Okay, I'm going to let you in on a little secret......THE BEST street taco shop in North County and possibly THE BEST street taco shop ANYWHERE....AND....it's right here in Cardiff by the Sea!! I swore for months that I was NEVER going to let this little secret out of the bag for fear it would become too crowded and over run with tourists...BUT....I can't hold it in any longer..... BULL TACO at the San Elijo campgrounds!!!  There, I said it!!! If you haven't been to this taco shop then may I suggest you go put on your best flip flops and lots of sunscreen and head out to the campgrounds on Coast Hwy 101 in Cardiff, CA.  Park across the street on the coast because, unless you are camping there, then there is no parking in the campground.  Walk across the street and the taco shop is in th... 07/27/2009

Sell Your Home in Encinitas Ranch. If you live in North San Diego County and if you live in Encinitas Ranch, in the lovely beach community of Encinitas now may be a tough time to get top dollar for your home. So, here are four tips and tools to help sellers in Encinitas Ranch to sell their homes for top dollar: •1.    Find a Realtor®. Don't just pick a Realtor® out of the Yellow Pages. Look for someone who has experience and a good track record. For example, if your sale is going to be a short sale, find a Realtor® who specializes in short sales. Ask the agent for a list of recently closed transactions in your area. Have him or her describe their opinion of the value based on those recently closed transactions. •2.    Check your home's value. After listening to the professionals, check ... 07/26/2009

Hello and Welcome to Encinitas California Foreclosure Auction, Bank Owned REO, Short Sales, and Homes for Sale. July 20th, 2009 Understanding the foreclosure property auction (also known as Trustee Sale) process takes time, due diligence, and understanding.  Saavy Real Estate investors can find some of the best deals around buying at these auctions, but is it right for everyone.   We would like to help explain further about these auctions and the benefits and downsides of buying Real Estate at them. Here are some of the latest statistics from Foreclosure Radar hot off the press for June 2009.  If you are unfamiliar with some of the following terms please read below for further explanations. Notice of Defaults for California rose by 11.8% to the second highest level on record at 45,691 f... 07/20/2009

Encinitas restaurant Le Papagayo remains at the top of our list of favorite places to dine along the coast. The atmosphere is always friendly, lively and comfortable and a reminder of dining in the islands - a-come-in-your-shorts-and-flip-flops type of place, and the food is varied and presented well. Yes, the trains roar by on the other side of the Coast Road now and then, but for a casual, fun place with great prices, a respectable wine list, and a colorful interior (lots of original artwork), Le Papagayo is well worth a visit.Read a recent review in the North County Voice on Le Papagayo Owner Francois Patanchon, who hails from the Bordeaux region of France, is charming, and goes out of his way to make sure customers, whether new or old friends, are well taken care of. I don't think I... 07/19/2009

The Andrews Gallery, once again, offers art enthusiasts a wonderful opportunity, with works presented by French artist Erwin Dazelle. It is especially exciting that this exhibit is a debut for Dazelle in the US.   READ MORE about Erwin Dazelle on his LinkedIn profile  Dazelle hails from the Basque Country, with a personal history as a glassblower prior to bringing his talent to the canvas.  This colorful exhibit titled "A la tienne!" [to you, yours] is appropriately named, with contemporary treatment of some classic French imagery, including large-scale paintings mindful of the vintage French wine posters you find in many cafes and bistros in Paris. The Encinitas art community is, indeed fortunate to have such a talented art director in Drew Snyder, a talented artist in hiw own right, t... 07/14/2009

Hello and Welcome to Encinitas Foreclosure properties. During the recent down turn Encinitas home prices have experienced declines due to the overwhelming number of foreclosures and the tightening of credit. The region also faces pressure due to the recent rises in unemployment. So the question to ask, Is there opportunity to buy in this market? We believe the answer is Yes, but only with the right approach. The potential silver lining and opportunity here is the following: According to Dataquick, in the month of May, 2009 there were 3,094 sales in San Diego county which represents a 8% increase in sales volume over May of 2008. The median home price for San Diego has actually increased by 15,000 over the last 3 months from a low of 280,000 to 295,000 in May. The median home prices in ... 07/13/2009

As a buyer or seller in the Encinitas real estate market, it is important to have information about the market conditions in order to make a more informed decision about what to do with regard to buying, or selling, your Encinitas home.  Here is a summary of the Encinitas real estate market for June 2009 based on statistics from the MLS (private sales are not included nor are manufactured and mobile homes). These data are deemed reliable but are not guaranteed.   READ MORE: Encinitas - An Eclectic Seaside Community  In June 2009 there were 50 homes sold in Encinitas (a 43% increase in sales over May, following a 25% increase over April). Here's the breakdown of overall activity.    TOTAL HOMES Detached Attached Number 50 (up 43%) 36 (up 57%) 14 (up 17%) Days on Market 49 57 27 Average ... 07/06/2009

