La Jolla Cove Sea Lions Dick Greenberg has inspired us to share our best photos for his November 2016 Photography Contest. This is my entry for the Real Life category in the animals subcategory.  World famous La Jolla Cove in La Jolla, CA, just north of San Diego, is known for a wide range of wild life  - seals, sea lions, pelicans, and cormorants, to name a few. It's a beautiful area and well worth a visit - enjoy a walk along the bluff or take out a kayak for a whole different perspective! I caught these guys taking a nice nap in the sun on the rocks by the Cove during a visit a couple of years ago. 11/23/2016

What's the Value of My La Jolla Home? The La Jolla real estate market is one of the most expensive in San Diego County. A virtual visit to La Jolla (see links below), or better yet in real life, will quickly give you a good sense of why this is so. Having current, local information about La Jolla homes for sale is essential so you can make informed decisions about buying or selling a home in La Jolla. La Jolla is an expensive housing market, particularly for ocean view and ocean front homes and estates, for a number of reasons. La Jolla, “The Jewel,” is an extraordinarily beautiful coastal community with many properties offering fabulous views of the ocean from the hills, and a trendy, up-scale village offering the finest in shopping and dining. La Jolla is often compared to the French ... 11/08/2016

Golden Years 3: Retired, Not Relegated And Enjoying The Good Life!  If you didn’t read part 1 & 2 yet, please see The Patient Plan & Instant Inventory first.     One evening after one of our double dates with Michael & Janet, my bride Ailina’s shoes were bothering her feet so Michael and I went off to get the car rather than make her walk home. The place I sold Michael & Janet was just a few blocks from the heart of La Jolla Village and we always walk to dinner from their house to avoid the parking challenges.   Because I admire how Michael & Janet went about “retiring right” in my opinion, I always ask him “how is retirement treating you?” and he always gets a big, sly grin on his face and responds “I love it!” But, this night he added a real heart felt comment I wasn’t expecting, “Yo... 10/27/2016

Golden Years 2: Instant Inventory If you didn’t read part 1 yet, please see The Patient Plan first.     The Plan-Instant Inventory: How do you find a seller when your client wants a particular property or unit within a certain HOA? I guess you can do like they do in the movies:   Knock, Knock, Knock…”Hi I want to buy your home. “ “But, my home isn’t for sale?!?” “Sure it is…” (Open large suitcase of cash).   In short, I wrote personal notes to all the owners of every condo not already for sale, included a copy of an email from Michael & Janet to me, stating how much they loved the building and the location, etc. I did this twice in 2 weeks. Then the hard part, the waiting…   In my mind I’m wondering, would one of my letters land a seller? About 2 weeks later the phone rings and a homeo... 10/27/2016

Golden Years 1: The Patient Plan (a 3 part series)       This is a story of goals achieved and dreams coming true. Patience, planning and purpose is how my buyer-couple, who became my clients in 2012, went from working and living in the SF Bay Area to retiring and living the good life, in La Jolla , CA. During the 3 year process, they also went from clients to neighbors & friends. This is the true story of Michael & Janet and how they truly inspired me in how they went about setting up a wonderful retirement plan to live the Good Life!   I went out to lunch today with Mike (just the boys) and I had to share with you, the thought provoking conversation we had about retirement and both the planning for and reality of being retired; a little background first.   Michael and his wife Janet ... 10/27/2016

La Jolla Landmark The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a striking commentary on the architectural skyline in La Jolla, CA.  You can't miss it driving along the I-5 freeway heading north or south to/from San Diego, and the view of this Mormon Temple up close on a bright sunny day is pretty remarkable. It's also readily seen from atop Mt. Soledad in La Jolla, which offers stunning 360 views for miles, especially when it's clear. 10/26/2016

Retirement: A Story About Setting Up Your Golden Years; one couple's journey.They Had  A PlanThey Had A ProcessThey Had a PurposeI learned a lot about one of the right ways to retire from Michael & Janet, two of my clients I helped buy their "retirement home". Imagine a couple that makes retirement look good! They are both happy to be in their marriage (a second for each of them, no kids). They are active together and apart; Michael & Janet share mutual interests and have their individual pursuits as well. They still go out on dates. They workout in a gym and go for walks. They travel! They are active in their new community; very involved in fact from their own HOA, to local government and even volunteer positions. Wow! They planned their retirement: they had a budget, they had a vision... 10/24/2016

