An Invitation to San Diego Real Estate Professionals and Stakeholders     Our group is for any/all San Diego Real Estate Professionals and Stakeholders be you a lender, investor, property manager, interior designer, home stager, any/all contractors, appraisers and home inspectors.     Whether you're a member of  , , Zillow, Realty Trac or any other Real estate Network please feel free to share your thoughts, insights, professional expertise, personal and professional experiences, listings, sales or whatever you have on your mind.     As we all know, be you and/or your client/s a Millineal, X-Gen, or Baby Boomer, San Diego aka "America's Finest City" is the Nation's #1 choice as the BEST city to live, work and play in.   Call On Us Anytime To BE Your Go To Guys For Information & Knowledg... 05/07/2014

San Diego ranked first among potential city   relocation choices         San Diego ranked first among potential city relocation choices in a recent national poll commissioned by the American Planning Association.   The Washington, D.C.-based not-for-profit organization does advocacy and education related to urban planning and community development. The group released the Harris Poll findings at its recent national convention in Atlanta.         Officials said 44 percent of more than 1,000 people surveyed online by Harris said they were somewhat or extremely likely to move within the next five years. Of those, San Diego placed first overall as the likely relocation city.     By age group, San Diego placed first among active baby boomers (age 50-65), and third among Millennial (age 21-34)... 05/07/2014

 Can Getting Featured Can Be Overrated?     I've read several posts over the years about being featured.  So what's so important about being featured?     In some cases it almost looks as though folks spend more time trying to write a post that gets featured than their spending trying to build their business.   Frankly, I didn't join Trulia,  Active Rain or any other blog to get featured. I do like writing about my business and subjects of interest to me and if what I write hits others hot buttons and I'm fortunate to end up getting it featured I'm grateful.   Truth be known I really joined these blogs to learn how to blog, build my SEO and website presence and little by  little I'm starting to get it.  But I really enjoy reading and commenting on others posts almost more than posting m... 05/07/2014

       One Man's Ceiling Is Another Mans Floor.                        A New Age For Real Estate.     I've been observing a considerable amount of brooding, complaining and overall negativity for the past couple of years about the RE industry from many so called RE Professionals.  They're getting out of the game because they feel that it's changed so much to the downside it will never be what it used to be.  So they're quitting!     I say Great! Hurry up and quit!   I hear them say "There's just no way I'll ever be able to be as successful as I was in the Good Ole Days". Or "It's just too hard to make any money anymore in RE." Well, I have news for you folks. It's not the game that's changed. It's just some of the rules. And like any game you have to learn how to play by the rules. RE ... 05/04/2014

An Aggressive RE Hustler? Or Just An Unethical   Licensed RE Con Man?     Ever heard the one about a RE agent who hustles a client into a listing by telling him he has a buyer for his home that's willing to pay whatever he's asking just to get a listing and then brings him an offer far below that number?        An agent shows up on my doorstep one Saturday morning and asks me if I'm interested in selling my home because he has a buyer who likes it and is willing to pay my price. So I say fine I'm asking 2.7 million. He says "Great! Let's write it up!"   A couple of days later he brings me an offer for almost half of that and suggests that I counter somewhere in between. Quite irritated I tell him, that I did not ask to list my home and reminded him that he initiated the deal.     He sed... 05/04/2014

The San Diego Botanic Garden Chocolate Festival in Encinitas May 10, 2014 Need a chocolate fix this weekend? I know I can always use one…and I have a terrific solution. The San Diego Botanic Garden Chocolate Festival Saturday, May 10, 2014, in Encinitas California   The downloadable coupon will give you $1 off the price of admission (only 1 needed per car) to the Gardens when beautiful plants, flowers, and CHOCOLATE abound. You can enjoy wonderful tastings (Tasting tickets sold on-site) from multiple chocolate vendors (to name a few…Chuao Chocolatier, Dallman Confections, Belgium Gourmet, Eclipse Chocolate, Sea Salt Candy Company). The Chocolate Festival will also offer a chocolate fountain, children’s activities, Mother’s Day gifts for purchase, and chocolate demonstrations. Eat your w... 05/04/2014

Boomers, Millennials Agree: San Diego is The Place to Be Repost BY CHRIS JENNEWEIN ON MAY 1, 2014 IN LIFE | 102 VIEWS | LEAVE A RESPONSE One thing that older Baby Boomers and young Millennials can agree on is that San Diego is the kind of walkable, transit-friendly place where they want to live. San Diego is a walkable, transit-friendly city: riders and trolleys at the America Plaza station in downtown San Diego. Photo courtesy Metropolitan Transit System A survey commissioned by theAmerican Planning Associationpolled 1,040 Americans to understand the community preferences of Baby Boomers aged 50-65 and Millennials aged 21-34. They wanted walkable cities with public transportation, and San Diego was the top choice of both. Of those in both age groups who expected to move in the next fi... 05/02/2014

