Low Income Housing Coming Soon to San Diego

The groundbreaking for a 77 unit affordable housing complex named Mesa Commons Apartments in the College neighborhood is close at hand. The development will cost $25.1 million and will sit on 4 acres.

The community will be for families that are between 30% and 60% of the median income, which is between $24,200 to $48,360 for a household of four. The housing complex will be located on El Cajon Boulevard near Choctaw Drive

The project developer, Palm Communities based in Irvine, stated the apartments will offer sustainable features including energy efficient appliances and within walking distance of a public park.

Mesa Commons Apartments is scheduled to open May 2015, according to Palm Communities’ website.

Other features residents can enjoy include picnic areas, tot lots, computer room, and fitness center.

The funding for the project has not been finalized at this time.

Negotiations for how to bring more housing to low income families in San Diego County is ongoing since the state axed redevelopment agencies that funded the affordable housing projects across the state. The elimination of these agencies was a way for the state to address the state’s deficit.

Viejas Hotel at Viejas Resort & Casino Grand Opening

The Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening for Viejas Hotel at Viejas Casino & Resort, which will be San Diego County’s newest luxury hotel on March 21, at 6pm. All are invited including the public to this event that will also provide a glimpse of the world premiere of Rise, which is a dramatic Cirque-style performance that will be followed by pyrotechnics. After all the performances, the public tours will begin of the various levels of suites that will be available at the resort.

The location of the Viejas Hotel at Viejas Casino & Resort is 5000 Willows Rd., Alpine, CA 91901 around 30 miles east of San Diego, I-8 at Willows Rd.

The Viejas Hotel at Viejas Casino & Resort boasts five stories, which cost $36 million Viejas Hotel to complete.

The event will also include traditional Kumeyaay Bird Songs, a Native American Blessing Ceremony. There will be a poolside reception for all attending.

The Viejas Hotel at Viejas Casino & Resort features 128 rooms including 99 deluxe rooms and 29 luxurious suites, an expansive patio area, hot tub, pool, business center, cabanas, fitness room, and limited room service.

If you are looking for commercial property or your new dream home in the San Diego area, now is the time to purchase while home prices and interest rates are still low. Contact a real estate agent today at 888-865-5055.

The Kissing Statue is Back in San Diego Bay

The entire San Diego community held a party as the 25-foot tall couple sculpture "Unconditional Surrender" was welcomed back along the eastern waterfront of the Port of San Francisco complete with a dedication.

Several San Diego residents and others from the surrounding area celebrated in downtown San Diego, the sculpture’s return often referred to as the Kissing Statue or The Kiss in

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner stated, "We are in San Diego, we have the greatest number of veterans and active duty of any community in the nation. "This belongs here."

During the celebration, Mayor Filner along with other public officials spoke, a military band played, and several couples took pictures of their own re-enacting their own Kiss beside the famous sculpture. The sculpture is of a sailor and nurse embracing at the end of World War II.

Port Commissioner Lou Smith stated that he is use to seeing young people whose parents were not born before 1945 posing with the sculpture for photos. "This is the most magical place of all," Smith stated. "Whoever sprinkled pixie dust on it did a great job."

The sculpture made its return on Wednesday morning just before Valentine’s Day.

During the ceremony, the theme of renewing love was in the air when several dozen couples renewed their vows beside the sculpture.

David Moore who flew bombing runs over Germany in World War II along with his wife Claire, remember seeing the sculpture on the news right after the war ended. On this day, they renewed their vows along with other couples. "It’s very sentimental," Moore explained. He explained that when he sees the sculpture he remembers just how happy he was to get back his civilian life after the war.

David and Mary Flohr, engaged in 1947, renewed their vows. The couple today has three children, eight grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren with all living in San Diego.

John Sax, served during World War II in the South Pacific and in Korea, expressed he was very pleased to see the statue back home. He described it as "a perfect example of people showing their love of the serviceman."

In May of 2012, Unconditional Surrender left San Diego, which was owned by Santa Monica-based Sculpture Foundation and was on loan to the Port from 2007 to 2012. Since the statue was removed, over $1 million has been raised via public donations to bring the sculpture back to the Bay as a permanent resident.

Bill Craddock, a member of San Diego’s Pearl Harbor Survivors, explained that there is plenty of controversy as to if, the statue is a worthy piece of art but in his own words, "Art lovers don’t love it but the people love it and that’s what counts."

San Diego and the surrounding area is a wonderful place to call home with neighbors and communities that care about their city. If you are looking for a new home in the area, contact a real estate today at 888-865-5055.

Pet Care Lectures to Be Held at Drake Center

Three lectures will be held in the upcoming months at the Encinitas based Drake Center for Veterinary Care concerning pet health. The free lectures will be in Carlsbad at the Whole Dog Sports Center but a suggested donation of $10 would be a welcome gesture, which will go to animal related charities.

