Fans of Coastal San Diego is Relocating

No doubt you have noticed I have not been including much information here recently. I am STILL a huge fan of San Diego but with my business and keeping up my other blogs it has gotten to be too difficult to continue to post here regularly, and I have been trying to consolidate some on-line activity.

I have been writing a lot on my ActiveRain blog and include lots of information there about Carlsbad and San Diego in general. So going forward I will be posting my Fans of Coastal San Diego stuff there. Please feel free to stop by and visit Carlsbad Homes And Real Estate Tidbits.

You may also be interested in my Carlsbad Video and Photobloggery. This is ONLY photos and videos about North Coast San Diego - no articles at all. If you have photos you would like to share, please fee free to send them along to me at JDowler@remax.net. I am happy to post them, anonymously if you wish.

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.

The Del Mar Race Track

I attended my first races at the Del Mar Race Track yesterday. I haven't been to the races for many years, and never to the Del Mar track, so it was great fun to see this landmark, also the site of the San Diego County Fair and many other expositions. We got to enjoy the Stretch Run/Infield area, as I was there for a real estate networking event with ActiveRain folks and the Sellsius Blog Tour USA.

There are a number of choices of where to sit, depending on whether you want a seat or not, would like to dine, and where. Admission ranges from $5 to $25 - you can buy tickets at the track or on-line.

Parking seemed pretty adequate (although I understand that Opening Day on the 18th was mobbed). Parking is $8 but you can also Valet Park for $20.

Racing season this year (with the new PolyTrack to provide increased safety for the horses and riders) runs from July 18 through September 5. It's worth the trip if you have not been before.

Foreclosures and Other Housing Stuff

I expect you have been reading the papers and have noted the various articles and headlines on the housing market. If you haven't, you are in the minority.

Recently, the news has gotten a bit better, in the overall scheme of things. But you have to read BEYOND THE HEADLINES, since those are there to attract readers and sell papers. They are not necessarily an accurate picture of what is going on in the market. Am I biased since I am in the biz? I don't think so. I watch it carefully for that reason and I track the MLS statistics myself. And I am out there everyday talking with buyers, sellers, agents, and the newspapers just do not, for the most part, describe what is really going on in the market. Or the information is taken out of context. And often the headlines have little to do with the content of the article.

Case in point - the headlines screamed at us the other day on the front page of the business section about the 660% increase in foreclosures. But did you read beyond? The news is not all bad.

I wrote a post about this on my ActiveRain blog - here's the link to the post, which also talks more about other housing market news. Take a look.

The rates are great right now - and predictions are for them to remain so for some time (they may hit 7% by the end of the year, per some folks, while others say they may be closer to 6%). Inventory is great too. Prices are stable. And buyer activity is definitely picking up. If you are thinking of buying, this is a great time. And as a seller, if you are realistic vis-a-vis current pricing, your home will sell fairly quickly.