Carlsbad Christmas

Last year brought about alot of changes in my life, especially in the area of selling San Diego North County real estate.
Prudential California Realty closed its office in La Costa and most of us moved to the Prudential office in Carlsbad. I also made the move to join one of the top ranked real estate teams, the Hadley Home Team.  Turned out to be a great decision because work just became more fun. See my Christmas in Carlsbad photo below.

In June, the Hadley Home Team, joined the Fastest Growing Real Estate Brand,  Real Living Lifestyles real estate franchise. The people were not new, Stever Rodgers and many of the agents had come out of Prudential. Our new office was in the Carlsbad Village Faire shopping center, and only a block from the beach. What a cool center and great location to work. Our manager is Diane Hogencamp whom most of you probably know.

In December to all our surprise,  The Real Living  parent company, Brookfield Residential Property Services, purchased Prudential Real Estate and Prudential Relocation.  Brookfield now controls over 80,000 realtors.   That is why Real Living Lifestyles and Prudential California are now “Kissing Cousins.” 

If you would like more home info on San Diego North County homes or would like to see some homes in person, contact Gary Harmon.

See newer listings of Carlsbad homes for sale below:

[idx-listings city=”Carlsbad” propertytypes=”335″ orderby=”DateAdded” orderdir=”DESC” count=”10″ showlargerphotos=”true”]



Rancho Carrillo Homes

Rancho Carrillo homes are part of the Carlsbad real estate area located inland from the coast about five miles on the south side of Palomar Airport Road. Snuggled in the valley and hills of South East Carlsbad, these homes are in historic Leo Carrillo Ranch (Rancho De Los Kiotes, on the National Register of Historic Places).  This Carlsbad homes community of Rancho Carrillo homes consists of 18 Rancho Carrillo Villages which are home to 1548 residences. Rancho Carrillo homes boasts beautiful nature trails, a swim center, clubhouse, excellent schools, and great neighbors.  
 
The Rancho Carrillo homes community features a swim center reserved exclusively for residents and their escorted guests.  The Swim Center features a 57 foot swimming pool, spa, picnic areas with barbecues, outdoor showers, restrooms and a beautifully furnished clubhouse with kitchen facilities.
 
Another great ammenity enjoyed by Rancho Carrillo home owners is the many miles of walking trails.  The City of Carlsbad maintains the 4.3 mile network of trails accessible from  Rancho Carrillo   The trails connect to the San Marcos homes trails to the East and to the Bressi Ranch trails to the West of the canyon. 
 
The Rancho Carrillo real estate area has some of the best schools in San Diego North County with their elementary, middle school, and high school all earning A+ ratings with Homefacts.com. All of Rancho Carrillo community schools are within the San Marcos School District, one of the fastest improving districts in San Diego County.
 
Rancho Carrillo homes are the epitome of the San Diego North County homes Real Living Lifestyle. Once you experience the spectacular views, open spaces, walking trails and the cool Pacific breezes, you’ll know instantly that this is where you want your home. See current real estate listings of  Rancho Carrillo homes and nearby Bressi Rancho homes below.

[idx-listings tract=”Rancho Carillo” propertytypes=”335″ orderby=”Price” orderdir=”ASC” count=”25″ showlargerphotos=”true”]

[idx-listings tract=”Bressi Ranch” propertytypes=”343″ orderby=”Price” orderdir=”ASC” count=”25″ showlargerphotos=”true”]

Prepare Your Carlsbad Home for Winter

Considering selling your Carlsbad property this fall?  Now’s a good time to complete some fall maintenance to make sure your Carlsbad home is in tip-top shape. Even if you aren’t planning to sell your Carlsbad home, you should still add these chores to your list to help preserve your home’s value and help avoid major repairs later on.

Check the outside of your Carlsbad Property

Look for any damage caused by summers’ weather. Check for those sagging or loose gutters. Over time, leaves, dirt and debris may have accumulated in your gutters. Check your gutters for clogging and damage and schedule an appointment for cleaning. Check the condition of your stucco, clean or patch if necessary. Check the eaves and patio cover for dry rot. Promptly schedule repairs for those home maintenance  items you can’t do yourself.

Walk around your yard as if you were a first-time visitor. What impression does your Carlsbad real estate make? Loosen the soil around perennials, plant annuals or a vegetable garden. Prune shrubs and trees. Fertilize you lawn and remove weeds from the flowerbeds

How long has it been since your really look at your irrigation system.   Test your automatic sprinkler system. Reset your timer. Replace old washers or sprinkler heads.

Don’t forget the backyard! Is it time to condition your deck? Be sure to hammer in any loose nails, or replace them with galvanized deck screws. Replace any broken boards or rails. Consider renting a power washer to clean dirt and mildew from the wood, and then apply an all-weather sealer or stain. This will get your North County property ready for winter. 

