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Carlsbad, CA Real Estate News

By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Come Live in the Preserve in Carlsbad This beautiful home, built in 2019 in Cypress at The Preserve, is a delight from the minute you walk through the courtyard gate, step inside the front door, and take in the spacious open floor plan with abundant natural light and views of the back yard.  The back yard faces the preserve, and features a built-in grill and fire pit with waterfall. You’ll love to relax and entertain here!  Cooks will love the kitchen with gas cook top, stainless appliances, quartz counters, a large island with pendant lighting, and plentiful storage including a large pantry.  Upstairs you'll find the primary suite with double walk-in closets, a balcony to enjoy the views and your morning coffee, and en suite bath with dual vanities, a soaking tub, and walk-in shower. T...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
The 2023 Carlsbad 5000 is April 2 in Carlsbad CA Carlsbad hosts a number of premier running events during the year. The Carlsbad 5000, on April 2nd, is reportedly the world’s fastest 5K race. Several world and US records have been set, and broken, since the race was established in 1986. Runners will likely attempt to do so again in 2023! The Carlsbad 5000 is presented by National University. There’s still some time to register online, but don’t delay as this event usually sells out. There are multiple races on Sunday. Of course there is the big race, the Carlsbad 5000 (5K), plus the All Day 20K (four 5K races) with 4 categories of runners. The Junior Carlsbad race is for kids ages 4 to 12. Kids can run a ½ mile (ages 4 to 6) or 1 mile (7 to 12). The Elite Invitational, with prizes, is a...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
2023 Pirate Plunge in CarlsbadSaturday March 26th     The popular Pirate Plunge, hosted by the Alga Norte Aquatic Center in the La Costa area of Carlsbad, is almost here. This fun aquatic event takes place next Saturday March 25th from 5 – 9 pm. Kids can enjoy a range of pirate-themed activities in the pool (e.g., Ship Raiders, Diving for Treasure), some floating obstacles, and plenty of photo opportunities. Plus you can walk the diving board plank!! There’s a pirate ship slide and a treasure hunt on land as well. The Splash Pad will be open for the younger kids. The Pirate Plunge ends with a movie on the big outdoor screen, beginning at dusk. Drinks and food will be available for purchase during the event. Admission and wristbands are $10 per person, with kids 3 or under free. The maxi...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
March 2023 Carlsbad Art Wall The 1st mural of 2023 for the Carlsbad Art Wall was completed last weekend by Los Angeles-based artist Mister Toledo (Daniel). This is the 34th mural since the Carlsbad Art Wall was founded. What diversity, creativity and beauty we’ve seen over the years. The colors were brilliant, even on this gray and rainy day, and the green grass was an interesting contrast.  Well-known Carlsbad artist, Bryan Snyder, founded the #CarlsbadArtWall in 2015, in cooperation with the owner of Senor Grubby’s Mexican Restaurant in Carlsbad Village. Bryan also founded the Carlsbad Alley Art Wall, and has created or led other art projects in Carlsbad. The Carlsbad Art Wall gives residents and visitors an opportunity to enjoy temporary public art by local, regional, and occasionall...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
What’s the Value of My Carlsbad Home? Carlsbad Market Report for February 2023 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to evolve, with changes from January and 1 year ago. Private sales, mobile homes and multi-family housing are not included (the numbers are taken from the MLS and believed to be accurate when reported but are not guaranteed). Media reports speak in general terms, thus they do not reflect local Carlsbad housing market conditions (learn more - How Local IS Local?). Current information, and analysis, about local market conditions benefits you when you need to make buying and/or selling decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale. READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 52 homes sold in Carlsbad in February (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), down 16% from January. H...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Our house backs up to a small canyon, which means varied wildlife for backyard neighbors. And when we get a fair amount of rain - and boy have we had it recently - we have our own version of a mini "waterfall."  It's not a true waterfall, of course. It doesn't compare to waterfalls I've seen, say in Kauai and Maui, but we can always tell there's been a lot of rain, especially in a short period of time.  With the storm we have been having in California there is a fair amount of flooding in low lying areas including roadways. Heavy winds and rain have resulted in trees being blown down and mudslides in some areas, among other damage. And some areas that never get snow have had some at the lower elevations (as low as 1500 feet above sea level I've heard) although none in Carlsbad that I've...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
