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boomer-ang buyersbuyer’s cornerpage 5

winter sleepinghome spacepage 7

Circus Vargas Magikaria Extreme Where the magic begins, experience a mind-blow-ing performance where imagination comes to life. Feb. 6 – 24 at Mission Bay Park, 1101 Sea World Dr.

Friday Night Liberty Fall in love with art with free open artist studios, galleries and performances. Participate in arts & crafts while enjoying live music along the prome-nade. Feb. 7 5– 8 p.m. at Liberty Station

SD FanFest Baseball is coming back! Get ready for the season by going to SD FanFest at Petco Park. Meet the play-ers, play on the field, get tips on hitting and pitching and more! Free admission. Saturday, Feb. 8 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

California Open Wildfire Art Festival Fun for the whole family—compete in carving competitions, view art exhibits, watch the kids paint their favorite animals and enjoy a day dedicated to the wildlife. $5 admission for adults, children under 12 receive free admission. Feb. 15 & 16 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Corky McMillin Event Center, 2875 Dewey Rd.

Women’s Running San Diego Half Marathon & 5k Ready, set, GO! Run

your heart out to raise money to help end breast cancer. Feb. 22 at Liberty Station, 2640 Historic Decatur Rd.20th Annual Spaghetti Dinner w/ SD

Peninsula Lions Club Compete to see who can craft the best spaghetti sauce! There will be a silent auction, raffle, enter-tainment and more. All proceeds benefit Lions Club community projects, The Dana Association & Sunset Cliffs Surfing Association. $10 donation. Feb. 22 4 – 9 p.m. at Masonic Center, 1711 Sunset Cliffs Blvd.

Ocean Beach Kite Festival Enjoy live music, carnival rides, make your own kite and see whose can fly the highest! Free admission. Mar. 1 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Dusty Rhodes Park (Sunset Cliffs Blvd. at Nimitz Blvd.)

Cabrillo Lights Up the Night Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Cabrillo National Monument with a fun-filled night at the park to benefit its historical, educational

and scientific programs and facilities. $65 admission, $55 for foundation members. Mar. 15 5:30– 10:30 p.m. at 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr.

MONTHLY EVENTS Dive-In Theatre at The Pearl Hotel Free weekly cinema social combining eclectic film choices with delicious food and drink from EAT at The Pearl. Films are projected onto a screen overlooking the hotel’s vin-tage swimming pool. Wednesdays from 8 – 11 p.m.

Ocean Beach Farmers’ Market Local farmers share fresh produce and tasty sam-ples on the streets of Newport Avenue. The vibrant blocks are filled with live music, handcrafted jewelry, a children’s bounce house and more. Wednesdays from 4 - 8 p.m.

Fishermen’s Farmers’ Market Waterfront market where local fishermen bring their fresh catches of the day. Wednesdays from 3 – 7 p.m. @ 4900 North Harbor Drive

Ocean Beach has made its mark with a one-of-a-kind, limited edition board game – Ocean Beach-opoly. Ocean Beach-opoly has been locally designed to have the same eclectic beach town feel and iconic landmarks in the community. The concept was developed in conjunction with a family-owned vendor to design and produce 1,000 games. It was so popular in its first round of sales this past December that the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association (OBMA) ordered a second batch of the games for locals and visitors who missed out the first time.

Each detail of the board game reflects the fun-loving nature of the Ocean Beach community. Property spaces are local Ocean Beach businesses and landmarks (including Glen & Shannon’s very own card!); game pieces are symbols popular in the beach community – like a peace sign, palm tree, and dog; and each penalty or reward card reflects an Ocean Beach business, location or event.

The game retails for $40 and can be purchased through the OBMA office or website. To order your very own Ocean Beach-opoly game, or to learn more, visit www.oceanbeachsandiego.com.

inside this issuemarch 2014

Ocean Beach-opoly Makes Its Mark on OB

EVENTSOcean Beach & Point Loma

mudroom makeover home improvementpage 3

As part of their ongoing practice to give back to the Peninsula community, Glen & Shannon will be supporting youth athletics by sponsoring Point Loma Little League and the Peninsula Youth Softball Association.

You can join Glen & Shannon to help raise more money for youth athletics. Simply email your contact information to team@mypointloma.com and Glen &

Shannon will donate $10 to Point Loma Little League or the Peninsula Softball Association on your behalf. Include which league you would like

your donation to go to in the body of the email.

If you would like to see Glen & Shannon sponsor an initiative you care about, send

an email to team@mypointloma.com to let them know why your cause could be next! They are always looking for ways to give back to the community and value your feedback. n

Glen & Shannon host a monthly coloring contest for the children of Point Loma & Ocean Beach. Each month, children can participate by coloring the page we provide and then send it back to us to be entered to win a $25 gift card to Toys R’ Us. Congratulations to January’s winner - Iris! (See Iris and her picture below.) We had 11 entries this month and also want to say congratulations to all of them!

“We chose to do a coloring contest as something fun for the kids to

do, but also as a way to become more involved and give back to our community,” said Glen & Shannon. “We laminate each coloring page that was submitted and send it back to the child with a free scoop of ice cream as a special memento, plus we donate money on their behalf. It’s a win-win!”

For every coloring contest entry Glen & Shannon receive, they donate $5 to the Ocean Beach Community Foundation to support youth athletics. n

Glen & Shannon Sponsor Point LomaLittle League and the Peninsula Youth Softball Association

Monthly Coloring Contest to Raise Money for Youth Athletics

For further details and a complete list of events, visit

www. MyPointLoma.com/Events

DP#

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Enter to win a $100 gift certificate... See page 4 for details!

sports

by Chris Erskine

You’ve got a red carpet, you’ve got the USC marching band, you’ve got KISS lighting up the inky

night while standing inside what looks to be some sort of fire-breathing insect.

But who cares. No one was much asking for their money back at Dodger Stadium recently, even those who, upon arrival, realized the boards completely blocked their view of the puck.

That’s what big screens are for, after all. Besides, this was more spectacle than a sporting event.

I’ve seen playoff games in L.A., but nothing quite as electric as this. The fans stood even during warmups: “Go Kings Go!” and all that. Ducks fans were outnumbered but not out-beered. That’s an important stat in hockey.

They played soccer, too, at Dodger Stadium not long ago, but they always play soccer outdoors. Besides, that was in August, and Dodger Dogs in summer are pretty routine.

But Dodger Dogs in January? That’s a revelation right there. “They’d be even better in October,” Dodgers/Kings fan Brian Cody said.

From a fan’s standpoint, August’s soccer game might’ve been a more complete experience, for fans were closer to the action and you could always see the ball. Dodger Stadium is simply too big a venue for hockey, but once in a while. ... And once in a while came on a Saturday night in January.

In the Land of La-La, this was one for the ages.

“We drove all the way from Phoenix,”

Kevin Heyninck said in the top deck. “We don’t care who wins, we just love hockey.”

Yep, the NHL threw the best curveball in Dodgers history with this crazy stunt. Like watching a surfing Santa, you couldn’t help but smile. A fish out of ice water.

Another revelation, or maybe a confirmation: Hockey fans are really the best in all of sports.

And they faced some pretty whacked-out pricing. Reserve level seats were going for $250; top deck for $150 and field level for $50. It was like some sort of seat-pricing inversion.

The reason: Those high up could see into the rink, while those down low, if really close, could not even see the puck.

