Encinitas Sandwich Shops – Froots in Encinitas California 92024

I am not a fast food fan. But a good sandwich shop with great food and value strikes a chord with this foodie.

Of the Encinitas Sandwich Shops I’ve seen, Froots in Encinitas is a hit. Here’s why: 

BROAD SELECTION

Wraps and Specialty Wraps, salads, great grillers (on ciabatta bread), ACAI bowls, Tropical Smoothies, ACAI Berry Smoothies, Shakes, Fresh Squeezed Juices, and Red Bull smoothies 

LOCATION

In the Encinitas Village with Trader Joe’s, Ralph’s, a marvelous French Bakery 

OUTDOOR DINING

FRIENDLY EFFICIENT SERVICE  

I’ve been a couple of times just in the last week and have NOT been disappointed. And they offer a variety of coupons on-line from time to time. Getting a regular size wrap for about is a real bargain. And when it GOOD, the value is terrific.

Froots in Encinitas is a terrific sandwich shop. Check it out!

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All content copyright © 2010 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits

Improving Your Health and the World with Shea Touch Natural Hair and Skin Products 

Shea Touch is an amazing company.

In addition to providing a line of natural hair and skin products with a range of health benefits, Shea Touch is doing something very special – enabling 300+ people in Kelo, Chad in Africa, many of them women (and children) to get out of poverty. The women are employed to sustain the farms, harvest and process the Shea butter; children benefit from food, homes, education and more from  their mothers stable employment and support efforts from OPCAI, a non-profit organization. The men of the village are guards, the few that there are. 

The company’s facility in India harvests and processes the Ayurvedic (India’s 5,000 year old medical system) herbs that are used in the Shea Touch natural hair and skin products, which are then shipped to the manufacturing plant in the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area. 

While you likely have heard of Shea butter you may not know that it comes from the kernels in the fruit of the Shea (karite) tree grown only in Africa, in an area called the Shea Belt running through 19 countries. The Shea butter from Chad has the highest concentration of Vitamins E (a well-known anti-oxidant, A, D, & F among all the Shea butters from other regions along the Shea Belt. 

A very important distinction between SheaTouch facilities and over 90% of all others is that they have specific processing procedures, high quality assurance standards, and their own (imported from India) manual/mechanical press which eliminates the butter being touched by human hands.

This precise and sanitary manufacturing process ensures the Shea Touch butter is raw, pure, fresh, and highly nutritious with Vitamins A, E, D and F, and a naturally occurring SPF of 6. Ongoing education and training is supported by local government and University co-ops. 

The Shea Touch Natural Personal Care Products are diverse, including foot care, hair care, skin care, lip care, and can be purchased on the Shea Touch website as well as other facilities around the country.  The health benefits and uses (applications) include: anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, wrinkles, burn & surgery/scar healing, stretch mark recovery, and baby care, with new baby products and massage/spa products to launch this Spring! 

What is particularly impressive is the Shea Touch commitment to bettering the living conditions and welfare of people in the areas where their facilities are located through employment, education, safe housing and medical care. A particular example that Anna shared with me is, perhaps, the most telling about what this company means to the lives of the people they employ. A mother shared that this was the first time that she has ever been able to feed her 5 children one meal a day for an entire week.  

There are few, if any of us, who can truly understand what that really means. 

Take a moment to listen to the video interview with Anna Allen, Co-Founder and CFO of Shea Touch to gain a rich perspective on the company’s mission and philosophy.  

“Improving Our World One Person at a Time ~ Improving Your Health One Product at a Time”

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All content copyright © 2010 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits

Did you ever see The Music Man? If you did, than you probably remember the lyrics that go “Ya got trouble, my friend, right here, I say, trouble right here in River City.” Now, if I remember correctly, the trouble in River City referred to the fact that folks were actually playing pool (gambling) and gambling, so the story goes, leads you down a slippery slope.

Well, there are some people out there who always make trouble, whether it is in River City or elsewhere. They are always combative and want to get their way. They argue until they are blue in the face. You know who they are, perhaps you are even one of them.

Since I started negotiating short sales for a living, I have spoken to more folks than ever before. I have spoken to thousands of real estate agents across the nation. I have also spoken with hundreds (maybe thousands) of bank short sale processors and customer service representatives, managers, and presidents. Each and every individual has a unique personality. When having these conversations with mortgage lenders and even with real estate agents, I always have a goal that I want to achieve. Usually I want to get my way in short sale negotiation, but sometimes I just want to convey a point.

I realized the other day that in order to be successful in dealings with others, you need to be a prepositional phrase and not a verb. (Caveat: Remember that I am a former English teacher. Please do not start snoozing; keep reading and hear me out!)

