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.