San Diego Home Info by Gretchen Pagnotta

Archive for the 'First Time Buyers' Category

Buying a Home in Rancho Bernardo,Ca.

8  Great Reasons to Purchase a Home in Rancho Bernardo, Ca.

Rancho Bernardo is the northern most residential community within the City of San Diego. It is located off   Interstate 15 just south of Lake Hodges in Escondido and the San Pasqual Valley. This master planned community encompasses @ 6,511 acres.

 1 .Rancho Bernardo Has a Perfect Climate

 Near perfect year round climate and sunshine.  Check out what the weather is today! This allows people to enjoy the outdoors year round. Many of the neighborhoods have community centers with pools, tennis facilities, BBQ areas+more!

2.  Rancho Bernardo Has Several Golf Courses

Rancho Bernardo Golf

If golf is you game you will have plenty of choices with public as well as private courses in Rancho Bernardo.  Go to my website to learn more! Combined with #1 perfect climate get put your clubs and get ready to improve your game!

3.  Rancho Bernardo Offers a Variety of Well Planned Neighborhoods

New Construction in Rancho Bernardo

There is a variety of housing available in Rancho Beranrdo.  There are patio homes that appeal to busy working professionals or empty nesters, attached condos starting in the $200′s for a 2 bedroom, senior neighborhoods that require a resident to be 55 years of age, family neighborhoods centered around community centers, large estate properties some with gorgeous golf course and or montuan views,  newer neighborhoods with walk to schools and fabulous walk scores for shopping and restaurants and more. There really is such a variety of properties that appeal to every budget and home buying “wish list.”

To search for the newest listings in 92128 click here!

To search for the newest listings in 92127 click here!

4.  Rancho Bernardo Offers Residents Great Poway Unified Schools

Great Poway Unified Schools

Poway Unified School District consistantly ranks well with performance and is a sought after district for people moving to San Diego. 

5.  Rancho Bernardo is Located Just North of San Diego

Rancho Bernardo is conveniently located @ 30 minutes north of downtown and the airport . Access to the coast is very conveniently now with Camino del Sur extending to 56. Residents can enjoy the beaches of Del Mar and La Jolla.

6.  Rancho Bernardo has Excellent Medical Facilities

Pomerado Hospital  is located is conveniently located for easy access to Rancho Bernardo residents. UCSD, Scripps and other leading medical facilities are all within a 20 minute trip. Many dentists, doctors, chiropractots, physical therapists have offices in or very close to RB.

7. Rancho Bernardo Has Plenty of Shopping

If you want a community that offers a variety of shopping you have some to the right place. What ever you are looking for is there!  Tp name a few of my favorite places to shop you will find; Costco, Marshalls, Trader Joes, Sprouts, Jimbos, World Market, Chicos, Pier One, Target, Michalel’s and coming soon Nordstrom Rack!

8. Rancho Bernardo Has Plenty of Restaurants

You will not starve if you decide to make Rancho Bernardo your next home.  There are the familar restaurants such as Maria Callenders, Ca Pizza Kitchen, Claim Jumper as well as some fine dining such as El Bizcocho at the Rancho Bernardo Inn and Bernardo’s. My favorites include Capri Blu, French Market Grill, Cafe Merlot and the Barrel Room.

Is there something else you are looking for that I have not mentioned? If so let me know, GBPagnotta@gmail.com

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San Diego February 2012 Home Market Trends

San Diego Board of Realtors Has Statistics for February 2012

The general comments and discussion among agent in the past 2 months has been “we are busy and inventory is limited.”  Naturally if you have had  your home for sale for some time and you hear someone say “inventory is limited” you wonder why you don’t have multiple offers.  In general the basic rules always apply; If a home is in a popular neighborhoods, presents well and is priced with the market based on closed sales you should be seeing offers.  Personally what I am experiencing is relocation buyers coming for good jobs with major employers in San Diego and people who are making offers and deciding to purchase rather than lease. The statistics will play themselves over the next few months.  I do not see any radical jumps in pricing but I see many more pending sales in all prices ranges which is a positive sign for recovery.

