Morning Lookout: The all-cash conundrum, Omicron and looking back on 2021

Quick Take:

Whether it’s helping members get a new home or combating predatory lending with short-term, lost-cost loan options,...

Hey hey hey! It’s Tuesday, Dec. 28, and Santa Cruz County will see chances of rain throughout the day, particular from the afternoon onward, and highs might touch the low 50s.

Here’s what I have in my bag of goodies this morning:

With the housing market as active as ever, Lookout contributor Maria Gaura explains the all-cash offer and how folks with stock options from their workplace have a big advantage.
With 2022 just days away, we’re looking back at the big stories of 2021, starting with January through March … and check back later for our look at April through June.
It’s been just over a year since the first Californian got a COVID-19 vaccine, and Helen Cordova, a 33-year-old nurse practitioner from the San Fernando Valley, is reflecting on the milestone.
And our partners at the Los Angeles Times examine why vaccines aren’t currently required for domestic air travel.

So fasten that seatbelt firmly across your waist and let’s dig into Tuesday’s headlines:

The rise in all-cash offers for Santa Cruz homes

The challenge of home buying has been increasingly complicated by all-cash offers. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Anyone trying to purchase a home in Santa Cruz County recently might have seen their dream-home desires thwarted by a competing all-cash offer. Why is this happening … and what can non-millionaires do about it? Lookout contributor Maria Gaura explains.

➤ PLACES: All our real estate, housing and affordability coverage in one place

Looking back at 2021: January-March

READ THE STORY: Dramatic rescue plays out at Santa Cruz Harbor as youth sailboats capsize

As we get ready to close the book on 2021, Lookout takes a look back at the stories that made headlines in Santa Cruz County. Revisit January, February and March here.

➤ UNSUNG SANTA CRUZ: Lookout highlights regular folks doing great things

Remembering ‘hope’

Helen Cordova, the first person in California to receive the COVID-19 vaccine outside a clinical trial, at home with her mom, Betty, in the San Fernando Valley. Credit: Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times

One year ago, Helen Cordova became the first person in California outside a clinical trial to get the COVID-19 vaccine. At first, she didn’t want it. Our partners at the Los Angeles Times talked to the nurse practitioner.

➤ LOCAL MEASURES: Omicron, boosters and the local response during the holidays (Lookout)

Why isn’t vaccination proof required for domestic flights?

File image of people in an airport — Credit: via Pixabay

Calls are rising for airlines to require vaccination proof for domestic passengers. Airlines aren’t happy about the idea. The Times examines the situation.

➤ HOLIDAY UNCERTAINTY: Should I stay or should I go? People agonize over holiday travel plans (Los Angeles Times)

Omicron plays havoc with return-to-office plans

Kevin Kelly, Emerald Packaging's chief executive officer, on the factory floor on March 24, 2020. — Kevin Kelly, Emerald Packaging’s chief executive, is asking his administrative employees to put in shifts on the factory floor to replace workers who are out sick because of COVID-19. (Russ Mitchell / Los Angeles Times)

As the new variant spreads, businesses across California are rethinking timelines for bringing workers back into the office and scrambling to cope with lost productivity. The Times looks at another pandemic disruption.

➤ RELATED: ‘An untenable work environment’: Grocery workers brace for Omicron surge (Los Angeles Times)

Around the county …

➤ Rain causes more road closures and cleanups in Santa Cruz County (KSBW-TV)
➤ Omicron case counts surge past Delta peak in some Bay Area counties (San Jose Mercury News)
➤ UCSC student research team takes gold in international competition (Santa Cruz Sentinel)

And that’s what I know on this last Tuesday of 2021. Keep tabs throughout the day by bookmarking our website and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and you can get breaking news and more delivered right to you wherever you are by visiting our Lookout Newsletter & Text Center.

And if you’re not a member already — or need that perfect belated holiday gift — consider a Lookout membership. Our content isn’t possible without community support.

Have a good one, all! I’ll see you back here tomorrow morning.

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz