While most cities talk about the healthy outdoor lifestyle and community improvements, Carlsbad goes well beyond that and supports the community with public state-of-the-art community parks. Living in Carlsbad has a list of advantages that is nearly endless, and the park system is among the real gems.

Most recently, the city council approved the contract to build Alga Norte Community Park, a 32-acre multi-use complex located at the corner of Poinsettia  Lane and Alicante Road.  Construction of the park is schedules to begin in June with the pools and major amenities expected to be completed by late 2013.

The new park is set to include exciting amenities such as pools, ball fields, and a dog park. The approved design of park features includes:

• A 56-meter “Olympic sized” competition pool with viewing bleachers
• A 25-meter, 12-lane swim instruction pool
• A 22-foot diameter 6 inch deep kids pool
• A “spray-ground” play area for young children
• Three lighted softball/baseball fields
• One lighted full basketball court and one half court
• Batting cages and a concession stand at the ball fields
• Picnic areas with barbecues
• Playground with 100 percent universally accessible play equipment
• An off-leash dog park divided into areas for larger and smaller dogs, including obstacle course-type play equipment
• A 18,500-square-foot lighted skate park that will include a “street course” section, an area with challenging elements for more skilled skateboarders and a beginners’ area

One of the reasons Carlsbad attracts new residents is that every day brings something new to enjoy. In fact, you could live a lifetime here and never exhaust the opportunity the community affords. Whatever your passion, Carlsbad is the place to live and explore the best that life has to offer.

Do you have questions about city amenities or available housing?

Contact us today.  Shayla Hope & Associates is an award winning team of real estate industry experts specializing in short sales. Our goal is to be a community resource, whether you need a highly skilled agent, or simply information on what is new and exciting in the neighborhood. Give us a call (760) 972-6899

Dramatic cliffs and rolling hills, exciting costal living, and nearly endless opportunities in work and education make every inch of the city prime real estate. If you are thinking about a move to the coast, here are the top reasons to consider Carlsbad:

No. 1: The Beauty of Coastal Living
There is just something inspiring about coast living. Perhaps it is the soft sea air, the powerful rush of the ocean waves, the lush landscape, interesting architecture, or the distinctly coastal attitude that gives it its allure. Quite simply, coastal living envelopes every fiber of your being and you are never quite the same.

No. 2: Near Perfect Weather
If there is a place in the world that enjoys better weather, we do not know of it. Winter nights rarely dip below the 40s and winder days rarely require anything more than a sweater with daytime temperatures ranging in the 60s and 70s on average. In summer, you can play beneath the clear blue sky in temperatures that rarely get above the 80s.

No. 3: Plentiful Job and Business Opportunities
The job market in Carlsbad is very favorable. While the city retains a small town feel with plenty of open spaces, it has a population of over 90,000 with a diverse business base to support the population. The city is favorable to new business, so many people move to Carlsbad to start a business in the city in which they live. If working outside the city is desirable, its close proximity to other major cities such as San Diego and Los Angeles and easy access to 3 major freeways, commuter rail, and Amtrak expand the job possibilities even further.

No. 4: Superior Education
Education is a top priority in Carlsbad with award winning public schools and numerous private schools including the Army and Navy Academy. The city is also home to the world famous Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Located just outside the city in neighboring cities, other outstanding schools of higher learning provide a wide base of learning so you can pursue everything from the culinary arts to medicine.

No. 5 Outstanding Recreation and Entertainment
If you are looking for things to do in Carlsbad, the only question will be what to try first. The seven miles of beaches naturally provide a perfect setting for everyone from sunbathers to thrill seekers, with no end to the outdoor pleasures, including swimming, surfing, sailing, fishing and more. Do not stop there though, Carlsbad offers so much more than fun in the sun. Excellent dining, parks, art galleries, museums, and of course the world famous Legoland all call the city home.

No 6: Plentiful Housing and a Favorable Market
One of the best things about Carlsbad is the wide range of affordable housing. Whether you want a cozy starter home, a condominium, vacation home, or luxury estate, the Carlsbad real estate market has something to offer you.

If living on the coast is your dream, Shayla Hope & Associates can help make it your reality.

The Obama administration is changing a refinancing program so that more underwater borrowers can qualify.
What is HARP?
The Obama administration in 2009 rolled out HARP to refinance borrowers whose loans were backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and who were current on their payments. The idea was simple: If you were making your payments on time but didn’t have enough equity to refinance, you would be able to lower your rate without having to pay down your mortgage balance or take out mortgage insurance.
Initially, the program was limited to borrowers who owed between 80% and 105% of the value of their homes. In mid 2009, the program was opened to borrowers who owed up to 125% the value of their homes. But a series of unforeseen “frictions” have led fewer borrowers to take up on the offer lower rates. Fewer than 900,000 homeowners have refinanced under HARP over the past 21 years, and just 72,000 of those borrowers have loan-to-value ratios between 105% and 125%.