How far will the NHL take all this? By the simple act of going where it all started—outdoors—hockey has been reinvented, reborn. There’s already talk of moving the All-Star games outdoors, and I’d like to see the Stanley Cup finals outside as well.

Hockey outdoors seems so novel, but that’s where it all started. In its crudest forms, it can be traced to Egypt 4,000 years ago, and to Aztecs in Mexico

before Columbus even bought a boat.Even L.A. hockey history holds a few

surprises. L.A. Weekly noted that the first Southern California hockey game goes clear back to 1917.

At the time, Times columnist Warde Fowler reported: “No one was killed outright.”

There’s that. Hockey doesn’t need trainers, it needs seamstresses, someone adept with needle and thread.

Look, I’m not so sure on a lot of things. But I’m pretty convinced we’re only seeing the beginning of these great outdoor binges.

Because hockey found yet another metric, one that can’t be measured, only savored.

Dodger Stadium was so rocking during this milestone event that, for a while, fans quit looking at their cell phones. For a change, they were mesmerized by where they were, not where they wanted to be.

“A game like no other,” Vin Scully said during introductions. And he really ought to know. n

© 2014 Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Outdoor Ice Hockey Is One Heck of a Hot Idea

arts & entertaInment

by Robert Lloyd

“True Detective,” a quietly terrific new series on HBO, takes its title, though not its style, from a famous old real-crime magazine, popular back when people turned to reading for the sort of stimulation they get mostly through television now.

The title might be misleading—there is nothing fact-based about the show, but like its namesake it is planned as an anthology. As in FX’s anthology “American Horror Story,” each season will tell a discreet story—a strategy that, if nothing else, might attract commitments from name artists interested in long-form storytelling, or prestige television projects, but less sanguine about signing on to a series that could run for years. Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson star in the first season, which has been entirely written by novelist Nic Pizzolatto and entirely directed by Cary Fukunaga (“Jane Eyre”).

The story here runs in flashback as two former police detectives, Rust Cohle (McConaughey) and Martin Hart (Harrelson), are interviewed separately about a 1995 murder case they worked together in Louisiana, near the beginning of their partnership. Hart is bigger and balder in the present day, a loquacious picture of

respectability; Cohle, mustached, with long, stringy hair, seems to have fallen on hard times.

A hallucinating insomniac (“I don’t sleep, I dream,” he says) who sees selfhood as illusory and religion as a trap, Cohle is the sort who, in a lesser drama, would be the villain of the piece. (You do feel his interviewers think he might be.) But this is not a lesser drama.

Cohle, a loner with a troubled past, seems dark, he knows what he’s about, while Hart, for all his presumed normality, is also grappling with chaos. “People give you rules,” Hart says. “Rules describe the shape of things.”

But he comes up short: Married with kids, he’s also got a girlfriend on the side. He’s less comfortable than Cohle with the sense of things slipping out of his reach. And yet Pizzolatto doesn’t nail them to any schema; he gives each man his due, allowing each to be likable and less so by turns, and keeping the viewer from making up his mind—or at least from making up his mind too soon.

“Whodunit” is in many ways beside the point: It’s already happened. Getting to the answer, which even in some otherwise great stories can be unsatisfying, is a kind of mathematics. What surrounds it is a kind of philosophy. There is more than a

usual amount of dialectic at work here: As they travel from place to place, from trailer-park brothel to tent meeting to dance hall, Cohle and Hart talk about religion and existence and love and morality, uncomfortably but compulsively.

We are seeing the return of the miniseries, reborn out of the seasonal long arc of the 8- to 13-hour dramatic serial. With no hurry to get to the end, there is time for slow, detailed storytelling with lots of room for conversation

and for silence.Like Jane Campion’s miniseries

“Top of the Lake,” “True Detective” runs slow and steady without ever seeming to drag. Even minor characters get room to breathe, and seem independently alive; the briefest scenes seem to imply life beyond the frame.

Pizzolatto has a good ear for how people talk; his dialogue rarely sounds composed, though Cohle does have some fancy phrases to get through—“the ontological

fallacy of expecting light at the end of the tunnel” and how life is “never anything but a jerry rig of presumption and dumb will.”

Yet McConaughey pitches his lines low, keeps them matter-of-fact, more so even than Harrelson’s presumably laid-back Hart. The dance they do together here is work of a very high order, and all the reason you need to watch. n

© 2014 Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

This ‘Detective’ Work Pays Off

2

Woody Harrelson, left, and MatthewMcConaughey star in the HBO series,

“True Detective.”

Point Loma – A new report has just been released which reveals seven costly mistakes that most homeowners make when selling their home, and a 9-Step System that can help you sell your home fast and for the most amount of money.

This industry report shows clearly how the traditional ways of selling homes have become increasingly less and less effective in today’s market. The fact of the matter is that fully three-quarters of home sellers don’t get what they want for their homes and become disillusioned and, worse, finan-cially disadvantaged when they put their homes on the market.

As this report uncovers, most home sell-ers make seven deadly mistakes that cost them literally thousands of dollars. The good news is that each and every one of these mistakes is entirely preventable. In answer to this issue, industry insiders have prepared a free special report entitled “The 9-Step System to Get Your Home Sold Fast and for Top Dollar.” To hear a brief message about how to order your FREE copy of the report, call 1-800-691-9384 ID 1000. Or, visit www.MySellerReports.com to receive your free, special report NOW to find out how you can get the most money for your home. Get your free special report NOW to find out how you can get the most money for your home. n

7 Things You Must Know Before

Putting Your Home Up for Sale

home ImproVement

3

by Ilyce Glink andSamuel J. Tamkin

In early January, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) new qualified mortgage (also known as the ability-to-repay) rule went into effect.

The new rule is about helping borrowers understand the true costs of the mortgage they apply for. On the flip side, it is designed to keep lenders from lending money to borrowers who can’t afford to make those payments over time.

If it works out the way the CFPB has planned, the number of foreclosures should drop in the coming years, and, hopefully, some of the conditions that helped create one of the biggest real estate bubbles in U.S. history will be eliminated.

To be considered a qualified

mortgage, a lender may not charge excessive upfront points and fees (capped at 3 percent of the loan), and the loan cannot be longer than 30 years in length (say goodbye to 40-year mortgages).

Also, interest-only loans (also known as zero-down payment loans) and negative amortization loans (where the monthly payment doesn’t cover the true cost of the interest, so the total amount of the debt grows each month) will not be considered qualified mortgages.

No-doc loans, also known as stated-income loans because the loan officer would just write down how much the applicant said he or she earned and not verify that information, have been eliminated. Starting this week, if you apply for a mortgage, you have to be able to prove that you can afford to repay it in full.

In addition, the loans must fall into one of three categories: The monthly loan payment plus the borrower’s other debt payments cannot exceed 43 percent of the borrower’s gross monthly income; the loan must qualify to be purchased or guaranteed by a government-sponsored enterprise (such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac) or to be insured or guaranteed by a federal housing agency; otherwise, the loan must be made by a smaller lender that keeps the loan in its portfolio and does not resell it.

As the CFPB website puts it: “The ability-to-repay rule is intended to prevent consumers from getting trapped in mortgages that they cannot afford, and to prevent lenders from making loans that consumers do not have the ability to repay. It’s that simple.”

So, of course, the nonprofit

real estate and mortgage trade associations, which represent the housing industry’s interests in Washington, are up in arms. They claim that self-employed individuals, small business owners, and many others will have a harder time qualifying for loans. They also say that loans will cost more.

