Archive for the 'Carlsbad Business Community' Category
Challenged Athletes Foundation SDTC 2008
October 27th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad Business Community, Carlsbad Outdoor Events
SAN DIEGO– When I started my real estate business, one of the first decisions I made was to try to use my resources to benefit the triathlon and endurance sports community. I try to direct my marketing dollars towards sponsoring events and clubs and my time as well. The two things I am most proud of is the time I spend with the Triathlon Club of San Diego, but mostly my involvement with the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
The Challenged Athletes Foundation was founded here in San Diego by three guys, Jeffery Esachow, Rick Kozlowski and Bob Babbitt, looking to help a fellow triathlete gain more independence by purchasing him an adapted vehicle. The first Tri Challenge was held in 1994 and the foundation was formed in 1997. According to the website the Foundation has raised more then 11 million dollars and funded more than 2,100 grants.
These grants are given to individuals to not only help them pursue new dreams, but to also give them the ability to participate in an active lifestyle. Funds are given to athletes of many sports, ranging from snow skiing legs for my buddy Jonah Vandever, pictured with myself and his mom, to handcylces for my good friend Erica Davis. Funds are also used to help cover travel expenses, coaching and clinics to help athletes get to the next level of competition. At the 2008 Paralympics, CAF athletes took over 25% of the hardware!!!
In 2004, CAF stepped up HUGE in support of our veterans and soldiers suffering permanent physical injuries while participating in the global war on terror. In 2008, that program, Operation Rebound, was extended to include all military persons past and present as well as the first responders of the 911 attacks. As a veteran of Desert Storm, I am proud that CAF has taken on this mission. Many of these recipients are young men and women who have a long life of accomplishments awaiting them.
As the current President of the Triathlon Club of San Diego, I am trying hard to get more of our local “challenged” athletes involved with our club. I invited below the knee amputee, known as a BK, Tracy Moore come and speak to the club at one of our monthly meetings and it was very moving. She shared how a life of drug and alcohol abuse with a failed suicide attempt turned around when she was bitten by the running bug. However, it was her exposure to the programs and with help from CAF, as well as triathlon that really have brought about the many positive changes in her life. With her new running leg, she has many great accomplishments both in triathlon and running events. 
Another great CAF/ TCSD story involves our long time member Andy Bailey.
Andy, while starting our sport later in life, was able to string together some pretty impressive finishes including several age group wins. What I was most impress with and why Andy was a special member of TCSD however, was that while he lived in Irvine, he was a very faithful and giving member of our club. Specifically what made him special to me though, was his participation at most if not all the local triathlon expos manning the TCSD booth at some part of the day. He is what every club could hope for from a member. An active caring and sharing member who exposed those he came in contact with to the best of our community. It is his love for the sport and community that makes him this way. Unfortunately in 2006 a freak accident in the driveway of his home gave Andy a temporary set back, but CAF a chance to make a difference in this athletes life. This weekends CAF event was Andy’s return to triathlon competition. I am sure this is only the beginning of a great new chapter in Andy’s life.
Another club member and good friend Erica Davis has also been the benefactor of CAF and those who help raise funds.
Erica, who was also participating in triathlon as an “able bodied” athlete, had her life changing injury in December 2005. A physical education teacher in Hawaii at the time, Erica suffered a ruptured vein in her spinal cord that caused a build up of pressure and eventual atrophy of her spinal cord. What started as a back ache 5 days later turned in to paralysis from her belly button down.
In 2006, I was sent an email from CAF asking if I could help an athlete with the swim portion of the Encinitas Triathlon. With out hesitation I said yes and was told to meet Erica at the venue. When I met Erica, a beautiful blonde California girl, I was taken in by her great smile. Unfortunately though, in the back of my mind were the VERY POOR conditions on the swim course that day. I was confident that we would not be swimming as the ocean, while it was May, looked like the day after one of our big winter storms. There was not a definite swell direction nor cycle, but there was definitely a swell of 3 -5 feet. On a normal day, this swell size would not bother me to much, but this day, it was so sloppy, ugly, cloudy and grey out, that I did not even bring a wetsuit. Unfortunately the organizers decided to go ahead with the swim and Erica was determined to get out there, 
so I borrowed a wetsuit from 2XU representative Richard Verney and off we went when the gun sounded. I have NEVER been more worried during an ocean swim in my life. There was never a lull in the surf and Erica does not have the ability to “ duck dive” because she can not plunge her torso while lifting her legs in order to dive, duck style. So with each passing wave all she could do was let the white water have its way with her and then try to get back to the task of swimming.
