California A+ BBB Home Loan Modification Programs | San Diego

For A+ BBB California Mortgage Loan Modification Services go to www.yourhomestart.com

In April 2009, the Obama administration took steps to bolster the troubled housing market by implementing the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan (HASP). With a billion total budget, the plan aims to help a projected four million homeowners over the next three years by reducing monthly interest rates and encouraging borrowers to adopt a loan modification plan. Among those banks committed to Obama’s plan are three of the nation’s largest; JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup are all dedicated the effort.

Homestart provides A+ BBB rated loan modification service to customers of these banks as well as Bank of America, US Bank, Wachovia, Countrywide and many others. Homestart’s established personal relationship with the country’s leading mortgage lenders has made it one of the nation’s leading loan modification service companies, and they are one of the few loan modification companies to have the accredited A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, as well as a license issued by the California Department of Real Estate (DRE).

Although California is currently seeing a slight decline in foreclosure activity, the rate of foreclosures in recent years is staggering, especially considering California is home to one in nine Americans and has 8.5 million houses. Furthermore, with an unemployment rate as high as 12.5 percent, Californians will continue to rely on the HASP as well as the California Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Act, which went into effect June 15, 2009 to help them through the tough times.

HomeStart’s extensive experience working in the loan modification industry provides them with great expertise in working through even the most difficult applications and terms. Contact Homestart at anytime to discuss your financial hardship- we will listen and maintain the highest level of confidentiality. We have an entire team of experienced loan modification consultants who can help answer any questions you may have, regardless if you pursue a loan modification through HomeStart.

For more information please go to www.YourHomestart.com

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San Diego Life Insurance Attorney And Life Insurance Lawyer In Orange County Tells The Importance Of Hiring A California Erisa Attorney Tfor Appeals

Life Insurance Claim Denials

When life insurance company adjusters deny valid claims for benefits by beneficiaries under policies insuring the lives of policy holders, family members in Orange County and San Diego know they can turn to the Law Offices of Sebastian Gibson for assistance.

At the Sebastian Gibson law firm, we don’t represent life insurance companies. We only represent policy holders, their family members and beneficiaries. We have a long history of standing up to insurance companies both in personal injury matters and in insurance bad faith cases.

While large insurance companies hope a grieving widow or small children will feel powerless against a company worth billions, with the Law Offices of Sebastian Gibson fighting for your rights, the insurance companies are the ones who have something to be concerned about.

If you have had a claim for life insurance benefits denied in San Diego or a policy limits claim has been denied in Orange County and you need a California ERISA attorney, visit our website at http://www.sebastiangibsonlaw.com and call us at any of the numbers easily found on our website.

Unfortunately, life insurance companies know that they can take advantage of an unrepresented person who doesn’t know the law. And in this area of law, perhaps more than most, the law favors the represented claimant over the unwary and the unrepresented claimant.

ERISA

Many, if not most life insurance claims are subject to ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act which by its name alone, causes most attorneys to want nothing to do with it, for fear it will make such claims unduly complicated and unimaginably complex. Some attorneys even have it mixed up in their minds with RESPA, which deals with real estate and mortgage rules, something altogether different.

The most important aspect of ERISA, however, is that most insurance policy claims allow only one appeal of the denial of a claim. That appeal must be handled by the claimant or the claimant’s attorney as if it were the claimant’s one and only shot at winning the claim. Unless an appeal is made, the claimant will have no right to bring a lawsuit and many grieving family members have made the mistake of failing to make the appeal altogether.

If the appeal is made and denied, the claimant must go to federal court with the lawsuit based solely on the administrative record of the appeal. In most cases, the claimant may not submit any new evidence or call any witnesses after the denial of the first appeal. The case will turn of the record of the earlier appeal alone. And if the claimant has attempted to represent themself without an attorney, it is more than likely that their case may already have been lost by the time it is filed in federal court.

Without the proper preparation of the appeal by an attorney, and without the proper evidence, an appeal of a claim will likely result in a denial which cannot then be appealed with much probability of success. What is even more astounding to the claimant, in most cases, is that it is the same insurer who reviews an appeal. And an insurer that denied the claim in the first place is unlikely to decide the claim differently when the claimant appeals the denial based on the same arguments that failed to persuade the insurance company the first time around.

Insurance Company Claim Denial Excuses

Denials commonly are based on a number of excuses by insurance companies who hide behind them in order to increase their profitability under the pretense, in many cases, of preventing fraud. The insurance companies claim either that there was some misrepresentation or non-disclosure in the life insurance policy application, a pre-existing condition, or that, in the case of an accidental death, that the injury was self-inflicted by being the result of drunk driving, or some other dangerous behavior.

Visit our website at http://www.sebastiangibsonlaw.com and call us if you have had a claim for life insurance benefits denied by a life insurance company in San Diego, Orange County or anywhere in Southern California or if you need a California ERISA lawyer to prepare an appeal.

If a life insurance company has denied your claim for death benefits, don’t let your overwhelming grief for your loved one play right into the hands of the life insurance company. As soon as your claim has been denied is the time to meet with an experienced life insurance and bad faith insurance attorney from our law firm who can properly prepare an appeal and seek to compel the insurer to pay the policy amount to the proper beneficiaries.

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Title : Home Insurance , In San Diego, Usa

In San Diego, USA the home insurance schemes offer financial protection against disaster. You can change home insurance against your needs and can change it always. In San Diego the home insurance companies offer many types of packages that suit every one. With the immense growth of real estate sector the home insurance also reached new heights.

In San Diego, like in other places, there are separate policies for home owners. Renters and condo and co-op owners. In San Diego most people take HO-3 homeowners insurance which is very popular, for renters it is HO-4 and for condo owners the most popular is called HO-6.

Some people say that why should I need a house insurance policy? They forget that the house insurance is a package which means that it covers both damage to your property and your liability or legal responsibility.

You can legally own a house without home insurance. But if you have brought the house on a mortgage, the lender will insist on a home insurance. After you have paid off the mortgage, you can be without a home insurance. It does not make sense to cancel your insurance. It protect your home, protects your belongings and protect the assets you’ve worked hard to achieve.

For most of us, our home is the single largest asset we will make. Home insurance provides coverage for damage to your home and other structures.

Home insurance covers the following things:-

Personal property
Jewelry
Earthquakes

It gives coverage for your household items like TV, VCR, CD player, etc it gives limited coverage for your jewelry and watches. In many cases you have to purchase a personal article floater which extends protection for your jewelry and other valuable items. Most companies require a recent appraisal for each of them. An additional coverage is required for earthquake. You can custom tailor you earthquake coverage to include a certain amount of personal things.

Finally, there is the landlord or rental dwelling insurance policy. This is where the home owner rents out the dwelling to tenants.

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How Can a Property Manager Help You in San Diego?

Do you find it difficult to manage your capital assets? Then property management companies of San Diego are here to help you out. The high-end services offered by these companies range from dealing in commercial properties, housing development projects, individual homes, condominiums, and apartments.

Important points to be kept in mind while choosing a real estate manager

A real estate manager will perform all the required administrative tasks on behalf of you. Before employing such managers you should keep the following points in mind:

Whether he has any experience in this field

Will he give you a clear idea of the rental market?

How he will market your property

Networks that he will be use while marketing your house

Will he inspect the physical capital asset and jot down what needs to be done to repair it before renting it to the tenant?

What methods will he apply to screen the prospective tenants?

A rental agreement is usually made before renting the apartment. So will the real estate manager prepare the rental agreement?

Whether the manager will let you to go through the rental agreement papers?

Will there be any condition of receiving monthly statements showing the income and expenses clearly?

Apart from these you should also check the fees charged by the manager. Before signing a contract with the real estate manager you must ensure that it enables you to dismiss the manager or supervisor in case you are not satisfied with the manner in which your property is maintained.

Duties of a property manager

The property managers act as an intermediary between the landlord and the tenant. They perform duties like:

Accepting rent on behalf of the landlord from the tenant

Negotiating the lease price of the property

Keeping the landlord informed about the issues raised by the tenants

Advertising and showing vacant property

General maintenance of the property

Responding to the tenants issues on behalf of the landlord

However, you will have to decide what kind of property you want to buy. If the cool breeze of the sea and lush green surroundings appeal to you then San Diego is the best place to buy or rent property. The place is situated close to the sea beach and so you can even opt for houses with waterfront views. So get in touch with an asset management agency and experience the best of San Diego!

A Quick Guide To San Diego

With its year-round tropical climate, San Diego, California, is one of the most popular vacation spots for tourists around the globe. From sailing and hiking to surfing and skiing, the city offers a plethora of activities. What’s more is that San Diego is a hop, skip and a jump away from Tijuana-an exciting alternative to California living.