Perhaps. But while lenders may offer other sorts of nonqualified mortgages (provided they verify that the borrower can repay that loan), if a loan doesn’t fall into the qualified mortgage category, it will not receive the same sort of legal protections.

And, after the billions spent to pay off the housing crisis, lenders may be inclined to primarily offer qualified mortgages. n

© 2014 Distributed by Tribune Media Services.

Give Your Mudroom a Winter Makeover

CFPB’s New ‘Qualified Mortgage’ Rule

Now in Effect

by Kathryn Weber

I t’s one of the hardest-working rooms in the house. The mudroom gets a lot of traffic

but not a lot of respect. Why not give this workhorse space some TLC this winter and see how much more useful it becomes?

add StORaGECreating storage off the floor

is a key way to keep the mudroom from becoming awash in shoes and boots. Since you need seating anyway, look for a bench with drawers or a cabinet on bun feet. Add a chaise chair cushion for comfort.

If you have small children, don’t overlook their height. Place hooks for coats and backpacks at their height and they’ll be more inclined to use them. Plus, you’ll get double the storage for coats, scarves and purses.

For even more storage, create a simple bench out of a flat piece of lumber and leave space underneath for shoes. Add a small piece of molding across the front at the bottom to frame it out and keep shoes corralled neatly so they don’t spill out into the room.

Bin tHERE, dOnE tHatSmall items tossed willy-nilly can

quickly clutter up a mudroom. Add a bin where you can toss magazines and letters when you come in the door. Mount a second bin on the wall to hold caps, earmuffs, gloves and mittens.

Another option is to install some shelving above coat hooks, then add bins atop the shelves. Still

another choice is to add bins on the vertical. A stacking row of shelves can easily hold baskets or bins so you can get grab scarves, gloves and hats quickly and keep the items you use most often within easy reach.

MaKE it PREttyJust because it’s strictly

utilitarian doesn’t mean your mudroom has to be ugly. Add

some bead board wainscoting to the walls, an attractive pendant light and a colorful rug to catch dirt and slush before it gets tracked into the house. A big bold poster can liven up the space, and make sure there’s plenty of lighting so you can find what you need easily.

Despite your best efforts, if the mud room remains chaotic and unsightly, consider adding a sliding

door on the outside of the wall to hide the mess.

MaKE it uSEFuLA mudroom with a place for

everything and everything in its place will help keep the whole family more organized. That’s why it’s important to think about the little things that will make your mud room really work. Make sure

that in addition to places for coats and scarves, you also include spots to stash keys, sunglasses, umbrellas, baseball caps and other small gear. These simple touches can mean the difference between getting out the door fast and facing the day unprepared. n

© 2014 Distributed by Tribune Media Services

on the homeFront

Be sure to include a benchfor pulling on snow boots,

rubbers and rain gear.

6797 N. High Street, Suite 213Worthington, Ohio 43085

(877) 872-3080 • www.DiscoverPubs.com

Sudoku, Scrabble, Pet World,Wolfgang Puck’s Kitchen, etc. distributed by

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all rights reserved.

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www.MyPointLoma.comteam@mypointloma.com

seller’s corner

4

by Pete Carey

Y ou’re likely to get a warm fuzzy feeling if you look at what your home is worth

on Zillow, Trulia or any of the other real estate sites that provide values for millions of houses. Home prices have risen rapidly, and the value these sites assign to your home is sure to reflect that.

But don’t carried away by a single Zestimate, SmartZip quote or Trulia estimate. While they are fine for spotting trends, these home valuation services come with a caveat: They offer rough approximations by computer programs. If you want a more precise estimate, hire an appraiser, talk to a real estate agent or check around your neighborhood and see what homes are selling for.

The sites all use what’s called “automated valuation models,” or AVMs, to make sense of mountains of data, typically drawn from recent sales, property history, size and number of rooms, market trends and other factors that influence price.

“Depending on their methodologies, the values are going to necessarily be pretty wide,” said Gary Painter, director of research at the University of Southern California’s Lusk Center for Real Estate. “They basically are trying to provide an estimate for every property in a geographic zone. The data modeling requirements are far too great to do what they are claiming to do.”

But while not reliable for determining the precise value of a particular home, the services “do a decent job of capturing the overall trends in prices, which gives you a sense of how your particular house fits in a neighborhood,” Painter said.

Real estate agents used to hate

online valuation sites—and many still do—because they can give a buyer or seller false expectations about price. But some real estate professionals have come around to viewing them as useful tools.

“I actually find value in those estimates and advise my clients to look at them,” said Linnette Edwards, an agent with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate in Piedmont, CA. “I also caution them that frequently the numbers can be incorrect. It’s just an algorithm.”

Edwards believes Zillow’s Zestimate undervalues her own property by $100,000. “But as a buyer looking to purchase a property, there is a lot of insight that can be drawn from these Zestimates.”

Appraisers are cautious if not skeptical about the services: Sandy Bass of AA Action Appraisal in Sunnyvale, CA, and Silicon Valley

chairwoman for the Appraisal Institute, said she’s sometimes asked by a homeowner if she uses Zillow. “I always say, ‘No, I don’t because it’s sometimes incorrect.’”

To illustrate her point, she checked the Zillow, Trulia and ZipRealty values on a home in Santa Clara, CA, that sold in late October for $601,000. Zillow said it was worth $615,000, Trulia said $743,000 and ZipRealty said $629,000.

Zillow provides values for 100 million homes in the United States. ZipRealty provides what it calls a SmartZip estimate. It also provides estimates from Zillow and Eppraisal.com. And it has an “interactive pricing tool” that you can use to build your own estimate.

“One of the reasons we show three different values on our estimates page has to do with the nature of AVMs,” said Jamie

Wilson, ZipRealty’s vice president of technology. “The AVM is just an automated valuation model for any given home. Because it’s automated, it’s really subject to whatever the details are that make up that model. When we started digging, we found some models might be accurate in certain areas and others might not be as accurate.”

A recent search with SmartZip on a 3-bedroom home in San Jose, CA, produced these widely varying estimates—$568,000 from Eppraisal.com, $740,000 from Zillow, $760,000 from Trulia and $699,000 from ZipRealty.

These figures are averages of high and low estimates, which helps explain the variation. Zillow and ZipRealty had almost the same high-end estimates, but ZipRealty’s low-end estimate was $91,000 less than Zillow’s.

Zillow, the online website that

pioneered free home valuations for consumers, refreshes its data on 100 million homes three times a week, using “hundreds” of different models, said Katie Curnutte, director of communications for Zillow.

“We provide a value range,” she said. “The house will sell somewhere in that value range, depending on the condition. It is a starting point; it’s not an appraisal. We can’t go into a hundred million houses every week and check them out. We don’t know if you added a bedroom or remodeled a kitchen, or you’re letting the roof go.”

Zillow and Trulia provide figures for the accuracy of their estimates. According to Curnutte, Zillow measures accuracy every three months by comparing houses that sold to their Zestimate value the day before they sold.

“The goal is to get as good as a computer model possibly can get,” she said. “Nobody thinks a computer is going to be able to tell you completely accurately what a house will sell for tomorrow.”

CoreLogic, which has developed a variety of valuation models it sells to the lending industry, investors and others, cautions that the popular sites that provide free estimates to consumers have their limitations.

“If you just put in a marble or hardwood floor and a lot of upgrades, the AVM is not going to be able to take that into consideration,” said Ann Regan of CoreLogic. “It’s not intended to replace an appraiser, and for lending purposes it cannot. Somebody has to come out make sure it’s still standing and has a roof on it.” n

© 2014 Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Websites Can Only Estimate

Home Value

A home for sale is seen in Union City, California.

