More people moving to Watsonville

High prices in Santa Cruz are creating a demand for homes in Watsonville. Realtors say you can get a house in Watsonville for at least $200,000 cheaper, and with more land.

Watsonville Realtor Chuck Allen says residential property values in the city have gone up about 10 percent every year since the end of the recession.

“It started turning around as the foreclosed properties started to be sold out of the market,” Allen said.

He also said Watsonville has a lot going for it — nice climate, inexpensive housing stock, and it’s not far from major cities with much higher housing costs.

“If the pressure, price, starts to get tight in one area, the most convenient next location is where people will migrate to,” Allen said.

The city recently approved an 80-plus unit apartment complex to help meet some of the demand.

“…Make sure that we bring in mixed housing income projects all the time so everyone has an opportunity for housing,” Mayor Felipe Hernandez said.

City officials say the hot housing market also has a positive economic impact.

“We’re going to have different opportunities, opportunities to bring new businesses into town,” Hernandez said.

But residential real estate is not all people are coming to Watsonville for, agricultural and industrial opportunities are also going strong.

“The city council of Watsonville passed an ordinance that you can produce medical marijuana in the city limits and industrial sections,” Hernandez said.

Officials say this has created sort of a ‘land grab,’ with people looking for land and vacant properties in the area where they can cultivate the herb.

“It will increase property values and it will increase property taxes. And that’s always a benefit for the city.”

Watsonville is also building a new dog park, which city officials believe will make the town even more attractive to home buyers.