Archive for April, 2008
Christian based credit union forecloses on Oceanside church
April 30th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad Business Community, Carlsbad Real Estate
OCEANSIDE– Things are getting tougher in Oceanside. According to ![Jesus+saves[1]](http://www.realtorahead.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/jesus-2bsaves1.jpg)
DataQuick the foreclosure rate in the 92056 zip code of Oceanside is up 221.7% quarter 1 2007 versus quarter 1 2008. While this is high for coastal north county, the surprise was the foreclosure of the Ambassador Church this month.
Pastor Barry Cook, who founded the church in 1995, blames the churches inability to meet its financial obligations on a declining congregation. One of the possible reasons for this decline? The pastor’s divorce from his wife this year.
“There were a lot of people who were hurt because of what happened to us,” Cook said. “There were a lot of people who were hurt because of delays in building. There were a lot of people who were hurt because I wasn’t stepping up to the plate as I should.” -San Diego Union Tribune 4/30/2008
The credit union, noting foreclosure on churches is very rare, is working with Ambassador church on a possible month to month tenancy. Let’s hope they are able to work this out.
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Foreclosures, foreclosures everywhere but here
April 30th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad Business Community, Carlsbad City, Carlsbad Real Estate, Carlsbad Village
CARLSBAD– Foreclosures and foreclosure rates are all the buzz these days. In some areas of San Diego these rates are very high. An example is Chula 
Vista with an average first quarter 2007 versus 2008 rate of 297%.
We here in Carlsbad are holding up very well with a rate of 67%. In fact foreclosures in 92009 went DOWN almost 14%. Now 67% is a great number if this was your stock portfolio, but it really isn’t that scary of a number in this situation.
In the first three months of 2008 only 43 homes in Carlsbad went into foreclosure. This figure represents .00097%, yes that is less that one ten thousandths, of the approximate total dwellings in Carlsbad.
Additionally, the four Carlsbad zip codes, 92008,92009,92010,92011, are amongst the nine lowest zip codes in all of San Diego county for foreclosures per 1000 homes. All but one, Grossmont/ La Mesa were coastal communities.
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Goodbye Dave Martin
April 25th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad Beaches, Carlsbad Outdoor Events
SOLANA BEACH– Tonight I said goodbye to triathlon club of San Diego member Dave Martin. As president of this great group it has been a very busy and emotional day for me. I came in to the position with the club when last June our president, Jim McCann, passed away unexpectedly.
Dave like many of us lived life to the fullest. When you look at the ocean as it was this evening, so serene and inviting, it is hard to imagine the tragedy that took place here in Fletcher Cove earlier. There 
were several heros swimming with Dave that showed great courage to do what they could to get him back to the beach. Unfortunately the encounter with the estimated 12–17’ great white caused to severe an injury.
The triathlon club hosted an open house at BnL Bike in Solana Beach so that it’s members could get together and support each other and those that were so closely effected by this tragedy.
As triathletes, we have to remember that while the ocean is home to 
creatures that have the potential to be dangerous, it is also our playground. Like a bike ride or a nice run, there is not a problem in existence that can not be solved during a good swim and not having to do flip turns every 25, makes it that much nicer.
I understand the prudence behind closing the beaches and giving the experts a chance to understand the situation, but we need not be afraid. This situation is as unfortunate as it is rare. This is supported by the media circus surrounding this event. From the small local North County Times to CNN my phone and email were flooded all day and evening with request for information and interviews.
We live in paradise and Dave knew it. As we watched the sun go down today as a group I could not help but think of the importance of trying to pack as much of life into each and every minute of our day.
Goodbye Dave.
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Earth Day at the Carlsbad Swim Complex
April 22nd, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad City, Carlsbad Community Events, Carlsbad Outdoor Events
CARLSBAD– Today after my swim at the swim complex, I had a ‘light bulb’ moment. Since today 
is Earth Day, I should write an entry based on things we can do or use to be more earth friendly. Unfortunately, it’s a little too late to research that post, but what caused the light to come on? A swim chamois.
I wish I could say that I thought this through, but see I always forget to bring a towel. Additionally I ride when I can to the pool so I prefer to travel light. These two reasons led me to buy the chamois and it’s been great. I can wring it out, throw it in its container and leave it in my bag. No smell, no forgetting a towel. Today though, the eco benefit presented itself.
According to SDGE, the average household does 400 loads of laundry a year. Another source states that the average washer uses 40 gallon of water. Now without counting the energy used to heat the water used in the washing machine, the energy use of the dryer and the soap, I figure I am saving about 2300 gallons of water and if you read my other blog you know water is a big concern of mine. This savings is based on 1 load a week of towels I would use if not using the chamois. Again there would be additional savings of electricty, natural gas and chemicals which is a cleaner environment and more money in your pocket.
