I have started a series of articles on Carlsbad area real estate for sale which is within walking distance of amenities including dining and shopping. Lots of folks are interested in being able to live in certain neighborhoods and then walk to dining and shopping - something that is not always easy to do in Southern California, and in many cases comes at a hefty price, since many town centers in North County San Diego are very close to the beach. Close to the beach means high real estate prices. But there ARE options in and around Carlsbad, and I will be featuring these over the next few weeks. Proximity to amenities by walking can be very personal - for some, a walk of 15-20 minutes is fine, and other want a 10 minute walk.  I will be using my own knowledge of these markets plus Walksc... 12/05/2008

Dining by the ocean seems to have an allure for many folks, visitors and residents alike. It can be a simple as a picnic on the beach, a sandwich in the car parked by the road to enjoy the surfers at lunch or the sunset, or a sit-down meal at a restaurant. There are a number of options for dining near the ocean in Carlsbad and nearby communities, although actually very few places that really are waterfront simply. Cardiff, more formally known as Cardiff-by-the-Sea actually has the best oceanfront dining in the North County area IMO. Restaurant Row is along the Coast Highway (Route 101) just south of town and provides a number of options. A favorite eatery is The Beach House. The Beach House (with another location in Laguna Beach) is literally steps from the Pacific and affords diners am... 07/30/2008

Here’s a brief tour in my car of Cardiff, California, a wonderful seaside town just south of Encinitas. Cardiff, more formally known as Cardiff-by-the-Sea, is a quaint small town with a history of surfing and all that entails. The Cardiff real estate market is a challenge due to pricing and somewhat limited inventory, but there is a broad mix of housing, from bungalows and cottages to ocean view contemporary homes. Be prepared for hills and small lots. Cardiff is technically part of Encinitas and its town goverment and other operations. But Cardiff has its own zip code (92007) which sometimes confuses people. The town itself is fairly small, with some restaurants, clothing stores, surf shops, one of the best small markets around, and a range of services, but don’t expect an upscale comm... 07/16/2008

Sometimes a home is sited in a difficult spot which may make the yard, or the home itself, inconvenient or downright tough to live with: a steeply sloped site, for example. This can make a home more difficult to sell, even if there are other features, such as an ocean view, that make the property valuable. Here’s a creative solution to one such problem in a beach house in Cardiff, which adds to the outdoor living space, minimizes stairs, and provides easier access to the main living area of the home which has dramatic 180 degree ocean views. And it provides some creative solutions that homeowners, or potential buyers, can take to heart with difficult yards. As with many Cardiff properties built on the hill overlooking the ocean, this home is an upside-down (reverse floor plan) house, w... 03/29/2008

 You may qualify for down payment assistance if you are a First Time Home Buyer and your income does not exceed the following limits:Family Size:   1- $44,250                   5- $68,250 2- $50,550                   6- $73,300 3- $56,900                   7- $78,350 4- $63,200                   8- $83,400   Example: Family of 4 purchases a Condo for $350,000 and receives $55,500 in down payment assistance.Purchase Price:             $350,000                     Effective monthly payment DCCA loan:                 $  45,000                     P&I      $1634.00 Chdap                          $  10,500                     Taxes   $  364.58 Borrower's funds:         $  15,000                     Hoa      $  277.00                                                                         MCC... 03/18/2008

Cardiff Median Home Price for 2008Cardiff by the Sea is just north of Solana Beach in North County Coastal San Diego. The median home price in Cardiff by the Sea in 2007 was $915,500 and this is the highest on record for Cardiff by the Sea. This is $65,500 more than the median Cardiff home price in 2006. There are currently 42 homes on the market in 92007 Cardiff in February 2008. The median list price for these homes is $1,370,012 with average days on market of 106 days. The highest priced home in Cardiff by the Sea is value ranged between $2,695,000 and $2,895,000 and is located on Crestview Drive. The least expensive Cardiff home currently on the market is priced at $590,000 on Lochlomond.When you're ready to look for a home in Cardiff by the Sea, sell a home in Cardiff by the Sea or... 02/29/2008