In my last article about home selling I focused on the inside of your home. But what if you inside is all done and ready for sale. The next thing to be aware of is your landscaping and curb appeal.This does not mean that you need to put in a new garden or swimming pool but there are things to be aware. Find your Encinitas homes value here, it’s fast and no email required! The first thing you should do is stand in front of you home. How does it look to you? If you were a perspective buyer and you drove up, would you think "wow, this looks great" or "this home doesn't look good". If it's the latter, write down what you think needs to be done to get that wow factor. Here are some things that will help get that wow factor- Make sure your lawn is green and recently mowed. You can spray on fe... 04/30/2014

A New Du & A Brew In Beautiful Downtown Encinitas. Best of Both Worlds       Introducing Shannon Arendsen Owner of Downtown Encinitas' very popular and chic                    Those folks who are lucky enough to have Shannon and her fabulous 5 station team of extremely talented and experienced stylists know what they have and can't wait for their regular visit and the opportunity to get pampered and spoiled only to leave with a glow of freshness be they MALE or FEMALE     The Parlour Salon was tastefully and cleverly designed and built out by the dynamic team of Scott and Shannon Arendsen. In keeping with the laid back FUNKINESS of traditional Encinitas they pulled out all the stops by installing hardwood floors and ceiling throughout and created a genuinely artistic yet quaint, charmin... 04/26/2014

As a Realtor, I get asked all the time "what room(s) should I remodel before listing my Encinitas home for top dollar?" Most people say they've heard you get the most bang for your buck out of a full kitchen remodel. I don't disagree and before I move on to what I think would be a better plan, let me make a few points about a kitchen remodel. Make sure what you do is relevant to the price of your home. If your home is worth $200,000, don't go out and by a $10,000 range top. If your home is going to sale in the high 100's or more, go ahead and buy the top of the line appliances. Another thing I see all the time that really hurts an older kitchen is the cabinets. I know they are expensive but if you feel your kitchen needs a remodel, at least refinish the cabinets. It's the first thing w... 04/24/2014

Party with The Bunny at San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas   That's right, you and your 2 - 6 year old can party with the Bunny at the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas this Saturday April 19. The annual Easter Party hosted by the San Diego Botanic Garden offers 2 party time for egg hunting, spring craft making, a parade and "rabbit picnic." Each party is limited to 50 children with pre-registration being required. Party times are 10 - 11:30 or 11:30 - 1. Costs varies from $15 - 18 per child. Adults who come along to join the fun will be charged the normal admission fee. You can pre-register online or at the San Diego Botanic Garden office. And Stay tune for information on their upcoming Chocolate Festival in May.   San Diego Botanic Garden Easter Party 230 Quail Gardens Drive E... 04/17/2014

Encinitas Street Fair 2014 is April 26 - 27 in Downtown Encinitas   The fair season is upon us here in North San Diego County, and it’s time for the 31st annual Encinitas Street Fair 2014 in downtown Encinitas, less than 2 weeks from now, on Saturday and Sunday April 26 and 27.   Numerous food, arts and crafts vendors (450 or so) will greet visitors and shoppers from 9 am until 5 pm both days along main street (Route 101/Coast Highway) in downtown Encinitas. BEWARE - No parking on the 101 from D to J Street from 4 am until 6 pm or you risk getting towed.   The Encinitas Street Fair will offer a beer garden (always popular) sponsored by the well-known Stone Brewing Company, lots of live music from 4 music stages (one at the Lumberyard), and the popular pancake breakfast sponsored by the ... 04/15/2014

Encinitas CA - It's almost time for the 31st Annual Encinitas Street Fair!  This spring's street faire will be on Saturday, April 26th and Sunday, April 27th from 9:00am to 5:00pm.  Located as usual on South Coast Highway from D Street to J Street.  According to the Encinitas 101 website, there will be "over 450 unique food, arts and crafts vendors plus four entertainment stages, children's rides, Dog Zone, Kids Zone, bike valets, and a Beer Garden." On Saturday, there is also the Encinitas Fire Department's Annual Pancake Breakfast, located at the north end of the Encinitas Street Faire in the 7-Eleven parking lot at the corner of D Street and the 101.  For a small donation, you can enjoy pancakes cooked on the spot by our local firemen. And there are a bunch of food options from kettl... 04/13/2014

