Give Blood in Carlsbad Village on September 25, 2021 Carlsbad residents can help the San Diego Blood Bank with their significant need for blood donations by donating at the 4th Annual Blood Drive in Carlsbad Village on Saturday, September 25th. You may recall there was one in the Village back on February 13th of this year! You might also decide to do some shopping and dine in the Village before or after your kind deed! The Heart of Carlsbad Village Blood Drive will take place from 10 am to 3 pm at Carlsbad Village Music, a boutique music school and retail shop, located in the heart of downtown at 505 Carlsbad Village Drive. This event is being sponsored by the Carlsbad Village Association. The Heart of the Village blood donations will be taken at the San Diego Blood Bank Bloodmobile in ... 09/10/2021

What’s the Value of My Carlsbad Home? Carlsbad Market Report for August 2021  The Carlsbad real estate market continues to shift, with some changes from last month and 1 year ago. These data do not include private sales, mobile homes or multi-family housing (the numbers are derived from the MLS and are believed to be accurate at the time they are reported but are not guaranteed). Media reports generally speak in broad terms, and do not reflect our local Carlsbad housing market. Current data, and analysis, about the local market conditions benefit you so you can make well-informed purchase and/or sale decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale.  READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 173 homes sold in Carlsbad in August (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), just 4 fewer sales than i... 09/05/2021

We live on a canyon in Carlsbad, and as a result have a bit of wildlife running around - lots of different birds, coyotes, rabbits and squirrels.  Some of the smaller critters make it through the fence and onto to our back patio. Fortunately the coyotes are usually way off in the distance, but we occasionally see them during the day, and hear them late at night or very early in the morning. Last night we had another visitor on the patio..."that little stinker," as my wife said (pun intended). It was on the move, checking out the in-ground spa, and then it ran off, so the photo from inside the French doors is not very good. But it didn't seem prudent to try and get a better photo from outside. We've seen it a number of times (occasionally with a friend) in the last year or so on the othe... 08/27/2021

Carlsbad Music Festival 2021 ~ Carlsbad Village ~ The 17th Annual Carlsbad Music Festival, offering “adventurous music at the beach” (per the website) with multiple concerts, will take place in Carlsbad Village August 27th through the 29th. Check out the Carlsbad Music Festival Facebook page. The Carlsbad Music Festival, has been a crowd pleaser for nearly 2 decades and 2021 will likely be no different.  This year there are 25 individual artists and groups, with all performances outdoors for Covid safety. In addition to great music there will be an artisan market, a beer garden, and food trucks to enjoy. St. Michael’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church, at 2775 Carlsbad Boulevard, is the hub of the Carlsbad Music Festival. Concerts will also be held at nearby Magee Park at 258 Beech Avenue.  H... 08/25/2021

Carlsbad Oktober-Feast Kickoff ~ Saturday October 2, 2021 ~  No, that’s not a typo! Carlsbad’s popular annual Oktoberfest, for years traditionally taking place the 1st Saturday in October, will be a modified event in 2021, and will celebrate our local restaurants for the entire month. Pretty cool idea! Sponsored, as always, by Carlsbad’s 2 rotary clubs – the Rotary Club of Carlsbad, and the Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary Club – the October-Feast will include a Kick-Off event at the Carlsbad Strawberry Company on October 2nd, and a month-long feast at local restaurants. The event serves as a major fundraiser for the Carlsbad Rotary Clubs – they raised almost $60,000 in 2020 for various local charities. Now about the October 2nd kick-off event from 12 noon until 8:00 PM… Come enjoy a traditional... 08/20/2021

I was in the middle of making a Tiramisu Saturday morning for our weekend family guests when the doorbell rang. I figured it was a delivery but went to the door anyhow. It was the neighbor from several doors down the street who immediately announced "I think your main water line just burst!" Yes, indeed, we had a major problem, with lots of water flowing down the driveway, sidewalk and into the street. The neighbor lives several doors down from us and had seen the water flowing down the road. He told me he was pretty sure he what the problem was before coming up to our house, since others on the street had experienced the same issue in the last few years, and he had as well. Thank goodness for a thoughtful neighbor! I turned off the water at the street right away and immediately got on ... 08/16/2021

 Taste of Carlsbad Village 2021~ Thursday October 14th ~ The 2021 Taste of Carlsbad Village will be here soon, and excitement is mounting for this fun and tasty event which sadly was canceled last year, like so many other Carlsbad events. The Taste of Carlsbad Village is sponsored this year by First Team Real Estate.  The Taste of Carlsbad Village is still a couple of months away, but why not get it on your Fall calendar now so you don’t forget?! Carlsbad foodies will get to spend 3 hours on THURSDAY OCTOBER 14th from 5:00 and 8:00 pm on a self-guided tour with map and Passport (your ticket), tasting their way around charming Carlsbad Village, enjoying bite-sized samples from dozens of local popular restaurants. What a great opportunity to check out places you don’t know or haven’t trie... 08/13/2021

