Behind the guarded gate of Emerald Bay is a quiet community of luxury homes. Varying from the quaint beach cottage to the huge Tuscan masterpiece, these properties belong to the private beach community of Emerald Bay.Located within the city borders of Laguna Beach, Emerald Bay was developed as a beach get-a-way. Residents from such inland locations as Pasadena and San Marino could escape the heat of summer and enjoy a weekend on the shore. Many of these original bungalow style homes still sit near the sand. Over the past 20 years, it's become easier to get into and out of Laguna Beach. The widening of Laguna Canyon Road as well as the addition of the 73 Toll road, Emerald Bay properties are more likely a full time residence. I spent my youth on the private beach of Emerald Bay. While my... 11/18/2014

4 Reasons to Buy Your Laguna Beach Home Now!The KCM Blog                                   It's that time of year, the seasons are changing and with them bring thoughts of the upcoming holidays, family get togethers, and planning for a new year. Those who are on the fence about whether now is the right time to buy don't have to look much farther to find four great reasons to consider buying a home in Laguna Beach now, instead of waiting. Besides, winters in Laguna Beach may be the best in the world - the tourists are gone, the beaches are empty and the weather and temperatures are outstanding! 1. Prices Will Continue to RiseThe Home Price Expectation Survey polls a distinguished panel of over 100 economists, investment strategists, and housing market analysts. Their most recent report r... 11/12/2014

Laguna Beach Active Home Listings - October 21, 2014 Searching for a new home, investment or other property in Laguna Beach, California?  What a great idea! Fall/Winter is a beautiful time of year in Laguna Beach. The sun is shining and the beaches are quiet.  See all the current active listings today by clicking the link below. Please let me know if you have any questions. Karen Fiddler 949-510-2395HOM Sotheby's International RealtyKarenpFiddler@gmail.com  Active Real Estate Listings in Laguna Beach, California - October 21, 2014 10/21/2014

Laguna Beach Playhouse | "The Year Of Magical Thinking"    Joah Didion's wonderful book "The Year of Magical Thinking" touches my heart. Writing about her journey after the death of her husband, she illustrates the ups and downs of forging a life alone....forward.  Her play is now being presented at the Laguna Beach Playhouse.  The Laguna Beach Playhouse is located in the heart of Laguna Beach, right next to the Pageant of the Masters location. Walking distance to restaurants, shops and coffee shops....and of course, the ocean. The Year of Magical Thinking will be presented through November, check out The Laguna Playhouse website for tickets and information.  10/15/2014

Local Company Showcase - Laguna Salt Company The Laguna Salt Company's Website states that "It's the most fun you can have playing with your food." Looking and tasting the exotic and colorful salts from their collection, I think they are right.  I was first introduced to the Laguna Salt Company's at the Farmer's Market in Laguna Beach (held each Saturday). The bright flavors and colors were fun to try. As you can see from the picture to the right, even their T-Shirts are fun and come in a jar....Artisan style of course. As a company committed to customer satisfaction and the highest quality ingredients, this is a company I can whole heartily recommend. The Laguna Salt Company's natural mineral sea salts can be found at Farmer's Markets all over the Southland, in specialty stores across ... 09/22/2014

Emerald Bay in Laguna Beach | Wordless Wednesday   Emerald Bay is a private gated community which is located in Laguna Beach.  It is an exclusive community and many of these Emerald Bay homes have beautiful ocean views and spectacular color water. Emerald Bay is located on both sides of Coast Highway, there are beach front homes as well as homes which sit up on the hill with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean.  There is a tunnel which goes under Coast Highway. Emerald Bay in Laguna Beach has private tennis courts, beautiful parks and a private swimming pool for the residents. Emerald Bay was originally founded in 1929 and it was named for the color of the water. Search the MLS for homes for sale in Emerald Bay in Laguna Beach. 09/10/2014

3 Feet For Safety Law Going Effective Sept 2014   On September 16, 2014 California's new 3 Feet For Safety Law will go into effect. The new law requires that drivers traveling the same direction as bicyclists give them 3 feet of space when passing. If this is not possible, then drivers must slow and pass only when they will not endanger cyclists while doing so. The 3 Feet For Safety Act was signed last year in order to make the roads safer for bicyclists in California. The Southern California weather makes biking popular for both transportation and recreation. In 2012 there were 153 deaths of cyclists sharing the road with automobiles, this is a strong effort to prevent these deaths. Critics say that it's just too hard to enforce and that compliance or non-compliance will be just a judg... 09/08/2014

