When I was a kid, I was lucky enough to see some great sporting events.  The 1984 Olympics and the 1989 NCAA Men’s Basketaball Tournament are two of the most memorable events.  I still tell people about the Opening Ceremonies and Bo Kimble shooting left-handed free throws in honor of Hank Gathers.  There’s just something great about going to a live sporting event.

Last night, I attended the University of San Diego vs. San Diego State Basketball game, and despite a valant effort, The Toreros were defeated by the Aztecs 74-62.  Because of the late start and his typical four-year old attention span, I didn’t bring my son.  However,  I’m looking forward to the day when we can go together.  Maybe someday he’ll see a Torero victory!

I know it’s not the Super Bowl or the World Series, but I’m sure anyone could have fun taking their kids to a game at USD.  The Jenny Craig Pavilion holds about six-thousand and I doubt their will be two-thousand in the Slim Gym on Saturday.  You’ll have a great view of the game,  and the Athletic Department does their best to keep you entertained.

Take the kids to a game!!  I’m giving away four tickets to this Saturday’s University of San Diego Men’s Basketball Game vs. The Maine Black Bears.  The game starts at 7 p.m.

To enter: Leave a comment telling me about your favorite sports memory as a kid

After the initial entry, you qualify for these bonus entries. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each bonus entry:
1. Like San Diego Real Estate Dad on Facebook (or use thumbs up in sidebar)
2. Tweet about this giveaway. You can use the  Tweet button at the bottom of the post or cut and paste this – “@SDRealEstateDad is giving away Four Tickets to the University of San Diego Basketball Game this Saturday”

Don’t forget to leave a separate comment for each bonus entry. Comments will be closed at 8pm PST on Friday, December 9. The winner is chosen by Random.org so the more entries you have, the higher your chances of winning are.  Tickets will be available at Will Call for the winner!

Why not go shopping with a $100 gift card courtesy of SanDiegoBargainMama.com and Sears – Click HERE to Enter

Fannie Mae HomePath® Buyer Incentive

1811 Knights Ferry Drive is located in the Otay Ranch neighborhood of Chula Vista.  Conveniently located between the 805 and the 125 off of Otay Ranch Road, this property is a four Bedroom/three Bath home with over 2800 square feet of living space.

The home sits on a large corner lot directly across the street from one of the many community parks and walking trails in Otay Ranch.  It features 18″ tile floors, plush carpets, crown molding, a tech center, large master suite with soaking tub, walk in closet and direct access to patio.  The kitchen is finished in cherry stained cabinets, slab granite counters, stainless appliances, large center island with cooktop and a walk-in pantry.

I’ve seen well over one hundred homes in this neighborhood in the past few years, and this one stands out.  It is a short sale, but because it’s listed with one of the most professional short sale teams in San Diego, I’m confident that a buyer would be successful in their transaction.  For more information about the property CLICK HERE

Before summer started, my wife and I decided that we wanted to give our son a head start on swimming this year.  After reviewing our options, including the YMCA, swim schools, and private lessons, we decided to put our trust in Swim2John.  Run by John Ruffo, Swim2John has taught more than 2900 kids to swim using a time-tested philosophy and a disciplined approach to success.

Here’s our story!

Day 1

Aaron is excited to swim at 7:30 a.m., so he’s happy to put on his swimsuit under a pair of sweats and jumps right into the car.  When we get to the house where the classes take place, we walk through the gate and he grabs a lounge chair to check out the action.  John is in the water with a little girl about the same age as Aaron and she’s at a level 8  meltdown.  John continues the lesson and she survives, meanwhile, Aaron still seems anxious to get in the water despite the little girls screaming.   She finishes, her mom wraps her up and it’s Aaron’s turn.  He gladly kicks off his Crocs (don’t get me started!) and lets me hand him over to John.

John explains that Aaron needs to follow his instructions and when he holds him on one shoulder, that is the time to rest.  What seems like an eternity later,  Aaron survives his first lesson.  Sure, there was some crying, yelling, and Aaron expressing in fifteen different ways that he was not happy with the situation.  John has me pick Aaron up only after he has climbed out of the water on his own and says – “He did great. See you tomorrow!”  I wrap Aaron up in two towels and got the heck out of Dodge.  Truth be told it was painful to watch, but nothing like what happened on Day 2!

Day 2

The problem with Day 2 is that it’s Day 2 – Aaron knows what he’s in for, and doesn’t want any part of it.   I get his suit on and he vehemently tells me – “I hope we aren’t going to that same pool we went to yesterday!  I don’t like that!”  – I just ignore him, toss him in the car, and off we went.  Upon arrival he hops out of the car makes it all the way down the driveway before his fight or flight reflex kicks in, and he attempts to make a run for it.  A fireman’s carry later, I hand him off to John and pray that John doesn’t lose a tooth from Aaron’s wicked right cross.  John tells Aaron that there is no crying, no yelling, and he can rest after he follows instructions.  Despite the tears and smoke shooting out of Aaron’s ears, he listened to what John was saying and started to look like a swimmer.  John finally lets him go and he makes a b-line for the gate, yelling at me the whole time.  Thankfully, I had pre-negotiated a reward trip for Aaron when he was done, so we get dressed and head to Midway to the drive-thru car wash.  Who knew that watching soap and rainbow wax could be so exciting and distracting?

Day 3

Today started off with the same “I don’t want to be here” attitude and included Aaron’s “famous” neck monkey move, which is surprisingly effective given his size! -  I handed him off and sat down to watch the action.  What I saw was really indescribable, so I took some video so you could see the magic for yourself.  We went from SCREAMING – “DADDY” to “I’m a better swimmer than you Daddy” in less than 5 minutes.

LESS THAN 5 MINUTES LATER!!

Days 4-10

1 Museums and Aquariums

San Diego has a number of kid-friendly museums.  From Balboa Park’s Ruben H. Fleet Science Center to The San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum, there is something fun for everyone in the county.    My favorite museums are the Fleet, The New Children’s Museum, and the

Birch Aquarium at Scripps.  Tourist may enjoy these places for a day or two, but locals have the opportunity to purchase low cost memberships and enjoy these places all year long.  You’ll thank me when a heatwave hits and you use your membership to enjoy a few hours in the air-conditioned comfort of a great museum.

DAD NOTES:  The Fleet just installed great new exhibits and we have already been twice since the grand opening last Thursday!  Birch has indoor/outdoor areas to explore and a spectacular view of the La Jolla coastline.  Have breakfast downtown (Cafe 222 or Richard Walker’s Pancake House) and be first in line when the Children’s Museum opens!

2) Beaches

With the right amount of planning and the right location, a trip to one of San Diego’s beaches can be a great way to stay cool and keep the kids busy.   My choices for the  best kid-friendly beaches have a couple of key ingredients:  Grassy Areas, Playgrounds, Easy parking and Clean Restrooms.    My top choices for the kids are:

La Jolla Shores

La Jolla Shores is my favorite family-friendly beach in San Diego.  Surfing, Bodyboarding, Sand Castle Building, a great picnic area, fire pits, and a quality lifeguarding crew make this place perfect for your family fun.  Parking is at a bit of a premium, but arrive early or late in the day and you shouldn’t have too much of a problem.  The beach is just the right width allowing for easy access to the waterline.  The last thing you want is to have to carry your gear 200 yards to get close to the water! (More importantly, when leaving you won’t have to carry your kid that far!)  There are showers/bathrooms at both ends of the main beach and they are adding additional facilities and parking.

DAD NOTES: – Check out the playground area which features a cool educational mosaic lifeguard themed play-structures and clean changing rooms!  If you can find it, the best beach investment I’ve made since becoming a dad is the SKLZ Sportbrella.  I got mine at Costco! It’s like half a tent and is perfect for keeping you cool while you watch the kids build the world’s greatest sand castle!

Moonlight State Beach – Encinitas

Moonlight State Beach comes packed with amenities, including volleyball courts, a children’s playground, a grassy park with picnic tables, a snack bar, several fire pits, and a permanent, year-round, life guard station.  There is a large parking area at the top of the hill leading to the beach, but it can be tricky on busy days.

DAD NOTES: If the kids have had enough of the beach, you can always hit Downtown Encinitas just few blocks away and browse the art galleries or enjoy a great meal with a view.

Coronado Beach

Currently ranked by the Dr. Beach as the 2nd best beach in America, Coronado Beach is the quintessential San Diego Beach experience.  Stretching from the Hotel Del Coronado to Dog Beach near the Naval Air Station, Coronado Beach is a wonderful beach for the kids.  A picnic area with barbecue at north end in Sunset Park makes  this a great place to enjoy an early evening picnic with the family.

DAD NOTES: If you are looking to have Fido join in the family fun, there is a dog run at north end of Coronado Beach.