BuYer’s corner

Boomerang BuyersCould Boost Housing Market

by Christopher Seward

Real estate agents, who deal directly with buyers and sellers, are in a position to know firsthand what’s on the minds of both groups when it comes to home sales.

A new report from Redfin, the real estate brokerage, found buyers in the fourth quarter continued to be frustrated by the slim pickings among inventory, were willing to pay more than a seller’s asking price, and were willing to settle for less when it comes to home features.

Redfin’s national survey of 468 agents provides insight into a housing market that continues to experience tightening inventories, rising home prices and mortgage rates that continued to trend upward.

Most agents continued to think it’s a good time to buy a home (56 percent versus 55 percent in the third quarter), even if 63 percent believe sellers have “unrealistic expectations” about the value of their properties.

among other findings:

• Eighty-seven percent of agents said limited inventory was buyers’ biggest challenge.

• Fewer agents think now is a good time to sell a home—65 percent in the fourth quarter compared with 72 percent in the third quarter and 86 percent in the second quarter—even if the overwhelming majority still think the time is right.

• About 30 percent said buyers were “flexible on features” and were “prepared to waive contingencies” to win a bid.

Ennis Antoine, associate broker at Better Homes and Garden Real Estate Metro Brokers in Atlanta, said some buyers are settling for less house because they may face a time crunch in finding a place to live. Others aren’t compromising on location, but may settle for a home that is smaller or a little dated.

Antoine said he’s advising clients to be patient. “You have to understand there’s not a lot of inventory, and when you find the home you want, you have to give your best offer initially because there’s no haggling. You can’t bargain down.”

The Redfin survey also found agents were concerned that rising interest rates would limit home sales, with 39 percent believing this if rates exceeded 5.5 percent sales and price growth would suffer. Other agents put the threshold at 6 percent.

Federal Reserve policymakers plan to do less in stimulating the economy by keeping interest rates low, which means mortgage rates, which have already been on the rise, will continue to trend upward.

The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose recently to 4.69 percent from 4.63 percent the previous week, according to weekly data from Bankrate.

Redfin surveyed agents in 22 metropolitan areas. n

© 2014 Distributed by Tribune Media Services

5

by Kimberly Miller

Some housing experts are trumpeting changes that allow foreclosure sufferers to buy back

into the American Dream sooner than they probably imagined, calling 2014 the year of the “boomerang buyer.”

Revisions made over the

s u m m e r to Federal Housing Administration guidelines and technical updates in November to Fannie Mae loan approval systems have opened the door for some former homeowners to buy again just one year after foreclosure.

Founders of the San Diego-based company AfterForeclosure.com said last month that millions of banned borrowers nationwide will be eligible for a mortgage this year, while Jupiter mortgage broker Skip McDonough said his firm is already doing deals with homebuyers who were forced into default during the housing bust.

“The old-fashioned way of doing it was a seven-year waiting period,” said McDonough, president of Family Mortgage. “That’s changed, and people who don’t believe they can qualify are qualifying.”

McDonough and Jon Maddux, co-founder of AfterForeclosure.com, said the boomerang buyers are necessary to maintain a growing economy as other drivers fade.

Investors, who bolstered home sales during the real estate recovery, will reduce purchases as prices climb. Recent college graduates with student debt may not have the means to buy. And underwater homeowners are still stuck in a holding pattern—unable to sell so they can move up and buy anew.

“People who are primed to buy are the ones who qualify on all levels but had a short sale or foreclosure on their record,” Maddux said. “The refinance boom is over and lenders are looking for a way to capture more business.”

Under the Federal Housing

Administration’s “Back to Work” program, it will approve certain borrowers for a home loan just one year after a foreclosure, short sale, deed in lieu of foreclosure or bankruptcy. FHA’s previous timeline was three years for a short sale and foreclosure and two years for a bankruptcy.

Federal mortgage backer Fannie Mae has previously allowed homebuyers who completed a short sale to buy again after

two years if they put 10 percent down, but an automatic

underwri t ing

s y s t e m c o u l d n ’ t differentiate a short sale from a foreclosure and would spit out a denial. The application could then be referred for a manual review. But those were often denied based on the computer’s refusal, Maddux said.

Eligibility for a loan fast-track hinges on whether borrowers suffered a specific financial event during the recession that, through no fault of their own, caused them to lose their home. Also, the foreclosure or short sale should be the only

b l e m i s h on a credit

report. For an FHA mortgage, the

homebuyer must take a housing counseling class.

People who walked away simply

because their house was underwater likely won’t qualify.

Michael Kodsi, chief executive officer of Choice Mortgage Bank in Boca Raton, FL, said he’s had three inquiries recently from boomerang buyers.

“They’ve been taught a lesson. They want their house payment to be affordable,” Kodsi said. “The people I’ve dealt with are more excited than ever to own their own home and are sick of renting.”

But there is a reality check. People who can get a loan may not always be able to find a house. They’re coming

into a market with historically low interest rates, but also

low inventory. And because they

have a d e f a u l t

o n t h e i r

r e c o r d , they may not

qualify for the amount of loan

they want.“A lot of people

who did a short sale for a low price are getting

back in the market and have sticker shock,” said Realtor

Shannon Brink, with RE/MAX Prestige Realty in West Palm

Beach, FL. “The prices are higher and financing is a challenge.”

Still, it’s happening. McDonough had a client buy a $515,000 Jupiter home this fall, less than three years after a short sale on his previous property. The short sale reduced his credit to below 600, but two years of good payment history helped it shoot up to 740. n

© 2014 Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Homebuyers Willing to Pay More for Less, Real Estate Agents

Say

home space

Stop Shivering in that Pesky cold Room of your House

by Kathryn Weber

In winter, the temperature a room that always seems chilly can dip 10 degrees or more below the rest of the house. And if the room is used often, cranking up the thermostat can make the rest of the house feel steamy. Thankfully, it doesn’t take a major rework of your heating system or a risky space heater to make a cold room both toasty and attractive.

cOLd FLOORS Some rooms suffer more from cold floors than simply

cold air. These are typically bathrooms and kitchens with stone or tile floors. An easy way remedy is to add toe-kick heaters. These are small heating units that fit neatly in the space under a cabinet, where they’re nearly invisible. If you’re handy, you might be able to install the heaters yourself. Such units run about $150, excluding wiring and installation. They’re controlled by a small thermostat on the wall.

ROOM-SiZE HEatinG Under-carpet heating is another handy option.

CarpetHeat by SpeedHeating is a product that goes between the carpet and padding. Using thin wires, the unit heats the room from the ground up. A separate thermostat attached to the wall controls the temperature. At around $600 and up (plus another $200 for a thermostat), these units are not inexpensive, but offer an efficient way to heat a room unobtrusively (Speedheat.com).

waLL-MOuntEd FiREPLacES Another heating option that’s attractive and stylish,

while also lending a romantic touch, is an electric fireplace. The Touchstone Onyx 50-inch fireplace is black and rectangular, making a great visual statement on the wall whether it’s glowing or not. The embers look realistic ($349, Amazon.com). Many wall-mounted electric units are plug-in ready and come with timers and remote controls, so you can boost the temperature at the touch of a button.

