The Real Estate Deva

DOG BLOGS

DOG BLOG PICTURES 

Some realtor's share pictures of shoddy photograhpy in listings on the MLS. I have always wanted to create a calendar of dogs I see when driving that hang out of car windows in California. This will have to be the next best thing...

Here's a cutie petu-tee at the corner of Tamarack and Jefferson. At first the gal (driver) was looking at me like I was Ace Ventura gone bad. I rolled down my window and told her to check out my website and see the picture I captured of her best friend that was riding shotgun today.

Stay tuned, as I will start to capture some fun shots of the dog days of summer here in Carlsbad and around town.

Cheers!

Sully

All In The Family

  The Carlsbad Village office of Windermere where I work, has a new Office Administrator. Meet Shannon Sullivan, my daughter. What started as an internship recently grew into a full time paid position - temporarily anyway.

The previous OA put in her resignation during Shannon's internship, opening up the position. Sweet. I am hopeful that the Real Estate bug will stick, making her a FIFTH generation real estate professional. As a long time area local (32 years in Carlsbad), fourth generation Californian, coming from four generations of Real Estate professionals myself, I can only conjecture how much she would be able to bring to the industry in terms of knowledge and exceptional expertise.

From trading pearls to the Indians, to beaming into new home "pods".  That would be quite a legacy.  I can't help but wonder what the industry will be like when she is older...and I'm hopeful that she will find the job as rewarding as I have, and my mother and her mother before her, and so on.  When you think about it, it's pretty rare that you would find a fourth generation Californian, let alone a fourth generation real estate agent.

Shouldn't you put your most important investment into the hands of a capable professional?  I worked in my mom's real estate office when I was Shannon's age. There is no better training than hands on and witnessing the innerworkings of a business such as this. In my case, I was born into the business. It's in my blood. It has grown to such a point that I don't consider real estate my job anymore - it's my PASSION. So it is no longer a job.

It is my goal to go beyond my clients expectations - every time.  Here's to looking forward to another generation of helping folks realize their dream of home ownership in San Diego - Carlsbad, specifically. While I'm not the #1 agent in the universe (how many #1's can there be?) but I'll make you #1 while we work together; before, during and after the close of escrow. I answer my own calls and am available literally 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. My family and I have hundreds of North County References, so I invite my readers to do business with an area local, putting my area knowledge to the test, and experience Personalized Service on a Whole New Level!

Don't delay - Call Sully Today!

760-208-3382

 

CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Is it Christmas already?

I asked this yesterday after another full day of showing property from Oceanside to Del Mar to the third group of "potential buyers".  Oh, they are qualified. Some are all cash up to the 800's. You would think finding qualified buyers in this market would be the hard part. Nope. Getting them off the fence, getting them to write up a realistic (not low-ball) offer, counter once they get countered back into reality, and actually take pen to paper and open the escrow - that's the hard part right now. 

At over $4.00 a gallon, I need to re-evaluate whether or not I am running a tour operation or a real estate business. This spinning of my wheels has been created out of my need for a sale - not the clients need to buy.  I'm admitting it. I'm anxious to do my job. I'm suffering a severe drought in biblical proportions.

I'm wondering if folks aren't making a hobby out of coming into real estate offices with qualification in hand, only to have agents jump through all the firey hoops that have kept me working 7 days a week up to 12 and 14 hours a day - showing more property than I care to remember - and having nothing come to fruition. In the last month I have written over a dozen offers. None of them accepted. None entering the ever elusive escrow office. Nothing in the pipeline. Sigh.

I liken this buyer characteristic as the person that walks through the mall parking lot with their keys jangling on Christmas Eve. They're really NOT going to their car; they are just messing with me as I follow them in anticipation to take over their precious parking spot, only to be filled with deep disappointment when I realize they changed their minds and went back into the mall to get a gift wrap, never relinquishing the spot afterall. 

It's definately Christmas in July. Jingle-jangle go the keys.

SAFETY FIRST?

Statistically, Carlsbad is one of the safest towns to live. As a result, Carlsbad cops don't have that much to do. It's a fact. This is a picture in front of my office today. Apparantly this young gent failed to put his arm out before making a right turn. (I really don't know what he got stopped for). He was chased down first by two bike cops that were later joined by about four more cops and two cars. For a guy on a bike. At 10:00 o'clock in the morning.

I know the city is proud of it's low crime rate, but really folks. Anyone who has gone out on a Friday night can attest there is a cop on every corner. Yikes. On the one hand they want tourists and business to conglomerate downtown in the Village. On the other, there are capacity, cabaret and curfew restrictions that have kept me and many a local off the streets on the weekends.

Work/live lofts are being erected and are sanctioned by the redevelopment office and city hall in the village vision plan. The Chamber (http://www.carlsbad.org/) and CVB (http://www.carlsbadca.org/convention and visitors bureau) are spending thousands to bring more traffic and tourism to the village area. The local pubs and restaurants are paying top dollar to open their businesses and supply a good time with drink specials and live music.

Now we have those live/work folks complaining about the noise and traffic. Of course the city responds in kind with a new "entertainment ordinance" (http://www.carlsbadca.gov/news.html?nid=196 ) and increased police patrol cars on duty.

Who's punishing who here? And ultimately, who is losing? You're assured a good, boring time in Carlsbad; and you better be home before 10:00. And no dancing.

It's like having a child. You can't wait for them to walk and talk, then a couple of years goes by and you're telling them to sit down and shut up. 

"THEN" IS NOW!

I got an email from a client who has been sitting on the fence (like so many of you out there!) and is maintaining his position that the bottom has yet to fall from the Carlsbad and San Diego real estate markets.

"It's the market", he told me when I mentioned my frustration that so many of my deals are not coming together lately.

I beg to differ.

It's the public's perception of the market.

Whoever buys in this "market" is the one who has the best selection, best price, best interest rates, and the best shot at "buying low and selling high" when there is no more product out there; (we are at buildout in Carlsbad) thereby leveraging the supply to the demand. Here's what I know and facts that I live by in my business:

1. Real Estate values are determined by supply and demand. (And they always will be).

2. What goes down must go up. (Especially on the coast).

3. History repeats itself. (Need I say more?) History repeats itself.

It's unfortunate that the media continues to contend the fear of entering the market.

I'm going on the record. We are living in the "then". The "wish I would have bought then" then.  People hesitating to enter the home buying market need to keep in mind the one wildcard that will snafu the "bottom" theory. And that is interest rates.

Each incremental interest rate hike will effect the buying power by thousands of dollars; so even if the prices are to go down some, with an increase in rates, the payments will be more. With the deflation of the dollar, the only way the feds can fight a recession is with an interest rate hike. And just like California earthquakes, it's not a matter of if, but a matter of when.

In my experience there has never been a better time to enter the home buying market.

I can only lead the horses to the water. That's what's so frustrating.