710 Sea Cottage Way, Oceanside 92054

$485,876

PRISTINE MINT CONDITION/LIKE NEW in newer upscale community  close to the beach! Almost free-standing home (no att. walls-just balcony!) Features Two Master Suites and comes with a very oversized direct access 2 C. garage with storage closet.  Tall ceilings, light and bright, freshly painted in a neutral palette, crown molding, dual pane windows, paneled interior doors, wood blinds, dual sided fireplace, corian countertops in kitchen & baths.  Wondefully flowing floorpan is very welcoming and spacious.  There are two balconies; one off the kitchen/dining room and the other is off the living room.   The community also backs up to the San Luis Rey hiking/biking trail. Close to the beach, shopping, and restaurants. This property would make a GREAT 2nd home/vacation home!

For more information about this property and a virtual tour click here!

375 Coast # C, La Jolla, 92037

$1,995,000

IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS! Rare opportunity to own a slice of the coast.One level condo w/direct ocean access from your front door & direct access garage parking to your kitchen. Brand new floor to ceiling windows to take in sensational view of crashing waves, surfers, the ever changing scenery of pelicans & cormorants flying by. Let the sound of waves lull you to sleep. Drop by for a sunset, REALLY! You'll be amazed!  Picnic at the oceanfront park steps away.  

Wake up to 180 degree views of waves crashing on the shoreline. Walk to the La Jolla Cove and visit the Sea lions, stroll over to the boutiques and restaurants in La Jolla Village. The scenery at the beach is always changing, nothing is ever the same.  This is a marvelous place to relax or find inspiration. 

 Click here for more information about this phenomenal beachfront property!

Here's a great article I found that contains tips for healthy living in your home. With most people going green these days, this article has some great ideas to make any home enviromentally sound for you and your family.

Consumers are more conscientious about healthy living than ever before and this awareness is making its way to the homebuilding industry, particularly in the custom home market, says Michael Lenahen who owns Ponte Vedra, Fla.-based Aurora Custom Homes.

“As more consumers begin to realize how much their home affects every aspect of their health, they are beginning to see the importance of improving its environmental quality with products to benefit their health and that of their family,” Lenahen said. “The new emphasis toward healthy living focuses around four main categories – air, water, odor/fumes and lighting.”

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, pollutants are often two to five times higher indoors than outdoors and this can significantly affect air in the home causing breathing problems and respiratory diseases. When it comes to the quality of the air, Lenahen said several products are available on the market that homeowners should incorporate into their home such as:

-Advanced allergy filters to control dust particles and pollutants
-Dehumidification devices to manage the humidity in the home
-Variable speed air handlers to maintain the circulation of air throughout the home and ventilation fans to introduce fresh air into the home while removing stale, humid air

Improving the water quality in a home is just as important as the air quality, Lenahen said. Several products are available to improve the quality and efficiency of a home’s water flow and usage, including:

-Carbon filter and reverse osmosis units to purify drinking water by removing particulate matter and harmful minerals
-Whole-house water softeners to remove calcium and other harmful minerals while providing added benefit to the home’s appliances and pluming fixtures. Water softeners also improve skin tone and texture by removing calcium, magnesium and iron from the water.
-Underground cisterns to collect rainwater from the gutter and downspouts to use for irrigating the lawn and landscapeHealthy home living is also improved by the use of low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) materials, which emit lower levels of gasses into the home from everyday materials such as paints, sealants, cabinets and flooring materials. Lenahen said homeowners should use the lowest emitting VOC products for custom homebuilding and remodeling projects, thereby reducing the negative health impact the products may have on the occupants. Low VOC products will have labeling to help homeowners find the healthiest option.

Better lighting solutions can also foster healthier living. Traditional light fixtures typically include high wattage bulbs, which waste electricity while adding excessive heat into the home. Suggested improvements include:

-Decorative light fixtures with less wattage requirements and soft-light emitting globes
-Compact florescent light (CFL) bulbs or L.E.D. fixtures and bulbs for longer life usage
-Next generation skylights, such as Velux Sun Tunnel or Solatube, that bring natural light into the home, reducing the need for artificial light and energy consumption

“These are just some of the many changes that can be made to current homes or built into new homes that will greatly improve the quality of life and health of its occupants,” Lenahen said. “The more consumers become aware of the positive affects of healthy living within the home, the more products will enter the mainstream of standard building practices.”

