Home values are not the only thing eroding in Carlsbad and other communities of Southern California. Erosion can be a big problem in some parts of Carlsbad, Encinitas, and  Solana Beach, among other coastal communities. Some erosion does not impact housing, while in other is case it may…significantly. Coastal erosion is inevitable. The edge of the continent continues to erode as surely as the sun continues to shine. Despite efforts to curb it (which are expensive) over time, it just happens, albeit more slowly with some methods in place such as seawalls. Homeowners along the coast and in hilly areas can expect that sooner or later erosion may impact their homes. Retaining walls, vegetation, and enhanced drainage systems can all help minimize Mother Nature’s impact. The cyclical nature ... 01/12/2008

As a Carlsbad homeowner and dedicated foodie, I make it a point to learn about restaurants in the area and, of course, test them out when I can. There are lots I haven’t been to yet, but here is a list of some thoughts on places to wine and dine, from casual to upscale. Interested in seaside dining in the Carlsbad area? We have lots of places to choose from. There is some good dining in Carlsbad but you might want to step outside the immediate area to Encinitas or Cardiff to enjoy some other good venues. I’ll comment on the ones I have actually visited but list others that come highly recommended by friends. Le Passage – French bistro in the heart of Carlsbad village. Outdoor dining available on a charming patio, great food, intimate atmosphere (website is under construction) Fish Hous... 01/08/2008

These are incredible duplexes for rent.  There are one bedroom units from $1625/month and two bedroom units from $2125/month, and there are also two detached homes. Are you interested?  For more information, visit my Carlsbad Real Estate site.  To preview, or to get an application, call teammate Steven Torres at 760-586-0854.Margaret Hokkanen, Carlsbad Real Estate 01/07/2008

La Costa Greens - TriesteIf you are looking for a new home in Carlsbad, then you should consider Trieste at La Costa Greens. Overlooking the world-famous La Costa golf course, Trieste at La Costa Greens is a resort style community with a Mediterranean-style clubhouse, gym, sparkling pool, waterfall and pond, and two private tennis courts. Trieste is the fourth of six different developments in La Costa Greens.  Trieste consists of 107 detached homes in Southern Carlsbad. Lot sizes range from 4,500 to 13,000 square feet with pad sizes ranging from approximately 4,500 to 9,000 square feet. Warmington Homes is now selling homes in Phase 3 of 9 phases. The move-in date for Phase 3 is May/June 2008. Phase 4 homes are scheduled to be released in January or February of 2008 .The homes range in ... 01/07/2008

We are nearing the end of this series on Relocation is NOT for Dummies. I hope you find it useful in your own relocation. In case you are just joining in, here are the links to the first articles in the series: Part 1 - Emotional and Psychological Issues Part 2 – Selling your Current Home Part 3 – House Hunting from a Distance Part 4 – The Move Itself – packing, kids, pets and more In this section I want to share some thoughts with you if you have a relocation package from your employer to assist you in the move to a new Carlsbad home, or wherever you may be going. There may or may not be a relocation company or specific relocation services involved. Your relocation program may be a lump sum payment, an offer of temporary housing assistance, and/or a myriad of other offerings. RELOCATI... 01/07/2008

It's off to another year.  In Aviara, the inventory is higher in some communities more so than others.  Here's the map so you can see exactly what is going on. There's very little going on in Isla Mar and Aviara Drive, but quite a bit over in Marea, and there are quite a few homes over in The Bay Collection.  If you would like to access our interactive map, click here for interactive Aviara Carlsbad Real Estate.Don't hesitate to post any questions.Margaret Hokkanen, Carlsbad Real Estate 01/06/2008

We get a lot of questions asking about foreclosures and the state of affairs in Carlsbad.  One of the things that we do is to publish foreclosure-related maps.  So here's the REO map for Carlsbad and North County. The map makes it perfectly clear that there have been very few REOs along the coastal corridor.  So, when answering "How is the market doing?" it is pretty clear that the coastal markets have far fewer issues than the inland markets.  A picture is worth a 1000 words.  To see some interactive maps, visit our Carlsbad Real Estate Foreclosure page.Margaret Hokkanen, Carlsbad Real Estate 01/06/2008

