La Costa Real Estate, Homes, Condos and Townhomes
Welcome to your guide to La Costa Real Estate and Homes in this active Carlsbad, California community. As La Costa Realtors and residents, we are very knowledgeable about La Costa neighborhoods, schools, golf, tennis, soccer and recreational opportunities.
La Costa is a beach-close residential community that is on the southern coastal end of Carlsbad, California. La Costa is conveniently located just 35 miles from downtown San Diego (and the airport) to the south, 30 miles from Orange County to the north, 85 miles from Los Angeles and less than an hour from the beaches of Baja, Mexico. Surrounded by scenic rolling hills, many La Costa homes offer ocean and mountain vistas as well as breathtaking views of the La Costa Resort, Spa and Golf Course.
For home buying, there is a broad selection of luxury homes, condos, town homes that should appeal to anyone seeking a home close to Carlsbad and Encinitas beaches, great neighborhood schools, and numerous recreational opportunities. There are older homes in La Costa, including those in the old Rancho La Costa, Alga Hills, La Costa Hills, Meadowood, and the La Costa Heights area–as well as newer homes in the following more recently developed Carlsbad neighborhoods. Feel free to search the La Costa MLS to see all currently-available homes that are listed for sale.
La Costa Valley
La Costa Oaks
La Costa Ridge
La Costa Greens
Santa Fe Trails
Carlsbad Ranch
La Costa Glen Retirement Community
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La Costa Schools
Many people, including some out of area real estate professionals, are confused about the school districts serving the residents of La Costa. There are three distinct school districts serving the La Costa area, and district lines are very clearly drawn.
The three districts are the Carlsbad Unified School District, the San Marcos Unified School District and the combined San Dieguito Union High School District and Encinitas Union School District for elementary schools. Before choosing which La Costa home to purchase or lease, you may wish to check with the district offices to determine which schools serve the home you are considering.
Alternatively, you may wish to call La Costa Realtors and real estate professionals Mike or Roberta Murphy at 760-402-9101/9102. We are very knowledgeable about critical school district borders. It is very difficult for newcomers (and even some Realtors) to understand the intricacies of these district lines–and interdistrict transfers between them are not always possible. For example, most homes off Alga are in the San Marcos School District (except for El Pato Court and homes off Estrella de Mar, which are served by the Carlsbad School District and the Aviara Oaks schools). South La Costa homes that are accessible off La Costa Avenue, however, are served by the San Dieguito and Encinitas Union High School Districts.
If school district issues are important considerations, you may wish to consider which La Costa neighborhoods are served by the school district of your choice.
La Costa Golf, Tennis and Recreation
La Costa is home to the two 18-hole championship golf courses and world-class tennis courts at the legendary and recently renovated La Costa Resort and Spa. A few blocks to the west is the magnificent Aviara Resort Golf Course, where every hole is a photographer’s dream, and to the east is Lake San Marcos Golf and Country Club with its championship and executive golf courses. Also close is the public Encinitas Ranch Golf Course and the new Crossings at Carlsbad. La Costa is also home to Carlsbad’s Stagecoach Park, with its gym, basketball courts and soccer fields.
Are you thinking of vacationing in La Costa? Check out La Costa Vacation Rentals! Looking for sun, sand and surf? The western edge of La Costa is just two miles from the broad and sandy South Carlsbad State Beach–and numerous other beaches and surf spots just beyond. These beaches are enjoyed by La Costa and Carlsbad residents year round!
For additional information about La Costa, you may wish to read the following:
La Costa Luxury Estate
La Costa Resort and Spa
La Costa Golf and Resort Membership Fees
La Costa Acura Tennis Classic
South La Costa High Schools
South La Costa Elementary Schools
La Costa Hospital and Medical Care
La Costa Greens
La Costa Oaks
San Diego 4th of July Fireworks for 2008
June 30th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad, Coronado, Del Mar, La Costa, San Diego Activities
San Diego’s mortgage meltdown and budget constraints have forced Chula Vista to cancel its big annual fireworks display, and Valley Center has fire safety issues, but the 4th of July fireworks displays in the rest of San Diego County will light the skies this Friday night.
