San Diego regional bike map

The 2010 San Diego Regional Bike Map makes biking to work a breeze. This free publication is produced by SANDAG, in partnership with local sponsors, and includes the latest updates to the region’s bikeways, as well as locations of transit centers and bike lockers.

Some useful bike friendly links:

• San Diego Cycling Trails
• Bike SD
• Interactive Bike Map

1. Beaches: San Diego offers an abundance of beaches to enjoy year-round. Positioned on the picturesque coastline of the Pacific Ocean, residents and visitors will find everything from busy beaches crowded with tourists to secluded and tranquil enclaves. Some of the most popular areas include Carlsbad, Encinitas, Mission Bay, Solana, Imperial, and Silver Strand State Beach to name a few.
2. Weather: To be able to enjoy these exceptional beaches you must have good weather, and San Diego sure offers that! The sun shines on average 3,056 hours per year and the average high temperature is just 70 degrees. We think that’s pretty ideal for working on your tan, spending the afternoon in the garden, or for enjoying a host of recreational opportunities. Here is San Diego, it never gets too hot or too cold, so you can always be comfortable when enjoying the landscape here.
3. Recreation: Speaking of things to do outside, San Diego offers unparalleled recreational opportunities ranging from surfing to golfing, parasailing to horseback riding, hiking to rock climbing, and everything in between. There are also a number of exciting places to spend the afternoon, including the San Diego Zoo, Knott’s Soak City and Sea World.
4. Sports: Home to the Chargers and the Padres, San Diegans love their local teams. Whether you’re at the ballpark or simply enjoying the game at a local bar or tavern, you can count on a lively and exhilarating experience.
5. Art and Culture: From the Oceanside Museum of Art to local galleries and boutiques, many people don’t realize the scope of the art and culture scene in downtown San Diego. Here you can find countless exhibits and galleries from both established and emerging artists. There are also a number of great programs for children throughout the year, which are held at many of these museums and galleries.
6. Employment: San Diego is one of the few communities in the country still experiencing job growth. Aside from the major corporations and biotech companies that call San Diego home, there are resorts, restaurants, retail outlets and more.
7. Housing: The real estate market has a number of options for today’s homebuyers to choose from. Whether you’re looking for an oceanfront retreat, a luxury property such as Olivenhain luxury homes, a trendy loft, or a rural property, you’ll find it all here. San Diego is also known for its diversity in architecture from beautiful historic homes with Spanish influence to modern homes with all the newest design features.

These are just a handful of reasons why we love San Diego and continue to help buyers find their dream residence within this wonderful community. To learn more about us at Sue De Legge & Associates, please do not hesitate to browse our website. Here you can find information about us and the services we offer to buyers and sellers, as well as the ability to search the entire North County San Diego MLS. You will also find a wealth of community and real estate information to help you make all your San Diego real estate decisions.

Should you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation regarding your specific needs; we are just a phone call away. Connect now to get started! We look forward to hearing from you soon and to showing you why San Diego is so loved by its residents and visitors!

As a local North County San Diego Realtor team, we’ve put together this blog to help you find the best events in Carlsbad, California this April and May. Let’s take a look at some of the exciting events happening in the coming weeks:

Story time at the Georgina Cole Library: Some of the youngest residents of Carlsbad, ranging from 3-5 years old, can enjoy story time at the Georgina Cole Library weekly. Times and dates vary throughout the month. Information can be found on the Carlsbad Government Community Calendar.

The Flower Fields During Spring: Offering more than 50 acres of extraordinary color, the Flower Fields also plays host to a number of exciting activities throughout the year. Events include Jazz Day on April 20^th, a Canon Macro Photography workshop on April 21^st, Blues Day on April 27^th, a Bonsai Show and Sale May 11^th through May12th, and a celebration of Mother’s Day on May 12^th. For more information on these and other events at the Flower Fields, visit their website.

