North County San Diego Real Estate: Less House, Better Life
Specializing in Del Mar, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Encinitas and Leucadia Real Estate Since 2001
Done maintaining a yard and a roof? Trade them for morning walks at Seagrove Park in Del Mar, lunch on Cedros Avenue in Solana Beach, and dinner along the 101 in Encinitas.
North County San Diego real estate agents Paul Stokes and Dean Rooke help people buy low-maintenance condos and townhomes in Del Mar, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Encinitas and Leucadia, west of I-5 on the ocean side of the freeway, where an HOA can look after the exterior.
Paul (DRE #01069667, Harcourts Jade Properties) has over 25 years in this market, since 2001. Dean (DRE #01140539, eXp Realty of Southern California, Inc.) has 25+ years in real estate. Paul holds the HOA documents and reserve numbers for the developments he focuses on, so ask what's behind the dues before you write an offer.
Book a 15-minute call with Paul and Dean. Free, by phone or video, no obligation.
QUICK SEARCH
North County San Diego Homes for Sale
Solana Beach Homes & Condos
Sunny, Artistic, Coastal, Shopping
Neighboring Communities Close to the Coast
Carmel Valley (East of 5)
Solana Beach (East of 5)
Cardiff (East of 5)
New Encinitas (East of 5)
Carlsbad (West of 5)
Carlsbad/La Costa (East of 5)
Oceanside (West of 5)
WHO WE ARE
Meet Paul and Dean: North County San Diego Real Estate Agents
There are two of us at two brokerages, and you'll work with us both. We live, work and play here, with 50+ years combined in real estate.
Does that Del Mar townhome have a garage? Is that pool heated? How far is that condo from Moonlight Beach?
Paul Stokes of Harcourts Jade Properties (DRE #01069667) has over 25 years in this market, since 2001. Single-story, ocean-view and walkable condos and townhomes are his specialty. He holds the HOA documents and reserve numbers for the developments he focuses on.
Sea Village in Del Mar has garage parking, with HOA dues of $810 a month. Del Mar Woods has a heated pool and gym, with dues of $884 a month. The Lofts in Encinitas has underground parking, ocean views and a short walk to Moonlight Beach, with dues of $604 a month.
Dean Rooke of eXp Realty of Southern California, Inc. (DRE #01140539) has 25+ years in real estate and works the same coastal towns. Five-star Google reviewer Jim Biedebach wrote: "Dean is great! Always responsive and knows the San Diego market well."
Buying from out of town? We do video walkthroughs and e-signed documents. Book a 15-minute call with Paul and Dean. Free, by phone or video. Call (760) 840-2255 with any address.
Paul Stokes & Dean Rooke
Which Coastal Town Lets You Walk to the Beach, Coffee and Dinner?
In Paul's experience, Del Mar and Encinitas are the easiest towns to live in on foot, with the beach, coffee and dinner all within walking distance. From a condo near Camino Del Mar, Del Mar Plaza is about 2 minutes away and Seagrove Park about 7 minutes. The Lofts in Downtown Encinitas is a short walk from Moonlight Beach. Solana Beach is close behind: from the Sierra Avenue bluffs, Fletcher Cove is about 9 minutes on foot.
What Do HOA Dues Really Run on the North County Coast?
Across the complexes Paul tracks, HOA dues ran from $567 to $1,200 a month as of September 2026, with most near $600. Dues alone don't tell you much, because what they cover changes from complex to complex. The Lofts in Downtown Encinitas is $604 a month with underground parking. Sea Village in Del Mar is $810 with garage parking. Solana Beach & Tennis Club is $975 with tennis and pools.
ASK PAUL AND DEAN
North County San Diego Real Estate Questions
Paul has over 25 years in this market and holds the HOA docs for the developments he focuses on. These are the questions buyers ask most.
What Does a Coastal Condo Cost, Town by Town?
