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”]



Real Living – Brookfield – Prudential

On December 6, 2011, Brookfield Residential Property Services aquired Prudiential Real Estate and Relocation Services.    Brookfield has a diverse portfolio focasing on global relocation services, real estate franchising, tranaction data and analytics.   The parent company, Brookfield Asset Management, has over $150 billion in assets under management.   Brookfield is focased on the real estate and relocation business.  With the addition of Prudential Relocation,  Brookfield is the number two global relocation services provider with over 85,000 relocations per year across 125 countries.    Brookfield has a network of over 80,000 real estate professionals including agents in our company, Real Living Lifestyles,  and agents in my prior company, Prudential California Realty.   Brookfield is over more than 2800 real estate offices.  Real Living Lifestyles is proud to be a part of the ever growing, dedicated, Brookfield team.

Put the power of Real Living Real Estate and Brookdale to work for you, contact Gary Harmon, your Real Living Lifestyles Relocation Realtor.

For more see my blog: Kissing Cousins – Real Living Lifestyles and Prudential California Realty.  See “Carlsbad Christmas.”

Kissing Cousins – Real Living Lifestyles and Prudential California Realty

“What goes around comes around.”  

Twenty three years ago, I went to work for Prudential Anne Winton Realtors.    Anne Winton dropped the Prudential franchise and I left to work for Merrill Lynch.  A few months later, “Prudential” started selling franchises and Prudential Real Estate took over all the Merrill Lynch franchises.  The local brokerage under Steve Games, Prudential California Realty, took over my Merrill Lynch office in Rancho Bernardo.   Now I worked for Prudential Real Estate again.  After over 22 years at  California Realty, I joined Real Living Lifestyles, a franchise of Brookfield Residential Property Services.  A large percentage of Real Living agents were my friends and came from Prudential California Realty also.

Today came the big news, Brookfield Residential Property Services aquired Prudential Real Estate and Prudential Relocation Services.  See article below photo for more information on Kissing Cousins.

Today Brookfield Residential Property Services (“Brookfield”), a Brookfield Asset Management Inc. affiliate, announced that it has purchased Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services (“PRERS”), a recognized leader in employee relocation and real estate franchising from Prudential Financial, Inc. Prudential Relocation Services operates as Pricoa Relocation in Asia and Europe.  Brookfield also sells all the “Real Living” franchises which already has over 10,000 agents.

The addition of PRERS to Brookfield’s existing residential real estate franchising and employee relocation services businesses establishes Brookfield as the world’s second largest employee relocation services provider and the third largest residential real estate franchising business.

Under a licensing agreement, Prudential Real Estate brokerage affiliates will be able to continue to use the Prudential brand based on the terms of their franchise agreements until the expiration of their franchise agreements. 

“This transaction creates a global employee relocation services and real estate franchising leader,” explained Graham Badun, CEO, Brookfield Residential Property Services. “We have now increased the breadth and depth of our service offering, keeping pace with the evolving needs of our clients around the world.”

A North American & Global Leader

Through its various brands, Brookfield’s residential real estate franchisees are now present in all 50 U.S. states, 10 Canadian provinces, Mexico and Portugal, with a network of approximately 80,000 real estate agents, 2,800 real estate brokerage locations and more than $150 billion in annual residential real estate transactions.

U.S.-based Brookfield Global Relocation Services moves nearly 85,000 families in and out of over 125 countries around the world each year. With the acquisition, more than one-third of Fortune 100 companies are its clients. In addition, Brookfield is now the largest provider of relocation services to government, with long term relationships with the U.S. and Canadian governments.
The acquisition greatly strengthens Brookfield’s existing U.S. business and results in the expansion of its operations in nine countries, with a rapidly growing presence in China, Brazil and India.

“Today, Prudential’s real estate and relocation services businesses join a global company with a track record of over 100 years of success,” said Earl Lee, President of Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services. “We’re excited to become part of a company that is focused on and deeply immersed in the real estate sector and is in the business for the long-term.”

Earl Lee will continue to lead the U.S. real estate business, and Rick Schwartz, President, Brookfield Global Relocation Services, will assume responsibility for the combined global relocation services business.

Brookfield’s parent company, Brookfield Asset Management, is a global asset manager with approximately $150 billion in assets under management. Brookfield is co-listed on the New York and Toronto Stock Exchanges under the symbol BAM and on NYSE Euronext under the symbol BAMA.

That is how Real Living Lifestyles and Prudential California Realty became “kissing cousins.”  To get more real estate information or to see current real estate listings of San Diego North County homes, contact Gary Harmon, your Real Living Lifestyles Realtor.  See “Carlsbad Christmas.”

