north park real estate Archives

Living In North Park -Buying a House in North Park

Are you having a hard time choosing the best neighborhood in San Diego to move to? The McT Real Estate Group is ready to help you with your home search. We will find out what things you like best when considering a neighborhood to live in. Our favorite neighborhood happens to be North Park. Why? We initially bought our first house in North Park because it was an up-and-coming neighborhood at the time. Since then, it has become one of the most hipster Urban neighborhoods in San Diego, with so many things to do. Living in North Park is fun and never boring. There are many neighborhoods in San Diego to choose from, but here are a few reasons to consider buying a house in North Park.

North Park, San Diego, is one of the city’s hippest neighborhoods. From its diverse food options to its unique shops, the neighborhood is popular with locals looking for an urban, walkable community.

What is North Park known for?

North Park is known for being one of the best neighborhoods in the country for craft beer seekers. It’s also known for its impressive live music scene and some of the city’s most popular annual festivals.

Let’s take a closer look at what makes living in North Park, San Diego, not only a good time but so desirable for many San Diegans.

North Park Has Beautiful Real Estate To Live In And Invest In

The commercial heart of North Park is at the intersection of 30th Street and University Avenue, but the neighborhood looked much different when it was just starting out.

The land that encompasses North Park today was purchased in 1893 by local real estate and insurance agent James Monroe Hartley. He wanted to turn the land into a lemon grove but changed his mind when he found the necessary irrigation too challenging for proper lemons. The neighborhood, then known as “Hartley’s North Park,” became one of the city’s first commercial districts instead. It took just 10 years for North Park, the new and improved shortened version of Hartley’s original name, to become a shopping hub for locals.

The architecture reflects North Park’s eccentric beginnings. You’ll find Craftsman bungalows, former commercial buildings converted into single-family homes and apartment buildings, and special historic districts like the North Park Dryden Historic District. Many of the Craftsman and Spanish Colonial Revival homes in this area were built by important architect David Owen Dryden.

North Park today is one of San Diego’s liveliest neighborhoods and is often nationally recognized for its hipster status and unique vibe compared to the rest of the city.

Things to Do in North Park, San Diego

Many of the best things to do in the North Park, San Diego, neighborhood are about taking advantage of the food and craft beer scene here. While parking can be challenging around special events and weekends, North Park is highly walkable. Enjoy these activities on your feet, especially if you’re taking part in the neighborhood’s best craft breweries.

Go on a brewery crawl.

There are more than a dozen breweries and tasting rooms in North Park for craft beer seekers. Belching Beaver is almost as well-known for its beer as the San Diego postcard-style mural on its exterior facade. The vast North Park Beer Company is popular for large groups and after-work happy hours. Fall Brewing Company feels a little quirkier thanks to the Humpty Dumpty plush at the front door.

The best part is you can walk to and from one brewery to the next while in North Park, although you’ll likely see (and hear) a pedal pub tour or two if you’re here on the weekends.

Attend a local event.

North Park has no shortage of special events that bring people in from well outside the neighborhood. Start with the North Park Thursday Market, a weekly farmers market with fresh fruits and veggies, artisanal products, and live music.

The two-day North Park Music Fest is an annual springtime event with three different stages of live music across genres. Expect some of the city’s best food trucks in attendance. If you really want a taste of the best of the neighborhood, plan to attend the Taste of North Park. The annual event is a self-guided tour of the best of North Park’s food and drink scene. Wristbands for patrons 21 and over make this one a family-friendly event, too.

See a show at The Observatory North Park.

While this historic music hall is now under new ownership after a buyout from Live Nation, that acquisition has allowed North Park to continue to thrive as a destination for live music in the city. See some of the most in-demand touring acts in a venue that has been in the neighborhood since 1939.

The West Coast Tavern next door to the landmark venue is a popular spot for a pre-show drink or a nosh. The kitchen is open until midnight for snacks after, while the bar stays open even later.

North Park Best Restaurants

Whether you are a foodie or a fussy eater, North Park living is full of excitement and fun exploring the best restaurants North Park offers with a wide variety of food options at any budget. Sit down at Tamarindo Latin Kitchen & Bar for some Latin Flavor, or head over to Dunedin New Zealand Eats for some delicious New Zealand food. If you are Vegan, no worries, there is an amazing plant-based restaurant in town, and it is a big hit. The SD Village. This place is on El Cajon blvd, has plenty of parking, and is fantastic for those who love Japanese and Mexican food.