Laguna Royale in Laguna Beach | Speechless Sunday In South Laguna, there is a beautiful condo development which is located right on Coast Highway and situated on the beach. It has the most incredible views. There are large patios for the residents, and an incredible view up and down the Coast. The color of the water is amazing and almost emerald in color! Search the MLS in condos for sale in Laguna Beach, or Laguna Royale. 08/31/2014

Is $2,000,000 the new $1,000,000 in Laguna Beach real estate?It doesn’t seem that long ago that there were a fair number of homes for sale in Laguna Beach priced below $1,000,000. Currently there are just 6 (as of mid-January ’16). Laguna Beach has always seen higher pricing than many neighboring cities and it’s been very difficult the last few years to find homes priced less than 1m. Now it’s practically impossible.Search for homes in Laguna Beach!There are currently only 23 homes priced under $1,500,000. Between $1,500,000 and $2,000,000 there are 16 homes for sale. Above $2m there are 113 homes for sale.Here's an interesting statistic that illustrates the point:2013 - 34 homes sold in the first 6 months below $1,000,0002014 - 12 homes sold in the first 6 months below $1,000,0002015- ... 07/13/2014

  What Is Your Laguna Beach Neighbor Selling Their House For Today?       Wonder what the list price is for that house down the street? Are you curious what your home could list for in this market? Most people realize that home values have increased in Laguna Beach this year! Fact is, more people buy in Laguna Beach during the summer months, so now is a great time to consider a move. Rather than run around to Laguna Beach Open Houses, get the facts instantly by clicking the link above and just entering the address of the listing. Or, if you are wondering about your own home value....enter that address and get comprehensive home value information, privately. Of course, I'm always available to speak with you about your Laguna Beach home and your home ownership goals. Please feel free to c... 07/13/2014

  I Can See You Checking!   I see you, prospect! I see that you check the new listings every single day....sometimes more often than that. I see that you've saved a couple homes that seem to suit you. I see that you have checked the map to find out where the home is and the Google Earth link to check out the lot. I see you! I'm not stalking you! I want to help!  I want to help you by answering questions. I want to help by giving you a lender referral. I want to help by setting up a showing for any of these homes. I want to help by writing offers and getting them accepted. I'm not here to push you. I'm not here to "sell you a house" I'm not here to change your goals I'm not here to move up your time line I am a professional, and yes....I make my living, pay my bills and provide for my f... 07/12/2014

July 10,2014 | New Laguna Beach Listings This Week   New listings in Laguna Beach this week! Checkout the links below to find your new Laguna Beach house or condo. Be among the first to see these great properties, contact me to schedule a private showing at 949-510-2395 or email me at karenpfiddler@gmail.com and see them this weekend!   New Listings in Laguna Beach of Single Family Homes New Listings in Laguna Beach of Condominium Homes   If you are considering a sale of your existing Laguna Beach home, put the power of the premier luxury real estate brand in the world to work for you. Sotheby's International Realty provides the best exposure for your property to ensure the highest possible sales price. Contact me today to hear about the marketing program I can provide with no additiona... 07/10/2014

Find Your Laguna Beach Property Value Laguna Beach is an affluent seaside resort city and artist community located in Southern Orange County, California. Laguna Beach is located approximately 19 miles southeast of the county seat of Santa Ana. It's population was 22,723 at the 2010 census.  Laguna Beach is the third oldest city in Orange County, after San Juan Capistrano and Anaheim. Settlers arriving after the American Civil War found scarce amounts of land available for homesteading, and one such tract, known then simply as "the public lands" was the coastal strip from Laguna Canyon to Three Arch Bay. During the 1870s, a small community named Arch Beach had been started at the mouth of Bluebird Canyon. By the early 1880s most of the land around its small Post Office and general store... 07/01/2014