Gary Harmon Moves to Real Living Lifestyles

After 21 years of  selling  San Diego North County homes, Gary Harmon has moved to Real Living Lifestyles.   WHY?  See below.

I have moved to bring a better experience to my clients.  Somtimes working in a more intimate atmosphere (but not small, since Real Living has over 10,000 agents) allows you to provide clients with a more personal solution to their needs. 

The first step of this journey started in January 2011 when I joined the powerful Hadley Home Team.  The synergy created with this team has been great, resulting in the team being ranked 4th in number of units sold for Prudential California Realty in the first quarter of 2011.  When the team decided to move to the high energy company of Real Living Lifestyles, that seemed to be a perfect fit.

The leadership and the agents in Real Living Lifestyles are not new to me.   Real Living Lifestyles, formerly Windermere Exclusive Properties, is led by partner and president, Steve Rodgers.  Steve was one of my first managers at Prudential California Realty and had a lot of influence on my career.  I was privileged to watch Steve grow from a Prudential manager to president of Prudential California Realty.  Much of Prudential’s growth was the result of his leadership.  I am sure he will do the same for Real Living Lifestyles.  Many of the agents at Real Living Lifestyles are also my good friends and fellow agents I have worked with in the past.

I will be working out of the newly remodeled “Carlsbad Village Faire” office, located in the heart of Carlsbad, only a block from the beach.  The manager of that office is Diane Hogencamp.  I had the pleasure of being her assistant manager at Prudential Escondido and Prudential San Marcos.  Steve Rodgers, Diane Hogencamp, Sandi Hadley, and many others of our team have been together many years.

So, in summary, the move to Real Living Lifestyles is more like “coming home” than moving.

If you would like to work with a great team and company, contact Gary Harmon, Real Living Lifestyles.

Gary can be reached at gary@garyharmon.com or by texting or calling 760-745-1220.

Real Living Lifestyles is part of Real Living Real Estate and Brookfield Residential Property Services.

Pickford Escrow – Gary's Winning Team

An escrow company acts as a neutral third party in the North County real estate transaction.  As such, they are bound by law to notify both buyer and seller if the instructions given to them are not mutually consistant or if they cannot be carried out.  Pickford Escrow holds legal documentation and funds on behalf of the North County buyer and San Diego seller.   The escrow holder works closly with Gary Harmon, your North County Realtor, the buyer, the seller, and the lender to assure the sale’s conditions are complied within the time period call for the the purchase contract.

Pickford Escrow is one of the largest full service escrow companies in the state, with 13 offices in Southern California. Pickford Escrow has a distinguished reputation for experience, stability, and dedicated customer service. I have been proudly recommending Pickford Escrow since its inception.

Since its establishment in 1991, the firm has focused on a single mission: to deliver the highest level of professional service to its clients. As part of a comprehensive, collaborative real estate team (Realtor®, lender, title officer, escrow officer, transaction coordinator), the company acts as a neutral party to facilitate a variety of real estate transactions for a diverse range of clients.

Pickford Escrow is fully licensed by the Department of Corporations which holds it to a higher standard in both experience and trust accounting practices. Pickford Escrow is part of HomeServices of America Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. This powerful alliance reinforces the strength, excellence and integrity of its service to you.

There are many great escrow officers at Pickford, but Gary has found Karyn Dillon to be especially professional and caring.  Karyn, with over 12 years of escrow experience, has become a valuable member of Gary’s winning team.  You too will find Karyn and her staff a customer service driven team of professionals always focused on consistently providing the highest level of quality escrow service.  For more escrow information see the main Pickford Escrow site.

Make Gary Harmon, your North County Realtor, and Pickford Escrow your winning real estate team.   Other members of the Gary Harmon team include Prudential California Realty, California Title, Home Services Lending, and Prudential Relocation.

Americans Confident in Real Estate Market Recovery

New national survey shows belief in real estate as a good investment is unshaken.

Newark, N.J. — The majority of America’s potential homebuyers and sellers — 68 percent — believe that the real estate market and property values will recover in the next year or two, according to a survey released today by Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, Inc., a Prudential Financial, Inc.  [NYSE:PRU] company.