If you vaguely remember high school, you may remember that teachers taught us that a prepositional phrase is “Anything a rabbit can do to a hill” or “Anything an airplane can do to a cloud.” So, words such as above, around, below, over, under, and through are prepositional phrases. Thus, in my dealings with the lien holders on these short sales, sometimes I need to figure out how to be like a prepositional phrase-how to strategize to make it over that hill or around that cloud.

Now, if you vaguely remember elementary school, you probably know that a verb is an action word: bark, yell, scream, rant, annoy. When working on short sales and negotiating with lien holders, you can also behave like a verb. You can bark, yell, scream, rant and annoy. But, I can tell you right now that if you behave in this manner you will be significantly less successful in your negotiations, and you may burn a few bridges along the way.

So, when negotiating short sales, try not to make trouble in River City. Instead, work to meet your goals more like a prepositional phrase than like a verb.

One side note: Do not ever take anything personally. Be objective and professional. This is a business transaction for you, for your sellers, for your buyers, and for the bank. The bank does not care about everyone’s drama. Leave that with your verbs at the door!

The Andrews Gallery in Leucadia (Encinitas) recently moved to new digs downtown. It is sad to see the Gallery, and director/owner Drew Snyder, leave the area. 

Andrews Gallery added so much to the artistic community in Encinitas and we will miss them. From their wonderful art exhibits, musician, and art openings, Andrews Gallery made a significant mark that will not be soon forgotten. 

And it’s sad to see the building standing empty once again.

But the move for Andrews Gallery is a very good one – they are now housed in the heart of Little Italy in San Diego, a burgeoning area of shopping, galleries and restaurants. And I have no doubt the stellar shows that Drew curates will continue to impress, and their reputation in the artist community will continue to grow.

I have gotten to know Drew pretty well during their 16 months in Leucadia, and I see even greater things ahead for Andrews Gallery and look forward to watching them prosper. 

If you are a friend of Andrews Gallery, be sure to visit them in their new digs downtown. And if you haven’t gotten to know them, then you certainly should. Their first show in the new place JUST opened on Tuesday, February 23. 

The Andrews Gallery can be found at 2400 Kettner, Arts Complex #212, San Diego, CA 92101, (817) 235-2404.

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All content copyright © 2010 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits

You are invited to a One time FREE Webinar in the 5 Short Sale Training Webinar Series with Hunter Paschall

Thursday, February 25th at 7:00 EST Hunter’s good friend Steve Campbell will be joining him to show you How to Master Seller·Conversion.
Register Here

How many deals have missed because you could not convert a seller?

You could have the best marketing in the world…
Your phone could be ringing off the hook …
Homeowners could open the door to you but…

If you don’t know how to convert a seller
you have wasted time and lost $$.

If you are having challenges converting your sellers you do not want to miss this Webinar!
Spots are filling up fast!
Register Now!

To Your Success,
3 Days Live Team
407-772-2274
3dayslive.com

I realize its been FOREVER since I have posted an update. (This is East Coast Jenn, BTW). I think I told you that our short sale offer fell through because of BoA’s ridiculously long short sale process. The buyers finally walked away…and 3 weeks later, the bank came back with a response. Of course, by then it was too late. We kept the house on the market, but never had any more offers. Finally around Christmas, feeling like we were out of options, we decided to start the process of getting approved for a Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure. For those of you who don’t know, its where the bank will accept ownership of the house as payment for the mortgage. It is a little better (not much) on your credit, and keeps you (and the bank) from having to go through a long, drawn out foreclosure. There is a pretty involved approval process…we had to supply them with detailed financial information, a hardship letter explaining why we had to go this route, and other miscellaneous personal info. After a few weeks, we heard back. The bank said they would accept the offer, but they wanted us to sign a promissory note for ,000 over 25 years. Basically, we would lose even MORE money on the house. I understand why they wanted us to do it…after all, they are taking a loss. However, if we did have the money, we would have given it to them long before!! We negotiated back and forth, and finally settled on a lower amount. I can tell you though….we did the giving and they did the taking! We finally got word last night that the deal would be approved, and guess what?? We have three weeks to get the heck out! They wanted to give us TWO WEEKS! I told them there was no way we could be out that fast, so they said three, max. So, now I am in panic/crisis mode. I have to get this house packed, find a place to live, and try to get our taxes done so that we have a rent deposit, all while being pregnant and raising 1 year old twins!!!! CRAZY!
I have to say though….as hard as this has been, and will be over the next few weeks, I am glad that the end is in sight. This has caused no shortage of stress around here. I will be glad to get moved and settled somewhere. I will do my best to try to keep you updated, even though my situation no longer pertains to a short sale!!

The San Diego County MLS, SANDICOR, is now providing a Walkscore for each listing. 

For folks not in the know, a Walkscore is a score based on a calculation off how walkable a particular home or condo is, determined by the proximity to various amenities such as shops, restaurants, libraries, and other services.