San Diego’s real estate market notwithstanding, you shouldn’t have to drive far from your San Diego home to find a good spot to picnic and watch the fireworks:
2007 Fireworks Schedule in San Diego County
SAN DIEGO
Coronado: Glorietta Bay and Silver Strand
July 4, 9 p.m. Day-long festivities with a parade at 10 a.m.
(619) 437-8788.
La Jolla Cove
July 4, 9 p.m.
(858) 454-1444
Mira Mesa Recreation Center
July 4, 9 p.m. Food, rides, games and entertainment in Mira Mesa Community Park during the day.
(858) 538-8122.
Mission Bay Yacht Club
July 4, 9 p.m.
(858) 488-0501.
Ocean Beach Pier
July 4, 9 p.m.
(619) 226-8613.
Mission Bay: Paradise Point Resort
Thursday, July 3 at 9 p.m. with BBQ at 6 pm
(858) 274-4630.
Downtown: Petco Park
Saturday July 12, Fireworks follow the Padres game
(619) 795-5005.
San Diego Big Bay
July 4, 9 p.m.
(858) 751-5755.
Mission Bay: Sea World
July 4, 9:30 p.m.
(800) 25-SHAMU.
EAST COUNTY
Santee: Town Center Community Park Ballfields
July 4, 9 p.m.
(619) 258-4100 x201.
Spring Valley Park
July 4, 9 p.m.
(619) 479-1832.
Campo: Golden Acorn Casino
Saturday, July 5, 9 p.m.
619-938-6000[
NORTH COUNTY
San Marcos: Bradley Park
July 4, 9 p.m. Food and music are part of the celebration happening earlier in the day.
(760) 744-9000.
Vista: Brengle Terrace Park
July 4, 9 p.m. Daylong festivities.
(760) 726-1340, ext. 1574.
Camp Pendleton: Del Mar Beach
July 4, 9 p.m. All day activities including music, food and games.
(760) 725-2313.
Escondido: Grape Day Park
July 4, 9 p.m. Afternoon festivities, including game and food booths, music and entertainment.
(760) 745-1159.
Carlsbad: Legoland
July 4, 8:30 p.m. included with admission
(760) 918-LEGO.
La Costa Resort and Spa
July 4, after dark
760-438-9111
Oceanside Pier
July 4, 9 p.m. Part of the O’Fest All-Day Carnival
(760) 967-2005.
Ramona: Olive Peirce Middle School
July 4, 9 p.m. Grounds open at 5 p.m. for town picnic including food booths and games.
(760) 789-1311.
Rancho Bernardo High School
July 4, 9 p.m. Daylong festivities kick off at 10 a.m. in Webb Park.
(619) 889-8505.
Del Mar Fairgrounds
July 4, 9 p.m. included with admission
(858) 755-1161.
Valley Center High School
Canceled this year. Back in blazing colors in 2009!
(760) 670-7062.
SOUTH BAY
Chula Vista: Bayside Park: Canceled
Wednesday, 9 p.m. Food, music, and entertainment will be featured beginning at noon.
(619) 420-6603.
National City: Kimball Park
Wednesday, 9 p.m. Carnival rides, games and food booths also.
(619) 336-4290.
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La Costa Villas: Great Investment Bonus
March 27th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad, Golf, La Costa, Luxury Homes, Luxury Resorts, Real Estate News
Investors are moving back into the San Diego real estate market with impatient wallets.
They are seeking well-priced foreclosures, pre-negotiated short sales and real estate investments with income streams.
So-called bargains in sub-marginal areas may not be the wisest San Diego real estate investment move. Perceived bargains in outlying markets may be nothing of the sort, and we persistently advise our clients to stay with blue chip real estate investments especially in volatile economic times.