Click Image To Enlarge For Details

The Housing Market Reports

I found an interesting article on DSNews about how reports are made about market trends.  As agents we find many times the sites such as Trulia do not have accurate information. In addition some local papers provide inaccurate statistics.  We recently sat down with a title rep who reviewed all the coastal sales and told us how several coastal zip codes are misrepresented in reporting. that is why it is always best to look at a particular neighborhood and prepare closed sales and trends for that particular specific area.

If you need information on any areas of San Diego, let us know! GBPagnotta@gmail.com

To review other market trends you can go here.

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6 Reasons To Buy a Home In Del Sur

Del Sur Was Named Community of The Year

Del Sur is one of my favorite new master planned communities in San Diego in the 92127 zip code.   I am not alone thinking this is one of the top communities as it was named by Builder and Developer Magazine The Nation’s Community of The Year for 2011. You may review this as reference.    I recently sold a Shea homes product in Del Sur  called Mandolin.  After looking at over 20 resale homes it was easy for my clients to see the value, beauty and benefits of selecting a new home in this growing vibrant community.  Let me outline why I think this is such a fabulous place to call home!

Del Sur is Conveninetly Located

Situated between 2 of the largest freeway; I-15 and 5 with access on 56 a commute north, south, east or west can be easily accomplished.  It is west of Rancho Bernardo,  north of downtown San Diego, @ 30 minutes from the airport and downtown and any major employers; Qualcomm, UCSD, Hp,Sony, Illumina and other biotech firms . You can be walking on the beaches in Del Mar in 15 minutes . The ocean is 9 miles as “the crow flies” which is why residents enjoy wonderful ocean breezes and a fabulous year round climate. Shopping, restaurants and medical facilities are all excellent and within a close drive to this wonderful community.

Del Sur is A Master Planned Community

Del Sur is part of Black Mountain Ranch as a master planned community.  President and CEO of Black Mountain Ranch Development, Bill Ostrem has outlined the vision for this growing community with a completion date estimated at 2018.  The schools, shopping, retail, commercial and housing has all been planned to growth is consistent with the infrastructure to support the residents.

Del Sur Children Attend Poway Schools

Del Sur Elementary School

Poway Schools are known for their excellence. All schools within the Del Sur community have received excellent reviews and are at the top of ratings for excellence.  For more information you can refer to http://www.powayusd.com/ Currently the children attend Del Sur Elementary, Oak Valley Middle and Del Norte High Schools. A new junior high is planned for 2014.

Del Sur Offers a Variety Of Housing Styles

Del Sur is far from the boring cookie cutter type neighborhood.  This community has style and architectural interest with the various styles, streets-capes, color palettes and size of homes.  Currently there are new homes offered from the mid $400′s for an attached multi level style home 1400-2300 sqft , midsize homes in the 3000 sqft range in the $600′s, executive homes 3450-4000+sqft from $800,000 to luxury estate homes $1.4.

Del Sur Provides Open Space and Community Facilities

Del Sur Community Pool

There are currently 6 parks open and 5 neighborhood solar heated swimming pools. Each neighborhood has a park within walking distance.  This provides an easy way for people to connect with one another making friends and fostering a true sense of community.  In addition there are 18 miles of hiking trails connecting to the 1000 acres of open space.  With the addition of more neighborhoods future parks are planned.

Del Sur Residents: Tell me What You Enjoy About Del Sur!

If you live in Del Sur tell me what you love about this community so I can share the information with people thinking of calling Del Sur home!

If you would like more information on this community and a list of homes in your price range let us know; Gbpagnotta@gmail.com

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Closed Sales Santaluz Last 90 Days

Santaluz Homes Closed in Last 90 Days

We are seeing an increase in activity and a decrease in available inventory throughout 92127 and 92130.   Currently we are working with 3 relocation buyers all planning on moving to new positons in the next 3 months.  In general spring/summer stats will be closely watched as the top school district areas in the 56 corridor; Carmel Valley and Poway Unified are always first choices for reloacting families demanding good schools and a convenient location.  New homes are available in 4S Ranch, Del Sur and a new Pulte as well as Davidson community as well as Pardee’s Pacific Highlands Ranch. Santaluz is experiencing a surge in custom home building.

Here are the closed sales for within the gates of Santaluz in the last 90 days.

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The Pagnotta Team Gets Coldwell Banker Award for Sales in 2011!