FREEStandinG FiREPLacES No room on the wall? Choose from a wide variety

of freestanding fireplaces and stoves. Designed to fit with almost any decor, electric fireplaces are available in everything from a traditional stove look to units with mantelpieces and faux stonework. Some generate actual flames using a gel fuel, or faux electric flames. Gel fireplaces are a better option for looks than warmth. To banish a chill, an electric fireplace does a better job.

HEat FROM aBOVE Ceiling fans can be used for both heating and cooling.

The Westover fan from Hunter features a heater. By reversing the blade direction, the fan forces warm air down and circulates it around the room (Hunterfan.com). You can also add radiant heating panels on the ceiling of a chilly room. These units are unobtrusive and cost between $200 and $500, depending on size (calorique.com). n

© 2014 Distributed by Tribune Media Services

6

by Kathryn Weber

Small spaces can be a challenge to decorate because anything added to the room takes up precious

space. It helps to use a few decorating tricks that can open up the space and make it feel larger than it really is. Here are some basic tips:

1. good lighting. All rooms need good lighting, but small rooms need extra lighting. Add lights in the corners of the room to brighten and expand the space.

2. mirrors. Add a mirror over a bed, sofa or fireplace to make the room instantly double in size and in light. And don’t overlook mirrored furniture; it can work small space magic, too.

3. add storage. Make all furniture do double duty, whether it’s a chair that hides a fold-out bed, an ottoman with storage under the cushion, or a cocktail table that has shelves or drawers. The more storage you have, the more spacious the room will feel.

4. think contrast. A dark carpet with light walls or furnishings will draw the eye go toward the walls, making the room feel larger than it is.

5. think monochromatic. When

a room is bathed in single color, the walls expand. To break up the color monotony, add texture in flooring, upholstery and accents.

6. sheer magic. Heavy curtains can close off windows, views and all-important light, so ease up. Sheer curtains dress windows with softness and add light while preserving privacy.

7. hang ‘em high. Long curtain panels hung at the ceiling create visual height in a room. Or, use a valance at the ceiling and layer long sheers behind it.

8. simplicity. Small rooms beg for editing. Pare down accents and accessories to singular bold items that stand out but don’t add clutter.

9. grand proportions. Don’t be afraid to use a large piece of furniture in a small room. A canopy bed or floor-to-ceiling bookshelf can make a big statement and look chic.

10. clear it up. Glass and clear furnishings can be both practical and space-enhancing. Go for chairs like the budget-friendly Tobias chair ($79, Ikea.com) or the classically-styled Louis Ghost Chair ($300 for a set of 4, Allmodern.com). Add a glass table and you have a stylishly space-friendly arrangement.

11. skirt the issue. If you have open shelving you use for storage or open plumbing beneath a sink, cover it with fabric skirting and double the storage capacity.

12. Focal point. If having a focal point in a large room is important, it’s doubly so in a small one. Without a focal point for the space, the eye keeps swimming like a goldfish in a bowl. Use a large piece of furniture or artwork to anchor a small room. n© 2014 Distributed by Tribune Media Services

A large piece of furniture can add drama in a small space.

Simple Decorating Tricks Can Instantly

EXPanda Small Room

Electric fi replaces come in a wide range of styles, both wall-mounted and freestanding.

A dark carpet with light walls or furnishings will draw the eye go toward

the walls, making the

room feel larger than it is.

home space

7

by Kathryn Weber

In the winter, the prospect of a warm, cozy bed creates a cocooning response. The

problem is, when your bed or linens are tired, your long winter’s nap is never as comfortable or enjoyable as you might like. But it only takes a few changes to make your slumber sounder, warmer and much more enjoyable.

ELiMinatE SaGS Replacing a mattress is not

inexpensive, but the fix for an overly hard or sagging mattress can be as simple as adding a memory foam topper. These toppers create a new-feeling foundation that instantly adds more comfort to your bed—and in the winter, warmth. Available in a range of prices from $100 and up for queen size (Amazon.com), a memory foam topper makes your bed both warm and comfortable when temps outside plummet.

SHEEtS FOR waRMtH The winter standby for comfort

has always been the flannel sheet, but there are more options today. Jersey is popular. Made from the same fabric used for t-shirts, jersey sheets are lightweight and soft and don’t have that cold feel, or sheet shock, of percale sheets. Because they’re soft, jersey sheets also warm up faster than percale sheets.

For a completely cozy and luxurious feel, you can’t beat fleece, a staple for bathrobes, windbreakers and winter pullovers. Now, imagine that fuzzy feel against your skin in bed. Fleece warms up in a snap on the coldest nights. On less frosty evenings, fleece makes for cozy, lightweight bedding without a heavy blanket or comforter. Fleece is a bit

more costly than flannel, but the cost is offset by its fabulous feel ($50 for Queen, Overstock.com).

BLanKEt OF waRMtH Everyone has an opinion about

blankets. Some like old-fashioned quilts, while others favor cotton throws. For some, weight is the goal, while others crave a cloud-like, billowy feel.

The new microplush blankets are thick and soft, almost as comfortable to lie on as they are warm to sleep under. That fluffy texture is what makes them so warm and lightweight. For around $40, you can get a luscious microplush blanket, and for about $10 more, an extra fluffy blanket if you can’t get enough plush (Threshold at Target.com).

HEaVEnLy SOFtnESS If money is no object and luxury

is the goal, there are options besides the gold-standard goose down comforter. One is the silk blanket or silk comforter.

Silk is extremely warm and lightweight, and for many, a good option because they’re hypoallergenic. Silk blankets and comforters are popular in China, the home of silk production. But even local and online stores carry comforter sets. However, since you’re buying silk, it’s costly. A queen set can cost upwards of $500 and more (Costco.com; Lilysilk.com).

If you want more heft in your blanket and a sumptuous feel, alpaca is the go-to fiber. Alpaca blankets are warm and soft as cashmere. They’re so soft that they’re often made into baby blankets. A bed-sized blanket runs around $200 and up (shupaca.com). n

© 2014 Distributed by Tribune Media Services

Fluffy microplush blankets are thick and soft, almost as comfortable tolie on as they are warm to sleep under.

Pleasureupdated Winter Bedding makes sleeping a cozy

8

by Glen Henderson

January started out a little slow for the real estate market in San Diego, which is typical for the beginning of the new year. During the holidays we don’t see very many homes coming onto the market and the buyer activity slows down considerably. The good news is by the end of the month, we saw things starting to turn and it looks like it is shaping up to be another strong year.

In this section, we’re going to recap the month of January and will start with the Point Loma community.

In Point Loma, we had a total of 20 sales for the month of January, which is up 25% (15 sales) from December. The highest sale of the month was the 5 bedroom home located at 526 San Elijo Street, which sold for $1,725,000. Following the 90 day trends, the median sales price for single family homes dropped just about 4% from $790,000 in December to $760,000. We saw an increase in inventory as homeowners that were waiting until the new year to list their home began to come to the market. In January, there were 35 new listings. The average number of homes on the market is still down

41% from October, but it is up almost 18% from December. The average days on market shortened by three days to 83, and homes are still selling 3% below list price on average.

For condos in the Point Loma community, we also saw a decline in the median price. For January, we saw the number drop a little over 6%, from $539,000 to $505,000. This reversed the upward trend that we had been seeing over the past few months. The number of condos on the market was down 29% from October’s numbers and this was down 10% from December. The average days on market dropped to 88 days and the selling price fell 3%, to an average of 5% below asking price.

In the Ocean Beach community, we saw a smaller decline than the Point Loma market. In Ocean Beach, the medium price dropped about 2.5%, from $777,500 to $760,000. The largest sale for the month was a home located at 4243 Coronado Avenue, which sold for $1,295,000. The number of homes on the market dropped improved slightly. There were 35 new homes that came to market in January. We saw market time decrease 5% to an average of 91 days on the market, and sales price vs. listing price fell 1% to 4% below asking price.

In the condo market, we only had 2 sales for the month and we saw an increase in the media price to $379,000. Inventory improved, but we are still approximately 59% below the levels we saw in October. The average selling price vs asking price remained unchanged at 3% below. The average days on market continued to improve and was 82 days.

All of the numbers and the activity we saw for the month was typical for the beginning of the year, and as I mentioned at the beginning of this article we are seeing a lot of activity as we enter into February.

I also would like to note that all of the statistics provided in our market recap are based on 90 day trends, so we capture an overall feel of the market vs. any small spikes or dips we experience monthly.

If you would like to receive a complete copy of this report with charts and all statistics, visit www.PeninsulaUpdate.com, or send me an email at team@mypointloma.com and I can provide you with all of the details.

We have provided a list of homes that recently sold in the Point Loma and Ocean Beach communities below. If you would like the complete report and a list of all properties that are currently on the market, you can also visit www.PeninsulaUpdate.com or send

us an email with any requests. And if you would like to specifically discuss your

current housing situation, pricing on your home, or have any other questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Shannon & I at 619-500-3222. n

About the author: Glen Henderson is in the top 1% of Realtors® in San Diego and a fre-quent real estate contributor on various local radio

and TV programs.

January Point Loma & Ocean Beach Real Estate Recap

Point Loma

Point Loma

Point Loma

Ocean Beach

Ocean Beach

Ocean Beach

PROPERt iES L iStEd in JanuaRy

PROPERt iES Put intO EScROw in JanuaRy

PROPERt iES SOLd in JanuaRy

Listing Status Prop Type Address Bed Baths SF List Price List DateActive Detached 1226 Concord St 3 2 1998 1,050,000 1/1/14Active Detached 411 San Gorgonio St 4 7 5020 3,950,000 1/1/14Active Detached 425 San Gorgonio St 4 7 5020 5,000,000 1/1/14Sold Detached 3724 Pio Pico St 3 2 2409 1,475,000 1/1/14Active Detached 3621 Kingsley St 3 3 1969 779,000 1/2/14Pending Detached 3670 Oleander Dr 2 1 834 559,000 1/2/14Sold Detached 2061 Historic Decatur Rd 3 3 1931 759,000 1/5/14Active Detached 3435 Udall St 3 2 1331 679,000 1/6/14Active Detached 3681 leland St 4 4 3000 839,000 1/6/14Sold Detached 2142 Historic Decatur Rd 3 3 1931 760,000 1/6/14Active Detached 3115 McCall St 5 7 4779 2,895,000 1/7/14Active Detached 3220 Russell St 4 3 2299 995,000 1/8/14Active Detached 880 San Antonio Pl 3 3 3026 2,130,000 1/8/14Active Detached 3625 Dupont St 4 3 2817 2,595,000 1/9/14Active Attached 390 San Antonio Ave # 9 2 2 1121 610,000 1/9/14Active Detached 3220 Kellogg St 4 5 4604 2,395,000 1/10/14Active Detached 3233 Oliphant St 4 4 3564 1,495,000 1/13/14Pending Detached 3515 Sterne St 3 2 1665 619,000 1/14/14Pending Detached 842 loma Valley Rd 3 2 1202 738,000 1/14/14Pending Detached 365 Rosecrans St 3 2 2114 789,000 1/14/14Active Attached 1150 Anchorage ln # 406 3 2 1658 999,000 1/14/14Active Detached 2985 farragut Rd 3 3 1931 744,999 1/15/14Pending Detached 3029 nichols St 4 4 3248 1,595,000 1/15/14Pending Detached 646 San Antonio Ave 3 4 2386 2,450,000 1/16/14Pending Detached 2143 Historic Decatur Rd 3 3 1931 745,000 1/21/14Active Detached 3211 Trumbull St 4 4 3300 1,790,000 1/22/14Pending Townhome 2196 Historic Decatur Rd # 51 3 4 1597 619,000 1/24/14Active Attached 370 Rosecrans St # 303 3 3 1558 695,000 1/25/14Pending Detached 3221 EDITH ln 3 3 2176 895,000 1/27/14Active Detached 632 San Gorgonio St 5 6 6557 6,395,000 1/28/14Active Detached 3624 Amaryllis Dr 5 3 3277 1,250,000 1/29/14Pending Detached 1060 Concord St 2 1 1100 600,000 1/30/14Active Detached 3322 Zola St 2 2 1085 649,000 1/31/14Active Detached 2066 Historic Decatur Rd 3 3 2305 875,000 1/31/14Active Detached 415 San fernando St 5 6 5994 2,399,000 1/31/14

Listing Status Prop Type Address Bed Baths SF List Price List DatePending Detached 3670 Oleander Dr 2 1 834 $559,000 1/2/14Pending Detached 3515 Sterne St 3 2 1665 $619,000 1/14/14Pending Detached 2727 nipoma St 3 1 1144 $655,000 11/9/13Pending Detached 1151 WIllOW St 2 2 1463 $729,000 12/5/13Pending Detached 842 loma Valley Rd 3 2 1202 $738,000 1/14/14Pending Detached 2143 Historic Decatur Rd 3 3 1931 $745,000 1/21/14Pending Detached 1078 Albion St 3 3 1711 $895,000 10/28/13Pending Detached 3417 Ingelow St 3 3 2530 $949,000 10/15/13Pending Detached 3029 nichols St 4 4 3248 $1,595,000 1/15/14

Listing Status Property Type Address Bed Baths SF List Price List Date Sold Price Sold Date DOM Sold vs. Listing PriceDetached 3806 nipoma Pl 3 3 2084 1,019,000 9/27/13 940,000 1/1/14 68 92%Townhome 2740 farragut Rd # 104 3 4 1597 649,900 12/5/13 600,000 1/2/14 7 92%Detached 351 Rosecrans St 2 1 900 599,000 11/11/13 605,000 1/3/14 24 101%Detached 2924 Poinsettia Dr 3 3 2859 1,197,000 9/24/13 1,122,000 1/3/14 35 94%Detached 3848 Garden ln 3 2 1828 995,000 11/12/13 995,000 1/6/14 12 100%Detached 2142 Historic Decatur Rd 3 3 1931 760,000 1/6/14 760,000 1/7/14 0 100%Detached 787 Catalina Blvd 6 4 2695 839,000 10/29/13 750,000 1/8/14 34 89%Detached 2122 Willow St 3 3 2543 950,000 7/1/13 950,000 1/9/14 84 100%Detached 3220 Homer St 2 2 1276 699,000 12/6/13 685,000 1/10/14 4 98%Attached 1021 Scott St # 254 1 1 609 330,000 8/23/13 319,000 1/15/14 81 97%Detached 3727 Charles St 4 3 3645 1,500,000 10/7/13 1,387,500 1/15/14 65 93%Attached 3018 Kellogg St 1 2 1369 675,000 11/12/13 675,000 1/17/14 9 100%Attached 1021 Scott St # 118 0 1 288 187,000 11/12/13 150,000 1/21/14 40 80%Attached 2926 Kellogg St # B-14 2 2 1166 675,000 10/18/13 675,000 1/21/14 7 100%Detached 3375 Ullman St 3 2 1788 899,500 11/23/13 887,500 1/22/14 12 99%Detached 2950 Poinsettia Dr 4 2 1652 859,000 12/9/13 820,000 1/28/14 21 95%Detached 3602 Hyacinth Dr 5 3 2837 925,000 11/10/13 890,000 1/28/14 46 96%Detached 526 San Elijo St 5 3 3002 1,795,000 8/26/13 1,725,000 1/30/14 12 96%Detached 1310 Willow St 3 2 1351 899,000 11/12/13 830,000 1/31/14 38 92%Detached 3724 Pio Pico St 3 2 2409 1,475,000 1/1/14 1,475,000 1/31/14 6 100%