Dates for the lectures:

January 23, 2013

"Western, Eastern, Holistic and Integrative Medicine: What’s the Difference?" The lecture presented by Dr. Kathy Boehme will be centered on the incorporation of alternative treatments for pets. It will cover food therapy, herbs therapy and acupuncture being presented into the mainstream Western veterinary practice as well as how these therapies can help your pet’s health and well-being.

February 27, 2013

"Solving Your Pet’s Skin Issues" The lecture presented by Dr. Michele Drake will discuss the causes of skin problems found in pets like allergies, infection, and parasites as well as the treatments and alternatives to address these issues.

March 27, 2013

"Nose for Needles: A Look at Veterinary Acupuncture" The lecture will be presented by Dr. Amanda and will explore the usage of acupuncture with pets for conditions like ligament injury, tendon injury, arthritis, diarrhea, and kidney disease to name a few.

The lectures will begin at 6 p.m. at 6241 Yarrow Dr, Carlsbad.

If Carlsbad sounds like the perfect place to call home, contact one of our Realtors today and be introduced to your new home by calling 888-865-5055.

Carlsbad to be home to the First US Legoland Hotel

The very first Legoland Hotel for the US has chosen its opening date and location. The location: the entrance to the Legoland theme park in Carlsbad, California The date: April 5, 2013

The announcement of the new Legoland Hotel will mark the third of its kind with one in the UK and another in Denmark. The hotel staff will be Lego built employees that are life size and will include bell hops and even a dragon.

The hotel will have 2500 rooms that are created to resemble one of Lego’s most popular product lines, which include Adventure, Kingdom, or Pirate. Each room has unique features like kids only bunk areas, mini refrigerators, queen beds for parents, and in room treasure hunts. Along with these features, guests will enjoy HD flat screen with On Demand, free Wi-Fi, and Lego bricks.

One addition reward that guests are sure to love is the VIP entry to the rides and attractions at the Legoland Park before it opens to the public.

Other features include a bar, restaurant, swimming pool, and has rumored it will hold the Junior Concierge contests that will provide 6 winner between the ages of 8 and 12 a free weekend stay along with Lego products for sharing their love for the park with other kids.

The rates at opening will be $199 per night.

Carlsbad is a wonderful place to call home for families. For those looking for place to call home that will provide everyone with entertainment opportunities year round, contact one of our Realtors today by calling 888-865-5055.

Carlsbad Desalination Project Closed Successfully

The San Diego County Water Authority announced on December 24 that project financing for the Carlsbad Seawater Desalination Project closed successfully. This gave $734 million in tax-exempt bond financing to construct the largest seawater desalination plant in the United States along with a 10-mile pipeline.

The closing financially was the last step that was needed before the construction could begin on the project. Grading will start within the next 10 days with an estimated completion and the beginning of operation in 2016.

Thomas V. Wornham, Chairman of the Water Authority’s Board of Directors and a retired banker stated, "This is a major milestone in the development of this historic project. Closing the financing on an approximately $1 billion project is no small feat, and to do so just three-and-a-half weeks after the Water Purchase Agreement was approved required a monumental effort by all involved."

"I congratulate the Water Authority management team and its advisers, project developer Poseidon Resources, our host city, Carlsbad, and the project site owner, NRG Energy, for coming together to make this project a reality for our community."

Carlos Riva, chief executive officer of Poseidon Resources, stated that closing on the finances is long 10-year effort to develop the project.

"We began developing this project in 1998," Riva explained. "Developing a project of this size, complexity and scope requires a great deal of risk-taking, resources and perseverance, and, for our project site owner, NRG, a good deal of patience. We appreciate the commitment NRG has shown for this vital water supply project."

Matt Hall, Carlsbad Mayor, stated the announcement was "a historic day, not only for the City of Carlsbad, but for our entire region."

"Our economy and quality of life simply do not exist without a reliable water supply," Hall stated. "That’s why the City of Carlsbad has been a tireless advocate for this project, and why we’re willing to host this regional project in our community.

"It’s one thing to say you want a project like this in your city, but it’s quite another thing to be willing to site a project on your private property, and NRG stepped up and made that commitment. ‘Corporate citizenship’ is often a vaguely defined term, but NRG shows what it means to be a good corporate citizen."

The Water Authority and Poseidon Resources a private developer sold bonds to finance the project with an interest rate of 4.78%. That rate was lower than estimates presented earlier which will save close to $200 million over the next 30 years. This will lower not only the cost of water from the project to around $125 per acre-foot but will decrease the price of the water from the plant to somewhere between $1,917 and $2,165 per acre-foot.