Here are a few other local eateries you shouldn’t miss if hunger strikes while in North Park:

Alexander’s on 30th: This Italian eatery competes with anything you’ll find in downtown San Diego’s Little Italy. Enjoy specialty pizzas and fresh plates of pink penne pasta, lobster ravioli, and the most indulgent walnut and gorgonzola linguine. Reservations are recommended as this one is a popular date night spot.
Cantina Mayahuel: This mezcaleria and tequileria is known for exactly that. You’ll find over 200 varieties of the spirits when you visit. Daily food specials are what keep locals coming back. Arrive on a Saturday for their Yucatan seafood stew or slow-cooked beef chili on Thursdays. Expect discounted taco plates on Taco Tuesdays.
SukhoThai Extraordinaire: This Thai eatery is known for leaning pescaterian. Their signature dish is crispy fried catfish fillet in a Thai red curry sauce. That said, there are plenty of options on the menu no matter how your diet leans. Try their marinated BBQ pork or beef curries for entrees you don’t always see at Thai restaurants.
Tribute Pizza: The “tributes” at this North Park pizzeria come from pizzas the owners have been inspired by or pop culture references they love. The Kevin McCallister, for example, is a nod to the Home Alone character’s favorite: “a lovely cheese pizza just for me.” For some added fun, the eatery operates out of an old post office.
URBN. They have coal-fired flat and New Haven-Style pizzas, a favorite to many in the neighborhood, and draught beer and craft cocktails. This loft-style restaurant is loud, so it is a great place if you have a group you are hanging out with. There are so many different places to choose from. If you decide to live in North Park, you will never have to leave the neighborhood to experience different types of cuisines.

If you would like to skip the restaurants altogether, you can head out for some coffee and snacks at Communal Coffee. There are different flavored coffee, drinks, books, and several trinkets you can pick up during your visit. Then there is the coffee-infused cocktail during happy hour at Caffe Calambra, along with pizza, desserts, and paninis.

North Park Breweries

Whether you are a beer aficionado or you enjoy a nice beer occasionally, North Park is the place for you. It has become a hotspot for local craft breweries to flock to. Some of North Park’s local breweries include Mike Hess Brewing Company, Thorn Street Brewery, The North Park Beer Company, Belching Beaver Brewery, and Pariah Brewing Company, to name a few. There are so many choices that you will never be bored with the same ole beer again.

North Park Local Shopping

North Park has many locally-owned shops for people to buy gifts, knickknacks, bookstores, and all types of home decorations. Some local favorites include Simply Local. Here you will find homemade gifts, jewelry, and souvenirs such as shirts, soaps, pictures, honey, and oils created by amazing local artists. Pigment is another favorite for home decorations and gifts, and it is just a few blocks away. Nearby is Mimi & Red Boutique, a lovely gem in North Park where you can find designer clothing pieces, jewelry, and other great accessories.

Balboa Park Nearby

The acclaimed Balboa Park is located West of North Park, where visitors get to hike through miles of trails, visit 17 museums, walk through the beautiful gardens and sit by the gorgeous fountain to people-watch. Feel like playing a game of golf? Sure, why not. Balboa Park Golf is the oldest public golf course in San Diego and one of the favorites. So many different types of events occur year-round at Balboa Park. By living in North Park, you will always have something new to see every single day if you choose to.

North Park Is San Diego’s Most Dog-Friendly Neighborhood

You will notice in North Park that there are lots of people out and about with their dogs. North Park is one of San Diego’s most dog-friendly neighborhoods. Many of the restaurants and coffee shops are set up so you can bring your dog with you while you have a bite to eat. Many even provide treats for them. There are several pet stores in the neighborhood, but one of my favorites is The Original Paw Pleasers. You can spoil your babies by ordering homemade doggie ice cream,fresh-baked Grain-Free cakes, and more for your pet. The dog park at Morley Field is one of our favorites. Here you get to meet many of your neighbors, and their pups get to make lots of friends.

North Park Is Perfect For All Age Groups

North Park is perfect for all age groups because of its walkability. Its ample amount of shopping, restaurants, wineries, breweries, and things to do around town make it desirable for people of all ages. Younger and older aged people like not having to drive for everyday conveniences. Younger people, such as Millennials, love North Park because there are so many things to do, and a great place to meet new people.

North Park & Beyond

North Park is a great spot for any newcomer who’d like to be in the middle of some of the best neighborhoods of San Diego. Here are a few reasons you may want to leave North Park, even if it’s just for a few hours:

South Park: This idyllic neighborhood south of North Park is hyper-local and a hub for San Diego’s best boutique shopping. Easy access to Balboa Park and the city’s best dog parks make the neighborhood a popular destination for dog owners.
Kensington: The close-knit community of Kensington is a short trip north of North Park and worth a visit for local staples like Ponce’s Mexican Restaurant. Outside of the small commercial district, the vibe here is much more residential.

