My Thoughts on Blogging

As you know from reading my blog here, I write quite a bit. And as I have mentioned in the past, I write on several other blogs as well.

My Relocation A to Z blog focuses on relocation issues for buyers and sellers, especially those moving here to Carlsbad and the San Diego area.

My First Time Buyer Central blog is for buyers, new and experienced. Those interested in Carlsbad homes (and other areas) will find lots of useful information about the process and issues to be aware of in our housing market.

I also write on the ActiveRain network, which is for professionals in the business as well as consumers (community articles for buyers and sellers are found on Localism).

I see a tremendous value in blogs for consumers who are buying and selling. It's a way for me to share information about the buying and selling process. It is also a great vehicle for sharing community information, for those who live in the area as well as those who are considering a move here. And consumers can get to know me through my blogs.

Now and then I like to poke fun at various things, and recently wrote a tongue-in-cheek article about why I don't like blogging. There is a tad bit of sarcasm there, of course, since I really do enjoy it (or I would NOT have written over 1000 posts in the last year on my 4 blogs).

So for a bit of humor and perhaps a laugh or two, read about why I don't like blogging.

Art Splash 2007 in Carlsbad

I recently wrote about a list of many fairs and festivals occurring in the San Diego area - here's the post in case you missed it.

My wife and I went to Art Splash in Carlsbad yesterday - what a terrific (and FREE) event, which benefits the art programs in the Carlsbad schools. We didn't get there on Saturday and missed the Taste of Carlsbad, but yesterday was very cool. Dozens of art vendors (paintings, sculpture, jewelry, pottery), violin makers, rock balancing, a small circus and much more.

Of course the highlight was the chalk art (just one example shown above) and there were several dozen artists participating.

You can read more about the festival here and enjoy a slide show (there are many photos so it may take some time to load and to view).

Wow, It's Raining

I woke up early this morning to a new sound - it was raining, and fairly heavily.

For those of you who have lived here for a long time perhaps this seems odd that I would even bother to mention this, but for an East Coast boy who is used to regular rain throughout the year (well, except in winter when it is replaced by relentless snow), not having any for - what is it about 7 months? - is hard to get used to. And of course because our drought conditions are pretty significant this was a welcome sign.

I doubt it was enought rain to do much, but it was welcome nonetheless. I understand we are due more on Saturday.

More on Things to Do and Think About

Since my last post business has gotten incredibly busy - good news, I think, but I suspect you can tell since nothing has shown up here for some time...not a good thing.

I have been very busy showing property although buyers are still taking lots of time to ponder their options or even to decide if now is the right time to buy.

Many of the buyers are coming from out of town and want to move here either permanently or to have second homes. With the weather we have been having in last week or so can you blame them? So much of the writing, when I have had time, has been about things to do.

The last article about fairs and festivals was fun to write, and I am making an effort to get to some of these. One was the Rancho Santa Fe Art Affaire - you can read about that here.

I was out previewing some properties for some buyers from New Mexico and from Arizona, and decided to stop by the new Crossings at Carlsbad golf course which just opened in early August. This public golf course has been in the making for 17 years, wit lots of controversy (the over-run on the budget, for one). Here are my impressions.

Part of the business has to do with a colleague of mine who is out of town for several weeks and who asked me to cover his business, which I am happy to do. He is a surfing enthusiast and headed to Bali for 2 and 1/2 weeks of surfing. I can't imagine. But while I am not a surfer I have written a couple of things recently - one post was about surfing here along the North County coast in general (stop by to listen to the popular Beach Boys tune). The other was about the Surfing Museum in Oceanside, which was great fun to visit and worth a trip if you haven't been there.

I've written quite a bit here about life in California after moving here from Boston. I recently wrote more on my thoughts on this topic - check out my musings...

It's hard to believe the Labor Day holiday has passed, all the kids are back in school, the weather is feeling like fall, and another weekend has arrived. Make it a good one.

BTW the Fall Home and Garden Show is being held this weekend at the Del Mar Fairgrounds if you have nothing to do. It's worth a visit...at least once. Hours are Noon to 7 TODAY, 10 - 7 Saturday, and 10 - Sunday.

Don't forget the Wavecrest Woodie Meet (mentioned in a previous post) that occurs Saturday at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas.