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San Diego Fires: Coming Home to Ashes - 10/25/07 06:41 PM
We are just beginning to hear and see stories of people returning to the burned heaps of rubble that were once their homes. They sift through some of the debris and find broken china, perhaps a metal bed frame, perhaps a spoon. They are somber, and some are in tears, as they survey the charred remains of a former life.
The common response of all, though, has been a profound gratitude for life. The fires may have stolen a lifestyle and its mementos, but they also have gifted people with a new appreciation for living.
A few days ago, I spoke with some … (14 comments)
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Up to Your Ashes in Fire Debris? - 10/24/07 10:18 PM
I live in San Diego County and my home has not been consumed by fire.
For that I am grateful.
But we also live in a home that is covered by a powdery coating of ash. Our youngest son, as he sweeps the patio, wonders about the origin of the ashes. Did they come from a tree? From someone's house? From a burned animal?
I ask him to stop--and think of other possibilities. What about toxic chemicals? Asbestos? Plastic toxins? And a host of other poisons.
I run inside and pull out one of the masks I retrieved from Scripps Encinitas Hospital, where my … (27 comments)
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Holy Guacamole: Crop Losses - 10/24/07 05:21 PM
Fallbrook, located in northern San Diego County, has been especially hard-hit by the Rice Fire. 7500 acres have been destroyed so far by this wildfire, and fully one-third or more of their avocado groves are lost. It is not yet known how many trees are "simply" damaged and will not be producing fruit this season.
This most recent loss comes on the heels of last January's killing freeze that blighted millions of dollars in crops.
Additional avocado grove and crop losses are yet to be reported by Valley Center, San Pasqual Valley and other avocado growing regions in San Diego County.
The … (14 comments)
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It's a Witch of a Wildfire - 10/24/07 03:01 PM
I awoke at 4:30 a.m. yesterday morning with a sense of dread, and quickly remembered that there is a demon called the Witch Creek Fire raging in the communities around our home in La Costa. It is just one of several mega-firestorms raging in San Diego County-and is the one we fear(ed) the most.
Monday afternoon, the Reverse 911 system called to inform us we are under "volunteer evacuation" guidance. After some consideration, we elected to remain home because the fires were distant and the ocean even closer. A half-packed suitcase still sits by the bedroom door, and we are ready to leave with … (7 comments)
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San Diego Fire Update - 10/24/07 10:09 AM
It has been so hard to post blogs these last few days. Communications have been very personal: Telephone calls (friends, family and clients) and emails have dominated free time.
Active Rain's Sharon Filbig of Escondido was evacuated and is staying in Orange County. She emailed this morning, wondering what is going on. I responded with an update--which I will share with you here. These are more random notes than any kind of blog. We still don't have an accurate picture of the total disaster--or a tally of losses. (Sorry for lack of photos. I am on the Mac and have trouble uploading. … (8 comments)
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Southern California on Fire - 10/22/07 09:04 AM
I stayed up late last night watching the news of fires that were raging across many parts of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and San Diego Counties. Temporary shelters were being set up everywhere and smoke was thick at coastal Scripp's Encinitas Hospital where my father was taken, (winds are blowing east to west), as well as in Rancho Santa Fe where we had gone to Milles Fleurs to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.
It will be a night remembered.
Early pre-dawn, we were awakened by a call from our regional Reverse 911. It was a recroding which alerted us that nearby Cal … (28 comments)
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An Amazing Accomplishment on Active Rain - 10/19/07 04:05 PM
Maureen McCabe...QUEEN Maureen, has accomplished the unthinkable:
Over 100,000 POINTS FROM ACTIVE RAIN INVITEES ONLY. I had never even considered the possibility of that achievement, given that most of the 14 people I have invited don't blog very much.
I thought everybody would appreciate this email I just received from Queen (Mother) Maureen. It should inspire us all to bring more bloggers to Active Rain!
Thanks I just went over 100K points for invites and I want to thank all those who did it. All 66. Invite Points: 100029 thanks for the big chunk from you. I dislike points but I like the invite … (30 comments)
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The Luxury Closet - 10/19/07 11:46 AM
In our coastal San Diego luxury real estate market, buyers are practically manic about their closets–and especially the ones in the master suite.
And what are luxury home buyers seeking in closets?
They are most pleased when there are separate closets for each–or if single, separate closets for the seasons. The compleat closet in the luxury home will be spacious, well lighted and masterfully organized. It is a room where we prepare ourselves to meet the world–or simply the day.
Closets hold our clothing, our personal treasures, our shopping triumphs. Its status in homes has been elevated to be far more than functional … (29 comments)
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Encinitas Fall Plant Sale - 10/19/07 09:20 AM
It's time for North San Diego County gardners to clear out the ragged flower beds and make way for new growth.
Thanks to the generosity of more than 100 local growers, Quali Botanical Gardens will be selling donated tropical plants, fruit trees,plant books, bird houses and other items as part of their fund raising efforts.
The sale takes place this weekend, both Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas, CA 92024.
For additional information, call (760)436-3036, ext. 206.
… (1 comments)
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Your Deepest Wishes: IDX Searches and Back End Management - 10/18/07 09:40 PM
Last Friday, I had the opportunity to join others at Lomas Santa Fe Country Club for Brian Brady's always-outstanding Agent Meet-Up. The guest speaker was the dashing Steve Hundley from 1 Park Place. They offer a very thorough IDX search function and cool websites, with only a couple of missing bells or whistles. Active Rain's Jeff Dowler was also in attendance.
1 Park Place also offers a database management system that shows promise, at least from my perspective.
I need to make a decision for a new website IDX solution and MLS alert system by year's end, and am searching for solutions.
If you … (10 comments)
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SEC to Investigate Countrywide's Mozilo - 10/17/07 04:59 PM
… (7 comments)
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Lenders: Pre-Negotiate Your Short Sales! - 10/17/07 10:01 AM
We are trained and skilled negotiators.
Give us a chance, and we could probably get hostages released from terrorists, convince a teenager to leave his tongue unpierced (perhaps)–or successfully negotiate a sale leaseback of the Brooklyn Bridge.
As competent Realtors, it’s what we enjoy doing, and we are passionate about negotiating on behalf of our clients.
Most successful transactions have been hammered out when we account for and respect the needs of both the home buyer and the seller. When we understand what each party really wants, we can begin to negotiate a successful resolution. And though each party to the … (23 comments)
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San Diego Reverse 911: Emergency Notification - 10/17/07 09:41 AM
When we witness an accident or an emergency strikes at home, we instinctively know to dial 911. But what happens if an emergency strikes when we are away from home?
You can now opt in to receive a phone call via San Diego’s Emergency Notification System in the event of an emergency in your neighborhood or community.
If such an emergency should occur, the system will automatically call listed and unlisted numbers within the affected San Diego area to deliver a recorded message about the situation. And since cellular and Voice over IP (VoIP) are not in the system database, those … (10 comments)
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Onion News Network: Wanna Chat??? - 10/07/07 01:33 PM
I follow Tech Crunch fairly regularly because the bloody edge of the technology envelope fascinates me.
I also appreciate their sense of humor and this morning they linked to another old favorite: The Onion--but this time to their online news report--with one in particular that takes a stab at online chat and the immediacy of response.
Tech Crunch says:
"User feedback on blogs (or any Internet forum/community) is always fascinating to watch. Things start off great, but as the community gets larger basic human rules for interaction break down and, basically, everything goes to hell. The Onion, as usual, has a very funny … (14 comments)
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What Do Luxury Home Buyers Want? - 10/06/07 10:29 AM
This is Part One of an ongoing series about Luxury Home Buyers, their expectations, origins and trends.
This first article in the series will look at these buyers and what they expect from their luxury real estate agents.
For some reason,I thought market knowledge and keen negotiating skills would head the list for luxury home buyers, but a recent 2007 membership survey conducted by the Luxury Home Council, and authored by Jim Remley, shows something far more basic.
So what to luxury home buyers expect? According to this survey of luxury Realtors, luxury home buyers want real estate representation that … (9 comments)
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Sotheby's Debuts in San Diego - 10/06/07 10:00 AM
Owners of luxury real estate in San Diego should be celebrating because of the long-awaited arrival of Sotheby’s International Realty--and the active return of Bob and Loraine Dyson to San Diego real estate.
It’s been a long time coming, but luxury listings in San Diego County will now reach the plasma displays at Sotheby’s Auctions throughout the world. Passing by the Sotheby’s real estate desk, an equestrian property in Rancho Santa Fe might tweak the interest of buyers attending a contemporary art sale in London–or an Asian Art auction in Hong Kong. A Del Mar oceanfront estate might capture the bidding … (10 comments)
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San Diego a Bargain for Foreign Investors - 10/02/07 01:08 AM
A client we’ll call Josef decided to retire to Encinitas a couple of years ago. He was ultra-specific as to what he wanted in his North San Diego County luxury home. He demanded a home with a pool, spacious outdoor entertaining areas, enough bedrooms to accommodate a couple of guests, a large office and a serious kitchen for cooking. He also wanted no houses looking into his windows or back yard.
And why did Josef want Encinitas? He wanted to be close to San Diego beaches, close to La Costa Resort and wanted perfect weather that was second to none. Josef … (26 comments)
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Roberta Murphy -- Carlsbad Real Estate and Homes
San Diego,
CA
More about me…
San Diego Previews * Previews Luxury Real Estate
Office Phone: (877) 818-8197
Cell Phone: (760) 402-9101
Email Me
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