According to Stephen Leatherman, aka “Dr. Beach,” there are approximately 650 major public recreational beaches in the United States. Only one, though, can be No. 1. What strand of sand earns that designation? This year, the honor goes to Coronado Beach near San Diego, which tops Leatherman’s 2012 annual list of the Top 10 Beaches in the country. Released on Friday, the full list includes:

1. Coronado Beach, Coronado, Calif.
2. Kahanamoku Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
3. Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y.
4. St. George Island State Park, St. George Island, Fla.
5. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii
6. Coast Guard Beach, Eastham, Mass.
7. Waimanolo...

At a recent Women’s Council of REALTORS® luncheon I attended, Leslie Appleton Young, Chief Economist for the California Association of REALTORS®, reported that according to Pew Research Center’s “Home Sweet Home. Still. Five Years After the Bubble Burst” 8 in 10 Americans agree buying a home is the best long-term investment a person can make. Rent or Buy is the question of the day.  “…renters are hardly immune to the allure of homeownership, even in the face of the five-year decline in prices.  Asked if they rent out of choice or because they cannot afford to buy a home, just 24 % say they rent out of choice.  According to Pew Research Center, “17% of the current renters would like to continue to rent and 81% would buy a house at some point.”

According to CAR’s Chief Economist,...

Coronado’s Village Theatre

The community of Coronado is bursting with pride with the reopening of the Coronado Village Theatre.   After being closed for more than a decade, the 1940’s Coronado Village Theatre reopened its doors in June.  The art deco marquee and façade of the Coronado Village Theatre has been refurbished and is once again the focal point on Orange Avenue in Coronado

It seems that taking in a movie at the Coronado Village Theatre is a rite of passage for any local. The single-screen theatre was the place where everyone in town gathered to see the latest films.  I remember in years past taking my children to The Coronado Village Theatre.  Located in the center of Coronado, it was easy to walk to and didn’t require a drive across the Coronado Bay Bridge....

Coronado Shines in Citizen Satisfaction Survey 

Everybody loves Coronado and I love selling real estate in Coronado!  What a great community to live, work and play in.  A National Citizen Survey reported that Coronado, California has some of the most satisfied residents in the country.  Coronado used the National Citizen Survey, a joint effort between the National Research Center and the International City/County Management Association, to produce a statistically valid study.  Questionnaires were mailed to 1,200 random Coronado homes (mine was not one of them) and 357 completed surveys were received.  Apparently the response rate (31%) was a typical response rate for a citizen survey.

Over 500 cities across the United States, including about 70 that are categorized...

Coronado Dives into Social Media 

As one of Coronado’s more tech savvy real estate agent’s, I am excited to report that the City of Coronado has decided to stay relevant in the new age of social media and it is now on Twitter!  Twitter is a social-networking and micro blogging service that allows users to send Tweets. A tweet, once identified as a noise a bird made, is now defined as short text messages no longer than 140 characters to “followers.”  Coronado is one of the few cities in San Diego that regularly send out “Tweets,” short messages via a Twitter account.

Traditional communication methods are being consumed by social media in a quick-moving, ever-changing new world.  Coronado is using Twitter to post information about upcoming city meetings.  During the recent...

In 1989 Karl Strauss Brewing Company started the micro-brew movement in San Diego.  With San Diego’s thriving, growing and well regarded microbrewery community, craft brews are to San Diego what wine is to Napa. San Diego might not yet have the reputation of well-known microbrew cities like Seattle and Portland, but it is well on its way with 8 breweries.  Located across the bay in beautiful Coronado, is the Coronado Brewing Company.  The Coronado Brewing Company offers quality handcrafted beers and delicious food in a casual family environment. The Coronado Brewing Company offers four year round beers, specialty beers and three Crown Series beers.  If you are in downtown San Diego take the Coronado Ferry over and walk from the Coronado Ferry Landing to the Coronado Brewing...

Coronado Island, Calif.

Forbes recently announced its picks for America’s Prettiest Neighborhoods. As a REALTOR® and resident of Coronado I am proud to announce that Coronado, California made the list!  According to the Forbes article, “Not all neighborhoods are created equal.” According to the article, Forbes enlisted the help of Kendra Williams, travel editor from Midwest Living and Mark Sedenquist, publisher of an encyclopedic online compendium of the country’s best road trips to compile a list of the prettiest neighborhoods in the country. The article reported that some of the neighborhoods are nestled within larger cities or towns, and a couple are towns in their own right, but are so unified in their look or appeal that they are as closely-knit as a neighborhood. The common denominator...

San Diego County Wineries

While you are visiting Coronado, California be sure to make a day of wine tasting in San Diego. A little known secret is that there are more than 20 commercial wineries in San Diego County, with others on the way. In fact, one of the wineries is over 120 years old.  “ It’s a renaissance in local winemaking,” insiders say.  Many of the wineries offer tastings at a nominal fee and include a souvenir glass. 

Cordiano Winery          ...