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Carlsbad, CA Real Estate News

By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Free Christmas Tree Recycling in Carlsbad Until January 16, 2026 Now that Christmas is behind us some people have already taken down the holiday tree. Others are still waiting. In case you weren’t aware, the City of Carlsbad offers free, curbside pickup of Christmas trees for Carlsbad residents through January 16th. Christmas Tree curbside pickup is on your regular trash pick-up day. Christmas trees should be placed next to the green compost bin at curbside. Be sure to remove all decorations, lights, tinsel and tree stands before recycling. If possible cut the tree and place it in the Green Waste recycling bin for pick-up.   If the tree is taller than 6 feet it should be cut in half and placed next to the Green Waste bin. NOTE: Flocked Trees and those with fire retardant cannot be recyc...
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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 December 2025 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to shift, with changes from November and from 1 year ago. Private sales, mobile homes and multi-family housing are not included in this report (the numbers are taken from the MLS and believed to be accurate as reported but are not guaranteed). Media market reports typically are very generalized. Thus, they do not reflect local Carlsbad housing market conditions (read more - How Local IS Local?). Up-to-date information, and analysis, about local market conditions will benefit you when you need to make informed buying and/or selling decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale. READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 86 homes sold in Carlsbad in December (92008, ...
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By Margaret Hokkanen, → Carlsbad Real Estate
(SurfTheTurf.com, Inc.)
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
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
If you are on the hunt for anything electronic or containing a microchip, a household appliances or other consumer products, you will likely find it at Fry’s. I first heard about Fry’s when I moved to Carlsbad as being THE PLACE to go for electronics and related products, but only recently ventured in. It was truly amazing. This mega store, sort of the Home Depot of electronics and one of the chain of 30 stores, in San Marcos just off San Marcos on Bent Avenue, seems to have anything and everything you could possibly want. What was impressive was the number of sales people running around in every aisle. I had visions of not being able to find what I needed, despite the signage (which is pretty good) as so often happens in these big stores. Not a problem. I was asked at least 3 times if...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
The community of La Costa, in South Carlsbad, is anchored by the world renowned La Costa Resort and Spa. The area of La Costa was formerly a town in and of itself but was annexed by Carlsbad a number of years ago. Many folks, however, refer to the area as La Costa, and most people in the area know of this upscale residential neighborhood. The area was vacant prior to the building of the golf course and resort back in the early 1960s (the course was built in 1965 and the Rancho La Costa Inn was added soon after, as was the Spa) and the Carlsbad homes that sprung up around the golf course form a unique and charming community unlike any other in Carlsbad. This area is bounded on the west by El Camino Real, on the north by Alga Road, on the south by the resort, and on the east by Almaden. ...
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By Dean Johnson, Attorney and Broker
(Brim Realty, Inc.)
La Costa Greens - BalaerasCarlsbad, also known as The Village by the Sea, lies just 35 miles north of San Diego and offers residents a vast array of activities. Whether it's beach combing, world-class shopping, or fine dining Carlsbad residents will find it just minutes from home. Inspired by a Mediterranean resort village and reflective of historic Santa Barbara, the master plan community of La Costa Greens fulfills the promise of legendary La Costa in Carlsbad. Overlooking the world-famous La Costa golf course, Balearas at La Costa Greens features lavish home sites that afford residents sweeping views of the verdant fairways, rugged foothills and the cobalt Pacific Ocean.Choose from four floor plans ranging in size from 3,723 to 4,913 with up to 5 bedrooms and 3.5 to 5.5 bathrooms. Ba...
