Market and Forecast Updates For San Diego
San Diego Treasure, The Rancho Bernardo Winery Arts and Crafts Fair
May 11th, 2009 categories: Local San Diego News You Can Use, Market and Forecast Updates For San Diego, San Diego Real Estate, William's Life in San Diego Musings
A San Diego Treasure, The Rancho Bernardo Winery. This past weekend I had the good fortune of attending the Bi-Annual Rancho Bernardo Winery Arts and Crafts Fair.
For those of you who live in San Diego that don’t know of this place, it is one of the oldest continually operating wineries in southern California. And for those who don’t live here, this needs to be on your itinerary the next time you visit.
The Rancho Bernardo Winery was founded back in 1889 on what was a Spanish Land Grant, the winery was opened and operated until Prohibition. The winery is located in a valley that used to be covered with vineyards and with the advent of Prohibition, the winery went up for sale. When it was purchased in 1927 by Vincent Rizzo, the harvest was then used to produce grape juice and sacramental wine. After Prohibition ended, the winery became a major wine producing company along with it’s famed Cold Pressed Virgin Olive oil made from the many olive trees that were found on the property.
As the valley began to grow and the land was purchased for residential development, the vineyards disappeared and today, the Rancho Bernardo Winery imports most of its wine making grapes from around the county and state. In 1962 when Ross Rizzo, the son of the founder took over the winery, he turned it into what it is today, a destination.
When you visit the Rancho Bernardo Winery, you will be overtaken with the vast amount of antiquities found everywhere on the property, even to include a museum. There are over a dozen village shops, a wine tasting room, a coffee shop, an award winning cafe and more charm than you can fit into an afternoon.
The Arts and Crafts Fair was filled to capacity with local artists showing their creations. I was taken with several of them for their unique design qualities as well as with the artist themselves.
Two artists that create these sculptures from gourds really caught my eye.
Ruth Phillips and Vickie Echols proudly display their creations. Each artist creates their unique pieces using the gourd as inspiration and from there, their artistry takes over and you can see here for yourself, each one is its own little unique masterpiece.
Ms. Vickie Echols (on the left) creates beautiful object d’arts using gourds as the core of the piece then enhanced with a woven reed type material. Many of her pieces have a distinct Southwestern influence. Each one is totally unique and a real stand out.
Ruth Phillips also uses gourds in her designs ( one of my favorites that first got my attention is the purple gourd pictured here) some of which also have the look of metal sculptures like her bird collection. Ruth’s Bird designs are made completely from gourds or cuttings from gourds finished in metallic finishes that would simulate aged and weathered bronze. These pieces are truly stunning! Both Vicki and Ruth will showing at the 13th Annual Gourd and Fiber Art Show May 17th through June 28th, 2009 at the Falbrook Art Center.
Another artist, Susan Smith, who I had the pleasure of visiting with is a world traveler and has her art studio in Spanish Village in Balboa Park. Susan uses computer software to create her work by enhancing her photography creating the affects of oil, acyclic and water colors. One of my favorite pieces that Susan has done is shown below titled “Vernazza II” ~ Cinque Terre. Her technique is called Fauxtography. A true Artist and a lovely person to boot. Susan can be reached at susankphotography@yahoo.com Read the rest of this entry »
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Are Reverse Mortgages Your Golden Egg ?
May 2nd, 2009 categories: Local San Diego News You Can Use, Market and Forecast Updates For San Diego, San Diego Mortgage Banks and Loans Info, San Diego Real Estate, San Diego Real Estate News, San Diego Relocation
With our economic system in a tailspin, for the older generation hit the hardest by declining fortunes coupled with the rise of unemployment, property values and retirement investments,there may be yet another way for them to tap into the greater amount of their home equity in these hard times.
For home owners that are age 62 or older and have a good amount of equity, Reverse Mortgages may be their Golden Egg that helps them through the tough times and ensures they can stay in their homes.
While there are scores of Reverse Mortgage offerings out there from private companies and even some state and local government types, the federally insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgage might be a good place to start in the discovery of the costs and requirements to see if the idea of a Reverse Mortgage is your Golden Egg.
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San Diego – Recent Rainfall Does Not Relieve Need for Conservation.
December 2nd, 2008 categories: Local San Diego News You Can Use, Market and Forecast Updates For San Diego, San Diego Mortgage Banks and Loans Info, San Diego Real Estate, San Diego Real Estate News
San Diego Water Supply
Finally San Diego got some rain. Over 2 inches of it in most places last week. But don’t let this lull you into thinking that the need for water conservation has somehow ended. It hasn’t.
The reservoirs are very low, there are going to be cutbacks in the supply of water we purchase, the water rates are going up again and we will not be able to fill the need for water.
So what does all this mean to you the consumer here in San Diego? It spells the greater possibility of M-A-D-A-T-O-R-Y water restrictions.
For a lot of years running, San Diego, in fact all of California’s population has been exploding. Developments of every sort are filling up the land. People have been migrating in large numbers to California. Meanwhile, we have not added one sustainable drop of water to the supply. Read the rest of this entry »
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San Diego market Statistics June 1 through August 2008
September 11th, 2008 categories: Buying San Diego Real Estate, Market and Forecast Updates For San Diego, San Diego Real Estate, San Diego Real Estate News, Selling San Diego Real Estate
These are the current market statistics for all of San Diego County from June 30, 2008 through August 27th,2008.
This report includes all residential property, Active, Pending, Sold, Expired and Off Market in all price ranges in all zip codes of San Diego County.
In each category is shown the total number of units, the average price and the total dollar volume.
Category # 0f Properties Average Price Total Dollar Volume
Active Listings 18,198 $739,774 $13,462,407.252
Pending Close 6,180 $414,659 $2,562,596,620
Sold Listings 7,219 $462,355 $3,337,740,745
Expired 2,619 $684,376 $1,774,482,468
Cancelled 2,881 $581,813 $1,676,203,252
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Where Are We Headed In The Housing Markets For 2008
December 31st, 2007 categories: Investing in San Diego Real Estate, Market and Forecast Updates For San Diego, San Diego Real Estate, San Diego Real Estate News
It is now time to refocus my energies here to provide you with some insight and perspective as we begin anew to redefine the characteristics of the current housing market and where we are likely headed in 2008.
Looking back, 2007 has been a most unusual year. The housing market has seen a lot of correction and some real disappointments coupled with some mostly obscured indicators that the market is actually improving.
As we begin this year that will have the media being dominated by election year prognostication, there will also be many words printed about the housing market and the direction the media intends to emphasize as the year progresses. There will no doubt be further effort to undermine any efforts of recognizing this market as a glass half full. But the best investors world wide have always recognized the golden opportunities that lie at the heart of the medias effort to portray any weakness in the markets as death knells. The best usually pick up the gauntlet and run with it to find even more new riches at the expense of the weakened and weary current holders of the assets.
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