Carlsbad Real Estate News and Views

Wine Country Trip - Day 2

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 11:33:45 -0400

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.

"Wine Country Trip Day 2 - Big Sur and More"

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If I can provide more information about Carlsbad real estate and surrounding areas, the housing market, or otherwise assist you, friends or family in a home search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

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Day 1 - Our to Wine Country and Back

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:49:35 -0400

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.

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Homes in San Diego for Under $100,000? WOW | San Diego Real Estate

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:45:08 -0400

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:

1 BR

2 BR

3BR

Total

Oceanside

Vista

Escondido

San Marcos

Carlsbad

Fallbrook

Bonsall

TOTALS

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

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Are YOU Part of the "In" Crowd?

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:44:25 -0400

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?

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Speechless Sunday - Mostly

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:13:36 -0400

I found this parking space and signage at Muttrpolis rather humorous, and fortunately had my camera with me at the time.

Muttropolis is located in the Cedros Design District of Solana Beach, and is a cool store that caters to...well you can guess...dogs, cats and all sorts of pets. You can buy stuff on-line, too

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The Stunning California Coastline - A Journey Along the Monterey County Coastline to Big Sur

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:34:12 -0400

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!

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Encinitas Wine Shops - The 3rd Corner Wine Shop and Bistro in Encinitas California

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:35:40 -0400

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

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Buying a Short Sale

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 20:05:08 -0500

As a buyer watching the real estate market, you are undoubtedly aware that there are more "short sale" properties on the market, at least in many areas. A short sale is a home where the market value of the property is LESS than the loan amount owed to one or more lenders. And buyers often believe that these are the best deals, along with foreclosures.

Note that there may be state or regional differences in the requirements and paperwork - ask your agent.

Don't be scared off by these short sale properties as they may turn out to be a great deal for you.

But you need to know a few things before you decide IF you want to pursue a short sale purchase:

A seller must disclose if the home either IS a short sale or likely will be due to the market value.
A short sale MUST be approved by the lender. Even though a seller might accept your offer, it will be subject to approval by the lender
Lender will (likely) send out an appraiser to evaluate the property in light of recent sales - they are looking for market value, too, and you cannot expect a short sale to be a fire sale (i.e., it may NOT be a great deal after all)
Lender must receive hardship letter and other required documents from the seller in order to approve a short sale
Lender will likely have a checklist of requirements and paperwork required for the short sale process
Lender will likely request that the sale be "as is" and due to hardship will probably not approve any credit for repairs
Be prepared for a short sale to take more time (total time may be 60 days +/-) - this is one of the biggest complaints from buyers

If you are making an offer:

Make sure you make the offer contingent on the short sale being approved by the lender and set a time frame for approval
An addendum form (statutory in California) is advised to outline the short sale contingency terms and conditions (this is a optional state form here, but there may be other requirements elsewhere in California and in other states)
A letter to the seller is also advised requesting written confirmation that the lender has received the hardship letter and other documents as part of the short sale application
There is a good chance there will be more than 1 offer
It is still prudent (I would say it is ESSENTIAL) to conduct a home inspection even though the lender will probably require an "as is" sale - you still want to know what you are buying and what repairs need to be made
It is possible the seller will not be able to do any Section 1 repairs resulting from the Wood Destroying Pest Inspection (e.g., termites) due to hardship of funds. This may vary from state to state AND lender to lender

Be sure to discuss issues and questions with your agent before proceeding, preferably someone who has some experience with short sales.

I would NOT recommend taking on a short sale purchase without representation by a qualified, knowledgeable licensed agent. There is too much at risk for you, the buyer. And remember, the listing agent represents the seller's interests, not those of the buyer.

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UPDATE - November 21, 2007

Here is a link to some other articles I have written that answer other common questions asked by buyers about short sales. While the articles reference Carlsbad homes, the general issues are probably applicable in most areas depending on current practices and any particular laws.

UPDATE - APRIL 2008

As you will see in the comments, short sales continue to be very common, complex, and frustrating. And very time consuming, sometimes taking months before a response from the bank occurs.