The Carlsbad Flower Fields Open March 1, 2022 The iconic Flower Fields in Carlsbad CA will open as they do each year on Wednesday March 1st. As in 2022, visitors must book tickets online for a specific date and arrival time. No tickets will be sold at the gate. Don’t expect things to look like the top photo on Opening Day since the Flower Fields take a while to reach their peak. That often happens in late March depending on the weather. But they are truly beautiful even when not at peak, and a gorgeous sign of spring! Here is a photo from yesterday. The plants are mature with lots of buds, and we are just starting to see some color.  Here’s a video from March 2022:  The Carlsbad Flower Fields have been a popular tourist attraction for over 60 years. There are about 55 acres of brightly ...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Contemporary Perspectives in Fiber ArtsCannon Art Gallery, Carlsbad We visited the current exhibit at the city-owned Cannon Art Gallery yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The exhibit opened January 7, 2023 and runs through March 18. It’s well worth a visit. “Contemporary Perspectives in Fiber Arts” features a number of artists and their works from California Fibers, an organization founded in 1970. According to their website, California Fibers “supports artistic growth and professional advancement for contemporary Southern California fiber artists.”  The creativity and craftsmanship in this exhibit was most impressive. Given that California Fibers artists have won awards and are represented in a number of museums and private collections made this exhibit particularly meaningful and f...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
6 Big Reasons to Love Living in Carlsbad California  Debe Maxwell, CRS  and Brian England  are co-hosting the February Challenge, and encouraged us to write about why we love were we live. So here goes.I first met Carlsbad in 2004 on a house hunting trip with my wife and liked it immediately. I moved here in April 2005 after a year of exploring a number of coastal communities after we had made the decision to relocate from Boston. I had no idea how much I would come to love living here when we first moved in, but there are plenty of reasons why I do. CARLSBAD BEACHESEssentially Carlsbad is one continuous beach, about 7 miles long, from the southern Oceanside border, south along the Coast Road/Historic Route 101 to Encinitas. There are lots of different beaches, by name, but it’s hard to...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
What’s the Value of My Carlsbad Home? Carlsbad Marker Report for January 2023 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to evolve, with changes from December and 1 year ago. These numbers do not include private sales, mobile homes or multi-family housing (the numbers are taken from the MLS and believed to be accurate when reported but are not guaranteed). Media reports speak in general terms, so they do not reflect local Carlsbad housing market conditions (learn more - How Local IS Local?). Up-to-date information, and analysis, about local market conditions benefits you when you need to make buying and/or selling decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale. READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 62 homes sold in Carlsbad in January (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), up by 44% fro...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
February is 2023 San Diego Museum Month San Diego Museum Month starts today, with terrific museum benefits you might want to take advantage of throughout February. San Diego Museum Month is a wonderful opportunity! You can obtain discounts at over 60 museums, historic sites, and venues throughout San Diego until the 28th. It’s easy - just pick up your discount pass at one of the 75 San Diego Libraries (county libraries, public libraries, and community libraries). You’ll receive 50% off the cost of regular admission for up to 4 people. You may find some other special offers, too. Keep in mind that certain special programs and exhibits may have other admission fees. Furthermore, some exhibits might not qualify for a discount. It’s wise to check with the venue first to see if there are lim...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Blown Glass Heart Treasure Hunt in Carlsbad The 3rd Annual Hearts of Carlsbad Village blown glass treasure hunt in Carlsbad Village is in February. What a great opportunity to spend time in Carlsbad Village outdoors exploring! The Carlsbad Village Association and Barrio Glassworks are sponsoring this fun event on February 11th and 12th. The treasure hunt opens at 10 am on Saturday and ends at 4 pm on Sunday.  February is American Heart Month, and Valentine’s Day is 2 days after the event. What’s could be more appropriate than a heart-themed treasure hunt? Here’s how the treasure hunt works. 200 colorful hand-blown glass hearts created at Barrio Glassworks will be “hidden” in popular locations in the Village over the 2-day period. Last year there were 50 hearts in the hunt. Each engraved...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Barrio Glassworks in Carlsbad Barrio Glassworks, established in 2021, is a public glassblowing studio, gallery and gift shop in the heart of Carlsbad Village. And it’s a pretty hot attraction – pun intended! Glassblowing is fascinating to watch. You no doubt know this if you’ve ever had the opportunity to see it. If you haven’t had the chance, it’s lots of fun, and pretty amazing to see what glassblowers can do with molten glass. I remember the first time I saw live glassblowing in Murano, Italy a number of years ago. That was quite the place to see it for the first time! We also visited the Glass Ranch in Escondido several times and watched glass blowing there. Barrio Glassworks offers residents and visitors alike to simply come watch live glassblowing in action. The public viewing are...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Give Blood in Carlsbad Village February 11, 2023 Once again here’s an opportunity for Carlsbad residents to help our community, and specifically the San Diego Blood Bank, with their need for blood donations. The 6th Annual Heart of the Village Blood Drive will be held in Carlsbad Village on Saturday, February 11th from 10 am until 3 pm. Thank you again to Barrio Glassworks at 3060 Roosevelt Street for hosting the blood drive. Blood donations are at the San Diego Blood Bank Bloodmobile in their parking lot. And you can also check out their glass blowing operations and gifts while you're there.  Over 238 pints have been donated through the previous Heart of the Village Blood Drive events! Once again the Carlsbad Village Association is the sponsor. All donations are by Appointment Only, pr...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