Redfin's citywide median condo sale for the three months ending August 31, 2026 was about $940K in Encinitas, $1.42M in Del Mar and $1.54M in Solana Beach. On its own, Leucadia, a neighborhood of Encinitas, came in at about $1.27M. These figures cover every condo in each town, not only those west of I-5 where Paul and Dean focus, and Redfin counts Cardiff inside Encinitas.
Why Are Coastal HOA Dues Climbing?
Insurance is a big part of it: associations insure their buildings, and as coastal premiums rise at renewal, the cost flows into the dues. Before you buy, check the reserve study. An association funded at 70% or more is generally considered well prepared, and Paul holds the reserve numbers for the developments he focuses on.
Should a Bluff-Top Condo Worry You?
Check before you buy: ask the association for its most recent geotechnical report, because these bluffs erode and each city limits how close buildings can sit to the edge. Del Mar, Solana Beach and Encinitas generally require around 40 feet from the bluff edge, and a California appeals court upheld a 60-foot setback in Encinitas. A new geotechnical report typically costs $8,000 to $40,000, so ask when the last one was done.
MARKET SNAPSHOT
North County Coastal Condos and Townhomes
Condo and townhome sales from January through October 2026, by ZIP code, compared with a year earlier. Source: the San Diego MLS, Greater San Diego REALTORS, current as of November 5, 2026.
1. Del Mar, ZIP 92014: median sale $1,449,000, down 30.8% from a year earlier. 37 sales, 55 days to sell, 95.5% of original list price.
2. Solana Beach, ZIP 92075: median sale $1,635,000, up 7.2% from a year earlier. 53 sales, 34 days to sell, 96.8% of original list price.
3. Encinitas, ZIP 92024: median sale $1,199,500, down 2.9% from a year earlier. 146 sales, 35 days to sell, 97.2% of original list price.
4. Cardiff-by-the-Sea, ZIP 92007: median sale $1,362,500, down 24.3% from a year earlier. 33 sales, 33 days to sell, 99.9% of original list price.
ZIP 92014 includes Del Mar Heights. ZIP 92024 covers all of Encinitas, including Leucadia (no separate report) and Olivenhain.
What this means for you: Del Mar sales took the longest and closed furthest below their original list price, so buyers there have usually had room to negotiate. Cardiff sellers got close to full price, so expect less give. A median shows which condos happened to sell, not what any one unit is worth. Sale prices also don't show seller credits or buyer down-payment help.
October 2026 alone: Del Mar had 4 sales, Solana Beach 5, Cardiff 4 and Encinitas 14. Months of supply (months for current listings to sell at that pace) ran 0.7 in Cardiff, 2.8 in Del Mar, 3.1 in Encinitas and 4.0 in Solana Beach. With so few sales in three of the four ZIPs, read October as a snapshot, not a trend.
Book a 15-minute call with Paul and Dean. Free, by phone or video.
THINKING ABOUT BUYING?
Buying Headline
Del Mar (92014)
Solana Beach (92075)
Cardiff (92007)
Encinitas & Leucadia (92024)
THINKING ABOUT SELLING?
Seller Headline
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xxx
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SHOUT OUT
What the Locals Have to Say ...
Fun and lively town. Super close to the beach and great weather with nice people. Many things to do and explore including Del Mar downtown and the beaches.
Niche.com
I love the neighbourhood and our neighbours. The area is completely residential and full of greenery. Every morning I go for a jog in the adjacent park and can breathe fresh air. It's far away from the busy roads, so there in no noise pollution.
Niche.com
Let's Meet at the Beach
Schedule an office visit using our online calendar and meet us at our Encinitas office: 90 N Coast Hwy 101, Ste 205.
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CONTACT
Dean Rooke - CA DRE #01140539
Heller Real Estate Grou
Paul Stokes - CA DRE #01069667
Harcourts JADE Properties
CONTACT
Tel/Text: (760) 840-2255
The Lofts at Moonlight Beach
90 N Coast Hwy 101 Ste 205
Encinitas, CA 92024
SERVICE AREA
Del Mar
Solana Beach
Cardiff / Encinitas / Leucadia
Carlsbad
HOURS
Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: By Appointment
Holidays: By Appointment