Hillcrest: One of the city’s most bustling neighborhoods is just west of North Park. Visit for a weekend brunch if you don’t mind crowds. Hash House a Go Go is a go-to for their large portions. While there are more locations today, the original is here in San Diego.

North Park is ideal for anyone who wants a walkable community with so much at their fingertips. If you’re already interested in North Park properties, the McT Real Estate Group can help you make North Park your new home.

Move To North Park

If you are thinking of moving to North Park or already living here but are currently renting and want to buy a house or condo, reach out to the McT Real Estate Group today at 619-736-7003. We moved to North Park in 2001 from N.Y.C. and have never looked back. Together, we will figure out the best strategy for you to buy a home in the North Park area.

If you own a home in North Park and would like to stay on top of the current market value each and every month, check out this instant home value tool here.

View North Park Homes For Sale

Selling a Home in North Park

Expect that selling a home in North Park these days can happen quickly if properly executed. We keep hearing about how low the inventory is and what a great seller’s market we are in. Yes, we are in a seller’s market. However, because of this, we sometimes run across homeowners that believe they can get much more than what their home is worth, even though there are no comps that would support that amount.

For a homeowner that is thinking of selling their home, there are lots of things to consider. Choosing which Realtor to work with to help you with this process is one of those things. Although, there is the occasional home seller that may even think that in today’s market it doesn’t matter who you pick.

Which Realtor Should I Choose?

When selling a home, a homeowner may choose a Realtor because they charge a lower commission or work in what is called a discount brokerage. They may even pick a Realtor because the Realtor said they can get that seller a $50,000- $100,000 more than what the current comps say; even though there are not any comps to support that price. Some Realtors will say anything to get a homeowner to sign a listing agreement. Unfortunately, the home will sit on the market for months with no offers in-sight. In the meantime, the Realtor will try to get the seller to reduce the price and continue to do so until they get to a price where they eventually get an offer. Expectations were not set upfront and you now have an aggravated and unhappy seller.

With so much online information at our disposal, I can see where a homeowner may even think they can try to sell their home themselves or pick any Realtor whatsoever. You may think that this will save you lots of money. In reality, what it will end up doing is costing the seller thousands of dollars more in the long run.

Falling Out Of Escrow

What you are not able to find online is the track record of fallouts from many of these discount brokerages or individuals that will discount their commission for almost zero. What I mean by this is the number of times a buyer falls out of contract and the listing has to go on the market again. However, now you have a ton of scary inspections left behind from the previous buyer. You will now have to disclose all of this to the new potential buyer. If a possible seller knew how many times this Realtor/Real Estate company has fallen out of a contract because they were not able to negotiate through and complete a SOLD transaction, they may put more thought into who they hire to represent them with the sale of their home.

Selling a Home

There is more to selling a home than just putting a sign in front of the house, taking photos and uploading your home into the MLS.(multiple listing services). Besides pricing the home right, picking the right buyers that are financially qualified to get a fully approved loan; there is also what happens after an offer is accepted and the buyer does their home inspection. This is where real negotiating skills come into play.

In North Park, South Park and the metro area in San Diego, our homes are over 100 years old. If a Realtor is not experienced with selling older homes things could get a little hectic, to say the least. An experienced Realtor working with their homebuyer is able to walk them through the process of what to expect to see when a home inspection is done on these types of older homes. Even the prettiest homes that have been remodeled will scare the faint of heart when the inspector takes pictures under the house and completes his/her inspection. Foundations are old, roofs are old, windows are old. These are not cookie-cutter tract homes. Knowing this upfront will save all parties front lots of headaches. New home construction is not the type of house that you are going to find in San Diego’s Metro communities.

If you live in North Park you probably have one of these older homes. If you happen to accept an offer from what seems to be a motivated buyer working with a Realtor who is not experienced with these types of homes, it is time to hold on to your hat because the ride is about to get bumpy right about now.

All kidding aside, I have seen it many times and just heard of another case this morning. A colleague of mine accepted an offer from the “motivated buyer/Realtor” mentioned above. The home happens to be a 1930’s Craftsman Bungalow in South Park right by the park. After the buyer did their home inspection they were shocked to find out the foundation was old, the plumbing was old and some of the electrical was old. They went back and asked the seller of the home to reduce the price by $100,000 because they said the house needed a new roof, new foundation, new electrical, etc. I think they may have thought they were buying a new house that only had the charm of an older home.

The listing agent received this notice of the $100,000 request, she then had her preferred vendors go to the house and give a proposal on the higher ticket items that came up in the buyer’s inspection. The proposal came back at $35,000. The seller was then willing to credit the buyer as a reduction in price and was willing to negotiate. However, at that point, the buyer’s agent without further notice sent in a cancellation. There was no communication, no negotiations, just a cancellation. The realtor working with these buyers was not familiar with homes in South Park, North Park or any of the metro areas. They had only worked in North County where most of the homes in their neighborhood were track homes that were newly built. Folks, it really is important to work with a Realtor who is experienced and will negotiate properly on your behalf.

