Home Sales for February 2012

This blog and my main website ,www.HomeInfoSanDiego.com, focus on the communities of  Carlsbad homes, Encinitas homes, Escondido homes, San Marcos and Vista homes.  Below is the median price of San Diego homes from 2012 and 2011 with the last column showing increases or decreases (marked by “-“). 

 

You can also see  current Carlsbad statistics, Encinitas statistics, Escondido statistics, San Marcos statistics, and Vista statistics.

To purchase any great San Diego North County home, contact Gary Harmon.

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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”]



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”]

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.

Writing a Real Estate Purchase Offer

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.

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.

Sea Cliff Homes Carlsbad

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.

 

Now is the Time to Buy a Carlsbad North County Home

The Carlsbad and San Diego North County housing downturn will reverse itself one day, will you have missed out? While economists and consumers may be uncertain when the bottom will come, there are growing signs that it’s already here or extremely close. The best time to buy a Carlsbad home is now — and here’s why.


It’s hard to tell if the Carlsbad or San Diego North County housing market has reached bottom until prices and sales volume start to rise again. So the best time to buy is when market conditions are indicating the approach of a bottom. To take advantage of near-record low mortgage interest rates and home prices as low as they were a decade ago, home buyers may have to take some risks, such as riding out another short-term dip in property values.
But the rewards may be well worth it. A number of factors point to a small window of opportunity to buy “at the bottom” before the market turns more favorable. Here are the six greatest reasons to buy a home right now:

  1. The economy is growing
  2. More jobs are available
  3. Houses are a hedge against inflation
  4. Mortgage interest rates are near record lows
  5. Pent-up demand is ready to release
  6. Buy-versus-rent ratios favor home ownership

I just met a lender named Mike West with Sierra Pacific.  I am very impressed with his knowledge and follow through.  He put together a great video to share with you.  It is called “The Why and How of Purchasing a New Home.”  Please take the time to watch it, it may save you an incrediable amount of money.

In becoming one of the top real estate lenders in the nation,  Sierra Pacific Mortgage also became one of the most widely respected mortgage banking companies in the country.  Having weathered economic storms and withstood the test of time, SPM has earned the respect and admiration of their peers while continuing to thrive as an industry leader and maintain their solid reputation of integrity, stability and character.  Since 1986 they have been a progressive leader in both wholesale and retail lending offering cutting edge technology, market leading pricing and reliable service. When you examine them, two things are clear. They are here to stay and are here to serve their customers. Contact Mike West, 760-208-1739 for more information.

Advice for Carlsbad and San Diego North County buyers: A housing recovery doesn’t proceed in a straight line. The question is, how deep are the dips? San Diego buyers could wait for even better conditions, but the current alignment of falling mortgage interest rates, lower home prices, and wider selection is unlikely to happen again. Prices may go lower, but mortgage interest rates may go higher. If this isn’t the bottom, it’s very close. Act now.

Need help ? Contact Gary Harmon, and find your San Diego North County home now. See Current Listings of ALL San Diego homes.