Daily Business Report — Nov. 17, 2010

STARS OF SAN DIEGO

SD METRO will identify 25 Movers to Watch in 2011 in our January issue and you are invited to submit nominations through Dec. 2. You’ll find a nomination form on our Website (sandiegometro.com). Tell us why you think your nominee will make outstanding contributions in his or her chosen field or community next year and accomplishments so far.

Home Sales in County Plummet

Home sales in San Diego County plummeted dramatically in October compared to the same period last year — a 25.1 percent decline — according to MDA DataQuick of San Diego, a real estate information service. October home sales in the county totaled 2,750 compared to 3,671 sales in October 2009.

The median home price rose by 2.9 percent year-over-year, from $325,000 in October 2009 to $334,500 last month.

Southern California Outlook

MDA DataQuick said Southern California home sales dropped in October to their lowest level in three years amid doubts about the drawn-out market recovery, tight mortgage lending policies and expired government incentives. The median price paid for a home rose on a year-over-year basis for the 11th consecutive A total of 16,744 new and resale homes sold in San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange counties last month. That was down 7.4 percent from 18,091 in September, and down 24.3 percent from 22,132 for October 2009.

“In addition to a lousy economy, the housing market still has a couple of nasty bottlenecks it has to contend with. First, sales of newly-built homes are at a low, mostly because builders can’t build at a low enough price to compete with the inventory of resale homes, many of which are short sales or foreclosures,” said John Walsh, MDA DataQuick president. “Also, lenders still haven’t opened the mortgage money spigot for buying move-up and prestige properties. These properties have come down in value by about half as much as entry-level homes. But trying to finance a higher-end purchase can be a real grind, even for well-qualified buyers with a 20 percent down payment,” he said.

The median price paid for a Southland home was $283,000 in October. That was down 4.2 percent from $295,500 in September, and up 1.1 percent from $280,000 for October 2009. The 1.1 percent annual gain was the lowest since the median began rising year-over-year last December. The last time the median was lower than October’s $283,000 was in February this year, when it was $275,000.

Petco Park and Wakeland Housing Honored by Governor

The Padres’ Petco Park and Wakeland Housing and Development Corp. are among 13 companies and organizations in the state receiving the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award. Recipients were selected for their outstanding environmental leadership by voluntarily working to conserve the state’s natural resources, improve the environment and contribute to the economy. “California’s long history of environmental leadership is due in large part to the companies and organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to preserving and protecting our natural resources,” said Gov. Schwarzenegger. “I applaud this year’s honorees for their extraordinary leadership, innovative solutions and strategic investments to protect our environment and boost our economy.”

Petco Park was singled out for diverting roughly 575 tons of materials from landfills and reducing costs by $65,000 by reducing trash hauling fees. The ballpark composts food scraps, provide a universal waste drop-off center and provide daily service to the park in natural gas vehicles.

Wakeland Housing and Development Corp. was honored for its Los Vecinos Apartments, which are the most efficient LEED Platinum affordable housing, multi-family development in Chula Vista that features zero-energy homes with 100 percent solar use and saves more than 1 million gallons of water annually. The development saves tenants $700-$1,100 annually in utility costs, according to the governor’s citation.

New Border Patrol Offices Under Construction

KMA Architecture & Engineering was retained by The Ross Group for design of the new U.S. Border Patrol administration office at the San Clemente checkpoint off of Interstate 5 — a project that is now under way and scheduled for completion in the summer of 2011. The 14,000-square-foot, one-story building is being constructed on a hillside, requiring extensive excavation as well as the construction of retaining walls to provide a flat area for the building. The KMA team consists of Jim Belmont, Antonio Bernardo, Don Blair, Jen Gagne, John Hilgeman, Jay Janda and Alison Warren. KMA is also providing mechanical engineering services. Other services are provided by: Burkett & Wong, Wimer Yamada Caughey, Marino Design Consulting, Geocon Inc., Geotechnical Engineering, AON and DTR Consulting Services.

