Steve Matsumoto ~ first time home buyers Oceanside, CA

Rancho Carrillo Homes - Palmilla

Buyers shopping for attached Rancho Carrillo homes will love the twin homes found within Palmilla. Palmilla feels like a suburban neighborhood, yet it is a short trip to the ocean. (about 5 miles by car) Palmilla is conveniently located near Legoland, Carlsbad Premium Outlets, Bressi Ranch Village Center, and Restaurant Row in San Marcos. Like all Rancho Carrillo homes, Palmilla is also right down the road from Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park.

Along with the Rancho Carrillo "villages" of Serrano and Valenica, you'll find Palmilla at the Southeast corner of the intersection of Palomar Airport Road and Melrose Drive. Palmilla actually sits between Palomar Airport Road and Rancho Bravado; a good number of Palmilla homes back to either one of these roads. Palomar Airport Road is a busy 4 lane road that bisects the City of Carlsbad; Rancho Bravado is an artery servicing the more northern Rancho Carrillo homes.

Palmilla is made up of approximately 115 twin homes built in 1999 and 2000. All of the homes in Palmilla are two story twin homes with an attached two car garages. There are three basic floor plans:

•3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, 1411 square feet

•3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, 1685 square feet

•4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, 2056 square feet

Sometimes the 4th bedroom in the largest floor plan is left open as an upstairs loft. The upstairs loft in these Rancho Carrillo homes can be utilized as an office, play space, exercise area, or media room. A nice sales feature is that all Palmilla homes have their own backyard space. Backyards range in size and a few rival the backyard of detached home. While other backyards are modest in size, anyone with kids, pets, or a gardening habit know that a "little plot of land" can be quite useful.

Because of the relatively low number of homes in the complex, typically there are not a lot of Palmilla homes for sale at any given time. Since 2007, about seven homes are sold annually within Palmilla.

Within the complex there is a playground suitable for small children. Children living in Palmilla attend Carrillo Elementary School, San Elijo Middle School, and San Marcos High School as part of the San Marcos Unified School District.

Over the past 12 months, Rancho Carrillo homes in Palmilla have been selling on average for $432,100 and at $257 per square foot. If you would like to view the current available Palmilla housing inventory or see other Rancho Carrillo homes, call Steve today at (760) 828-8151.

Rancho Carrillo Homes - Palmilla

Rancho Carrillo Homes - Valencia

Rancho Carrillo homes include the lovely townhouse complex of Valencia. Located about 5 miles from the ocean, Valencia is centrally located in Carlsbad. In addition to being a short drive to the beach, Valencia is close to Legoland, Carlsbad Premium Outlets, Bressi Ranch Village Center, and Restaurant Row in San Marcos. Like all Rancho Carrillo homes, Valencia is a neighbor of Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park. Along with the Rancho Carrillo "villages" of Serrano and Palmilla, Valencia sits at the head of Rancho Carrillo, near the intersection of Palomar Airport Road and Melrose Drive.

Valencia includes 169 townhouses built between 2000 - 2002. Floor plans range from a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1123 square foot model to a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, 1445 model. Each townhouse includes an attached two car garage. Some of these Rancho Carrillo homes feature a floor plan fairly equally divided between upstairs and downstairs. Other homes house the majority of the home on the second floor, with the exception of the the garage.

Valencia is comprised of angular U and L - shaped buildings neatly arranged around Citracado Circle. Garages are accessed from the interior of the building while adjacent patios ring the outside perimeter of each building. The front door of each townhouse can be found off the patio which is primary outdoor space of each of these Rancho Carrillo homes.

Within the complex there is a pool/spa area with a barbecue grill and picnic tables. Along Citracado Circle, there is a small play area suitable for the juice box set. Children living in Valencia attend Carrillo Elementary School, San Elijo Middle School, and San Marcos High School as part of the San Marcos Unified School District.

Over the past 12 months, Rancho Carrillo homes in Valencia have been selling on average for $289,723 and at $228 per square foot. If you would like to view the current available Valencia housing inventory, call Steve today at (760) 828-8151.

Rancho Carrillo Homes - Valencia

RBV turns 25!

Rancho Buena Vista High School in Vista, CA will celebrate its 25th birthday this week. The event will be marked with an open house on October 27th from 4 - 8 pm. The birthday celebration will feature food, games, and fund-raising by school groups. Items from a time capsule assembled in 1987 will be display. The following day, Rancho Buena Vista will host El Camino for the school's homecoming football game. The impressive football stadium was completed in 2003.

Rancho Buena Vista High School, more commonly referred to as "RBV" or "Rancho" is one of the public high schools in the Vista Unified School District. The map of Vista Unified School District strattles both Vista and neighboring Oceanside and RBV is home to both students from southern Oceanside and Vista. RBV homes can be found in the surrounding areas of Shadowridge, Sunset Hills, and portion of Old Vista.

Halloween in North County San Diego @ Legoland Brick or Treat

Halloween in North County San Diego means that Legoland is once again transformed into its "not so scary" Halloween version of itself. Legoland, the lego based theme park, is geared for children aged 3 - 9, but fun for all ages. Every Saturday in October, Legoland rolls out its annual Halloween celebration, Brick-Or-Treat. During Brick-Or-Treat, a full day admission is discounted and a special nighttime (5pm - close) admission is also offered. While some rides are closed during the Brick-Or-Treat Party Nights, there are a number of new Halloween attractions to take in. With the kids costumed up, we headed to Legoland this past Saturday.

