My passion in business is helping people find their dream home.  I always see an exciting emotional reaction from my clients when we walk into that perfect spot for them, I just hope the seller or their agent never sees it!

There are always many homes from which to choose.  Fortunately, today's technological aids make the task enjoyable and much less frustrating or exhausting than it was in the old days when we carried phone book-like MLS info in the trunk of our car.  It is not uncommon for a buyer to find their new home on the first or second trip to showings because we've been able to eliminate 99% of the listings from the comfort of home by reviewing listings online.

Here are a few tips that make it even easier:

• Understand how you live so you can find a home that enhances that lifestyle.  San Diego has an outdoor style due to our climate so that might mean a home with a view, nice patio, new kitchen,  planned development, gated, golf/tennis, etc.
• Location in San Diego determines climate to a degree.  Obviously, the coastal towns have cooler temperatures than those inland.  Generally speaking the warmer the climate the more house you can buy per dollar.  You'll also want to understand the traffic flow and the proximity to freeways and public transportation, as well as the relative quality of the school systems.
• Type of home.  Most of the homes in San Diego are 2 stories due to the scarcity of land, but there are single story homes available.  How about condo vs. detached homes?  Planned development vs. other types?  It is often easier to add to or remodel homes not in a PUD than otherwise, but not always.  Are you willing to pay a homeowner's association fee to get the type of amenities you desire?  Do you travel frequently and would a place you can "lock and leave" easily work better?
• Age of home.  New or existing?  We have many new home options that include all the latest and greatest as standard features.  In exchange for those features buyers often need to budget for expensive upgrades, landscaping and window coverings that are seldom included.  Many new home developments have legal requirements that those be finished within a specified time frame.  Existing homes have many of those details already finished but you might want to change some of what you "inherit" from the seller.  Sometimes existing homes offer architectural features that are not available on newer homes and sometimes existing homes built before the late 1980's might have lower ceilings and smaller windows, and therefore be darker, than newer homes.  Existing homes are generally in more central locations because the newer construction happens on land farther outside the center of town on our very scarce supply of buildable land.
• Your personal needs.  Many families shopping for a home have certain needs that are important to them.  I've had some that had grand pianos that needed to fit in the living room, artwork that needed a prominent spot, multiple cars that needed garage space, front exposure in a certain direction and many other specific requirements.

We specialize in finding homes that provide what you need and want and we always try to do that without wasting anyone's time by showing properties that just won't work! 

San Diego county real estate is our specialty and delivering boutique level "five star" service is our goal.

One of my mortgage broker buddies (Dennis Reese) sent this to me.  I thought it does a good job of conveying the position of the government in the face of mounting foreclosures and gives more reason to believe the San Diego real estate market will not take a big hit.

One thing you can count on is that interest rates will always change!  They are cyclical and subject to influence from many factors.  We know when they're very high that eventually they will come down, conversely when they are very low they'll go up at some point.

Economic factors such as unemployment rates, the consumer price index, retail sales and consumer confidence all create movement in interest rates.  Many people think the key factor though is the relationship between stocks and bonds.

If the economy slows and the stock market is weak (bearish), many professional money managers will move their money out of stocks and into bonds and/or mortgage securities, causing mortgage rates to go down.  If the economy is strong the stock market does well, causing those same money managers to move their money into the higher return of stocks.  When this happens bond issuers are forced to offer higher rates to attract investors away from stocks, moving mortgage and bond rates up again.

Rates currently are at very low levels and there are many, many different types of loan products available to make a home purchase possible.  The easy money for sub-prime loans is gone but there is plenty of money available for average and good credit borrowers at affordable rates.  Real estate is affordable now due to the low rates and the slowdown over the last few years, making good buying opportunities for your next dream home a reality.

I am often asked by people considering a move to our fine county why prices are lower the farther east one travels from the beach.

One of the primary reasons is that the climate warms as you move inland, even if only by a few miles.  If you watch the evening news on any San Diego TV channel you'll notice that there are several "micro-climates".

Areas on or within a mile or two from the beach are the coolest temperatures year-round.  They are also the most likely to experience fog or low clouds, especially as our days and the ocean grow warmer.  Typical day time highs could be in the mid-60's in the winter and mid-70's in the summer.  These areas include Chula Vista, National City, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Carmel Valley/East Del Mar, Encinitas, Carlsbad and the eastern parts of Oceansidel

A mile or two farther inland the temperatures are usually a few degrees higher than on the coast.  This also means less chance of foggy days or nights and the sun might appear hours before it does on the coast in the summer.  Areas included in this group would be Mission Valley, Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, Rancho Santa Fe, Santaluz, Olivenhain, Vista and San Marcos.

The next step inland includes Rancho Penasquitos, Rancho Bernardo, La Mesa, El Cajon, Poway, Escondido, Santee, Valley Center and Lemon Grove where summer temps can hit 100 degrees occasionally.  Air conditioning is an important benefit here, where it might not be so important in the areas above.  Home prices are lower in these areas, in part because of the possibly higher utility bills created by use of cooling systems.

The long and short of it all...coastal temperatures are usually in the mid to high 70's in the summer and the inland temps can hit 100!   Another difference is that the lush greenery seen in the coastal areas thins as you move east and turns to near desert landscapes the farther east you travel.