Just seven miles from Downtown San Diego, Ocean Beach is a quaint neighborhood, bordered by the San Diego River to the north, the Pacific Ocean on the west, and local streets on the east and south. Interpretations of neighborhood lines tend to vary from resident to resident. Flourishing business and development over the years has led to the laid-back, tight-knit community of Ocean Beach today.

Neighborhood Facts

•    Ocean Beach was founded in 1887 by Billy Carlson and Frank Higgins; however, in 1890, the real estate bust led to a halt in development.
•    David Collier, a resident, helped to promote and popularize the neighborhood, eventually bringing in electricity, paved streets, and a street car line by 1913.
•    Today, Ocean Beach takes up 742 acres of land.
•    The 2000 census showed OB to have nearly 14,000 residents.
•    The media housing value is estimated to be around $270,000, with a median household income of around $37,000.
•    OB is home to three schools: Ocean Beach Elementary School, Sacred Heart Academy, and Warren Walker.

Home Remodeling and Design

The homes in Ocean Beach have the typical architecture and design of a beach community. Homes in the area have generally not been updated but retain a vintage charm that matches perfectly with the laidback, hometown atmosphere. Because of the age of the homes and their exposure to salty air, residents opt for home remodels in order to reinforce durability of housing structures. To modernize and increase resale value of homes, kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels, and room additions are popular projects. As you travel south on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, you can admire a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean to the right, and the beautifully constructed, high-end design of the ocean-front homes to the left.

When asked about the community, most people’s first reactions are, “Where is Bay Park?” Although it’s mostly known for cool breezes and proximity to Downtown San Diego, Bay Park is still a growing community. Bay Park is a relatively new neighborhood in the northern area of San Diego. Built on hilly terrain, Bay Park is bordered on the North by Bay Ho, on the East by Claremont and Linda Vista, Mission Bay and Pacific Beach to the West, and Morena to the South.

Neighborhood Facts

•    Bay Park sits atop hills that overlook Mission Bay, which was first named “False Bay” by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542.
•    Median listing price for Bay Park homes is about $510,000, with
•    Median selling prices around $420,000.
•    The average household income is around $45,000 per year.
•    Bay Park schools include Toler Elementary School, School of the Madeleine, and Holmes Elementary School.

Home and Design

The home architecture in Bay Park is typical of most homes in the San Diego area. Some homes adopt a classic California Spanish style. Other homes incorporate aspects of the beachside cottage, allowing for exposure to beautiful sunsets and cool ocean breezes. Newer homes in Bay Park take into account coastal proximity and design trends of the day, with some touches that call back to the area’s Spanish roots. Because Bay Park is a developing neighborhood, potential residents can seek home contractors to bring their personalized home design to life, or update an existing home with a kitchen or bathroom remodel.

Full Color Rendering

With Design/Build through a experienced home remodeler, the entire process is streamlined, and a plan will be developed that fits your budget.  Architectural design, structural engineering, permit processing, high quality construction, and an in house project manager, all under one roof, ensures great value, timely completion, and a successful, stress free home improvement.

State of the art computerized design system, fully detailed color renderings, and 3D walk throughs are what you should expect in a San Diego Design/Build Remodeling contractor, so you can see what your remodel will look like up front and avoid surprises.

Many San Diego Design/Build Remodeling  companies say they are design/build and outsource the drafting, losing control of design quality and costs.  You must insist on in an house design/ build team who delivers full service to you.

Make sure a comprehensive “Scope of Work” document is part of the design package too.  That way you can be certain everything is included.  You will want to go shopping to make sure the caliber of fixtures, appliances and finishes are covered.

Do not be enticed by companies who substantially undercut other bidders.  Later on, you will find out there are hidden costs, and items like cabinets, granite, finish work etc. are low quality and you are in store for major cost overruns.

A qualified San Diego Design/Build Remodeling firm will assist you in creating a shopping list and line you up with preferred vendors to save you money.  They will also help by value engineering to help you meet your desired remodeling investment.

It today’s economy, Design/Build is the most effective method to improve your home delivering more value to you..  With Design/Build you and the contractor have control of the design and construction details. What that means is you won’t end up with a plan that is cost prohibitive and you will get more for you money.

Rancho Bernardo is a master-planned community located in the northern hills of San Diego County, about 25 miles north of downtown San Diego. The community is north of Carmel Mountain Ranch, south of Escondido, and northwest of Poway.

The land consists mainly of canyons and hills and features the typical shopping malls, golf courses, and office buildings you might expect. Still, this small community possesses a rich history and culture.

A Brief History of Rancho Bernardo

The area of Rancho Bernardo was originally called La Canada de San Bernardo, which translates to “the Gorge of Saint Bernard.” Saint Bernard of Clairvaux was a theologian of the Middle Ages and leader of the Second Crusade.