 This exceeds the 47 percent of Americans who expected house prices would rise in a similar survey conducted in April 2010, underscoring a more bullish outlook for the real estate market today. In addition, 86 percent of Americans believe real estate is a good  nvestment despite the market volatility of the past few years. The Prudential Real Estate Outlook Survey of 1,253 Americans between the ages of 25-64 in the market for buying a home was conducted Jan. 20-27, 2011. The survey reveals that six in 10 respondents are more interested in buying real estate (58%) and are optimistic about buying given the momentum of the economic recovery (59%). It also shows that although the price of many Americans’ homes declined during the recession, 89 percent recognize they can also buy a new house at a lower price. “This survey clearly demonstrates that Americans continue to be optimistic about the real estate market and believe that home prices will rise,” said James Mallozzi, chief executive officer of Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, Inc. “A key take away from the survey is although consumers recognize that it is a good time to buy, they are concerned about their ability to sell their homes. This is one of the reasons the market is still struggling to recover.”  For those on the fence about buying, uncertainty about selling an existing home (77 percent), concern about getting a fair price for the home (67 percent) and emotions (58 percent) are holding them back. For those who have sold homes in the past year, despite the down market 78 percent report that they were satisfied with the sale. Of these, 32 percent were very satisfied with the final price of their home and 46 percent were grateful they were able to sell given market conditions. A relatively small number, 22 percent, indicated that they were disappointed or resentful about the price they received for their home.

The survey highlighted Americans’ interest in trading up their homes. Of the 45 percent looking to trade up, 64 percent wanted more space or property, 49 percent a nicer house and 41 percent a better
neighborhood. Only 21 percent surveyed said they were looking to scale down, and 34 percent said that they wanted a similar home. The survey highlighted the importance of getting the right price in today’s market —74 percent of buyers believe that many homes could meet their needs and that price is a significant differentiator, while 26 percent stated that they were willing to pay top of market for a home that specifically suits their needs. In setting the right price, however, sellers were split—with 53 percent wanting to price right at or slightly below market to attract more bids and 47 percent wanting to price slightly higher than market and hoping to find a buyer willing to pay more. The majority of respondents highlighted the importance of real estate agents in the process of buying
or selling their home. Seventy-five percent of those surveyed said that an agent is very important or essential to this process, with only 24 percent saying agents are helpful but not imperative.
“Americans continue to see real estate agents as having a very important role in helping them price, buy and sell their homes,” added Mallozzi. “Although the data underscores the value real estate agents provide, it also shows that the industry needs to continue to work hard to meet clients’ unique needs.” The Prudential Real Estate Outlook Survey was conducted online. The margin of error is +/- 3 percent. A more detailed breakdown of the data is available, as well as supporting charts and visuals, at www.news.prudential.com.  Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, Inc. is Prudential’s integrated real estate brokerage franchise and relocation services business. Prudential Real Estate franchises are independently owned and operated. Companies are selected based upon outstanding performance records, high levels of customer service and shared business values with those of Prudential. Prudential Real Estate is one of the largest real estate brokerage franchise networks in North America, with more than 1,600 franchise offices and 54,100 sales professionals in the franchise Network as of Dec. 31, 2010.  Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader with approximately $784 billion of assets under management as of Dec. 31, 2010, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Leveraging its heritage of life insurance and asset management expertise, Prudential is focused on helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth. In the U.S., the company’s Rock symbol is an icon of strength, stability, expertise and innovation that has stood the test of time. Prudential’s businesses offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, investment management, and real estate services.  Article dated March 10, 2011 and furnished by Prudential Financial, Inc.

Strength in the local San Diego market can be seen in my blog article San Diego Home Prices Going Up?  To get information on San Diego North County homes, contact Gary Harmon, Prudential California Realty.

California Dreamin' – San Diego North County Homes

There is no denying the friendly rivary between Northern and Southern Californians.  Which part of the state is the best place to live?  The debate may never be resolved.  But, when it comes to selling homes, from San Francisco to San Diego, from modest bungalows to massive  San Diego Ocean View homes, it seems North and South have reached a consensus.  Answer below picture.

Prudential California Realty is the real estate company of choice among Californians who believe coming to closure on a real estate transaction means more than just walking away satisfied, but rather, walking away delighted with the experience, and feeling a sense of peace with the results.

Prudential California Realty

Prudentrial California Realty embodies the solid reputation of Prudential.  The Rock symbol on our signs brings all the attributes of this powerful brand to your transaction.  Our company is owned by Berkshire Hathaway which is a Warren Buffett Company.  Prudential Real Estate  was ranked “Highest Overall Satisfaction for Home Sellers Among National Full Service Real Estate Firms” in J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Home Buyer/Seller Study.

Prudential California Realty San Diego

The San Diego Business Journal just ranked Prudential California Realty #1 in San Diego County for the 14th straight year.  See Prudential California Realty # 1.