Encinitas California Foreclosures, Bank Owned REO, Short Sale, and Homes for Sale June 29, 2009 Real Estate Silver lining or still too early to tell? Lets look at the numbers... May 2009 Foreclosure, REO, and Short Sale update. According to Foreclosure Radar (A service which tracks every single foreclosure daily in the state of California) in the month of April Foreclosure notices in the state of California saw a decline while foreclosure sales rose in the state of California. Sales at the actual foreclosure auction rose by 32 percent overall.  According to estimates foreclosure sales sold to third party investors at an average of a 28% discount from estimated market value. Notices of default dropped by an estimated 4.2% from the record level set the prior month.  Notices of Trustee sal... 06/29/2009

It's cheap. It's environmentally friendly. And it runs on bio fuel converted from used vegetable oil. And it can help with our traffic congestion on busy weekends.  It's the new Beach Shuttle running through Leucadia, Downtown Encinitas and into Cardff-by-the-Sea along the coast road/Route 101. And it will only cost you $1 (one-way), or $5 for a weekend pass.  READ MORE: Encinitas   Leucadia  Cardiff-by-the-Sea Wherever Shuttle provides the bus - the Coast Cruiser - that covers a several mile route through these coastal towns (and yes, stopping at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas) with 11 stops, including the Coaster Station (commuter rail). The company collects used vegetable oil from a number of area restaurants, so keep eating those fries.  The new shuttle is a pilot program for 14 weeks... 06/24/2009

Surfer magazine has released in its July issue a list of the Top 10 surfer towns in America, with California claiming the #1 and #3 spots. Santa Cruz came in #1, probably not a surprise to anyone who follows surfing, with Haleiwa, Hawaii, claiming the runner-up spot. Right there in the bronze medal position is San Diego County's own Encinitas, possibly a surprise since the Los Angeles area -- Huntington Beach, Malibu Beach, Manhattan Beach, etc. -- often claims to have surfing equal to Santa Cruz. Encinitas is a sleepy, albeit somewhat expensive, seaside community about 20 miles north of downtown San Diego. Encinitas has three excellent beaches within its city limits: Cardiff, Encinitas, and Leucadia. Surfer magazine notes that most garages, especially west of Interstate 5, are furnish... 06/23/2009

Need to sell in Encinitas? Upsidedown on your Encinitas  Mortgage and can't afford it? Are you a buyer looking to purchase an ENCINITAS SHORT SALE? Contact me to be your ENCINITAS REALTOR!           Whats a Short Sale?  A short sale is when someone is trying to sell their home for less than what they owe on their mortgage. For Instance. If you bought a home 2 or 3 years ago, say for 400K, and now you can sell it for 300K. So, if your loan was for 400K, you need to get BANK APPROVAL to " SELL SHORT" on what you owe. Is a Short Sale Short? Depends. If you are a buyer or seller considering doing a short sale, it can be a very very.. very long process, however, not all the time. The Typical Short Sale ( if there were a thing) would last about 4 months. If you NEED TO SHORT SALE your house y... 06/12/2009

Being on camera is often a time for smiling, even for those embarrassing moments.  Being on camera when going through a red light is NOT a time to smile.  In fact you may not even be aware that you ARE on camera. But when that $370.00 ticket arrives from the DMV along with the photos of you whizzing through the red light (and, yes, they get your face, too, plus your license plates) I doubt you will be smiling.     Cameras at traffic lights at major intersections are common here in Southern California, and they are increasing, in part because they appear to contribute to enhance safety, but also for their financial implications. A few dozen tickets at one section per month adds up pretty quickly.  Be aware that these exist, and look for the signs notifying you that a camera is at that in... 06/08/2009

As a Realtor resident of Encinitas, California 92024 and a San Diego native, I feel incredibly fortunate to live and work here.  Each day I awaken to the sounds of the sea and crashing waves at near-by Moonlight Beach, which in turn motivates me to go for a brisk morning run in preparation for each day.   Volleyball @ Moonlight Beach, Encinitas, CA Running through the Village and Coastal streets, I notice lots of real estate activity.  Curiously, I went home today to review some of the properties I observe along my daily runs.  I love to stay current with the inventory of homes in my area. Since most of these homes are over $1,000,000, I decided to focus this report on homes in that range. This is what I found in the local MLS as of Monday, June 8, 2009: Currently, there are 142 active ... 06/08/2009