San Diego is comprised of several communities all offering a unique personality. Deemed an official U.S. naval city, San Diego is home to thousands of military personnel. In fact, one third of the U.S. Naval Pacific Fleet is stationed in San Diego Bay. The city’s abundant access to water makes it an ideal location for our country’s seamen. San Diego is a hub for recreational sailors, too.

Seaport Village is home to several luxury yachts as well as a wide variety of charter services. Spend a day at sea whale watching or just kick back and enjoy San Diego’s beautiful coastline.

Head to what is considered North County and pay a visit to the Del Mar Fairgrounds. From mid-July to early September, the fairgrounds are converted into the legendary Del Mar Racetrack. The horseracing venue once served as a stomping ground for some of the world’s most influential entertainers such as Jimmy Durante, Ava Gardner, Pat O’Brien, and of course the legendary Seabiscuit. Another notable, Bing Crosby, not only frequented the track, but founded it in 1937.

Crosby is the voice behind the famous “Where the Turf Meets the Surf” anthem. Opening day draws massive crowds, all adorned in the finest fashions and many participating in the infamous “Big Hat Day” festivities. With plenty of grandstand boxes available, a vast amount of local eateries and private clubs, the Del Mar Racetrack is the place to see-and be-seen.

In the heart of the city you will find Mission Valley-a central haven for some of San Diego’s best shopping. The outdoor Fashion Valley Mall features designer boutiques as well as premiere department store giants including Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Bloomingdales. Just one exit away is Qualcomm Stadium, home to the San Diego Chargers.

San Diego’s downtown Gaslamp District boasts plenty of boutiques, top-notch restaurants, five-star luxury hotels, and a whole street lined with some of the city’s most popular nightclubs. A newer addition to the downtown area is the state-of-the-art San Diego Padre’s stadium, Petco Park. The Gaslamp District caters to the swarms of tourists by offering activities such as sight-seeing charter buses, pedicabs and horse-drawn carriage rides.

And with the city’s trolley system in place the perils of parking are easily avoided. Luxury hotels in San Diego include the Manchester Grand Hyatt, Hotel Solamar, Horton Grand Hotel, The Omni, The Westin Horton Plaza, The W San Diego, the Hard Rock Hotel, the Westgate Hotel, and more. Take a closer look at luxury hotels in San Diego.

Experience California’s history while strolling through Old Town San Diego. As the first European settlement in what is now California, Old Town has been dubbed the state’s birthplace. The cultural landmark- home to the first California mission showcases Spanish history through its Bazaar del Mundo. Another popular attraction is the oh-so-creepy Whaley house, which offers insight into what some people call Haunted San Diego.

When people think of San Diego the thought of bikini-clad beaches is often what first enters their heads. San Diego has earned this reputation for good reason as its coastline offers some of California’s best natural beaches. There are plenty of beach communities that seem to cater to every stereotype out there.

First off, there is the overcrowded (but fabulous) Pacific Beach, which offers party-goers a wide variety of hotspots all within walking distance from each other. Travel a little south and you will hit Mission Beach, which offers all the perks of P.B. with the added luxury of Belmont Park. Keep heading south and you will end up in Ocean Beach, a small community filled with vintage shops, dive bars, and some wonderful undiscovered little cafes and restaurants.
San Diego Bay is yet another popular destination, known mainly for its ample water-sports.

And with neighboring mountain ranges in close proximity, San Diego is ideal for avid skiers and snowboarders alike. The kiddos will enjoy the famous San Diego Zoo, Wildlife Park, and Legoland. And adults will find a playground of their own as the county also offers several Indian gaming sites, casinos and luxury resorts.

With so many well-traveled attractions and tourist destinations, San Diego has experienced rapid growth. This means that those looking for investment opportunities will find a surplus of resources in its flourishing market. Some of San Diego’s most prime real estate is located in the coastal community of La Jolla, as well as in the high-rising downtown condominiums and lofts.

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Want to Rent or Lease a Home in San Diego?

Are you planning to shift to San Diego? That’s a good decision indeed. You must be looking for a house on sale, rent or lease in the area. You can find them all in the San Diego property listings. Properties in San Diego, the eighth largest city in U.S and second largest in California has always maintained a stable price rate throughout the recession period when real estate market in other countries and states experienced tumble in economy. This is a major reason to invest your hard earned money in San Diego properties. Do you think you won’t be able to invest by paying such a heft amount? Bank and other financial organizations are there to provide easy loans. Now real estate agents will be able to provide instant information to you about any property which is in the property listings in San Diego by accessing the details from their mobile phones. Finding your dream property that offers so many benefits was never so easy, right?