Initially I would try to force her down underwater with me, but once we got into deeper water, closer to the impact zone, this really became less effective and possibly dangerous. The possibility of slamming in to each other just became to great. So I was left to the primary role of lead worrier and with every wave came an additional wave of anxiety. Here his how it went.
A wave would approach and I would use my momentum to dive deep and forward. The last thing I would do though was make sure I saw that Erica was aware of the coming wave. If not, I would tap anywhere I could touch so that she could prepare. I would go under praying and pop up having already turned back towards shore. The process, while still praying, then turned to scanning the whitewater of the passing wave. What I was hoping for was Ericas butt to surface much like the way a sub comes up. Not sure why, but this was pretty consistently the body part that broke the surface first. Once I got her position, I would swim to her and the next thing I would see, to my relief, would be her, lift her head and give me a big smile in response to my, “are you OK?” question. At this point we sometimes had a chance to start swimming but also sometimes, we had to just repeat the process we just went through. To be honest, there were several times I was hoping to hear,”let’s get the heck outta here!!!”. But she soldiered on and while the current had driven us to far south to realistically make the single bouy, she did that day what well over half of the field did not do, and that was make it out past the surf. I saw many a “heman triathastud” humbled by the conditions and I will always remember her for her determination that day.
Since then I have helped Erica with many ocean training swims as well as escort her on rides. One day hopefully she achieves her dream, shared almost universally in triathlon, of making it to compete in Kona.
This is the first year I mixed business and pleasure at this event. I was asked to do the swim as part of relay with Dr. John Martinez, of Coastal Sports and Wellness, and his wife. Due to a large fog bank hugging the coast in the morning, the swim was shorten to keep the athletes closer to shore for safety sake. Instead of a 1.2 mile swim, it was turned in to probably an 800 meter swim. Staying consistent with this shortened swim, our cyclist, Dr. Martinez, missed some turns on the open bike course and did not ride the entire 56 miles. Trying to stay honest with what should have been his course time, he decided to burn some time with breakfast at Breuggers Bagels. Fortunately his wife Laura, a strong runner, kept it honest on our anchor leg with a strong 13.1 mile run. Remember this is an event not a race became the theme of our team!!!
All and all it was a great event with over 2 million dollars raised this year when combining the triathlon with the Quallcom Million Dollar Challenge ride and the Tour De Cove spin cycle fund raiser. This is one of the great charities and causes. Please consider getting involved as a fundraiser or volunteer. You will have the opportunity to not only touch many lifes, the rewards are
Lastly, I would like to thank all my fellow TCSD members that came out in support of the event. Members of the Triathlon Club of San Diego played huge roles in support of the event by manning a run aid station, organizing and staffing the Kaiser Permanente walk and throughout the event in many capacities. It makes me proud to be a member along with so many great people!!!
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DO NOT FALL VICTIM TO MORTGAGE SCAMS
September 25th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad Business Community, Carlsbad Real Estate
Carlsbad– GOOD NEWS, the rate of foreclosure filings took a break last month only up 23% from the year previous. The average going into August had consistently been over 60%. BAD NEWS, as the flood gates of bad economic conditions continue to open further, I have a feeling this will be a brief respite.
So in this time of a seemingly endless parade of bad news, there are those out there looking to make a buck by scamming desperate homeowners out of money and sometimes their actual home. Nothing like kicking someone while they’re down.
While there is a great article from MSN about three of the most common scams, the most common potential for a scam in our area is probably the “Phantom Help”.
