Tom is Fourth Generation Encinitas, CA. Peggy was born in International Falls, Minnesota and moved to Oceanside, CA when she was 3. We both graduated from San Dieguito High School in Encinitas. The funny part of our story is that we re-met at our 10 year High School Class Reunion, fell in love and married. Peggy brought to the marriage her 5-year-old a son, Marc. December 2015 we celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary with our sons, daughters in law and 4 grandkids ages 12, 10, 7 and 5. Oh, and we have an amazing cocker poodle mix named Fergie that was a rescue from Camp Pendleton Marine Base.

Tom earned his bachelor and master’s degrees in Biology at San Diego State University. While in college and for a few years after Tom made many field trips to northern Baja California by land and by sea. Life’s twist and turns have taken Tom from teaching, to contracting, expert witness work, and nonprofit management. Currently Tom is following in the footsteps of his great grandfather who was one of the first Realtors in Encinitas.

After high school Peggy’s adventurous side took her to Hawaii for two years and then to NYC for a year where she worked at the Physics Institute. Peggy put her life lessons to good use and was a founder of TransWorld Skateboarding and Snowboarding Magazines. She retired in 2002 as VP of consumer marketing for TransWorld Media.

We have had the good fortune to travel extensively. We have visited Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada, Tahiti, the Caribbean by cruise ship, England, Scotland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, and Kenya.

Peggy Cozens purchased this house in 2013

Growing up in Encinitas was an amazing gift. The beach, town, and my elementary school were all an easy walk or bike ride from my home. My grandparents lived just above Coast Hwy 101 in the home built by my great-great grandfather. Peggy moved from Oceanside to Encinitas while in high school. She lived on Briggs Avenue with an ocean view and a 5-minute walk to town. A local sports park was named after father, Leo Mullen. Leo's passion for youth sports was legendary. Life twice took both of us away from Encinitas and finally brought us back home. The economic reality of starting a life together took us to Vista and then Carlsbad for nearly 37 years. During this time away the goal of living where we could walk to our home town crystalized. We knew the property would need some income potential to make this dream come true. And, we hoped to design and build our forever home. In 2013 the ideal property came on the market. It was a large lot with a funky old 1940's 860 SF block house. We out bid 13 other buyers and closed escrow early August. We started work to make the home livable for us. This was no small challenge as we were living in nearly 4,000 SF. We sold our Carlsbad home, put most of our belongings in storage and starting living our dream. A little over two years later we moved into our dream home. The next phase was to completely gut the old block home and turn it into a charming cottage with all the modern amenities. We relied on our extensive travel experience to create a place that would be a retreat. We tried to include all the little details that we found ourselves wanting so many times when we were traveling. We could have opted for a long term rental, but we believe owning and operating a vacation rental will lead to many new friendships.

Besides the attention to detail to insure your stay is a good one Cottonwood Casita has much to offer. Tops on the list is location. You can easily walk to public transit, a jewel of a public library with a panoramic ocean view, Moonlight beach, several great restaurants and coffee houses, and some great shopping and night life. Your path to old Encinitas runs through neighboring Cottonwood Creek Park. Look for the quote from Tom’s great grandmother, Annie Cozens, on the walkway between the playground and bathrooms. Bring your binoculars as the park is a haven for birds. Speaking of birds, San Elijo Lagoon preserve is about 10 minutes away. When relaxing at the cottage try out the two-person swing hanging from the pepper tree. Practice your yoga or martial arts in the studio that is just for your use. Enjoy the large patio. The Wi-Fi signal is strong and secure. The full size laundry with ironing board and iron are perfect for longer stays. There are two beach chairs, towels, an umbrella, cooler, and a wagon to haul it all to the beach. There is a nearly new pack and play and a few toys for your baby or young child. There is also a single airbed and a cot is available on request.