7402 High Avenue, La Jolla 92037

Live GRAND in the Heart of La Jolla! Newly finished construction, this 5 bedroom/4.5 bath home has just been completely remodeled! This is luxury at it's best!
Over 3600 square feet of meticulous detailing, make this home grand yet inviting. Unique ceiling applications, crown molding, rough-hewn wooden flooring, natural stone tiles, custom cabinetry, arched entryways, and oil rubbed bronze hardware create an Old World Charm to this home. Just steps to the Village Shops and Restaurants...
The Kitchen features a full Viking appliance package, stunning granite countertops, custom cabinetry, a large island, generous pantry, and opens to the spacious Great Room with its magnificent fireplace. Enjoy the private Master Suite with its abundant open space, oversized custom walk-in closet and luxuriously appointed bath, and verandas. The French doors throughout this home extend the living and entertaining areas to the loggias, decks and private yards. Panoramic views of the Pacific and La Jolla from the observation deck and the Master Suite are breathtaking and the night lights are a wonderful backdrop for evening entertaining on the decks. Much more... Schools include: La Jolla Elementary, Muirlands Middle School, and La Jolla High School.

 
Click here for more information on this gorgeous home!

Here's a great article from the San Diego Business Journal about a renewed interest in High-End Homes! Is the worst behind us?!

REAL ESTATE: Building Plans for Upscale Properties Begin to Gain Momentum

The market for high-end homes costing more than $800,000 has slipped since the end of the housing boom, but builders say there are increasing signs of a turnaround.

“The market in my mind has stabilized,” said longtime San Diego builder Bill Davidson, president of Davidson Communities. “It is not falling like it was last year, and that is very important. No one wants to buy a house when they think the market is falling.”

With prices stabilizing, Davidson has begun to prepare for a real estate rebound.

“We are actively trying to buy more land now because we can price our homes profitably,” he said.

His company has upscale production homes under construction in La Costa and Del Sur in North County. They range in price from the $700,000s to more than $1 million. Tight credit has made it more difficult for upper-end buyers to secure loans, however. Conditions were much different just a few years ago, when loan underwriting standards were looser and customers bought big homes “with all of the gadgets and luxuries that we could pile on,” Davidson said. Since the recession hit, high-end buyers have been seeking smaller, simpler dwellings.

At McCullough-Ames Development Inc., Principal Monty McCullough typically builds custom $1 million, estate-style homes on 1-acre lots. Most of the firm’s recent projects are in North County, near the coast and along the state Route 56 corridor, between the Del Mar area and Poway. Even these buyers are looking for ways to stretch a dollar. McCullough presses his subcontractors for the best prices and passes the savings along to customers.

“Everybody has been hit by the recession,” he said. “… I felt my business starting to tail off by the summer and fall of 2004. Since the spring of 2009 we have built 15 homes, under contract or just finished.”

“The average home is right at or under 5,000 square feet,” he said. Not long ago, 6,000-square-foot to 9,000-square-foot homes were common in the custom market.

Custom builder Terry Wardell of Wardell Builders Inc. estimates that the size of the upper-end market had declined by about 50 percent from its peak. Wardell builds most of his homes in La Jolla, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, Point Loma and Mission Hills.

“I think 2010 will be stronger than 2009, but it is still going to stay pretty flat,” he said. “Construction prices probably are 25 percent off their peak.”

Analyst Russ Valone, president and CEO of the MarketPointe Realty Advisors research firm, has been tracking $800,000-plus home sales. In 2005, such homes made up 49 percent of the detached housing market here. In 2006, the percentage was 44 percent. Last year, the share was down to just 20 percent.

Recent upscale buyers have taken advantage of reduced prices, Valone said. Some of them “were able to acquire homes that were designed to sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars more.” Those buyers likely will realize large gains in home value as the recession ends.