If you have any enviro friendly suggestions please post them in the commment section.
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Carlsbad real estate market update
April 21st, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad City, Carlsbad Real Estate
CARLSBAD– Here is your Monday market update forCarlsbad. As you can see attached sold pricing contiues to stay fairly consistent and after the
Bressi Ranch bump last summer, prices are coming back up from the winter lows. I think we will see more consistency in numbers of sold listings and I know that homes priced right are still selling quickly. I just had a client close on this home on Camino Del Sol just off Tamarack. It was the first home they saw and we actually placed the offer before it went on the market. It took a week or so to come to terms throught counters.
Charts by Brian Long. Data from Sandicor MLS
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Carlsbad ocean view fixer opportunity
April 21st, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad Real Estate, Carlsbad Village
CARLSBAD– Here is your chance to buy a million dollar ocean view for half that. This home sold for $625,000 in April of 2007 and is now back on the market having never been lived in.
The owner started a remodel, back exterior walls have been removed, and that’s where the work stopped. I did not notice any weather damage, but this will make this most 
likely a cash or construction loan purchase. The true value are in the ocean view, the utilities in place and the 10,000 square foot lot.
There is plenty of upside to this purchase if you are a contractor or a darn good weekend warrior. Directly across the street are three million dollar homes. The most recent, pictured, sold in August of 2007 for $1.1 million. It is 5 
bedrooms, 3 baths and approximately 3500 square feet.
This is a short sale that most likely will going to a trustee sale. Contact me if you would like more information.
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4 bedroom west Carlsbad home for sale
April 16th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad Beaches, Carlsbad City, Carlsbad Real Estate
92008-
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Carlsbad 3 bedroom contractor special
April 15th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad City, Carlsbad Outdoor Events, Carlsbad Real Estate, Carlsbad schools
CARLSBAD– Here you go, the contractor/ sweat equity special you have been waiting for!!! 
This home listed by Windemere Exclusive Properties, features 3 bedroom, 2.5 baths with a pool on a 8000 square foot lot. The home sits just above Aqua Hedionda lagoon and one block, Laguna Riviera park, from Kelly Elementary school.
This project being offered at $459,000. If you are interested in viewing this home contact me, Brian Long at 760–415–3329 or follow this link.
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Giant Sloth found in Robertson Ranch development of Carlsbad
April 14th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad 'best of', Carlsbad Business Community, Carlsbad City, Carlsbad Real Estate
CARLSBAD– Well it’s happened again. The paleontologist observing the
grading for the new Robertson’s Ranch development found what are the pelvis, leg and some ribs of a giant ground sloth late last month. In the summer of 2007 the same site yielded mastodon bones including a jaw bone, teeth and a partial tusk. These bones were dated to be between 120,000–220,000 years old.You can see these at the Nature Center off Cannon Road and Faraday.
Funny thing about this. We went to the Natural History museum over spring break with our daughter to see the Pompeii exhibit. While there we checked out the fossils and I was surprised to see how many aquatic fossils there were from Carlsbad. Several years ago 35 Ammonites were found at a single construction site here in Carlsbad.
Turns out the area of Carlsbad and Oceanside are so rich with fossils that 
both the bones of a duck-billed hadrosaur and a bony-armored ankylosaur have been found in Carlsbad. Tom Demere the curator of paleontology at the San Diego Natural History Museum characterized this as a remarkable record.”
“Except for some (dinosaur fossils) near Fresno, there are virtually no other dinosaurs known from California ,” Demere said. -North County Times 2007/07/08
Because our homes are built on an ancient sea bed, it is theorized that these land dinosaurs died somewhere in the area of Utah or Wyoming. This was the coastline and they would have then fell in the ocean finally settling on the ocean floor here.
It is because of this history, and the knowledge that the El Camino Real valley is geologically correct, that the city of Carlsbad generally requires onsite paleontologists during earth moving and grading.
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Carlsbad couple suing Realtor lose case
April 11th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad Business Community, Carlsbad Real Estate, Carlsbad South
CARLSBAD– The Carlsbad couple suing their REALTOR for paying too much 
for their home in the Aviara area, lost their case. I originally wrote about it here.
After about a week of testimony and only two hours of deliberations the woman led jury dismissed the case.
“Mike Little did what he was suppose to do”, jury forewomen Wendi Brick said. “The bottomline is that you(as the buyer)are responsible when you sign a contract and purchase something”. North County Times 4–11–2008
Wonder if they’ll go after their attorney?
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