Real Estate Agent
Jeff Dowler, CRS
I share my passions & the SoCal lifestyle in Carlsbad & nearby (art, recreation, dining, beaches, shopping), plus relocation & real estate. Call/text me at 760-840-1360 if I can help you at any time!
Cell: (760) 840-1360
Office: (760) 840-1360
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Real Estate Agent
Sandy Padula and Norm Padula, JD, GRI
Time is money. Don't waste yours. Contact me below with any questions about North County San Diego Residential Real Estate!
Cell: 941-320-8711
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Carlsbad, CA Real Estate News

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 July 2022 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to evolve, with some changes from June and 1 year ago. These statistics 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, thus they do not reflect local Carlsbad housing market conditions (read Real Estate is Local - But How Local ?). Current information, and analysis, about local market conditions benefits you so you can make educated buying and/or selling decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale. READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 98 homes sold in Carlsbad in July (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), 23...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Give Blood in Carlsbad Village September 24, 2022 Residents have another opportunity for Carlsbad to help our community, in particular the San Diego Blood Bank, with their need for blood. The 2nd Heart of the Village Blood Drive for 2022 takes place in Carlsbad Village Saturday, September 24th. Donations will be taken from 10 am until 3 pm. The blood drive is at Carlsbad Village Music at 505 Carlsbad Village Drive in the heart of downtown. Blood donations will be taken at the San Diego Blood Bank Bloodmobile. Over 225 pints have been donated through previous Heart of the Village Blood Drive events over the last 5 years! What a success story, and thank you to all the donors! The Carlsbad Village Association is the sponsor, with a special thank you to the host business, Carlsbad Village M...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
A Special Anniversary Day July 28, 2022 We celebrated our anniversary this past Thursday. We always do something on this special day but it can vary from being fairly simple…a dinner out at a favorite restaurant…or something much more elaborate. And we take turns planning the celebration. Last year we spent a night in San Barbara followed by a night in Marina Del Rey (LA - SEE PHOTO BELOW) with a visit to see the grandkids. In 2019 we spent 7 days in Maui.  While living in Boston we made a 3-day trip to the Ritz Carlton in Palm Beach FL (I set up this surprise trip with several weeks of clues, 1 each day – my wife did not know where we were actually going until we got to the airport in Boston!). And a few years ago my wife set up a catered dinner on the beach in Cardiff by the Sea – was...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Fun in Carlsbad~ An ActiveRain Point Store Offering ~ The ActiveRain Point Store was open for business for July 2022. There are a number of wonderful offerings requiring a range of points from AR members in case you didn’t see them. Picking 1 offering was tough but it was a fun post to write. And it’s been entertaining to read what others selected and why. As a second option we can offer our own special deal in the AR Point Store. Here’s mine. It’s a special trip to my corner of the world on the Left Coast. And it's yours for 35,000 AR points. You can bring 1 guest - just let me know so we can plan a bit. Your 3-night Carlsbad Getaway (yes, that’s the beach town of Carlsbad CA not the Carlsbad Caverns in NM) starts with a flight from your home town via private jet from the Banana Jet Se...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Leo Carrillo Film Festival in Carlsbad Our weather and pleasant evenings offer a great opportunity to enjoy time outdoors. And if you enjoy historic movies, the film festival at the former ranch of Hollywood actor Leo Carrillo may be right up your alley. The Leo Carrillo Historic Ranch Park in Carlsbad will host the 16th Annual Leo Carrillo Film Festival. The festival is on 3 consecutive Friday nights - August 19, August 26 and September 2. The Leo Carrillo Historic Ranch Park is a  beautiful preservation of the land, hacienda, and other buildings owned by popular Hollywood film and TV star Leo Carrillo. Leo Carrillo is perhaps best known as Pancho in the 1950s TV series “The Cisco Kid”. A visit to this historic park in the heart of the Rancho Carrillo master planned community, and its ...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
The Aloha Plunge 2022 in Carlsbad Are you looking for something fun to do? Carlsbad will celebrate the 2022 summer with the Aloha Plunge on Saturday July 23rd!  That’s just 1 week from today. This popular annual event was canceled in 2022 but returned last summer. The Aloha Plunge takes place at the Alga Norte Community Park Aquatics Center beginning at 5 PM. For those who aren’t aware, Alga Norte Park is in the La Costa area of Carlsbad off Poinsettia and east of El Camino Real. The Aloha Plunge is limited to 500 participants, and registrations tend to go fast. The cost is $10 per person. Children ages 3 and under are FREE but must be identified at check-out online. Don’t wait too long – register online, and get your wrist bands now so you don't have to wait in line. The online site sh...
