The City Council recently decided to appoint Mark Ochenduszko as the interim city manager for the city of Del Mar, much to the approval of Del Mar Heights homes. During the June 6 meeting, the retired city manager for the city of Coronado, Ochenduszko and the Del Mar City Council engaged in a 6-month agreement which will make Ochenduszko the interim city manager and will be receiving $15,000 per month salary with no benefits.

Ochenduszko's profile includes:

• The city manager for the city of Coronado from 1999 up to 2010. He created many projects; an example of this is the construction of a new city hall.
• Ochenduszko also served at Coronado's Director of Administrative Services and Director of Human Resources.
• He left Coronado in 1991 to become the Assistant City Manager of the city of Temecula, after which, he served as city manager in the Northern California city of Campbell and also the Los Angeles-area city of Cypress.

"(The Del Mar City Council has) a very ambitious agenda. I look forward to being a part of that, and helping you accomplish the things that are of interest to you", said Ochenduszko after the council appointed him as the interim city manager of Del Mar. He also said that they are all good for the city of Del Mar and he is really looking forward to being part of the city for the coming months.

As Current City Manager Karen Brust announced that she is leaving Del Mar last month and to become the city manager of San Juan Capistrano city, Her last day of employment with the city of Del Mar will be June 29.

Ochenduszko, Del Mar Heights home owners and the community are looking forward to what's going to happen and will be achieved when the interim city manager sits in the position in July 1.

Everyone's headed to the San Diego County Fair that drives by Del Mar Heights homes for the annual fix of chocolate-covered bacon, concerts, farm fare. Car aficionados can take a side trip through the history of automotive generations.

The "Race to the Fair" will display cars, automobilias, and old videos of racing along with the displayed cars all over the ground. Just at the side of the ground, there will be an Activity Center located inside the O'Brien gate. A 20,000-square-foot "Cruisin' California" exhibit will be featured at the activity center. The exhibit will be the center of the event, and along with it are many stations in which 7-8 cars will be on static display while 10-11 cars will be moved in and out weekly.

San Diego racing blood will be presented in the 1960 Santee SS owned by Fred Puhn. Puhn still races the carat in the Coronado Speed Festival. Racing blood will also be presented in a Dolphin Formula Junior, by Dolphin Engineering of El Cajon. The car was built in 1960 and was raced by Ken Miles in various car racing events back then.

There will be weekly highlights on replicas of "Star Cars," including the "Ectomobile" from "Ghostbusters"; "The General Lee" Dodge Charger from the "Dukes of Hazzard"; and the "Gypsy Lee" low rider from "Chico and the Man." Del Mar Heights homes residents and car enthusiasts all over the nation will surely enjoy this event.

Weekly featured themes are:

From June 10-12: Exotic and Luxury cars
From June 14-19: Muscle Cars and tuners
From June 21-26: Lowriders
From June 29-July 4: Southern California Car Culture, featuring woodies, convertibles, hot rods

And to top it all off, The center will include: NASCAR driving simulator and dragstrip "Christmas Tree," with virtual racing and a dragster suspended from the ceiling; Toyota tribute to Baja off-road racing; San Diego Automotive Museum will showcase the cruising culture of the 1950s, including a 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe and a 1957 Chevy; A military vehicle will always be on display and there will be a large display of military vehicles on the infield to honor San Diego's armed services; Follow the "Mother Road," U.S. Route 66; "Phil's Garage," a re-creation of is a classic do-it-yourselfers garage; San Diego County Sheriff's Department "Smart Start" exhibit for young drivers and a presentation against Drunk Driving.

Busy weeks throughout the month of June will be experienced by Del Mar Heights homes residents and the whole San Diego community. Be sure to visit the place and check out the efforts and works of the fair organizers.

These are 5 basic tips on how to get your Del Mar home for sale ready for buyers:

1. Conduct a pre-sale home inspection. First things first, be mindful of the things may tickle the interest of your client. Conducting an inspection will give you a good indication of the trouble areas that may stand out to you potential buyers. This will serve as a guide for you and as well give you time to repair as soon as before the open houses begin. An inspector can do the service for you.

2. Look for warranties. Looking for warranties is a one of the basic steps in assuring yourself with the quality of your Del Mar home for sale. Gathering user manuals, guarantees, furnace and any other items that will remain for the rest of you stay in the house is a good step.

3. Cleanliness and Organization. Being clean, neat and organize can make your house stand out. Put aside the things and appliances that you may think that can be hardly used or that can be least used such as: Kitchen tools like large trays, the equipments you use in exercising such as treadmill, toys of your children and as well as clothes that can't be used in a specific time or seasonal. Store them in a small space in your house or in your garage or in a box. Arrange them neatly or if possible out of site. Always keep your carpets, walls, windows, lighting fixtures and other things that are part of your house that are visible clean.

4. Foreseeing estimation of the replacements. Getting an early estimation on how much the big-ticket items when they get worn out is one tip that could give your buyers an idea if they can afford the Del Mar home. Conduct estimation on the roofing and carpeting of your house.

5. Make the first impression of the curb appeal last. Put yourself in the position of your client. Stand outside the house and see for yourself on what is the impression of your house. Do the lawn, bushes and other visible feature of the house neatly. Beautiful flowers, crack-free walkway and neat grass can add up to the interest of your potential Del Mar home buyers.

According to buying experts at the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (NAEBA), using the first agent in real estate you speak to can be a formula for disaster for buyers of Del Mar homes, especially in this market. For many years now, real estate sellers have been told to interview more than one agent before they pick one to list their Del Mar homes because of the differences in skill and service levels provided. Nevertheless, most buyers tend to end up using the very first real estate agent they meet.

According to the Region 8 Director of NAEBA, Barry Nystedt, he said that in an appreciating market, buyers need not a property evaluator or a skilled negotiator. But today's real estate environment is changed. Home buyers need to work with the most skilled agent they can find to provide market insights and to advocate on their behalf." He added, "Home buyers need to compare the qualifications, loyalty, experience and negotiation effectiveness of real estate agents to find the best one to work with."  He also said that the top buyer's agents might be very pleased to discuss their capabilities and the types of savings they have been able to achieve for buyers.

In Del Mar homes, if the buyer is not cautious enough in choosing the right agent, they will get caught in a difficult situation especially if they see Del Mar homes with an agent from the listing office and later decide they want to use an agent of their own to correspond to them because the listing office may make a claim for the buyer-agent fee that was built in the transaction.

With the home values in many areas still falling, Del Mar home buyers need their own loyal advocate. Nystedt recommends "Ask the real estate people you are considering working with some serious questions." He also added "Choose one who has a proven track record of helping homebuyers save money and who will be loyal to you no matter what home you are interested in. Don't just settle for the first real estate agent you talk to."

The search for the perfect home starts with careful planning. If you are considering Del Mar homes, there's a wealth of styles, sizes, price points and features that you can choose from, which makes the home buying process seem like an enormous task. 

To avoid pitfalls and additional stress in your next big purchase, it's important to know the steps you need to take in order to get to the final goal of owning a home. Most are actually not aware about the full home buying process and quickly find themselves frustrated when they encounter something they didn't expect.

Here are the basic steps to follow in the home buying process:

1. Ask yourself what you need or want in a specific home.

2. Get a reliable agent to help you.

3. Decide how much money you can spend in buying your home.

4. Find a specific location where you want to reside.

5. Look for mortgage programs application.

6. Get an offer to purchase.

7. In terms of mortgage, have a preparation.

8. Know the closing details.

9. Have your new home.

It requires patience to go through these steps. There may be difficulties along your way, but having the exact method along with careful planning can help you in buying a new Del Mar home. Make sure to get the assistance of an trusted real estate agent as their experience and knowledge in these matters is invaluable.

Del Mar Home News - Students from Del Mar Union Districts have been recognized fortheir achievements. A very inspiring and exciting ceremony, Optimist Vic Kops Children's Challenge, was held last May 18, 2011 at Lomas Santa Fe Country where exceptional local students of Del Mar Beach homes received its Children's Challenge Award with 10 recognitions in six categories of fellowship, service, arts, courage, science and humanities.