LegoLand California Resort: One of California’s premier family resorts in located right here in Carlsbad; LegoLand! Stay at the LegoLand hotel, explore the waterpark, and join in the fun. Events and attractions are scheduled daily throughout the spring and summer. Some events include Community Day, Character Meet and Greets, Aquarium Shows and Feedings, and much, much more! To learn more about spending your next vacation or weekend at LegoLand, visit their website.

Carlsbad Cultural Arts Center: Founded in 1985, the Carlsbad Cultural Arts Center was designed as a high-performance environment for future generations and offers events and programs throughout the year; extending the stage to local, professional and private companies with a vast array of talents. This May, the Carlsbad High School Theatre Department will present the classic 1952 musical comedy “Singing in the Rain” on the weekends of Mary 3^rd and 4^th, and Mary 9^th through the 11^th. Visit the Carlsbad Cultural Arts Center website for more information.

San Diego Jazz Festival: Taking place Memorial Day Weekend, May 24^th through the 26^th at the beautiful La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, the San Diego Jazz Festival is one of the most anticipated events of the summer. Performers include Will Downing, Brian McKnight, Jonahtan Butler, Sheila and Elan Trotman, Ledisi, and Brian Culbertson to name just a few. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting SandDiegoJazzFest.com.

These are just a few of the many exciting events and attractions available to homeowners in Carlsbad and those vacationing here. As your Carlsbad Realtor team, it is out great pleasure to introduce you to the community and to the many wonderful options available to you. To explore the community or to schedule a time to speak about your specific needs, please do not hesitate to contact us at your convenience. We are Sue DeLegge & Associates, and we look forward to hearing from you soon! Connect today.

For Being a FINE Magazine: 2013 Mover & Shaker Award Winner

Mother-daughter duo is in it to win it with Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty

One of the major market indicators in the San Diego and Carlsbad luxury homes market is new construction. Generally speaking, new construction begins when builders feel that there is a need to increase inventory, and when they believe the value of a project will go up from when they start the project to the time it is ready to sell. The L.A. Times reported that builder confidence in housing has recently reached its highest point since 2006, with a National Association of Home Builders’ reading of 47. While this reading is well below the 60’s and 70’s recorded during prime real estate times, it marks an improvement in recent years. Potential buyers will find several luxury residential communities are planned and underway in North County.

Another strong indicator is San Diego’s position within the rest of the California real estate market. While other cities are still inundated with foreclosures and distressed properties, the San Diego market has seen an almost 50% drop, with these properties making up a small percentage of transactions. At the same time, a combination of less inventory, short marketing times and high demand has been pushing San Diego home prices up with some of the most sought-after zip codes seeing increases from 30 to over 100%. These numbers indicate that San Diego is the 2^nd healthiest real estate market in California, and is leading the way for housing recovery in the state.

Speaking of inventory and it’s contribution to price increases, the San Diego market is currently at a 3-year low of inventory according to statistics by the California Association of Realtors and the San Diego Union Tribune. The tables are starting to turn and we are again looking at a sellers market emerging. In fact, San Diego’s median price has increase more than 14% year-over-year. At Sue De Legge & Associates, we expect these trends to continue throughout 2013.

If you are considering the purchase of a luxury home in North County San Diego as your primary home, seasonal residence or investment property, now is the time to act. Inventory is dropping and prices are beginning to rise, and soon your opportunity to take advantage of this buyers market will have passed. For San Diego homeowners thinking about placing your luxury home on the market, please contact us – Sue and Gina De Legge – for a consultation regarding your specific needs. With more than two decades of real estate experience and expertise, it would be our pleasure to assist you in marketing and positioning your property to receive highest dollar in today’s emerging real estate market.

To learn more or to speak with us directly regarding the purchase or sale of your San Diego property, please do not hesitate to contact us via phone or email. We look forward to helping you make all your real estate dreams a reality. Connect today!

We’ve added a new page on our Facebook fan page about the celebrities that you will find living in our neighborhoods. Did we forget anyone? There is a comment box on the page and we would love to hear whether we missed someone or added someone that is incorrect. Our information mainly came from Wikipedia and Google… so let us know how you think we did.

