Day 2 of our whirlwind trip to wine country in the Napa Valley north of San Francisco began with a quick walk around the hotel grounds along the ocean in Pismo Beach, then up Route 1 along the Monterey Coast to Big Sur.

If you have never done this drive it is quite remarkable with incredible views along the way at every turn at the edge of the continent. There are places to stop and enjoy the views, which you can't do quite as well while driving. The ground squirrels at the one viewpoint were quite appreciative of all the handouts.

The area is constantly changing with rock and mud slides and areas where the road is deteriorating and must be repaired. There were 3 such major areas this trip with minor delays; one in particular was an amazing engineering undertaking on the hillside - one has to wonder if at some point nothing more can be done to stop the inevitable deterioration and erosion.

We stopped at Nepenthe Restaurant which has been on the mountain in Big Sur for decades and offers what may be some of the most dramatic dining views anywhere, at least where I have been. A wonderful visit and lunch with my cousin in Monterey gave us a nice break before heading up the freeway to Calistoga at the north end of the Napa Valley. Freeway traffic was a real treat with one major accident on our side, and a totally burned out bus on the other. Temps were in the mid to high 80s, which after the chill in Carlsbad was a treat.

Once in the Napa Valley the drive up the main road is spectacular, with wineries, familiar and not, at every turn. While it was tempting to stop there were far too many hours spent in the car and dinnertime was approaching. We stayed at a charming small hotel and spa, Eusospa, in Calistoga (I give them a big shout out for service and their massages) ust a couple of block from the heart of town with a fabulous dinner at Jole. I even checked in a couple of times on Foursquare. More later.

Enjoy the pics - they don't do justice to the scenery but you get the idea.

Day 1 was beautiful, once we got 45 minutes north of Carlsbad and the sun came out. Good thing. I had visions of a trip along the coastline with more marine layer.

We paid a quick visit to Surf, CA  (top photo) - yep that is the name - nothing but a beach and, oddly, an Amtrack stop by Vandenburg AFB.

Driving through Lompoc the evidence of the horrific fires from last year were much in evidence.

We stayed in Pismo Beach, which is a small, charming seacoast town about 3.5 hours north of LA. Fabulous views from our room, as you can see. Lots of seagulls, including the one who hung out below our balcony clearly waiting for handouts.

Today we head up Route 1 to Big Sur, which has incredible views. Should be fun.

I wrote an article some time ago that you could buy a detached home or condo in the North San Diego County area for under $100,000. That's still true, although the inventory in this price range has shrunk, and there are limitations on what and where you can buy. 

The follow summary DOES NOT include mobile homes or manufactured properties which are land lease. This summary also does not include housing for seniors (55+ communities). 

Many communities in North San Diego County do not have inventory in this price range. If you are interested in searching for homes for sale for under $100,000 in other areas check out the links. 

The following data are for condos (including townhouses) only:

There are a total of 625 condos for sale in these communities, thus units under $100K represent about 13% of the total inventory. 

There is only 1detached single family home for sale in these communities for less than $100,000, located in Vista. 

These data include short sale and REO listings, including those homes that already have offers being considered by REO and short sale lenders. 

Search for Condos under $100,000 in North San Diego County  

Search for Single Family Detached Homes (including mobile homes and land leas properties) under $100,000 in North San Diego County

We all remember high school - a time marked, in part at least, by being part of the "in" group...or not. It was a big deal. For many, perhaps traumatic, depending on whether you were in or out.

Folks generally knew which group you were part of. And we were painfully aware as well. Some groups also arose out of how much money your family had...or not. Or where you lived. And other characteristics. It was often not nice to not be part of the "in" crowd but sometimes you had no choice. Someone ELSE made that decision.

Cliques continued in college, depending on the school, whether you were a frat guy or in a sorority, along with other groups, too. Perhaps you were part of the party crowd. Or maybe one of the studious ones.

Being part of the "in" crowd, or not, is still a big part of our lives. So much of it revolves around technology and the "IN"ternet these days. 

Are YOU part of the "in" crowd??

Do you use a Droid? Android? Blackberry Storm? iPhone? Something similar?

Do you have at least one Facebook Business page?

Do you Tweet? And Retweet? Use Hootsuite? Know about Twellowhood?

Do you check in with the newest darling, Foursquare?

Is there an iPad in your collection?

Are you "skyping" with clients and prospects?

Do you eyejot? Have you scribd? Are you a Screenr?

Is a Flip video camera in your pocket or purse at all times? And do you use it often?

Are LOL, IRL, F2F, BTW, IDK, IMO, OMG, TMI and similar abbreviations automatic?

Do you TM, IM, EM, DM and leave VM?

Are you on ActiveRain and active?

I like to think I AM part of the "in" crowd. I try, at least. But it seems that whenever I go to some sort of convention with a focus on technology I end up feeling I am not really quite there. And perhaps I won't ever be.

Or when I think I really AM with it, someone else comes along to make me realize "dude, you ain't with it at all."

I'm OK with that. I do what I can and what I enjoy and it works for me.

In reality, I think most of us ARE part of the "In"ternet crowd, unless you are living under a rock. And there is still so much that has to be done face to face with our clients.

How about you?