Agents can click on the Walkscore tab on the left hand side of the listing, and it pulls up a separate screen from the Walkscore site and calculates the walkscore for that listing that can then be shared with buyers. I suspect this concept is a new one for many agents.

You can read more about the Walkscore here. 

Here’s the Walkscore site 

Buyers often say they would like to be near amenities, to be able to walk to the stores or dining options. I get that, having lived in the city where this was, indeed, possible and a real plus. But it’s not always easy to achieve due to pricing or availability of housing options that are suitable, at least in my area. And walkable to what? The 7-11? A gas station? 

I did a series of articles on walkable neighborhoods in the communities I service, from Oceanside to La Jolla. The Walkscore was the foundation of this series, and I also shared the available real estate at the time of each article that fell within the “walkable” parameters provided by the calculation. 

Walkability, to a certain extent, IS relative and personal. What is walkable for one person may not be for another. My opinion? Yep, you can calculate a walkscore that, per the site, falls within the “walkable” or “very walkable” parameters. BUT as a buyer you still need to check it out for yourself. A number is no substitute for a reality check.

Here are the previous articles in the Walkable Neighborhood Series:

Walkable Neighborhood Series – Real Estate in Upscale, Affluent La Jolla Village

Downtown Oceanside Real Estate Near the Beach

Encinitas Real Estate in the Funky Beach Community of Leucadia

Rancho Santa Fe Real Estate Near Rancho Santa Fe Village

Solana Beach Real Estate on the Coast

Del Mar Real Estate Near the Village

 Carlsbad Village Real Estate in Carlsbad, California

Downtown Encinitas

Cardiff Real Estate in The Walking District in Cardiff-by-the-Sea

Carlsbad Homes for Sale in La Costa, Carlsbad

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If I can provide more information about Oceanside real estate and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

All content copyright © 2010 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits

The San Diego County MLS, SANDICOR, is now providing a Walkscore for each listing. 

For folks not in the know, a Walkscore is a score based on a calculation off how walkable a particular home or condo is, determined by the proximity to various amenities such as shops, restaurants, libraries, and other services.

Agents can click on the Walkscore tab on the left hand side of the listing, and it pulls up a separate screen from the Walkscore site and calculates the walkscore for that listing that can then be shared with buyers. I suspect this concept is a new one for many agents.

You can read more about the Walkscore here. 

Here’s the Walkscore site 

Buyers often say they would like to be near amenities, to be able to walk to the stores or dining options. I get that, having lived in the city where this was, indeed, possible and a real plus. But it’s not always easy to achieve due to pricing or availability of housing options that are suitable, at least in my area. And walkable to what? The 7-11? A gas station? 

I did a series of articles on walkable neighborhoods in the communities I service, from Oceanside to La Jolla. The Walkscore was the foundation of this series, and I also shared the available real estate at the time of each article that fell within the “walkable” parameters provided by the calculation. 

Walkability, to a certain extent, IS relative and personal. What is walkable for one person may not be for another. My opinion? Yep, you can calculate a walkscore that, per the site, falls within the “walkable” or “very walkable” parameters. BUT as a buyer you still need to check it out for yourself. A number is no substitute for a reality check.

Here are the previous articles in the Walkable Neighborhood Series:

Walkable Neighborhood Series – Real Estate in Upscale, Affluent La Jolla Village

Downtown Oceanside Real Estate Near the Beach

Encinitas Real Estate in the Funky Beach Community of Leucadia

Rancho Santa Fe Real Estate Near Rancho Santa Fe Village

Solana Beach Real Estate on the Coast

Del Mar Real Estate Near the Village

 Carlsbad Village Real Estate in Carlsbad, California

Downtown Encinitas

Cardiff Real Estate in The Walking District in Cardiff-by-the-Sea

Carlsbad Homes for Sale in La Costa, Carlsbad

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If I can provide more information about Oceanside real estate and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

All content copyright © 2010 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits

2010 Southern California Homebuyers’ Fair is March 13 and 14 in Los Angeles

logo links to the website

For the 3^rd year in a row, the Southern California Homebuyers Fair will be held in Los Angeles, this year on Saturday and Sunday March 13^th and 14^th. 

This very popular educational fair, started in 2008, is sponsored by the California Association of REALTORS (C.A.R.) and the Los Angeles Times and will be held at the the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown Los Angeles at 1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90015. 

The Southern California Homebuyers’ Fair is a terrific opportunity for buyers, whether new or experienced, to attend 50+ educational “how to” seminars (e.g., loan programs, the 2010 first time buyer’s tax credit, avoiding fraud, the home buying process) and talk with numerous vendors in their massive exhibit hall. 

Admission is free and as in the past this is expected to draw thousands of Southern California home buyers. Hours are 10 – 5 on Saturday March 13^th and 11 – 4 on Sunday March 14^th.

You can even win movie tickets, a shade tree, or an iPod Shuffle.

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All content copyright © 2010 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits