The lawyers think we should do more to prove our worth, so I’ll mention our recent sales where we represented the buyers.
Some may think we are too busy to help them or have other pre-conceived ideas, but hopefully these will help to demonstrate our ability to assist buyers. I encourage every buyer and seller to review an agent’s Zillow account to examine their sales plus reviews – here is a link to ours.
1. The sellers were getting divorced and we thought their price was attractive for a good-looking home in a premium south-facing location so we offered full price, and they took it.
2. Our buyers wanted to purchase a single-story turnkey home with view for less than $1,000,000 – which is getting harder and harder to accomplish. This had a new kitchen and primary bathroom, so our folks installed new hardwoods to complete the full package.
3. Our buyer completed a 1031 exchange with this groovy 2br condo west of the freeway in downtown Carlsbad. We made cash offers and lost out on six other properties before finally landing this gem:
4. Getting a house this size in Carmel Valley for this money has only happened four times this year – and one of those was an off-market sale, and another was one of the goofy Harcourt auctions:
I cover all price points and areas, and my specialty is identifying the less-obvious concerns while we are at the home or by video – which works great if you are busy or out-of-town.
I do all the showings and negotiate the contracts myself, and then Donna takes over. Once the home inspection is complete, she gets quotes for anything that needs attention and then goes to work on the sellers so they pay part or all of the expense.
I don’t think I’ve ever sold an actual ‘dream’ home. My buyers typically get a premium property at an attractive price – and I tell every buyer to expect to spend $25,000 to $50,000 on any house you buy!
It’s not really oceanfront with a 4-lane road in front, but it’s close. You have the traffic-controlled crosswalk at the corner for easy access to the staircase down to the sand (that the City of Carlsbad is spending $14 million to repair and replace). It’s close enough!
3820-B Carlsbad Blvd., Carlsbad
2 br/2 ba, 861sf
YB: 1970
LP = $1,199,000. Now pending!
I took over this listing from another agent who is an old friend. He had taken the listing at $1,299,000, and he had an ideal oceanview photo displayed prominently. I first thought – is this one of the units in front with big ocean/sunset view? What is a deal!
But it turns out that it is the apartment in back, down under the staircases:
Oh great…but it’s nothing that price won’t fix! If we just go a little lower we will be the cheapest beach property for sale…..and if one of those desert buyers comes to town determined to get out of the heat, then we’re golden. It’s the perfect time of year to be on the market!
Get Good Help!
And yes, the minute the file got turned in, the new process began. Do you have all the forms? Do you have the right forms? Did you get the right forms from the other side? Did the buyer-agent have a buyer-broker agreement to show the home?
The August 17th NAR Settlement Jubilee is underway, and it’s all about paperwork compliance for the administrators. It was the same during Covid. We just needed paperwork signed that said people didn’t think they had Covid. Nobody ever verified an actual covid test – it was just a paperwork shuffle.
Those of us on the front lines will keep doing the selling, and we’ll get the proper signatures, don’t worry.
This is a terrific value for a Terramar beach bungalow! The original bungalow is habitable now – it has a new roof, new furnace, real hardwood floors, and pool plus a studio with kitchen and bath was built in the back of the garage! There hasn’t been this good of a value on this street in years!
I couldn’t be more excited about presenting this spectacular home for sale – mostly just to see if everyone likes it as much as we do. It’s not big enough to have wasted space – but I’d rather have 3,003sf of efficient floor plan than 4,000sf full of extra rooms that nobody uses.
3711 Mastodon Ct., Carlsbad
4 br + loft/4.5 ba, 3,003sf
YB: 2015
HOA + MR = $333/mo.
SP = $2,225,000 – we represented the sellers.
Have you said to yourself, “I’ll know it when I see it”? This is one of those homes! Downstairs is one big great room with large windows ensuring max natural light! Gorgeous hardwoods, chef’s island with seating, La Cantina doors that open to a large private patio with views, owned solar, plus a separate ADU too! This home has all of the top features people want – last house on the culdesac, only one neighbor, big views (10% view premium when new), privacy, perfect great room, two walk-in closets in primary suite, extra loft upstairs that is a possible 5br, plenty of natural light, and HOA amenities close by! Walking distance to Sage Creek High School too, which is ranked #8 in San Diego County! This home is an oasis of tranquility!
If you want to be right in the thick of things in downtown Encinitas AND be able to jump on a train in a hot minute, then I have a deal for you! The roof deck adds real living space and you can see all of downtown!
Take a drive to the country and see our new listing in Vista!
685 Barsby St., Vista
3 br/2 ba, 1,891sf
YB: 1960
0.51-acre lot
LP = $899,000
SP = $926,000 – we represented the sellers
Check out this country charmer with newer kitchen and bathrooms on a spacious 1/2 acre lot with vineyard! The huge eat-in kitchen – with granite counters, walk-in pantry, and sleek two-tone cabinetry – is the center of the home, with spacious living and family rooms that all expand outside to create the ultimate indoor/outdoor experience! Hardwoods, dual-pane vinyl windows & sliders, solar, travertine, herb garden plus orange and avocado trees too! This is a hot buy!
Check out this ultimate retro-mod beach house at the quiet end of Los Robles Drive and at the highest point in Terramar, which means ocean and sunset views to the west, and flower-field views to the east! Wide-open floor plan with massive kitchen that has high ceilings and skylight, new light-tan colored hardwood floors, new roof, two fireplaces, bedroom/bath on ground floor, killer primary suite with big walk-in closet, and a fantastic backyard with sauna too! Forget those three-story sterile boxes – come dig this ultra-cool beach classic and enjoy the sights and sounds of the liquid blue enchantress just 100 yards away! Plus you have the private Terramar landing on Shore Drive too (last two photos).
If you prefer a single-level, this is for sale down the street: LINK
Hard to believe that the former model with killer ocean views is for sale because larger single-story homes with big ocean views are hard to come by – this is a keeper! New designer kitchen with commercial-grade range and newer built-in refrigerator, new carpet and paint, custom-crafted 8’ entry door, 3-car garage and spiffy BBQ area too! The gated community of Varadero is located at one of the highest points in San Marcos and has a pool/spa and entertainment area, and lake privileges are available. This is Carlsbad-adjacent too. Wow!
Are you searching for a sensational luxury home in Carlsbad’s premier gated community, Aviara Point? This exceptional contemporary estate features newer hardwood floors, high ceilings, solar with Tesla batteries, a dazzling white & stainless kitchen, four generously-sized bedrooms up, and a bedroom/full bath ensuite downstairs plus den with french doors that open onto the courtyard with fountain. The warm, comfy feeling is enriched by windows everywhere that bring in the sunshine plus ocean, lagoon, and golf views too! Some of the homes on the street are multi-level and have stairs everywhere – the only staircase here is between the 1st and 2nd floors. Last year, two Aviara Point homes closed for $4,000,000+ and another one down the hill sold for $3,850,000 on January 29th. This is a tremendous value for those who aspire to the heights – check it out!