As did everyone else in North County San Diego! Halloween was packed at Legoland. That was my overwhelming impression of Brick-Or-Treat; it was crowded. Since we live a short drive from Legoland, we take advantage of the annual memberships. In addition to getting to getting better value, it allows us to visit the park for short stints here and there without feeling obligated to stay all day. The discounted admission combined with the special event created Disneyland type crowds. As a result, we chose not to wait in any of the lengthier lines to go on any rides. "Patience" is a concept our four-year-old is just beginning to grasp. We'll come back when the park is emptier to ride Coastersaurus.

And while we had to fight the crowds, a festive party atmosphere could not be denied. Pumpkins and lego style ghosts dotted the park. Orange, green, and purple lights light up the trees and landscaping. Patrons smiled as they checked out each other's costumes. Stilt walkers interacted with children and posed for pictures. Music pumped from stages in various corners in the park. We spent a good amount of time at one such stage watching witches sing top-40 songs from the past three decades.

The main attraction is the Brick-Or-Treat trail that is open every Saturday and Sunday in October. Treat seekers walk along a wooded path stopping at small houses or stations for candy, snacks, and other goodies. The trail was a great trick-or-treating warm up for my children and Mom made sure we worked on our manners--saying "thank you" at each house. What's nice about the trail is that the stations are close together and complete trail is easy to walk for even the newest walker. The proximity of the treats allows kids to get to a number of "houses' in a relatively short period of time.

Another big draw is the costume contest with categories for most creative, most Lego-themed, and best Star Wars. I believe the top prizes included annual memberships which is a great value for hot gluing duplos to a leotard. At 9pm, fireworks lit up the sky signaling the end of the party.

This was our first venture to Brick-Or-Treat and our kids had a fantastic time. Next year, we'll plan on going both earlier in the day as well as earlier in the month. The Brick-Or-Trail is fun and great for young trick-or-treaters, but we heard by mid evening the wait to get on the trail was about an hour. (We had gone earlier.) I like my kids to have Laffy Taffy just as much as the next guy, but kids and adults can only queue up for so long. My wife and I also wondered if going the first Saturday in October might miss some of the crowds. I'll let you know next year. All in all, it was a nice family night out and good warm-up for the real thing next Monday.

Halloween in North County San Diego @ Bates Nut Farm

For many families, Halloween in North County San Diego is not complete without a trip to Bates Nut Farm. While the store sells nuts and candy all year, Bates Nut Farm takes on new life every fall. Beginning in late September, the pumpkin patch is open daily. With the arrival of the pumpkins comes a carnival like atmosphere. In addition to the opportunity to find your future jack-o-lanterns, there are tractor hayrides, a straw maze, pony rides a petting corral, an much more.

Located in Valley Center, Bates Nut Farm is about 45 minutes from Carlsbad or Oceanside. While anyone can find a pumpkin at their local mega-mart, that pumpkin won't come with the experience of spending a day in the country. A visit to Bates Nut Farm is a departure from our drive-through culture and a journey into nostalgia. Take your time; I promise you they'll still have plenty of pumpkins when you get there.

Going to Bates Nut Farm combines your favorite elements of Halloween with the charm of a country fair. The increased traffic in October brings a variety of exhibitors and vendors--everything from inflatable ghosts to hand made wooden toys. And the food! I could probably make kettle corn in my own kitchen, but there's something about eating outside accompanied by all the colors of fall. If you're going with small children, there will probably be some necessary investments in the available entertainment. We go on the obligatory pony ride; we feed the animals. No Matsumoto outing is complete without some time in an inflatable bouncy house. For older kids, there's rock climbing and the straw maze. There's a charge for these activities, but as family outings go, Bates Nut Farm is fairly reasonable. According to their website, $9.00 gets you a one pumpkin, one hayride, and a trip through the straw maze.

For lunch, there's hamburgers and hot dogs. There's also a BBQ beef sandwich that's very good. As you sit down to dine at the picnic tables or the grass, you'll be entertained by live music with a high probability of fiddle. Lunch is also a good time to stroll through some of the arts and craft exhibitors that usually set up camp in front of the store.

And then, of course, there's the store itself. It'll be packed in October, but well worth fighting the crowds. Inside the store, you'll find row upon row of delicious treats and gifts. Bates Nut Farm sells raw and roasted nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried fruits, candies, chocolates, candy corn, and fudge.

At some point before the day is over, you should probably pick a pumpkin. The pumpkin fields are large and expansive with pumpkins as far as the eye can see. Surrounded by cornstalks and guarded by a legion of scarecrows, you'll find a numerous arrays of pumpkins sorted by size. The setting is perfect of a number of photo opportunities: families on bales of of hay, small children intermixed between a bunch of pumpkins, and everyone's favorite--infant next to ridiculously big pumpkin. In addition to pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, there's also a number of decorative squashes and gourds for sale. Anything you need to complete your Thanksgiving cornucopia.

A trip to Bates Nut Farm is wonderful way to spend a October afternoon. You'll be sure to return from Valley Center with pumpkins, a full belly, and warm memories.