How To Coexist With Wildlife in San Diego

Living in rural areas of San Diego calls for peaceful coexistence with wildlife. Coyotes, snakes, rabbits, opossum, skunks, deer, and bobcats are just a few of the many animals we share our home with. Follow these tips for a more harmonious relationship with your wild neighbors!

Home:

In order to keep your home protected from wildlife there are several things you can do to discourage wildlife from visiting:

-Use animal-proof garbage cans

-Keep trash inside until it’s time for the garbage to be collected

-Secure your compost pile

-Remove food residue from outdoor grills after cooking

-Buy locking pet doors

-Install chimney caps

-Periodically monitor your home for cracks and other openings to prevent small creatures from getting into your home

Property:

It’s nearly impossible to keep wild animals off of your property, but there are a few steps you can take to minimize their presence. Keep in mind that fruit trees, gardens, bird feeders, and bird baths naturally attract wildlife. If you want to reduce the presence of wildlife, you will need to remove these animal attractions. You can also clear or thin out shrubbery as many animals use these plants for cover. You may also want to install a higher fence.

Pets:

Many wild animals see your pet as prey. Take these steps to keep your pet safe and avoid a wild animal encounter:

-Feed your pet inside the home

-Do not allow your pet to roam free, especially at dusk.

-Keep your pet up to date with their vaccinations

-Pets should always be kept on leash when leaving the property

If you have issues with the local wildlife, please visit San Diego Wildlife or call 619-225-WILD (9543). Remember that it’s always best to let a trained professional deal with these animals rather than handling it yourself!

Recipe: Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

What You Need: 

• 2 pounds frozen corn kernels (2 x 16 oz. packages)
• 4 tablespoons butter, cubed
• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup frozen corn from above listed packages (in directions)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® salt
• 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Garlic Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon EACH McCormick® Rosemary Leaves, Thyme Leaves, Paprika, Onion Powder, Pepper
• Dash of McCormick cayenne pepper (optional)
• 4-6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
• green onions, chopped 

How To: 

1. Lightly spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Remove 1 cup corn from packages to blender and add all remaining corn to slow cooker.
2. Add all the remaining Blender Creamed Corn ingredients to your blender. Blend until completely smooth. Add to slow cooker along with butter and stir until evenly combined. Cook on HIGH for 2-4 hours or on LOW 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
3. Garnish with bacon and green onions (optional). 

Restaurant of the Moment: OB Noodle House Bar 1502

OB Noodle House Bar 1502

4993 Niagara Ave
San Diego, CA 92107
http://www.obnoodlehouse.com/

OB Noodle House Bar 1502 was voted San Diego’s Best Asian Fusion Restaurants and for good reason! It is one of two locations in Ocean Beach, but Bar 1502 has revamped the style and atmosphere. OB Noodle House is owned by the Yeng family who immigrated from Southeast Asia. Their mission for their restaurant is to provide simple and delicious foods served quickly…and they deliver!

This restaurant was featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and had Guy Fieri raving. OB Noodle House is known for their signature pho bowls and Asian-Fusion dishes. Pho is a healthy and popular beef broth, rice noodle soup and is heavily flavored. This dish is served with Thai basic leaves, bean sprouts, jalapeños, and a lime on the side. If Pho is not the meal for you, try any of the Saigon Fried Rice dishes with tofu, vegetables, chicken, pork, beef, or seafood!

The endless options and friendly service will leave you wanting to come back for more!

 

Coastal Premier Properties Welcomes Colin Robertson

Coastal Premier Properties is pleased to welcome Colin Robertson, who will be working out of our Carlsbad and San Marcos offices!

About Colin:

As your agent, the things I value most are good communication and my clients trust. Whether buying or selling your home, I want to be your agent not just during your transaction, but while you prepare for the process and long after your closing. My expertise and knowledge of the San Diego market allows me to determine the best value of your home, optimizing your investment. I will dig deep into what makes your home special to maximize my marketing plan. It’s a formula for a successful transaction.

Click here to contact Colin.

6 Reasons to Use Relobase For Your Next PCS

San Diego is home to the nation’s largest concentration of military personnel–nearly 100,000 in total. What you may not know is that more than 45,000 military personnel predictably relocate to or from San Diego every year, like clockwork. In 2015, San Diego’s military population purchased more than 35,000 VA-home loan properties totaling more than $13B sales outstanding. Unfortunately military personnel and their families are given a fragmented network of information, resources and tools to navigate the process.

Relobase is the nation’s first fully comprehensive relocation management tool assisting active duty service members and their families relocate from military installation to installation. With the mobile app, users now easily manage tasks and timelines with confidence and convenience. One of the many challenges service members and families encounter is housing and Relobase is here to assist.

Relobase was designed with you, the military service member, in mind. Here are the 6 Reasons You Should Use Relobase to Plan and Manage Your Next PCS!

One Stop Shop

Relobase not only automatically helps create and manage your PCS schedule and structure, it even embeds solutions. That means checking off a to do item is just a click away.

Task Management

Just tell Relobase where you are, where you are going, and when you need to be there. They will put together a schedule and task list for you.

Total Coverage

Relobase covers over 150 bases in the US and they are constantly adding more. Chances are, if you are PCS-ing to or from a US installation, they’ve got you covered.

Confidently Pack

Use the Relobase Inventory tool to track, record, and itemize your possessions and valuables. Your personal inventory is like a resume, it should be a living document. Relobase makes that easy!

Cut Costs and Save Money

Relobase has lots of tools and resources to make sure you aren’t wasting time and money. Not to mention, they’ve got killer deals for you too!

