San Diego: America’s Finest City
San Diego is a vibrant and young-feeling city, but it is actually the birthplace of California. Originally populated by the Kumeyaay, its first European discovery in 1542 was accomplished by Portuguese explorer Juan Rodrigues Cabrillo sailing under the Spanish Flag (1499 - 1543). He landed in San Diego’s Point Loma and claimed the area for Spain.
There’s little chance Juan Cabrillo would recognize much about America’s Finest City today. San Diego is now the 8th largest city in the United States, with a population of 2.9 million. It is affectionately tagged as America’s Finest City because of the warm hospitality it extends to all, it balmy climate along with stunning natural beauty and views.
At the same time, San Diego is also the world’s 29th richest city and urban area in terms of GDP. What is the significance of this distinction? The top 30 cities ranked by GDP account for around 16 percent of the world’s entire gross domestic product (2005).
In addition being noted for its vibrant economy, San Diego is also known for the liveliness of its residents. Sports Illustrated once called San Diego “Sportstown USA” because San Diegans of all ages are so active. That is not surprising, since San Diego has over 70 miles of beaches and coastline, approximately 100 golf courses, and countless miles of trails for both hikers and horses. San Diego is also the home for the San Diego Chargers football team, as well as baseball’s San Diego Padres.
The gentle and relatively arid climate in San Diego presents the opportunity for year round outdoor sports and activities–as well as gardening. The Wikipedia chart below exemplifies this perfect climate:
| Weather Averages for San Diego | |||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °F | 65.1 | 65.7 | 64.9 | 66.7 | 67.1 | 69.3 | 73.0 | 74.8 | 75.4 | 73.4 | 68.9 | 65.3 | 70.2 |
| Avg low °F | 48.9 | 50.7 | 52.9 | 55.6 | 59.2 | 61.9 | 65.7 | 67.3 | 65.7 | 61.0 | 54.0 | 48.7 | 55.0 |
| Avg high °C | 18.4 | 18.7 | 18.3 | 19.3 | 19.5 | 20.7 | 22.8 | 23.8 | 24.1 | 23.0 | 20.5 | 18.5 | 21.2 |
| Avg low °C | 07.3 | 08.3 | 09.5 | 11.0 | 13.3 | 15.2 | 17.3 | 18.3 | 17.0 | 13.9 | 10.0 | 07.5 | 12.8 |
| Precipitation (in) | 2.28 | 2.04 | 2.26 | 0.75 | 0.20 | 0.09 | 0.03 | 0.09 | 0.21 | 0.44 | 1.07 | 1.31 | 10.77 |
| Precipitation (mm) | 57.9 | 51.8 | 57.4 | 19.0 | 05.1 | 02.3 | 00.8 | 02.3 | 05.3 | 11.2 | 27.2 | 33.2 | 273.6 |
| Source: worldclimate.com January, 2007 | |||||||||||||
Many San Diego residents originally came as tourists and visitors, and returned to spend the rest of their days in this coastal paradise. San Diego’s central and outlying economy is amazingly sound and diverse. San Diego County is a large and fertile agricultural center that also offers a broad employment base in manufacturing, aerospace, technology, aircraft and shipbuilding, as well as scientific and medical research. It is also one of the largest biotech centers in not only the United States, but the world.
San Diego’s Balboa Park area is the largest urban cultural center in the United States. It is home to not only the world famous San Diego Zoo, but to 15 different museums including an aerospace museum, art and history museums, science museum, railroad museum, and the Old Globe Theater(s). Here both locals and visitors find an ever-changing venue of exhibitions, plays, musicals and events. Though there is an admission fee to the museums and theatrical performances, entrance to the park is free.
Other attractions in San Diego would include:
Things to Do With Kids in San Diego
San Diego Chargers Football Team
San Diego Padres Baseball Team
San Diego Library (it’s not just books anymore!)