Optimism Returns

Lora Heramb, vice president of sales and marketing for Brookfield Homes, noted that her company now is selling high-end production homes at the Serenity community east of Scripps Ranch. Prices range from just under $900,000 to just under $1 million.

There is a perception among many buyers that prices have stabilized, Heramb said. “Some of our buyers have been waiting for the right community and the right time.”

Borre Winckel, president and CEO of the Building Industry Association of San Diego, said sales of upper-end homes will grow as the economy improves.

“People have faith again,” he said. “People believe that the worst is behind us.”

What a difference a year makes! Click here to check out the 2009 Year in Review!

Move up, move down, move sideways; it just doesn't matter. Whichever direction you move, financially, you may still qualify for the new tax credit available to current homeowners. It is unfortunate that the credit has too often been characterized as a credit for "move-up" homeowners. The phrase carries the implication that the new home must cost more than the sale price of the former one. Indeed, even the November 6 White House Press Release said that the credit would be available to qualified homeowners who "wish to step up to a new home." Same implication.

So, it is worth emphasizing that the credit is equally available to homeowners who are moving down, cost-wise.

The move-down homebuyer is not an unusual phenomenon. For years retirees have been known to move from a larger home to one that is smaller and often less expensive. Moreover, it is reasonable to think that current economic conditions may lead to even more move-down buyers. Just as thousands of families have found it necessary or desirable to downsize with respect to their cars and their general lifestyle, so it may be when it comes to considering the costs of owning and maintaining a larger house than they really need.

The same requirements apply to both move-down and move-up buyers.

First of all, the previous home must have been occupied as the buyer's principal residence for at least five consecutive years out of the past eight years. Two examples: (1) Suppose that during the past eight years you occupied the property for three years, then rented it out for two years (perhaps because of a job transfer or temporary assignment), and then occupied it again for three years up until now. Even though you had occupied the property as your principal residence for six of the past eight years, you would not be eligible because you had not occupied it for five consecutive years. (I'm not saying this makes sense; I'm just reporting on the requirements.) (2) Suppose you bought a home eight (or more) years ago, you occupied it as a principal residence until two years ago when you sold it. Would you qualify? Yes, because you had occupied it as a principal residence for at least five consecutive years of the past eight.

There are important issues of timing as well. You must have purchased (that is closed on) the replacement home sometime after 11/6/2009 and before 4/30/2010. With one exception: the new home will also qualify if you had entered into a binding contract no later than April 30, 2010 and you closed no later than June 30, 2010.

The time the previous home sold doesn't matter. Indeed, it doesn't even have to be sold. You might, for example, keep it as a rental.

The tax credit is for 10% of the purchase price up to a maximum credit of $6,500 for joint filers and $3,250 for those filing separately. There is a full credit for singles whose income does not exceed $125,000 and for couples whose income is no more than $225,000. A phase-out applies to higher incomes up to $145,000 and $245,000 respectively.

The cost of the new home may not exceed $800,000.

The new home must be used as a principal residence for a three year period subsequent to closing, or else the credit must be repaid.

I found this great article about "Secrets for Timing the Real Estate Market" that I wanted to share with you.  It talks about strategies for home buying/selling, gives advice on the best times to do so and the climate of the market. I found this article to be an informative read and I hope you will too!

Beating the Market by Timing Home Buying / Selling
By Elizabeth Weintraub, About.com Guide

It's likely that billionaire real estate tycoons such as New York's Donald Trump, Chicago's Sam Zell and Santa Barbara's Tom Barrack would collectively agree that nobody can time the real estate market, not even them. This may leave you wondering: If the pros can't time the market, how can you?

For starters, you can employ the same techniques that have worked for many who live by the creed: Buy low and sell high. The first step is to determine the type of real estate market that exists in your town.