We braced ourselves in San Diego for the torrential downpour and the high winds that have battered San Francisco, Sacramento and Santa Barbara. Instead, at least in the coastal areas, we were blessed with a fairly constant and gentle downpour. It will be enough to green our gardens and hillsides for awhile, but many of us were hoping for a greater accumulation of rain, but not enough to endanger the areas burned in last fall’s fires. Unfortunately for San Diego Chargers fans, the gentle rain is expected to continue this afternoon. Rain coats and ponchos are advised for the 71,000 fans who will be watching today’s Charger playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Qualcomm Stadium starting at 1 p.m. PST. An additional .50 to 1 inch of rainfall is expected in the San Diego area. Overni... 01/06/2008

You've made it through the emotional decision of deciding to relocate to Carlsbad, or wherever (Part 1 on the psychological and emotional issues), and hired an excellent REALTOR to help you sell your home and have done everything you should to get ready for presenting your home to the buying public (Part 2 on selling your current home). You found a terrific agent in your new location to help you, and you have started your house hunting and learning about the area you are moving to (Part 3 on house hunting from a distance).  It’s not too early (and if you already sold your home the time is NOW) to start planning the actual move. It’s amazing how quickly time can fly and if you aren’t prepared you will find yourself in trouble. There really are two types of relocations to focus on: those ... 01/06/2008

Here are the maps of the South Carlsbad detached and attached inventory.  First the detached inventory:To see an interactive map, here's the link: Carlsbad Real Estate Inventory - Detached HomesHere is the attached inventory. Note the change in the legend as the prices are a lot less.To see an interactive map, here's the link: Carlsbad Real Estate Inventory - Attached HomesConclusions?  The inventory is not excessive right now....fairly typical for this time of year.  The prices are somwhat lower than the go-go days of 2004, but they haven't dropped like the inland markets (Escondido, Fallbrook, etc.) where the majority of the foreclosures have happened.Margaret Hokkanen, Carlsbad Real Estate  01/05/2008

Here is the year-end market report for Carlsbad homes from the MLS (homes sold privately are not include in these data):  Homes for sale – 439 detached, 217 attached (down 15% from November)75 detached and 30 attached homes came on the market in November (58% less)359 detached and 144 attached homes have sold in the last 6 monthsAbsorption (inventory) is 7.5 months for detached (slight increase from November) and 7.1 months for attached homes (down over 1 month from November)Average marketing time was 65 days for attached and 67 days for detachedMedian sales price for detached - $763,050, about the same as NovemberMedian sales price for attached - $439,438, about the same as November Carlsbad home sales prices continue to average 95% (detached) and 96% (attached) of list price, a trend ... 01/05/2008

Carlsbad is located about 30 miles north of downtown San Diego and offers an idyllic year-round beach lifestyle. South Carlsbad State Beach is, in my opinion, one of the nicest in North County San Diego. Carlsbad home buyers seeking to live within walking distance of the beach with possible ocean views may be interested in Poinsettia Cove. Poinsettia Cove is located along the Coast Highway (Route 101) just to the east, so while the community is not directly on the water, homes on the western edge along the road have terrific beach and sunset views. And being within a 5 minute walk to a terrific beach is not too bad.The Four Seasons Aviara Hotel is nearby for upscale dining, golf and the fabulous spa. Carlsbad Village is a couple of miles north along the coast with plenty of shopping an... 01/05/2008

Carlsbad home owners and lovers of the beaches, as well as others in coastal California, have a friend in the California Coastal Commission. Some may regard the Commission as a foe. The Commission, a judicial-like state agency with multiple offices, functions to protect the coastal regions of California which vary from a few hundred feet in width up to 5 miles in rural areas. Specifically the Commission’s role is to:   “Protect, conserve, restore, and enhance environmental and human-based resources of the California coast and ocean for environmentally sustainable and prudent use by current and future generations.” (from their website)      Issues of public access to and use of beaches and surrounding area, and broad educational programs are important components as well. The Commission ... 01/05/2008

La Costa Home Search San Diego Real EstateSearch for Homes in La Costa CaliforniaSearch all Homes in La Costa 92009Search the San Diego MLSLa Costa is in Carlsbad in North County Coastal San Diego. There are many wonderful homes in La Costa and many Golf Course Homes in La Costa as well. La Costa is known for the world famous La Costa Resort and Spa and is very close to beautiful Carlsbad beaches. La Costa seems to have something for everyone when searching for a home. When you're ready to see some La Costa Real Estate give us a call.If you're interested in buying or selling a home in La Costa please contact Dawn Sells San Diego.Once you find the La Costa Home you like or have any questions that need answering about La Costa Real Estate, contact us by email or call us at 619-656-6700. W... 01/04/2008