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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 June 2022 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to change, with some changes from last month and 1 year ago. These statistics do not include private sales, mobile homes or multi-family housing (the numbers are derived from the MLS and believed to be accurate when reported but are not guaranteed). Media reports speak in general terms, and as a result do not reflect our local Carlsbad housing market conditions. Up-to-date information, and analysis, about local market conditions benefit you so you can make educated buying and/or selling decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale. READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 127 homes sold in Carlsbad in June (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), 7% more than in May. Here a...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Red, White and BOOM in Carlsbad 2022and Other Celebrations Summer and the July 4th holiday are here. So of course you can expect celebrations and fireworks in and around Carlsbad, along with private festivities, cookouts, and picnics. And of course beach time! Now that schools are out, the summer crowds have picked up, restaurants are busy, and public parking at the beaches, and in the Village, will be harder to find, especially this holiday weekend. But what a great time of year!  Red, White and BOOM at LegolandThis popular annual celebration with fireworks is at Legoland California in Carlsbad on July 4th. Here’s the Event Guide for more details about what to expect. There is fun for all ages, with rides, live performances, relay races, and a picnic! Why not come dressed for the holid...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Brush Fire North of Carlsbad Village ~ June 25, 2022 ~ Yesterday afternoon was a bit scary, especially for some residents, with a brush fire at the Buena Vista Lagoon just north of Carlsbad Village. About 1:00 pm we noticed what appeared to be a low marine layer moving in quickly at our house. But it was clearly smoke, and there was ash floating around in the light ocean breeze. I couldn’t find anything immediately online and there were no emergency alerts on my phone. But there was clearly a fire burning somewhere nearby to the west. Turns out there was a 10-acre brush fire at the Buena Vista Lagoon just north of Carlsbad Village and a residential area on the lagoon. Here’s a video from CBS-8 San Diego on YouTube. There were a number of evacuations given the location, along with a numb...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
The 2022 Flicks at the Fountain Are Back July 7 in Carlsbad Village Summer is in full swing in Carlsbad, with some pretty nice weather, and plenty of outdoor activities. This is a friendly reminder the popular Flicks at the Fountain series kicks off on July 7th. This year there are 5 movies, instead of 4, and movies are on Thursdays instead of Fridays. It's nice to not conflict with the ongoing TGIF Concerts in the Parks on Fridays from June 24 through August 19. Some people no doubt want to attend both events. The Flicks at the Fountain run through August 4th, hosted by the Carlsbad Village Association. The movie titles were decided by popular vote. Here’s the movie schedule:Encanto – July 7Goonies – July 14Sing 2 – July 21Top Gun – July 28The Greatest Snowman – August 4 You’ll find th...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
TGIF Concerts in the Parks Series Begins June 24, 2022~ Volunteers Needed ~ Many now know the annual TGIF Concerts in the Parks series is back for 2022. The first concert is TONIGHT, June 24th, at Stagecoach Park. Tonight will feature the Back Pocket Whiskey Fellas and the Bayou Brothers. Volunteers are needed for the concert series for a variety of tasks. These may include greeting attendees, handing out programs, helping with opportunity Drawing Tickets and perhaps more. Volunteers hours are 3:30 to 7:30 but they are happy to have people to help for less time, too! Those interested can sign up at the Carlsbad Friends of the Arts website. The TGIF Concerts in the Parks are a highlight of summer in Carlsbad, and is perhaps the best summer entertainment available in North San Diego Count...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
The Story Behind my AR Summer Profile I imagine we all have different reasons for posting the particular profile photos we use on AR. And perhaps changing them up now and then, say at Halloween or the Christmas holiday. There are professional ones, of  course, and those that might show off our more personal sides. And every now and then you see one that makes you wonder. I started a tradition about 12 years ago, posting this profile photo for summer. I have to admit it does not always happen on the first day of summer, nor does it disappear promptly when fall arrives. And I missed a year or two – hard to believe that could actually happen. I don’t have a good excuse, and it wasn’t a calendar reminder. Some may remember noticing this photo before at least once. Maybe not. I took this sel...