Since 1990, William Johnson has been associated with the RE/MAX Associates office in San Diego. Effective October 1st, 2016, William is now associated with the RE/MAX Associates La Jolla office at 1010 Prospect Street, Suite 300. La Jolla, CA. 92037.Certainly an upward move to a very impressive office located on the ocean in La Jolla. "Looking out the front windows and seeing the very active La Jolla Village activity and then out all the back windows with the ocean in full view is really quite wonderful". " And I no longer  have to scout around for a parking place to visit the beautiful ocean coast of La Jolla". With the median home price well over $1,000,000, it will be another delight to my senses to represent some of the many fabulous homes and homeowners of La Jolla in addition to m... 10/13/2016

What's the Value of My La Jolla Home? The La Jolla real estate market is one of the most expensive in San Diego County. A virtual visit to La Jolla (see links below), or better yet in real life, will quickly give you a good sense of why this is so. Having current, local information about La Jolla homes for sale is essential so you can make informed decisions about buying or selling a home in La Jolla. La Jolla is an expensive housing market, particularly for ocean view and ocean front homes and estates, for a number of reasons. La Jolla, “The Jewel,” is an extraordinarily beautiful coastal community with many properties offering fabulous views of the ocean from the hills, and a trendy, up-scale village offering the finest in shopping and dining. La Jolla is often compared to the French ... 10/06/2016

What's the Value of My La Jolla Home? The La Jolla real estate market is one of the most expensive in San Diego County. A virtual visit to La Jolla (see links below), or better yet in real life, will quickly give you a good sense of why this is so. Having current, local information about La Jolla homes for sale is essential so you can make informed decisions about buying or selling a home in La Jolla. La Jolla is an expensive housing market, particularly for ocean view and ocean front homes and estates, for a number of reasons. La Jolla, “The Jewel,” is an extraordinarily beautiful coastal community with many properties offering fabulous views of the ocean from the hills, and a trendy, up-scale village offering the finest in shopping and dining. La Jolla is often compared to the French ... 09/12/2016

Torrey Pines Gliderport in La Jolla This place on the cliffs above famous Black's Beach in the Torrey Pines area of La Jolla (by UCSD and exclusive La Jolla Farms) is well worth a visit. It's great fun to watch the hang gliders, and perhaps take a tandem instructional lesson (unless you are already qualified to go hang gliding). The views are spectacular especially on a beautiful clear and sunny day. There's even a snack bar to enjoy while you watch.  This fellow took his dog out for a flight.  08/10/2016

What's the Value of my La Jolla Home? The La Jolla real estate market is one of the most expensive in San Diego County. A virtual visit to La Jolla (see links below), or in person, will tell you why. Having current, local information about La Jolla homes for sale is essential so you can make informed decisions about buying or selling a home in La Jolla. La Jolla is an expensive housing market, particularly for ocean view and ocean front homes and estates, for a number of reasons. La Jolla, “The Jewel,” is an extraordinarily beautiful coastal community with many properties offering fabulous views of the ocean from the hills, and a trendy, up-scale village offering the finest in shopping and dining. La Jolla is often compared to the French and Italian Rivieras with spectacular ocean and c... 08/09/2016

What's the Value of My La Jolla Home? The La Jolla real estate market is one of the most expensive in San Diego County. A virtual visit to La Jolla (see links below), or in person, will quickly tell you why. Having current, local information about La Jolla homes for sale is essential in order to make informed decisions about buying or selling a home in La Jolla. La Jolla is an expensive housing market, particularly for ocean view and ocean front homes and estates, for a number of reasons. La Jolla, known as “The Jewel,” is an extraordinarily beautiful coastal community with many properties offering fabulous views of the ocean from the hills, and a trendy, up-scale village offering the finest in shopping and dining. La Jolla has been compared to the French and Italian Rivieras with spect... 07/11/2016

Beach & Coastal Hotels La Jolla-Mission BayI sent this (updated) list to my friends & family all the time. If you want to stay in a hotel on the water; ocean, bay or cove, then here's a short list of the ones I like and have stayed in over the years for Stay-cations! These are central to most tourist attractions and offer "off day benefits". Off-day-bene's are when you are taking a day off of the amusement parks to enjoy some beach and restaurant time, near where you are staying. In most cases you are literally on the sand or a short, very short jaunt to it and can see the ocean/bay from the hotel. La Jolla Village & Shores La Valencia HotelLa Jolla Cove Suites Pantai Inn, La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club La Jolla Shores Hotel Mission BayCatamaran Bahia Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Hilton San ... 06/28/2016

What's the Value of My La Jolla Home? The La Jolla real estate market is one of the most expensive in San Diego County. A virtual visit to La Jolla (see links below), or better yet in real life, will quickly give you a good sense of why this is so. Having current, local information about La Jolla homes for sale is essential so you can make informed decisions about buying or selling a home in La Jolla. La Jolla is an expensive housing market, particularly for ocean view and ocean front homes and estates, for a number of reasons. La Jolla, “The Jewel,” is an extraordinarily beautiful coastal community with many properties offering fabulous views of the ocean from the hills, and a trendy, up-scale village offering the finest in shopping and dining. La Jolla is often compared to the French ... 06/07/2016

What's the Value of My La Jolla Home? The La Jolla real estate market is one of the most expensive in San Diego County. A virtual visit to La Jolla (see links below), or better yet in real life, will quickly give you a good sense of why this is so. Having current, local information about La Jolla homes for sale is essential so you can make informed decisions about buying or selling a home in La Jolla. La Jolla is an expensive housing market, particularly for ocean view and ocean front homes and estates, for a number of reasons. La Jolla, “The Jewel,” is an extraordinarily beautiful coastal community with many properties offering fabulous views of the ocean from the hills, and a trendy, up-scale village offering the finest in shopping and dining. La Jolla is often compared to the French ... 05/06/2016

What's the Value of my La Jolla Home?  The La Jolla real estate market is one of the most expensive in San Diego County. A virtual visit to La Jolla (see links below), or better yet in real life, will quickly give you a good sense of why this is so. Having current, local information about La Jolla homes for sale is essential so you can make informed decisions about buying or selling a home in La Jolla. La Jolla is an expensive housing market, particularly for ocean view and ocean front homes and estates, for a number of reasons. La Jolla, “The Jewel,” is an extraordinarily beautiful coastal community with many properties offering fabulous views of the ocean from the hills, and a trendy, up-scale village offering the finest in shopping and dining. La Jolla is often compared to the French... 04/08/2016

Fun Things To Do In La Jolla Village ü     Prospect Street: shopping or just window shopping, there are a lot of great shops, cafes and restaurants off prospect, many with ocean view! Prospect is the main street through The  Village of La Jolla and streets like Herschel, Girard & Fay all intersect with a treasure trove of their own shops too.ü     The La Jolla Historical Society: come learn about La Jolla’s heritage, historical sites & buildings. This non-profit hosts events throughout the year, like my favorite: the Secret Garden Tour every Spring!La Jolla Historical Society Phone: (858) 459-5335Wisteria Cottage Gallery 780 Prospect Street, La Jolla, CA 92037 Open Noon to 4pm Thursday – Sunday  ü     Sunny Jim’s Cave (Store) aka The Cave Store: You walk into what seems like a typical g... 03/26/2016

Dining Out: After 5pm, In La Jolla Some of my Favorite La Jolla Village & Shores Restaurants to enjoy views, atmosphere drinks & dinner are: Duke's: The newest edition to Prospect Street, the main drag in La Jolla Village, is Dukes La Jolla, a very trendy Hawaiian Fusion, muti-level restaurant with ocean views. I received advanced notice they were coming because I helped on of the managers find a rental property, as they were moving to La Jolla from Hawaii. Very trendy, upbeat atmosphere, great service on the slower side and the food was amazing…lots of fresh fish dishes to choose from. It's loud inside, which makes conversation challenging at times, but the energy is palpable.                                                               Here are my bride & I at Dukes with some of my f... 03/20/2016

What's My La Jolla Home Worth? La Jolla Real Estate Market February 2016 The La Jolla real estate market is one of the most expensive in San Diego County. A virtual visit to La Jolla (see links below), or better yet in real life, will quickly give you a good sense of why this is so. Having current, local information about La Jolla homes for sale is essential so you can make informed decisions about buying or selling a home in La Jolla. La Jolla is an expensive housing market, particularly for ocean view and ocean front homes and estates, for a number of reasons. La Jolla, “The Jewel,” is an extraordinarily beautiful coastal community with many properties offering fabulous views of the ocean from the hills, and a trendy, up-scale village offering the finest in shopping and dining. La Jol... 03/09/2016