January 2016

If you follow me on social media, you know that I totally geeked out a couple of weeks ago over the GORGEOUS stylings of local interior designer Vanessa Matsalla, owner of Studio Matsalla.  I was laying in bed one Saturday, and fell down the rabbit hole of Instagram.  Somehow I stumbled upon Vanessa's page, and instantly fell in love.  Her designs really speak to me; they're beach-y, modern, clean, vibrant and inviting.  

I personally haven't been a big fan of the more modern designs in the past.  I feel like they sometimes feel impersonal and cold, yet Studio Matsalla's take on modern furnishings are completely the opposite.  They somehow draw you in, and their simplicity is refreshing and beautiful.  The materials used and designs chosen

I am so excited to write a post today about one of my favorite local UTC businesses--The Boxing Club.  Located on Level 2 of the Costa Verde shopping center, The Boxing Club brings a new take on the typical fitness gym.  

I've only been a member of The Boxing Club (TBC) for a little over a year, but I've learned so much already! I thought everyone there would be very intense, almost angry, taking out their frustrations on bags and on each other.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  While it's true that boxing provides fantastic stress relief, members of the club, staff, and coaches are so warm, welcoming, and friendly.  Massive shoutout to Coach Caine for making every newbie feel comfortable and not embarrassed for asking questions and taking breaks

I want to fill you in on a little-known secret to dining out--the Passport Unlimited card!  This card is good at 127 restaurants in Southern California, and the vast majority of them offer 2 for 1 entrees when you use the card.  All you have to do is show it to your waitress, she scans it, and voila!  Most restaurants actually take up to two cards per group, so if you're dining in a group of 4 and have 2 cards, you'll get two free entrees.  

The passport card is good at restaurants such as The Prado, Draft Republic, Sammy's, Agave Del Mar, Amarin, Kensington Cafe, Melting Pot, Stella UTC, Villa Capri, and many more.  James and I use our card almost weekly--we definitely get our money's worth!  

I give Passport Cards out as closing gifts to my

It's time to reflect on the San Diego 2015 real estate market!  Overall, this year was particularly good for sellers, with prices up and high buyer demand.  Average prices in December were up about $34,000 over the average prices in January 2015.  This reflects the overall upward trend in pricing that has been in affect since 2012.  As for buyers being affected by a potential increase in interest rates, check out this article:  

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-higher-interest-rates-will-affect-you-in-2016/

Here's an excerpt:  "Long-term interest rates will not spike in response to the Federal funds rate increase," said Sean Becketti, Freddie Mac's chief economist, in a statement. "While we expect the 30-year mortgage rate to be above 4 percent