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Jeff Dowler ~ Carlsbad Real Estate ~ 760-840-1360

What More Needs to be Said? The Ocean on Video

There's not much that I like better than spending time at the beach. While it's only a short distance from my house, it seems I just don't get there often enough.

I was out on a long bike ride recently with my camera and stopped along the beach where the Aqua Hedionda Lagoon joins the ocean in Carlsbad California. The jetties there provide some interesting photo ops, but a video seemed even better, since the tide was coming in and the waves were a decent size. So, for those of who who cannot get to the ocean very often, or who just enjoy the sound of waves crashing against the rocks, enjoy! And while you're watching these waves, I'm watching the waves in Cancun. :)

Carlsbad Real Estate - Awesome Ocean View New Beach Home in Carlsbad California

Every now and then I like to share what I think is a great opportunity. It may be a terrific condo, a fixer with tremendous potential, or in this case in the Carlsbad real estate market an awesome ocean view new beach home directly across the coast road (Carlsbad Boulevard) from the beach and ocean in Carlsbad California by Carlsbad State Beach (north end).

Ocean view new construction home in Carlsbad California

This newly built home that is nearing completion is priced just under $4 million, which for 3 floors (1 below grade) with 6200 SF of living and entertaining space, a 1700 SF roof deck, a 1300 SF garage, 5 bedrooms, 5 full baths and 2 half baths, and some pretty incredible views, makes for a pretty sweet deal.

Ocean view new construction home in Carlsbad California

No it is not direct ocean front, but the land in front across the street belongs to the state and cannot be built on. You simply walk across the street and down the stairs to the sand. Perhaps 2 - 3 minutes if you have to wait at the light for traffic.

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If I can provide more information about Carlsbad real estate and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

Search for Homes Community Information First Time Home Buyers Relocation Services and more How to get in touch with me

All content copyright © 2009 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits

Dia de Los Muertos - Day of the Dead Celebration at Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside California November 1, 2009

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is an interesting topic, no doubt, and rather a famous holiday for many, especially in Mexico where it is an ancient tradition (and I will get to celebrate and check out the festivities in person - yikes) to celebrate the lives of deceased loved ones - altars, music, favorite foods of the deceased, visits to the cemeter with flowers, and celebration are the hallmarks of this long tradition.

Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside California

Dia de los Muertos is celebrated on November 1 and 2 and beyond, depending on where the festivities take place. November 1 is the Catholic holiday of All Saint's Day; November 2 is All Soul's Day.

Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside California Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside California

There is a huge Dia de los Muertos celebration at the Mission San Luis Rey tomorrow, Sunday November 1, from 10 - 4. There will be numerous altars created, a parade, lots of music and food, dancers, and a chalk cemetery where folks (of Mexican heritage, or not) can participate and remember a loved one.

For more information, visit the San Luis Rey website.

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If I can provide more information about Oceanside real estate and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

Search for Homes Community Information First Time Home Buyers Relocation Services and more How to get in touch with me

All content copyright © 2009 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits

Carlsbad Real Estate - Homes at The Bay Collection near the Beach in Carlsbad California (October 2009 update)

Carlsbad real estate homes at The Bay CollectionThe Carlsbad real estate market has shifted quite a bit in the last several years, and buyers interested in homes at The Bay Collection near the beach in Carlsbad will find some favorable opportunities compared to when the community was first built, including an occasional short sale and REO..

READ MORE:

The Bay Collection - Carlsbad California (article appeared May 2007)

The homes at The Bay Collection are next to the popular, upscale area of Aviara and within about 1 mile of the beach. A number of homes here have ocean views, as the community is built on the gradual hill overlooking the ocean and close to the 5 freeway which provides easy commuting north and south. Most homes are 2-story and. a few single story homes also available.

Carlsbad real estate homes at The Bay Collection

Carlsbad real estate homes at The Bay CollectionCurrently there are 8 homes at The Bay Collection for sale, ranging in size from 2964 SF up to 3352 SF, with 4 to 6 bedrooms and 4 or 5 baths. Home prices start at $875,000 for a wonderful ocean view home)(former model) with a large back yard and casita that is now a short sale (this home was priced at around a million when it came on the market early last year) and go up to $1.649 million (average price of the current listings is $1,216,624 at $332/SF; average time on market is 95 days). The price range of homes now is quite a bit less than we saw back in 2007 at the time when many homes were brand new.

13 homes at The Bay Collection have sold in 2009 to date at an average price of $1,099,011 ($314/SF), which compares favorably to the $1.055 million average back in 2007 (resales, not builder homes). These homes were on the market for 104 days on average and ranged in price from $880K up to $1.75 million.

Buyers seeking higher end properties that are relatively new in the Carlsbad real estate market will find the homes at The Bay Collection offer an enticing opportunity to be near the beach. For more information or to arrange a personal tour, feel free to give me a call.

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Follow Jeff Dowler on Twitter Subscribe in a reader

If I can provide more information about Carlsbad real estate and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

Search for Homes Community Information First Time Home Buyers Relocation Services and more How to get in touch with me

All content copyright © 2009 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits

I Don't Mean to Question Your Lifestyle...But I Must!!

I'm sorry, but I don't mean to question your lifestyle, but I must.

The outdoor lifestyle of Carlsbad and Southern CaliforniaReally, I have to in order to be helpful. It's not that I disapprove of your lifestyle and how you want to live your life - you certainly have the right to live the way you want - but since you are moving here to the Carlsbad area (or elsewhere in North San Diego County on or near the coast where I work) it's important that I know certain things about how you live.

Hopefully you will understand my nosiness and be comfortable sharing the way you like to live, and perhaps more importantly the lifestyle you desire once you relocate here to Southern California.

In case you are concerned about where this may be leading, don't be.

Southern California offers a different lifestyle for many because of the great weather we have, and much of what folks in SoCal really like about being here is the fact that they can enjoy the outdoors most if not all the year - sports, recreation, dining and much more. So that's a big piece of what folks are looking for when they move here. And perhaps many of you are not even aware how different your lifestyle might be after leaving the upper Midwest or New England, for example.

The outdoor lifestyle of Carlsbad and Southern California

READ MORE:

Carlsbad Homes - Outdoor Living, Dining and Cooking

Carlsbad - Outdoor Living at Its Best in Southern California

Picnics on Moonlight Beach in Encinitas near CarlsbadI work with a lot of folks who are relocating a significant distance, and in many cases from areas where the weather and other components of how they live are rather different than in SoCal. So finding out not only how you live but what you are seeking when you move here is essential so I can guide you in the right direction. Here are a few examples.

  • Some neighborhoods will not work for you if you want to be within walking distance to the beach, or directly on the beach
  • If you want to live along a golf course, that eliminates many neighborhoods and narrows the search to certain areas and price ranges
  • Do you want to be able to walk to the beach and amenities or is a car drive OK
  • Pools and spas are more prevalent here (it's a weather thing!) so if that's important your search criteria should include that, or perhaps a willingness to install a pool or spa.

Hang gliding at Torrey Pines in La Jolla CaliforniaI created a questionnaire to target buyer's home search criteria they are seeking and ask buyers to complete this, or at least to look at it to help sort through what's really important. You can download this questionnaire on the Savvy Buyers page of my real estate website.

My new questionnaire focuses on Buyer's Lifestyles, since I have found many buyers have fairly specific expectations of what they are seeking in their move to Southern California and they vary quite a bit from person to person.

These expectations can impact the type of home, location, neighborhood, access to amenities and many other factors that we need to sort through to find the right property.

Even if you don't complete the questionnaire, it will help you sort through the issues that matter to you most, and we can talk further about your desired lifestyle as part of the home searching process.

Download the Buyer's Lifestyle Questionnaire (1st draft 10/09) on my Savvy Buyer's page of my real estate website.

Is putting your tootsies in the sand regularly important?

Here's to YOUR new lifestyle in Carlsbad or elsewhere here in coastal North San Diego County.

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Follow Jeff Dowler on Twitter Subscribe in a reader

If I can provide more information about Carlsbad real estate and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

Search for Homes Community Information First Time Home Buyers Relocation Services and more How to get in touch with me

All content copyright © 2009 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits