After 27 years, I have come to love so much about working and living in San Diego. From the mountains, deserts, and beaches, to the amazing food and people, what’s not to love about this amazing city?

City Life

I purchased my first home in North Park in the 1990’s before it was the hip neighborhood it is today. Nowadays, neighborhoods like North Park, Hillcrest, South Park, Golden Hill, and City Heights are thriving urban communities with some of the best eateries in San Diego. URBN of North Park is one of my favorites, and I highly recommend trying it while you’re here.

Hiking & Biking

A short drive from the city connects you to amazing hikes, including canyon trails and mountain peaks. Head just east of San Carlos and Tierrasanta to hike Mission Trails and Cowles Mountain. I love timing my hikes with the sunset to get a view of the sun draining into the distant ocean. I’ll never get tired of that view!

If you prefer biking, check out Pacific Beach! Starting in La Jolla, you can ride south through Mission Beach down to Ocean Beach. The bike paths take you past great watering holes, including my favorite – Water Bar in Pacific Beach. It has amazing sunset views, a delicious appetizer menu, and massive beer selection!

Beach Time

Surfing is my true passion, and San Diego offers surfing spots for all ages. I’m teaching my daughters to surf, so I take them to spots like Law Street in Pacific Beach or La Jolla Shores, both of which are great for beginners. I also find myself surfing at the many La Jolla reef breaks or taking a boat out to Point Loma for secluded waves.

Hitting the (Dirt) Road

Recently I’ve explored riding moto-cross in the desert and Baja, and there are extensive riding trails all over San Diego county. Borrego Springs and Plaster City have some of the most challenging trails and amazing views of mountains, oasis, canyons, and dunes. If motorcycles aren’t your thing, many of these spots have great hiking trails, too! What I love most about the desert is you can camp pretty much anywhere for free. Just bring supplies, and you can stay as long as you like!

I hope you find your slice of heaven in San Diego, where every day brings something exciting and new! Come and see all that this amazing city has to offer. See you out there!

Winter is quickly approaching here in San Diego, so it’s time to tackle easy home maintenance projects that can save you a lot of money. I check many of these items around my own home to ensure it’s ready before the weather starts getting cold and rainy here in southern California.

Inspect Your Roof

A great place to start is the roof. Grab a ladder and walk around your roof to check for potential leaks. Focus on the flashing around chimneys and vent pipes. If you find gaps, apply a product like Henry Roof Patch. Henry offers several products in 1-gallon cans or caulking tubes, making it easy to buy only what’s needed. Consult a qualified roofing professional if you notice anything worse or can’t safely access your roof.

Check Your HVAC Filter

If you have a central HVAC system (also known as forced air or AC), open and inspect the furnace or main air handling unit. It’s typically located in a hallway or hallway ceiling in a central part of the house. If the air filter is dirty to any degree, replace it. A clean filter helps your central HVAC system operate with maximum efficiency, saving money and keeping the air clean.

Inspect Your Toilets

A leaking toilet flapper will quickly drive up your water bill. Luckily, they’re easy to replace and inexpensive for landlords to fix themselves. The replace a flapper, turn off the toilet water fill valve on the wall behind the toilet. Open the upper tank and flush to empty the tank, and remove the existing flapper. Take the flapper to your local hardware store and ask a clerk to recommend a replacement. Install the replacement, turn the water back on, and flush to ensure it’s working.

Check Your Washer/Dryer

If your washer supply hoses are old, I’d strongly recommend replacing them before they become brittle and cause catastrophic water damage. Checking your dryer exhaust vent is another easy task. Pull your dryer away from the wall and detach the vent duct from the dryer and the wall. Next, take a small brush and thoroughly clean inside the duct and any other lint build up you find. This ensures your dryer will operate efficiently, prevents fires, and saves money on your energy bill.

If you’re unsure how to perform these tasks or need help, feel free to contact our team for assistance. We can help ensure your home is in tip-top shape for the harshest winter conditions here in San Diego.