Encinitas Homes for Sale – What Happened in the Encinitas Real Estate Market in March 2014?   As a buyer or seller in the Encinitas real estate market, you need to understand the local market conditions so you can make a more informed decision about what to do with regard to Encinitas homes for sale. Here’s what happened in the Encinitas housing market for March 2014 based on statistics from the MLS (private sales are not included nor are manufactured, mobile or multi-family homes). These data are deemed reliable but are not guaranteed due to how data may be entered into the MLS system. READ MORE:  Encinitas – An Eclectic Seaside Community Leucadia- Surfers' Beach Community in Encinitas CA In March 2014, there were 36 homes sold in Encinitas, 20% more sales than last month. Here’s the ... 04/11/2014

Punk Rock Dog wants to run the Pacific Coast Beaches with Vegas Bob ;)   Vegas Bob has been down in SoCal for 5 days now just walking the beaches "Day in & Day out" between 10-15 miles every afternoon. VB has stumbled across some pretty strange stuff lying along the beaches, some Beach Sand Art, dead sea creatures washed ashore, etc. But VB has never stumbled across a "Punk Rock Dog" ... VB remembers well when he went through the Punk era in Portland Oregon back in the late 70s. With all the weird clothes, shoes, safety pins hanging all over the clothes and some very strange haircuts. VB was hiking down some beaches he never traveled, and stumbled onto a beach that was full of dogs. I think they should have named it "Dog Beach" because dogs were everywhere with their owners chasing tenn... 04/10/2014

New Homes for Sale at Fiore in Encinitas (update April 2014) New construction building continues in Encinitas, with a number of upscale housing developments in varying phases of production, with more to come.   Fiore is a new community of luxury homes in Encinitas being built just east of the 5 freeway (yes, even though it is above the freeway the noise level is not what I expected from my visit today – much less), less than a mile as the proverbial crow flies to the Encinitas beaches. Fiore in Encinitas will feature 28 homes ranging in size from around 3249 Sf (single story, phase 1) up to about 5180 SF. Fiore homes are substantial, with wonderful features that are include (as opposed to being options) on large lots with 4 - 5 bedrooms and 4.5 – 5.5 baths, and 3 or 4 car garages.   Fio... 04/07/2014

San Diego CA - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan program does not charge mortgage insurance, unlike an FHA insured loan or a Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac loan with less than 20% down payment. However, in order to defray the cost of administering the VA Home Loan program, the VA does charge a VA Funding Fee which may be paid in cash at closing, paid by the seller, paid by the lender, or most commonly - financed into the loan.  REMEMBER: The current Zero Down VA Home Loan Limit in San Diego County is $562,350 - larger loan amounts are allowed, but with some down payment, for more info go to: VA Home Loan Limits for 2015, San Diego County How much is the VA Funding Fee on home purchase?  That depends on the type of military service, the amount of the down payment if any, and whet... 03/30/2014

VA Home Loan With Zero Down Up To $546,250 Purchase Price In Encinitas CA Encinitas CA - Did you know that qualified veterans can obtain a VA home loan in Encinitas CA with zero money down up to a sales price of $546,250?  This limit is for VA home loans closed in Encinitas CA from February 28, 2014 through December 31, 2014. In late December of 2013, the VA announced the new VA Zero Down loan limits for 2014 for Encinitas CA.  At that time, the VA Zero Down Loan Limit was going to be $527,500 which was an increase from the 2013 VA Zero Down Loan Limit of $500,000.   However, the VA Zero Down Loan Limits for Encinitas CA were REVISED and there was a slight increase from $527,500 to $546,250. Does this mean that the maximum VA loan in Encinitas CA is only $546,250?  Absolutely not.  This... 03/25/2014

Great things are happening in San Diego Real Estate.  Here are some of the snippets from the March San Diego Real Estate Report: Year over Year Double Digit Price Gains Continue (15.5% ave)...AGAIN Month over Month Average prices drop 5.9% in San Diego County.  Month over Month Median prices rise 1% in San Diego County and sales UP by 6.5% MTM. Average Cost/SQFT dropped by 1.1%. It is difficult to see trends emerge from the Winter Months.   At least Pending sales are up 11% San Diego County Prices have a 23 Month trend of Year over Year price increases!   In addition to the monthly real estate report is my monthly newsletter, which includes interesting and useful articles, fun facts, trivia and more.  Inside This Issue... 7 Major Financial Mistakes & How To Avoid Them... Save Money On T... 03/25/2014

  Encinitas Homes, Homes in Encinitas  Encinitas is a well sought out community in north county.  It has so much to offer with its beaches, abundant shops and restaurants.  You will fall in love instantly by how much there is to do in this charming little town.       See amazing sunsets from local restaurants and beaches. For more information please contact Laura Michelle Smith 858-254-1293 03/25/2014