A couple of weeks ago, we spent the day and evening at La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club…

But then we heard that it would be snowing in Idyllwild over the weekend, so we booked a cabin at The Idyllwild Inn, our home away from home just two hours from La Jolla! It snowed like crazy… And I just had to show you how it looks in the evening… So pretty, right?!

We brought along our eldest son and his lovely then-girlfriend, now-fiance, (after four sons, we finally get our girl!!!) and we made snow angels and a snowman…

Okay, Bree made the snowman and I watched. Don’t we look alike? Weird but in a nice way; she was meant to be our daughter. So after all that hard work, we headed to dinner at Aroma, a wonderful restaurant in town. We LOVED it so much we headed back for breakfast. But after all that cold, cold, cold snow…

…we headed two hours in the other direction for a 76 degree temperature swing. La Jolla hovered around 61 degrees and La Quinta? A scorcher at a nice dry 108. We love the desert.

La Quinta is gorgeous. And our twenty-something-year-old kids and their friends, who knows why ever, were desperate to attend the Coachella Concert Festival for three long days and nights in that heat…

Eighty thousand million gazillion hot bodies swaying and dancing and jumping and who knows what else on the Polo Fields of Indio in Palm Desert. Does that sound like fun? Eh.

Greg and I stayed at Legacy Villas, with views to the sno-capped mountains of Idyllwild, (!!!) cooking up a huge breakfast buffet for the kids each morning, (read NOON,) and then drove the kids to the concerts at about 3 PM to avoid the parking nightmare that a million gazillion kids will create at a latter-day-Woodstock-like outdoor festival concert.

That’s our son and soon-to-be partner, Ryley, on the left, and Conor and Charlie at far right. They were a hot, sticky mess, I bet. Patrick opted for cooler quarters at a home in La Quinta.

Conor’s girlfriend, Niki, found a healthful way to keep cool. Nomnomnomnom…

But the watermelon didn’t quite suffice, I guess, so the clothes came off. Niki and Conor. NikiCon. Like Brangelina, get it? Okay, I’m a nerd but at least I know it.

But I’ll let you in on a SECRET! Nothing, absolutely, positively NOTHING, makes six hot, messy, sticky, weary danced-out festival-goers happier at 2 AM than being handed a couple of boxes of In-n-Out cheeseburgers! But I digress…

The point of my post is, of course, that La Jolla offers a range of climates and experiences within a two hour drive… We went from 60-ish degree cool to frigid cold and hot, hot heat in just a couple of hours… And as we drove over the mountain from the desert, we got a peek to the marine layer that keeps our beaches nice and cool…

In fact, that marine layer got pretty thick in places… but we knew it meant La Jolla would be calm and cool, just as we like it... if we made it home in one piece with all that fog, which we did because I am writing a blog post.

Back at the beach, the weather and the surf are PERFECT. You, too can enjoy beach, mountains and desert within a short drive. Call us anytime. We will hook you up.

1-800-LA JOLLA, Baby!

by Kristen Victor Design.

For Lovers of Contemporary design we often recommend Kristen Victor, though Kristen is phenomenally versatile and I would say her own home is less contemporary and more funky-romantic…Kristen can do it all, and she is firmly dedicated to sustainable “Green” Design. Check our her second website at SustainabilityMatters.com.

Marika's La Jolla Shores project... a fantastical approach to art and design.

We also recommend designer Marika, who seems to design around art for spectacular contemporary design but can also freshen up the dowdiest traditional home…

Jennifer Van Galder

For romantic interiors incorporating  interesting antiques, we often recommend designer/shop proprietor, Jennifer Van Galder, at Maudlin, et al on Fay Avenue in La Jolla. Jennifer, one of the original “Doublemint twins,” makes exquisite slipcovers and has a fabric showroom frequented by other designers.

Dawn Davidson

Dawn Davidson of Design Line Interiors offers full-service design and is nationally renowned for her fine model home work in the building industry.

Lori Gentile

Another versatile designer we refer who is well-known for her glamorous published work is Lori Gentile.

Shannon Turner's Girard Avenue Collection

And beloved by La Jolla, Shannon Turner is the owner/designer of Girard Avenue Collection, just a couple of doors from Harry’s Coffee Shop.