I recently was in a short sale situation where after 5 weeks the bank had not assigned a negotiator yet, even though all the paperwork (including buyer offers) was submitted and in their computer. The issue, per the bank, is being overwhelmed with the volume of short sale properties.

It seems that REO (bank owned properties) are easier, at least in this area, to deal with since the bank owns the property. Neogiations on offers seems to be much faster, although it is hard to know how it will happen, i.e., will the bank look at all offers, the highest, in order of receipt, etc. And negotiations may only be verbal (even though we have a form for counter offers here in CA).

I have heard from more than one agent that getting a home to closing can take 3 to 6 months from start to finish. That mean a heckuva lot of patience on the part of buyers and agents.

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The Fountains at Bellagio in Las Vegas

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 18:40:48 -0400

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.

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Photography Exhibit at the Cannon Art Gallery | July Photography Show | Carlsbad California 92009

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:03:03 -0400

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.

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

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:55:44 -0400

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!!

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Animal Rescue in Carlsbad and Surrounding Areas - Fallout from Short Sales and Foreclosures

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:00:10 -0400

There is much fallout from the short sale and foreclosure crisis that has hit the housing market these last few years. No area seems untouched, in some way, by the substantial increase in loan defaults, and numerous families are in the process of losing, or have already lost, their homes. A certainly the expectation is there will be many more

The other fall out from this crisis is a huge increase in the number of abandoned animals, primarily dogs and cats.

We saw many pets left behind in the drastic fires here in San Diego in October 2007, and further north in 2008, but the short sale and foreclosure crisis has lingered on, resulting in thousands of pets who have been left behind by their owners. While most seem to be cats and dogs from reports I have heard, I suspect there are others who have also been left behind to fend for themselves.

Fortunately there are a number of organizations that are dedicated to the rescuing these animals. Here are just a few:

Critter Crossings Corporation is the result of someone who cares deeply about the plight of so many abandoned dogs in the Los Molinos area (just north of Chico near Sacramento). The problems are not simply finding homes but dealing with necessary surgeries and medical care, all of which cost significantly. Here's the link to their Facebook page for more information on this very worthy organization. You can make a donation here. Stop by their site for more information on the dogs that are available for adoption now.

In San Diego County (Encinitas) there is the Rescue House, that focuses on rescuing and finding homes for area cats that have been abandoned, given up for adoption or abused. We adopted an abandoned kitten (8 months old, now named Lily) from them a few months ago, and the whole process was most impressive - interviews, etc. They have a substantial rescue, foster care and adoption program in the North County San Diego area.

Other Animal Rescue and Adoption options in the Carlsbad/San Diego area:

North County Human Society (includes a shelter in Carlsbad)

San Diego Humane Society

Jolene's Horse Rescue
Falcon Ridge Equine Rescue in Valley Center

AdoptaPet - national organization

Friends of County Animal Shelters (FOCAS) San Diego

There are numerous organizations that rescue pets throughout the North County San Diego area. If you are interested in a specific breed, there is likely an organization dedicated to their rescue and adoption.

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Carlsbad Business - Car Country

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 16:23:02 -0400

Need a new car? Or an old car? Then here's the community profile you should read

California, as everyone knows, is probably the car capital of the world. Supposedly there are more cars in Los Angeles than there are people. That's pretty amazing to me.

We are an auto-centric state for sure (there's a post coming on that, so stay tuned). Knowing the importance of cars in our lives (well, for many of us at least), knowing where to go to buy a new or used car is smart (unless you are an on-line fanatic - Craigslist.com is one place to check, but there are a bunch of Internet car websites, such as CarsDirect.com).

This post is about CAR COUNTRY in Carlsbad. This is not to say that this is the ONLY place to go, but there are certainly some impressive options if you are in North County San Diego. If you are in the market for an exotic car (say a Maserati, a Lambroghini, an Aston Martin, a Ferrari or similar) head to La Jolla, or up to Los Angeles or Orange County (Beverly Hills has a great supply of exotic cars, or rent one for a weekend to try it out!).

