Homes for Sale in San Diego County

Curb appeal can make the difference between a sale and no sale when marketing your home for sale in today’s market. Most home buyers over estimate the cost to clean up, repair, or replace a homes undesired exterior features so it’s important to take away that factor when marketing your home. When a potential home-buyer is viewing homes in a neighborhood they are constantly comparing every home they view against each other.

I had a client once who was searching for homes in a certain school zone. There were quite a few to choose from but this couple fell in love with one particular model. There happened to be 3 of this particular home model available for sale all with different features. I will call them Home A, Home B, and Home C. Home C was on a standard lot with neighbors on both sides and Homes A & B were on corner lots which was appealing to the buyers. Homes A & B had identical features and amenities inside, aside from the color schemes. The front exteriors were landscaped in a similar fashion but Home A had a permitted but unfinished patio cover and no rear landscaping. Home B did not have a patio cover but had a simple but well maintained rear yard but was priced almost 100K more than home A. Guess which home did they chose (against my advise)?

Home B! The overpriced property with the well maintained yard. Their reasoning…the color of the paint on the inside and they thought the rear yard was going to be too much to landscape and finish! Mind you these were 7000sf lots, not half acres or anything. The cost to finish the patio and landscape the rear yard in Home A in a similar fashion to Home B would have been well under $8000 if done by a professional. Interior paint job by a professional would have been less than $6000 and they could have chosen their favorite colors. Essentially, they paid roughly $86,000 for a $16,000 job.

Now, I’m not suggesting you list your San Diego home $100,ooo more than the guy down the street because your landscaping is better, I’m just making a point that curb appeal makes a huge impact on buyers. This is a very rare circumstance that happened.

If you’re looking to sell your San Diego home, here are a few suggestions for making your home more appealing for potential home buyers with these quick and easy tips:

Trim bushes, so they don’t block windows or architectural details.

Mow the lawn, and turn on the sprinklers for 10 minutes prior to a showing to make the lawn sparkle.

Put a pot of bright flowers (or a small evergreen in winter) on the porch.

Edge the grass around the walkways and trees.

Keep your garden tools and hoses out of sight.

Clear toys from the lawn – front and back.

If your mailbox looks untidy, replace it.

Upgrade outside lighting.

Make sure the doorbell works and is clean.

Replace the doormat for the outside of the front door.

Clean the windows, inside and outside.

Polish or replace your house number and make sure it is visible from the street. Even in the evening time.

Place a seasonal wreath on your front door.

At this point, only active members of the military ( including those serving in the intelligence and foreign services) are eligible for the $6,500 federal tax credits for first-time and repeat homebuyers.

These military members who were on active duty and out of the United States for 90 days during any part of 2009 get an additional year to buy their homes, extending the tax credit for them to May 1, 2011.

Title insurance protects the homeowner from any losses sustained from defects in the title. It’s required by most mortgage lenders. Here are five other things you should know about title insurance.

It protects your ownership right to your San Diego home, both from fraudulent claims against your ownership and from mistakes made in earlier sales, such as mistake in the spelling of a person’s name or an inaccurate description of the property.

It’s a one-time cost usually based on the price of the property. It is customary in San Diego county that the Buyer pays for the “Lender” policy and the Seller pays for the “Owners” policy but can be negotiated differently.

There are both lender title policies, which protect the lender, and owner title policies, which protect you. The lender will probably require a lender policy.

Discounts on premiums are sometimes available if the home has been bought within only a few years since not as much work is required to check the title. Ask the title company if this discount is available.

If you are purchasing a piece of San Diego real estate as an investment purchase with the intent to sell the property shortly after the purchase, be sure to ask the title company for a “binder” with your policy as this will save you money when you go to resell.

How does your San Diego home smell? It might be worth an extra sniff because buyers certainly will take notice.

Sensory research shows that the smell of a home can affect a person’s mood, according to Terry Molnar, executive director of The Sense of Smell Institute, a New York – based organization that focuses on the importance of smell to human psychology, behavior, and quality of life.

A light floral fragrance can put people in a more pleasant mood, while citrus scents, such as lemon and grapefruit, tend to have an energizing effect, he says. “Vanilla is one scent that’s universal around the globe,” Molnar says. “People find it comforting and relaxing.”

But be careful: When you add smells to  your San Diego home, it can be viewed as an attempt to cover up a bad odor. And if that’s the intent, it can make the problem worse.

So what if you do need to get rid of a bad smell? Here are some ideas from home staging professionals:

Take the trash out. It’s simple, but it can make a big difference. When your San Diego home is being shown, empty the garbage often.

Snuff out the smoke. Eliminate all smoking inside and even outside, particularly when the doors or windows are open. An ionizer can help remove smoke smells.

Watch the cooking. The smell of lamb, broccoli, garlic, fish, and eggs can stick around long after the food has been eaten.

Wash Fido. Pets can be a big source of smells. Limit the pet to an outdoor area or a certain room in your house that can be regularly cleaned. Also, clean the pet’s bedding regularly and if you have cats be sure to clean the litter box.

It can be pricey to heat or cool your San Diego home these days. By checking your home’s energy efficiency, you might unveil some ways to trim monthly costs.

You don’t necessarily need a pro to assess your San Diego homes energy deficiencies. With a little elbow grease, you can get a good sense of where your home is leaking hot and cool air.

Inspect exposed ducts. They may not work efficiently if they’re dirty, have small holes, or if they pass through unfinished portions of your home and aren’t insulated. Look for whether intersections of duct pipe are joined correctly. Since ducts are typically made out of thin metal that easily conducts heat, uninsulated or poorly insulated ducts in unconditioned spaces can lose 10 percent to 30 percent of the energy used to heat and cool your home.