Gretchen and Alan Pagnotta Lead Sales in North San Diego County

Last year was one of the most challenging years we have worked in Real Estate.  The short sales were more than challenging with delays and hurdles to jump and traditional sales had to compete with the distressed sales.  Emotions were high with both buyers and sellers. No one was really happy!  Sellers felt they are giving their home away and buyers need to be sedated to sign a contract thinking the market will fall further. Many times the appriasals came in below the contracted sales price causing another set of problems.  So far 2012 has seen a welcome change! The inventory is down, buyers are purchasing and not saying they want to rent and sellers have come to terms with their values. There has never been a better time to sell and make another move! Granted if you are selling and cashing out I would wait a few years. 

Coldwell Banker President’s Circle Award

Alan and I will receive our award this next Tuesday. Year after year we consistently maintain a high sales volume. Our focus ia always San Diego North County.  Each year we seem to sell homes in Rancho Bernardo, Poway, Carmel Valley, Escondido, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Fallbrook, Vista and also work with new home builders in these areas. We always enjoy first time buyers and work also with people scaling down, moving up, investors and luxury home buyers and sellers in North San Diego County.    It takes tenacity, a huge amount of positive thinking and optimism, skillful negotiation and knowledge of the market.  Thankfully with the help of Coldwell Banker we are given all the latest tools to help both buyers and sellers. Our global internet marketing and search engine optimization is outstanding.  Currently we are working with 4 relocation buyers who found us on the internet. We just returned from the Gen Blue Coldwell Banker Training event in New Orleans.  We have a whole new bag of tricks to implement.  Social media is playing a huge part in how real estate is being marketed.  We plan to launch a series of community videos and focus on lifestyle marketing for both buyers and sellers.

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San Diego Home Owners May Reduce Property Tax

Propositon 8 Helps Home Owners Who Purchased During Peak Market Periods

Many people are unaware of a new State Law which is called Proposition 8.  Under this new law, property owners that own homes that have fallen below their assessed value can request a temporary reduction in their tax bill. When the market value as of January 1, 2012 falls below the assessed value established by the  the Assessor’s Office,  home owners can file for an Application for Review of Assessment prior to April 30, 2012. They must complete this form and also provide data such as comparable sales, a recent appraisal and/or current market activity.  The closed sales need to be of similar properties and ideally occur between 10/1/11-3/31/12. Many neighborhoods have had a significant impact on values due to short sales and bank owned properties selling at very low prices.

The Pagnotta Team May Be Able To Help You

If you have interest in doing this we are happy to help you!  Just contact us with your address and we can send you closed sales that are most like your home! You may receive solicitations for people who will charge you for this.  A homeowner can easily complete the form and if you live in our service areas we will help you with closed sales. For further information please go to: www.sdarcc.com.

To determine your assessed value refer to your current tax bill focusing on the upper right hand corner.

It is important to note you still may disagree with the response you receive from the assessor.   At that time you can pursue your requests by filing an application with the Clerk of Assessment Appeals between July 2 and November 30.

Further information can be obtained here.

If you need our help with a list of closed sales please contact us at GBPagnotta@gmail.com

This is not intended to be tax advice. Please consult your CPA or tax professional to obtain tax advice.

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Find School Boundaries in San Diego

Selecting Specific School Districts When Purchasing a Home

One of the most important criteria buyers give us when deciding what community or neighborhood they want is to research school districts. Once they have determined some of the top districts and then the top schools in the district they want to know what specific streets and neighborhoods are within the school boundaries. We always ask our clients to confirm the areas by calling the specific school district regional office.  Most of the school websites have maps you can use also. This can become confusing and frustrating.

 I was recently introduced to a new site; www.education.com. I did give this site a test drive with my address. The school selections were correct. I would still tell people to speak with a school representative as boundaries are subject to change. I know for a fact the high school in my area is suppose to be changed next year. Now I do not know if they will make the kids who are now attending their current school change or if they have any choices.  All of these issues are cause for concern. When I had school age children we were committed to the Poway Unified School District.  Within the district I wanted the kids to stay in their schools so they would not have to change clubs, activities or have to make new friends. Unfortunately as neighborhoods such as Del Sur, 4S Ranch and Santaluz grow they add more children to the district and there has to be an evaluation of the class sizes and whether the schools can accommodate the growth. Read the rest of this entry »

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9 Reasons to Purchase a Home in 4S Ranch

4S Ranch is a master planned community located just 30 minutes north of San Diego and about 15 minutes from the beaches of Del Mar.  It is 2 miles west of I-15 but can also be accessed by taking 56 from the coast and Camino del Sur.  I own property in 4S Ranch because I knew it would be a fabulous area that would be popular for years to come. Here are my 10 reasons why people need to consider calling 4S Ranch their new neighborhood.

