I had a buyer offer $360,000 4 months ago for 1706 Calle Platico in Oceanside's Rancho Del Oro neighborhood. We were beat out one month later by an offer at $378,000. Today the bank lists the home as an REO at an asking price of $325,000. Will multiple offers drive the price up to the price they could have gotten during the short sale. Probably not.

So the bank loses more money, and the seller had to have a foreclosure instead of a short sale on their credit. Seems like a lose-lose decision which is unfortunately all too common with banks not looking at the "big picture".

SHORT SALES are in every community, including the exclusive San Diego coastal community of Rancho Santa Fe. A "short sale" can happen when a property has little or no equity, that is, the seller owes at closing time more than the property is worth. In these situations, lenders are sometimes willing to accept less than the full amount due, commonly referred to a "short pay" or "short sale." If you are in the market for a good deal, you might want to look at these listings, while they are still available.

Cielo - 5 bdrms/5 baths, 6,729 sq. ft.

• Original List Price: $2,700,000
• Current List Price: $2,000,000
• Current Mortgage: $multiple loans with Countrywide

Circo Diegueno - 4 bdrms/4 baths, 4,968 sq. ft. on 2.61 acres

• Original List Price: $3,200,876
• Current List Price: $2,699,000
• Owner Purchased for: $1,925,000 in 12/2003

Rancho Santa Fe Covenant - 5+ bdrms/5 ½ baths, 6,421 sq. ft. on 3.14 acres

• Original List Price: $4,995,000
• Current List Price: $3,950,000
• Owner Purchased for: $1,550,000 in 8/1997

Cielo - 6+ bdrms/6 baths, 9,820 sq. ft. on 3.01 acres

• Original List Price: $2,799,000
• Current List Price: $2,799,000
• Current Mortgage: $2,769,000 with Washington Mutual

Fairbanks Ranch - 8+ bdrms/9 ½ baths, 14,121 sq. ft. on 1.87 acres

• Original List Price: $7,500,000
• Current List Price: $7,500,000
• Owner Purchased for: $6,450,000 in 8/2006

The Bridges - 5 bdrms/5 ½ baths, 5,671 sq. ft. on .65 acres

• Original List Price: $3,272,500
• Current List Price: $2,674,000
• Owner Purchased for: $2,910,000 in 8/2005

Whispering Palms/Morgans Run - 2 bdrms/2 ½ baths, 1,740 ft.

• Original List Price: $725,000
• Current List Price: $760,000 (per bank's approval)
• Mortgages: $902,000 & $98,000 Countrywide 4/2007

Alcala in Morgan's Run - 3+ bdrms/2 ½ baths, 2,479 sq. ft.

• Original List Price: $750,000
• Current List Price: $750,000
• Mortgages: $800,000 & $99,000 Bank United & Wash Mutual in 4/2006

Information is provided by Sandicor and believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed and subject to change without notice.

If you are interested in viewing short sale listings in other communities, please contact Susan at (858) 245-9905 or visit our website at www.RSFHome.com.

SHORT SALES are in every community, including the jewel of Southern California... La Jolla. A "short sale" can happen when a property has little or no equity, that is, the seller owes at closing time more than the property is worth. In these situations, lenders are sometimes willing to accept less than the full amount due, commonly referred to a "short pay" or "short sale." If you are in the market for a good deal, you might want to look at these listings, while they are still available.

La Jolla Racquet Club - 2 bdrms/2 baths, 1,240 sq. ft.

• Original List Price: $387,900
• Current List Price: $319,900
• Current Mortgage: $361,200 with Washington Mutual 6/2007

Southpointe - 3 bdrms/2 ½ baths, 1,500 sq. ft.

• Original List Price: $525,000
• Current List Price: $525,000
• Owner Purchased for: $538,500 in 6/2004

La Jolla Village Tennis Club - 2+ bdrms/3 baths, 1,708 sq. ft.

• Original List Price: $519,900
• Current List Price: $489,900
• Owner Purchased for: $410,000 in 5/2003

Beach-Barber Tract - 4 bdrms/3 baths, 2,124 sq. ft.

• Original List Price: $1,394,876
• Current List Price: $1,195,000
• Owner Purchased for: $1,350,000 in 6/2005

Villa Tuscana - 1 bdrm/1bath, 506 sq. ft.

• Original List Price: $229,000
• Current List Price: $229,000
• Current Mortgage: $239,920 with Countrywide 3/2005

Information is provided by Sandicor and believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed and subject to change without notice.

If you are interested in receiving the current short sale listings in any community of San Diego, contact Susan at (858) 245-9905 or visit our website at www.LJ-Homes.com.

Scripps Ranch Marketplace is a local community center located off Scripps Poway Parkway in the Scripps Ranch Area. It's convenient location from Route 15 makes it a popular place to grocery shop, bank or dine. There are 44 places of business (two vacant as of 7/13/08) within the Marketplace complex.

Directions: From Route 15, exit at Mercy Rd/Scripps Poway Pkwy and head east for approximately .5 miles and turn right into the Marketplace parking lot.