We just received a whisper from La Costa Resort and Spa that buyers of their Villas will receive up to $125,000 at closing for leasing their properties back to them for two years. And of course, there is always the option of using their condos as well.
This is a very limited offer, as only 10 La Costa Resort Villas whole-ownership, luxury condominiums remain. Each is fully furnished (just pack a toothbrush) with designer décor and high-end amenities throughout, and is located on the grounds of the world-class La Costa Resort and Spa.
Low out-of-pocket expenses enable resort ownership for minimal cost.
One-bedroom luxury condos start at $594,825, while two-bedroom units list for up to $1,033,000. With 75% financing, buyers can claim ownership with considerably low out-of-pocket expenses of up to $125,000. Plus, La Costa management will also waive monthly fees for two years to save La Costa Villa buyers even more.
A bonus of complimentary Villas Signature La Costa Sports Membership, valued at $16,500, is also included.
If you are interested in this exceptional value, please call Mike or Roberta Murphy for additional information at 760-402-9101 or 760-402-9102. We are including some luxury spa treatments for our buyers as well.
Read also:
Carlsbad FSBO’s and Short Sales: Carlsbad Real Estate Scoop
Carlsbad and San Diego Real Estate a Bargain for Foreign Investors
La Costa Chateaus: A Tale of Two Sisters
Carlsbad, La Costa and San Diego a Bargain for $1 Million Luxury Homes?
Pricing Your Carlsbad or San Diego Home in a Range
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Carlsbad FSBOs and Short Sales: Uh Oh
February 18th, 2008 Categories: Aviara, Carlsbad, La Costa, Market Trends
by Eve Sieminski and Roberta Murphy
Eve and I spent the afternoon studying For Sale by Owner (FSBO) sites and researching these Carlsbad listings and Carlsbad real estate through our local San Diego MLS.
The results are very interesting–and were enough to keep us at this real estate task for most of the day.
Some casual observations:
- The vast majority of these Carlsbad FSBO listings are overpriced. Are the owners relying on outdated information from Zillow or wishful thinking when pricing their homes?
- Many of those who purchased their Carlsbad homes in 2005-2006 may face difficulty if they need to sell today.
- The majority of the advertised FSBOs are in short sale position. In other words, these sellers owe more than what their homes are likely worth. This leads us to wonder: How prepared are these sellers to negotiate with lenders and keep buyers on the line?
- We observed several expired listings in Carlsbad that are now listed as For Sale by Owner. Prices generally stayed at the original listed price. Might price have been a reason these homes didnt sell in the first place?
- Carlsbad homes in the 92011 zip are selling the fastest, and seem to be holding values the best. This is because this area is closest to the beach and includes the planned community of Aviara. Market absorption rate here is 39 weeks.
- La Costa homes in the 92009 zip are burdened with a number of newer subdivisions including La Costa Greens, La Costa Oaks, La Costa Ridge, and Bressi Ranch. Most of these Carlsbad homes sold in the 2005-2007 timeframe and those re-entering the market now will have difficulty breaking even and may even face a loss. Market absorption time in the 92009 zip is running 49 weeks.
- North coastal Carlsbad in the 92008 zip code surprisingly has the longest market absorption rate: 60 weeks. This could be because many of the homes are older and current buyers are favoring newer properties.
- Northeastern Carlsbad in the 92010 zip has a market absorption rate of 50 weeks. This area is predominantly populated by the newer construction in Calavera Hills, but also has some established older neighborhoods.
Eve and I are continuing our market studies so that we can better advise our clients who need to sell their North San Diego County homes. Real estate is selling, and we are even managing to garner multiple offers for our attentive Carlsbad sellers.
All too often, a home seller assumes that because his or her home has granite surfaces, stainless appliances and a jetted bathtub the home is worth substantially more than an unimproved one down the street.
We are finding, though, that most buyers will bargain for the cheaper home and use the savings to make improvements to their own liking.
Read also:
San Diego Real Estate in the Tank: Fact or Fiction?