San Diego County includes not only the City of San Diego, but also a number of other incorporated cities and towns:
Carlsbad (including La Costa and Aviara)
Chula Vista
El Cajon
Encinitas (including Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Leucadia and Olivenhain)
Escondido
Imperial Beach
La Mesa
Lemon Grove
National City
Poway
Santee
Solana Beach
Vista
Neighborhoods and communities within the City of San Diego would include the following:
| Please feel free to click through this site to explore communities and real estate in and throughout San Diego County, including beach communities such as Coronado, La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad and Oceanside. For more inland serenity, golf and sunshine, you may want to look at luxury real estate and homes� in Rancho Santa Fe, Cielo, The Crosby, The Bridges, Santa Luz, La Costa,� and Carmel Valley.� Also in high demand are homes, condos and horse properties� in San Marcos, Lake San Marcos, Vista, Fallbrook, and the lovely� Warner Springs.� If you have any questions about these San Diego neighborhoods or other areas and communities please feel free to call or email and we’ll share all we can!Real estate listing information provided throughout this site is intended for consumer’s personal and non-commercial use. Listing data for San Diego properties is provided through Sandicor, San Diego County’s Multiple Listing Service.� Every attempt is made to update listing information on a daily basis, so that your search for properties will be as meaningful as possible.San Diego’s real estate market remains a lively one, and has become a very favorable one for home buyers.� Inventory levels are at much healthier levels than before, and in some cases we are negotiating short sales for our home buyers and sellers. It is a busy market! Almost daily, we receive calls and emails from people seeking relocation to San Diego coastal communities–or from locals seeking to upgrade or downsize. And of course, there are some who simply wish to pocket a tax-free gain they may have acquired by living in their home for two of the last five years. The San Diego real estate market is a very fluid one!If you are thinking of selling, we have buyers. If you are seeking to buy, we know San Diego and which properties might meet your needs.� We look forward to working with you and your relocation needs!Be sure to check out consumer links, school information, free reports,useful tools, and real estate answers too.Thanks for visiting San Deigo’s online real estate source. Please bookmark this site for future reference, come back often, and make yourself at home. We’ll leave the door open and the lights on! | |
The search for San Diego real estate and homes in the area might include any one of these cities–or unincorporated areas of San Diego County. To check availabilities, please feel free to call any member of The Murphy Group at 877-818-8197–or search the San Diego MLS online.
Oceanside Terraces and $1000 Costco Card
June 21st, 2009 Categories: Oceanside, San Diego, San Diego Real Estate
Oceanside Terraces at 301 Mission Ave, Oceanside, CA has to the potential to be one of the hottest coastal real estate deals in San Diego–and you could end up with a $1000 Costco gift card to boot !
On Sunday, July 19 individual units in the Oceanside Terraces condo development are slated to go to auction at the Carlsbad Sheraton Hotel. Eve Sieminski, Scott, Mike and others have spent the last 15 months representing the builder and this project and know it inside and out. We know the best units–and also have a very good idea where successful bidding might start. Additionally, we are intimately familiar with other developments that are slated for the parking lots in front of Oceanside Terraces.
For example, how about a 1947 square foot corner unit that will NOT lose its current ocean view–and that just might be had for a minimum bid of $295,000??? This represents a 61 percent price reduction from the original asking price of $759,900! (We only wish we could have had these prices–and financing–when we were selling these residences).
We met earlier this week, and have decided to offer a $1000 Costco gift card to buyers whom we (Eve, Mike, Scott or me) officially represent and who close on one of these condos with us post-auction. To qualify for the gift card, one of us at San Diego Previews must accompany you on your first visit, officially register you with the auction company, appear with you at the auction and accompany you to the closing table. Additionally, we understand the builder may be offering $1500 toward your closing costs.
It is also important that you be pre-approved with one of the builder’s lenders. Please give one of us a call to make an appointment for the registration process and to preview available units. If you wish to see prior minimum pricing, you will also need to sign a buyer-broker registration agreement.
If we both jump through the required hurdles, you are represented by San Diego Previews– and you are the successful auction bidder, at close of escrow you will also receive a $1000 Costco gift card compliments of San Diego Previews.
For additional information, call:
Eve Sieminski GRI 760-518-2264 (eve@sandiegopreviews.com)
Scott Murphy GRI 760-613-6190 (scott@sandiegoprviews.com)
Mike Murphy 760-402-9102 (mike@sandiegopreviews.com)
Roberta Murphy 760-402-9101 (roberta@sandiegopreviews.com)
For additional information about Oceanside Terraces:
Oceanside Terraces: Oceanside Urban Luxury
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San Diego Chargers Move to Oceanside?
June 19th, 2009 Categories: Oceanside, San Diego, San Diego Activities
Carlsbad, CA–A local radio station (100.7 Jack FM) reports that the San Diego Chargers may be reconsidering Oceanside as a site for the new Chargers Stadium. The targeted real estate for this project would be the old Valley drive-in site that sits on the north side of Route 76 in Oceanside, not far from the I-5 Freeway.
