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The Latest San Diego Remodel: Staircases

May 15, 2013 by Comments
Older staircase in La Costa home

by Roberta Murphy Carlsbad, CA--Over the past decade, there has been a flurry of home remodeling in San Diego County--particularly in coastal areas, where building activity first blossomed. During the last ten years, tile and formica surfaces in kitchens and baths have been replaced with natural stone products, while stainless steel appliances dominate kitchens. Popcorn has been scraped from ceilings and energy efficient dual-paned windows are replacing their single-paned predecessors. Now, the staircases … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Alert: Does Your Agent Have Insurance?

May 13, 2013 by Comments
Errors and Omissions Insurance

One of the first questions you should ask of any San Diego real estate agent you are thinking of engaging: Are you covered by Errors and Omissions Insurance that will protect us both in the case of litigation? Can you provide proof of said coverage? According to the 2013 Realtors Member Profile, fully 78 percent of all Realtors are NOT covered by E&O insurance. This sends shivers down my spine. Most real estate lawsuits are leveled against the sellers by their disgruntled buyers. Errors and Omissions … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured Blog Posts, Relocation, Tips for Sellers Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

To Rent or Buy in San Diego?

May 13, 2013 by Comments
Increaed costd of renting

My heart goes out to those who struggle over whether to rent or buy in the San Diego real estate market. On one hand, folks fear getting caught in a real estate bubble that destroyed so many in the past few years. Alternatively, renters in San Diego are seeing rental costs soaring, with no let-up in sight. So what to do? Should you buy a home now while rates are low and lock in your monthly payment. Or should you continue to rent and wait to see if prices go down? This visual from the KCM Blog shows what has … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured Blog Posts, Market Trends, Tips for Buyers Tagged With: , , , , ,

Living Large at the Jockey Club in La Costa

May 12, 2013 by Comments
Jockwy Club

by Roberta Murphy When showing luxury condos in North County, I almost always try to introduce clients to the Jockey Club at La Costa--and enjoy their amazement. The Jockey Club at La Costa represents the epitome in large and luxurious condo and townhome living in not only Carlsbad, but all of San Diego .Ceilings in the living areas must vault up 20 feet, and large skylights above keep the rooms awash with natural light. Closets are oversized and storage space is abundant. All offer grand stairways, huge … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Carlsbad, Golf Courses, La Costa Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Best Llife Hacks Ever!

May 7, 2013 by Comments
Life Hacks for Living in San Diego

by Roberta Murphy Son Eric Murphy knows how I love elegant solutions to seemingly complex problems. This afternoon he sent to me a link not with one--but 100 life hacks that can solve myriad problems and entanglements--not only for me, but for our San Diego real estate clients as well. Read and enjoy--but beware though, you may become a compulsive hoarder of empty toilet paper rolls, paper clips, walnuts, plastic bottles, old suntan lotion containers, clothes hangers and even those little plastic tabs that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tips, San Diego Tagged With: , , , ,

Deficiency Judgment on San Diego Short Sale?

May 3, 2013 by Comments
Lots of confusion about san diego short sales

Put to rest the nightmare of a lender pursuing a deficiency judgment against you for mortgage debt forgiven in a California short sale. It's not going to happen! Mortgage lenders are prohibited from obtaining a deficiency judgment following the short sale of a residential property with no more than four units. Junior lien holders are also prohibited from pursuing a deficiency judgment if they have agreed to the short sale (per Cal. Code Civ. Proc. ยง 580e). In effect, lenders who agree to a short sale can no … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured Blog Posts, Military, Short Sales, Tips for Sellers Tagged With: , , , , ,

Will I Owe Taxes on My San Diego Short Sale?

May 2, 2013 by Comments

This is a question anyone facing a short sale in 2013 should ask their Realtor. We've written about these taxes before, but once again here is the information we present to our San Diego real estate clients: For Federal tax returns, the mortgage fotgiveness debt relief on principal residences will remain in effect until December 31, 2013. Will it be extended? We don't know. For California tax returns and according to the California Franchise Tax Board, the debt forgiven on or after January 1, 2013 may still … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured Blog Posts, Foreclosures, Short Sales, Tips for Sellers Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

How to Generate Multiple Offers on a San Diego Home in 2013

April 15, 2013 by Comments
Bidding button for San Diego real Estate

Want to generate multiple offers on your San Diego home this year? Here are 7 tips that can make the difference between a home that sells at or above list price and one that languishes on the market. In most markets, buyers are waiting and willing to compete for homes that make to cut. Here are some tips to attract multiple offers: Price to perfection. List your home at or around 5 perent under market valuation and you could generate a bidded sales price of up to 8 percent over your original asking price. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Carlsbad, Featured Blog Posts, San Diego, Tips for Sellers Tagged With: , , , , ,

Solution for Upsloped Yards in San Diego

March 28, 2013 by Comments
San Diego Rear Yard Solution

by Roberta Murphy San Diego is full of hills, with homes built upon them. As a result, much of San Diego real estate have yards with steep hillsides and upslopes begging for a solution. I recall showing a home in Oceanside where the owners had terraced the hillside and created amazing vegetable gardens, interspersed with fruit trees. There was also a secret hideaway hidden by vegetation that offered a rustic reading bench and summer shade. In Carlsbad, La Costa and San Elijo Hills there are plenty of homes … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Carlsbad, Home Improvement Tips, La Costa Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

San Diego’s Weather is… Perfection

March 24, 2013 by Comments
San Diego Spring Weather

by Roberta Murphy Carlsbad, CA--Friends in the Midwest and East Coast are starting to swear (literally) that snow is a vile four-letter word. They are tired of the cold, the slush and dreary skies. They long for sunshine, balmy weather, sandy beaches and blue skies. In short, they long for San Diego with its sunshine, top-down driving weather, bikinis on beaches, flip flops and blue skies. This year, I think we in coastal San Diego had about 3 weeks of winter which brought welcome rain and a few COLD days with … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Best of San Diego, Living in San Diego, San Diego Beaches Tagged With: , , , , , ,