Repair any broken fence boards and paint or seal them as needed. Wash windows and screens.

Take a Tour Inside Your Carlsbad Home

Start making a list of things to do in each room. Then go to work. Dust walls and ceilings to remove cobwebs and wash any grimy areas. Wash window curtains or remove drapes for dry cleaning. Deep clean rugs and carpets. Dust and polish wood or laminate floors. Make sure tile grout is clean.

Clean fan blades using mild soapy water. Check the central air-conditioning unit for debris and obstructions; vacuum the main condenser coil on top of the unit.

Make sure all exhaust fans and vents are clean and clear. Don’t forget to remove the lint buildup from the clothes dryer vent. Take strainers off the ends of all the lavatory faucets and clean them.

One often-overlooked area is the fireplace. Be sure to sweep ashes carefully into a dustpan. Have the flue professionally cleaned every few years. Look around for clutter. Are there items you don’t use any longer? If you are planning on moving, what items will you not need? Consider having a garage sale and then either donate or trash the remaining items.

And lastly, don’t forget to replace batteries in smoke detectors and change air filters. A good time to change them is when you change your clock for standard times.

Although performing these fall chores may be dreaded task, they go a long way in maintaining and even enhancing the attractiveness and quality Carlsbad your home. With more buyers out and about, you must be sure your Carlsbad property is ready for its next new owner!

If you are considering placing your Carlsbad home for sale, call Gary Harmon, you top Carlsbad Realtor.

[idx-listings city=”Carlsbad” propertytypes=”335″ orderby=”Price” orderdir=”DESC” count=”25″ showlargerphotos=”true”]

Fix Up Your Carlsbad Home This Summer

Considering selling your Carlsbad property this summer? Now’s a good time to complete some summer maintenance to make sure your home is in tip-top shape. Even if you aren’t planning to sell your Carlsbad home, you should still add these chores to your list to help preserve your home’s value and help avoid major repairs later on.

Check the outside of your Carlsbad Property

Look for any damage caused by spring and winter’s weather. Check for those sagging or loose gutters. Over the fall and winter, leaves, dirt and debris may have accumulated in your gutters. Check your gutters for clogging and damage and schedule an appointment for cleaning. Check the condition of your stucco, clean or patch if necessary. Check the eaves and patio cover for dry rot. Promptly schedule repairs for those items you can’t do yourself.

Walk around your yard as if you were a first-time visitor. What impression does your Carlsbad real estate make? Loosen the soil around perennials, plant annuals or a vegetable garden. Prune shrubs and trees. Fertilize you lawn and remove weeds from the flowerbeds.

Don’t forget the backyard! Is it time to condition your deck? Be sure to hammer in any loose nails, or replace them with galvanized deck screws. Replace any broken boards or rails. Consider renting a power washer to clean dirt and mildew from the wood, and then apply an all-weather sealer or stain. Repair any broken fence boards and paint or seal them as needed.

Wash windows and screens.

Check your sprinklers on a regular basis.  Replace heads that are starting to stop up.  Adjust spay of heads as necessary.  Reset your timer. As it gets hotter, more time is needed to keep your lawn for burning.  

Take a Tour Inside Your Carlsbad Home

Start making a list of things to do in each room. Then go to work. Dust walls and ceilings to remove cobwebs and wash any grimy areas. Wash window curtains or remove drapes for dry cleaning. Deep clean rugs and carpets. Dust and polish wood or laminate floors. Make sure tile grout is clean.

One often-overlooked area is the fireplace. Be sure to sweep ashes carefully into a dustpan. Have the flue professionally cleaned every few years. Look around for clutter. Are there items you don’t use any longer? If you are planning on moving, what items will you not need? Consider having a garage sale and then either donate or trash the remaining items.

Make sure all exhaust fans and vents are clean and clear. Don’t forget to remove the lint buildup from the clothes dryer vent. Take strainers off the ends of all the lavatory faucets and clean them.

Clean fan blades using mild soapy water. Check the central air-conditioning unit for debris and obstructions; vacuum the main condenser coil on top of the unit. 

And lastly, don’t forget to replace batteries in smoke detectors and change air filters. A good time to change them is when you change your clock for daylight savings.

Although performing these summer chores may be dreaded task, they go a long way in maintaining and even enhancing the attractiveness and quality Carlsbad your home. With more buyers out and about, you must be sure your Carlsbad property is ready for its next new owner!

If you are considering placing your Carlsbad home for sale, contact Gary Harmon, you top Carlsbad Realtor.

