Archive for May, 2008
Valley Center Real Estate – A Rare Home For Sale
May 31st, 2008 Categories: Real Estate News
A Valley Center Masterpiece!
More than a property, 29059 Tangelo Way is an experience.
The gated estate sits on nearly three acres of awe-inspiring land. Oversized King Palms frame breathtaking mountain and valley views, while vibrant flowers pepper the lush landscaping with bursts of color.
This masterpiece offers the perfect balance of natural beauty and modern luxuries. Enjoy the convenience of built in intercom, surround sound, security and purification systems while lounging in a plush great room complete with wet bar, custom media center and dual French doors.
Designed for an active and social family, the compound features an expansive recreational courtyard that rivals most 5-star hotels. Grand stone stairs spill into a magnificent split-level, entertainer’s patio. The pebble-bottom pool shines deep blue and a waterfall spills from the attached spa into the water. Nearby are two fully equipped barbeque islands, a gas fire pit, personal putting green, regulation size All-Sports Court, outdoor living room, gigantic playground and five perfectly manicured lawns. And we haven’t even gotten to the guest house yet…
Highlights
Exterior – Landscaping
Oversized King Palms frame breathtaking mountain and valley views while vibrant flowers pepper the lush landscaping with bursts of color
Five perfectly manicured lawns self-maintain with an automated sprinkler system
Delicate outdoor lighting accentuates the hand laid stone walls, expansive patio and surrounding landscaping
Entertainment
The split level, recreational courtyard offers multiple floors of entertainment and relaxation, all on a bed of elegant stone slab
Grand stone stairs spill into magnificent entertainer’s patio, complete with two barbeque islands and a stunning gas fire pit
The barbeque islands have built in refrigeration, stainless steel grills and sinks, a warming drawer and a kegerator
The pebble-bottom pool shines deep blue and a waterfall spills from the attached spa into the water
An 18″ deep section of the pool is section off by a short wall so that smaller children can play in safety
The automated PoolSafe cover keeps the pool warm, clean and kid-safe
An All-Sports Arena provides a full-size basketball and tennis court for athletes of any age. The lighting systems will allow you to play day or night.
Practice your short game on the personal putting green while the kids play in the oversized sandbox and playground
Interior – General
Graceful arched doorways and vaulted ceilings add to the grandeur of the compound while the custom architecture shows an attention to detail
Striking wood shutters lend functionality and beauty to windows throughout the house
Plush carpeting and gentle paint offer new owners the perfect palette to personalize their home
A comprehensive surround sound system lets you play music in any room in the house, guest house and in the courtyard
Rooms
Dual French doors and dramatic windows fill the great room with light and showcase the stunning backyard
The great room features a built in media center, fully equipped wet bar and regulation size pool table (included!)
A designer study sits near the front entry, providing a quiet work haven with full view of the living room
Entertainers and chef’s alike will relish in the designer kitchen. There is plenty of counter space, a granite center island, stainless steel appliances, gallery ovens, a double refrigerator, full back splash and built in wine rack.
The master retreat is a getaway in itself. Enjoy a custom walk-in closet, large private bath and French doors that open to a personal patio
Attached to the master suite is a polished master bath with custom lighting fixtures, deluxe shower with dual shower heads, elevated whirlpool spa, his & hers sinks, vanity center and designer tile
There are two bedrooms in the children’s wing; both have custom closets, window treatments, vaulted ceilings, plush carpeting and easy access to their personal bathroom and media center
The multifunctional guest house boasts 900 interior square feet with a full bathroom, kitchenette, office and an additional 900 square foot indoor/outdoor living room
The spacious indoor/outdoor living room was designed for poolside lounging with ceiling paddle fans and hanging TVs
Extra storage is available in multiple crawl spaces and a large shed
Lifestyle
Enjoy the privacy of an automated-entry, gated estate lined with mature landscaping and full property fence
Safety features include: a state of the art security system, built in safe, alarm-coded gate, full property fence and front door with viewing-window
Built with care, this home makes living easy with a fully functional intercom, central vacuum system, numerous storage options and a top chef’s kitchen
More than just beautiful, the estate is also environmentally friendly. New energy efficient windows, a heat conserving pool cover, numerous ceiling fans, dual heat and air conditioning systems and an air & water purification system conserve energy and protect the environment.
This might be the right property for you, if…
You enjoy entertaining and want a property that lends itself to fabulous parties for children or adults.
You are active and need a house that can keep up with you! You enjoy sports, swimming, lounging and playing with your kids and pets.
You are tired of cookie-cutter developments and want a property that is truly unique and undeniably exquisite.
You would be proud to say that your backyard is as beautiful and functional as a 5-star hotel.
You believe in natural beauty and appreciate a home that works with its environment to create a personal oasis.
You love a good sunset, deep breaths of mountain air, the smell of fresh flowers and the taste of fruit picked from your personal orchard.
Your family is of the utmost importance and you require a home that is kid-friendly and offers the latest security features.
You could use a second onsite home as a guest house, pool house, personal gym, home office or private retreat.
You want a house that works for you, not the other way around. Features like self-regulated sprinklers, time control outdoor lighting, push-button pool covers, built in surround sound, and intercom systems appeal to you.