Listing Status Property Type Address Bed Baths SF List Price List Date Sold Price Sold Date DOM Sold vs. Listing Price

Attached 4452 Mentone St # 305 2 2 882 325,000 11/22/13 325,000 1/7/14 0 100%Detached 2264 Soto St 3 2 1388 600,000 9/23/13 575,000 1/7/14 45 96%Attached 4936 Del Monte Ave 2 1 722 379,000 11/3/13 379,000 1/10/14 16 100%Detached 2012 Guizot St 3 2 1202 899,000 9/4/13 850,000 1/10/14 102 95%Detached 4243 Coronado Ave 4 4 2465 1,295,000 11/5/13 1,200,000 1/17/14 30 93%Detached 3757 narragansett Ave 3 2 2110 875,000 10/1/13 861,000 1/21/14 86 98%Detached 4385 Cape May Ave 4 2 2573 829,000 12/24/13 799,000 1/22/14 0 96%Detached 4928 Brighton Ave 2 1 766 449,000 9/19/13 450,000 1/24/14 37 100%Detached 4475 Bermuda Ave 3 1 988 875,000 1/6/14 875,000 1/24/14 0 100%Detached 1108 Moana Dr 2 2 1665 899,000 10/27/13 865,000 1/27/14 58 96%Detached 1768 Guizot St 4 3 2233 1,199,000 11/14/13 1,155,000 1/27/14 52 96%Detached 4643 W Point loma Blvd 3 2 1108 585,000 11/27/13 560,000 1/29/14 28 96%

Listing Status Prop Type Address Bed Baths SF List Price List DateActive Detached 1452 Catalina Blvd 3 2 2086 785,000 1/2/14Pending Detached 1664 Guizot St 5 4 2930 1,295,000 1/3/14Active Attached 4437 Mentone St # 9 2 2 767 339,000 1/3/14Pending Detached 4420 Santa Monica Ave 3 2 1140 799,900 1/6/14Sold Detached 4475 Bermuda Ave 3 1 988 875,000 1/6/14Active Detached 1627 Catalina Blvd 3 2 1189 659,000 1/7/14Active Detached 4560 Saratoga Ave 3 2 2032 917,500 1/7/14Active Townhome 2255 Worden St # 11 2 3 1008 359,000 1/7/14Pending Townhome 4292 Catalina Ct 2 3 1280 389,900 1/7/14Pending Attached 4444 W Point loma Blvd # 127 1 1 725 215,000 1/9/14Active Detached 4305 Muir Ave 2 1 875 629,000 1/11/14Active Detached 1909 Venice St 4 3 2365 1,139,000 1/12/14Sold Detached 4436 Tivoli St 2 3 3988 2,750,000 1/13/14Active Attached 2339 Caminito Agrado 3 3 1434 484,900 1/13/14Pending Detached 4551 Point loma Ave 4 5 3346 1,399,000 1/14/14Active Attached 4402 Mentone St # 301 2 2 981 359,000 1/14/14Active Detached 4615 Cape May Ave 3 3 1797 769,000 1/15/14Active Detached 4693 Santa Monica Ave 3 3 2244 879,000 1/15/14Active Detached 3714 Poe St 5 4 2308 1,175,000 1/15/14Active Townhome 4444 W Point loma Blvd # 4 1 1 725 219,000 1/17/14Active Attached 4878 Pescadero Ave # 101 1 1 700 419,900 1/18/14Pending Detached 5119 Muir Ave 2 1 492 380,000 1/20/14Pending Detached 4495 Montalvo St 2 1 981 449,000 1/20/14Sold Detached 1265 Devonshire Dr 3 1 998 849,000 1/20/14Active Detached 4697 Santa Monica Ave 3 3 2244 899,000 1/21/14Sold Detached 2074 Catalina Blvd 3 2 1319 660,876 1/21/14Pending Detached 4617 Bermuda Ave 2 1 899 649,900 1/24/14Pending Detached 4446 Marseilles St 3 2 1492 949,000 1/24/14Active Attached 4402 Mentone St St # 203 2 2 949 349,900 1/24/14Pending Detached 4527 Del Mar Ave 3 1 1028 699,900 1/26/14Active Detached 2376 Etiwanda St 2 2 896 535,000 1/27/14Pending Attached 5045 niagara Ave # 4 2 2 1063 529,000 1/27/14Active Detached 3847 Coronado Ave 3 2 1472 799,000 1/29/14Pending Attached 3825 Caminito litoral # 213 2 3 1074 429,000 1/29/14Active Detached 1541 Chatsworth Blvd 5 3 3291 1,190,000 1/30/14Active Detached 5046 Brighton Ave 1 1 364 342,000 1/31/14Active Detached 4360 Orchard Ave 3 4 1926 1,050,000 1/31/14

Listing Status Prop Type Address Bed Baths SF List Price List DatePending Attached 4444 W Point loma Blvd # 127 1 1 725 215,000 1/9/14Pending Detached 5119 Muir Ave 2 1 492 380,000 1/20/14Pending Townhome 4292 Catalina Ct 2 3 1280 389,900 1/7/14Pending Attached 4570 narragansett Ave 2 1 902 629,000 10/19/13Pending Detached 4677 Pescadero Ave 2 1 870 662,000 12/31/13Pending Detached 4504 long Branch Ave 2 1 955 695,000 10/31/13Pending Detached 4420 Santa Monica Ave 3 2 1140 799,900 1/6/14Pending Detached 4593 Coronado Ave 2 1 792 815,000 12/17/13Pending Detached 4446 Marseilles St 3 2 1492 949,000 1/24/14Pending Detached 4461 Hill St 3 3 2663 1,220,000 7/18/13Pending Detached 4551 Point loma Ave 4 5 3346 1,399,000 1/14/14

market update

All information, reports and statistics are based on data supplied by Sandicor MlS. neither the associations nor the MlS guarantee, or are in any way responsible for their accuracy. Information is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

trendsetters

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH SQUASH AND inGREdiEntS

• 6 lamb shanks, each 1/2to 3/4 pound

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

• Salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 medium to large yellow onion, chopped

• 2 medium organic carrots,peeled and chopped

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1/2 cup dry red wine

• 3 cups organic beef broth

• 1 cup drained canned diced tomatoes

• 1 cup frozen pearl onions

• 1-1/4 cups peeled acorn or butternut squash cut into 1/2-inch cubes

• 1/2 cup frozen baby peas

• 2 tablespoons chopped italian parsley leaves, for garnish

by Maria Martin

Let’s start with the most basic of facts: It’s dang cold outside.

Unless you’re among those kicking back in the sunny Deep South, your fingers and toes are numb, your goosebumps have goosebumps, and spring—along with its promise of warmth—seems as distant as Mars.