As a buyer or seller in the Encinitas real estate market, it is important to have data about the market conditions in order to make a more informed decision about what to do with regard to buying, or selling, your Encinitas home.  Here is a summary of the Encinitas real estate market for May 2009 based on statistics from the MLS (private sales are not included nor are manufactured and mobile homes). These data are deemed reliable but are not guaranteed.  In May 2009 there were 35 homes sold in Encinitas (a 25% increase in sales from April). Here's the breakdown of overall activity.    TOTAL HOMES Detached Attached Number 35 (up 25%) 23 (up 21) 12 (up 33%) Days on Market 46 55 20 Average Sales Price   $692,513 (down 15%)   $857,472 (down 14%)   $376,341 (down 3%) Average Sale $/List $ 9... 06/06/2009

Excitement is mounting as the new Total Woman Gym and Atmosphere Day Spa opening in Encinitas is approaching. The Total Woman Gym and Atmosphere Day Spa will be the ONLY women-only facility of its type in the Encinitas/Carlsbad area since the closing of Elite recently. I had a sneak preview yesterday of the equipment at their pre-sales office, and spoke with General Manager Lisa Fitting about what makes this gym and spa so special. The gym and spa facility will be state of the art, and luxurious! Ever heard of an infinity sink, in granite? The photos of the planned facility were most impressive and will compare favorably to other high-end spas in the area like the Four Seasons and La Costa Resort and Spa. BUT see the note below on pricing for a pleasant surprise! RATES? Well, you can't ... 06/05/2009

Hello and Welcome to Encinitas California Foreclosure Auction, Bank Owned REO, and Homes for Sale. Understanding the foreclosure property auction (also known as Trustee Sale) process takes time, due diligence, and understanding.  Saavy Real Estate investors can find some of the best deals around buying at these auctions, but is it right for everyone.   We would like to help explain further about these auctions and the benefits and downsides of buying Real Estate at them. Understanding the process is the key, and here is how the process goes as an overview: Pre-Foreclosure (Also known as Notice of Default).  Pre-Foreclosure is usually when the current homeowner is 90 days past due on their Mortgage.  The current lender files with the County Recorders office a Notice of Default.  When thi... 06/04/2009

In a small Encinitas strip mall near the Henry's Fresh Food Market is a very cool little shop called Cookies In Bloom.   As the name implies, this wonderful shop, hidden away in the west side of this small mall for the last 10 years, offers an amazing array of cookie bouquets, suitable for just about every occasion and sentiment you can imagine.     Birthdays - Closing gifts for real estate clients - Thank you for vendors - House Warmings - Anniversaries - Weddings - New Baby in the home - Get Well - Businesses   The list goes on and on. In addition to the cookie bouquets, you can also buy boxes of gourmet cookies as well. With over 300 shapes of hand-decorates sugar cookies to choose from, the opportunities are endless. I have a box of cookies (a thank you from a friend) and a big flow... 06/01/2009

Encinitas California Auction, Foreclosures & Bank Owned REO Real Estate We have added a new Pre-Foreclosure and Foreclosure Auction Search feature to our website.  You can now search every Pre-Foreclosure, Foreclosure, and Auction property in San Diego County.  This new capability, along with the ability to search all active Foreclosure, Short Sale, and REO listings, along with the entire San Diego County MLS, makes the Four Seasons Realty Website one of the most up to date and informative websites in the region.           Click the Yellow Map Below to search Pre-Foreclosure, Foreclosure, and REO Properties.   April 2009 Foreclosure, REO, and Short Sale update. According to Foreclosure Radar (A service which tracks every single foreclosure daily in the state of California) in the month ... 05/27/2009

So you passed your real estate test.  Put your "shingle" out.  And you're in business, right?  But there's much more to being a real estate professional than just getting a license and printing business cards.  If you've been an employee previously, then you will realize that being an entrepreneur involves a shift in mentality. The first critical skill to being a business owner is thinking like a business owner.  You will need to view yourself as a business owner, and to constantly promote your services.  You must invest in yourself and your business for the long term, working to build a strong foundation.  You will have to make many sacrifices for the good of your business. A real estate professional is a self-employed person:  a small business owner.  As such, each real estate profess... 05/26/2009

   Encinitas California Foreclosures, Short Sale, REO & Homes for Sale Real Estate Silver lining or too early to tell? April 2009 Encinitas California Foreclosure, REO, and Short Sale update. According to Foreclosure Radar (A service which tracks every single foreclosure daily in the state of California) in the month of April Foreclosure notices in the state of California saw a decline while foreclosure sales rose in the state of California. Sales at the actual foreclosure auction rose by 35 percent overall.  According to estimates foreclosure sales sold to third party investors at an average of a 28% discount from estimated market value. Notices of default dropped by an estimated 18.2% from the record level set the prior month.  Notices of Trustee sale (Foreclosure Auction) also droppe... 05/17/2009