Once again this year, Prudential California Realty has been honored by the Union Tribune, SignOnSanDiego.com 2010 readers poll  as San Diego’s Best real estate company.

San Diego North County Homes

Why work with the rest, when you can have the best.  Team up with Gary Harmon and  Real Living Lifestyles.   Find out more about San Diego North County real estate,  by contacting Gary Harmon, your top North County Realtor.  Gary services all areas of San Diego North County including   Carlsbad homes, Oceanside homes for sale, Encinitas homes, Vista, San Marcos, and Escondido real estate.   Gary also specializes in San Diego Ocean View homes and  San Diego North County homes for over 55.

Ocean Hills Best Real Estate Agent

Is Gary Harmon the Best Ocean Hills Real Estate Agent?

If you are looking for the best Realtors in Ocean Hills Country Club, then spend a couple of minutes reading about Gary Harmon and the Sandi Hadley Team with Prudential California Realty.  Hiring the right real estate agent who really knows the Ocean Hills Cuntry Club homes is the best thing you can do to make sure that when you buy a home, or sell your home, you’ll have the best result possible.

 

Gary Harmon and the Hadley Home Team

Gary Harmon is a top Realtor with the Hadley Home Team in North County San Diego.  Gary Harmon, Sandi Hadley, and the other team members live and work in many areas of San Diego North County, and we are experienced and committed members of many of the communities we serve.  As you may have read, Prudential California Realty was voted San Diegos Best Real Estate Broker by the San Diego Union readers poll.   With over 5000 agents, we help buyers and sellers with more real estate transactions than all the other real estate companies combined.

Sandi Hadley and her select team of top real estate agents consistently are awarded for their excellence in sales and quality, and once again this year we were #21 out of all the Prudential agents for number of homes sold. That’s not a small feat considering the quality of real estate agents that Prudential California Realty makes available to the Southern California market. It’s even more impressive when you realize that we not only sell more than 99% of all the other agents, but that we do it with style, grace, integrity and professionalism.

Gary is trusted, involved, and experienced.  He’s been selected for top awards within Prudential California Realty.  He’s mentored new agents, training and guiding them to success.  He has been the Sales Mannager (Assistant Manager) for Prudential Escondido and Prudential California San Marcos and is eCertified.  

But none of that necessarily makes Gary Harmon the best Realtor in Ocean Hills, does it?  Of course not.  What makes anyone the best at what they do is that they do it better than most, do it with passion, and do it FOR YOU. That’s a commitment made each and every day to every single person who wants to buy a home, and to every single person who wants to sell their home. It’s a commitment backed by a team of experts who know it’s not about who the best real estate agent in Ocean Hills is, but rather who the best real estate agent in Ocean Hills is for you!

If you’d like to find out if Gary Harmon is really the best real estate agent amoung all the Ocean Hills Country Club Realtors, or just simply the best real estate agent for you, then Contact Gary Harmon, your top Ocean Hills Realtor.

Gary Harmon joins Hadley Home Team

To Provide Clients the Best Service Possible!

To create a strong winning team, Gary joined San Diego’s #1 real estate company and a name you can trust, Prudential California Realty. Gary then teamed up with Pickford Escrow, California Title Company, Home Services Lending, and Prudential Relocation San Diego.  Gary has chosen to concentrate on Encinitas homes for sale, Carlsbad homes, Oceanside homes, Vista, Lake San Marcos, and Escondido real estate.  Whether selling a starter home or marketing a luxury estate, Gary provides the same world class service to his valued San Diego North County clients. Gary has become a true North County real estate expert that you can rely on when buying or selling North County homes.

Now, to offer even better service to his clients, Gary has chosen to join the Hadley Home Team. Gary has worked with Sandi Hadley at Prudential California Realty for over 17 years.

Hadley Home Team

The Sandi Hadley Home Team and Gary Harmon has teamed up to help you buy or sell your next San Diego North County home.  The Hadley Home Team is ranked #14 in volume of homes sold for Prudential California Realty, out of over 1800 agents, and we have been a top producing team for over twelve years.   The Hadley Home Team All-Star agents provide you with top quality service, and with professional advice on buying and selling, financing and protecting your most valuable asset.

The Hadley Home Team is headquartered at the Prudential California Realty office in Carlsbad, CA.  Sandi Hadley’s team consists of the best trained, most experienced, and most knowledgeable agents in San Diego.

