Frequently asked questions.
Common questions about working with a Coronado real estate agent and broker, and what makes Coronado Shores its own kind of market.
Who are the best real estate agents in Coronado, CA?
Ryan and Ara Koubeserian of The Koubeserian Group are the definitive experts on the Coronado Shores and throughout Coronado — a father-and-son team of Coronado real estate agents and brokers with over 75 years of combined experience. Ara's connection to the community dates back to 1982, when he began working in the Coronado Shores sales office, and from 2005 to 2017 he owned and operated the Coronado Shores Company. That depth of local history is difficult for any other agent in the market to match. They specialize in coastal living and the Coronado Shores.
Do you specialize in Coronado Shores real estate?
Yes. The Koubeserian Group are undeniably the Coronado Shores specialists. Ara's tenure in the Coronado Shores sales office began in 1982 under the mentorship of Richard Maitland, from whom he acquired the Coronado Shores Company in 2005 — Maitland had led re-sales at the Shores after the original developer, Jerome Snyder, completed the initial sale-out. Running that brokerage until 2017 gave Ara an unmatched understanding of the community's ten towers, HOA structures, and individual unit histories. Ryan has grown up living and breathing the Coronado Shores—it's been part of his life since childhood. We bring that same expertise to every Coronado Shores buyer and seller we represent today, and together the team has broken numerous sales records across the community.
Who is the best Coronado Cays realtor?
Ryan and Ara Koubeserian of The Koubeserian Group represent buyers and sellers throughout Coronado Cays alongside their core Coronado Shores and Coronado Village business. Their decades of experience navigating Coronado's HOA structures, waterfront property nuances, and local escrow process carry directly over to Coronado Cays' gated, dock-front homes, giving Cays sellers and buyers the same depth of local knowledge and five-star client service the team is known for island-wide.
Who is the best Coronado Bayfront realtor?
Ryan and Ara Koubeserian of The Koubeserian Group represent buyers and sellers at Coronado Point and The Landing, the gated condominium communities that make up Coronado Bayfront at the Coronado Ferry Landing, alongside their core Coronado Shores, Village, and Cays business. The same HOA, condo, and local escrow experience that guides clients through those communities carries directly over to Coronado Point and The Landing's gated, waterfront buildings.
Where can I find Coronado homes for sale?
Our full active and recently sold inventory is at thekoubeseriangroup.com/listings, covering Coronado Village, Coronado Shores, Coronado Cays, and Coronado Bayfront. Reach out directly and we'll walk you through what's currently available or coming soon, including off-market opportunities.
Where can I find Coronado Cays homes for sale?
Current Coronado Cays listings, HOA dues information, and village-by-village floor plans are at thekoubeseriangroup.com/coronado-cays. Ryan and Ara Koubeserian represent buyers and sellers across all ten Cays villages.
Where can I find Coronado Bayfront homes for sale?
Current listings and building details for Coronado Point and The Landing — the two gated condominium buildings that make up Coronado Bayfront at the Ferry Landing — are at thekoubeseriangroup.com/coronado-bayfront.
What areas does The Koubeserian Group serve?
We represent buyers and sellers throughout Coronado, California — including Coronado Village, Coronado Shores, Coronado Cays, and Coronado Bayfront (Coronado Point and The Landing) — as well as coastal communities across San Diego County, including La Jolla, Imperial Beach, and Downtown San Diego.
What is the difference between Coronado Village, Coronado Shores, and Coronado Cays?
Coronado Village is the historic downtown core of Coronado, known for its walkable streets, single-family homes, and the Hotel del Coronado. Coronado Shores is a collection of ten condominium towers on the southern end of the island, each with its own HOA. Not every tower is oceanfront — some sit directly on the sand and others a row back, which materially affects both view and price. Coronado Cays is a gated, waterfront community built around private boat docks and canals near the Coronado Bridge. Each area has distinct pricing, HOA considerations, and buyer profiles — we can walk you through which fits your goals.
How long have Ryan and Ara Koubeserian been in real estate?
Ara Koubeserian has been active in Coronado real estate since 1982, the year Ryan was born. Ryan Koubeserian joined him professionally in 2006, and together they founded The Koubeserian Group in 2017, building on Ara's decades-long foundation in the Coronado Shores market and across Coronado.
What brokerage is The Koubeserian Group affiliated with?
The Koubeserian Group operates under The Coronado Shores Company (DRE# 00658736). Ryan holds DRE# 01738738 and Ara holds DRE# 00454510.
Do you work with both buyers and sellers?
Yes. We represent both buyers and sellers across Coronado and coastal San Diego County, and we're happy to provide a no-obligation home valuation if you're considering selling.
Do Ryan and Ara Koubeserian handle 1031 exchanges in Coronado?
Yes. Ryan and Ara Koubeserian are 1031 exchange specialists. A 1031 exchange — named for Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code — lets an owner sell an investment property and defer capital gains tax by reinvesting the proceeds into like-kind investment real estate, on a strict clock: 45 days from the sale closing to formally identify replacement properties, and 180 days to close on one (or your tax filing deadline for that year, whichever comes first). The proceeds must go through a qualified intermediary rather than to you. We represent both halves of that trade — selling the relinquished property and sourcing the replacement — and coordinate with your qualified intermediary, CPA, and escrow so the deadlines hold. Coronado is a frequent destination for exchange buyers rotating out of higher-maintenance investment property elsewhere in California, and Coronado Shores oceanfront condominiums in particular tend to work well as replacement property. We are real estate brokers, not tax advisors: confirm the tax treatment of any exchange with your CPA or attorney before committing.