Types of Real Estate Markets

Although there are many variations and twists, basically real estate markets fall into three categories:

• Buyer's markets
  Buyer's markets exist when there is more inventory, meaning houses for sale, than buyers. Because buyers have many homes to choose from, not every home for sale will sell. Most experts agree that if six months or more of inventory is on the market, it is a buyer's market. Also note that in buyer's markets, fewer numbers of buyers will result in fewer sales, which can skew median prices.
• Seller's markets
  Conversely, in seller's markets, there are more buyers than available inventory. Because there are fewer homes for buyers to choose among, almost every home will sell. Typically, there is much less than six months of inventory in a seller's market. In extreme seller's markets, there is less than two months of inventory in reserve.
• Neutral markets
  Neutral markets are balanced. Typically, interest rates are affordable and the number of buyers and sellers in the marketplace are equalized. The scales don't tip in either direction, meaning the market is normal without experiencing volatile swings. Inventory is generally around four months, give or take.

Note that good buys exist in neutral markets, but there are no overall indications that favor buyers over sellers or vice versa.

Buying in a Buyer's Market

If you are going to buy a home and can afford to wait for primo conditions, a buyer's market is it; there is no better timing. Here are a few advantages to buying in a buyer's market:

• Lower sales price
  Sellers are more willing to wheel and deal because they know if they refuse to accept your purchase offer, they might not receive another. When fewer homes are selling, prices typically fall.
• Buyers can command concessions
  Buyers can ask sellers to pay their closing costs, providing their lender will allow the credit. Buyers can also expect sellers will pay for special reports such as pest inspections or roof certifications and a home warranty.
• Contingent offers are more acceptable
  Sellers are generally more agreeable to accepting a contingent offer that is dependent on the buyer selling the buyer's existing home. An offer in the hand is better than no offer at all.
• Request for repairs easily negotiated
  If the home is in need of repairs or updating its systems, sellers will often credit the buyer for the repairs or fix the problem(s) noted by a home inspector.
• Buyers control the transaction
  Buyers can ask for longer inspection periods, extend closing deadlines and ask for early possession -- terms that would be automatically rejected in a seller's market.

Buying in a Seller's Market

If a buyer has no urgency to buy a home, it's not a good idea to buy in a seller's market. Here are a few disadvantages to buying a home in a seller's market:

• Top price
  Multiple offers are common. Sellers command list price and get it.
• No concessions
  Sellers are reluctant to pay any of the buyer's closing costs or pay for inspections.
• Contingent offers rarely happen
  Seller don't want to wait for a buyer's home to sell.
• Request for repairs are not honored
  Sellers will typically tell buyers to purchase the home "as is."
• Sellers control the transaction
  Most sellers will not bend from the original contract, regardless of circumstances, because there are three more buyers around the corner.

Selling in a Buyer's Market

If a seller does not need to sell, there is no logical reason to put a home on the market in a buyer's market. Here are disadvantages to selling in a buyer's market:

• Lowball offers
  Sellers in soft markets lose equity. Little demand for homes puts pressure on sales prices, causing buyers to make lowball offers.
• Buyers expect concessions
  Buyers will ask sellers to pay for closing costs, thereby lowering the seller's net proceeds.
• Contingent offers are riskier
  If a buyer's home does not sell, neither will the seller's, and by that time, the number of buyers typically dwindle even more.
• Buyers demand repairs
  All those little things sellers have put off repairing will pop up in the home inspection, and buyers expect sellers to fix them.
• Sellers do not control the transaction
  Buyers tend to ask for "out" clauses that would let them walk away from the deal all the way to closing.

Selling in a Seller's Market

This is the best time to be a home seller. Here are a few advantages to selling in a seller's market:

• Higher sales price
  The list-to-sales-price ratios are lower in seller's markets, meaning sellers command higher prices, sometimes over list.
• Concession refusals
  Sellers refuse to pay buyer's closing costs, and they often reject offers asking for seller-paid inspections.
• Contingent offers are rare
  Buyers find it easier to sell their homes and realize sellers will not agree to a contingent offer with 10 buyers in the wings.
• Buyers rarely request repairs
  Buyers still obtain home inspections but forego a request for repairs, accepting the property "as is."
• Sellers control the transaction
  It's common for sellers to negotiate shorter inspection periods and to demand buyers waive certain contingencies such as appraisal or loan contingencies.