved Building Envelope *Part of Previous Minor Land Division Approval w/Survey, Topo, Perc Test, GeoTech, Soils, Adjacent Public Utility & Storm Drain Access Featured Property is a Santa Cruz Sentinel Paid Advertisement. For information regarding Advertising, please call the Sentinel @ 426-8000. Santa Cruz - Palo Alto - Los Altos - Los Gatos - Willow Glen - Saratoga Santa Cruz - Palo Alto - Los Altos - Los Gatos - W Tom Brezsny Sereno Group REALTOR ® | BRE# 01063297 831.818.1431 Monika Davidson Sereno Group REALTOR ® | BRE# 01234944 831-515-1113 or 650-465-7628