Hadley Home Team Mission Statement

We create an environment  that allows our clients to experience superior service while we seek to help them achieve a better quality of life. We pride ourselves on professionalism while still offering that “personal” touch and understand about staying ahead and being on the cutting edge. We assist with enthusiasm and knowledge, from the first time homebuyer, all the way to the seasoned homeowner. Our individual goals are met with vision and hard work, while at the same time we contribute to the goals of the whole.  Gary agrees with this statement and is proud to adopt it as his own.    Experience a team effort– Enjoy the  many advantages of the team approach?   See what Gary has to offer below photo.

Over 21 Years of Experience

For more than twenty one years Gary Harmon has built a phenomenally successful North County real estate business through building relationships.  Gary realizes that people don’t care what you know until they know you care.  This has made Gary Harmon a North County Realtor that people trust. Whether selling a starter home or marketing a luxury estate, Gary provides the same world class service to his valued North County clients. Gary has become a true San Diego real estate expert that you can rely on when buying or selling North County homes.

A Good Communicator

Gary understands that people in todays world require immediate and responsive communication.   Give him a test and calling or TEXTing 760-745-1220.  You will get an immediate response.  As a and San Diego Prudential Relocation specialist, Gary has been trained and certified in Marketing Assistance and Destination Services.  He uses his knowledge of North County real estate to provide valuable Prudential Relocation services for all San Diego County.  In addition, if you are buying or selling real estate somewhere else in the world, Gary can refer you to a top, experienced, Prudential Relocation,  real estate professional.

Awards, Honors, and Membership

Gary Harmon has continually distinguished himself with Prudential California Realty awards and honors throughout his 21 successful years of selling North county homes. Dedicated to professionalism in the industry, Gary is a member of the San Diego Association of REALTORS, the California Association of REALTORS, and the National Association of REALTORS.

Background in Leadership

Gary´s widely diverse background in leadership, business and finance serves his clients well. Prior to his career in real estate, Gary was president and was in charge of real estate for Wet Seal Stores, a major junior clothing retailer. “Gary´s training and experience in real estate negotiations with major shopping center developers comes in very handy helping him realize the best possible price for his north county residential real estate clients.” says Diane Hogencamp, branch manager at Prudential California Realty Carlsbad. While working at Prudential, Gary has served as Sale Manager at both the Escondido and San Marcos offices.

Other Background Information

Gary was a Certified Public Account at Ernst & Young´s San Diego office. He received his Master´s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma in 1971. Gary also served as Lieutenant in the United States Navy from 1968-1971.

For a great real estate experience, contact Gary Harmon and the Hadley Home Team, for your next San Diego real estate experience.

A Personal Insight

When Gary Harmon is not working he loves to spend time with his 5 grandchildren who also live in San Diego North County.  Gary also likes to travel to tropical places and take underwater photos of tropical fish.   When at work, Gary enjoys tropical saltwater fish in his large office aquarium.  Gary Harmon likes to share his underwater experiences and photos and writes articles on Shore Diving and Saltwater Aquarium for the Internet.  Some of them are as follows:

  • Most Excellent Shore Diving Reviews
  • Underwater Photos off Grand Cayman
  • Saltwater Aquarium Reef Fish Photo – Saddleback Butterfly
  • Saltwater Aquarium Reef Fish Photo – Bluechin Triggerfish
  • Saltwater Aquarium Reef Fish Photo – Moorish Idol
  • Gary Harmon’s Yellowtail Coris Wrasse
  • Gary Harmon’s Naso Tang Saltwater Aquarium Reef Fish Photo – Painted Parrotfish
  • About.com Saltwater Aquariums – Arc Eyed Hawkfish
  • Summary of Gary’s Aquarium Fish Photos
  • Luxury Properties

    San Diego Luxury Properties

    To bring San Diego luxury properties to the attention of international buyers, Prudential California Realty maintains relationships with a collection of the finest luxury real estate brokers in the world.   As a member of “Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate,” we are affiliated with brokers in more than 60 countries worldwide. Your Prudential California Realty luxury property will be advertised on the network’s international luxury property website, www.luxuryrealestate.com.

    LuxuryRealEstate.com 

    • LuxuryRealEstate.com
    • The world’s largest database of for-sale luxury properties from around the world
    • “Best of the Web” and “Forbes Favorite” by Forbes magazine for several years
    • Ranked #1 luxury real estate site by The Luxury Institute LLC
    • Webby Award Honoree
    • Over 63,000 active listings
    • 69 countries with active listings
    • Average residential listing price: $2.135 million

    For more information about Luxury Properties and the Prudential California Realty Global Connections, contact Gary Harmon, your top San Diego North County Realtor.

    Many North County San Diego Ocean View homes fall into the Luxury Properties class.