The cost of homes is stratospheric in Santa Cruz California and just about everywhere else in the state because of
1. Slow or no growth policies that limit the number of building permits that the county issues
2. Smart growth, which is high density housing, they get all the building permits issued, so no single family homes get built
3. Conservancies, green belts, open space, conservation easements, take land off the tax roles and out of the private property market, making existing homes skyrocket in price.
4.Government control of the housing market. When the government severely restricts home building, only allows high density government subsidized apartments to be built, creates rules that make it impossible for those in rural areas who lose their homes due to fire or other disaster rebuild, when they use densification the keeps people from rebuilding single family homes in underutilized city lots, when they number of regulations and studies that must be done in order to satisfy the requirements of the building permit double or triple the cost of construction,
then you will understand why houses are so expensive in CA
What nonsense.