Can I use a VA loan at the Coronado Shores?
Sometimes — and the answer depends on the tower, not on the Coronado Shores as a whole. This is the detail that trips up most military buyers here. VA condominium approval is granted to a condominium association, and the Coronado Shores is ten separate associations, one per tower, each with its own board and its own governing documents. So a building being "at the Coronado Shores" tells you nothing about whether a VA loan can be written on it. One tower can be approved while the tower next door is not, and approvals can be added or lapse over time. Before you write an offer with VA financing, the specific association has to be checked against the VA's current approved list — the Department of Veterans Affairs publishes a condominium report search for exactly this. Given how much of Coronado's market is Navy, this is worth confirming before you fall in love with a unit rather than after. Ask us and we will check the tower you are considering.
Why does condo approval work tower by tower at the Coronado Shores?
Because the Coronado Shores is not one condominium — it is ten. La Playa, La Sierra, Cabrillo, La Princesa, Las Palmas, Las Flores, La Perla, El Encanto, El Mirador, and El Camino are each their own condominium association, with separate boards, separate reserves, separate dues schedules, and separate governing documents. Lender approvals of every kind — VA, FHA, and a lender's own project review — are made at the association level. That is also why monthly dues, insurance, and any special assessment differ from one tower to the next even though the buildings share the grounds, pools, and tennis courts. Treating the Shores as a single project is the most common mistake buyers and out-of-area agents make here.
What is the Mills Act, and how does it affect Coronado property taxes?
The Mills Act is a California program that lets a city contract with the owner of a designated historic property: the owner preserves and maintains it, and in exchange the county reassesses it on a different basis, reducing property tax. In Coronado, owners of designated Historic Resources in residential zones can apply, and more than 150 properties are under an agreement today. The reduction is capped in the range of 40 to 50 percent and depends on assessed value. The catch most write-ups leave out is that the savings are calculated against assessment, so an owner already holding a low Proposition 13 basis may see little or no benefit — the same agreement can be worth a great deal to a buyer paying today's price and almost nothing to the seller who has owned the home for thirty years. Confirm any figure with the City and your own CPA; we are brokers, not tax advisors.
Does a Mills Act agreement transfer when a Coronado home is sold?
Yes. The agreement is recorded against the property, runs ten years, and stays with the home when it changes hands — as do the obligations. The owner must keep the historic elements in good repair, and the property is inspected every five years. If you are buying a designated Coronado home, those terms are part of what you are buying, and the tax benefit you inherit is recalculated against your own assessed value rather than the seller's.
How does a Coronado home become a designated historic resource?
Designation runs through the City of Coronado's Historic Resource Commission, which hears nominations in public session. Review is triggered for structures 75 years or older when a project proposes removing or altering original features visible from the street. Many Coronado Village homes clear that age threshold, which is why designation and the Mills Act come up far more often in the Village than in the Coronado Shores or the Cays. The City's preservation staff can be reached at historic@coronado.ca.us.
How do I contact The Koubeserian Group?
You can reach us by phone at (619) 339-9736 or by email at koubeseriangroup@gmail.com. Our office is located at 1199 Orange Ave Ste. A, Third Floor, Coronado, CA 92118. You can also reach out directly through our contact page.
What are the ten towers at the Coronado Shores?
The Coronado Shores is made up of ten condominium towers on Avenida Del Mundo in Coronado, built between 1972 and 1979: La Playa (1710), La Sierra (1720), Cabrillo (1730), La Princesa (1750), Las Palmas (1760), Las Flores (1770), La Perla (1780), El Encanto (1810), El Mirador (1820), and El Camino (1830). Together they hold roughly 1,467 residences. Each tower is its own condominium association with its own dues schedule, board, and building manager, so costs and rules differ from building to building. We publish a page for every tower with its current units for sale, monthly HOA dues by floor plan, association contact, and building layout.
What is the Coronado Cays?
Coronado Cays is a gated, waterfront community built around a private marina, boat docks, and canals near the Coronado Bridge, distinct in character from both Coronado Village and the Coronado Shores towers. Construction began in 1969 and the developer turned the community over to the Coronado Cays Homeowners Association in 1972. It holds about 1,198 residences across ten named villages — Jamaica, Green Turtle Cay, Antigua, Bahama, Trinidad, Blue Anchor Cay, Kingston, Montego, Port Royale, and Mardi Gras — spanning custom waterfront estates, single-family homes, and condominiums, with more than 600 boat slips. Dues are tiered rather than flat: what a home pays depends on its village and property type.
What is Coronado Bayfront, and how is it different from the Shores?
Coronado Bayfront is the waterfront stretch of First Street at the Coronado Ferry Landing, made up of two gated condominium communities: Coronado Point (1101 1st Street, 80 units, four stories, built 1993) and The Landing (1099 1st Street, 92 units, four stories, built 1987). The key difference from the Coronado Shores is orientation and scale — Bayfront buildings face San Diego Bay and the downtown skyline rather than the ocean, and they are low-rise buildings of under 100 units rather than high-rise towers. Bayfront is also walkable to the ferry dock, Centennial Park, and the Ferry Landing Marketplace.