A property listing is an agreement between a real estate agent and a property owner who wishes to sell a house. These listings will give you information on properties that are available for sale, rent or lease. You can find properties based on the total area, price, and location. This is maintained by real estate agents operating in San Diego. These options help you to find properties that satisfy your requirements regarding space, pricing, and location.

Property listing service is one of the most economical methods to sell your property. It’s also extremely easy to use this service. You only need to search for property listings in San Diego by going online. Once you’ve found the property that you want to purchase, rent or lease, from the San Diego property listings, contact a reliable and reputed agent or broker in the region. This is important because the agent or broker will help you to deal with all the formalities.

Take time to find out how you can use property listings to find your dream property in San Diego. San Diego’s growing job market, energetic industry, and stunning landscapes are just some of the reasons for you to settle here. Don’t know where to find reputed agents and brokers in San Diego?

San Diego, California Foreclosure Listings

A Simple Overview about San Diego Foreclosure Listings

If you have been following the market in regards to real estate, real estate prices and the current trend in home values. Then you are painfully aware that California is one of the hardest hit areas in the country as far as that goes. Now while that is not good news for the homeowners who live in California, if you are a person looking to move there or a businessperson looking to lay some investment capitol somewhere that is going to make great returns on the initial investment. Then California and in particular San Diego is a great place to look.

It is no secret to people that the city of San Diego is one of the most beautiful cities in California if not in the country. You are close to everything from mountains to oceans to big cities and not far from Las Vegas if you get the urge to go do some gambling.

A little time spent looking over the San Diego foreclosure listings will soon show you that there is an abundance of real estate properties available here for people on almost any budget. Most of the homes in the area tend to lean towards the Spanish style architecture that is popular here and although it is possible to find other types of homes in the area at lower prices this style provides some of the most beautiful and well built of any in the area.

There is a lot to do in the area, which makes it almost a perfect place to raise a family. The climate is ideal and hardly ever gets cold and rains even less often than that so it is rare to find a time when you are unable to enjoy the out of doors.

San Diego is more than a nice place to live. It is a great place to invest.

San Diego Entrepreneur Running the “Sexiest Home Based Internet Business”

San Diego and Southern California are known for great beaches, palm trees, classic cars, surfing, the boardwalk and of course some of the sexiest swimsuit models in the world.

Home based internet business entrepreneur Sean Callahan has lived on the beaches of San Diego for over 20 years and has showcased thousands of images and beach models on his group of San Diego websites including www.socalbeachmag.net.

In addition he is also gaining attention for using his swimsuit models to help promote his home based Internet business at www.recessionproofhomebiz.com

“I love Southern California and San Diego and I am using my passion for shooting the beach lifestlye to promote one of the best home based business models in the country”, Callahan said.

Callahan has spent the last 10 years working online and doing Internet marketing. As a seminar speaker for The Learning Annex in San Diego he taught courses on “How to Start a Home Based Business” and also “Secrets of Internet Search Engines”. He is also the founder Real Estate Marketing Nerds, a company that has helped real estate agents sell millions of dollars in real estate.

Although Callahan consulted and coached many home based business companies he never personally joined in.

“I am very picky about where I spend my time and I saw that many of these home based business opportunities required selling friends or relatives, working weekends and attending meetings or joining an MLM and that was not my thing”.

I needed to find a home based business that could capture the massive power and growth on the Internet and put that to use and the internet based business model does that”.

It also allows anyone with little or no experience to take the most cutting edge Internet marketing tools, websites and coaching and earn a full time or part time income with many members earning over 0,000 per month”, Callahan continued.

“I am using my home based Internet business to fund my passion for shooting photography and videos along the beaches of San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles”, Callahan said.

Because Callahan is using his swimsuit model photography to promote his home business he is referred to as having “the sexiest home based business” in the country.

For anyone who is looking to earn a full time or part time income from a home based business opportunity visit www.recessionproofhomebiz.com for more information on this work from home internet business opportunity.