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By The Lewis Team San Diego Real Estate Experts, San Diego's #1 Real Estate Team - 619-656-0655
(DawnSellsSanDiego)
Carlsbad HomesWhen you're ready to buy a home in Carlsbad 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. Carlsbad is a wonderful area of San Diego and has many great things to do. Carlsbad Real Estate starts at the Pacific Ocean and goes inland San Diego for many miles. Carlsbad is very large and takes a Carlsbad Real Estate expert to show you around. Please contact me to find out more about Carlsbad Real Estate and Carlsbad Homes and Condos. Carlsbad in San Diego California is rich in history. The first human inhabitants in Carlsbad were the Luiseño people. They were American Indians who are in the Shoshonean linguistic group. In 1842 Don Juan Maria Marron was granted most of the land that now comp...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Carlsbad home buyers have much to be thankful for. Let's count the ways...726 homes on the market as of 12/21/07While the prices here are high compared to other parts of the country, they are, relatively speaking, better than many of the other coastal communities (except for Oceanside to the north). The inventory has remained fairly stable (less than 8 months worth), and prices have not shifted much this year (see the November Carlsbad Homes Market Report).Carlsbad has a highly rated school system (do a Google search and you'll find out more) with a number of schools winning awards in California in recent years.Interest rates (as of this writing) are BELOW 6% for conforming mortgages - the best we have seen in about 2 years.  There's lots to like about this town, such as golf, the beach...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
WHAT?! You can live in a Carlsbad waterfront home at an affordable price? How is that possible?   Yes, it's true. There are waterfront homes in Carlsbad that are, relatively speaking, affordable. No, it's not on the ocean. Are you surprised? But it's not on a small creek either (you can find more information on Carlsbad waterfront homes here). Bristol Cove is located off the Aqua Hedionda Lagoon a short distance south of Carlsbad Village. This community is directly on an inlet (a cove) off of the lagoon, AND there is dockage for boats at a number of the homes. This is a residential cove and use is restricted to owners and tenants. Resident children attend the Carlsbad Schools. There are a number of water activities at the Aqua Hedionda Lagoon, the ocean and Carlsbad beaches are nearby,...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
The master planned community of La Costa Greens, in the La Costa area of Carlsbad, has been developed over the last couple of years and includes 7 neighborhoods by 5 well-known area builders. The La Costa Greens community has appealed to Carlsbad home buyers and has prospered, and several of the neighborhoods are sold out, with others very nearly so. Just a handful of homes remain, for example, at the gated community of Balearas, the most expensive (in the low to mid $1 millions) of the La Costa Greens villages.Viridian, being built by Davidson, is the most recently built community offering homes for sale. Residents will have access and use of the private club, The Presidio (photo below left), and use of the tennis courts and miles of walking and hiking trails. There is easy access to a...
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By Margaret Hokkanen, → Carlsbad Real Estate
(SurfTheTurf.com, Inc.)
Over the past month, I've had a few people ask about what we do with video, so I decided to post our home tour DVD page. The links below are not DVD-quality video; they are the video that we shoot and burn on the DVDs, but reduced to web-streaming quality (which is significantly reduced). Please note: These tours are only 10-15 minutes long, but our entire DVD is actually about 2 hours because we put a lot of video marketing/training on the disc. One final note (and maybe even a bit of a rant): We have a definite style in what we do for some very important marketing reasons that would require too much discussion for this post.  Please understand that some video folks strongly disagree with it.  I recognize that some agents, and some videographers, may not approve of our use of actual ag...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
The Four Seasons Resort Aviara is an extraordinary hotel in Carlsbad, and always a beautiful sight for the eyes no matter what time of year you visit.The Festival of Trees is a highlight of the holiday season, where the hotel lobby and halls are decorated with amazing trees that are theme decorated by various organizations in the local area. Not only are they gorgeous to view, but they are part of a silent auction, with bidding starting at $500, to raise money for a very worthy charity - the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. This charity benefits the families of injured soldiers.Of course after a stroll through the halls to take in these beautiful trees, why not enjoy a fabulous dinner in Vivace, the Four Seasons' signature Italian restaurant? Sitting by their fire and dining on incredible...
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By Margaret Hokkanen, → Carlsbad Real Estate
(SurfTheTurf.com, Inc.)
There are many agents who are using video in their practices.  We have been creating home tour DVDs for about three years, and over that time, we have discovered that there can be a wide array of differences in the quality of DVD media.  Just to give you some idea of our experience, we have probably burned over 30,000 DVDs in our duplicating system.In the beginning, we tried out many different brands primarily based on what was on sale.  These included Memorex, TDK, and so non-marketed brands available through wholesalers to people who are burning large quantities of discs. As with most products, you get what you pay for.  You may save 20-30% by buying a cheaper brand, but you will probably run across product that hasn't been properly manufactured and hiccups during the burning process....
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Achieving maximum exposure in today's market is key to selling your Carlsbad home. Of course if it is not priced well no amount of marketing and advertising will sell it.Assuming the price is right, signage can go a long way toward gaining that exposure, if used correctly and you employ a variety of media to meet the needs and interests of the broadest range of buyers. However, gone are the days when the market was so crazy that ALL you needed was signage. Some agents still think that will do the trick.Here's the sign I just installed on a new Carlsbad listing. Decorating for the holidays is eye catching, and unique, and helps to draw attention. This sign will capture the attention of drive-bys. Yes, it's true most homes don't sell that way, but it does happen. And people who find the l...
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Powered by Natural Gas instead of the current Steam Turbines, a newly proposed power plant to augment the power supply sources for San Diego will require 30% less fuel to generate the same amount of power as currently generated by The Encina Power Plant.The new power plant that is being proposed by NRG Energy West will sit adjacent to the current Encina Power Plant with a larger 20 acres footprint running along Route 5 but will have a smaller height profile. Currently the smoke stacks used by Encina are 12 stories. The new smoke stacks will be 100 feet tall but the first 30 feet will be under the ground giving the overall hight above land at 70 feet.This new plant if approved will not replace the Encina Power plant with proposed purchase also underway by NRG Energy but will run intermit...
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By Margaret Hokkanen, → Carlsbad Real Estate
(SurfTheTurf.com, Inc.)