The “phantom help” scammers are usually the guys placing the yellow signs offering help at the freeway offramps and on the telephone poles. In this scam the company charges you thousands of dollars for various administrative duties like filing forms and phone calls, or else keeps simply promising a big rescue late. What the company is really doing is nothing and
eventually you will fins this out. Unfortuantely, by that point it is generally too little too late to take real steps. On top of this, you are out of the money you spent.
These companies can also target you through foreclosure sites and/or the public record. When your lender starts the foreclosure process in California they file a notice of default and list the amount of money your are delinquent on. These companies now know you are behind in your mortgage payments and you become there target.
There is help though.
If you are falling behind on your mortgage or know that is inevitable, there are things that can be done. First and foremost, you have to be honest with yourself with regard to your situation. Chances are time will ont heal this wound.
Your first line of defense is your phone and your computer. You have to communicate with your lender. Not only explain to them what is happening in your life to cause your situation, be prepared to back it up with documentation. I recently wrote a blog post about loan modifications and it was reported that almost half of all loan workouts were loan modification. Statewide this number monthly hoovered between 9,000 to 10,000. Realize this is a real possibility. You just need to be proactive and patient. This process can take many weeks. You are trying to save your home and your 
credit so do not give up.
If you do not seem to be getting anywhere or you do not have drive to push it through, I do have a lender who has a team that will work on a loan modification for a fee. How this is different from the scam mentioned, is they do not collect any money unless they are successful in getting the modification. Additionally your fee is based on the amount of money you have saved.
If you can not get your loan modification I can help you with the sale of your home. If you are delinquent on your current mortgage, we would do a preforeclosure or short sale. The diifference between the two is your standing with the lender. It would be considered a short sale up to the point that the lender files Notice of Default initiating the foreclosure process. At this point it technically becomes a preforeclosure sale. The bottom line is we do everything we can to find a buyer and submit that offer to your lender along with a hardship letter explaining why you no longer can afford your home in the hope that the lender will take the short payoff and not foreclose on your home. 
Again, probably the most important thing you can do is to acknowledge your situation promptly and try hard to work with your bank to come to agreeable terms. While you are doing this, CALL ME, work with someone you cna trust to evaluate your situation. Your goal should be to try to keep your home, but I realize that is not always possible and I will do everything I can to help you. Remember, even renters are buying a home. Just not theirs.
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“Old” Carlsbad positively leads the cities housing market
September 14th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad Business Community, Carlsbad City, Carlsbad Real Estate, Carlsbad South, Carlsbad Village, Carlsbad schools
CARLSBAD-Of Carlsbad’s four zip codes, 92008, 92009, 92010 and92011, the best real estate data are coming from the “old” area of the city.
The San Diego Union Tribune reported on data from DataQuick this weekend that approximately two-thirds of sellers lost money when selling their home.
For Carlsbad, the 92008 “village” zip code had the lowest rate of homes sold for a loss in the city and was in the top 6 for the entire county. From June 22 through August 22, there was a total of 40 transactions of which 10 were for a loss. Additionally, when looking at detached homes, 92008 has the second best affordabilty of 15% which is double from its last year mark of 7%.
Turning our attention towards 92010, in the same data used revealed that the 92010 had the lowest difference on median price from previous sale of 6.9%. This is also the fifth lowest for the entire county. To put this number in perspective, the area hardest hit, Golden Hills, had a median loss of 55% which translates to a return of only $45,000 for every $100,000 in initial purchase price. The other areas of Carlsbad saw approximately twice as much loss at approximately 13.7%.
In more good news for the area, 92010 maintains its position as the most affordable area of the city at 16% for detached homes and just over 26% 
when combined with attached homes.
The 92011 zip code was not included in the article. The study was done on zip codes wth 10 or more transactions during this two month period and with 60 closed transactions, 92011 should have been included. I have contacted the author to see if I could get an explanation.
Contact me any time, I am here to help.
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Carlsbad home buyers… let do this!!!
September 9th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad Business Community, Carlsbad City, Carlsbad Real Estate
CARLSBAD– As most everyone knows by now, on Sunday, the federal government put both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in to conservatorship.
Placing the companies in conservatorship, rather than receivership, could signal that the government does not intend to nationalize or liquidate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Instead, under the terms of a federal law passed this summer, conservatorship is designed to allow the government to restructure the companies and return them to private control. Treasury officials have previously compared the process to Chapter 11 bankruptcy.-Seeking Alpha, 9/6/2008
So what does this mean to Carlsbad’s current and potential homeowners?
There are two primary impacts to our housing market.
Firstly, for existing homeowners, interest rates have already started to fall on fixed rate loans and are expected to continue trending downward for the next 3–6 months. This is great news for homeowners with loans that have rate adjustments coming in the future. However, being realistic, the changes in loan program, new qualifying guidelines and loss of equity, are 
going to be factors limiting the number of homeowners that can take advantage of this.
Secondly, for potential buyers and sellers, more importantly is the cause of the lower interest.
The reason rates have already gone down, currently at 5.88% down from 6.26% last week, is the potential for a large and consistent infusion of cash in to the mortgage market from the government. This infusion will ‘loosen’ the flow money which should help lower underwriting standards.(Isn’t this how we got into this predicament in the first place?)
The government hopes that loosening the purse strings will prompt lenders to lower underwriting standards and ease the credit crunch that has kept many potential home buyers on the sidelines.-San Diego Union Tribune,9/9/2008
With the significant drop in home pricing and our market’s high inventory, if you have been waiting to purchase, I would give serious consideration to the current market. Your new home is waiting for you and remember, if you are renting, you are buying a home. Just not yours.
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Save money, time and your credit
September 6th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad 'best of', Carlsbad Business Community, Carlsbad Real Estate
SAN DIEGO– I was recently surfing the net looking for something to perk my interest for my blog. I happened to go to the Department of Corporations website, not sure why, and what I found there is encouraging.
I am working on a market campaign, the pictured is a rough idea, reaching out to homeowners in trouble. The worst thing homeowners facing a money crunch can do is hope the problem goes away and it seems their biggest hurdle is reaching out for help. I realize it is hard to talk about these things, but you HAVE to and the sooner the better.
There is a huge window of opportunity right now to get either a loan modification or a short sale.The government, federal, state and local are all over lenders to do everything they can to help homeowners stay in their homes. Currently it is estimated that up to 60% of the homes banks have already foreclosed on are NOT on the market. The average monthly case load
for a full time loss mitigation manager in the state is approximately 150 files a month. Again there is a huge incentive for financial institutions to try to help as they are getting buried.
What the survey showed to my surprise is that approximately 20% of all loan workouts initiate in the state are granted loan modification or forbearance. This is GREAT news. Another 25% close escrow through foreclosure/REO sale or short sale. However, short sale closings are less than 10% of this group. This tells me homeowners have a GREAT chance of getting a loan modification if they initiate the process soon enough and have a real reason for the need.
Lastly, I am here to confidentially help you with your situation. We will work together to try to come to the best solution for you. I am working with a lender that can help with the loan modification process. Feel free to email me or call 760–415–3329.
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Carlsbad’s new high school to be delayed
August 27th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad Business Community, Carlsbad Community Events, Carlsbad Outdoor Events, Carlsbad schools
CARLSBAD– Starting back in the 90’s Carlsbad initiated a habit plan in the Calavera Hills Preserve for the California gnatcatcher. More recently an 
area in the southeast section of the Calavera Hills area was designated a habitat area for the least Bell’s vireo. This area was part of a mitigation plan for the recent development of Calavera Hills and Robertson Ranch project.
The good news is the habitat efforts seem to be working as two nests for the vireo as well as gnatcatcher were recently found in the designated habitat area and in an adjacent property currently used for farming.
The bad new is that this property is the site of and adjacent property designated for the new high school Carlsbad voters approved in proposition P.