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San Diego Bargains on Craigslist

San Diego, California is a beautiful town located on the west coast. It’s the second largest city in California and is home to a 70 mile stretch of white sandy beaches. Whether you are visiting San Diego on business or vacation, or are considering relocation, one thing always remains an objective to those who explore the city – where to find the best bargains.

California is known to be a bit more pricey area of the United States. You can expect to pay about a .50 more per gallon of gas, which is why many people are dependant on the city’s public transportation. Real estate is also much more expensive in order to keep up with the fair market value of California. However, finding a great deal in San Diego doesn’t have to be a difficult task. The internet is your number one tool for finding a good deal on everything from cars to furniture to area attractions; and your most resourceful website is by far craigslist San Diego!

Craigslist is a popular search website that provides boundless information on nearly every major city in the United States, as well as several foreign cities and countries. It was originally created in 1995 to serve the residents of the San Francisco Bay Area, but has since expanded into a major research and connection tool to thousands of locations. In addition to finding items for sale, you can also join several different discussion forums to connect with residents of San Diego. This can be particularly helpful if you don’t know anyone in the city or want to find out exactly where to go and what to do. With craigslist, you don’t even need to visit San Diego to find amazing souvenirs from the area. Just one click of your mouse will provide you with a reliable database containing thousands of items for sale at a great price. For the more serious buyers, you can also find hundreds of real estate listings, vehicles, motorcycles, and collectibles for sale in San Diego by searching craigslist.

For example, a typical apartment in San Diego runs over 00 per month. On the east side of the United States, housing is about 10-15% cheaper. However, by searching craigslist San Diego, you can find deals on apartments and rental homes along the beach. One actual listing on craigslist San Diego advertises a beautiful two bedroom apartment for less than 00 – you can even see pictures! Another listing on craigslist San Diego has a nice jet boat for sale for 00 (this listing is only available on craigslist San Diego, like many other listings you can find!). Or, if you already live in the San Diego area, you can post your own merchandise for sale free of charge.

Craigslist San Diego is very easy to use and requires no registration or up-front fees. In fact, you will probably find craigslist much easier to use and more specific than other popular search engines such as Google or Yahoo. So to scout out the best bargains, log onto craigslist San Diego today!

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Lajolla: the Beverly Hills of San Diego

With its panoramic ocean views, swaying palm trees and unbeatable weather, La Jolla is like Hawaii without the five-hour flight.

This was decades ago and we had just returned from our first real long-distance travel experience an unforgettable, eye-opening journey to Hawaii that exposed a couple of soggy Pacific Northwest college students to bright sunshine and warm saltwater that we never even knew existed. The very next month we were taking a Southern California vacation when we came upon La Jolla and it was, as Yogi would say, d? vu all over again.

To be sure, the water in Southern California was prettier than it was warm. And there weren’t too many native Hawaiians although Hawaii doesn’t seem to have many either. WHAT La Jolla did have was the views and that bright sunshine, and we were determined that someday we would come back and live there.

We did eventually live and work there, if only for a brief time, and this special coastal haven delivered on all its promises. The “Village,” as the locals call Girard Avenue and the community surrounding it, is a gourmet blend of those spices that make life so enjoyable fine dining, world-class shopping, countless outdoor activities, surf, sand, incredible views and, of course, almost-constant sunshine.

Nowadays, the local home values have priced out the average mortal and, if you’re living there, you’ve either done very well for yourself or had the good fortune to grow up in a family that bought local real estate back when local land prices were reasonable probably sometime just after statehood. But there are two groups of people who are living in the Village temporarily: the renters and the tourists. The renters plunk down several thousand each month for the barest of digs; the tourists stay only briefly but much more economically.

Which is why it’s great to be a tourist in La Jolla. With a choice of several tasteful hotels and spa resorts and, yes, some are quite reasonably priced visitors can pretend they’re living the lifestyle for a few days and still go home with money in their pockets.

It all begins with watching the people parade down on Gerard Avenue. Plan to have a gourmet sandwich down at one of several cafes and then plop yourself at an outside table. Leading the parade is a 20-something bombshell dressed in a spaghetti-strapped halter and capris, dragging along a five-inch poodle that is decidedly disinterested in being part of this parade. Next up: a 30-something clean-cut guy wearing lumberjack boots up to his ankles, his pants squished into the boot tops, and his long-sleeve shirt well down over his belt buckle. It must be new La Jolla fashion because his stylish 20-something model-like girlfriend doesn’t seem the least bit embarrassed to walk beside him. Then along comes two 30-something men, dressed almost identically in turtlenecks, expensive sports jackets and shades, surely sweltering in the mid-day sun but cool in their own minds. And on it goes all during lunch, making it almost worth the nine bucks it cost for the sandwich.