What’s the Value of My Carlsbad Home? Carlsbad Market Report for December 2022 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to evolve, with changes from November and 1 year ago. These numbers do not include private sales, mobile homes or multi-family housing (the numbers are taken from the MLS and believed to be accurate when reported but are not guaranteed). Media reports speak in general terms, so they do not reflect local Carlsbad housing market conditions (learn more - How Local IS Local?). Up-to-date information, and analysis, about local market conditions benefits you when you need to make buying and/or selling decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale. READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 43 homes sold in Carlsbad in December (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), down 41% fr...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
2023 Carlsbad Marathon~ Sunday January 15th ~ The popular Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad Marathon is Sunday January 15th, in our beautiful village by the sea. That’s also the Martin Luther King holiday weekend - officially Monday the 16h! If you are a distance runner you may be finishing your training for the upcoming Carlsbad Marathon and Half Marathon. Or one of the other races, too! The Carlsbad Marathon is a very popular running event, and is a qualifying race for the well-known Boston Marathon. No doubt there are plenty of runners from other areas of the US planning on this world-class event! The Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad Marathon also offers a Double Down Challenge. This is 2 races, first the 5K (3.1 miles) followed by the half marathon, for a total of 16.2 miles. The Car...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
First Photos of the New Year They aren't anything special, but I realized when I took them that they are my first photos of the New Year. No doubt they will be followed by many hundreds more, if my camera history in Carlsbad repeats itself. I would have liked a bright sunny day to start the New Year. However, it was quite blustery and chilly, but not an unusual winter day for us.  And we were blessed with a couple inches of rain overnight so I really shouldn't gripe. We need it desperately, and more is due. We were out running errands and drove along Armada Drive which overlooks the Carlsbad Flower Fields (due to open March 1st) and the ocean in the distance. More on the Fields as we get close to blooming time. They WILL look like the FEATURE PHOTO in the next couple of months. The top ...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Free Christmas Tree Recycling in Carlsbad~ Through January 15, 2023 ~ It’s hard to believe Christmas is behind us. But some of you may already be thinking about taking down the holiday tree. As they do each year, the City of Carlsbad is offering free, curbside pickup of Christmas trees for Carlsbad residents now through January 15th. Curbside pickup is on the regular trash pick-up day unless it falls on the Christmas and New Year’s observed holidays. Christmas trees should be placed at the end of the driveway next to the green waste bin. Be sure to remove all decorations, lights, tinsel and tree stands before recycling. If possible you should cut the tree and place it in the Green Waste recycling bin for pick-up.  If your tree is taller than 6 feet it should be cut in half and placed ne...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Holiday Light Displays in Carlsbad 2022 I enjoy seeing the holiday light displays in our neighborhood, and around Carlsbad including the Village at this time of year. In addition to what we see on buildings and at the shopping centers, it’s impressive to see what some private homeowners do with their homes. We have white lights on several small trees on our front patio and lighted wreaths on the front door and fence, but that’s it! TWIN INNS - This is a favorite of mine in Carlsbad Village. I really enjoy how the Twin Inns on Carlsbad Boulevard are lit up every year, especially the palm trees. I haven't seen them at night yet in 2022 but no doubt they will impress again. This photo is from a prior year. I always enjoy seeing the Holiday Tree at the Carlsbad Village Faire (300 Carlsbad V...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
2022 Holiday Trees in Carlsbad I really like our traditional holiday tree that stands at the entrance to the Carlsbad Village Faire in the heart of downtown, just 2 blocks from the beach.The annual tree lighting and all the festivities was held this past Sunday, which I missed due to being in LA, for the 37th year. But I also really like seeing the wizened old trees along the bluff above the beach that get decorated every year by people living in Carlsbad (perhaps visitors, too).I have no clue how old these trees are, but every year they are dressed up to brighten the bluff with holiday spirit for those who are running or driving by the Carlsbad beaches. Fun, don’t you think?
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