Love the Hair

June 27, 2011 By

Recently a local surf artist,  Elise Nicole K, was looking at homes on my blog.   I followed up…..she gave me permission to share the following photos with you. I think you will agree that Elise Nicole K. captures the true “Carlsbad Living Lifestyles.   Her website is OceanGirlArt.com. 

If you are interested in capturing some of the local living lifestyles for yourself, contact Gary Harmon, Real Living Lifestyles, to see property in San Diego North County.

More about the artist:   Self taught artist Elise Nicole K. now calls the lush isles of Hawai’i home. As soon as she could leave the nest, she headed straight for the Pacific isles.  

Elise Nicole will be traveling between Hawai’i, California, Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico over the spring and early summer of 2011.. All Shows and Events will be listed both on her official blog and website.

 

Filed Under: Living Lifestyles Tagged With: , , , ,

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.

Filed Under: Carlsbad Homes Tagged With: , , , ,

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”]

Filed Under: Carlsbad Homes Tagged With: , , , ,

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.

Filed Under: Carlsbad Homes Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Writing a Real Estate Purchase Offer

June 10, 2011 By

Make Your Offer a Win – Win

Once you have looked at Carlsbad homes for sale and found the Carlsbad home of your dreams, writing the offer becomes very important.  You don’t want to pay too much, but you want to be successful in buying that Carlsbad real estate.  It is time to set contact Gary Harmon, your Real Living Lifestyles real estate agent and write the purchase offer.

Most things are negotiable in the offer, but in San DiegoNorth County there is a standard to follow on most items.  A good rule of thumb, using an old clicke, is to make any offer a win-win for everyone.  Your Realtor will know how to advise you.

Keep Your Offer Simple

Keep the purchase offer on the Carlsbad home for sale as simple as possible.  For example, don’t ask for closing cost back unless you need the cash.  Carlsbad sellers will only be looking at the net price.  Don’t ask for repairs up front.  You can handle those later in the request for repairs.  Structure you offer to keep things simple and clear for everyone to understand.  If there are any items of personal property you are requesting that don’t normally come with the home, do them separately after you have an acceptance on the home.  Don’t forget the big picture which is to buy your Carlsbad home, not to get a good deal on a refrigerator, etc.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Focus only on what is important.  The first important thing is the sales price.  Your Carlsbad Realtor, Gary Harmon, can provide you with comps of other Carlsbad homes to help you pick the right offer price.  In this current Carlsbad real estate market, homes are selling at or above listing price.  Many times you won’t get a counter offer, so put your best foot forward.  The deposit, usually at least one percent of the purchase price, is the next important item.  How long  an escrow will you need?   It takes at least 30-45 days to get all the loan details worked out.  Other items to consider are who pays escrow, title, and other closing cost.  Ask your Realtor, Gary Harmon, what is customary in the Carlsbad area.

Filed Under: Buyers Tagged With: , , , , , ,

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.

Filed Under: Carlsbad Homes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Pricing Your Carlsbad Home to Sell

June 6, 2011 By

Listing  Carlsbad homes for sale at the right price is crucial to their eventual sale.  Follow the tips below to maximize the chances of selling your Carlsbad propery.

If you want to sell quickly, your asking price should be very near the correct fair market value.

If your Carlsbad home is listed at a price that is above market value, you will miss out on prospective San Diego North County buyers who would otherwise be prime candidates to purchase your Carlsbad home. If you list at a price that is below fair market value, you will ultimately sell for a price that is not the optimum value for your North County home.

By pricing your Carlsbad property at market value, you expose it to a much greater percentage of prospective San Diego buyers. This increases your chances for a sale while ensuring a final sale price that properly reflects the market value of your North County home.  Generally, the price should not exceed the value by more than 5% or potential buyers may not even make offers.

For example, if you price your Carlsbad home at fair market value you will get 60% of Carlsbad buyers looking at your home.  If you price your Carlsbad home 15% below fair market value, you would get a potential of 90% of potential Carlsbad buyers look at your property.

Here are a few things to keep in mind about pricing:

  • Realistic pricing your Carlsbad home will achieve maximum price in a reasonable time.
  • Your cost or profit desire is irrelevant; the San Diego North County real estate market determines the price.
  • The cost of improvements are almost always more than the added value.
  • Carlsbad houses that remain on the market for a long time do not get shown.
  • A Carlsbad house that is priced right from the beginning achieves the highest proceeds.

To price your Carlsbad home correctly you need professional real estate help.  Contact Gary Harmon, your Carlsbad Real Living Lifestyles Realtor.  Gary will provide you with a comparative market analysis of your home.  You will no longer need to guess.  With proper pricing, your Carlsbad home will sell fast and for the most money.