Balestreri Pendleton & Potocki Adds 3 Associates

Attorneys Danielle S. Ward, Jackson Isaacs and Jamie Moriyama have joined the law firm of  Balestreri Pendleton & Potocki as associates.Ward’s practice includes representing owners, developers and contractors in a variety of construction litigation and transactional matters. Ward received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and her law degree from California Western School of Law. Isaacs focuses his practice in the representation of developers, general contractors and property owners in business litigation and complex civil litigation matters.  He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law. Moriyama practices civil litigation as well as consults with clients on improving risk management procedures. Moriyama received her bachelor’s from UCLA and her law degree from the Southwestern University School of Law.

Med Device & Diagnostics Expo Set for Nov. 18

BIOCOM’s 2010 Med Device & Diagnostics Expo on Nov. 18 in La Jolla will feature stem cell extraction, drug delivery using wireless technology and the latest medical scanning and vision systems. Fifteen companies will display the latest in their work in technology at the expo, to be held at 11099 N. Torrey Pines Road. They include ACI Medical, Cortechs Labs, Cytori Therapeutics, Epinex Diagnostics, Integrated Rx Solutions, Lerner Medical Devices, Medipacs, Mobile IV Systems, Naviscan, ResMed, RF Surgical Systems, Ridge Diagnostics, TouchDx, Volcano Corp. and more. A panel of experts from industry and finance will judge the products, looking for excellence in areas such as technical and medical significance. Represented on this panel are Allied Intrade, Domain Associates, Okapi Venture Capital, San Diego Tech Coast Angels, Sharp Healthcare, Shepherd Ventures and West Wireless Health Institute. For the first time, the expo will include “Contract Alley,” an exhibition space featuring Southern California firms providing design and contract manufacturing services to the life sciences industry. Registration is available at biocom.org. The cost to attend is $20 for BIOCOM members and $50 for nonmembers.

Former Catcher Brad Ausmus Joints Padres Front Office

Former Major league catcher Brad Ausmus has joined the San Diego padres as special assistant to baseball operations. Ausmus was acquired by San Diego from the Colorado Rockies on July 26, 1993, and made his Major League debut with the Padres that year. During his time with San Diego, Ausmus hit .255 (246-for-964) with 18 home runs, 40 doubles, 83 RBI and 123 runs scored in 303 games played.  He ranks among the club’s all-time catchers in games played (fifth), hits (fourth) and stolen bases (second). Over parts of 18 Major League seasons with the Padres (1993-96), Detroit Tigers (1996, 1999-2000), Houston Astros (1997-98, 2001-07) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2009-10), Ausmus hit .251 (1579-for-6279) with 80 home runs, 270 doubles, 34 triples, 607 RBI, 718 runs scored and 102 stolen bases in 1,971 games played. He is a three-time Rawlings Gold Glove winner.

SCORE San Diego Small Business Workshops

• Nov. 19 – Internet Marketing 101 – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Point Loma Nazarene University in Mission Valley (4007 Camino del Rio South, San Diego 92108; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).

• Nov. 19 – QuickBook Basics for Non-Profits – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The San Diego Foundation – Liberty Station (2508 Historic Decatur Rd #200, San Diego 92106; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).

• Nov. 20 – Business Plan 201: How to Write a Business Plan – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Point Loma Nazarene University in Mission Valley (4007 Camino del Rio South, San Diego 92108; pre-paid registration $99, $109 at the door).

• Nov. 22 – Good Governance for Non-Profits – 9 to 11:30 a.m. at The San Diego Foundation – Liberty Station (2508 Historic Decatur Rd #200, San Diego 92106; pre-paid registration $39, $49 at the door).

• Nov. 22 – Restaurant 101 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Point Loma Nazarene University in Mission Valley (4007 Camino del Rio South, San Diego 92108; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door).

• Nov. 23 – Internet Marketing 201: SEO – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Point Loma Nazarene University in Mission Valley (4007 Camino del Rio South, San Diego 92108; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).

• Nov. 23 – Business Basics 101 – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; FREE! Please pre-register).

• Nov. 30 – Tax Considerations for Small Business – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; pre-paid registration $29, $39 at the door).

The Daily Business Report is produced by REP Publishing Inc., publisher of San Diego Metropolitan Magazine, the North Park News, Kensington News and the West Coast Craftsman. (619) 906-4104.