The 30-year purchase agreement was approved by the Water Authority’s Board of Directors with Poseidon on November 29 to purchase up to 56,000 acre-feet of water each year. The plant is permitted and is believed it will begin producing 50 million gallons of water a day in 2016. By 2020, it is estimated that the plant in Carlsbad will meet around 7% of the demand for water in the region.

A collaboration of Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. and J.F. Shea Construction will design and construct the Carlsbad plant along with the Water Authority’s pipeline. Israel-based IDE Technologies will design the highly developed water treatment system for desalination and run the facility for Poseidon, bringing several years of experience on similar projects around the world.

The desalination plant will be constructed next to NRG’s Encina Power Station in Carlsbad. The project will also include a 10-mile pipeline that will connect the new plant to the Water Authority’s aqueduct in San Marcos.

Desalination is just one piece of the Water Authority’s continuing strategy to reduce reliance on the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. During the last 20 years, the Water Authority has devoted in water storage, conservation and new sources to expand its portfolio. That helps safeguard the region’s 3.1 million residents and $186 billion economy by providing a safe and reliable water supply.

If Carlsbad sounds like the perfect community for your family or your retirement years contact one of our professional real estate agents today to see the homes available in the area by calling 888-865-5055.

Dogs banned from Hunting in California

As of January 1st in the state of California, it will no longer be legal to hunt bobcats and bears with dogs.

Gary Ramey and his grown daughter traveled to hunt California bears in November to participate in the traditional bear hunt. The father and daughter hunters traveled 2,500 miles enjoy this tradition.

"When you think about it, hunting with dogs is probably the oldest hunting in history. I’m sorry to see it end," stated Gary Ramey of Gainesville, Ga.

Other supporters of the sport noted that there was an increase in the interest during the last few months that the practice will be allowed. Critics of the hunt state it is unsportsmanlike and cruel.

"This may be the last opportunity for them to use hounds to go bear hunting," explained Josh Brones, president of California Houndsmen for Conservation, which was against the new law.

Houndsmen use their dogs to track a bear and then chase it up a tree. Then the hungers can get an easy shot at the bear that is steady in the tree. For some houndsmen, the chase is the fun part and often allows the bear to go free instead of shooting.

Democratic state Senator Ted Lieu of Torrance, whose bill, SB1221, banned the hunting practice, equated killing a bear in a tree to shooting a bear in a zoo. The bears are often hunted to sheer exhaustion, packs of dogs can tear bobcats apart, and bears can injure or even kill the dogs that are chasing them.

At this time, 17 states in the US still allow the use of dog to hunt bears but 15 other states have banned the practice. The other 18 states in the United States do not permit bear hunting as reported by the Humane Society of the United States, which pushed for the law in California.

On the other hand, California and a few other states allow the use of dogs to hunt other animals, which includes various animals from birds to feral pigs. A judge in Wisconsin has for the time being banned using dogs to hunt wolves before the ban will be permanent next year.
Nevada game officials are also considering a petition to ban hunting bears with hounds.
Bear season in California closed 2 ½ weeks early this year when hunters had reached the limit of 1,700 bears. Just a little under half of the bears were tracked with dogs as noted by the figures, which is about the same as seen in previous years. California has an estimated 70,000 bobcats. They issued around 4,500 permits to hunt bobcats in 2011. Around 11% of the bobcats were killed with the use of hound dogs.

State wildlife officials believe that California’s black bear population is around 26,000, which is an increase of about 10,000 in the 1980s. Some critics question the accuracy of that figure. Brones believes lawmakers will reconsider the ban if there is an increase in troublesome bears as the population increases.

Lieu and Jennifer Fearing, the Humane Society’s California state director, stated they are not surprised by the late increase in interest in the practice.

"We’re just relieved and heartened that this is the last bear season where this cruel and unethical practice can be utilized," Fearing stated.

Ramey bid at a charity auction 18 month ago prior to the ban being enacted. He stated, "It just sounded intriguing." He also explained he had never before seen a bear outside a zoo.

Holly Heyser, a journalism teacher at California State University, Sacramento that also blogs about hunting, signed up 2 weeks ago to experience a hunt while she could. She explained that even hunters speak about lazy hunters that make the dogs do all the work for them.

She and Ramey said their hunts overturned those stereotypes as they followed the baying dogs.

"It was up and down ravines, cliffs, you name it to get there," stated Ramey. "It was physically exhausting."

He and his daughter, Grace, 20, each killed a bear, but only after letting three others go free. It seemed unsporting to shoot a bear that was cornered in a culvert, he said, and they did not feel right about shooting a mother and young bear that were in trapped in a tree.

Heyser and Ramsey both explained that using dogs to track the bears allowed them to be selective about what to shoot and it seemed more sportsmanlike than using bear bait which is also banned in California. Both stated that shooting the bears in the tree gave them clear clean kills and both use dogs to flush out pheasants.