A back yard can be an important feature for some homes for many reasons: 1) a premium may have been paid for a view lot; 2) a premium may have been paid for the size; or 3) the owner may have invested a lot of money and wants to recoup it from a buyer who equally values the work done.This article seeks to discuss some of the considerations when taking photos of the back yard. Please note that California weather does not allow for the kind of seasonal variation that occurs in other parts of the country, so keep that in mind also. It may be important to take photos months before a home is listed so that the brochure shows the yard in all its spring glory rather than late in the fall when leaves are gone.Here are some general tips:In this writer's opinion, the MOST important aspect to taki...
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By Margaret Hokkanen, → Carlsbad Real Estate
(SurfTheTurf.com, Inc.)
This post is in a series.  Please see other posts about Bathrooms and Kitchens. Family rooms are probably one of THE most important rooms in home photography.  The modern family spends more time in these rooms than any other.  How inviting and attractive these rooms are can affect whether an offer is made and for how much.  I try to take a lot of care in photographing the family rooms.Rather than having me yack on about taking family room pictures, I thought I would make this post into a more interactive blog post.  So, DON'T SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE YET; there will be plenty of opportunity for that.  Take out a piece of paper and pen and look at all four of the pictures that I took.  Jot down what you think is RIGHT with the photo (or what you really like), and jot down wh...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Carlsbad has a reputation for some wonderful, and upscale, residential neighborhoods. The area around the Four Seasons, in South Carlsbad, is known as Aviara, and buyers seeking a Carlsbad home have plenty of options among the Aviara neighborhoods, with each offering homes that vary in style, price ($500s to over $2 million), size and feel. Many of the Carlsbad homes in Aviara are detached, but some are attached and there are both gated and ungated communities. Aviara is known for its lush landscaping, beautiful ocean, lagoon and golf course views, miles of trails and sidewalks for bicyclists and pedestrians, and the Batiquitos Lagoon and wildlife preserve. And, of course, the Four Seasons itself, with fine dining at Vivace, a terrific health club and spa, several boutiques, and the fam...
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By Margaret Hokkanen, → Carlsbad Real Estate
(SurfTheTurf.com, Inc.)
Someone asked me if I had some street photo comparisons of the same homes that we did pole pictures. I did not, but John had to go shoot a video at a new listing today, so I asked him to swing by and get a street picture of a couple of the homes that we sold last year. Here are the results, side by side. We made every effort to size them about the same, and please understand that we couldn't control for cars. But this will give you a pretty good idea of the difference that perspective can make. I threw a quick patch of blue on the first pic only because it was backlit with a bunch of white clouds and I didn't want that to distract. I didn't touch up either of the street pictures, so they are offered only as real-life comparison photos. I hope this helps show why we like the aerials for ...
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By Margaret Hokkanen, → Carlsbad Real Estate
(SurfTheTurf.com, Inc.)
We had a bunch of paint at our house, and we decided to finally get rid of it.  We knew there were hazardous waste drop-off locations for electronics, but we weren't sure about disposing of liquids.To our very pleasant surprise, we found out about Clean Harbors. (Phone: 1-800-444-4244)  They have signed agreements with Carlsbad, Encinitas, Del Mar, Solana Beach, and San Marcos (I think). Just call the number, and they will come pick it up.  If you have the standard amount, up to 15 gallons of paint, they charge $10 in Encinitas (prices may vary in other city jurisdictions due to the contract that they have).  We had more than that, so we had to pay $20, but they took it all away and disposed of it properly!This was great!  Highly Recommended if you need to get rid of some hazardous wast...
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By Margaret Hokkanen, → Carlsbad Real Estate
(SurfTheTurf.com, Inc.)
I know I've referenced my Canon 24mm tilt/shift lens that I put on my 5D back, but I wanted to show in photographs why I like this lens so much.  This lens allows you to DOUBLE your total field of view.  To use it, you shift the lens all the way to the left, snap the picture, then move it to the middle, snap a picture, and move it to the right and take a third.  It requires some fairly minor assembly of the photos, but NO stitching.  I just put the middle picture on top of the other two and then use a fuzzy eraser to erase the edges and get the 3-photo composite image that is twice as big.  Remember - this is a 24mm wide angle lens, so it isn't a fish-eye and you don't get a lot of distortion.  Here's an example of one of the images.As you can see, you can't really tell where the three ...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Here are the summary statistics from the MLS for Carlsbad for November 2007 (please note that this information does not include private sales or homes sold through builders that are not in the MLS).Homes for sale - 491 detached, 281 attached (up by about 1% from October)127 detached and 56 attached homes came on the market in October407 detached and 200 attached homes have sold in the last 6 monthsAbsorption (inventory) is 7.2 months for detached (slight increase from October) and 8.4 months for attached homes (about1 month more than in October)Average marketing time was 64 days for attached and 67 days for detachedMedian sales price for detached - $765,125, about the same as OctoberMedian sales price for attached - $441,500, about the same as OctoberCarlsbad home sales prices continue ...
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