Store Listing

Grocery & Drug Stores

Vons [10675 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 693-0638]

CVS Pharmacy [10575 Scripps Poway Parkway, (858) 547-3939]

 

Beauty & Health Services

Desire Tan [10585 Scripps Poway Parkway, (858) 689-8266]

GNC [10755 Scripps Poway Pkwy #B, (858) 689-2286]

Haircut Store [10755 Scripps Poway Pkwy #A, (858) 530-1534]

Happy Nails [10755 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 695-6802]

Scripps Poway Dental Care [10549 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 831-0707]

MOD Squad Dental [10755 Scripps Poway Pkwy #K, (858) 547-0070]

Scripps Parkway Veterinary Hospital [10755 Scripps Poway Pkwy #L, (858) 695-9996]

Scripps Poway Eye Care [10549 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 530-2800]

Ultra Lux Nails Hair & Day Spa [10549 Scripps Poway Pkwy #D, (858) 536-3165]

 

Services

Fast Frame [10625 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 577-0062]

Colony Cleaners [10585 Scripps Poway Pkwy #B, (858) 547-4385]

Sweet Posies Florist [10549 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 566-9797]

Replica Printing Services [10549 Scripps Poway Parkway, (858) 549-5380]

The Wireless Solutions Store (AT&T) [10605 Scripps Poway Pkwy #C, (858) 695-9161]

State Farm Insurance [10605 Scripps Poway Parkway, (858) 621-6681]

Scripps Mobil On The Run [10555 Scripps Poway Parkway, (858) 566-9801]

Tae Kwon Do/Karate for Kids [10755 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 536-7775

The UPS Store [10755 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 586-1126]

 

Banking

Bank of America [10531 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 693-5564]

California Bank & Trust [10605 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 621-7275]

North Island Credit Union [10549 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (800) 848-5654]

Washington Mutual [10541 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 537-3823]

 

Specialty Stores

Blockbuster Video [10393 Spring Canyon Rd, (858) 586-1688]

 

Fast Food/Dining

Sammy's Woodfired Pizza [10785 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 456-8018]

Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill [10785 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 578-1981]

Pick Up Stix [10755 Scripps Poway Pkwy #I, (858) 547-0024]

Bruegger's Bagel Bakery [10625 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 577-0300]

Starbucks Coffee [10625 Scripps Poway Pkwy #A, (858) 547-3968]

Baskin Robbins [10585 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 547-4231]

Quiznos [10585 Scripps Poway Pkwy #D, (858) 271-1335]

El Pollo Loco [10715 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 530-0879]

McDonald's [10655 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 653-4645]

Taco Bell [10565 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 689-9780]

Santorini Greek Island Grill [10545 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 693-8300]

Cena To Go [10545 Scripps Poway Pkway, (858) 566-3287]

Submarina [10545 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 566-7827]

SanSai Japanese Grill [10545 Scripps Poway Parkway, (858) 536-1020]

Jack in the Box [10537 Scripps Poway Pkwy, (858) 549-9163]

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While on the topic of media, I realized I never posted a link to 1-800-GOT-JUNK? on Dr. Phil's TV Show. So here it is. The show is on "extreme hoarding" and deals with people that have trouble letting anything go. I've found that it is actually pretty common to come across this sort of disorder providing junk removal, hauling and trashout in Carlsbad and Encinitas.

My favorite anecdote in this area is actually from another media appearance. Several years ago our frachise and the Orange County franchise did this sort of cleanup for the Sharon Osbourne show. When they were filming, the lady who we were helping was very good about seeming excited about finally being liberated from her junk. After the segment was finished though, she literally climbed into the truck and was throwing stuff back out of the truck so we wouldn't take it away.

CNBC's Donny Deutsch had 1-800-GOT-JUNK?s founder and CEO Brian Scudamore on his program last night. You can see video of the segment here.

Brian was on the program previously talking about our business in general. This time, Donny had him back to talk about what it takes to be the "Best Boss." 1-800-GOT-JUNK? has a very people centric culture and that was what Brian talked about. He talked about how it is much easier to be a good boss if you have good employees who make your job easy. Similarly, I've found that it is really worth the extra time to make the right hire. Even though it takes more time upfront, once we have a great driver or navigator it makes my job so much easier (and the guys like me a lot more if I don't have to be on them all the time!). To me, the key to providing great junk removal, hauling and trashout service to Carlsbad and Encinitas is making sure the people I hire to do it have the desire and capability to provide great customer service.

1-800-GOT-JUNK?s Founder and CEO Brian Scudamore was a guest on CNBC's Donny Deutsch show last night. Video of the interview is here and you can also find a summary article Brian wrote for Donny's blog here.

Brian was on the same show earlier in the year and was invited back for a recent feature on being the "best boss" possible. As you'll see in the feature, at 1-800-GOT-JUNK? a lot of that focus on managing people is hiring the right people in the first place. For example, when we provide hauling, junk removal and trashout for San Diego, I find it much easier to manage employees if I made the right hire in the first place. It's easy to manage people who want to do to a good job and have the capability to do so. It sounds obvious, but I've found it to be the key to providing great service in San Diego.

Looking for a good deal in Carmel Valley? Recently my clients have asked me about buying investment properties in Carmel Valley. They understand that Carmel Valley is a highly desirable place to live, that the rental market is strong, and they are concerned that with the recent bank failures, maybe their money should be invested in something solid & safer... like real estate. With this in mind, I picked out the best deals I could find and below is a list of those properties that, in my opinion, they should seriously consider. If you are interested in buying a short sale in Carmel Valley, give me a call at (858) 245-9905 and I will send you the latest listings.

PROPERTIES * CURRENT LIST PRICE PAID PRICE SALE YEAR

Del Mar Villas - 1 bdrm/1 bath $240,000 $360,000 2004

Camino Villas - 2 bdrm/2 bath $289,900 $430,000 2005

Camino Villas - 2 bdrm/2 bath $299,900 $387,000 2006

Del Mar Villas - 2 bdrm/2 bath $295,000 $420,000 2004

Del Mar Villas - 2 bdrm/2 bath $290,000 $421,000 2004

Del Mar Villas - 2 bdrm/2 bath $316,000 $418,000 2004

Pell Place - 1 bdrm/1 bath $299,000 $392,700 - Assessed Value

Pell Place - 1 bdrm/1 bath $320,000 $443,441 - Assessed Value

Pell Place - 1 bdrm/1 bath $299,777 $383,000 2006

The Lakes - 1 bdrm/1 bath $329,000 $408,000 2005

The Lakes - 1 bdrm/1 bath $330,000 $410,000 2004

Camino Villas - 2 bdrm/2 bath $350,000 $440,000 2005

Pell Place - 2 bdrm/2 bath $390,000 $480,000 2006

Pell Place - 2 bdrm/2 bath $430,000 $556,500 2006

Cambria - 3 bdrm/2 1/2 bath $457,900 $610,000 2005

* To view information about these developments, visit our website at www.CV-Home.com.

PLEASE NOTE: Information is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed and is subject to change without notice. Information is provided by Sandicor as of today, July 22, 2008.

Carlsbad had a reputation as a retirement community, and as such there are a number of retirement communities, and a range of services to meet the needs of the seniors population.

The Carlsbad Seniors Center on the outskirts of Carlsbad Village provides a wide range of services to meet the needs of area seniors.

Read: The Carlsbad Seniors Center: The Center of Activity in Carlsbad Village

There are some other area seniors’ services companies to know about even though they aren’t in Carlsbad proper.

RELIANT SENIOR CARE is a highly respected and growing home-care services company founded by President Sherry Courtney-Lawrence (they recently moved to the current location in Oceanside), who I know personally. The company provides a broad range of in-home caregiver services (all caregivers are employees, carefully selected to provide the best possible service) up to 24-hours per day, 7 days per week. Perhaps someone needs respite care after a hospital stay, or while not ready for assisted living needs additional support to remain in the home. For more information you can reach them at (760) 759-0850

Perhaps this quote from their website says it best:

“At Reliant Senior Care we don't forget the personal touches that are so important: a steady hand, a bright smile, and the willingness to go to extra lengths to reassure you and your loved one that you are getting the highest quality of care. These are Reliant Senior Care's hallmarks for elder care service.”

CALIFORNIA MOBILITY, a business actually located in neighboring San Marcos, provides in-home or in-facility elevators, wheelchair and chair lifts, and related enhancements to assist those with mobility needs either in their home or in business facilities.

Owner Johanna Burhans, who I know personally, is a gem, and will go out of her way to help you find the right solution for your home or business…and will oversee the installation of whatever product you purchase for your home or business. This family operation has a fine reputation in the area and has been servicing the mobility needs of greater San Diego area, including Carlsbad, for years.

Contact Johanna at (760) 471-4545 for more information about how California Mobility can address your particular mobility needs.

It is summer time for where the surf meets the turf. It is time for the Del Mar horse races! The Del Mar horse races are great for everybody, even the whole family! Every Saturday and Sunday are family weekends from 1pm to 6pm. There are special activities for the kids and they get in free! One can even sit in the small restaurant overlooking the pallock and watch the magnificent horses. All the betting machines on every corner make it really fast and easy to bet too!

I love the Del Mar fairgrounds, they have a fun event after a fun event. They really know how to make north county San Diego a blast!

I went to the Opening Day of the horse races last Wednesday and it was fantastic! Opening day just has a different feel, a classy feel, even though it is a pack in feel. Many young people come to opening day and dress up in pretty dresses and beautiful huge hats, I entered my hat into the fresh flower contest too! Two members of the A-Team attended the event and had a great time even with some losses. You can bet the whole A-Team will be there again soon winning big!

I hope to see you at the Del Mar horse races winning big too!

By Ally Heers

www.heerstheateam.com