"The difference is no one feels sorry for pheasants," Heyser stated. "They’re really pretty, but they’re chickens."

Contact one of our professional real estate agents today to see the homes available in the Southern California area by calling 888-865-5055.

Christmas Boat Parade Sets Sail

Newport Harbor will be full of Christmas Spirit with Christmas themed canoes, kayaks, boats, and yachts.

It is believed that thousands of individuals will be attending the Christmas Boat Parade even though a local group has been trying to lower the enthusiasm for the tradition.

The 104th annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade sets sail December 19, which is the first night of the five-night event. A large array of watercraft will light up the Newport Harbor with lights, music and holiday cheer. This year, those in attendance will be the first to see the fireworks display, which will open and close the event.

The parade, which charts a 14-mile route through the harbor, will run every night through Sunday beginning off Bay Island at 6:30 p.m. every evening and finishing at around 9 p.m.

The boat parade was recognized in 2011 as one of the best holiday events in the US but was targeted in December by a group known as
Stop the Dock Tax.

This group contacted homeowners along the route to turn off their Christmas decorations and take their boats out of the parade to protest the dock rents hike, which was approved last week by the city council.

Even with the controversy, the organizers of the event expect the parade will go on without any problems.

Gary Sherwin, president and CEO of Visit Newport Beach Inc., the city’s destination marketing group stated, "This event belongs to Newport Beach. No single group can take it hostage and threaten to hurt others because they have their own issue to resolve. "The Christmas Boat Parade will shine on, so bring your friends, family and guests to come down for a great show."

The Newport Beach police will be out monitoring the traffic in the area of the boat parade and stated that left-turn lanes from westbound East Coast Highway to southbound Jamboree Road and the right-turn lane from eastbound East Coast Highway onto southbound Jamboree may be closed if needed.

All parking lots in the city will be open during the parade to accommodate spectators.

If Newport Beach sounds like the perfect community for your family or your retirement years contact one of our professional real estate agents today to see the homes available in the area by calling 888-865-5055.

Poway Events

Lightbridge Carolers

Staff at LightBridge Hospice & Palliative Care along with volunteers sang at the Solaris Senior Living Community on Garden Road and Gate Manor on Gate Drive on December 12. The group did a 3-day caroling trip around the county to entertain hospice patients in San Diego. The carolers brought along gingerbread houses, treats, and of course tambourines. They even took requests from the audience. One resident even got out of bed to sing along.

Discovery Isle Child Development Center Pancake Breakfast

Students at Discovery Isle Child Development Center donned chef hats and created a pancake breakfast for family and friends at the preschool as a kick start to their Isabella’s Gift Drive. The students are collecting robes, slippers, and pajamas for residents at the Rady Children’s Hospital. In addition, proceeds that were collected at the breakfast were donated.

Isabella’s Gift is a charitable foundation with the mission to help children be as comfortable as possible while being treated for cancer. The foundation was organized by the family of Isabella Zouvas, who passed away due to cancer at 4 years of age, 16 years ago. She was a former student of Discovery Isle Principal Melinda Carvalho. The students will be collecting articles for Isabella’s Gift through this Friday at the preschool.

San Diego Humane Society Presents for Paws

The San Diego Humane Society is helping animals have a happy holiday by trying to raise $10,000 for the animals during the season. The information provided is that it cost $25 for kitten milk replacement for 20 young kittens for one week, it cost $40 for basic preventative care and $125 to provide spay or neuter services.

If you are looking for perfect community for your family or your retirement years, Poway may just be the community you want to call home. Contact one of our professional real estate agents today to see the homes available in the area by calling 888-865-5055.

North County Couple to be on the Amazing Race

This season, Amazing Race the CBS reality show will include a woman from Carlsbad and a man from Encinitas. If you are from the area, you may not a couple of familiar faces when the show premieres on September 30.

One of the teams facing the challenge this season is from North County as reported by UT San Diego. Ryan Danz and Abbie Ginsberg will be the local team. Danz is a business owner in Encinitas while Ginsberg is a dance instructor living in Carlsbad that grew up in Encinitas.

They are on the team the "Dating Divorcees that will travel across 25,000 miles across three continents with the grand prize they could win being $2 million.

Abbie stated, "I would have to say it’s a tie between learning to communicate and not piss each other off at the same time," and went on to say, "We can be juvenile and sarcastic with one another. The other would be our battle for control and power over each other. We are both Type A and can be bull-headed."

One main reason beside the possibility of winning a million dollars, they are hoping to clarify their relationship. The first episode will air on CBS on Sunday September 30 at 8 p.m.

If this sounds like a community, you would like to call home, contact a Encinitas Realtor at 888-865-5055.

Next Page »