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Carlsbad, CA Real Estate News

By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Carlsbad Flower Fields Up Close I attended a CRS Networking Event with 25 other Southern California Realtors this past Thursday for a couple of hours at the Carlsbad Flower Fields.  It was fun to see my CRS friends as well as to meet other agents I didn’t know. There was time to talk with each other before taking a tour. After the group photo we split up into small groups to leisurely walk through the gardens, and of course take lots of photos.  While I have often driven by the Flower Fields on Armada Drive on the hill above to the east which offers great panoramic views of the flowers and the ocean, I haven’t seen the flowers and the venue itself up close for years.   It was a sunny day with a cool ocean breeze, although the marine layer moved in before the event was over so it was pre...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
2024 Carlsbad Village Street Faire is May 5 One of our more popular arts and craft fairs returns to Carlsbad Village on Sunday May 5, 2024. The Carlsbad Village Street Faire is reportedly the largest outdoor 1-day fair in the US, other than its counter-part, the Carlsbad Village Faire in November. This is the 50th year for this fair! The Carlsbad Village Street Faire takes place from 8 am until 5 pm, so there is ample time to enjoy over 900 vendors and shop all you want. The Carlsbad Village Faire takes place in the heart of the Village, along Grand Avenue from Carlsbad Boulevard to Jefferson. The Faire spills over onto side streets, too. (photo is from another art fair in the Village in the same area).  Given the number of vendor booths much of the public parking will not be available ...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
2021 Carlsbad Village Flicks at the Fountain~ An Update ~ As mentioned previously, the popular summer outdoor movie series in Carlsbad Village, Flicks at the Fountain, has returned in 2021 after being cancelled last year. Flicks at the Fountain is hosted by the Carlsbad Village Association, with sponsorships from other businesses in the village. The schedule is set with 4 popular movies, and the titles have recently been announced.July 22 – Toy StoryJuly 29 – GhostbustersAugust 5 – Frozen (with a costume contest)August 12 – Star Wars: A New Hope The Flicks at the Fountain take place on the big screen in the parking lot at the corner of State Street and Grand Avenue. You can bring your chairs and get settled beginning at 6 pm. The movies typically start around 8 pm.  You already know fro...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
What’s the Value of My Carlsbad Home? Carlsbad Market Report for June 2021 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to evolve, with some shifts from last month and 1 year ago. These data do not include private sales, mobile homes or multi-family housing (the numbers are derived from our MLS and are believed to be accurate at the time they are reported but are not guaranteed). Media reports speak in general terms, and do not reflect our local Carlsbad housing market. Current data, and analysis, about the local market conditions benefit you so you can make well-informed purchase and sale decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale.  READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 166 homes sold in Carlsbad in June (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), an increase of 11% from May sales! Here’s...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Carlsbad Art Wall for June 2021  The most recent Carlsbad Art Wall, just completed on June 26th, is very special. The mural was a community effort, with around many people taking part in this tribute to, and memory of, 16-year-old Carlsbadian Jack Munday. The young Carlsbad resident Jack Munday was killed in a car crash in Carlsbad on June 27, 2020. 7 other teens in the same vehicle were injured in the crash. The mural was designed by Bryan Snyder, who founded the Carlsbad Art Wall in 2015 on the east wall of Senor Grubby’s Mexican Restaurant on Carlsbad Village Drive in the Village. According to Bryan the mural was influenced by Jack’s passions (baseball, skateboarding, his family, and surfing) and art work Jack left behind, along with personal conversations Bryan has had with the fami...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
A Special Community Wall Mural~ Carlsbad Art Wall June 26 ~ A very special community wall mural will be painted on Saturday June 26th at the well-known Carlsbad Art Wall at Senor Grubby’s Mexican Restaurant on Carlsbad Village Drive. [photo links to Bryan Snyder's Facebook page]  The mural is a tribute to, and in memory of, 16-year Carlsbad resident Jack Munday who was killed in a car crash in Carlsbad on June 26, 2020. 7 other teens were injured in that crash. This special wall mural has been designed by Bryan Snyder, founder of the Carlsbad Art Wall in 2015. According to Brian the mural design is influenced by Jack’s love of baseball, skateboarding, his family, and surfing. Other influences include art work Jack left behind, and personal conversations Bryan had with the family. What a...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Red, White and BOOM 4th of July Fireworks & More ~ Carlsbad and Nearby ~ The July 4th holiday is around the corner, summer is here, and we can expect celebrations and fireworks in and around Carlsbad, along with private festivities, cookouts, and picnics.  There will be plenty of people at the beach and lots of gatherings now that things have opened up, and it should be a very different holiday than we experienced in 2020 with so many cancelations. Schools are out, the summer crowds are picking up, restaurants are open and no doubt getting more crowded, and public parking at the beaches, and in the Village, will be harder to find, especially on the holiday weekend. But what a great time of year!  Red, White and BOOM at Legoland This popular annual celebration with fireworks takes place ...