In an article today in the Union Tribune, San Diego's primary newspaper, a grand Jury report released yesterday became allied to the Mayor's approach to selling city owned property. The Mayor favors allowing real estate brokers to sell city land instead of liquidating the properties  at auction. The grand Jury report touted this approach as one way to assist in the revamping of the city's troubled Real Estate Assets Department.The city owns 3400 properties  covering 1200 acres. It also rents 680 properties and many of those leases have expired. The Mayor will ask the city council  to approve selling 19 properties valued at over 40 million.A member of the council lauded the Mayors entrepreneurial spirit but also cautioned that this practice should not be done for the  simple purpose of b... 05/11/2007

What a pleasure it has been to go through the entries for the first Carnival of Luxury. It was fun to read entries not only from outstanding Active Rain real estate professionals (including Active Rain's Jeff Dowler, Eric Carlsen, and Jennifer Kirby), but a rant from a therapist, an art review, advice for creating abundant lifestyles, and the story of a Las Vegas legend who went from a $2500 loan to billionaire status. Perhaps it is the ultra-warm weather we have been experiencing in San Diego-or the fun of judging, but hot seems to be the word du jour. It is also a convenient way to describe the winners and their blogs in the first Carnival of Luxury: Hot  Luxury Tipsfor Luxury Home Photography (or any home, for that matter) comes from Eric Carlsen and Room Reviews - Prep for Your Pro ... 05/10/2007

Shopping for a mortgage?  Good for you!  Most originators in today's marketplace are order takers or paper processors and offer you little or no value. They operate as functionaries, and as such, are in your way to affordable mortgage terms. If you are going down the path to find the absolute best mortgage terms, good luck!  You'll probably end up with the least competent loan originator who can ultimate costs you thousands of dollars.READ:  You'll NEVER get the lowest rate on your mortgage.I know why you, the California mortgage shopper, are doing this.  Mortgage loan originators in California are as plentiful as dead jellyfish on the beach in August (and about as useful, too).  Be careful, though!  These little useless lumps can sting you even though they appear to be dead. READ:  How... 05/07/2007

Enough has surely been written in this forum about LinkedIn and the importance of being listed there. I won't dwell on the importance of being there, but if you're not, GO DO IT RIGHT NOW!If you use the system actively, it can be a great way to reconnect with clients, colleagues and frieneds. When I first joined, I went through a personal database and send out invitations. The results were fun and  even received a few thank you calls. LinkedIn provides a great additional way to stay in touch with your connections and you'll be adored if you take the time to write kind recommendations for them. For example, Brian Brady, a great mortgage professional, and I recently exchanged recommendations and I am more likely than ever to recommend him for mortgage loans. (this is a test to see if Bria... 05/07/2007

South Park is just of Balboa Park, North of Golden Hill and Grant Hill and South of North Park, the boundary being Juniper Street.  Historic architects whose work is here include Irving Gill, William S. Hebbard, and Richard Requa. Those Historic Craftsman homes are beautifully restored. Burlingame district, along Balboa Park's eastern boundary, completes the classic Craftsman circle. Burlingame has carefully preserved its historic Craftsman and Mission-style homes, making it ideal for a walking tour.   A Beautiful Day in South Park    Take your dogs to The Grape Street Dog Park, one of San Diego's largest off-leash areas. Later play golf at Balboa Park Golf Course.    After playing golf, check out some CDs at independent music store "M-Theory". Buy some gifts at The Grove, The Zen Merc... 05/07/2007

This invitation was extended to me yesterday.  Many other Active Rainers will be panelists including Ardell Della Loggia, Teresa Boardman, Greg Swann, Rudy Bachraty, Drew Meyers,  Jim Cronin, Mary McKnight,  Pat Kitano, Dustin Luther, Matt Heaton, Jonathan Washburn,  and Joe Ferrara. Brad Inman, Publisher of Inman News and Jessica Swesey & Joel Burslem, our Editor and Manager of Social Media and would like to invite you to be a speaker at Bloggers Connect on August 1, 2007 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.   Bloggers Connect (click to see the entire program) is an exciting new conference running in conjunction with our SF Connect event.  The event is being created by bloggers for bloggers and will have a dynamic program addressing all the issues that bloggers want answers to now.  S... 05/06/2007

