Carlsbad, CA

Buyers in the Carlsbad real estate market who are looking for condos in the $200,000 range will find a number of choices at a large condo complex called Tanglewood, just east of El Camino Real in northeast Carlsbad. With prices that have dropped in the last couple of years, this complex now offers buyers a number of more affordable options.

Carlsbad has a terrific reputation as a residential, retirement and vacation community, with gorgeous beaches, lots of shopping, a host of restaurants from very casual to high end, and several well known tourist attractions (e.g., Legoland, The Flower Fields). The Tanglewood complex is located about 2 ½ miles from Carlsbad Village, the main commercial center, and the beaches.

READ MORE:  Carlsbad Village by the Sea

The condos at Tanglewood are 2, 3 and 4 bedroom with living space n the 900 to 1700 SF range. Many are townhomes but there are single story units, too. The complex, built in the late 1970s and early 1980s, has two pools, a playground, spa, tennis courts and RV parking.

There is a Homeowner's Association with an office on site. HOA fees vary but appear to be in the $190 - $230/month range (but buyers should verify). Resident children attend the Carlsbad Unified Schools.

Get the scoop and all sorts of information on the HOA at their website - Tiburon Carlsbad Tanglewood.

Currently there are 5 Carlsbad condos for sale at Tanglewood ranging in price from $202,000 (for the smallest 2 bedroom unit) to one value range priced from $290,000 to $330,876. All of these are distress sales - 2 are REOs and the others are short sales. Ten homes have sold in the last 6 months in the $180,000 to $349,900 price range.

READ:

San Diego Real Estate 2008 Year End Market Report 

San Diego Real Estate in North County San Diego Coastal Communities

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If I can provide more information about Carlsbad 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.

All content copyright © 2008 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits

San Diego Real Estate Blog

Should I Buy a Home in 2009 ?

I get asked this question every year without fail. I would have to say that my answer is always the same. You should buy a home when you're ready to buy a home. The answer will be different for everybody when asked that question. It's personal and depends on the factors of the individual or family. If the question is, "Is This a Good Time to Buy a Home in San Diego?" then I would have to say it depends.

The San Diego County real estate market is different in different areas of the county and in different price ranges as well as for homes and condos. In many areas of San Diego County including the Chula Vista area the 3 bedroom homes priced under $400,000 seem to be in high demand and when they are foreclosures and priced right they get gobbled up quickly. Since we are foreclosure REO agents in San Diego our Bank Owned Homes that we list in the $400,000 and under range sell fast.

In San Diego County the upper end homes which I'll categorize for this post to be over $800,000 have and will continue to drop in value through 2009. If there is a particular San Diego neighborhood or floor plan that you are interested in I would have to say that it would be a good idea to keep your eye or have your agent "ME" keep an eye on that area for well priced homes. They will drop in 2009 in many areas but this could be the window of opportunity that won't last forever. The government is spending a lot of money to stabilize the real estate market and when in does stabilize the upper end will too.

Condos are a bargain and will continue to get cheaper. If there is a particular complex, area, or floor plan you desire it will be bargain time for you throughout 2009. You can be picky in most areas with the condos because of the huge inventory to select from. My opinion is that if you can afford a single family detached home it is usually a better choice than buying a condo for resale reasons. For those of you who enjoy the ease of condo living the fruit is ripe so start looking in 2009 and pick the one that is just right for you.

2009 in San Diego will still be a buyers market.

Please use the links below to help you with your San Diego Real Estate Search and Information from your San Diego Realtor.

San Diego Real Estate San Diego MLS

San Diego Relocation San Diego Home Search by Map

San Diego Home Buyers San Diego Home Sellers

San Diego House Values Local Real Estate Information

San Diego Real Estate Blog San Diego Short Sales

San Diego Foreclosures San Diego Green Homes

All information is believed to be correct but not guaranteed.

Posted in Paradise Hills, Julian, Bonita, Mission Hills, East San Diego, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Ocean View Hills, San Diego Real Estate News, San Diego Market Report, San Diego Real Estate Blog, Downtown, Vista, South Bay, Chula Vista, Central Coastal, North County Inland, San Diego Real Estate, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Rancho Penasquitos, Fallbrook, 4s Ranch, San Diego House Values

Bicycling is a favorite pastime of many here in Southern California, and the weather allows for riding all year round (as long as one dresses appropriately in the cooler winter months). Because of the terrain, and the ocean, there are terrific places to ride that are fairly flat (especially along the ocean between Oceanside and Del Mar) for beginning and less advanced riders, as well as numerous hilly areas to challenge even expert riders. Mt. Soledad in La Jolla and Mt. Palomar being two examples

Many of the larger roads have well marked bicycle lanes so you are not riding directly in traffic, but of course that is no guarantee that someone won't invade your space. Riding through the towns can get dicey as bike lanes disappear, traffic and pedestrians increase, and parked cars prevent an ever-present hazard. If you prefer to get away from the coastal ride, a popular ride with hills leads up Alga Road in Carlsbad, to Rancho Santa Fe Road and then up San Elijo Road through San Elijo Hills. A fairly challenging hill but amazing vistas in all directions. And of course what goes UP must come DOWN.