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Carlsbad Homes for Sale without HOA Fees~ Update as of June 21, 2021 ~ Many Carlsbad buyers have feelings about buying a home in a Home Ownership Association (HOA) community.  Some buyers want to live in a community with an HOA, while others are adamant about avoiding them. And some buyers are OK either way, with finding the right house being a more important factor than having an HOA or not. There are a number of things home buyers should know about living in an HOA in Carlsbad, including the monthly fees; certain issues result in buyers deciding an HOA community is not for them, rules and regulations and monthly fees probably being deciding factors.  If you unsure about whether you want an HOA community of not, it’s essential to do your due diligence regarding HOAs and understand the ...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Artwork at Terramar Beach in Carlsbad  I took a drive down the Coast Road yesterday after  an errand in Carlsbad Village. It was a rather June Gloomy day with a pretty heavy marine layer, yet it was sunny at my house just a few miles away. I decided to take a short walk at Terramar Beach - my favorite - and discovered this rather whimsical sculpture perched on the bluff above the ocean. The sculpture is behind a fence and it was a challenge snapping a decent photo, but you get the idea. The gray day did not help. It's fun to stumble on artwork in public places, especially when unexpected.
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
2021 Flicks at the Fountain in Carlsbad Village Summer is almost upon us and as things have opened up residents and visitors can probably expect some events that were canceled last summer due to the pandemic to re-emerge this summer, although perhaps somewhat differently. Here’s some good new…the annual Flicks at the Fountain are returning to Carlsbad after last year’s cancelation.  This popular summer event is hosted once again by the Carlsbad Village Association.   The titles have not yet been announced, but there will be 4 movies on Fridays in July and August, and the official the start date is still TBD.   If interested, residents are welcome to make movie suggestions by emailing the Carlsbad Village Association at event AT Carlsbad-Village DOT com. The Flicks at the Fountain are he...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
4-Bedroom Homes for Sale in Carlsbad Update as of June 14, 2021 Some Carlsbad home buyers desire more space than a 3-bedroom single family detached home provides. It may be due to an expanding household, a desire for multigenerational living options, a need to extra space for an at-home office, or perhaps room for guests.   The inventory of single family detached homes remains limited in Carlsbad compared to demand, which has resulted in homes selling quickly, with many selling over asking price.  Here’s the most recent market report for Carlsbad at What’s My Carlsbad Home Worth - Carlsbad Home Sales for May 2021 for an update on the market conditions including recent sales, inventory and average prices.  As of this writing, there are only 3 weeks of inventory of 4-bedroom single family...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
TGIF in Your Backyard in Carlsbad ~ Summer 2021 ~ The TGIF Concerts in the Parks have been a popular staple of the summer entertainment season for many years in Carlsbad. Typically there are 9 free outdoor concerts in 4 of our best parks on consecutive Fridays from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.  The park venues changed a few years ago when they added Alga Norte Community Park to the mix, making it 4. The very popular TGIF Concerts featured a wide range of music (jazz, latin, blues, 80s, and much more) and some pretty impressive bands with regional and national reputations, and were typically attended by a couple thousand people or so. In 2020, as with so many area events, the TGIF Concert series was sadly canceled.  But this summer there is a new option to get you in the mood for when the TGIF Conce...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
What’s the Value of My Carlsbad Home? Carlsbad Market Report for May 2021 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to evolve, with some shifts from last month and 1 year ago. These data do not include private sales, mobile homes or multi-family housing (the numbers are derived from our MLS and are believed to be accurate at the time they are reported but are not guaranteed). Media reports speak in general terms, and do not reflect our local Carlsbad housing market. Current data, and analysis, about the local market conditions benefit you so you can make well-informed purchase and sale decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale.  READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 150 homes sold in Carlsbad in May (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), a substantial decrease by 23% from April! H...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Wordless Wednesday: Seagulls If you've spent any time at the beach you'll know that seagulls are the most common seabird (while I'm not positive, after decades of beach-going I think I'm right). Seagulls are pretty interesting to watch. They tend to be communal birds, gathering in groups on the beach.  But when it comes to food, it's every gull for itself. Seagulls don't appear to have any understanding of the concept of sharing in any way, shape or form. You don't dare throw food on the beach, as you are sure to be surrounded, quickly, by squawking seagulls vying for that morsel. And the whole clan will be in hot pursuit of the lucky one grabbing the goody first. Years ago, on one of my many trips from Boston to LA to visit my daughter in college, we took a drive up the coast to Malibu...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