3. Pools and Water Parks

If you are lucky enough to have a pool in the backyard, you are all set.  If not, there are tons of community pools and water parks to keep the kids cool.  Despite budget cuts, the City of San Diego still maintains some of the best public pools in the county.  The City of San Diego’s Carmel Valley Pool and Tierrasanta Pool both feature special play areas for the kids and shady zones for the parents.

DAD NOTES: Did you know that you can have a birthday party at these pools! – Contact the pool staff for additional information.

If you are in the East County, don’t miss out on the Santee Sprayground at Santee Lakes.    Located near the park entrance on the North side of Lake One, the Sprayground is placed next to beautiful lake-side picnic areas and a well maintained restroom facility.

Santee’s Cameron Family YMCA operates the City of Santee Aquatics Center and provides aquatic and recreation programs to both YMCA members and the general public. You do not have to be a member to participate.  The facility offers a 25 meter by 25 yard training pool, an activity pool with a play structure, water slide, water exercise area, and locker rooms.

4. Indoor Playplaces and Gyms

When I was a kid, there was only one place in this category – Chuck E. Cheese.  Since I’ve made a personal decision to avoid EVER going there, I’ve found a ton of other great options! –  KidVentures, PlayWerx,  Kidsville Playtown,  My Kids Clubhouse, Pump It Up and many more.

If you are looking for a place to let your kids imagination run wild along with their bodies, my favorite choice in this category is KidVentures.   At two locations, Pacific Beach and Eastlake, kids are provided with endless opportunities to expand their imagination and creativity through various kids programs while dads (and moms)  enjoy a cool beverage and tasty treats.

DAD NOTES: Bring your Laptop if you need to get some work done – Free Wifi

If the kids need a little more physical activity, you can’t go wrong with Pump It Up.  While they primarily cater to birthday parties, they also have “Pop-In Playtime” which allows your 2-6 year old the opportunity to enjoy all of the inflatable fun! Be sure to check their website for times and locations.

Where do you go when it get’s hot?  Leave me a comment below and tell me what your favorite places are when the heat index reaches 100!

Exhibits

There is a lot to see and do for the preschool set at SeaWorld. Shows are the big draw, but the interactive exhibits are the ones that my son enjoys the most. There’s not much better than watching his face light up when he touches a stingray or hearing him squeel with delight when he gets to feed the seals or sea lions.

Yesterday we checked out the new Turtle Reef exhibit. It’s similar to the sharks or the penguins, in that it is a one-way exhibit with lots of opportunities to look at the main attraction. What this means to you is – get there when the crowds are small. Take advantage of the lunch hour or anytime while the big shows are in session. My son decided that the entire exhibit looked like the school scene from Finding Nemo. He pointed out the different characters but was a little confused as to why the teacher wasn’t at school (There are no stingrays in the Turtle Reef Exhibit)! There is also a new ride associated with Turtle Reef, but he took one look at the speed and spinning and said “No Way, Dad!”

Bay of Play

One of the most important parts of any preschoolers visit at Sea World is the Sesame Street Bay of Play. Centrally located, the Bay of Play features kid-friendly rides, a giant cargo-net playhouse and a mini-splash zone. A few tips:

1. The park opens at 10 a.m. but the Bay doesn’t open until 11 a.m. Take advantage of this and hit a show or a few exhibits before it opens.
2. The cargo net can be a little intimidating for the smaller kids. Be prepared to climb with them and give them a little boost at the top!
3. If your kids like the water zone, you will want to bring a change of clothes. Don’t bother trying to change them in and out of bathing suits, just let them rock and roll and have a fresh set of clothes at the end.
4. Like any other amusement park, there are height requirements. If there is any question about your kid reaching a certain height (40″ 42″ 48″), make sure they are wearing the biggest shoes possible. There’s nothing worse than thinking that your kid is tall enough, only to have the ride supervisors deny them entry!

Shows

There is a new Shamu show called One Ocean. We haven’t seen it yet, but we are hoping it’s a lot more entertaining then the old show. My son was about three when we first saw the Shamu show, and according to him “It’s boring, Can we go see the dolphins?!”

My son’s favorite show is Blue Horizons, which features Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins, Pilot Whales, and a team of divers and aerialist similar to what you might see at Cirque du Soleil. He’s seen the show at least a dozen times and wants to go back every time we go to the park.  If you sit in the “Soak Zone”, you will get wet! – Be Prepared. If you see us there, don’t bother coming over to say hello. He doesn’t want to be interrupted, there’s a lot to concentrate on when you’re three!