In what for me, a Carlsbad homeowner and supporter of Prop P, can only be summed up as “you’ve got to be kidding me”, the success of these habitat programs and proximity to a major aspect of the school site is now delaying the construction of the new high school and may alter the planned facilities permanently. It is very surprising that this habitat and its potential impact was seemingly not taken into account when designing and spending Prop P money on the development of the site plan. Between the fencing and signage 
the boundaries of the habitat are very apparent. I could absolutely understand if the district released a best case site plan and a separate contingent site plan. However I can find no evidence that this was done.
The school district on August 18th released their own statement regarding this ‘new‘ information and its possible effects on the construction. Firstly, there will be a delay in construction of approximately a year which they believe will add approximately 3–4% to construction costs. Additionally, I would predict construction cost may as be effected if there are mitigation costs and site adjustments that will need to be added to the site to help maintain these habitat sites. Secondly, there will most like be changes made to the facilities planned for the site with the possibility that the proposed football stadium will have to be cut from the plans.
“The district may have to abandon plans to build a football stadium at the new campus. According to site plans, the visitors’ bleachers border the least Bell vireo nesting sites.
“There’s obviously concerns about lighting and noise, because bleachers (during sporting events) are very noisy,” (Elisa)Williamson said.– SD Union Tribune, 8/16/2008
However, we need only to look at our new golf course to see how quickly construction costs can escalate because of time delays, habitat expenses and site changes.
Originally the Carlsbad municipal golf course was projected to cost $10 - $15 million. In 2005 when the Carlsbad City Council finally went ahead and moved forward with final construction, they were told the project’s costs would be $37 million. When actually completed late last year and opened for play, the costs had ballooned to (approximately)$63 million.– San Diego Institute For Policy Research, 2/28/2008
While walking my golden retriever, Dave, yesterday out in the Calavera area we came across two different areas where sound tests were being conducted. They seemed to be set up to monitor road noise from the Cannon College interchange. I have a call in to the school district to get further information about the sound testing and if they plan to simulate stadium noise in order to determine the potential impact.
What was Dr. Roach’s, Carlsbad school district superintendent, feelings about these developments?
It’s not surprising. The city created a special habitat there for the bird after Corky McMillin Cos. upset least Bell’s vireo habitat at its nearby Robertson Ranch housing project, Roach said. McMillin paid the city to establish the habitat as part of a mitigation agreement, he said. – SD Union Tribune, 8/16/2008
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Carlsbad’s desalination plant unanimously approved
August 23rd, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad Business Community, Carlsbad City, Carlsbad Outdoor Events, Carlsbad Real Estate
CARLSBAD– The States Land Commission unanimously approved the desalination project slated to be built on the Encina power plant site in Carlsbad. This was the final regulatory approval the project needed in order to start construction next year with the goal of water production starting in 2011.
The plant, which will produce about 50 million gallons of freshwater from 200 million gallons, will be the largest desalination in the western hemisphere according to Reuters.
With the Carlsbad project receiving final approval, this helps clear the way for approval of approximately 20 other desalination project proposed for the California coast.
Earlier this week the first of what will probably be several legal challenges was rejected by the State Water Resources Control Board. The suit filed by the Surfrider Foundation said plans to minimize environmental damage the plant would cause were 
insufficient.
The Coastal Commission also this month approved a second plant to be built on the Monterey Peninsula to provide water for a development near Cannery Row. This plant is much smaller and will produce about 25,000 a day.
While I believe these projects are necessary and I support the idea, I fear not much good will actually come from them if they are tied to development such as the Monterey project. We need new water sources to help meet our current needs. This is evident by the state’s current drought situation.
“It is easy for Sacramento to put off dealing with the water infrastructure,” Schwarzenegger said. “But as we now see, there is no more time to waste, because nothing is more vital than to protect our economy, to protect our environment, and to protect our quality of life.” -CNN.com, June, 5, 2008
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Carlsbad’s frozen home equity lines
August 21st, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad Business Community, Carlsbad Real Estate
CARLSBAD-The turn in the housing market has created a collapse in what some homeowners were hoping could be their emergency parachute; the home equity line.
The home equity line is defined as a method of borrowing in which a homeowner may borrow against home equity as needed using a checkbook or credit card. In there in lies the problem. We homeowners have lost our equity.