We’ve all heard the phrase that real estate is local. Realtors use it often, and with good reason. Real estate markets vary widely, and making generalized statements about what the real estate market is doing can be risky. But we see that all the time in media reports…as if what’s happening in one area is a reflection of the housing market in another region. And reports often lag behind the reality of the market. It's certainly true these days as the market keeps shifting. The talk about national averages suggests the same conditions exist in every housing market of the country, and we’re all the same. Or at least those not in the real estate business might draw that conclusion. Those in the know, know better! How often have we heard “it’s a sellers market” or “it’s a buyers market?”  B...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
The Encina Power Station - Soon to be Only a Memory The Encina Power Plant, with its very obvious smokestack, has been an iconic landmark on the Carlsbad seacoast for decades.    It was constructed in the 1950s and was officially retired in December 11, 2018 and is being dismantled - the demolition began earlier this year. The new power station, the Carlsbad Energy Center, began operation on December 12, 2018.  Whether you like the look of the plant and the towering smokestack or not, it certainly grabs attention, and can be seen for miles from the freeway north and south, and other inland vantage points.  And of course beyond being a part of Carlsbad's history it's provided electricity for thousands of homes all these years.  Some residents are happy to see the power plant disappearing...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
What’s the Value of My Carlsbad Home? Carlsbad Market Report for April 2021 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to evolve, with some shifts from last month and 1 year ago. These data do not include private sales or manufactured/mobile/multi-family housing (the numbers are derived from our MLS and are believed to be accurate at the time they are reported but are not guaranteed). Media reports speak in general terms, and do not reflect our local Carlsbad housing market. Current data, and information, about the local market conditions benefit you so you can make well-informed purchase and sale decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale.  READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 196 homes sold in Carlsbad in April (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), a substantial increase by 40% ...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Carlsbad Art in the Village Returns in 2021 Great news for art lovers - the popular Annual Art in the Village Fair is back for 2021, the 23rd year. Because of the pandemic Art in the Village was rescheduled from June to August in 2020, then canceled, unfortunately. But Art in the Village has returned and will take place on Sunday June 27th. If you want a preview, take a look at the Virtual Art in the Village online gallery that was set up last year after the cancelation of the live art fair. Many of the featured artists will be attending the 2021 Art in the Village event. Art in the Village is sponsored by the Carlsbad Village Association, and there will be many returning artists as well as some new one – applications are still being taken until May 7 if you are interested in participat...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Single Story Homes for Sale in CarlsbadMarket Update as of April 27, 2021 It’s not unusual for some Carlsbad home buyers to prefer a single story detached family home versus a 2-story when searching for a new place to live.  Some Carlsbad home buyers simply prefer a single story floor plan with no stairs, while others may have a medical need requiring single story living.  Buyers, in some cases, are willing to purchase a 2-story home as long as there is a master bedroom on the main floor, although these tend to be limited in supply. The overall Carlsbad inventory remains tight (here’s the March 2021 Housing Market Report for Carlsbad). If you prefer a newly built detached single story home, know that all the current single story listings are resales - there is no new construction curren...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Wordless Wednesday: In the Pink  I drive by these bright pink flowers often on Carlsbad Village Drive when running errands or off to do real estate stuff. I finally stopped the other day - it was bright and sunny - and snapped a photo. Today it's rather chilly, rainy and pretty dreary and it seemed appropriate to share them.
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
Makers Market: A Crafter’s Showcase May 1, 2021 in Carlsbad Village The 3rd Markers Market: A Crafter’s Showcase event of 2021 will take place on Saturday May 1, 2021. The Makers Market has been a popular event in Carlsbad Village for a few years and they have now expanded due to the popularity to include multiple events during the year. The Makers Market is FREE, but of course if you expect to shop and buy you’ll want to bring credit cards or cash!   The Makers Market is Covid-safe, as it takes place outdoors on the campus of St. Michael’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church located at 2775 Carlsbad Boulevard in the Village. The number of booths is limited to reduce potential exposure, and attendees will have plenty of room for social distancing. Expect that all recommended CDC and County heal...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
There’s no question that buying or selling a home is stressful, even when things go really well. And when they don’t, the tension level rises and the emotions can run rampant. Sometimes it’s easy to forget about your goal – selling your home and moving, perhaps to a new home, or buying the home that meets your needs and budget in a place you want to be. Maybe the goal is relocating to be near family, for a different climate, or maybe due to health issues. The reality is buyers and sellers can lose focus on their goal - getting to the closing table so they can move on – because of all the other stuff that gets in the way: unexpected problems that arise, delays in the transaction, the sheer volume of decisions that have to be made, lots of paperwork, packing to move, daily life, and the l...
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