[idx-listings city=”Carlsbad” minprice=”400000″ propertytypes=”335″ orderby=”DateAdded” orderdir=”DESC” showlargerphotos=”true”]

 

Gary's Pledge During Escrow

Escondido KitchenYou have found your San Diego North County home,  made and offer, and the offer has been accepted. You are now starting into a process that everyone calls “escrow.”    The following is my “pledge to the you, my Carlsbad Home buyer.  During escrow I will:

  • Make sure your escrow has been properly opened on you Carlsbad property.

Check that the escrow office has received your good faith deposit on your Carlsbad home.

Help you schedule a physical inspection on the Carlsbad real estate you are purchasing.

Help you review the Carlsbad home physical inspection and help you make up a repair request list.

If requested in the contract, make sure the pest control inspection is done on the Carlsbad house.

Review all documents with you and make sure that they have the proper signatures and initials.

Make sure the Carlsbad home seller provides you all disclosures necessary in a timely manner.

Review all disclosures with you before you sign.

Visit with your Carlsbad home mortgage lender to insure the loan is progressing.

Make sure you remove all contingencies in the timeframes of the contract.

Help solve any problems that may arrise during the escrow period on the Carlsbad houseby providing you with options as necessary.

Conduct a final walkthrough with you within the last five days of the escrow period to make sure all items requested, if any, under the physical inspection have been completed.

Make arrangements to get you the key upon closing.

Answer any questions or provide any other information that you may need.

Haven’t found the home you like, contact Gary Harmon for  “Your Best Move.”    Like to look at great San Diego homes,  see Current Real Estate Listings of San Diego Homes for Sale.

Remodel Your Bathroom to Get Top Dollar

Bathroom Vanity

Bathroom Vanity

Improve your chance of selling with a bathroom remodel.

The Bathrooms in Carlsbad homes for sale are one of the most important rooms to have looking good. The following should help:

  • It must be kept odor free. Carlsbad real estate that has a smell is Carlsbad real estate that doesn’t sell.
  • Check out leaking faucets or corroded faucets. Don’t try to repair since replacements aren’t expensive.
  • Check the toilet stool. Cleanliness is next to Godliness in this room. Also make sure it is securely fastened to the floor.
  • If the toilet stool seat is chipping or worn, replace it.
  • Make sure towel racks and toilet paper dispensers of your Carlsbad home are secured to the wall.
  • If there is clutter on the vanities, put it away or in baskets.
  • Clean all the soap scum from the shower glass and floor of your Carlsbad home.
  • Caulk around sinks, tubs, and showers in your Carlsbad house.
  • Make sure the mirror is clean. If it is old and peeling, replace it.
  • Add pretty towels to all the towel racks.
  • Remove any unnecessary rugs in your Carlsbad property.

The bathroom of your Carlsbad home is one of the areas you can improve to make a big impact on the potential Carlsbad home buyer. You can find other great bathroom tips in a previous post, Preparing Your Escondido Home for Sale. For more information, contact Gary Harmon, Real Living Lifestyles, Hadley Home Team, Carlsbad Realtor.

MAXIMIZE the Chance of Selling Carlsbad Homes

According to the National Association of Realtors over 87% of all Carlsbad home buyers start their search on the Internet. Most of these searches start with a “Google Search.” If you are thinking about selling your Carlsbad home, you’ll want to maximize your Internet exposure. To do this you must list your home with an Carlsbad Realtor whose website is on the first page of “Google.com.”

You can easily test to see what websites show up strongest for terms related to “Carlsbad Homes for Sale.”  Go to www.google.com.  Type a related search term in the “Google search box.” Click “Search.” Search terms important to Carlsbad real estate would be as follows: “Carlsbad homes for sale, Carlsbad realtor, and Carlsbad homes.” This blog, www.GaryHarmon.com and Gary’s main website, www.HomeInfoSanDiego.com offers maximum exposure for your Carlsbad home by being found in more Carlsbad homes for sale searches than other Realtor’s websites. Check it out for yourself. Need help, contact Gary Harmon, your top Carlsbad Realtor

[idx-listings city=”Cardiff By The Sea” orderby=”DateAdded” orderdir=”DESC” count=”25″ showlargerphotos=”true”]

Hadley Home Team – Real Living Lifestyles

Gary Harmon joins Hadley Home Team and Real Living Lifestyles

At Real Living LifeStyles Real Estate, the Hadley Home Team is an experienced team made up of 10 professional San Diego North County Realtors who have the unrelenting desire to deliver premium services with market and technological innovation. Gary Harmon, with over 21 years of San Diego North County real estate experience, is the newest addition to the team.

The Hadley Home Team keeps abreast of Carlsbad real estate news and regulations, market knowledge, and the latest technological advances to deliver the best results to their clients.  Whether the Hadley Home Team is your trusted listing agent or your negotiating buyer’s agent, San Diego clients are guaranteed the same commitment to superior service that would be expected of such professionals.