A very bright and positive first-grader student with a major congenital heart defect of Ashley Falls School, Isabella Hirst got her courage award with the most emotional presentation. Michael Stickels, a fifth-grader got the fellowship award from Solana Pacific School. Michael is a very compassionate and supportive boy who helps students with special needs for the Circle of Friends group in his school that has been recognized by Teacher Paula Merrick. A six-grader at Del Mar Hills Academy, Ezra-Bisom Rapp received his green fellowship award at school. He is leading a team in his school that help collect stuff for recycling.  He is a devoted and highly-academic student that has been renowned by his Teacher Allison Warren.  From Skyline School a fourth grade duo named Danielle Rosenthal and Paige Geary has been recognized by Teacher Twila Gwin. These two wonderful girls offer their time to help other students to feel accepted and to teach them to mingle with others. Teacher Laurie O'Farrell finds a first- grader student, Madison Dowson from Carmel Del Mar to be very devoted in helping other students with disabilities to feel that they are cared and included for.

An award in the field of arts has been awarded to Vivienne Franke from Solana Vista who is a third grader because of her ability and creative mind to welcome a new method in art.  Teacher Kiri Thompson recognized Vivienne as a multitalented and hard-working student which exceeds her ability as a third grader.  In the area of writing, Alyssa DeVries got her award when she wrote a song called "Torrey Hills". She is a sixth grader at Torrey Hills School. A tennis player and loyal friend from Solana Santa Fe School who is a sixth grade student named Jacob Brumm has been recognized by Teacher Marsi Hays in the area of humanities. Jacob excels in the classroom and inspired classmates to give their best. A sixth grader from Carmel Del Mar, Alexa Hatt excelled in the area of science that has been distinguished by her Teacher Linda Dugger. Alexa has been awarded because of ability for video production. She also has raised $1000 by selling merchandise for her program that Zoo Crew which aims to take care of the animals in science laboratory.

All these excellent students from Solana Beach and Del Mar Union Districts have been recognized in this prestigious program. Quality education is just one of the great things that Del Mar homes has to offer.

Planning a renovation for your newly bought Del Mar home?

Buying a home is an expensive but thrilling process. It is often one of the biggest purchase of a lifetime. Renovation is simply remodeling your home, adding some twists and turns that suit your taste.

One advantage of owning a Del Mar home is that you are not restricted in terms of improving your own property. You can do remodeling projects such as decorating your house, landscaping your yard, adding extensions and personalizing your home with any custom work. It can really be a satisfying endeavor.

Things to consider when renovating:

Money. Find out how much budget you can afford to allocate to any renovation project. It's very important that you limit yourself to this so that your family's finances won't be severely affected.

Professionals. Decide if you are going to hire professionals or if you will just do it by yourself.  You should get an expert worker in renovating your home for better quality. If you are doing it by yourself, ask some help from your family members or friends.

Design and planning. Draw or sketch what you have in mind. Decide if you are just going to renovate a particular part of the house. Think first if you really need to renovate certain parts of your home or not.

Decorations. Decorate all rooms. Select a theme for your home. Decide the color for your walls, curtains, carpets, etc, according to this selected theme. Also, you may replace old appliances to get a new one that suits the new theme better. Rearrange settings of your living room or dining room. Just work on the stuff you really want to change.

If you feel everything is just right, then you can proceed on the next step confidently. Go ahead and work on improving your Del Mar home through carefully thought-out renovation.

Interior design is an art so it is also open to a little bit of interpretation. However, what some people might think of as country may be seen by others as rustic or rural. We therefore have problems in understanding the present trend in interior design. The most accepted interpretation for the current home interior design for Del Mar Heights homes for sale is clear lines that do not have much of a messy look. This is also referred to as contemporary design.

When we talk about interior design for home theater, the invention of flat screen LCD and plasma televisions have really worked wonders. The contemporary and sleek with neat lines and no messy details is the current trend these days. This makes flat screen TVs perfect. The flat screen TV can be mounted onto the wall of your Del Mar Heights homes for sale and you can keep it over an anchored pedestal like a steel entertainment center. You can do this to give your living room a modern look.

Adjustable chairs and lumpy sofa will not fit in the living room of a modern home. Contoured finishing in various shapes, angles, and materials like metal sleek wood or glass is more appropriate. The color that can be used in the furniture in a home when we talk about modern interior design is unlimited. However, finding patterns that seem to be busy, fuzzy or chintz is very rare. The colors that you can see in a home with modern interior design are both bold and bright colors like red, orange or lime green or dark and much muted colors like black, gray, purple and sometime dark brown. Even if there are different patterns in the current look, they are neat pinstripes which are common in nature or something which might not be viewed as busy.

Curtains, rugs and other linen materials which have big textures are very usual in that has modern interior design. You might also find some satin sheets together with organic, quilted or nubby looking solid color rug or blanket.

Geometric shapes, interesting contours and glass are very common in Del Mar Heights homes for sale that have modern interior design. The boxy design and warm wood are not often used.

The closing brings an expectant mood to buyers of Del Mar Heights homes for sale. Homeownership is just inches away from you. All you have to do is stretch your arm and sign the papers from the title company that had checked your lender. You pay the closing fees and the downpayment, and voila! The Del Mar Heights home is yours. After many struggles, it's finally yours.

Closing set up: The closing is a meeting of both parties to finally close the deal, sign the papers, and transfer ownership of the house. It is usually in the office of the company and coordinated by the title company. A title insurance company checks the history of your property. They try to search for any liens or obstacles to sale. If the property has proven that there is no problem or any flaws, it will be legally "free and clear". This insurance company will offer you a reassurance of clear transfer of the Del Mar Heights home for sale . Most of the time, your mortgage loan agent will ask you to use a title company. If not, your real estate attorney is always there to help you all the way. The escrow account will probably add the annual insurance premium of the house.

Ending of the deal: Many first time buyers are usually afraid of or get nervous with the closing. It's like you are signing a contract that will take your life away without even reading the papers. The truth is, if the closing rolls around it means the hard part is over. After signing a bunch of papers, you'll have the keys to your new house. The loan officer will be there along with the seller and the closing agent.

Three major things to remember:

1. A day or two before closing, you'll have the final settlement statement that has the details of closing costs and terms of loan. Review and study it carefully. Remember that the GFE is not final, but the statement is. If there is something you can't understand, call your loan agent immediately.
2. You must get a cashier's record and then check your financial statement status, including the down payment. Ask the cashier to put all the details needed so you can study the statement.
3. Do not forget to bring your driver's license.

Planning to buy a Del Mar Heights Home for sale?

There are things that you need to consider before jumping to this decision. You need to save funds for down payment. You need to study your spending habits and set a budget that you can live with. Do not forget that you still have to pay for the remaining balance after you pay for the down payment.

How much do you need to pay?

Back in the old days, the down payment is usually 20%. Nowadays the down payment depends on the rules set by the seller. But mostly it's as little as 3% and some are willing to offer conventional financing.

What is PMI (private mortgage insurance)?

Usually, if you pay less than 20% for the down payment, lenders are required to carry PMI. It protects the lenders from possible loan default. However, once you are done with the 20% down payment, some lenders cancel the policy automatically while others require writing before they cancel PMI.

Gifts

If you don't have enough money for the down payment, some lenders will let you use gift funds from your family, friends or other sources (if you have). Remember, lenders require a "gift letter" stating that you don't have to pay for the gift. In addition to that, many lenders will ask you to pay with your own cash on some portion of the 20% down payment. Ask a real estate professional more about gift policies you can use in buying Del Mar Height Homes for sale.

Good faith deposit

Good faith deposit, earnest money, or reservation payments are always required. If the offer is accepted the money will be converted to down payment.

Closing costs

These are miscellaneous fees charged by those involved with the home sale. Your lender will give you a more accurate estimate of closing costs on the purchase of Del Mar Heights Homes for sale.