You might even see celebrities in this neck of the woods. We came upon Geena Davis and her kids one time, while beautiful people such as Cindy Crawford have actually bought houses in the Village. Barbra Streisand is said to have bought her wedding ring down at Bowers Jewelers. Movie and TV filming are common and the longtime series Silk Stalkings used the local scenery quite often to depict the glitzy glamour of Southern California.

Walk down Gerard just a little ways and there seems to be plenty of temptation to bring out your credit card. There are specialty stores like Rangoni shoes, art galleries like Cosmopolitan Fine Art and Images of Nature, and then more typical “mall” stores like Banana Republic and the Gap. Side streets have their own offerings, many of them related to health, fitness and well-being even if you need a little plastic surgery to be well.

Gerard is one of two main streets in the Village. Also famous for its shopping is Prospect Avenue which also has lots of trendy boutiques and popular eateries. Check out George’s for spectacular views of the ocean and award-winning cuisine. Brockton Villa’s another one just off Prospect that seems a perennial favorite. A Caesar salad on the outdoor deck at Moondoggie’s can be a refreshing and relatively inexpensive pause as the breezes from the shoreline find their way to this part of the shopping district. Just footsteps from Scripps Park are such outdoor cafes as Cody’s, the French Side of the West and Fay’s Gourmet Seafood.

Scripps Park is, in fact, just a block down from the main shopping district, and yet is anything but commercial. You might find an ecology tee-shirt stand but mostly it’s green lawn and meandering walkways that entice friends, lovers and families to stroll along one of the most picturesque shorelines in all of California. The shoreline is jagged and rocky in places while at the same time offering up just enough beach to lay out your beach towels in some privacy. Stroll about 10 minutes south and you’ll find La Jolla Cove where you can watch the local seals sun themselves on a scenic beach.

Skirting the east edge of Scripps Park is a scenic roadway that is often used as a bike route between La Jolla and the more touristy beach town of Pacific Beach. The ride takes you through beautiful neighborhoods never far away from ocean views and through the fascinating town of Birdrock. It, too, is artsy and trendy but maybe down a notch in price.

La Jolla Shores is just north of the downtown area and offers a mile-long beach where locals and tourists alike congregate for outdoor activities. Nearby are the expensive homes of the La Jolla Shores area as well as a few hotels and a tiny shopping district.

Nearby is a marine preserve so it’s common to see divers preparing for their scuba sessions out in the deep. If you don’t scuba, you’ll find other ways to get close to the ocean such as paddling a kayak in an area near what is known as the La Jolla Caves. Or you can actually climb down in the caves by visiting the La Jolla Cave and Shell Shop, where there is a 145-step walkway to the Sunny Jim Cave, the largest of these grottoes.

Another seaside favorite is the Birch Aquarium, a popular place to take families for an up-close look at sea life such as coral reefs, tide pools and even sharks. The Aquarium has a 70,000-gallon tank in which many sea creatures are on display.

If you simply want to drive around the area, the spectacular homes make it worthwhile. One especially rewarding drive is to head up Nautilus Street to the highest elevations in town where the Mt. Soledad Memorial Cross is dedicated to veterans of the two world wars and the Korean War. While there has been a political tug-of-war about whether the cross will remain, the views from this part of La Jolla offer one of the best ways to see the topography of the entire San Diego area.

AT A GLANCE

WHERE: La Jolla has often been called “the Beverly Hills” of San Diego and is located about a 15-minute drive north from downtown. Several of the best San Diego hotels are located here, so this is an excellent base of operations for a Southern California vacation.

WHAT: A seaside village that offers some of the best shopping, restaurants and ocean views of the entire San Diego area. Spa vacations are big here, and there is a good selection of spa resorts and facilities in the area.

WHEN: Year-round. Always keep an eye out for travel deal, and travel packages at San Diego hotels are more plentiful during slower times of the year.

WHY: La Jolla is quiet and has a village-like atmosphere, and is perfect for a vacation — or even retire if one could afford it.

HOW: For more information, contact the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau at (619) 236-1212 or visit www.sandiego.org. For a list of San Diego hotels and recommended lodgings, please click here.