A Special Note…

The Grande Dame of La Jolla’s interior design scene is definitely the late, great Constance Noah, who trained at least one of the designers mentioned…  We will be presenting “Villa de Costanza,” the exquisite sea view villa Constance appointed with her meticulous attention to detail, showcasing the value Ms. Noah found in surrounding oneself with beauty every day at home…

The marque this year was “Italian” and while we love classic Mercedes, it was great to see all makes and models featured at Scripps Park at the Cove and on the blocked-off Prospect Street. We had so much fun and it seemed everyone in town was out for the show!

Looking from Prospect to Scripps Park, you can see how active and beautiful La Jolla can be! I’m sure a lot of real estate is moving this week…

Looking back toward Prospect, this little number caught our eye.

You, too can enjoy all La Jolla has to offer! Call anytime, 1-800-LA JOLLA (525-6552)

Located on a quiet cul-de-sac at North WindanSea in the popular Beach-Barber Tract, this contemporary seaside residence is just off the sand.

Vast windows offer endless sea views…

The surf will lull you to dreamy sleep…

…at La Jolla’s most picturesque beach.

Call now! 1-800-LA JOLLA

And remember this home, too. Blah before…but fabulous after! Paint makes the world new.

Owned for a very long time by a wonderful couple Greg has known since birth and considers family, this little Beach-Barber Tract home offers hardwood floors and a location just about 4 blocks to WindanSea, Sea Lane, and Marine Street beaches and within a stroll to La Jolla High, La Jolla Elementary, the Sunday Farmers’ Market, and Village shops and restaurants!

At $698,000, this will be one of the most affordable homes sold in La Jolla this year, and with a little love it can be a treasure!

The yard needs a green thumb for sure, but it’s quite spacious and could be made extremely private with the addition of some tall trees… We would put in a big in-ground jacuzzi…unless we had little ones who might fall in!

There’s even a brick fireplace that begs to be replaced with something wonderful. Can you imagine the parties that could be enjoyed here? The family gatherings? We can.

La Jolla’s most picturesque beaches are close by– this is a busy day with a surf contest!

Our own home was deemed a “scraper” by every client Greg brought through before we could make an offer, ( I would share photos if I had them!) but surfaces like kitchen countertops, paint, and new floors made a world of difference until we could renovate 8 years later. We have experienced the beauty of Before & After and highly recommend the experience! Where else will you find a single family residence i La Jolla for less than $700,000?

If you would like to see this wonderful La Jolla home or any La Jolla Real Estate, please feel free to call us at any time. 1-800-LA JOLLA (525-6552) or email Greg@LaJollahomes.com

Children like our little friend here gathered shells, dug tunnels, and went from sea to sand and back again… and we had rented a cabana for a barbecue that attracted friends Greg met at the beach that day…

I brought an easy meal of salad, vegetables to grill, and Homegrown Meats grass fed burgers… with berry shortcakes for dessert! Yum. Not easy to see in this iPhone pic, but the pretty blonde in the middle is Kathleen McCartney (Hearst,) winner of the iconic 1982 Ironman Race in which Julie Moss fell apart at the finish; Kathleen skipped by like a bunny! Kath will race again with Julie on the 30th Anniversary of that showdown, October 2012!

We stayed long after sunset, lighting our firepit after sunset to keep all warm and cozy… Conversation across the beach was focused on our blessing of living and enjoying La Jolla on a magical night like Sunday…

And it can all be yours… call Greg Noonan now! 1-800-LA JOLLA (525-6552)

Most important to Greg’s reputation and integrity is honesty, and to maintain that credibility requires accurate and truthful representations in all media. But I also want to help buyers see what they can create with a little time, effort, and money… I want to “frame their thoughts” to see the positive aspects of even the most challenging of traits. Minimal square footage becomes “cozy,” and a small yard is also “easy-maintenance.”

Let’s face it, there are some homes that make my job an easy task, like the dream property pictured above with spectacular grounds, resort-like living, massive square footage…. I can wax on and on with pretty adjectives to describe the home above.