Homes Cardiff by the SeaWhen you're ready to buy a home in Cardiff bt the Sea you will have to contact Dawn Lewis. Dawn Lewis is a San Diego Real Estate agent with over 18 years experience right here in San Diego. Cardiff by the Sea is a wonderful area of San Diego and has many great things to do. Cardiff Real Estate is exclusive but a great value and some areas right now are a bargain. Please contact me to find out more about Cardiff by the Sea Real Estate, Homes and Condos. Cardiff by the Sea in San Diego is actually a community within Encinitas. Cardiff was named by Frank Cullen after his wife's ancestry of Wales. Frank Cullen was a developer who in 1911 decided to develop the area. Cardiff was later renamed to "Cardiff by the Sea" by Victor Kramer a German developer and musician. Ea... 12/26/2007

                                                          CARDIFF CA REAL ESTATE AND HOMES FOR SALECheck out http://www.surfcardiffhomes.com/  Listings 1 - 10 of 63, matching Search Results for CARDIFF BY THE SEA, CA, sorted by city in descending order, then price in descending order. 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 CARDIFF BY THE SEA, CAProperty ID:$3,099,999Residential PropertyMLS ID: 0710743883 Bedrooms - 3 Full Bathrooms - 1 Half Bathroom2987 Sq. Ft. - .14 Acres  CARDIFF BY THE SEA, CAProperty ID:$2,895,000Residential PropertyMLS ID: 0710760664 Bedrooms - 4 Full Bathrooms - 1 Half Bathroom4800 Sq. Ft.  CARDIFF BY THE SEA, CAProperty ID:$2,495,000Residential PropertyMLS ID: 0710703884 Bedrooms - 3 Full Bathrooms - 1 Half Bathroom3763 Sq. Ft. - .26 Acres  CARDIFF BY THE SEA, CAProperty ID:$... 10/25/2007

In the last year over 100 mortgage lenders have gone out of business due to the "mortgage meltdown" as most of you might now it is getting much more difficult to qualify for mortgages in Cardiff by the Sea. The reason it is difficult to qualify for your Cardiff by the Sea mortgage is because guidelines have changed drastically. Even reverse mortgages in Cardiff by the Sea are getting harder to qualify for, leaving many looking for a honest mortgage company in Cardiff by the Sea.Since many mortgage brokers in Cardiff by the Sea are going out of business, and others are not able to get you qualified, you need to call a reputable company to help you with your home mortgage in Cardiff by the Sea. We here at America One Mortgage Group are a national company headquartered out of Southern Cali... 10/22/2007

Here are the summary market statistics from the MLS for Cardiff for February and March 2007.The inventory is Cardiff remains somewhat limited, and the number of homes for sale in Cardiff has been fairly consistent, as is the rate of sales. There is less than a 4 month supply of attached homes, and less than a 6-month supply of attached homes. Prices tend to move up and down each month, which appears to be due to the small inventory, so that the median is affected dramatically by the homes sold that month. Similarly, because of the number of sales, the average prices tend to change each month, sometimes up and sometimes down. On average, they are 13% higher for attached homes as compared to 1 year ago, but 10% lower for detached homes. Because of the flucutations one must be cautious in ... 04/15/2007

The Mercantile Building (Cardiff Mercantile Company) is one of the few historical buildings currently standing in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, known as simply Cardiff by most of its residents, about 25 miles north of San Diego. Located at the corner of Chesterfield and San Elijo, just off the Coast Highway/Route 101, the building is the current home of Patagonia, an upscale beach, surf and active-wear store, on the first floor (in photo at left, on the left). Quant Economics is one of the upstairs tenants.The building was originally built as a hotel by J. Frank Cullen, a Boston painter turned developer who is credited with founding the town in the early 1900s (est. 1910 - 1911)."Old timers" refer to the building as the Cullen building, after the builder. The building also served as the town's ge... 03/19/2007