As a REALTOR, my income obliviously can fluctuate greatly. With the negative turn in the economy, I have at times viewed my equity line as a security blanket that I could tap in to in a worst case scenario. About 2 months ago I received notice in the mail that my equity had been frozen which actually makes me one of the fortunate.
There are situations where the money is being spent over time in for a single event such as college tuition for children or remodeling projects. In these situations the homeowner signs a long term agreement makes a payment or two and then are notified that the equity line has been frozen which is completely legal.
“Theoretically, you could have people writing checks and spending money they should not be spending. You can appeal. The No. 1 priority is to make sure that loan doesn’t default.”
Mark Goldman, a real estate finance instructor at San Diego State University, said it makes no sense for banks to notify borrowers before they reduce their line of credit.
“Of course they aren’t going to call you up and say we’re taking a look at your loan,” he said. “The borrower, upon receiving that notice, would likely draw down the remaining available balance on the home-equity line.” – San Diego Union Tribune, 8/21/2008
While I believe in honesty in all situation, if you think you may have to tap into your equity line, I would access all the money at once. To offset some of the interest costs, open a CD with the funds. This way you know you have necessary funds.
While the linked article states to periodically check with your lender to find out what your available credit is, I am not sure that is the best advice. Sometimes getting your information to percolate to the top of the stack can only lead to bad things.
As stated by Mark Goldman, “It makes no sense for the bank to notify borrowers….”, I would follow the financial institution’s protocol with the reversal of the placement of the words bank and borrowers.
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Carlsbad builder losing both affordable and luxury projects?
August 12th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad Business Community, Carlsbad City, Carlsbad Real Estate
SAN DIEGO– This weekend, The North County Times reported that Carlsbad based Barrat America was close to losing its City Square project in Escondido. This once award winning project, that in August of 2007 was reported to be ‘debunking market trends’, was suppose to help anchor a revitalized and modern downtown.
City Square’s failure stems from Bank of America’s decision to freeze Barratt’s $125 million credit line, Pattinson(Barratt America CEO) said. He also questioned the bank’s motives, saying it is not interested in exploring workable solutions, such as extending the life of a loan.-North County Times, 8/10/2008
However, while in October of 2007, Barratt was announcing winning awards at one project, they apparently were not paying their sub-contractors. The NC Times article also reported that since November of 2007, 80 civil lawsuits have been filed against Barratt America and most of those have been filed by unpaid sub-contractors.
The luxury community additionally effected is Carlsbad’s Magnolia Estates. 
While looking through SANDICOR, San Diego’s MLS, for foreclosure activity, it seems as though the whole of Magnolia Estates is facing foreclosure proceedings and have lawsuits attached to them, presumably from the subcontractors looking to get paid.
Hopefully Barratt America, which has reportedly laid off 100 of its 130 employees, will be able to find new financing or work out a solution with Bank of America as neither city benefits from the blight, whether townhomes or luxury homes, decaying uninhabited.
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Carlsbad desalination plant gets coastal commission approval
August 6th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad Beaches, Carlsbad Business Community, Carlsbad City
CARLSBAD– After a 10+ hour meeting today held at Oceanside city hall, the California coastal commission gave final approval to the desalination plant that was proposed to be built on the Encinas power plant site.
The plant will produce approximately 50 million gallons of freshwater a day from 100 million gallons of seawater. The plant will actually pump in excess of 300 million, what is is not sent through the reverse osmosis process is used to dilute the brine left over from the 
process.
To offset damage to marine life from the plant operation there will be 55.4 acre habitat restoration site to be built in two phases. One the size of Poseidon’s proposed 37 acres in the first two years and then an additional 18.4 acres added within the next five years.
With regard to a carbon offsets requirement, Poseidon stated that they will use as much solar power as possible. Also, there may be an actual energy usage reduction if you take in to account that pumps, theoretically, will no longer be necessary to bring 50 million gallons of water to San Diego daily from northern Caliornia.
The project will now go to theCalifornia State Lands commission which meets August 22nd in Los Angeles. If approved there, construction on the project should begin in mid 2009.
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