Search Results for: seniors real estate

Over 55 Homes in San Diego North County

There are many communities in San Diego North County for seniors, the over 55 (55+).  Oceana  homes,  Emerald Lake Village,  Pilgrim Creek Peacock Hills, and Villa Trieste homes are great examples.  Other Oceanside over 55 homes are Pacifica, Costa Serena,  and Rancho Hermosa.   In Carlsbad there are Rancho Carlsbad homes and Camino Hills.    Encinitas has High Country Villas Homes.  San Marcos has many great areas for seniors, especially Lake San Marcos which offers mostly single level homes and tends to be a favorite with the over 55 senior crowd.  Oaks North homes and Seven Oaks homes are both in Rancho Bernardo.

Oceana Homes

Designed for the “over 55” there are many different plans of San Diego senior housing in the Oceana real estate area.  Most homes are 2 bedrooms.     Oceana homes are made up of four communities: Oceana Mission, Oceana East, Oceana South, and the original Oceana homes.  Oceana Oceanside, like Ocean Hills, enjoys great weather and cooling Pacific coastal breezes. 

Oceana 55+ homeowner’s fees include outside common area maintenance of greenbelts, trash, sewer, insurance, and water in some areas.  If you want an over 55 retirement community where someone else does the yard work, Oceana Oceanside homes may be for you. For more information see Oceana Homes . 

High Country Villas

If Ocean Hills Country Club homes are a little expensive for you, you might love  High Country Villas in Encinitas CA.  High Country Villa include 2 and 3 bedroom homes, mostly single story.  High Country Villas is built on a hill with a nine hole golf course, sparkling pool, and clubhouse. 

Lake San Marcos

Although Lake San Marcos is not designated as a strictly over 55 retirement community, it is a fantastic place to retire and has a lot to offer for the price.  Many Lake San Marcos homes are located on one of the two golf courses or on Lake San Marcos itself.  Many Lake San Marcos homes have lake views, mountain views, or even ocean views.  The majority of the residents of Lake San Marcos are older and most of the homes in Lake San Marcos are single story homes. 

Rancho Carlsbad

Rancho Carlsbad offers a gated community with an active life style.  Rancho Carlsbad homes retirement community is unique in that it is a manufactured homes community where you own the land.   Rancho Carlsbad homes range from over 1300 esf to about 2000 esf.    This is near midway between the retirement communities of Oceana Homes and nearby Ocean Hills Country Club.   

Rancho Carlsbad homes are next to the beautiful Rancho Carlsbad Golf Club.  The excellent location in the North County gives Ranch Carlsbad some of the worlds most idea weather.  For active seniors that like the ocean, the beaches of Carlsbad are only a short seven minute drive.

Oaks North

The Rancho Bernardo real estate community is a hilly planned community about 20 miles north-north-east of downtown San Diego, immediately north of Carmel Mountain Ranch, northwest of the city of Poway and south of Escondido. Popularly known as RB, Rancho Bernardo consists of canyons, rolling hills and a sprawling community of largely affluent tract homes, shopping malls, golf courses and office parks.  Rancho Bernardo has two large and well established San Diego over 55 Senior communities.  These are the Over 55 community of Oaks North homes and the 55+ community of Seven Oaks homes. Oaks North has the popular Oaks North Golf Course and the large Oaks North Community Center.  See Oaks North Homes for more info.

Seven Oaks

Gary Harmon started his North County Realtor career at Prudential California Realty Rancho Bernardo and is very familiar with listing and selling both Oaks North and Seven Oaks.  Both of the San Diego adult communities offer diverse housing choice including condominiums, patio homes, , single family detached homes, etc.  Seven Oaks homes, like Oaks North homes, offers a large recreational facility designed for active 55+ homeowners.  Facilities include a pool & spa, tennis courts, and rooms for activities.  Seven Oaks, designed as a walking, over 55 community, is near the club and a large neighborhood shopping center.  

Ocean Hills Home Tour Rules

Buying a home in Ocean Hills is one of the largest financial transactions most seniors will ever undertake. Buyer’s agents, like Gary Harmon, who are REALTORS® are a trusted source of advice and stand ready to help you navigate your homebuying journey and make the choices that work best for you. NAR’s recent settlement has led to several changes that benefit Ocean Hills homebuyers, and we wanted to clearly lay them out for you.

Here is what the settlement means for homebuyers everywhere in the United States:

  • You will sign a written agreement with your agent before touring a home. (NO WRITTEN AGREEMENT, NO TOUR.) Since August 17, 2024, an agent cannot show you a home without a Buyer Representation and Broker Compensation Agreement.
  • Before signing this agreement, you should ensure it reflects the terms you have negotiated with your agent and that you understand exactly what services and value will be provided, and for how much.
  • The buyer representation agreement must include four components concerning compensation:
  1. A specific and conspicuous disclosure of the amount or rate of compensation the real estate agent will receive or how this amount will be determined.
  2. Compensation that is objective (e.g., $0, X flat fee, X percent, X hourly rate)—and not open-ended (e.g., cannot be “buyer broker compensation shall be whatever the amount the seller is offering to the buyer”).
  3. A term that prohibits the agent from receiving compensation for brokerage services from any source that exceeds the amount or rate agreed to in the agreement with the buyer; and,
  4. A conspicuous statement that broker fees and commissions are fully negotiable and not set by law.
  • Written agreements apply to both in-person and live virtual Ocean Hills home tours.
  • You do not need a written agreement if you are just speaking to an agent at an open house or asking them about their services.
  • You may ask the seller, when you write your purchase offer, to pay for your buyer broker’s commission. This practice is permitted but the offer cannot be shared on a Multiple Listing Service (MLS)— MLSs are local marketplaces used by both buyer brokers and listing brokers to share information about properties for sale.
  • You can still accept concessions from the seller, such as offers to pay your closing costs.