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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 May 2022 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to change, with shifts from last month and 1 year ago. The statistics do not include private sales, mobile homes or multi-family housing (the numbers are derived from the MLS and believed to be accurate when reported but are not guaranteed). Media reports speak in general terms, and do not reflect our local Carlsbad housing market conditions. Up-to-date information, and analysis, about the local market conditions benefit you so you can make informed selling and/or buying decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale. READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 119 homes sold in Carlsbad in May (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), 6% fewer than in April! Here are the details:...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Buyers It’s Time to Communicate You achieved that very coveted goal…getting your offer accepted by the sellers. The listing is pending on the MLS and you are on your way, heading to closing. Now it’s get ready, get set, and be prepared to communicate. A lot! Buyers are often surprised at how much communication there is in a real estate transaction. The first several weeks after the contract is agreed on by both parties can be pretty intense. This can vary depending on the closing time frame agreed on, if you are a cash buyer or getting a loan, the general process in your state, and possible problems that may arise. And some agents, and lenders, communicate more than others. What communication method do you prefer? I’ve found people vary in their communication preferences – it may be ema...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Band UpdatesCarlsbad TGIF Concerts in the Parks 2022 Many no doubt now know, and are pleased, the annual TGIF Concerts in the Parks series is back for 2022. The concerts were canceled in 2020 and were virtual last year. These free TGIF Concerts in the Parks are a highlight of our Carlsbad summers, and have been for several decades. In fact this concert series could be the best summer entertainment available in North San Diego County!  The bands were just announced for 2022, with some crowd favorites returning: Stagecoach Community ParkJune 24 – Back Pocket Whiskey Fellas & the Bayou BrothersJuly 1 – The Corvelles Poinsettia Community ParkJuly 8 – The Mighty UntouchablesJuly 15 – Phat Cat Swinger Calavera Hills Community ParkJuly 22 – High Tide SocietyJuly 29 – The Ryan Hiller Band Alga ...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Carlsbad Village Flicks at the Fountain for 2022 Summer is not far off, which means a number of popular events in Carlsbad are headed our way. One favorite is the annual Flicks at the Fountain series hosted by the Carlsbad Village Association.  This year the Flicks at the Fountain will be on 5 consecutive Thursday nights, not Fridays as in the past. The series starts July 7th and ends on August 4th. Movies were decided by popular vote, but the formal schedule has not been announced. Movies are all rated PG.EncantoGooniesSing 2The Princess BrideThe Greatest Showman The Flicks at the Fountain are held on a big screen in the parking lot by the Fountain. If you are unfamiliar with the area, the parking lot is at the corner of State Street and Grand Avenue. Seating begins at 6 pm and movies ...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Taking the Kids Out for a Bite to Eat We have a fair amount of wildlife, including birds, where we live, many of whom hang out in the canyon south of our house. The quail are always fun to watch although there are periods of time when we don't see or hear them. I saw a pair the other day with all the kids for the first time (about a dozen), and spied them again today out for a bite to eat. That's a lot of little ones to keep track of, but they were pretty good about staying near Mom and Dad. They were pretty far away so it was tough getting a decent photo, but you get the idea. 
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Makers Market is June 4, 2022Carlsbad Village The 3rd of 4 Makers Markets for 2022 takes place Saturday June 4 from 9 am until 4 pm., once again hosted by the Carlsbad Village Association. This is the 6th year for the Carlsbad Village Makers Markets with multiple events each year. As in the past, the Carlsbad Village Makers Market will be held on the campus of St. Michael’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church. St. Michael’s Church is at 2775 Carlsbad Boulevard just south of McGee Park. Attendance is free, and 50 or so artisans will showcase their creations. Don’t forget those credit cards and/or plenty of cash for shopping!   The Makers Market Crafter’s Showcase is a wonderful shopping opportunity, with self-designed and handcrafted items from local and regional artisans. With Father’s Day comi...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Colorful Pots at Armstrong Garden Center Armstrong Garden Center is a popular nursery and landscape vendor in Carlsbad near the Carlsbad Premium Outlets Mall. It's also conveniently located by the Carlsbad Flower Fields off Palomar AIrport Road and the 5. We've spent plenty of money there and at the store in Encinitas over the years. We stopped by today for some flowers for the pots on our patio and the place was quite busy. In addition to shoppers, the Flower Fields were open for their final day and plenty of people were likely biding their time while they waited to enter the Fields. I thought these blue pots (my favorite color) were quite striking and would certainly brighten up anyone's yard, garden or patio, with flowers or without.Or perhaps these?  
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
 2022 Carlsbad 5000 is May 21 and 22 There are several premier athletic events held during the year in Carlsbad. The Carlsbad 5000, on May 22 and presented by National University, is reported to be the world’s fastest 5K race. Several world and US records have been set, and broken, over the years, and runners will likely attempt this again! [photo is of runners from a different event in Carlsbad] There’s still some time to register online for the 5K and the Junior Carlsbad. The All Day 20K, consisting of four 5-K races, has sold out! There are multiple races on Sunday the 22nd. Junior Carlsbad race for kids ages 4 to 12; either a ½ mile (ages 4 to 6) or 1 mile (ages 7 to 12).The big race, the Carlsbad 5000 (5K).The All Day 20K (four 5-K races) with 4 categories of runners.The Elite Invi...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Quail on the Lookout We have lots of birds at our house which backs up to a canyon - some are around all year (finches, hummingbirds, scrub jays, mockingbirds, thrashers, hawks, warblers, woodpeckers, mourning doves, towhees, vireos), while others are migratory (orioles, grosbeaks and others).  We particularly enjoy seeing the quail...sometimes as many as 10, and on rare occasions with little ones. They make a variety of different sounds which the grandkids enjoy mimicking.  Sometimes they make it up to our yard, but they are pretty skittish and the slightest noise sends them flying back to the safety of the bushes in the canyon. This one was out the other day apparently keeping on the lookout for danger, and enjoying our beautiful spring weather.
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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 April 2022 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to change, with shifts from last month and 1 year ago. These statistics do not include private sales, mobile homes or multi-family housing (the numbers are taken from the MLS and are believed to be accurate at the time they are reported but are not guaranteed). Media reports speak in general terms, and do not reflect local Carlsbad housing market conditions. Current data, and analysis, about the local market conditions will benefit you so you can make educated buying and/or selling decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale. READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the SeaWhy I Like Living in Carlsbad 127 homes sold in Carlsbad in April (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), 2...
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