One of the things I love best about living in San Diego.

Living in San Diego definitely has it's benefits. Of course there is the weather and the beaches, but one of the things I love best is the variety of activities available. For example, I came into the office today and asked the proverbial question "how was your weekend?" One person enjoyed the sunshine as she ran in the Carlsbad Marathon:
My assistant took her kids to the local mountains to enjoy the snow (there was 3 ft of fresh powder!) on Saturday and went to the beach to enjoy the sunshine on Sunday. And us? We went to Monster Truck Jam (gotta love it!)
If you are looking for something to do, have you looked into Restaurant Week? They just extended it for one more week. What a great opportunity to try a new (or favorite) restaurant!

How to Prepare Your Home for the Rainy Season | eHow.com

It appears that we will have a short reprieve from the rain this weekend, then more next week. If you are like me, you have some cleaning up to do around your house. I hope you aren't one of the unlucky ones who have had a tree come down...


How to Prepare Your Home for the Rainy Season eHow.com

Another new listing. I love helping people avoid foreclosure!

For Sale: 3BR/2+1BA Single Family House in Oceanside, CA, $325,000

Brand new listing in Ocean Beach. Check it out!

For Sale: 3BR/1+1BA Single Family House in San Diego, CA, $601,000

Click the link above to see my newest listing in Ocean Beach. I haven't made it active yet on the MLS, so if you want to see it, please call me at 619-977-8364. I am excited about this house- it's a gem...

Kids Eat Free in San Diego

My assistant came in this morning all excited because last night she went to Islands restaurant and her kids ate for free. It got me thinking about other restaurants that may offer this. Here is what I came up with. The following is a list of San Diego restaurants that offer free kids' meals. Do you know of something not listed here? Please email me @ team@maxfolkers.com. I'd love to know of it.
And my disclosure: Make sure to check with restaurants before going to see if special is current, as these specials tend to change.
Keep in mind that lunch and Happy Hour specials (often ½ off appetizers and drink specials) are more affordable than dinners! Another good deal is the all-you-can-eat buffets (such as Sizzler and many Asian buffets), especially when kids 2 and under eat for free.
Anita's Restaurant (Oceanside) - Sun & Tues, all day. Free kid's meal w/adult purchase
Carrow's - Weds and Thurs after 4 p.m. children under 10 w/purchase of adult entrée
Chevy's - Tues all day children 12 and under w/purchase of an adult entrée (website tells you which locations are not participating)
Chick-Fil-A - Tues children 12 and under free kids meal w/adult purchase
Chicken Pie Dinner (Poway) - Tues get free kid's meal and drink for with adult w/ adult entrée purchase and drink.
Coco's - Tues & Weds children 10 and under get a free kid's meal w/ adult entrée purchase.
Denny's - Tues (some locations also Sat) 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. free kid's meal w/adult entrée
El Torito - Saturday 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. kids 12 & under from kid's menu w/adult entrée
Fuddruckers (only the downtown location) - Sun, all day. Children 12 & under from the kid's menu w/purchase of adult entrée.
Hacienda Casablanca (formerly Antonio's Hacienda) - Mon all day w/paid adult
Holiday Inn - Many locations have deals where children 12 & under eat free and children 19 & under stay free
Hooley's Irish Pub - Kids 12 & under get one free meal w/ adult purchase. Wednesday night @ San Diego location, Monday night @ La Mesa location
Islands - Tues. nights Two kids menu item free w/ purchase of adult entrée @ Mission Valley, Balboa Ave. in San Diego and Vista locations! (Hence the excitement)
La Costa Blanca - Mon. all day kids eat free from kid's menu w/adult purchase. Every day - free soda w/kids meal purchase
Pasha Mediterranean Cafe & Grille (on 5th Ave.) - Children 6 & under get free kids meal w/adult purchase. Sunday - Thurs, all day
Pat & Oscar's - Tues w/adult purchase kids get a Just For Kids Meal
Q Restaurant Sports and Grill (Oceanside) - Kids 12 and under get a free kids meal w/adult entree every Tuesday, 5:30 - 7:30. Also they have free Karaoke!
Roadhouse Grill - (Santee & San Marcos) Tues free kidss meal w/adult entrée
Ruby's Diner - (Carlsbad, San Diego & Oceanside) Tues after 4 p.m. free kid's meal, 12 and under, with paying adult.
Wings Pizza 'n Things - (Oceanside) Tues all day from kid's menu w/adult purchase.
Maybe this will be a good opportunity to try something new, or re-visit an old favorite. Who knows? Happy eating!

Help is on the way...

Thomas Jefferson said, "If you find yourself at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." Unfortunately in today's real estate market in San Diego, tying a knot may end up costing you more money, grief and stress. Fortunately, you may have several options to assist you in "letting go" responsibly and doing ultimately what is best for you and your family's financial outlook.
So if you find yourself in a position where you owe more than your real estate is worth and you can no longer afford to pay for it, then a short sale may be your best option. Arm yourself with knowledge so you can avoid the stress and anxiety associated with facing foreclosure and going through the short sale process.
What is a short sale?
Simply put, a short sale is a real estate transaction where the homeowner, aka the borrower, owes the lender(s) more than what their property is worth. In a short sale, the lender must approve and accept less than what they are fully owed. This means they may settle for $400,000, even if you currently owe them $500,000...even if the loss is hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now with the new Federal Programs, the banks have more incentive to accept more short sales.
Let me ask you:
* Are you facing a financial hardship that you know will decrease your income?
* Are you getting behind on your mortgage and you're not sure if you can catch up?
* Are you currently facing Foreclosure and Need to Sell Quickly?
If you are facing any of the situations above, and you think a short sale might be your best option, then read on. I just finished getting certified as a "Certified Distress Property Expert" and I have successfully closed several short sale transactions.
I can help you.
Don't worry. It's not your fault and you are not alone.....
Keep in mind, we've all had our ups and downs in life and a lot of other good people are also in the same tough spot as you. Life seems scary when you're facing the reality of foreclosure and we know how you feel when you just don't want answer the phone any more. We have all been there and unfortunately it doesn't seem like the tide is breaking. In 2010, according to Realty Trac over 60% of Real Estate transaction will be short sales.
Did you know that nearly 90% of the homeowners nationwide who try to "short sale" their home will end up losing their home to foreclosure due to an uneducated, misinformed or lazy agent? Don't allow this to happen to you! I specialize in Short Sales, and I get them approved!
I know how you feel and I can help. Let's start with a free home valuation. I will email you a Comprehensive Market Analysis so that you may have all of the information you need to make the best choice.
P.S. Don't let the lender's abusive scheme take advantage of you and cause you to lose your home to a foreclosure auction, trustee sale! Save your credit and have peace of mind dealing with a Pro.

Newseum | Today's Front Pages | Map View

Check out this cool site. Move your mouse over the map and you can instantly read that cities newspaper. Very neat! A person could spend way too much time here. 

Newseum | Today's Front Pages | Map View