At the Hadley Home Team, we are not just selling homes, we are selling  Real Living LifeStyles that have earned Carlsbad the distinction of being one of the most sought after communities in Southern California time and time again. Whether you are looking for your first Carlsbad home,  vacation home, or a Carlsbad ocean view home, we will vest our clients with all the San Diego home information necessary to  make all real estate decisions. From initial consultation to close of escrow we are there every step of the way.

Today’s clients have an evolving mindset and we pride ourselves in delivering beyond expectations. By understanding current market conditions and anticipating trends, we successfully guide our clients to their real estate goals. We aspire to learn your Carlsbad real estate wants and needs, and share our market knowledge to help you in your goals.

We keep informed of all real estate news and Carlsbad market conditions, see Carlsbad homes for a continuous Altos Research market updates.  We pair that understanding with cutting-edge technology, proven marketing techniques, and the Carlsbad Spirit to deliver beyond your expectations.

To receive updated information on Carlsbad real estate news, community events and developments, or to see great Carlsbad homes for sale, contact Gary Harmon, your new Hadley Home Team Realtor.   Please feel free to surf my main website, HomeInfoSanDiego.com, to search for San Diego homes and learn more about REAL LIVING LIFESTYLES in Carlsbad, California.

 

 



 

Preparing for Diasters

Here in San Diego North County

Don’t want to be negative but, it seems that we have had a lot of diasters over the last couple of years.  Even though we think it may not happen to us here in San Diego North county, we need to be prepared.   Wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and fires in our Carlsbad homes require similar preparation.  Many of the things you can do to prepare for a one disaster will also apply to other areas of disaster preparation.  So protect your Carlsbad home, other Carlsbad property, and protect yourself.

■Have a disaster plan in place for yourself and your home.  Be ready to evacuate your Carlsbad home should you be told to do so.  I remember in the 2007 fires, when the pressure was on, I was a little confused on exactly what I wanted to take with me.  Make an evacuation list of things to take and keep it in a safe place.  Don’t forget your pets.  Practice evacuating a few times a year.

■Make sure you can communicate in case of a disaster.  Your electricity in your Carlsbad home will probably be the first thing  to go so have a back up plan.   Your cordless telephone needs power to work, so don’t rely on it.  You will need to have one or more cell phones.  Don’t waste your cell phone battery, it also needs electricity to recharge.  You might consider having a charger that will work off your car.   During the 2007 firestorm, over 80,000 SDG&E customers lost electrical power.

■Also, to receive incoming communications and to just know what is happening, you should have a battery powered radio.  Make sure it always has good batteries.   It is best  to pack the batteries separate from the radio in a plastic bag to help keep them fresh.

■Register you and your family with AlertSanDiego.  This is San Diego county’s emergency notification system.   Register all the cell phones in your Carlsbad home by going to www.ReadySanDiego.org.    Just click on the cell phone logo.  It is free to register anywhere in San Diego North County.  In case of an emergency, you will receive a reverse 911 call to let you know Carlsbad real estate area evacuation information and fire updates, even if you are away from your Carlsbad property.

■Take a look at the outside of your Carlsbad real estate.  Do you see anything you can do to reduce the chance of a fire reaching your  home?   Remove any fire hazards near your Carlsbad home.  Give your Carlsbad house a chance by creating a 100 foot defensible area around the home.  Remove piles of firewood and clean the dead leaves out of the gutter.   Keep the trees trimmed and  make  sure sure none tough your Carlsbad property.

■Make sure you have adequate insurance on your Carlsbad real estate.  Don’t be wishing you could increase it at the last moment.

■Keep an emergency supply of food and water in your Carlsbad home.  You should have enough to last at least three days.  A minimum of a gallon of water for each person for each day should work.  You can get an idea of what to have in your emergency supply by contacting www.ReadySanDiego.org.
There are many more things that could be include in this disaster plan, but my goal is to just get you started on preparing your plan today.  If you need more information contact Gary Harmon, your top Carlsbad Realtor.

Carlsbad Homes Market Statistics

Current Listings of Carlsbad Homes for Sale:  East Carlsbad   South Carlsbad   West Carlsbad

 

The median Carlsbad Homes (zip 92008) value in June 2011 is $563,100. The median value for San Diego North County homes for the same period is $388,700. We love our weather here in San Diego and we pay dearly for it. The National median home value is only $175,100. Carlsbad home appreciation has decreased by -2.5% with San Diego County homes being about the same. Nationally, homes have gone down in the same period by -3.2%. See the chart below for a ten year average of median Carlsbad homes values and how they stack up against the City, County and the Nation. There is also a chart of Carlsbad homes appreciation for the same ten year period.

If you would like to see Carlsbad homes for sale and take advantage of this great San Diego North County real estate market, contact Gary Harmon, your Real Living Lifestyles Real Estate agent.