Car Country is a community of car dealerships. There is nothing other than car dealerships here as far as you can see for about 1 mile (plus a side road called, appropriately, Car Country Drive). This neighborhood (being a little loose here with the definition) is just off Palomar Airport Road, about midway up the Carlsbad coast, and adjacent to the freeway.

Most of the major car dealerships are here - Chevrolet (Worthington Chevrolet, Weseloh Chevrolet), Honda, Hyundai (North County Hyundai), Buick (Rorick Buick), Chrysler/Jeep (Bob Baker Chrysler/Jeep), BMW, Infiniti, Lexus, Mercedes, Porsche, Toyota/Scion, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Dodge, Cadillac, Ford (Ken Grody Ford), and VW (Bob Baker VW),

Hoehn Motors is a huge place - Mercedes, Porsche, Infiniti, Honda, and a number of dealerships also feature a substantial selection of used cars.

I guess this sounds sort of like a car commercial - sorry ‘bout that.

But if you are in the car buying mood, Car Country is the place in Carlsbad.

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CALLING ALL LOAN OFFICERS ON ACTIVERAIN?? WHAT ARE THE FACTS HERE?? NO PRE-APPROVAL LETTERS???

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:27:12 -0400

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?

Via Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate:

* * * CALLING ALL LOAN OFFICERS ON ACTIVERAIN * * *

NO PRE-APPROVALS LETTERS???

This post in response to"NO MORE PREAPPROVALS" posted by Marilyn Bondreaux.

WHAT IS THE SKINNY ON THIS MATTER?

WE NEED TO SEPARATE FACT FROM RUMOR. I've seen the posts on ActiveRain and other areas about this but it has always been rumor and limited. However, when an agent gets advice that "because RESPA. . . . . ", goodness, it must have something more than rumor behind it.

INQUIRING MINDS and other REAL ESTATE AGENTS WANT TO KNOW. Since the post didn't disclose the mortgage company involved, I'm left in limbo. What does RESPA say about loan pre-approvals?????

Is this practice limited to particular scenarios, or, limited to thet mortgage company in Marilyn's post?

A PRE-APPROVAL OR AT LEAST A PRE-QUALIFYING LETTER IS ESSENTIAL TO CONTRACT ACCEPTANCE. I don't need a loan office to qualify my buyers for price range. I can do that in my sleep. However, I remember when we once presented offers without lender letters and promised in the contract that the buyer would make loan application in 5 days and have 15-25, etc. days for loan approval.

WORTHLESS LENDER LETTERS?? My experience is that the lender's letter is valuable for credit review and it gives the listing agent and seller some small comfort that the buyer will be able to close.

WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE? GET READY FOR THIS! Perhaps agents will have to go back to the procedures we followed 15 years ago and provided sellers with BUYER'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. Fine with me. I never stopped using financial statements. They tell me a lot more about a buyer than a lender's letter. However, I do appreciate the credit review which is absolutely critical as loans become more and more difficult and limited.

BANK OWNED PROPERTIES. This would not be a problem for bank owned properties. They would simply require that the buyer making an offer would have to be approved by, who, the bank that owned the property for sale, of course. O.K. I can live with that.

ARE WE GOING TO BE LIMITED TO THE WORKSHEET WHICH IS IN LIEU OF THE OLD GFE???

Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988.

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The View's Pretty Good from the 23rd Floor

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:11:56 -0400

I'm in Sin City for the CRS Sellabration Convention (and getting together with a few ActiveRain folks in about a hour) at the Paris Hotel.

It's over 100 degrees and the view is pretty good from the 23rd floor of my hotel. Just what you would expect on a hot day n the middle of summer. Of course there are a zillion people inside shopping and at the casino.

The Paris Hotel in Las Vegas is, well the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. Mini Eiffel Tower, mini Arc de Triomphe, mini Academie, and the interior is designed to make you think you are wandering the shops, cafes and streets in Paris with lights, fake trees and store fronts that mimic, sort of, the Parisian scene. OK, it's a hotel dressed up for tourists, so you can imagine. It IS impressive.

And I can watch the fountains at the Bellagio across the street. Stay tuned for a vid or two.

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