S2 E6: Santa Cruz Roller Derby with Pyro & Tadow + February Market Rebound | Owning The Coast

Santa Cruz Roller Derby with Pyro & Tadow + February Market Rebound Is the Santa Cruz housing market slowing down or about to take off? After only 56 homes sold in Santa Cruz County in January 2026, the first four days of February brought 18 new pendings, many with multiple offers. Then, on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, we lace up with Santa Cruz Roller Derby's Mike "Pyro" DeMars and Tamara "Tadow" Dow. Brandi breaks down why last week's headlines can mislead today's decisions, and Ryan explains why 3.2% home appreciation with 20% down is not the same as 3% in the bank: appreciation grows on the full price of the home, not just your cash. Tamara, an escrow officer with WFG National Title, shares what she's seeing on title and escrow. Jerry explains rising insurance rewrites, Farmers reopening condo and renters policies, and the coverage gaps hiding in many HOA master policies. Then it's derby time. Santa Cruz Roller Derby, formerly Santa Cruz Derby Girls, is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) in rebuild mode with about 50 active members. Pyro and Tadow explain how flat-track derby works: bouts, jams, jammers, blockers and lead jammer strategy. They also cover safety gear and penalties, what to expect at a home game at the Civic, six-week boot camps that take beginners from first strides to tryouts, and how sponsors support travel, scholarships and the league's community partners like Siena House. (Market, insurance and schedule details reflect February 2026.) Chapters 0:00 Welcome and the February 2026 market rebound 0:32 December's 106 sales vs. January's 56 0:55 Why 3.2% appreciation beats 3% in the bank 2:13 18 new pendings and surprise multiple offers 3:12 Tamara Dow of WFG National Title on escrow trends 4:31 December's surge and January's slowdown 5:06 Insurance rewrites and Farmers reopening condos and renters 6:20 Condo HOA master policies and coverage gaps 8:21 National Girls and Women in Sports Day: Santa Cruz Roller Derby 8:58 How derby names work 10:24 From Santa Cruz Derby Girls to a league rebuild 11:52 A legitimate sport, not 70s theatrics 12:24 Bouts, jams, jammers and blockers 13:18 The lead jammer and calling off a jam 14:21 Strategy, formations and defense 15:12 Safety gear, referees and penalties 16:14 What to expect at a bout at the Civic 18:05 Season schedule and the travel team 18:43 Sponsorships, fundraisers and six-week boot camps 19:24 Pyro's role as head non-skating official 20:25 From Coast Guard veteran to derby official 22:50 The Derby Groms and the post-COVID split 23:38 Derby as a fun night downtown 25:08 Halves, timeouts and official reviews 26:20 Off-season training 27:03 Derby parents and age requirements 28:22 Going through boot camp at 64 29:47 Away games from Lodi to Austria 30:35 Sponsorship levels and perks 32:35 Giving back: Siena House and the Homeless Garden Project 33:46 Home games and tickets 34:41 Where to find the league 35:14 Boot camp and getting started 36:45 Hockey, football and a car crash all at once 37:01 Merch, bigger crowds and a live podcast idea 38:27 How to reach the hosts 🛼 Santa Cruz Roller Derby 🏟️ Home games at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium 🌐 santacruzrollerderby.org 🎟️ Tickets & schedule: santacruzrollerderby.org ⛸️ Learn to skate / boot camps: santacruzrollerderby.org/join 📸 Instagram: @scrollerderby Hosted by Brandi Jones (Keller Williams Thrive), Ryan Buckholdt (CrossCountry Mortgage) and Jerry Seagraves (Seagraves Insurance). Looking for a downtown night with energy and local pride, or a clear read on the Santa Cruz market? Subscribe and share this with a friend who needs market context or a new weekend plan. #SantaCruz #OwningTheCoast #SantaCruzRollerDerby #RollerDerby #FlatTrackDerby #NationalGirlsAndWomenInSportsDay #SantaCruzRealEstate #HousingMarket #HomeAppreciation #CondoInsurance #SantaCruzCivic #DowntownSantaCruz Brandi Jones | REALTOR® | KW Thrive Santa Cruz 🏡 Real estate strategy + aligned decisions for your next chapter. Reach out anytime if real estate is part of your next chapter. 📞 (831) 588-5145 🌐 brandijonesrealtor.com 📍 Santa Cruz • Monterey Bay • Santa Clara County DRE# 01385191