Valley Center Information
http://www.vcchamber.com/
· Complete demographics and city data
http://www.city-data.com/city/Valley-Center-California.html
Points of Interest
Pikake Botanical Gardens
Bates Nut Farm Local farm hosting country events, it is regionally famous for its pumpkin patch around Halloween time.
Fat Ivors BBQ restaurant located at 27961 Valley Center Rd.. It was recently burned down accidentally, but has since been rebuilt.
Lake Wohlford Local lake that allows public fishing; allows small boats.
Hellhole Canyon Open Space Preserve
Valley Center History Museum Home of the Famous Grizzly Bear, 29200 Cole Grade Rd, (760)749-2993
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Escondido Real Estate Prices Lure Buyers Not Newspapers
May 25th, 2008 Categories: Escondido, Real Estate News
Here in North County, especially in the inland corridors of communities like Escondido, buyers are resurfacing in large numbers. The reasons are simple…prices have declined significantly and interest rates are really low, and it adds up to more buying power for those in the market for a new home or investment property. You would think the opposite if all you did was read the newspapers. 
Today I got up and read the headline in the business section of the local Sunday paper, headline reading “Real Estate Crisis About To Get Worse”. The story went on and on about how the number of foreclosures are expected to rise and continue to rise throughout 2008. The story continued on two additional pages and the secondary headline on the next page read “Crisis” continued from page one. The author talks about real estate agents being at odds with “analysts”.
Further, I was confused by the quote attributed to their “analyst” that went as follows; “I am more wondering when is this thing going to blow up, and you’re already talking about light at the end of the tunnel”. Huh? (No, I did not misquote or mistype, this is actually what was printed). The quote was attributed to “an investor and former real estate broker” (actually still a real estate broker…I looked him up). But just as I was trying to find the meaning of this utterance, I realized what this was; just another opinion from someone who is probably not active in today’s market standing on the sideline barking negative information. Oh yeah, and the newspaper’s attempt to sell more papers.
I’m feeling less and less sorry for my local paper, as they are quickly being put out of their misery by the internet. What was once three sections and maybe 15-20 pages of real estate advertisements has shrunk to practically nothing. Why? It’s an old school medium that is frantically trying to turn all of their former print advertisers into advertisers on their internet portal. For years and years, many great local real estate brokers paid lots of money for what is essentially “presence” advertising in local papers, and are now being assaulted on an almost daily basis with three month old news and random predictions.
Next month, the National Association of Realtors “2008 Internet vs. Traditional Buyer Survey” will come out and it is expected to show that over 80% of us use the internet to help us with the search for real estate and related information. Listing aggregation websites like Trulia are seeing huge growth in their number of monthly users. 
We’ve all determined that putting our listings online where we can display dozens of photos, virtual tours, satellite images, school information, walkscores along with just about anything else you can think of that runs 24/7 all over the world at a fraction of the cost…is more valuable than one picture (sometimes blurry) and very small for a one day run with a declining readership in a limited area.
Today I helped my wife (who is a local Escondido Realtor) hold an open house in Brookside. We had over twenty five people show up for it, and by the way she did not advertise it in the local fishwrap. We met several nice people, including three different couples looking to buy in Brookside since prices have come down and made it an incredible value. One couple owns another home in Vista that they intend to keep as an investment property, and move into the Escondido home.
The market is the market. And today’s buyer has an incredible opportunity. Prices have dropped significantly and interest rates are still at historic lows. Bank owned homes that need to disappear from their books are selling like wildfire, some with multiple offers over asking price, and many to investor buyers who know San Diego County real estate will rebound.
If you you’re a doom and gloomer, read the newspaper. If you want relevant information, talk to a local Realtor and mortgage loan representative. Talk to your CPA and invest for the long run. Like that guy on the radio says, “and now you know, the rest of the story”.
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American Heritage Car Show At Grape Day Park In Escondido
May 24th, 2008 Categories: Escondido
One of the reasons I moved to Escondido 25 years ago was I loved the parks. One of Escondido’s oldest and most notable park’s right in the heart of downtown is Grape Day Park. Today, Grape Day hosted the annual American Heritage Car Show open to pre 1974 cars and trucks parked all over the grass.
You may already know that every Friday night, Escondido’s Downtown Grand Avenue hosts the “Crusin Grand” event where tens of thousands come from all over the state to participate. It’s become a huge event for downtown, and brings lots of tourists and car enthusiasts to our city.
This event is more laid back and while I was there a moderate sized crowed was simply browsing through looking at the cars – everything from dragsters to Corvettes to the vintage cars of the twenties and thirties.
On the Escondido History Center’s website it says “Feast your eyes on hundreds of beautifully restored classic cars. With parking on the grass and in the shade, vintage car owners think Grape Day Park is the perfect setting for a car show. The American Heritage Car Show celebrates our country’s love affair with the automobile”, and it truly is.
Admission to the event is free, but proceeds of the event benefit the Escondido History Center. The North County Times estimates that over two hundred vintage vehicles will take part this year and several thousand people will visit the downtown park for all or part of the six hour event.
The thing that always gets me when I go to the car events…nostalgia for those good old days!
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