Filed Under: Carlsbad Homes, Sellers Tagged With: , , , ,

ADVANTAGES OF BUYING A NEW SAN DIEGO HOME

May 17, 2011 By

In this tough economic atmosphere, the prospects of getting a great deal may lure your San Diego clients toward buying a short sale or REO.  But while up-front costs may seem lower on an REO or short-sale, Carlsbad and Oceanside buyers often end up paying in other ways.  Below the photo are five advantages of buying a new Carlsbad home, Oceanside home, or other San Diego North County home:

Elise Nicole

1. NO REPAIRS. With a short sale or REO, the previous owner may have stopped maintaining their Oceanside or Carlsbad property. That means your client could end up with expensive repair bills. But new Carlsbad home purchases often include builder warranties for workmanship, materials, and structural problems to help protect your client against large out-of-pocket repair expenses.

2. NO SURPRISES. With a new Carlsbad or Oceanside home, what you see is what you get. With an REO or short sale, what you might not see is what you get. New San Diego North County home purchases often come with many disclosures from the seller, though in reality, very little may actually need to be disclosed. For REO transactions, not only is the bank exempt from some of the disclosure requirements for sellers under California law, but the previous homeowner may be long gone.

3. GUARANTEED QUALITY. New San Diego North County homes are usually built with modern conveniences and energy-efficient technology. They may also come with warranties for craftsmanship, appliances and more, to give the buyer peace of mind. Short sale and REO properties may not come with warranties or upgrades and may not be available for inspection prior to purchase, so your client could be in for some expensive surprises after purchase.

4. FRIENDLIER FINANCING San Diego homebuilders often have relationships with lenders that help North County buyers obtain financing for new Carlsbad homes or Oceanside homes with relative ease. For short sales and REOs, the property may have a lower price tag, but some buyers may run into difficulty getting financing.

5. SHORTER PURCHASE PROCESS. North County homebuilders usually have homes available for immediate occupancy or on a move-in schedule that’s convenient for your clients. Negotiating a short sale can take several months — and there’s no guarantee your client’s offer will be approved.  Tips courtesy of CAR.

Your North County Realtor, Gary Harmon, can help find the right San Diego, new home for you.  Contact Gary Harmon, for a personal tour of new San Diego North County homes today.

Filed Under: Carlsbad Homes, Oceanside Homes, San Diego Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Sea Cliff Homes Carlsbad

April 30, 2011 By

Have you every wanted to live in a Carlsbad Ocean View home.  Now you can!  Get real California living and a resort lifestyle in the gated Sea Cliff homes community of Carlsbad, California.  You can lay in the sun at one of the two pools, dip you toes in the blue Pacific Ocean, or take a sunset stroll along one of Carlsbad’s many beautiful beaches.   This extraordinary complex of Sea Cliff homes features walking paths that wind by several lakes, lush grassy lawn open areas, streams, and many fountains.  Inviting benches are placed in strategic locations for enjoying the scenic views.  Bridges cross gurgling streams that lead to swimming pools.  Situated near one of the pools is a large pavilion.  It is perfect for residents partying and entertaining.  The other swimming pool has an adjacent indoor clubhouse which is perfect for resident activities like card games.   Sea Cliff home owners can also rent it for private parties.  There are two tennis courts, a play ground area and picnic areas.

Sea Cliff Homes

There are many mail kiosks throughout the community that have bulletin boards for community announcements and also serve as an informal way to meet up with your friendly neighbors.  Many Sea Cliff homes enjoy panoramic ocean views, canyon views, or views over the greenbelts and lakes.  Some Sea Cilif homes look out over Batiquitos Lagoon and the ocean.
The well maintained Sea Cliff homes within this community are both single level and two story models ranging from about 1180 esf up to 1680 esf.  Some of the homes have been expanded and are even larger.  Each Sea Cliff home Carlsbad has its own private gated court yard entry.  The front yards are all maintained by the Sea Cliff homeowners association  making these easy care homes perfect for second homeowners, seniors, owners  that travel, and those that just don’t want to be bothered with yard work.  This quiet gated community is located only a half mile from the entrance to South Carlsbad State Beach.  Poinsettia Shopping Center is only a mile away.  Whether you are looking for a primary home or second home, Sea Cliff , Carlsbad homes for sale are a great place to live.
For a personal tour of Sea Cliff Carlsbad Ocean View Homes, contact Gary Harmon, your top Carlsbad Realtor.

Enjoy the following video of Sea Cliff homes Carlsbad.

 

Filed Under: Ocean View Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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