These practice changes went into effect August 17 and changes the way real estate is done everywhere in the US.

Please contact Gary to discuss these changes and to arrange your tour of Ocean Hills homes.

5 Star Agent Review

Dear Gary,
Thank you so very much for being our Realtor.  We are very grateful for you and your extensive knowledge of Ocean Hills Country Club.  We appreciate how honest you were with every open house.  All your pros and cons of the properties were so very helpful.  
Because of your expertise we were able to purchase a great property, thankful again for your knowledge.  We know it was a difficult market and we are very grateful for your help.  You are a fantastic Realtor and we will always refer you to anyone who is looking for a Realtor.
Thank you for everything.
Barbara and Quincy

Gary constantly strives to help seniors find the best home in Ocean Hills Country Club that meets their retirement needs. This type of service is what constantly earns Gary the Five Star Real Estate Agent Award, year after year.

Five Star Award
Five Star Winner since 2014

Retirement Home Ownership in Ocean Hills

Owning an Ocean Hills home that meets your retirement needs is an important consideration in securing your lifestyle and security during your golden years. Developing a sustainable plan that covers your living expenses, including mortgage payments, with income is a critical part or your retirement planning. There are financial options available to you that will support your lifestyle with adequate income, while preserving your home’s equity and your savings. Most seniors want to remain in their Ocean Hills home for safety, security and stability indefinitely or as long as possible. But some people live longer and assisted living options may become necessary. Developing a financial plan that protects one’s home equity and savings provides greater flexibility to address future contingencies.

Tennis Courts - Photo by Gary Harmon

Tennis Courts – Photo by Gary Harmon

That is why I work with helpful lenders like Craig Laursen.  Craig is a knowledgeable and experienced mortgage loan professional committed to helping clients make wise decisions affecting their pre- and post-retirement years.  He works with estate planners, financial advisors,counselors and other real estate professionals to support you. He am familiar with and offer borrowers a variety of mortgage loan products and programs that can help you to minimize your housing expenses while protecting your home’s equity.

My goal is to be part of your retirement planning team to help you execute your retirement plans that involve home ownership and mortgage decisions.  Craig Laursen and I am here to help.  Craig works for W.J. Bradley Mortgage Capital, LLC.  For real estate information in Ocean Hills Country Club including listings of Ocean Hills homes, contact Gary Harmon.

About Gary

Five Star Award

Five Star Winner since 2014

Since 1989 Gary Harmon has built a phenomenally successful North County and Ocean Hills homes real estate business through building relationships.  This attitude of always putting customers first has made Gary Harmon a top Ocean Hills homes Realtor that people trust.

Gary understands that people in todays world require immediate and responsive communication.  Fill out the “Contact Form” and you will get an immediate response. As a relocation specialist, Gary has been trained and certified in Marketing Assistance and Destination Services. He uses his knowledge of North County Homes for Over 55 clients to provide valuable services for all San Diego County seniors. In addition, if you are buying or selling real estate somewhere else in the world, Gary can refer you to a top, experienced, relocation, real estate professional.

Background in Leadership

Gary´s widely diverse background in leadership, business and finance serves his Ocean Hills homes clients well. Prior to his career in real estate, Gary was president and was in charge of real estate for Wet Seal Stores, a major junior clothing retailer. “Gary´s training and experience in real estate negotiations with major shopping center developers comes in very handy helping him realize the best possible price for his north county residential real estate clients.” says Diane Hogencamp, branch manager at Real Living Lifestyles Real Estate in Carlsbad. In addition he was a Certified Public Account at Ernst & Young´s San Diego office. He received his Master´s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma in 1971. Gary also served as Lieutenant in the United States Navy from 1968-1971. Make Gary Harmon your Ocean Hills homes Realtor.

A Personal Insight

When Gary Harmon is not working he loves to spend time with his 5 grandchildren who also live in San Diego North County. Gary also likes to travel to tropical places and take underwater photos of tropical fish. When at home, Gary enjoys tropical saltwater fish in his large home aquarium. Gary Harmon likes to share his underwater experiences and photos and writes articles on Shore Diving and Saltwater Aquarium for the Internet.

Awards, Honors, and Membership

Gary Harmon has continually distinguished himself with awards and honors throughout his 28 successful years of selling Ocean Hills homes and other North county homes. Dedicated to professionalism in the industry, Gary is a member of the San Diego Association of REALTORS, the California Association of REALTORS, and the National Association of REALTORS. Get over 30 years of San Diego real estate experience, let Gary help you find your next Ocean Hills home. Contact Gary Harmon, one of the top Ocean Hills Country Club Realtors. Contact Gary Harmon, today. All original content by Gary Harmon.