Click Here For The List…

In the evenings, as she prepares a salad or her signature crab bisque, Tami Diehl draws inspiration by raising her gaze to the painted skies to the west.

“He gave me sunsets,” she says affectionately of husband, Jack Diehl. “So many times I look and there is a sunset that takes my breath away.”

The Diehl residence is an expression of love representing 28 years of marriage and children, Adam and Ashley, who are now adults and on their own. Typically, Jack is on the patio as the sun goes down tending to fish or turkey in the smoker while enjoying a glass of wine from Paso Robles where they keep a cabin on Lake Nacimiento.

The expansive outdoor living space, which includes a fountain and pool, is an extension of the common living area of their 6,485-square-foot Olivenhain residence with six bedrooms and five and a half baths on 1.27 acres.

A forensic architect, Jack crafted a family home that is both imperial and impervious to earthquakes, wind, fire and other forces of nature.

Resistance to earthquakes and high winds was achieved by overexcavating, then re-compacting the soil in a way that provides a uniform area on which the house sits. More importantly, the firm of Josephson & Wedowatz, Structural Engineers designed a commercial grade post and beam frame that uses rigid moment connections that transfer the load from the roof and walls of the building into the foundations. Fireproofing is made possible with inflammable building materials, a metal roof and a stucco exterior walls. This is complemented by landscaping and hardscaping designed to create a protective boundary around the periphery of the home.

The home has an unobstructed 180-degree view and takes advantage of a prevailing wind that travels through the house to create a chimney effect that generally eliminates the need for air conditioning in the summer months. A series of rippling, miniature water features recessed in a shallow basin that begins outside the front door and extends beneath a pane of glass into the foyer again achieves Diehl’s desire to blur the line between the outdoors and indoors.

Like a chess master, Jack is able to distinguish opportunities from challenges in design, capitalizing on either one.

“I didn’t know if I wanted an angular or arched banister on the staircase,” Tami explained. “Jack designed an angular banister along the left side, and an arched banister along the right.”

He replicated the arch throughout the home in subtle ways that included a soffit that gently extends from the kitchen ceiling into the living area. The kitchen cabinets are maple and trimmed with deep purpleheart wood.

Brazilian cherry floors flow through the main living area and are accented with mahogany doors, inset with wavy glass, at each entrance to a room.

Tami and Jack enjoy a separate wing of the house that includes a master suite with a fireplace; a quiet sitting area; a large master bath with walk-in shower and spa tub; and individual vanities. Tami’s favorite indulgence is a 240-square-foot walk-in closet that allows her to organize her clothes and expansive shoe collection.

Read The Entire Article

Family room off the kitchen with fireplace and French doors leading to the patio area with fountain.  Master bedroom with wood burning fireplace, jacuzzi tub, large walk-in closets, and steam shower.  Secondary bedrooms with beautiful open wood-beam ceilings and free-standing tub in one of the bathrooms.  One of the secondary bedrooms is a “secret room” with access thru what looks to be a bookshelf.  Upstairs bonus room in between the secondary bedrooms….views from almost all windows in the home.  Mature oak trees and landscaping…  Dual-zone AC.  Plenty of land to build a guest house, have horses etc.  5-car garage w/ workshop area plus shed and separate enclosed fenced area.   Laundry room with laundry shoot.   Contact us for a private showing of this home!

The Down-Payment

Many interested first time home buyers face the dilemma of having to spend a lot of money upfront for the purchase of a home. This payment, called the down-payment, is an initial expense that must occur for a home buyer to receive a mortgage loan.

A down-payment begins at a minimum of 3% of the cost of the home to around 20-25%, depending on who is providing the property and the requirements of the sale. There are many ways that a down payment can be reduced, up-to or close to the 3% minimum. Mortgage insurance (discussed later), provides the ability to purchase a home for less than 20% down with a mortgage insurance amount payable by the buyer.