But what about something more like the home below? How can a copy writer stoke interest in a house with little curb appeal, less space, and a whole lot of work to be done just to make it habitable? This is why I earn the big bucks, folks. (Actually, Greg pays me no bucks, which is probably what I’m worth, but still…watch the magic!)

Superb Value is yours in this cozy charmer just steps to the sands of WindanSea Beach! Endless make-it-your-own possibilities rest in its easy-maintenance grounds and lovely floor plan.

 

Most important to Greg’s reputation and integrity is honesty, and to maintain that credibility requires accurate and truthful representations in all media. But I also want to help buyers see what they can create with a little time, effort, and money… I want to “frame their thoughts” to see the positive aspects of even the most challenging of traits. Minimal square footage becomes “cozy,” and a small yard is also “easy-maintenance.”

But no matter how skillful a writer, the truth is that very few homes are sold via print advertisements, and Sellers benefit most from vast internet exposure and savvy local agent representation. In 30 years of working in this business, I cannot cite an instance when a print ad led to a home sale. We have always had one of the biggest advertising budgets in the business, if not THE biggest– but did we attract many clients via print ads? Definitely, yes, but not buyers of the homes in the ads.

Our listings enjoy unparalleled visibility on Zillow and Yahoo, the #1 Real Estate Search Sites in the World, and on Realtor.com, where we have more featured homes and page views than any other local agent. Instead of fishing for clients with a lot of glossy print ads, since the late ’90′s we have bought up preeminent, proprietary positions in the real estate sites with the highest traffic, and we have maintained and expanded those positions as the web has progressed.

When you list with Greg, your home will be seen by more buyers and exposed to more vast an audience than any agent in this market can offer you. Please call Greg when you are considering listing your home for sale. We aim to please, we are never too busy, and we will be honored to work with YOU.

The dream view from a Spindrift Drive home...

Welcome to our new website, a work in progress… My name is Marilyn Noonan and I am Greg’s Marketing Associate, (among other things!)  Because the boss is busy attending to your needs, I will be the blogger here, writing about whatever I think might be of timely interest… or maybe whatever suits my fancy at the time! Either way, I’ll try not to bore you, and my intention will be to educate you as well as possible on the nuances of the real estate business and WHY YOUR CHOICE OF AGENT MATTERS!

For over 30 years, Greg has remained at the very top of La Jolla’s real estate brokerage community by offering his clients unparalleled expertise, tenacious protection, and every benefit of his solid integrity. I have personally watched him save a client over $1 million in a purchase and make his client an extra $800,000 in a listing sale transaction. I’ve witnessed sleepless nights when clients were in financial trouble, and celebrated when Greg has been able to make a crucial difference in his clients’ success. We have been married for 28 years and Greg has not disappointed me yet; his expertise, creativity, honesty and ethics are beyond compare.

When you are working with Greg, your goals are FIRST and FOREMOST in his list of priorities, (trust me on this– he told me to go to my mother’s and put my feet up when I was in labor with our second son– a client’s house deal was on the line!) and you can trust Greg will advise you with your best interests at heart, and a lot of experience and knowledge stashed in his cache of tools.

Please call us when we can be of help to you. We aim to PLEASE!

1 – At the end of the day
2 – Fairly unique
3 – I personally
4 – At this moment in time
5 – With all due respect
6 – Absolutely
7 – It’s a nightmare
8 – Shouldn’t of
9 – 24/7
10 – It’s not rocket science

Here is mine:

1- To be honest with you…

2- But Zillow says…

3- My neighbor friend/hairdresser/bartender/cousin said the house sold for $…

4- Why are they selling?

5- My friend/hairdresser/bartender/cousin says we should price it higher.

6- Call me if you ever see any great deals in the market.

7- I’m looking for a steal.

8- I’m not really sure if my client is qualified.

9- Can we see it Sunday at 8 AM?

10- I got my real estate license.

Planned Residential Developments in Beach-Barber Tract

Villa La Jolla:

Built in approximately 1970, Villa La Jolla is the one planned residential complex in this area, about a block and a half to WindanSea Beach with pools, spas, sauna, shuffleboard and two clubhouses.