Will I be able to refinance through HARP if I’ve already used the program once?
No. The program will continue to be limited to loans that were delivered to Fannie and Freddie before June 2009, which means that anyone who has already refinanced under HARP won’t be able to refinance again. What other changes are being made to improve HARP?
One of the most important changes addresses the risk that banks will have to “buy back” defaulted mortgages from Fannie and Freddie if the loans are discovered to run afoul of underwriting rules. This has prompted banks to scrutinize appraisals and require extensive documentation of borrowers’ incomes on loans for which they don’t already collect payments, even if Fannie and Freddie already guarantee those loans. As a result, some borrowers can only qualify for HARP by going to their current mortgage servicer, rather than shopping around for the best rate.How will this change help borrowers?
This will streamline the refinance process, eliminating the need in many cases for borrowers to obtain appraisals or to provide extensive income documentation. Instead, borrowers will have to show that they’re current on their mortgage, that they have a job or another source of regular income, and that they meet the other eligibility criteria for HARP.  What if I have mortgage insurance?
Mortgage insurers have also agreed to make it much easier to transfer existing mortgage insurance coverage, which has blocked many borrowers from refinancing. What if I have a second mortgage?
Borrowers with a second mortgage, such as a home-equity loan, need the mortgage owner to agree to “re-subordinate” the loan before refinancing the first mortgage. Federal officials say the largest lenders have agreed to automatically re-subordinate all second mortgages under HARP.What else is being done to lower costs?
Another change involves fees that Fannie and Freddie charge banks for riskier borrowers. The firms, and their regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, have agreed to waive those fees for borrowers who refinance into loans with a shorter term, such as a 15-year mortgage. They’ll also reduce the fees.When will these changes take effect?
Fannie and Freddie will issue final pricing information and other technical details around Nov. 15, 2011 and some banks could begin taking applications under the new program as soon as Dec. 1, 2011. The HARP program will also be extended through 2013, beyond its current expiration date of June 2012, in order to encourage lenders to invest more resources into staffing up the program. How do I find out if Fannie and Freddie own my mortgage?
You can look that information up online for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. What if Fannie or Freddie don’t own my loan-can I refinance through this program?
No. That’s a major limitation, of course, because “jumbo” mortgages aren’t held by Fannie and Freddie, and many of the most underwater subprime mortgages are in privately held mortgage securities that weren’t issued by Fannie and Freddie. How many mortgages could be refinanced as a result of the changes?
The Federal Housing Finance Agency estimates that another 800,000 to 1 million borrowers could refinance through HARP as a result.    Source: Associated Press

Welcome to Arroyo Vista, one of Carlsbad’s many fine communities.   These Carlsbad homes were constructed in 2003 by Continental Residential Inc. and the floor plans range from 3 bedroom and 2.5 baths at 2,444 sq. ft.  all the way up to 6 bedrooms and 6 baths at 4,599 sq. ft.    Many of the homes are highly upgraded and pride of ownership is prevalent here.  The HOA fees are very affordable at $94.00 per month and the Mello Roos taxes are currently $800.00 for the year.   This community is located within the award winning Encinitas & San Dieguito School District.

On Monday, the federal government announced that it would revise the Home Affordable Refinance Program, also known as HARP.   The program was actually released back in 2009 and was designed to help underwater homeowners refinance, so far it’s reported to have helped less than one-tenth of the 5 million borrows it was aimed towards helping. 

The new enhancements will allow some that are not eligible able to refinance under the current guidelines, to be able to do so.  One of ways is to lift the cap that was imposed on those who owe more than 125% of what their property is worth from using the program.  More details of the new program are set to release on November 15th.

You should also know that HARP can only help those who have Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac owned mortgages and nobody else.  They also have had to be owned by Fannie or Freddie by May 31st, 2009.  

For those of you who are seeking the assistance of HARP, the best place to start is with your local trusted lender.  Have them check to see if your loan is owned by Fannie or Freddie.  However, because the final changes are set to publish in mid-November, lenders may be unsure until then how to proceed until then.

Stay tuned for more updates, or email us directly if you wish to learn more of this program as more is revealed.

City of Carlsbad Parks & Recreation will show the classic movie “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” on Family Movie Night outdoors in the Park, Saturday, Sept. 17 at Stagecoach Park, 3420 Camino de los Coches, Carlsbad.  Family fun activities start at 6 p.m. and the movie begins at 7:30 p.m.  A $5 activity wristband is available for purchase at the event for activities from 6 – 7:20 p.m.  Movie admission is free. 