San Diego Luxury Builder: 2007 Worst in 40 Years
Where is the San Diego Market Bottom?
San Diego Realtors Seeing Double¦Offers
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The Errant Golf Ball Disclosure
January 4th, 2008 Categories: Golf, Golf Courses, La Costa
This morning I sat in on a blogging webinar hosted by Kevin Boer and Pat Kitano and had to chuckle when they asked their students to write about how Californias errant golf ball disclosure came into being.
An errant golf ball disclosure may seem like an incredible waste of paper and resources, but thats what happens when we live in such a litigious society. There are 50 to 150 pages of disclosures that are an integral part of each California real estate transaction and the one I always have fun pointing out to clients is the seemingly absurd disclosure that targets wayward golf balls.
I am then forced to explain that each of these disclosures is surely the result of some lawsuit and that one can probably glean a history of California real estate litigation by going through each disclosure item.
I dont know how the errant golf ball disclosure came into being, but I would imagine it resulted from someone like fictional Jake, who moved into a quiet La Costa golf course community and expected peaceful and quiet enjoyment while watching the bunnies and coots on the greens and fairways.
One morning while enjoying an early cup of coffee on his patio, Jake was bopped in the head by an errant golf ball, the result of some hackers stupid slice. The knot on his head throbbed, turned purple and he laughed while telling the story to a group of people at a cocktail gathering a week later.
In the audience was a personal injury attorney who suggested Jake sue the sellers of his home along with all the real estate agencies involved. These conniving home sellers and Realtors should have disclosed that bad golf shots could break windows, knock noggins and result in a collection of golf balls in the shrubbery.
Fictional Jake and his attorney sued the home sellers and their agent along with his own Realtor for failing to disclose that one of the hazards of living on a golf course is the possibility (or certainty) of errant golf balls.
Whether the case was won or lost is purely irrelevant.
Agents and home sellers in the State of California must now disclose the hazard of errant golf balls that could be flying anywhere in the Golden State.
I also heard this morning about a required local hazard disclosure in Palos Verdes about Errant Peacock Poop¦.
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San Diego Irresistable to Expats and Foreigners
November 22nd, 2007 Categories: Carlsbad, Coronado, Del Mar, Encinitas, La Costa, La Jolla
It had to happen sooner or later.
With the falling dollar, San Diego area real estate has become a screaming bargain to foreign investors around the world. Real estate prices in many prime US locales have already declined, and must be irresistible for those who are seeking to purchase San Diego luxury homes and condos with Euros or Canadian dollars.
Now, many Americans who have been living abroad are considering a return home, where the purchasing power of the dollar isnt being decimated every other day. From their perspective, real estate in Florida, Arizona, Nevada and California look like the same bargains Canadian and Euro-packing investors are buying.
We received a call earlier this week from an American living abroad who intends to sell his inflated European estate and move to the sunny and balmy climes of San Diego. He will exchange his invested Euros for dollars, and invest them in blue chip American real estate, where he and his wife can enjoy an active retirement in Americas Finest City.
San Diego’s own Brian Brady with Mortgage Reports wrote a recent article about how Canadian real estate investors are buying American real estate in droves. Brian is currently working with one Canadian real estate investor seeking to buy a Scottsdale, Arizona home, while another Canadian is looking for a second home on the San Diego coast.
Both investors from Canada will enjoy not only the depressed pricing in both real estate markets, but will also appreciate their Canadian dollars (aka Loonies) buying 30 percent more than they would have a year ago.
Many Americans living in Canada may also be considering a move back across the border, because the cost of living in the United States now is so much less than a Canadian lifestyle–which must be paid in Loonies.
In the years ahead, it will be interesting to see how many second homes in America are owned not only by foreign nationals, but by former American expatriates as well.
In the meantime, we welcome back America’s own–as well as those seeking a coastal San Diego retreat. We can assist not only with finding that special property in La Jolla, Coronado, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad or Oceanside, but can also provide solid help with finding appropriate financing.
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