Force Protection

Relobase knows your data is sensitive. They enforce strict security measures to keep that data secure.

Military relocation isn’t easy. Relobase helps you manage tasks, budgets, and life.

Design Trend: Jewel Tones

Jewel tones are a hot trend for 2017! Deep reds, blues, or purples can be used to enhance a living space. Go small with couch pillows or go big with furniture. These colors will lend your home an air of sophistication!

All images via our Pinterest

People of CPP: Meet Susan Meyers-Pyke

In our new blog series, we’re taking you behind the scenes to meet the amazing agents and staff of Coastal Premier Properties. We hope you’ll follow along as you get to know more about the faces of our great company!

This week we’re talking with Susan Meyers-Pyke, owner of Coastal Premier Properties and Realtor. Susan is a long-time San Diego Realtor and she and Amy Green worked together as partners before founding Coastal Premier Properties. Since then, their focus has been on creating the best possible brokerage for clients and agents!

Coastal Premier Properties: When initially getting into real estate, was it always a goal to start your own company?

Susan Meyers-Pyke: I got into real estate when I was 22 years old and at that time I had no idea Amy and I would own our own company. It definitely was a process over the years!

CPP: What or who has been your greatest inspiration in your professional career?

SMP: The people that have made the most difference in my career are my partner, Amy Green, as well as a couple of office managers over the years. We have also always had a real estate coach and each coach I have had has provided not only ideas on how to get where we wanted to go, but also kept me going in the right direction.

CPP: What has been your most satisfying moment in business?

SMP: There are many moments that have touched me. I think that is because I have been able to work with so many people. I helped a family move years ago that were frustrated because they were not able to sell their home with another agent. They wanted to downsize so that the husband could afford to take his wife to see where he was born in Europe. I remember when I got a postcard from them thanking me for helping to make that happen. It put tears in my eyes because I knew how important this was for them.

CPP: How would you define success in both your professional and personal life?

SMP: Knowing that I have made a positive difference with those around me.

CPP: What is your next big goal?

SMP: Still thinking about that one.

CPP: Looking back on your career, is there anything you would have done differently?

SMP: Anticipated and planned for that first down turn market that I didn’t think would ever come. That’s it.

CPP: What morals do you stick to in your personal and professional career?

SMP: Honesty.  Keep it simple. Take one step at a time. Plan the work and work your plan. Learn from your failures.

CPP: How has the real estate community changed since you first began?

SMP: Email, fax machines, cell phones, voicemail, social media…lots of changes to technology!

CPP: How did you build a successful customer base?

SMP: Staying in touch and doing a good job for each customer.

CPP: What are your favorite hobbies?

SMP: Run on the beach, skiing, tennis, reading, and hiking.

CPP: What makes you the happiest?

SMP: Spending quality time with family & friends. 

CPP: What is your favorite thing about working with Amy?

SMP: Amy is patient, a great partner, and a great friend too!

For more about Amy and Susan, click here.

For our next post in the People of CPP series, we’ll be speaking with Tom Tucker, Broker of Record at Coastal Premier Properties!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recipe: Warm Quinoa, Sweet Potato And Kale Salad

What You Need:

• 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium/large sweet potato, peeled, chopped
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 3 packed cups kale, stems removed, chopped
• 3 cups cooked quinoa or 1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 cup fresh pomegranate arils
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (from about 1-2 oranges)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• freshly cracked pepper
• sea salt

How to: 

1. If you don’t have cooked quinoa, start with that. Place quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly with cool water for at least 2 minutes. Drain. Rinsing quinoa before cooking will remove its natural bitter or soapy taste. Transfer to a saucepan, cover with stock, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes on the lowest setting. Turn off the heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside. (This will make a little bit more cooked quinoa than what you will need for the salad).
2. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add sweet potatoes and paprika. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Stir to cover the sweet potatoes with the spice. Cook on medium heat until brown on the outside and soft on the inside, about 10 minutes. When they are almost ready, stir in maple syrup and finish cooking.
3. Add kale and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.
4. Add 3 cups of cooked quinoa, stir and cook until warm.
5. Turn off the heat and add onion and pomegranate.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice and olive oil. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Drizzle over warm salad, toss and serve immediately.

Restaurant of The Moment: Fish 101

1648 N. Coast Highway 101

Encinitas, CA 92024

http://fish101restaurant.com/

Located on the 101 in Leucadia, Fish 101 is the hot spot for seafood-addicts. The communal style layout is the perfect place to get together with friends, or meet new people, while treating yourself to local fresh caught fish and craft beers.

They stay committed to sourcing the freshest sustainable, local, and seasonal ingredients to provide healthy seafood to nourish the body. The menu changes seasonally depending on what’s in season, and what’s biting, so each day there is a local fish of the day.

Our favorite menu item is the Baja Fish Tacos that consists of cabbage, pico de gallo, and crema and is served with  avocado and tomatillo on the side. The clam chowder is also a favorite, and is great for these chilly winter days!

Coastal Premier Properties Welcomes Sue Linnett

Coastal Premier Properties is happy to welcome Sue Linnett, who is joining The Cook Team!

About Sue:

Sue Linnett graduated with honors from SDSU with a Bachelor of Science in Business with an emphasis in Management. Before joining Amy Cook’s team as a Buyer’s Assistant, Sue worked in the San Diego area in finance for General Dynamic Convair and also Washington Mutal. Sue raised her family in the San Diego area and her local knowledge is an invaluable asset to her position as a Buyer’s Assistant. She has been very active in her community over the years, volunteering with the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, PTA, and church youth programs.

Click here to contact Sue.