For the frigid majority, we have a few suggestions. Lurk near radiators, fireplaces and other warm spots. Avoid the great outdoors whenever possible. And find a pair of warm, soft pajamas. We won’t tell a soul if you decide to stay in them night and day.

Following are a few soft, warm selections that caught our eye. We’ve tossed in a nightshirt and a couple of bathrobes, for those who simply don’t like to feel restrained by pajama pants.

and a hint: this time of year, we found sales at places like Kohl’s that cut the

cost by more than 50 percent:

• Simply Vera Vera Wang Notch Collar Fleece Pajama Set ($50, kohls.com). These soft jammies come in an array of colors and patterns, including animal print, stripes, geo and plaid.

• L.L. Bean Cozy PJ Set ($49.95, free shipping, llbean.com). It’s the most popular set at L.L. Bean because it lives up to its name—this cotton set is as cozy as they come, and will help you battle those cold winter days.

• L.L. Bean Fleece-Lined Scotch Plaid Flannel Robe ($79.95, llbean.com). Whether or not pajamas are his thing, he’ll love this Portuguese flannel robe,

lined with fleece for added warmth. The washable robe is yarn-dyed to stay vibrant.

• Warm Milk Sleep Shirt by the makers of BedHead Pajamas ($44, kohls.com). The rich colors of this zigzag patterned, scoop-neck sleepshirt caught our eye.

• Chaps Solid Microfleece Top & Plaid Flannel Pants Set—Men ($50, kohls.com). If you look great in red, all good. If yellow or blue is your hue, you’ll find that, too, in this microfleece top and matching plaid flannel pants.

• Elizabeth Arden Ultra Plush Robe ($39.99, bedbathandbeyond.com). Whether you wear pajamas or not, in the morning, another layer is a must. What we really loved about this soft, ultra-plush robe—available in white, pink or red—is the low cost.

• Carter’s Mock-Layer Dinosaur & Plaid Pajama Set ($20, kohls.com). We couldn’t leave out the tots! Jammies simply belong on toddlers, and we loved this two-piece set for boys. For girls, a Hello Kitty Heart Fleece set ($35), is sure to keep your toddler fashionably warm.

• Carter’s Horse Pajama Set ($20, kohls.com). Let’s not forget to bundle up the baby. Our favorite pick from this well-known name in children’s sleepwear has an equine theme. Only your baby has more energy than these horses, prancing across these warm pants. n

© 2014 Distributed by McClatchy-TribuneInformation Services

with Cozy Pajamas

directionsServes 6

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Meanwhile, season the lamb shanks all

over with the rosemary and salt and pepper to taste. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and, as soon as it’s hot enough to flow freely, add the lamb shanks, working in batches to avoid overcrowding. Saute the shanks, turning them occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes per batch. As each batch is browned, transfer the shanks to a plate and set aside.

Pour off excess fat from the Dutch oven and return it to the heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and carrots and saute, stirring frequently, until they are tender and just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute, stirring continuously, until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.

Add the wine and stir and scrape with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits. Return the lamb shanks to the Dutch oven. Add the broth, tomatoes, pearl onions and squash. Season lightly with more salt and pepper, cover, and transfer the pan to the preheated oven.

Cook until the meat is almost tender enough to fall off the bone when touched with a fork, 1-1/2 to 2 hours depending on the size of the shanks, adding the peas about 30 minutes before the lamb is done.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables and lamb shanks to a heated serving platter, arranging the shanks on top of the vegetables. Cover with aluminum foil.

With a large, shallow spoon, skim as much fat as you can from the surface of the cooking liquid in the Dutch oven. Place the Dutch oven, uncovered, on the stovetop over medium-high heat. While the liquid

comes to a boil, skim off more fat that rises to the surface. Adjust the seasonings to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon the sauce over the lamb shanks and vegetables. Garnish with parsley and serve. n

© 2014 Distributed by MCT Information Services

9

WolFgang puck’s kItchen

with Cozy PajamasWarm UpL.L. Bean Cozy PJ Set

1 0

home & garden

by Kathy Van Mullekom

Ecology is on many gardeners’ minds these days

Gardeners who value the science of relationships between living things and their environments increasingly want to know more about those connections—how toxic chemicals worsen a yard’s overall health and why bees, birds and butterflies are crucial to our daily lives, for example.

“We have a responsibility to support the land that we depend on for our own survival, and that responsibility includes thoughtful choices about how we landscape our own tiny spot of Earth,” says Carol Heiser, habitat education coordinator with the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries.

Heiser recently discussed “Habitat at Home: Landscaping for Wildlife.” The conservation program, outlined in great detail at www.dgif.virginia.gov/habitat, encourages public, private and corporate landowners to provide habitat for songbirds, mammals, amphibians and other native wildlife.

In Carol’s viewpoint, naturalist Doug Tallamy makes the best case for habitat gardening in his book, “Bringing Nature Home,” about the critical connections between insect and plant communities.

“Insects and plants co-evolved for millennia and have developed intricate inter-relationships. Unfortunately, over the past 300-plus years of American history, we’ve replaced a substantial portion of the natural landscape with non-native plant species from other continents—most notably European and Asian countries—and the result has been an altering of the food web,” she says.

Habitat gardening, which is more accurately called conservation landscaping, around homes is one way of “putting back,” or making an attempt to mimic the original native plant community, she continues.

This means removing exotic invasive plant species like nandina, barberry, butterfly bush, privet, autumn olive, Bradford pear, English ivy, Japanese honeysuckle and periwinkle, and replacing them with their counterpart native species.

“Also, there are other non-native plants that may not be invasive but nevertheless equally useless to insects and other wildlife, such as crepe myrtle, hosta, liriope,

boxwood, fescue—the list goes on and on,” she says.

“Responsible habitat gardening includes replacing these species with native plants, too. We have to get away from the idea that ‘habitat gardening’ is just a cute patch of flowers for butterflies, and that it’s OK if the rest of the yard is a mono-cultured acre of turf grass.”

To acquaint yourself with habitat gardening, Carol suggests you first go online to look at photos of invasive exotic plants and learn to identify them. Then, take a clipboard and walk your yard, listing any invasive plants.

“When that list is done, make another column of all the other non-natives that aren’t invasive but exotic just the same—you’ll probably be surprised that most of your favorite ‘ornamentals’ are non-native,” she says. “They’re called ‘ornamental’ because they’re just that: decorations without any biological purpose.”

Next, go back online to find out what native species are best for your growing needs, she advises. This spring, select one non-native plant species in your yard, remove it and replace it with a native species, many of which can be found at garden centers, as well as master gardener, native plant society and botanical garden plant sales.

“After you’ve installed the native species, pay close attention throughout the growing season to what insects you’ve never seen before that are now visiting these new plants,” she says. “This should give you a huge sense of pride that you have done a good thing, because you’ve just added more insects for young birds to get their protein. Congratulations, you are now a ‘grandparent.’”

Finally, repeat the removing and planting process every year for the next several years—until your yard has been converted into a native plant landscape.

“Keep a journal of the insect species that visit your yard, which will represent an increase in biodiversity and evidence of your success,” she says. “You can expect a renewed sense of personal connection to nature, knowing that you’ve taken part in—even if only a very small way—a change in our landscape ‘culture.’” n© 2014 Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Keeping the Garden

Native, Integrated

a yellow swallowtail visits

native coneflower.

Blue mistflower, or Conoclinium coelestinum, is a native species that helps pollinators.

11

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SELLERS

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RANCHO BERNARDO

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