Food and Beverage

The official SeaWorld policy is that you are not allowed to bring food into the park. Officially, I follow the rules, but unofficially, I’ve been known to bring a couple of emergency supplies. You never know when you might be stuck in a line with a cranky, hungry kid who just needs a fruit leather or a juice box to tide him over. We rarely purchase food, with the exception of the occasional pretzel or bucket of popcorn, but my refillable 99¢ drink cup definitely gets a workout.

Deals

If you are a local, there’s no better deal on SeaWorld admission than purchasing your Silver Pass from Costco.  The silver pass includes parking, saving you $16 every time you visit.  If your kids are older than two, they will need their own admission pass.  If you are purchasing your passes for the first time, here’s a tip:  Buy a Silver Pass for the kid, and a Fun Card for the adults.  This money-saving tip only makes sense if you are always planning on bringing the kids, and aren’t planning on coming for any of the member-only special events.  Be aware, there are also some Fun Card black-out dates.  See here for more information

Summertime Fun

Even if your kids don’t need it, having a stroller at SeaWorld isn’t a bad idea. It helps when we want to get from one side of the park to the other.  My shoulders can only handle so much! You can use a stroller to store extra sets of clothes, a towel or maybe a lightweight jacket for the evenings.

SeaWorld has fireworks almost everyday during the summer.  Usually, the fireworks are at 9:50 p.m. which is well past my little guy’s bedtime.  Occasionally, the show is moved to 8:50 p.m. The 2011 Fourth of July show will be at 9:30 p.m.   We can see them from the backyard, so you won’t catch me fighting the crowds.

Despite the tourists, and the kids out of school for summer, San Diego Dads can have a great time with their families at Sea World. It just takes a little planning, a little patience, and a whole lot of sunscreen.

Let me know if you have any additional tips to share about SeaWorld San Diego!

According to the San Diego Roots project, “Most community gardens are grass-roots efforts created by neighborhoods or individuals who feel that their community is enhanced when neighbors come together to grow food. Other gardens are facilitated by the cities and towns in which they reside. Regardless, every community garden is a labor of love that bring folks together to create beauty and delicious food.”

Another great resource for learning more about community gardening in San Diego is the San Diego Master Gardener Association They have a database of community gardens in San Diego County and give you great information about how to start your own community garden.  You can download their Guide HERE.

Recently, San Diego City Council Member, Todd Gloria worked to pass a city ordinance which “By permitting community gardens by right in commercial and residential zones throughout the City, will eliminate some of the largest barriers to establishing community gardens in San Diego.  If you are interested in learning more about how the ordinance effects your community, contact his office at 619-235-5268

The Juniper-Front Community Garden is perched on a hill on Front Street between Ivy and Juniper Street, and was established in 1981. The quarter block is divided into approximately sixty 10-by-12 foot plots. The Port Authority owns the land and rents the garden plots for about $100 per year. Juniper-Front Community Garden’s waiting list is long, often with prospective gardeners waiting a full year before an opening.  Below, I’ve posted a video from Matt Browne of SDBloggers who gives you a great idea of what it’s like to have a plot in a community garden.

If you are near Bankers Hill on Saturday afternoon, stop by and see me at 2220 Front Street and take a stroll past the Juniper-Front Community Garden.

Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages to owning both types of property, but the right move can increase your cash flow, reduce your risk, and create a long-term investment providing income far into the future.  When prices were high it was difficult for investors to make the move from single family homes to multi-unit properties.  With prices down and still on the decline, 2011-2012 may be the sweet spot for those of you that want to move up.

Take a look at the chart below – It shows the current trend in asking prices for San Diego multifamily properties.

Multifamily Property Asking Price Index Trends

Current San Diego market trends data indicates an increase of +2.1% in the median asking price per unit for Multifamily properties compared to the prior 3 months, with a decrease of -9.1% compared to last year’s prices. County-wide, asking prices for Multifamily properties are -0.2% lower at $135,020 per unit compared to the current median price of $140,674 per unit for Multifamily properties in San Diego, CA.

The combination of historically low interest rates, lower property values, and an increase in San Diego rents are all part of the reason that we are seeing more interest in the multi-unit buildings.    If you have questions about the multi-family market in San Diego, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or drop me an email.  I’ll put you together with a team of brokers and lenders who can make this investment strategy a reality.