When To Negotiate

Buying and Selling Real Estate is about negotiations and properly executing contingency periods. When I hear that someone just sends in cancellation papers without a conversation it makes me shake my head in disbelief. The buyer’s agent had no clue about older homes or negotiating through a transaction. Nor were they able to speak on the phone. This is simply a disservice, in my humble opinion to everyone involved in that transaction.

Unfortunately, when you fall out of escrow, the buyer’s agent will typically send all inspection reports that have been completed by a buyer’s inspector. When this happens, the seller will now have to show all of these reports to a new potential buyer. This is what is known as “material facts”. However, this taints your property and now shows on the MLS that your home has fallen out of escrow. Whether these inspections were completed by a competent inspector or not, the new potential buyer will look at these inspections and decide that the place is falling apart; when in fact, this is not the case. It is just an older home.

If this home was priced right from the very beginning, and certain inspections were completed right up front, in today’s market it would have most likely received multiple offers. The buyer would not have been able to say that they did not know the condition of the home. Also, with multiple offers, the sellers would have then had other choices and would have a “JUST SOLD” sign in front of their house today.

Thinking of Selling A House in North Park?

If you are thinking of selling a home in North Park, South Park, or any area of San Diego and would like to speak to a local Real Estate Expert in the neighborhood, please call the McT Real Estate Group at 619-736-7003 right now. We would be happy to speak with you about the process of selling and how we go about preparing your home to enter the marketplace. Feel free to search our online reviews and see what people are saying.

More Info About Selling A Home

San Diego Homes for Sale Coming Soon

Homes for sale in San Diego are hard to find these days. With a limited inventory, finding a home and getting your offer accepted before someone else is getting more difficult these days.If you have been searching for “coming soon“ real estate listings but have not been successful at it, here is a good place to start. The McT Real Estate Group are real estate experts in the San Diego area. We always have a list of homes for sale in San Diego County that on other Real Estate Websites. Before we put homes on these other sites, we spend time with the seller preparing the home for sale, so they are the nicest homes in the area for their price range.

What Do I Mean By Preparing the Home For Sale?

How one lives in a place and how one sells a home is quite different. When we live in our home, we tend to fill it up with stuff we love and make us feel good. When we are getting ready to sell a home, there are certain things that one should do that a home buyer will look at before entering your house. It starts right when they drive up to your house. If the front is not tidy and cared for, they may not even want to step inside.

With this being said, when the McT Real Estate Group gets a listing, we work with our sellers and help them with this process of getting their home to look nicer than the competition. Do make sure to check in with us to see what we have in the pipeline, what we will be putting on the market soon and how to be the first to see it. Call us at 619-818-8122 right away!

See Our Current List Of Homes Coming Soon for Sale

Myrtle Ave- San Diego-Coming Soon

Introducing Urban Sophistication with this North Park Contemporary home featuring magnificent views, day or night. Attention to detail was used when designing the fresh look this house offers. Enjoy Morley Field park, just one block away, where you can hike, spend time on the tennis courts, take the dog to the doggie park or just have a quiet stroll with nature.

Walk up a few steps and onto a small pad. Open the handsome modern front door and step into a spacious living room that is part of open concept living. The beautiful wide plank wood floors, recess lighting, and light colored walls add to the overall contemporary feel.

With multi-panel bifold windows in the living and large windows in the kitchen area, you will have fun entertaining friends and family while enjoying the sunset views afar. The gorgeous kitchen is adorned with attractive Silestone counters, custom cabinets, and modern black stainless steel appliances.

All rooms are spacious and airy with great closet space and solid wood interior doors throughout. Both bathrooms are beautifully designed with exquisite taste that you will enjoy for many years.

Take a walking tour here:

;

For more information about this beauty on Myrtle Avenue, contact the McT Real Estate Group at 619-818-8122 for accurate information of this home right away.

2505 Boundary Street, San Diego, CA Open House

Come Join Us At Our Open House In North Park

We will have 2505 Boundary Street Open Saturday, Jan.14th and Sunday, Jan.15th from 1-3 PM.

This home has been beautifully remodeled and really shows off San Diego’s indoor/outdoor lifestyle. For more photos and info, simply click on the photo below or watch the tour.

For more information about this North Park home and other homes for sale in the San Diego Metro Area, contact the McT Real Estate Group at 619-818-8122.

Living In North Park -Buying a House in North Park

What is North Park known for?

North Park Has Beautiful Real Estate To Live In And Invest In