LIVE IN THE WALKING DISTRICT OF CARDIFF BY THE SEA Do you like to walk? Would you like to live in a neighborhood where you can walk to many of the amenities you want AND to the beach?The area of Cardiff known as the Walking District is a popular neighborhood, offering terrific ocean and white water views, within an easy walk to the beach and downtown amenities...shopping, restaurants and more (enjoy the visual tour of Cardiff as well - turn up the sound for the music).Cardiff itself is located on the coast about 20 miles north of San Diego. It is bordered on the south by Solana Beach and the San Elijo Lagoon, and the north by Encinitas (Cardiff is officially a community within the town of Encinitas but has its own zip code - 92007).The Walking District is south of Birmingham  and is bor... 03/07/2007

Nestled on the hill facing the grand Pacific Ocean, just north of Birmingham Avenue, lies an area of Cardiff (Cardiff-by-the-Sea - links to the city website) known as the Composer District. This neighborhood of detached and attached homes and condos was developed in the early 1900s by Victor Kremer, a music publisher and land developer.  Because of his fondness for music, the streets in this area are all named after composers (Rubenstein, Gershwin, Bach, Mozart, Liszt, Verdi, Chopin, Vivaldi, Haydn, Schubert, Rossini, and Brahms). There are several other streets in the Composer District area that migrate from adjacent areas (Summit, Westminster, Stratford, San Elijo, Montgomery). The Composer District is one of the more appealing areas of Cardiff, if not the most desirable. It is believ... 03/06/2007

 Cardiff (see slideshow at bottom of page) is a quaint and charming seaside village with a long surfing history, located about 20 miles north of San Diego, and sandwiched between Solana Beach (to the south) and Encinitas (to the north). Cardiff has gorgeous views of the Pacific as well as the San Elijo Lagoon which forms the south border, and is a popular tourist and surfer destination.  Cardiff is a community of approximately 4550 housing units, both owner occupied and rentals, in a11,500 (2007 census) residents, with about 56% of them owning their homes, and the rest renting. The town was founded by J. Frank Cullen, a Boston painter turned developer. He purchased the land (about 600 acres) originally developed as farmland and sold off lots. Cullen supposedly selected a Spanish name fo... 03/01/2007

Here are the summary statistics from the MLS for Cardiff-by-the-Sea for January 2007.There are a few changes from the previous month that are worth noting, however keep in mind that we are looking at a small sample of data over 31 days, so you cannot derive a reliable trend. It is best to watch the trends over a multi-month period to gain a better idea of what the market is actually doing.The inventory in Cardiff was smaller than it was in December (where it had also dropped from November 2006). We see that the absorption rate is well below 6 months for attached homes and about 6 months for detached. Prices have remained fairly stable over the long term, especially for attached homes which rose 4% over the median of 1 year ago, although in January the median price for detached homes dro... 02/14/2007

Here are the summary statistics from the MLS for Cardiff-be-the-Sea for December (as of Dec. 31).The overall inventory shows a drop of 14% from the end of November. While the median price remained stable for attached homes as compared to November, the medin price for detached homes dropped by 8%.AS OF DEC. 31, 2006ATTACHED HOMESDETACHED HOMESActive1836Sold in Last 6 Months3326Sold/Pending In Last 6 months4036Absorption Rate (Solds)98 days249 daysAbsorption Rate (Solds Plus Pendings)81 days180 daysAverage Days on Market7051Median Price Change From 1 Year Ago2%11%Median Price$552,000$1,060,000% Chgn. In MDN from prior month0%-8%Average Price$630,010$1,254,915New to Market (Dec.)14Pending in Dec.2 (none new in Dec.)3 (none new in Dec.)If I can answer any questions about the market, or prov... 01/09/2007

Here are the market data for October and November from the MLS for Cardiff, CA. Of the coastal communities Caradiff has the tightest market, with the least inventory. In addition, prices here are remaining stable or increasing from month to month for the most part, although slowly. However, keep in mind that due to the small inventory (and fewer sales proportionally), the data are more subject to fluctuation based on what happens from month to month. Again, it is best to watch the trends over longer periods of time rather than drawing firm conlusions from any given month. AS OF OCT. 30, 2006ATTACHED HOMESDETACHED HOMESActive2835Sold in Last 6 Months3135Sold/PendingIn Last 6 months3739Absorption Rate (Solds)163 days180 daysAbsorption Rate (SoldsPlus Pendings)136 days162 daysAverage Days ... 12/08/2006