Beautiful valleys and the land’s fertile soil brought many people from all walks of life, including Spanish conquistadores, explorers, traders, mission padres, and ranchers, among others. The area was perfect for ranchers with its temperate climate that lasted all year long. Rancho Bernardo soon became well-known for exports like cowhides and animal fat.

The land that would be Rancho Bernardo was granted by Mexico to Captain Joseph Snook between 1842 and 1845. The land, which measured 17,763 acres, was the beginning of present day Rancho Bernardo. Unsurprisingly, the land was used as a cattle ranch.

The area changed hands frequently over the years, dividing into smaller and smaller lots. The land was finally purchased by John and Laurence Daley, who partnered with W.R. Hawn and Harry L. Summers in 1961, forming a corporation called Rancho Bernardo, Inc.

Summers, a well-known developer, made plans for the community featuring wide streets, exclusive neighborhoods, and plenty of entertainment. Rancho Bernardo, Inc. was eventually acquired by AVCO Community Developers, which planned for a community that included residential housing developments, educational institutions, shopping areas, cultural and entertainment centers, clubs, open spaces, and golf courses.

Rancho Bernardo Today

Today, Rancho Bernardo has an average population of over 40,000 residents and is home to several well-known businesses, including Hewlett-Packard, the Eastman Kodak Company, and BAE Systems. The community is also home to the corporate headquarters of Sony US.

Furthermore, the oldest operating winery in Southern California, the Bernardo Winery, is located in Rancho Bernardo. The winery was established in 1889 and has been family owned and operated since 1927.

Schools and Education

Rancho Bernardo is part of the Poway Unified School District. Many schools in the district consistently achieve national top rankings, and three schools (Rancho Bernardo High School, Poway High School, and Mount Carmel High School) have been ranked in the top 1000.

The two schools within the Rancho Bernardo community are Bernardo Heights Middle School and Rancho Bernardo High School.

Home Design

Rancho Bernardo is home to dozens of residential developments, each built with different styles and perspectives in mind. Though exteriors tend to take after classic California Spanish influences, interiors offer a wide variety of choices, giving residents the perfect opportunity for home remodeling and other redesign projects including Room Additions, Second Stories, Casitas/Pool Cabanas, Custom Kitchens and Major Home Make Overs.

Coronado, often referred to as Coronado Island, is just one of the many beautiful resort cities located in San Diego County. Just a little over 5 miles south of downtown San Diego, Coronado is one of the most upscale places to live in the United States. The city is part of a peninsula connected to the mainland by a ten mile strip of land called the Silver Strand.

According to the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,697 – an increase from the 24,100 citizens reported in the 2000 census.  This resort town is probably best known for the historic Hotel Del Coronado, but the Crown City has its own rich history and culture.

A Brief History of Coronado

In the early nineteenth century, before Coronado was Coronado, the land was used as a harbor for whalers, who built hide houses in order to carry out their work. The land was still under Spanish control, but 1821 marked Mexico’s independence from Spain.

Land grants were issued and the peninsula we know today as Coronado changed many hands before it was purchased by Elisha Babcock, Jr., Hampton Story, and Jacob Gruendike on November 19, 1885. Babcock invited Heber Ingle, his brother-in-law, and a railroad stockholder named Josephus Collett to become mutual investors. These founders then organized the Coronado Beach Company on April 7, 1886, planting the seeds for current day Coronado.

Work on the new town began promptly with the division and landscaping of lots. Water and irrigations systems were constructed and railroad tracks were laid. The San Diego and Coronado Ferry Company was established on April 16, 1886 with the ferry completing its first run in August.

Lots were auctioned off in November. With the community finally coming together, the founders hired architects James and Watson Reid to design the Hotel Del Coronado in March of 1887. The hotel opened its doors February 19, 1888.

Construction and development continued in the area, eventually including a naval base in North Island.

The Hotel Del Coronado

The Hotel Del Coronado is a famous beachfront luxury hotel, officially designated as a historic landmark. The hotel has played host to many celebrities and persons of interest, including Prince Edward. The hotel was known as a playground for Hollywood’s finest by the 1920s and was the venue for numerous parties during the Prohibition era.

Schools and Education in Coronado

The school district includes several public schools:

-        Silver Strand Elementary School

-        Village Elementary School

-        Coronado Middle School

-        Coronado High School

The Coronado School of the Arts is a school-within-a-school, located on the Coronado High School campus.

Private schools in the area include Sacred Heart Parish School and Christ Church Day School.

Architecture, Design, and Style

Home design in Coronado embodies a unique style that reflects the town’s proximity to the sea. Homes features classic California Spanish design while incorporating aspects of the beachside cottage. The Hotel Del Coronado is a beautiful example of the wooden Victorian beach resort, a remnant of an American architectural genre that still stands out today.

There are many old homes in downtown Coronado, so remodeling is very popular and property values have held up well making home improvement a great investment.

Popular Coronado projects are Kitchen Remodeling, Major Home Makeovers, Second Stories, Room Additions, and View Decks.