I am getting ready for a mini-vacation (an anniversary trip) by car heading up the California coast through Big Sur, Monterey, on to Calistoga and Napa, and back through San Francisco/Oakland and LA to Carlsbad.  We've taken parts of the trip before along the stunning California coastline south of Big Sur, and I have been "reliving" our journey along this route back in 2007 before we take off in a few days.

These are just a few of my favorite photos that capture some of the variety of the beautiful California coastline (just a few hours worth, mind you, from San Luis Obispo to Monterey). There's lots going on real estate-wise so I won't be Internet free, and I might even share some photos along the way. Hopefully our coastal weather will improve - the marine layer has been particularly stubborn right along the coast. It doesn't feel like summer at all.

The edge of the continent is an amazing drive if you've never done it, if only for a few hours. Enjoy!

Encinitas Wine Shops - The 3rd Corner

Looking for a good wine shop in Encinitas with a restaurant combination? The 3^rd Corner Wine Shop and Bistro in Encinitas is a delightful place to dine, and with the size of the crowd last night, a very popular one. 

The 3^rd Corner wine shop concept is simple, and a good one. There is a retail wine shop in the midst of the restaurant with a good selection of wines at prices that seem reasonable (not Costco or BevMo but decent).

You buy a bottle, and it will be uncorked for you by your server for $5.  End of story. 

We dined for the first time at The 3^rd Corner in Encinitas (there are 2 other locations - Ocean Beach and Palm Desert) last night with friends and had a white varietal called Evolution which I love, for $22.95. I can't think of a single restaurant I've dined at recently where you can get any bottle of wine for that, let alone a very good one. 

Being accustomed to the 3, 4 or 5X mark-ups that restaurants do, this is a real find. Somehow paying $60 for a bottle of wine I can get for $15 in the store really irks. 

And the French-style bistro food California style is terrific. Their dinner menu is varied with cheeses, pastas, fish and more. I shared an heirloom tomato tart with my wife for a starter, and it was excellent. Wish I had had the whole thing to myself, it was that good. My black truffle risotto was wonderful - my advice? Get the smaller portion, though. 

The 3^rd Corner Wine Shop and Bistro in Encinitas is located in the Lumberyard on Route 101/the Coast Road, at 897 S. Coast Highway, Suite. F-104. They are open every day except Mondays from 11:30 am until 1:00 am for food, with the retail store open the same days from 10 am until 1:30 am. 

The 3^rd Corner Wine Shop and Bistro in Encinitas definitely goes on my list of favorite places - I'm looking forward to the next visit.

Search Encinitas Homes for Sale

The fountains at Bellagio hotel and casino in Las Vegas are pretty famous, and it's easy to see why.

Amazing fountain displays with tremendous variety are choreographed to music ranging from broadway hits to rock, jazz to patriotic in the human-made lake in front of the Bellagio on The Strip (3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South).

There are a ton of videos and photos on-line, of course, but there is nothing like seeing the real thing. You can usually expect crowds along the walkways to get the best views and it was jammed while I was there at the beginning of the week with summer tourists. The schedule, once they get going, especially in the evening, is about every 15 minutes so there are lots of opportunities.

The first video, unfortunately, is kinda noisy (and a little long at 4:25) with the crowds but folk were clearly enjoying what they were seeing.

The second video is a view of the fountains from my room at the Paris Hotel across the street on the 23rd floor, proving a vastly different perspective.

If you haven't been to Bellagio, also take in their famous Botanical Gardens just beyond the hotel lobby. Amazing.

If you happen to land here AND are looking for real estate in Las Vegas, or need to sell, let me know. I know some terrific Las Vegas ral estate agents personally and can help you find the right person to assist you.

Photography Exhibit at the Cannon Art Gallery in Carlsbad CA

The Cannon Art Gallery in Carlsbad is a city owned and run gallery with a terrific reputation for offering wonderful exhibitions at the regional, national and international level throughout the year.

The current photography exihibit at the Cannon Art Gallery is no exception.

Titled "Portraits of the Golden Age of Jazz" by noted photographer William Gottlieb, the current show offers a stunning collection of photos of some of the most notable jazz artists in the world - Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, to name only a few.

The Cannon Art Gallery Show runs from July 11 through August 29, 2010. The gallery is located next to the Carlsbad Library at 1775 Dove Lane.

A Visit to the Botanical Gardens at the Bellagio in Las Vegas Nevada

The Botanical Gardens at the Bellagio on The Strip in Las Vegas are amazing.

Real flowers and larger than life garden creatures (ants, bees), watering cans (real water mind you), mushrooms, shovels, pails, butterflies, frogs and flowers create a stunning visual experience, and well worth a visit.

Yep, it will be crowded with tourists snapping photos and videos, but if you steer away from peak hours (the Botanical Gardens are located just beyond the lobby so accessible 24/7) it's not too bad.

You may also know that Bellagio is famous for its fountains - look for the video in a later post - I have several to upload.

The Botanical Gardens are quite remarkable - the photos say it all. Enjoy!!

This needs to get out there to generate some more conversation on the topic of pre-approvals, or not. I have no issue with bank owner proerties requiring the buyers bo approved by them. Makes sense to me.

So, let's hear from our stellar loan officers...and there are a bunch.

Whaddya think? Pros? Cons? Fact? Fiction?