Can the presence of termites screw up a home loan for a beach home?  You betcha they can.Dian Hymer, an author on Inman News, writes this about termite clearances in her column : In this era of consumer awareness, most buyers require a current termite inspection of a home before they'll agree to buy it. However, a termite clearance is not always part of the agreement. Whether or not a termite clearance is required to close a home sale depends on the buyer's lender and on the terms of the agreement negotiated between the buyer and seller. Buyers who purchase a home using an FHA or VA mortgage -- or a low-down payment first-time buyer mortgage program -- may be required to provide the lender with a termite clearance on the home they're buying before the lender will fund the loan. In this ... 05/06/2007

It is difficult to avoid the subject of short sales and foreclosures when discussing real estate these days. We receive ongoing emails and calls from people wanting to buy short sales and foreclosures because they want the best deal possible. They believe that the best buys can only come from bloodied sellers and lenders-and that somehow real estate agents are the best bloodhounds of all (which is often true).There's this misconception floating around that if a lender is willing to shave off some of the debt owed on the property and sell it for less than what is owed,  it must be a good buy. The same logic is also applied to foreclosures.But reality sometimes paints a different picture.Many of our San Diego clients have been able to get outstanding buys on real estate not through short ... 05/02/2007

How many of you are finding it harder and harder to get your buyers and clients to qualify for a mortgage these days? It seems like 100% financing programs have disappeared and programs for First Time Homebuyers are depleting as well. Companies like Countrywide did away with their 100% financing and other big lenders are following suit. The good news is that there are still many 100% lending programs that are available to buyers and grant/silent 2nd programs to assist homebuyers get into their home. If you are running into these scenarios please post them and lets discuss whats going on. 05/02/2007

  New York has Greenwich Village. San Francisco has the Castro. Vancouver has the West End. And San Diego has Hillcrest, our closest thing to a diverse, lively, hip and colorful neighborhood. Hillcrest is the residential and commercial hub of San Diego's gay and lesbian community. Prominent gay clubs are mostly found within Hillcrest. The LGBT community center ("The Center") is located here as well. Hillcrest is a walkable neighborhood with many of the cafés, restaurants and shops near the main residential pockets. The neighborhood hosts annual Gay Pride parade and Hillcrest City Fest Street Fair. Other regular events in Hillcrest include a weekly farmers market, Book Fair, Taste of Uptown  and Mardi Gras.   Beautiful Day in Hillcrest      Go to Farmer's Market (on Sunday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.... 04/26/2007

The Subprime Crisis: Is Your Home at Risk?It's all over the news. Subprime mortgage companies are in the midst of a true crisis! According to The New York Times, over two dozen lenders have already closed their doors for good. In fact, more than half of the top 25 mortgage companies from 2006 have either reported serious losses, been sold off to other companies, or have filed for bankruptcy!When asked how many subprime lenders will be taken down by the current credit crunch, Bill Dallas, mortgage industry icon and former CEO of Ownit Mortgage Solutions, replied "all of them." When asked how many borrowers would be impacted by tightening credit standards, Dallas estimated anywhere from 10% to 40%, adding, "the coming shift in available products will be huge." This could negatively impact... 04/24/2007

Luxury is booming and Wall Street is keeping a keen eye on how the rich are spending their wealth. And what better way to measure that hedonism than by creating a variety of indexes that track the shopping of the ultra-rich?  The demand for four-figure handbags, five-figure baubles, six-figure cars, seven and eight-figure homes, luxury resorts and travel,  insurable art and heady wines has created a new and trackable economy for the very wealthy.What intrigues many investors is how well the carriage trade merchants are faring. This is mostly due to the fact that the rich are getting richer and their numbers on a global basis are growing-along with their spending habits.  A look at some of these uber-wealth tracking indexes reveals more than a little about the favored products and shoppi... 04/22/2007

Kensington overlooks Mission Valley's southern rim with many of its homes enjoying views of the valley. The neon "Kensington" sign can be found overhanging Adams Avenue, which acts as the neighborhood's cultural center. The distinctive California-Spanish style homes sit above steep slopes dedicated to open space. In Kensington, there is a old style movie theater showing independent  films, a coffeehouse, a pub, park that surrounds the local library. The area is centrally located near I-15 and offers quick access to many San Diego attractions. A Beautiful Day in Kensington      Have brunch at Kensington Cafe which is local favorite.       Relax at Kensington Park.      After having Fried Calamari and wine at Kensington Grill, go to the Ken Cinema and watch a foreign independent film. 04/21/2007