4s Ranch Homes Have Value

With the change in the market and because 4S is a relatively new community where many people purchased during the height of the market there are fabulous values.  This holds true for both resales and new construction. There have been quite a few distressed sales; shprt sale and bank owned properties. We monitor the distressed properties so if this is what you are looking for please let us know! The “traditional” sales have been well priced. The new construction is a tremendous value with builders offering incentives.

4S Ranch Has Excellent Schools

Rancho Bernardo is part of the acclaimed Poway Unified School District.  The schools in 4S are newer and have received high grades on testing. The schools include Monterey Ridge, Stone Ranch Elementary, Oak Valley Middle Schools and Del Norte High School. Read the rest of this entry »

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Comparing Golf Clubs in San Diego

Santaluz Club Offers Outstanding Facilities For Members

We are always talking about how much we enjoy the Santaluz Club.  So many times clients ask us to compare the area clubs. The membership director at Santaluz provided us with the following comparison chart.  As always we encourage people to take a tour of the club they are considering joining. In addition it is really best to schedule a day of golf and the use of other club facilities.  Santaluz does a great job teaming up guests with members so they can get a first hand report card of the facilities. Besides being a beautiful club, Santaluz is just so friendly and welcoming.  If you have questions lets us know or if you want a formal tour we can help!

If you are interested in all the Golf Communities in San Diego go to my website :http://www.gretchenpagnotta.com/convertedpages/golfcourses.html

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Rancho Bernardo Seller Gives Testimonial

Rancho Bernardo Homeowner Provides Insight Into Choosing a Realtor

We listed a condo last summer in Rancho Bernardo.  It was really one of the cutest places I have ever had the opportunity to market.  Everything about it was done nicely.  Sometimes you just feel good in a property and this was a prime example. The owner had been involved in real estate for many years. This was her little nest and it was a honor for me to have been given the opportunity to know her and to market the property.  This is her account of selecting an agent:

“Go With Gretchen!”
As a retired real estate appraiser, I know a great Realtor when I see one.  But having only lived in San Diego since retiring, I realized when I decided to sell my home that I didn’t personally know any great San Diego Realtors.  What to do?  Naturally, I did my research and scheduled interviews with a handful of Realtors whom I had determined were San Diego’s ‘cream of the crop’.  It was an interesting process which called to mind the old story of Goldilocks:  this Realtor wanted to list my home too high (a mistake that could ultimately end up losing me thousands of dollars!), this Realtor wanted to list it too low (just as bad!) – but guess which one felt ‘just right’?  GRETCHEN PAGNOTTA.  She got my listing and, over the course of the next few weeks, my instincts about her were proven correct – in fact, I have to honestly say that Gretchen absolutely exceeded my own very high expectations!
Let’s start with her marketing skills.  To be fair, my listing was not a million dollar estate but rather a modest, albeit lovely 2 bedroom condo in Rancho Bernardo.  Gretchen showed the same brilliant attention to detail in marketing my home as that which is more typically seen in marketing high end properties.  If you are still able to find it, I urge you to check out the listing description and photos she prepared to market my home – simply superb!
Communication?  Follow-through?  Honesty and Integrity?  Check, check and double-check!  I knew every detail of what was happening throughout the process of selling my home – because Gretchen was ALWAYS available and ALWAYS in touch (in person, by phone, text or email). 
While Gretchen is a charming and courteous professional, she is no pushover.  She will fight like a tiger to obtain the best deal for her clients! And I think it’s important to mention one more factor as well:  Gretchen has a terrific sense of humor.  I personally think that’s an important quality in a Realtor.  Buying or selling a home is incredibly stressful – maybe never more so than today, and Gretchen’s wit and humor always comes just at the right time.
So whether you are looking to buy or sell, I highly recommend that you “GO WITH GRETCHEN!” Read the rest of this entry »

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