This is an exciting family-friendly, community event and pre-movie activities include a Fun Zone with games and craft activities.  A $5 activity wristband is required for Fun Zone activities but movie admission is free.  Food and beverages are also available for purchase:  ice cream, popcorn, candy, hot dogs, pizza, nachos and lemonade.
In addition, take part in a special fund-raising opportunity for the Opportunity Grants Program. $1 will buy you a chance to spin the wheel for prizes that include tickets to LEGOLAND’s Sealife Aquarium and a Grand Prize of a bicycle!
Please bring your own low-back chairs and blankets and be prepared to share a night of fun with your family and friends!  The date will be modified or canceled if weather requires it.

90-day stats for Single Family properties in CARLSBAD, CA as of May 11, 2012
Median List Price:	$671,932	Average List Price:	$862,297
Total Inventory:	343	Price per Square Foot:	$253
Average Home Size:	2,434	Median Lot Size:	12,900
Average # Beds:	3.66	Average # Baths:	3.16
Homes Absorbed:	36	Newly Listed:	35
Days on Market:	131	Average Age:	19

90-day stats for Condo properties in CARLSBAD, CA as of October 7, 2011
Median List Price:	$334,731	Average List Price:	$413,068
Total Inventory:	263	Price per Square Foot:	$245
Average Home Size:	1,422	Median Lot Size:	n/a
Average # Beds:	2.28	Average # Baths:	2.50
Homes Absorbed:	17	Newly Listed:	14
Days on Market:	156	Average Age:	22

90-day stats for Condo properties in CARLSBAD, CA as of October 7, 2011
Median List Price:	$334,731	Average List Price:	$413,068
Total Inventory:	263	Price per Square Foot:	$245
Average Home Size:	1,422	Median Lot Size:	n/a
Average # Beds:	2.28	Average # Baths:	2.50
Homes Absorbed:	17	Newly Listed:	14
Days on Market:	156	Average Age:	22

“A picture says a thousand words” Did you know that professional photography increases the perceived value of a home by nearly 13%?  Also, listings with 20 or more photos have an overall average day on market of 32 days, vs. 70 day’s  for listings with fewer photos.   Our professional photographers are skilled to capture the images needed for your home to be positioned at its absolute best, which equates to more money in your pocket.

Virtual tours increase the perceived value of a home by 6%, when you add that with professional photography, you looking at an added perceived value of 19%.   Moreover, listings that have virtual tours associated with them appear higher in search results on the internet and are more likely to be viewed by potential buyers.

We use a strategic internet marketing campaign and the latest real estate technology to place your listing at the fingertips of millions of buyers.  We call this our Online Listing Flow Chart.   As internet syndication continues to grow, so does the amount of sites your listing will be advertised on.

More than 76% of real estate searches start on Google. Google has now become a verb which makes it so important that we make your home available for all to “Google it”  Our unique blog posts have the ability to bring your listing to the first page of Google when using certain keyword phrases, such as your address and other words unique to your home.  First page Google placement allows for more millions of viewers easy viewing access of your home.

A unique flyer capturing the key features of you home will be displayed for potential buyers.

Our 800# allows buyers to find out more information about your home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so we’ll never miss an opportunity to sell your home.   This services also captures the caller’s phone number allowing us to follow up on every lead.  Many buyers prefer to anonymously gather information before making a decision and the 800# allows them to do just that. 

It’s important to incorporate traditional marketing techniques with the newer ones.   Because 90% of homes are sold through real estate professionals, agent to agent marketing is a vital marketing technique that should not be overlooked.  Broker caravans allow us to pitch the features and benefits to the top agents in the area, all who work with qualified buyers on a regular basis.

Email campaigns are a quick and effective way to alert out of the area agents about the features and benefits of your home.  This is an invaluable tool as it allows agents that do not have access to our local Multiple Listing Service to view your home.

We offer a customized site, just for your home!  This allows buyers to find your home more easily on the internet, buyers can then map your home, view pictures & virtual tours, calculate payments and print a flyer.   All traffic to this site is reported back to us enabling us to follow up with all potential buyers for your home.

Blogging is another way to increase the traffic and number of times your property is viewed online.  Our blogs are posted on multiple sites, including our company site, www.pictureperfectsandiego.com, which gets thousands of visitors monthly.

According to the National Association of Realtors, more than 52% of buyers use open houses to find their next home.   We give our clients the option to hold their home open to the public and have personally sold homes from our open houses, they really do work!