There is little we can do to stop global warming, the melting of icebergs, rising sea levels and the inevitability of dandelions. But here are some big and small things we can all do to lessen the impact of our carbon footprint on this planet.1. The biggy for me? I traded in a Mercedes 420 for a cool Camry Hybrid. I enjoy the car's size, client curiosity, long pauses between fill-ups and the nice tax credit that accompanied the purchase. Also fun are the included iPod  dock, blue tooth for phone, reliable navigation system, air filtration and having a car that inspires people in parking lots to ask if they can look under the hood of my car. Too see how your car stacks up environmentally, go to the Fuel Economy site.2. Unplug electronic devices (televisions, DVD players, computers, batte... 04/21/2007

The most sprawling of the urban neighborhoods, Norh Park is situated to the northeast of Balboa Park. Home to hundreds of classic California Style Craftsman houses, North Park includes the subneighborhoods of Burlingame, Altadena, and the Morley Field area. The North Park sign can be seen above 30th Street and University Avenue. North Park has recently experienced a significant influx of development interest, especially within its downtown area.  The community has already approved a number of significant proposals that will transform the fabric of downtown North Park. Living in North Park - Virtual Relocation a Beautiful Day in North Park    Pick up a newspaper at Paras News, have a breakfast at The Mission. Then go to Morley Field Sports Complex to play tennis.    Go to Thai Time (410... 04/18/2007

OK, Nine. The weather thing is getting a little tired and flaunting that would be just cruel. Welcome to San Diego !1. The Ocean with its beautiful beaches to enjoy fishing, surfing, sailing, cruising, swimming, the tide pools, you name, we have it. 2. Balboa Park, one of the finest and most beautiful parks in the world. Museums, Arboretum, fountains, the largest outside Pipe Organ in the World in its own magnificent Pavilion, cultural centers, restaurants, art galleries, a carousel and the famous Old Globe Theater.3. The San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park and wildlife preserve that could rival a real safari4. Seaworld with its aquatics and underwater world that will amaze and would thrill even the most adventured5. The GasLamp Quarter, with more restaurants than you could ever imagine.... 04/18/2007

by Roberta MurphyAccording to the latest release from Dataquick, a record number of default notices have been sent to California homeowners during this last quarter, setting a new ten-year record. Why? Dataquick reports that "flat appreciation, slow sales, and post teaser-rate mortgage resets" have contributed to these financial casualties. The San Diego Union Tribune   reports that San Diego County endured 1,182 foreclosures from January through March, 2007--or almost eight times the 153 logged for the same period last year. The prior record was set in the third quarter of 1996, when the housing market was in a deep slump. Under any circumstances, these are not good numbers but they also fail to reflect the very different housing and economic pictiure that has occurred in San Diego dur... 04/17/2007

The median price for re-sale, single-family homes in San Diego County rose 3.6% in March from February. The median price is now off only 3% from the high of $598,000 set in November 2005. The average price for single-family gained 6.4% from the month before, and was up 4.3% year-over-year. Home sales rose 36.7% from February. Year-over-year, sales were down 20.8%. The median price for condos rose 0.8% to $375,000, month-over-month, down 1.3% compared to last March. This is the first time the median price for condos has been positive, year-over-year, since last March. The median price is now 4.3% below the high of $392,000 set in November 2005. Condo sales were up 29.4% from February, off 9.5% year-over-year. The real estate market is very hard to generalize. It is a market made up of ma... 04/12/2007

"Blogging has become a key marketing tool for real estate agents."Michelle Mowad, a talented writer for the San Diego Business Journal, called last week inquiring about real estate blogging and the impact it is having on our San Diego real estate business and life. We talked about Web 2.0 social networking sites like MySpace and how blogging is such a natural communications platform for real estate agents and potential clients. We had a great discussion, and covered a broad range of topics including long tail searches, how Google loves blogs and how a busy Realtor finds time to blog (I arise earlier and have pretty much given up television). She also asked how I got my start in blogging, and I told her about Active Rain. As we might expect, she was already familiar with our favorie real... 04/10/2007

  High-profile real estate discounter ipayOne has posted a notice on its website that they are no longer accepting new listings. Their website bears the following message:To Our Community:ipayOne will no longer be accepting new listings. If you are an existing client, please contact Alana Yardley@ipayOne.comIf you are contacting us regarding buying any other property using our Buyers Reward Program please contact us at info@ipayOne.comIf you are contacting us regarding financing a new or existing home, please contact us at info@ipayOne.com The ipayOne employees, real estate agents and management team want to thank you for all your support over the past three years.Michael JackmanCEO ipayOne is/was headquartered in Carlsbad, CA and specialized in taking one percent listings and offering ... 04/07/2007