A conversation with Nancy Lynn Jarvis of HomeScape Realty and Good Read Mysteries

Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California. Santa Cruz has a population of just over 56,000 people. It is located on the northern edge of the Monterey Bay about 72 miles south of San Francisco.The present-day site of Santa Cruz was the location of a Native American Indian settlement and was also one of the earliest settlements of the Spanish who built a mission there in 1791.

Our Town

Santa Cruz the community with the unofficial motto “Keep Santa Cruz Weird” is known for its idyllic beaches and coastal redwood forests, moderate climate, natural beauty, University of California at Santa Cruz, alternative community lifestyles, socially liberal leanings and as the home of Regan McHenry, the world’s only Realtor/amateur sleuth written by a real estate agent.

Economy and Prices

Prices for homes in Santa Cruz have come off their highs. In November 2005 the median home price topped out at $789,250. In September of 2010 it was $510,000, up from last year at that time. In Buying Murder Realtor Regan McHenry and her husband Tom Kiley saw the market downturn as an opportunity to buy a beach house as an investment. Unfortunately they broke one of Regan’s cardinal rules and didn’t have the house inspected before purchasing. When they did have an inspector take a look, he found a body hidden in a wall construction anomaly. They’ll never make that mistake again.

Going Green

Santa Cruz is very committed to a green future and has various programs available to help homeowners conserve energy. Residents are sensitive to doing their part in other ways, too. For example: Regan McHenry now drives a Prius, (her Lexus was totaled in an attempt on her life) and as a Realtor in Buying Murder asks, “Regan, how will I know it’s you? Every fourth car in Santa Cruz is a Prius.”

Words of Wisdom

Staging is a powerful tool in home selling. A properly staged home can evoke strong positive emotion in a home-buyer and help them imagine themselves living in a home and enjoying the lifestyle that would come with home ownership. In The Death Contingency touring a staged house and recognizing the power of staging was the impetus Regan needed to realize a death had been carefully staged to look accidental when it was, in fact, murder.

Realtors and Technology

Technology is changing the way Realtors interact with their clients, but good old-fashioned caring for clients and providing them with service above and beyond what is expected is still the best way to ensure clients continue to use their Realtor’s services and refer their Realtor to friends, family, and business associates. After one of Regan’s clients was accused of murder in Backyard Bones and she found the real killer. That was unexpected service and you can be sure she got a lot of referrals from him.

Personal Experiences

There are so many funny things that have happened during my time as a Realtor. A few find their way into each of my books. The stories I use aren’t always funny, though. All the books take their inspiration from real-life personal experience: the seller who disappeared two weeks before escrow closed, the children digging for a buried dog in their new backyard, the inspector who joked he had discovered the perfect hiding place for Jimmy Hoffa…you get the idea.

Why Do People Live Here

(Seriously) Santa Cruz is one of the most beautiful places in California. The community is diverse and supportive; the lifestyle is relaxed and laid-back. The weather is mild year round and smog is essentially an unknown. The beach is no more than twenty minutes away…towering, inspiring redwood forests are no more than twenty minutes away. There’s art, wine, music, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, UCSC, Victorian houses, and Halloween on Pacific Avenue.

About Nancy Lynn Jarvis: Nancy Lynn Jarvis has been a Santa Cruz, California, Realtor® for more than twenty years. She owns a real estate company with her husband. After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, she worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News. A move to Santa Cruz meant a new job as a librarian and later a stint as the business manager of Shakespeare/Santa Cruz. Nancy’s work history reflects her philosophy: people should try something radically different every few years. Writing is her newest adventure.

She invites you to take a peek at Santa Cruz through the stories that form the backdrop of her Regan McHenry mysteries. Details and ideas come from Nancy’s own experience.

You can read the first chapters of all Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries at http://www.goodreadmysteries.com. Books are available at the website, in Santa Cruz area bookstores, and on Amazon.com in standard print, large print, and for Kindle.

http://www.facebook.com/ReganMcHenryRealEstateMysteries

—

This guest post is part of our Realtor Thursday Series. We invite realtors from towns and cities all over the country, big or small, to participate. Our goal is to “travel” to as many towns as we can in every state. Every town is unique and wonderful to our readers. If you would like to showcase your town, your neighbors and your talents as a realtor, please contact us at liz@dalesiegel.com