I'm sorry, but I don't mean to question your lifestyle, but I must.
Really, I have to in order to be helpful. It's not that I disapprove of your lifestyle and how you want to live your life - you certainly have the right to live the way you want - but since you are moving here to the Carlsbad area (or elsewhere in North San Diego County on or near the coast where I work) it's important that I know certain things about how you live.
Hopefully you will understand my nosiness and be comfortable sharing the way you like to live, and perhaps more importantly the lifestyle you desire once you relocate here to Southern California.
In case you are concerned about where this may be leading, don't be.
Southern California offers a different lifestyle for many because of the great weather we have, and much of what folks in SoCal really like about being here is the fact that they can enjoy the outdoors most if not all the year - sports, recreation, dining and much more. So that's a big piece of what folks are looking for when they move here. And perhaps many of you are not even aware how different your lifestyle might be after leaving the upper Midwest or New England, for example.
READ MORE:
Carlsbad Homes - Outdoor Living, Dining and Cooking
Carlsbad - Outdoor Living at Its Best in Southern California
I work with a lot of folks who are relocating a significant distance, and in many cases from areas where the weather and other components of how they live are rather different than in SoCal. So finding out not only how you live but what you are seeking when you move here is essential so I can guide you in the right direction. Here are a few examples.
- Some neighborhoods will not work for you if you want to be within walking distance to the beach, or directly on the beach
- If you want to live along a golf course, that eliminates many neighborhoods and narrows the search to certain areas and price ranges
- Do you want to be able to walk to the beach and amenities or is a car drive OK
- Pools and spas are more prevalent here (it's a weather thing!) so if that's important your search criteria should include that, or perhaps a willingness to install a pool or spa.
I created a questionnaire to target buyer's home search criteria they are seeking and ask buyers to complete this, or at least to look at it to help sort through what's really important. You can download this questionnaire on the Savvy Buyers page of my real estate website.
My new questionnaire focuses on Buyer's Lifestyles, since I have found many buyers have fairly specific expectations of what they are seeking in their move to Southern California and they vary quite a bit from person to person.
These expectations can impact the type of home, location, neighborhood, access to amenities and many other factors that we need to sort through to find the right property.
Even if you don't complete the questionnaire, it will help you sort through the issues that matter to you most, and we can talk further about your desired lifestyle as part of the home searching process.
Download the Buyer's Lifestyle Questionnaire (1st draft 10/09) on my Savvy Buyer's page of my real estate website.
Here's to YOUR new lifestyle in Carlsbad or elsewhere here in coastal North San Diego County.
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ALL ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA RELOCATION DUDE
If I can provide more information about Carlsbad homes and real estate for sale and surrounding areas, the housing market in general (or locally), or otherwise assist you, friends or family in a home search or sale, please contact my mobile office or text me at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JeffDowlerSolutions@gmail.com
Serving Carlsbad (including Aviara, La Costa & Carlsbad Village), Encinitas (including Leucadia & Olivenhain), Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, San Marcos (including San Elijo Hills), Oceanside, Carmel Valley, Escondido, and San Diego
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Okay now I'm home sick. Austin is a great town but it gets darn hot in the summer and you don't really want to hang out outside in the winter. What is it they always say " but we have the seasons"
Oh stop it. I want to live in the traffic, rain and ice storms. You can't make me want to live close to the beach in the beautiful Carlsbed area. I don't care how much you beg I won't do it :-)
Great idea and selling tool. Being from Seattle, WA, I would need someone like you to explain the possibilities if I chose to move to the southern California area.
Hi Jeff ~ What a super idea! I have a vague idea of some of the ramifications of a move to sunny California - it would be shorts weather year round! Yeegads. Our down jackets cover so many sins.
Liz
Hi Jeff - A great tool to help you be a consultant for your clients!
France and Mark - I get that. But we have seasons. They are just not dramatic as they are in some areas. I'll take that.
Cindy - hmm, how about lunches on the patio at 65 degrees in February? Our COLD weather in in the high 40s at night in the winter. When it's REALLY cold.
Theodora - well you won't need your umbrella nearly as much. But it's interesting, for me at least. I miss the rain, which we may not see for 6-7 months.
Liz - actually, now that it is getting cool folks are bringing out the long pants and sweaters for the evenings. They are still wearing flip flops, thought. Down coats? I doubt it. Mine are still in the closet from when we moved 4 years ago. LOL
Jeff
Hi Jeff, In the second picture you could tell people that that is a drain on the floor. We just hose things down here. No dusting. No snow, No bugs. Just a plain ole garden house to wash it all clean. Like a boat without the scales and the gritty salt water residue. LOL.
Love this candid post Jeff, and great pics to go along with it !!
Cheers !
Provocative post, Jeff. How is your response to it so far from buyers?
William - LOL. That is so true. Amazing what one can do with a hose...except, of course during drought season and mandatory water restrictions.
Sheldon - thanks for the compliment.
Michelle - well no specific comments but plenty of clicks in the statistics. I assume some are buyers.I have used the one questionnaire many times and have found that buyers really like it AND use it. The Lifestyle Questionnaire is new so it's too early to tell about that.
Jeff
We all can't move to your area someone has to stay here and shovel the snow out.
This was great! I'll ditto what Cindy Jones said. We had a sales mgr that once said that Midwest folks "live to work" and that the West Coast region sales peeps "worked to live". You pretty well support that philosophy with all the "lifestyle" choices in your post. Here we ask buyers how close they want to be to their job, how much lawn they want to mow and how long a drive they want to shovel snow from. :-)
Terry - ha ha. So true. You can have it. I love being able to tell people to give away their shovels. They may want boots, though, since we get snow in the mountains a hour away.
Elaine - Thanks! It really is different here, and it took me a good year or more to get used to it, coming frm New England. Of course I adapted to the better weather immediately. LOL Commuting IS a big deal here (unless they are work at home folks) since there is a lot of traffic so that is always an important discussion.
Jeff
Jeff, friends lifestyles are important, too. Like, most of mine drink way to much for me to entertain them in the setting you have for your top photo. I can see them pushing back in a chair and falling into the little moat! But you make a great point.
Jeff - good stuff mt friend. Folks this is proof once again that Jeff is not your typical agent. He goes far beyond contracts and marketing, he really takes into consideration what your needs are and will find you the home of your dreams. If you are relocating to Northern San Diego you want Jeff working for you.
Pat - yes, that's true. The more we know the better we can help folks. I always try to find out how specific homes will or will not work for people's lifestyles and shy. These photos are just SOME examples of the emphasis here on outdoor living with outdoor kitchens, living rooms and much more.
Thanks, Nevin. That is quite a accolade. Much appreciated.
Jeff
I love homes that take advantage of outdoor living space. Nice detail on the Buyer Questionnaire; that's a very effective tool to help the buyer clarify their needs and finely target their search.
Jeff, This is a stellar breakdown on why we ask what we ask. There are not as many exceptional options here in Charlotte, but once we know what they are seeking, the housing choices are (to us) blatantly obvious. Loved the post!
Life in Carlsbad is looking pretty darn inviting. Great ideas, Jeff.
A lifestyle questionnaire sounds like a brilliant way for both you and your buyers to clarify their needs and wants.