So far we have examined some of the emotional and psychological issues associated with a relocation (Relocation is NOT for Dummies Part 1), and a few practical issues you must consider when selling your home (Relocation is NOT for Dummies Part 2). Here in Part 3 the focus is on house hunting from a distance and how to make the most of buying your new home in a distant location. You can’t drive around neighborhoods to look at housing, and you may not know much, if anything, about your new location. In a relocation: How do you go about house hunting effectively?   And how do you find someone you can trust to help you?  Let’s deal first with how to go about finding a reputable, knowledgeable REALTOR in your new location, say Carlsbad, California, to help you with your relocation. Finding ... 01/03/2008

La Costa Carlsbad Real Estate: LA COSTA GREENS, LA COSTA OAKS, LA COSTA VALLEY, AVIARA, ALGA HILLS and more! See all La Costa Area Homes For Sale, MLS Listings and Real Estate For Sale!Hey La Costa Carlsbad Home Shoppers! Looking for a great deal in the La Costa Carlsbad area? Considering buying or selling  in one of the great La Costa Carlsbad Neighborhoods like La Costa Oaks, La Costa Valley, La Costa Greens, Aviara, or a condo or townhome?                                                                     CLICK HERE TO BEGIN YOUR REAL ESTATE SEARCH FOR HOMES AND CONDOS FOR SALE IN CARLSBAD NOW                  Know where you want to live in Carlsbad? Search by Neighborhood and Subdivision belowSee all La Costa Greens Real Estate  and HomesFor Sale in Carlsbad HERE    See all La Cost... 01/01/2008

One of the main criteria many Carlsbad home buyers have when searching for a new home is easy access to amenities. This includes shopping, restaurants, business services, and the stuff we all need and use regularly – gas, pharmacies, home improvements, dry cleaners, wine and liquor, fast food, coffee shops, bakeries, hair salons, car washes/detailing, and so on. El Camino Real is a major thoroughfare running parallel to the coast and the freeway, from Oceanside south to Cardiff. It’s good to know about both for transportation purposes (if you want to avoid the 5) but more so because it is loaded with strip malls and all the shopping you could want. Thus many folks in South Carlsbad (especially Aviara, La Costa, and Rancho Carrillo) and Encinitas (including Olivenhain) are only a few mi... 12/31/2007

Here is another listing that we had.  Unfortunately, the home owner brought it on in Q4, and, as many of us know, the fourth quarter is not the optimal time to list a home.  That said, I think our marketing looked pretty good.The dining room was a trick photo due to the sunlight coming in from the windows.  Believe it or not, the home owner did NOT like the photo shoot and demanded that I reshoot the pictures.  I advised the client that I could give it a much more stark look if I reshot it at night, but it would not be as warm and buttery and that it would be a mistake.  Here's the reshoot: The net result was that the client agreed (once seeing the pictures), and we went with the original brochure.  Which version do you think is better? Also, here's the La Costa Oaks insert that we did.... 12/31/2007

Well, you may not be going to the market to buy a fat pig. BUT you may need to go to the grocery store on occasion for dinner items, vegetables, TP and the usual family stuff. Carlsbad is a great place to go grocery shopping, as there are a number of stores, readily accessible, both large chains and small, to meet your family’s grocery needs.  Here’s what you need to know: The major grocery chains include VONS and ALBERSTONS. There are a number of them in Carlsbad to meet your needs, depending on where you live or are thinking of buying. Prices will vary quite a bit from store to store, and the big chains are not the best places to buy produce.   ALBERTSONS: La Costa – off El Camino Real at the intersection of La Costa Avenue. A second one is located on Carlsbad Village Drive west of t... 12/31/2007

In an effort to help folks out who are interested in Carlsbad, CA, I created a new Blog Group just for Carlsbad, and I will be posting information and materials that group as well as my own blog.  So, here's one of my active listings right now...a very nice property in Aviara/Sanderling. I liked the photos that I took of the pool a lot.  This particular gated community has two pools (the other isn't shown).Margaret Hokkanen, Carlsbad Real Estate 12/30/2007