Real Estate Round-Up:

As someone who makes a living talking to folks about what makes a town special or desirable, I have to say Fallbrook’s a pretty easy sell. With its rural charm and Midwestern style neighborhoods dotted with modern conveniences, we know what makes this place unique. But when the Avocado Festival rolls around this weekend and people come from surrounding communities to get a little slice of Fallbrook, it’s a great time to remember and be thankful for all this town has given and continues to give us.

A rich history. Fallbrook goes back to the mid-1800s and we still have several of the original historic buildings to show for it, like the Palomares House, Reche School House and soon we will have Railroad Heritage Park to further pay homage to our roots. If you’ve never done it, stop by the Heritage Center to learn about more of our town’s quaint history.

Modern amenities. Not only do we have these interesting roots and rural setting amongst vineyards and avocado groves, but we have just enough modern amenities to continue to feel like we’re part of the southern California crowd. Grocery stores, family-owned restaurants, a private air park, golf courses, mom-and-pop wineries, parks and good schools – we’ve got everything we need right here without the overdevelopment and congestion our neighbors often complain about.

Coastal climate. It really is amazing that we can be 18 miles from the coast, yet enjoy coastal eddy fog banks in the mornings, fresh afternoon breezes and overall mild temperatures throughout the year. Sure, summers get warm, but that happens along the coast as well. Most nighttime temps hover around 52 degrees, and we have an average rainfall of approximately 16 inches, more like 20 in the hills – not atypical for southern California. It makes our region ‘ripe’ for avocados (of course), wine grapes, strawberries, lemons and limes, tomatoes – and now people are even getting into coffee beans! All in our little 44 square mile area. And then there are our beloved native oak trees. Take a winding Sunday drive after the Avocado Festival down Live Oak Park Road to see just what we’re talking about. If that doesn’t make you want to swing by our office before you leave town, nothing will.

Anonymity. Since this is a place where you can pretty much hide out and get out of the limelight while still being able to get to major cities and airports quickly, Fallbrook has always been a magnet for celebrities, artists, musicians and the like. It’s a place where you wouldn’t expect to see Ringo Starr walking down the street, so chances are, even if he was, you wouldn’t notice would you? Famous film director Frank Capra once called Fallbrook home, and several others have and still do pop in and out of Fallbrook (gotta keep your eyes open…just when you least expect it).

Want more names? Of course you do! We all love a good celebrity, right? Fallbrook has been called home in the past and/or present to Rita Coolidge, Bill Murray, Huey Lewis, Duke Snider, John Wayne, Tony Hawk, Tom Selleck, Tori Spelling, Sandra Bullock, Jessie James, Ed Faulkner, Andre Agassi, Jason Mraz, Kris Kristofferson and most recently rumored, Johnny Depp. Yup, for real. There are more, but I’m running out of column space.

So, for all of you visiting Fallbrook this weekend for the Avocado Festival, take it all in. If you fall in love like the rest of us have and are thinking you might like your own little slice of heaven, call us here at Murphy & Murphy Southern California Realty. We’ve been here in town for 30 years – and have stayed for a reason or two!

Kim Murphy can be reached at [email protected] or (760) 415-9292 or at 130 N Main Avenue, in Fallbrook. Her broker license is #01229921, and she is on the board of directors for the California Association of Realtors.