It is important to note that a down payment of less than 20% with mortgage insurance and similar programs is applicable to primarily resale homes. For new constructions, especially VIP’s, unless the builder is providing a lower down-payment option, home buyers can expect to pay a 20% down-payment or more, depending on the property.

A few things that a first time home buyers should do before writing an offer includes (the more prepared you are the better a buyer you can be):

Credit Check: Getting a credit check and seeing if a mortgage or owning a home is even possible. This is quite an important step because it saves you the hassle, time and the cost of time running around trying to make home buying a possibility. There is the semi-myth that everytime you perform a credit check, your credit gets dinged (so unfair) but some things you just have to do – and checking your credit is one of those, if you are shopping a mortgage company you can kill two birds with one stone and have them pull it for you.

Pre-Approval:  Most folks start deciding long-term plans before even getting a pre-approval. A pre-approval gives an interested home buyer the thumbs up on the mortgage as well as rate they will get when purchasing a home. Before spending countless hours on finding a home or paying any home search fees, see if you are able to get a mortgage at all.

Financial Situation: It is important for one to reflect on their financial situation. If their monthly expenses are currently tight, putting a mortgage on top of that may not be a very good idea. Lenders will use various calculations to determine how much mortgage you are eligible for, but its important to understand your financial situation before going to the home search table.

Post-Purchase Costs

Once you purchase a home, you can’t run down the street saying you bought a home. It is not that simple. There are various post-purchase costs that home buyers need to take into account.

Here’s a short overview of some of the major costs:

Closing Costs: One set of costs that individuals often forget to take into account are closing costs. Closing costs are up-front costs that you must pay when you purchase your home, typically before you move in. These could include appraisal fees, legal fees, title insurance, water tests, septic tank tests, etc. Generally, these are paid for by the buyer of the home but sometimes the seller will include these costs with the purchase of the home. It is important that first time home buyers consider these costs, among others, when purchasing their home. In our experience, closing costs for the buyer often add up to being around 2.5% – they can be a little more or a little less depending on the inspections, the points, the city the purchase is in etc.

Moving Costs:  Self-explanatory cost but one that is understated often. Moving can be an expensive process, one that requires prior thinking. Can you reduce your move load? Can you move some items yourself? How many trucks & movers will be required to help you move? All these can help determine your overall moving costs.

Storage Costs: Sometimes, simply moving in is not a possibility. For example, furniture that you currently have may not fit in your new place, especially if it is smaller than before. Finding a place to store some of your items could become an added expense.

Real-Estate Costs: This is applicable to individuals who are moving out of their own property and wish to sell it. In most cases, individuals have this process on-going or completed by the time they are shopping for their new home but sometimes it is done afterwards. Real estate expenses to sell the old property can add up and must be added to the budget which is already strained with the purchase of a new property. Again, the cost of selling is usually between 5-6% to list with an agent and then an additional 2% or so of closing costs (including title insurance).

Other costs: Re-directing mail, utility hook-up, cable & telephone transfer expenses, cleaning, painting, immediate renovations, basic furniture and items purchase are all other costs that should be budgeted along with the purchase of a new home.

Recurring Payments

Once all is set and you’ve got your keys, you as the home buyer have the responsibility of managing your monthly and yearly expenses that come with the purchase of a new home. Those expenses include but are not limited to the following:

Mortgage payments

• Property taxes & insurance
• Renovation costs – for those items that need to be attended to immediately. Other renovations can be done on the buyer’s schedule and need.
• Utilities, including hydro, heating and other need utilities.
• Maintenance of a property, including general repairs, electrical, etc.
• Landscaping, done seasonally

Conclusion

Purchasing a new home is not just a one-step process. There are multiple costs involved with owning a new home, at all stages of the process. It is important that first time home buyers are cognizant about the various costs involved and make appropriate budgets to ensure that financial problems and resulting problems do not occur.

It is best to speak with mortgage professionals, your financial institution and personal accountants to ensure you have a good picture of your financial situation and understand if taking in further financial liabilities is something that your current cash flow and savings can manage.