Or take the easterly route from the town center out through Elfin Forest - an entirely different world of hills and open space.

There are a number of popular bicycling clubs in the Carlsbad and Encinitas area which provide group rides and socializing, especially on the weekends, and training rides for races and long distance rides. These are an excellent way to learn your way around, get some exercise, gain experience in cycling, and make some new friends.

One of the more popular and well-known clubs is Swami's. They are easily spotted with bright light blue biking shorts and jerseys, and of course the name. My understanding is this is a fairly experienced group of riders, and a long standing club (since 1986).

Here is a great list of bicycling clubs in the San Diego area. They vary in terms of size, location, and even the general expertise of the members. Some may not be suitable to someone who is just starting out as a cyclist. Many of the clubs have websites as well so you can learn more about where they ride, how to join, and even see trail maps.

Another great site covering more of Southern California cycling teams and clubs is SoCal Cycling. Many of these groups participate in cycling races locally and regionally.

Map My Ride is a neat site where you can find maps of many biking routes in Carlsbad and nearby (as well as hiking, walking and organized runs).

And of course you may have a need for a San Diego Bicycle Store, for a new bike, equipment or repairs. This is a fairly comprehensive list by community.

Happy cycling!!

The Carlsbad real estate market continues to evolve, and the statistics for December show a number of changes from October. These data do not include any private sales nor manufactured housing; the numbers are derived from the MLS and are believed to be accurate but are not guaranteed.

Media reports speak in general terms, rather than local, so that information may not represent the reality of our local Carlsbad real estate market. Having data from a knowledgeable agent about the local market conditions benefits you as the buyer or seller.

In December 2008 there were 85 homes sold in Carlsbad's 4 zipcodes, as compared to 57 for November (a 49% increase in sales). Here's the breakdown of overall activity.

The number of sales was dramatically more than in November, with no change in the average sales price of a detached home and an 11% increase on the average price of an attached home.

At the end of December 2008 there were 521 Carlsbad homes for sale (327 detached and 194 attached homes), a drop in total inventory from November by 15%, which is common at this time of year. This represents an inventory of 6.9 months for attached homes (a small decrease from November) and only 5.9 months for detached at the current rate of sales over the last 6 months (a small increase from 5.6 months as of the end of November). These absorption rates continue to be encouraging when compared to many other parts of the county, some of which have over 2 years of inventory.

The market data for the 4 different Carlsbad zip codes vary considerably; for December, the average sales prices for detached homes were $627,312 for 92008, $685,495 for 92009 (La Costa area), $551,000 for 92010, and $846,400 for 92011 (Aviara area).

This overview of the Carlsbad real estate market is based on information provided by the MLS for homes that went under contract in the last couple of months and closed in December. More details can be provided if needed with regard to current activity as well as within the specific zip codes of Carlsbad.

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If I can provide more information about Carlsbad 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.

All content copyright © 2008 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits

Okay, I've now accumulated 6 new COOL Twitter tools that I just HAD to share with you (if you're on Twitter, that is!).

1. http://twitter.com/MrTweet - Who should you follow? This great service analyzes your profile and the folks you are following, and recommends new people for you to follow. It's excellent!

2. http://friendorfollow.com - Who's NOT following you? This brand NEW service shows you ALL the people you are following, who are NOT following you back. So you can send them each a "tweet" asking that they follow you back. "I'm following you on Twitter, please follow me back!"

3. http://twitter.com/grader - This service analyzes your usage and tweets you back with a "grade". For instance, 79/100.

4. http://tweetshrink.com to help you shorten your TWEETS to fit into the 140 character box!

5. http://www.tweetdeck.com is a software that you download. It allows you to see all of your DMs (Direct Messages) and replies very easily. Otherwise, your messages can get "lost". I'm surprised how many messages I wasn't getting until I started using Tweet Deck.

6. http://tweetchat.com This is a "place" where everyone can communicate about 1 specific topic. When you see the "#" in a Tweet, go to Tweet Chat and enter the "#___" and you will see all those messages. For example, #Chargers is for San Diego Chargers fans; #blck is a Black culture site; #happy09 is a place for positive messages.

I'm @GoldenPen if you want to follow me... I promise to follow you back!

Join my NEW group for professionals who work from their home office at http://activerain.com/groups/virtualoffice

Regina P. Brown
Broker, Realtor®, e-Pro
Author of eBook "Stop Foreclosure Fast: Solutions to Save your House"

Text copyright © 2008 R.P. Brown, All Rights Reserved