And according the the San Diego Union Tribune, a representative from Thomas Enterprises consulted with Chargers spokesman Mark Fabiani regarding this proposal around six weeks ago. (Our ears are still close to the ground). Two years ago, the Chargers nixed the idea of building the new stadium at the Oceanside Center City Golf Course.
Also seriously considered for awhile was the site of Chula Vista’s huge power plant, but that prospect appears to have cooled–as have plans to build near the existing Qualcomm Stadium.
I think Oceanside’s old drive-in site would make an excellent location for a new Charger’s Stadium–far better than anything in Chula Vista. It is close to Interstate 5 and with that North County location, would attract Chargers fans and money from Orange, Los Angeles and Riverside Counties. It is also not far from the Oceanside Train Station, and would be fairly easy to run shuttles from station to stadium.
This move to Oceanside would keep the Chargers in the San Diego area, keep $ millions in our local economies, and would provide employment for countless workers both pre-and post-construction. It may also be one of our best opportunities to keep the Chargers on home soil.
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Mardi Gras Fun in San Diego
February 15th, 2009 Categories: San Diego, San Diego Activities, San Diego Events
by Scott Murphy
Most of us won’t be able to make the Mardi Gras fun in New Orleans, but not to worry, mon cheri. San Diego has special plans for a Mardi Gras celebration on 2/24/2009 that promises some outrageous fun.
The San Diego Gaslamp area in downtown San Diego will host the Mardi Gras fun starting at 6 p.m. The celebration this year will include two wickedly fun parades on Fifth Avenue, which will start at about 7 p.m. and last about one hour each. Additionally, there will be a block party with bands playing at several stages.
Beads? Bring beads, share beads, catch beads–there will be lots to go around.
San Diego’s Mardi Gras event will happen, rain or shine and is a 21-and-up event. Tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased at entry gates.
Advance tickets can be purchased online for $15 at http://www.gaslamp.org. Proceeds will benefit GQA (Gaslamp Quarter Association).
Come join the fun. I plan to be there with video camera and just may catch you on tape!
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San Diego Real Estate Investors Rejoice!
February 11th, 2009 Categories: Carlsbad Real Estate, Mortgage News, Real Estate News, San Diego, San Diego Real Estate
Carlsbad, California–According to Fannie Mae and effective March 1, 2009 real estate investors can once again own and finance up to 10 individual properties–instead of the current four.
San Diego real estate investors, though, will have to meet new minimum requirements:
Those buying a 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th or 10th home must meet the following standards set forth by Fannie Mae:
- 720 credit score
- 25% down payment for a 1-unit (30% for a 2-4 unit)
- No mortgage delinquencies in the last 12 months
- 6 months of reserves for each investment property
In other words, Fannie Mae is re-opening the lending spigot for real estate investors having good credit, ample reserves and a sizeable down payment . Logically, Fannie Mae believes that this change will allow investors to “play a key role in the housing recovery.” That is because under current guidelines, investors with four or more properties–and who are going to foreclosure auctions–were unable to obtain mortgage funds under Fannie Mae guidelines. Instead, they were forced to use “hard money” loans–or cash reserves to complete their purchases.
This change should help expedite the San Diego foreclosure liquidation process–and provide more support for the San Diego housing market.
And finally, homeowners with more than four properties will be able to participate in the ongoing conforming mortgage Refi boom. Until now, they, too, have been stymied by the four-property restriction.
For additional reading:
Let’s Resurrect Assumable Loans
Want to Modify Your San Diego Home Loan?
San Diego Real Estate News Upbeat–Sorta
San Diego Foreclosures Take a Holiday
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For the Pampered San Diego Home Garage
February 2nd, 2009 Categories: Carlsbad Real Estate, San Diego
Carlsbad, California–In an organized home garage and an ideal world, every car has its space
A good number of San Diego homeowners, though, use their garage for purposes other than parking their cars. Garages are often converted to home gyms, to play areas for kids–and most frequently, for storage.
For those San Diego homes that actually use their garages for parking cars, though, we have discovered a simple tool that will flash an alert when a car pulls too far forward in the garage–which could nick the car’s paint and finish. An inexpensive and portable Flashing Garage Parking Signal
The device is an adjustable, 44-inch tall parking aid that lights up red when touched by a car. It comes with a weighted base to prevent slippage ,and its pole is flexible to protect cars (and itself) from damage.
Aside from two batteries, no assembly is required. Just place the device on the floor of your garage where you want your front bumper to stop– and you’ll get a perfect, nick-free park job every time.
In fact, I am thinking of carrying one of these gizmos around for parallel parking on city streets. Think it might work?
The Flashing Garage Parking Signal
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