Look for stains on insulation. These often indicate air leaks from a hole behind the insulation, such as a crack in an exterior wall.

Check insulation R-value or thickness. Where insulation is exposed (in an attic, unfinished basement, or around ducts, water heaters, and appliances), use a ruler to measure thickness, recommends the Department of Energy. Use an online insulation calculator to compare your results against those suggested for the San Diego region. Only a professional’s thermographic scan can reveal if insulation is consistent within a wall; it can settle or may not be uniformly installed.

Check your San Diego home’s exterior envelope. Hold a candle or stick of incense near windows, doors, electrical outlets, range hoods, plumbing and ceiling fixtures, attic hatches, and ceiling fans in bathrooms. When smoke blows, you’ve got a draft that may need caulking, sealant, weather stripping, or insulation.

Canterbury in Carlsbad is a new homes builder Shea homes community located near Cannon and El Camino Real in the 92008 zip code. This sought after community consists of 3 to 5 bedroom homes built between 2000 and 2002. These Carlsbad CA homes range in size from 2222 to a generous 3038sf all in 2 story designs. Each of these Shea Homes designs features a 2 bay garage with entry into the home and some models feature an optional 1 bay garage separate from the standard 2 bay or a tandem 3 bay garage, which provides extra storage or parking.

Canterbury in Carlsbad primarily features Spanish home, Mediterranean, and contemporary home designs and include a variety of features that make them up to 30% more energy efficient than many other standard homes. During construction, Canterbury even featured an option for a solar water heater, which at the time made Shea Homes the first local home-builder to participate in the President’s Million Solar Roof Initiative. Other unique features of the Canterbury homes community include tot lots throughout, walking trails, a volleyball court, and homesites with views of the hillsides or canyons. HOA dues in Canterbury are paid on a monthly basis and currently run about $72 along with a Mello Roos fee averaging about $68 per month.

The Canterbury homes community is currently located with-in the award winning Kelly school zone, which is one of the major selling features of this community. Plans for a new high school just minutes away off of Cannon and College are in the works, which will further increase the desirability of this wonderful family neighborhood. With a straight shot up Cannon, these Carlsbad CA homes feature quick beach and freeway access as well as quick access to Legoland and the Carlsbad Outlet Mall. Canterbury homes in Carlsbad are currently selling from the $500’s. Contact me at (760) 470-2752 or by email at travis.breton@summitrealtygrp.com for a free list of available homes for sale in Canterbury or for information about Carlsbad homes for sale. 

Bressi Ranch is located between Palomar Airport Rd and Poinsettia off of El Fuerte in the Carlsbad CA zip code of 92009. These Carlsbad homes were built by new homes builder Lennar Homes and feature Mediterranean, Cape Cod, and Colonial home architectural styles. The homes in Bressi Ranch Carlsbad range in size from 2094sf to about 4644sf and boast floorplans with 3 to 5 bedrooms, some with optional dens, offices, libraries, or theatre rooms.  Bressi Ranch features many parks, a community pool, trails, sports fields and open space encouraging outdoor activities for all ages.

Being built between 2005 and 2006, these Bressi Ranch homes feature many modern colors and styles that fit just about anyone’s tastes. From white on white kitchens to Cherry with stainless GE Monogram appliances to Mahogany with rich colored granite, every Bressi Ranch home features a gourmet style kitchen. All homes come with an attached 2 or 3 car garage with entry into the house. Many Bressi Ranch models feature front porches, private courtyards, or balconies with spactacular views. The Bressi Ranch HOA dues run about $200 per month and have a Mello Roos payment of roughly $200 per month. Mello Roos payments help maintain and fund the great amenities of the popular Bressi Ranch homes community. Prices for these Carlsbad homes start in the $500′s.

Contact me at (760) 470-2752 or by email at travis.breton@summitrealtygrp.com for a free list of available Bressi Ranch homes or for information about Carlsbad homes for sale.

The Bluffs in Carlsbad CA are townhomes built by Anastasi Development Company located off of Adams St. and Harrison St. in the west Carlsbad area. These luxury Carlsbad townhomes have a prime location overlooking the lagoon and are with-in walking distance to watersport activities such as boating, skiing, fishing, and more. Located about 1 mile from Tamarack Beach, these luxury Carlsbad townhomes are also biking or even walking distance to beach recreation, shopping, and restaurants.
The Bluffs in Carlsbad features 68 residences ranging in size from 1842sf to about 2800sf with 3-4br floorplans. Each of the 2800sf models boast full lagoon views and many units feature lagoon and ocean views. All models are a split 3 level design with an attached 2 car garage. The Bluffs in Carlsbad CA are fully equiped with stainless steel Whirlpool Gold appliances, granite countertops, custom cabinetry in various stains, hardwood flooring throughout the main level, travertine flooring in select areas, crown moulding in select areas, 2″ faux wood blinds, ceiling fans, and more. The master baths feature extensive use of natural stone materials including travertine slab countertop, frameless clear glass shower enclosure, oval acrylic whirlpool tubs, and more.

The Bluffs in Carlsbad CA features a clubhouse with kitchen, flat screen TV, fireplace, seating area and game tables, swimming pool and spa, lush community landscaping, and a private outdoor fitness circuit, bocce ball court and volleyball/badminton court. HOA dues for the Bluffs townhomes run about $195 per month and there is no Mello Roos payment.

These luxury Carlsbad townhomes with views are priced from the $400′s. Contact me for a free list of available resale units or for information about Carlsbad CA real estate for sale.