What’s the Value of My Carlsbad Home? Carlsbad Home Sales for July 2021 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to shift, with some changes from last month and 1 year ago. These data do not include private sales, mobile homes or multi-family housing (the numbers are derived from the MLS and are believed to be accurate at the time they are reported but are not guaranteed). Media reports typically speak in generalities, and do not reflect our local Carlsbad housing market. Current data, and analysis, about the local market conditions benefit you so you can make well-informed purchase and/or sale decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale.  READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 177 homes sold in Carlsbad in July (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), an increase of 7% from June sale... 08/10/2021

Single Story Homes for Sale in Carlsbad CA Market Update as of July 27, 2021 Carlsbad home buyers sometimes prefer a 1-story single family home when searching for a new place to live.  The reasons for this can vary from a simple preference for a single story floor plan, to a medical need necessitating 1 floor living.  Some buyers are willing to purchase a 2-story home as long as there is a master bedroom with bath on the main floor, however these tend to be hard to find; often the 1st floor bedroom is a smaller guest room and the bath may only be a half bath. The overall Carlsbad inventory remains tight (here’s the June 2021 Housing Market Report for Carlsbad). All existing single story listings are resales - there is no new single story construction at this time in the MLS.  As of the ... 07/27/2021

The Pizza No-Recipe Recipe I started making pizzas in college, when I was paying my way through the University of Maryland, working fulltime at a local fast-food place and going to school fulltime (I later changed to a different fulltime job). Over the years I have continued to create pizzas at home, at times getting more creative and adventuresome. I cook a lot of other stuff, too, sometimes following formal recipes, but other times just creating from scratch. That’s part of the fun of cooking, isn’t it? My feeling with pizza is that the best are simply crafted, without following any sort of formal recipe…it’s all about what ingredients appeal to you, what’s in the fridge and cupboard, and combining flavors and textures to create your masterpiece.  Each one is unique, but there are som... 07/26/2021

2021 Carlsbad Snores and S'mores Family Campout Like other popular events, Carlsbad’s Snores and S’mores Family Campout returns for 2021 after being cancelled in 2020. The 2021 Carlsbad Snores and S’mores Family Campout will be Saturday and Sunday, August 14th and 15th at the Aviara Community Park located at 6435 Ambrosia Lane, just north of Poinsettia Lane.  The Snores and S’mores Family Campout takes place from 5 pm Saturday until 9 am Sunday (check-in and tent set up from 4 - 6 pm). There is ample parking at the park. Campout tickets must be purchased in advance at $25 per person, all inclusive (children 3 and under are free but they must be registered); no tickets are being sold at the event.  You should register online before 11:00 pm on August 13. The number of attendees is limite... 07/25/2021

Carlsbad Village Faire 2021 is July 25 Much has changed in our area since so many of the pandemic restrictions were lifted in California in mid-June. Happily, for many, one of the area’s favorite arts and craft fairs returns to Carlsbad Village on Sunday July 25th.  The Carlsbad Village Faire is reportedly the largest outdoor 1-day fair in the US (other than its counterpart, the November Carlsbad Village Faire), and will take place from 8 am until 5 pm, so there is plenty of time to see everything and shop to your heart’s content. [photo is from a prior art fair in the Village several years ago]  The Village Faire, not to be confused with the shopping center by the same name in the Village, is held in the heart of town, along Grand Avenue from Carlsbad Boulevard to Jefferson, and also s... 07/23/2021

2021 Carlsbad Village Flicks at the Fountain~ An Update ~ As mentioned previously, the popular summer outdoor movie series in Carlsbad Village, Flicks at the Fountain, has returned in 2021 after being cancelled last year. Flicks at the Fountain is hosted by the Carlsbad Village Association, with sponsorships from other businesses in the village. The schedule is set with 4 popular movies, and the titles have recently been announced.July 22 – Toy StoryJuly 29 – GhostbustersAugust 5 – Frozen (with a costume contest)August 12 – Star Wars: A New Hope The Flicks at the Fountain take place on the big screen in the parking lot at the corner of State Street and Grand Avenue. You can bring your chairs and get settled beginning at 6 pm. The movies typically start around 8 pm.  You already know fro... 07/16/2021

What’s the Value of My Carlsbad Home? Carlsbad Market Report for June 2021 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to evolve, with some shifts from last month and 1 year ago. These data do not include private sales, mobile homes or multi-family housing (the numbers are derived from our 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 our local Carlsbad housing market. Current data, and analysis, about the local market conditions benefit you so you can make well-informed purchase and sale decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale.  READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 166 homes sold in Carlsbad in June (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), an increase of 11% from May sales! Here’s... 07/05/2021

Carlsbad Art Wall for June 2021  The most recent Carlsbad Art Wall, just completed on June 26th, is very special. The mural was a community effort, with around many people taking part in this tribute to, and memory of, 16-year-old Carlsbadian Jack Munday. The young Carlsbad resident Jack Munday was killed in a car crash in Carlsbad on June 27, 2020. 7 other teens in the same vehicle were injured in the crash. The mural was designed by Bryan Snyder, who founded the Carlsbad Art Wall in 2015 on the east wall of Senor Grubby’s Mexican Restaurant on Carlsbad Village Drive in the Village. According to Bryan the mural was influenced by Jack’s passions (baseball, skateboarding, his family, and surfing) and art work Jack left behind, along with personal conversations Bryan has had with the fami... 06/30/2021

A Special Community Wall Mural~ Carlsbad Art Wall June 26 ~ A very special community wall mural will be painted on Saturday June 26th at the well-known Carlsbad Art Wall at Senor Grubby’s Mexican Restaurant on Carlsbad Village Drive. [photo links to Bryan Snyder's Facebook page]  The mural is a tribute to, and in memory of, 16-year Carlsbad resident Jack Munday who was killed in a car crash in Carlsbad on June 26, 2020. 7 other teens were injured in that crash. This special wall mural has been designed by Bryan Snyder, founder of the Carlsbad Art Wall in 2015. According to Brian the mural design is influenced by Jack’s love of baseball, skateboarding, his family, and surfing. Other influences include art work Jack left behind, and personal conversations Bryan had with the family. What a... 06/24/2021

Red, White and BOOM 4th of July Fireworks & More ~ Carlsbad and Nearby ~ The July 4th holiday is around the corner, summer is here, and we can expect celebrations and fireworks in and around Carlsbad, along with private festivities, cookouts, and picnics.  There will be plenty of people at the beach and lots of gatherings now that things have opened up, and it should be a very different holiday than we experienced in 2020 with so many cancelations. Schools are out, the summer crowds are picking up, restaurants are open and no doubt getting more crowded, and public parking at the beaches, and in the Village, will be harder to find, especially on the holiday weekend. But what a great time of year!  Red, White and BOOM at Legoland This popular annual celebration with fireworks takes place ... 06/22/2021

Carlsbad Homes for Sale without HOA Fees~ Update as of June 21, 2021 ~ Many Carlsbad buyers have feelings about buying a home in a Home Ownership Association (HOA) community.  Some buyers want to live in a community with an HOA, while others are adamant about avoiding them. And some buyers are OK either way, with finding the right house being a more important factor than having an HOA or not. There are a number of things home buyers should know about living in an HOA in Carlsbad, including the monthly fees; certain issues result in buyers deciding an HOA community is not for them, rules and regulations and monthly fees probably being deciding factors.  If you unsure about whether you want an HOA community of not, it’s essential to do your due diligence regarding HOAs and understand the ... 06/21/2021

Artwork at Terramar Beach in Carlsbad  I took a drive down the Coast Road yesterday after  an errand in Carlsbad Village. It was a rather June Gloomy day with a pretty heavy marine layer, yet it was sunny at my house just a few miles away. I decided to take a short walk at Terramar Beach - my favorite - and discovered this rather whimsical sculpture perched on the bluff above the ocean. The sculpture is behind a fence and it was a challenge snapping a decent photo, but you get the idea. The gray day did not help. It's fun to stumble on artwork in public places, especially when unexpected. 06/17/2021

2021 Flicks at the Fountain in Carlsbad Village Summer is almost upon us and as things have opened up residents and visitors can probably expect some events that were canceled last summer due to the pandemic to re-emerge this summer, although perhaps somewhat differently. Here’s some good new…the annual Flicks at the Fountain are returning to Carlsbad after last year’s cancelation.  This popular summer event is hosted once again by the Carlsbad Village Association.   The titles have not yet been announced, but there will be 4 movies on Fridays in July and August, and the official the start date is still TBD.   If interested, residents are welcome to make movie suggestions by emailing the Carlsbad Village Association at event AT Carlsbad-Village DOT com. The Flicks at the Fountain are he... 06/16/2021