Real estate is a local industry. More often than not, we hold ourselves out to be the "local expert." This is easy to do since we live and work in our communities; we shop in the same markets, attend the same schools and use the same gyms. Then every once in awhile, we get a call/email from an International Buyer....or they wander into an open house. Oh no! We don't know who they are, or how they think, or what they want in a property. But more International Buyers are coming into our market, and it's time we put some effort into understanding who these buyers are.  Every state is going to be different. In researching this blog post a bit, I found that the National Association of Realtors research is different from my California Association of Realtors report. The national profile show... 06/26/2014

Condos for Sale in Laguna Beach | Laguna Royale Condos in Laguna Beach Laguna Royale is a condo complex located in Laguna Beach on Coast Highway. The address of the complex is 31423 Coast Highway. Laguna Royale is located in the 92651 zip code. Laguna Royale has a total of 78 condos with 6 different floor plans. There is subterranean parking for the residents of Laguna Royale. Laguna Royale features ocean front condos that have spectacular ocean views.  Search the MLS for ocean view condos for sale in Laguna Beach and condos for sale in Laguna Royale in Laguna Beach. originally posted at NewportBeachRealEstateCafe.com 06/17/2014

I read a great blog post today by Toni Weidman asking what our presentation style is like when at a listing appointment. She asks some great thought provoking questions and the comments have some terrific answers. I thought I'd take a minute and post about my style and the steps I go through in listing appointments.  First I'd like to say that this is not always available to me. We all have to be spontaneous at times and certainly adjust to our client's timetables. That said, I try to arrange a 2 step listing presentation. When I'm first approached about a possible listing in Laguna Beach, I immediately ask for a preview appointment. I ask my potential clients if there is a time when I can come by for just a few minutes and view the home. I explain that even though we do have many trac... 06/13/2014

Laguna Beach Real Estate Welcome To Laguna Beach, CA!   What can I say about Laguna Beach and Laguna Beach Real Estate?  Well, it's just one of those places that once you go there once, you will want to come back again and again --even if you're a local.  It has everything you want a beach city to have........gorgeous beaches, cool and fun town, and great restaurants and hip spots!  To start with, it's not just one beach we are talking about, it is a few.  There is north and south Laguna Beach and you can access these beaches pretty easily.  There are even dog friendly beaches in some areas.  To read more about the beaches in Laguna Beach and other really important tips and things to do, go to Laguna Beach beaches. The City of Laguna Beach is well known as a unique beach community and a... 06/12/2014

Travelers In The Rain - Attention Gayle Rich Boxman ;o) Vacation with Robert Vegas Bob Swetz along Pacific Coast of California     Vacation with Robert Vegas Bob Swetz along Pacific Coast of California   That's right Robert Swetz aka Vegas Bob is taking yet another vacation along the coast of California. Robert will be posting photos and little stories along the way so everyone can have a chance to travel along with him.     Vegas Bob needs to get this last vacation in before the Las Vegas "Boom" which is right around the corner. Once VB starts on the new construction projects in Las Vegas, it will be very difficult for him to leave. How long is VB going on vacation for? Well ... really not sure! Four days? One week? Two weeks?     As VB shares his travels along the way, he will also b... 06/11/2014

"Anyone Can Open A Door"    This is what I heard from a new client last night. We had never met and they called me to see a home early this morning. Unfortunately, I have plans this morning and can't meet them until later this afternoon. Just the fact that I have time on a holiday weekend is impressive, we work when everyone else is off.  The statement "Anyone can open a door" came after they told me they were going to try and find someone to accommodate their schedule, they had family plans in the afternoon.  True, anyone can open a door. But that's not why someone should work with me. If all I did was open doors, I doubt seriously I could make a living as a Laguna Beach Real Estate Broker.  Putting all the negotiating skills, market knowledge and transaction management experience asid... 05/25/2014

Put A Lockbox On The Home  I know that I'm going to immediately get comments from agents telling WHY they always show the Laguna Beach Luxury Home Listing: I like to make sure the home looks it's best My clients don't want strangers in the home I don't trust other agents to lock up I know the home best and can talk about it I understand! In a perfect environment, you are absolutely correct. I always TRY to make appointments for my listings for all of the same reasons. But the reality is that not having a lockbox on the Laguna Beach Luxury Home is going to affect how many buyers actually see the home. Sellers want to sell their home. Right? They want to sell for the best price possible. Right? To do this, the more buyers which see the home the better. Right? In my market of Laguna Beach... 05/21/2014