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June 02, 2009

Noon Brings Fresh Design to OB

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Walking into the design shop "Noon" is an experience.   A block from the ocean in what is now becoming the idea intersection for OB with the architects Hanna Wells down the street and artisinal tea company Whole Leaf  a few doors down and Newbreak cafe around the corner, Noon is a very fun and trendy store with lots of inspiration. Beautiful paper goods and jewelry are mixed with an old printing press and jewelery maker/designers hard at work. 

The address is 5022 Santa Monica and you should definitely stop in if you find yourself "antiquing" on Newport .

May 28, 2009

May Gray is Okay As Long As the Jacaranda Tree is Blooming

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I'm really not complaining about the few foggy days we get in May and June, in fact these beautiful purple blossoms almost look better against a dark sky.  We know it's spring in San Diego when the Jacaranda trees are in bloom.  These trees are actually native to South and Central America (in rainforest habitats !)   Pretoria, South Africa is known as The  Jacaranda City because of the large number of  trees that grow in the local parks, gardens and along the streets. From the neighboring hills , they say, the city looks bluish purple at this time of year. It seems to do well in many warm places and decorates the streets from Australia to India. When I was flying home last week after a weekend away to see my son graduate from college we noticed the bright purple trees from way up in the sky on every street corner downtown and in Balboa Park.  When the wind blows they shower everyone with purple petals (legend has it, if one lands on you you'll be blessed with good fortune).

The horticulturist Kate Sessions imported the Jacaranda to San Diego in Balboa Park in 1892 and now they can be found throughout southern California. They like our sandy soil and sunshine but do better in places where they get more rain.

May 19, 2009

Home Gardens

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How much room does a kitchen garden need ?   As we grow our way through the recession many homeowners are once again experiencing the thrill of  planting small crops on our own land, even if most of it is paved.   The potager as it's known in Europe is a staple of the home, used for growing vegetables to put in the potage (or soup).  Then flowers are grown artfully through the beds to encourage only the beneficial insects. Compost, or kitchen waste is turned back into the soil to make it  balanced and textured and water-absorbing ; very economical in these lean times, not to mention healthy and a fun place to muck around.

Food gardening is on the rise in the United States.  It's estimated that 33 million households had an at-home garden in 2008 according to the National Gardening Association.  An additional 7 million households are expected to grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs or berries in 2009.  The most popular vegetable crops are tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, beans, carrots, squash, onions, lettuce and peas.  More than half the households said they grow their own food to improve the taste or quality or to save money on food bills.  Thirty-four percent said the economic recession was a motivation for their food growing activities.

Some herbs grow like weeds around San Diego.  The Mediterranean types like rosemary and lavender don't seem to need much water, just good drainage.  I visited a friend in Ocean Beach who has an overflowing mandarine orange tree that is rarely watered or fertilized and  I had a meyer lemon tree that I killed with too much water once.  Now I think I'd like to try a fruit tree like plum or apricot or an avocado should do well in this area.

For Those Who Cannot Afford The Current Mortgage Payment : Loan Mod 101

According to the Wall Street Journal this morning almost 30% of homeowners in this country are underwater on their mortgages, or owe more to the bank than their property is worth.  The article below  is a good "how to" if you're in the loan modification catagory.  If you're not sure which "servicer" is responsible for managing your loan payments check below:

http://www.inman.com/buyers-sellers/columnists/jackguttentag/the-loan-mod-do-list

Bank of America     800-846-2222    www.BofA.com

Chase                           800-873-6577   www.Chase.com

 Citimortgage            800-667-8424    www.CitiMortgage.com

GMAC Mortgage       800-766-4622   www.GMAC.com

Washington Mutual  866-926-8937   www.WAMU.com

May 06, 2009

For Those Who Cannot Afford The Current Mortgage Payment : Loan Mod 101

According to the Wall Street Journal this morning almost 30% of homeowners in this country are underwater on their mortgages, or owe more to the bank than their property is worth.  The article below  is a good "how to" if you're in the loan modification catagory.  If you're not sure which "servicer" is responsible for managing your loan payments check below:

http://www.inman.com/buyers-sellers/columnists/jackguttentag/the-loan-mod-do-list

Bank of America     800-846-2222    www.BofA.com

Chase                           800-873-6577   www.Chase.com

 Citimortgage            800-667-8424    www.CitiMortgage.com

GMAC Mortgage       800-766-4622   www.GMAC.com

Washington Mutual  866-926-8937   www.WAMU.com

April 23, 2009

Some good news... almost the lowest interest rates on record

Article from Yahoo this morning....

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/US-mortgage-rates-nudge-rb-15012109.html?.v=2

And from Inman News,  8 things to do before a refi ....

http://www.inman.com/buyers-sellers/columnists/ilyceglink/8-things-do-refinancing


For many here in San Diego, refis are not an option because our loans are far more than the value of our properties.   This will cause many of us to hunker down and not be able to make a move at all.  Low interest rates like these however can slowly bring us back to the hope and optimism stage of the market cycle while the "excitement" and "euphoria" stages may be  left to the next generation.

March 11, 2009

1927 Cottage Spruced Up in Pacific Beach

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This 4 bedroom cottage in North Pacific Beach is 6 blocks to the ocean and has recently been renovated.  The steep slope of the roof and curved eaves add a victorian flair to the cape cod style. The blue and white colors are very summery.

March 08, 2009

From a Garage, New Life

Talk about smart re-do's !  Don't know if you remember the old auto mechanic shop on Bacon but it's now the sophisticated home of the architects Hanna Gabriel Wells.

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They expect to be moving in next month leaving their old office on Niagara .  They say this newly renovated office space will  be San Diego's first "net-zero energy" office building :  the energy they consume in this building is offset by renewable energy from the photo voltaic panels on the rooftop.  I was just reading in this month's National Geographic that buildings, not cars produce the most CO2 in the US.   So homeowners and commercial real estate owners take note of this great example !

 What amazes me is how effectively they changed the look of the building by minimally upgrading instead of tearing it all down.  And what a change it made to the whole neighborhood ! 


 

February 10, 2009

Catching Some Rays in OB

We had a short break from the rainstorms Sunday afternoon for a clear bright Open House on Coronado Avenue in Ocean Beach.IMG_1955 


Six hundred sqare feet of outdoor living space in this unit makes it light bright and spacious.

The kitchen is cozy with heavy beams in the ceiling and warm pine flooring, and also a fireplace.

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The kitchen counters are a combination of butcher block and soapstone and the southern exposure gives everything a warm sunny feel.

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The Open House turnout was huge and everyone seemed to love the beachy vibe which fits perfectly into this quiet south OB neighborhood a couple blocks from the ocean.

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The pocket beach at the end of the street is a favorite.

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January 22, 2009

What's For Sale in Point Loma

This contemporary home in Point Loma was built in 2006 to maximize views from La Jolla to downtown San Diego.  It's offered for $3.3 million and has 3 bedrooms and 4 baths with 3,700 square feet of living space.

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Even with the skies overcast, the views were remarkable.  The property perches right above Liberty Station with it's sea of tile rooftops  leading to San Diego Bay and Downtown.

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A view from the livingroom off the kitchen where I was standing shows the dramatic floor to ceiling  views of San Diego below.

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The use of Brazilian slate and warm wood cabinets in the kitchen and flooring makes the home cozy, offsetting the walls of windows.   The opinions were universally positive with no criticism except one realtor said she had a sense of vertigo walking up to the windows.

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Staircase overlooking entry with a 2 story view of the garden.