Prepare Your Carlsbad Home for Winter

August 30, 2011 By

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”]

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Fix Up Your Carlsbad Home This Summer

July 23, 2011 By

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”]

 

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History – Carlsbad Real Estate

July 12, 2011 By

This is the second in my series about Carlsbad real estate history.  If you missed it, the first was Twin Inns – Ocean House.  Behind Carlsbad Village Faire to the east is the original Carlsbad train station.  I see it everyday as I walk around the Faire.  Walked over last week and took the photo below.  The original station is now a Carlsbad information center.  This original Carlsbad station still exist in its original location at State and Elm Streets.  It is one of the train stations that remains trackside in close proximity to the newer station Carlsbad Village Station.

The end of line is downtown San Diego and the historic Sante Fe Train Depot. The depot was originally built in 1887 and replaced in 1915 in the Spanish Revival style of architecture. Like many buildings in San Diego, it was rebuilt to prepare for the Panama Pacific Exposition. It, too, was in a precarious situation in 1971 when the depot was faced with the ugly prospect of demolition. Preservationists, citizens and anyone with a one-track mind to save the old depot, delivered the message that any idea of destroying the building was an idea careening down the wrong track. Attempts to destroy this San Diego treasure were thwarted and the building rolled right into the National Historic Register in 1972. Touchdown for those who worked hard to save it. Sante Fe is at Kettner and Broadway in downtown San Diego.

If you want to engineer a fun day trip, hop on Amtrak or even the Coaster train and ride the rails up to Carlsbad or Oceanside from the historic Santa Fe Depot in downtown San Diego. You won’t be able to see Encinitas from the train, but you’ll see Santa Fe, Del Mar, and Carlsbad stations.

Trains and train stations conjure up all sorts of nostalgic and romantic images. Train stations have been places to both welcome home loved ones or to say goodbye. Train stations dot the landscape of towns and cities that we often never venture out to explore, but somehow, passing through them, we get a sense that we’ve been somewhere. Trains take us to more than train stations. Visit one of the train stations and consider taking a train ride. We can’t afford to lose the magic of train travel. All aboard!

To get Carlsbad real estate information, contact Gary Harmon, your Carlsbad Realtor.

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Carlsbad Real Estate History

July 12, 2011 By

Ocean House – Twin Inns

My Real Living Lifestyles real estate office is located in Carlsbad Village Faire at the corner of Carlsbad Village Drive and Carlsbad Boulebard, suite 223.    Looking out of my desk window, I look directly at the Ocean House.  Since it is such an intresting building, I decided to do a little research on its history and the following is what I found.  See article under photo. 


This beautiful building at the corner of what was Elm and old 101 is the anchor of all Carlsbad landmarks.  This beautiful old Victorian mansion that I gaze at out of my office window towards is now the home to offices and the Ocean House resturant.  It has a celebrated past and for decades was the hub of the entire Carlsbad real estate area activity. 

In 1883 John A. Frazier chose to settle in the Carlsbad home area, named it Frazier’s Station.  The German immigrant was not interested in being the city’s founding father, but rather saw the Carlsbad real estate area as an investment opportunity.  He dug a well for his water supply. Analysis of the deep (over 400 feet) well water showed it to be nearly identical to the water from the famous Sprudel Well Number 9, Karlsbad, Bohemia (now Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic).  To celebrate this fact, the name of the area was changed from Frazier’s Station to Carlsbad, California.

Promotion of the Carlsbad real estate area was begun by the California Southern Railway (Santa Fe), and by the Carlsbad Land and Water Company. A large hotel was erected near the well, and railway waiting rooms across the country featured posters of the new Carlsbad Spa and its miraculous waters.

In 1887, the president of the Carlsbad Land company, Gerhard Schutte, erected a large Carlsbad home nearby, and his business partner, D. D. Wadsworth, built a mirror image of the president’s house on the same block 200 feet to the north. The two Carlsbad homes, visible for miles across the coastal plain, became landmarks in the Carlsbad real estate area.  The Wadsworth house was torn down in 1950.  The 1890’s saw droughts and recession and many of the Carlsbad Land and Mineral Water Co. principals moved south to San Diego.

About the turn of the century the land boom was over. The original Carlsbad Hotel, a giant five-story wooden structure with a rooftop gazebo located further inland, had burned to the ground. Within a few years the Carlsbad Land and Water Company was reorganized. 

The Carlsbad homes were leased for commercial purposes, and were now renting rooms and serving meals.  They later became owned and operated by Mesdames Whiting and Reedy, who established many traditions such as the Blue Willow China, buffet and Sunday brunch family-style service, and the name “Twin Inns.” The Carlsbad area was still being promoted, but now by the South Coast Land Company as the Avocado Capitol of the World!

In 1918 Baron Long closed his famous Ship Cafe on the canal in Venice, California. His specialty chef, Eddie Kentner, drove south seeking a likely place to relocate. Attracted to the Twin Inns, he acquired the business on November 5, 1919.  He and his wife, Neva, took over the matching houses.  Travel between Los Angeles and San Diego North County by automobile was arduous in the 1920s.  The Twin Inns soon became a favorite stopping place for travelers, enhanced, perhaps, by Mr. Kentner’s willingness to prepare meals at all hours of the night for “victims” of the automobile technology of the ’20s. Prohibition drove many fun-seekers south, attracted to Baron Long’s newest venture, which he built south of the border, the Caliente Race Track and Gambling Spa in Tijuana.

The increased traffic made it necessary to enlarge the Twin Inns. The Rotunda Salon was added in 1922. In 1936 the lobby and front rooms were remodeled to provide more space. By 1950 the combination of increased business and local street widening projects had made parking a major problem. The old Wadsworth House was razed to provide parking in what is now the north lot. In February 1961, Art and D.D. Morgan, son-in-law Eddie Kentner, Sr., took over the management of the family restaurant. They were succeeded in November 1969, by Bonnie and Eddie Kentner, Jr. In April 1984 the Kentner family sold the historic Twin Inns building and all its land. The new owners changed the name from the Twin Inns to Neimans upon completion of an extensive restoration in 1985, which included a stage and live entertainment.

The new and present owner acquired Neimans in 2004. Another extensive renovation was completed in November with a decor uplift to Southern California tropical and beach influenced. The elegant old Victorian mansion is now called Ocean House, and is ready to offer a second hundred years of fine dining and service to San Diego’s North County.  There have always been rumors that the Twin Inns (Ocean House) was a haunted mansion with aits trap-door tower and secret room.  I think I will keep my window locked.

To see Carlsbad homes or other San Diego North County real estate, contact Gary Harmon, your Real Living Lifestyles Realtor.

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Gary's Pledge During Escrow

July 8, 2011 By

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.

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Remodel Your Bathroom to Get Top Dollar

June 24, 2011 By
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.

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MAXIMIZE the Chance of Selling Carlsbad Homes

June 20, 2011 By

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”]

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Hadley Home Team – Real Living Lifestyles

June 15, 2011 By

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.

 

 



 

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Preparing for Diasters

June 14, 2011 By

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.

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Carlsbad Homes Market Statistics

June 8, 2011 By

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.

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