This summer, our amazing Youth Services team working out of Central created a new Summer Reading Program (SRP), making the most of reading at home and still providing lots of incentives and virtual programs for kids. Now you can get a library card for yourself and your family to use digital resources this summer while […]
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The burning question on everyone’s mind is, “When is the library going to open?” Currently, our book drops are open to accept returns on Mondays from 2:30-5:30 pm. We will be rolling out Sidewalk Service to check out holds at this location in early July. This service is currently available at the Central Library for […]
Lea másGeorge T. Chelini, Santa Barbara native and former director of the Santa Barbara Boys and Girls Clubs, passed away on June 17, one day short of his 89th birthday. George grew up just off Milpas on Alphonse Street; graduated in 1949 from Santa Barbara High School, where he played basketball and football; served with the […]
Lea másWater has historically been Montecito’s (and one of California’s) most critical and controversial issues. We hope you’ve found helpful Nick Schou’s deep dive into the complicated nature of Montecito’s proposed “Water Sharing Agreement” or WSA, with Santa Barbara; and Montecito’s historical relationship to Santa Barbara’s desalination project and how the MWD has finally been able […]
Lea másNot Missing After All Nicholas Schou’s article in the 18-25 June 2020 edition of the Journal is a deeply flawed and misdirected screed against private wells disguised as an “investigation” of “Montecito’s Missing Water.” An alliterative headline to be sure, but missing? It may be unknown, but it hasn’t gone missing. At the outset, when […]
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Isolated from most of my historical resources, I am turning to the work of those who have come before me, most especially, my friend and mentor, the late Maria Herold, longtime volunteer curator of the Montecito Association History Committee. Maria’s passion for the history of Montecito led her to walk every street, knock on every […]
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Montecito Market Update Real estate transactions in Montecito have been steadily increasing over the last two months, reflecting an influx of out-of-town buyers flocking to purchase in the 93108 zip code since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown began mid-March. The last few weeks have been incredibly active, with 28 homes going into escrow in Montecito since […]
Lea másWe as consumers have plenty to talk about in our current environment. The world overall has shifted into a new existence with many changes affecting our personal, business, and political lives. The mortgage world is no exception. Since March, lenders have seen their pipelines swell with refinance business due to absurdly low interest rates, while […]
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One of the handful of go-to real estate agents for Montecito, Dan Encell has been studiously observing the ebb-and-flow of the crown jewel of Santa Barbara’s luxury housing market for more than three decades. He’s seen it all, but even Encell was surprised by the insistent ringing of his cell phone at a time when […]
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The answer this season in Montecito clearly is, “Don’t give up, dig in.” With winter’s rains nurturing a robust planting season, home gardeners, garden designers, and professionals have been eagerly cultivating throughout spring and into summer. Sheltering-in-place during COVID has only accelerated this trend. Drive around any corner, you’ll see raised beds or garden walls […]
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As we wrestle with the evolving ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, Santa Barbara’s commercial real estate world is learning how to conduct business at a distance, leaving previously on-site activities on the sidelines. MJ recently caught up with Santa Barbara native and real estate appraiser Greg Brashears to discuss navigating through a pandemic and all […]
Lea másGive Me My “Dumb” Stuff Back; I’m tired of Getting Narked Out by my Printer I love tech and wireless convenience as much as the next guy. In fact I used to enjoy going to people’s houses – okay, even real estate open houses – finding the Alexa and saying, “Hey Alexa, buy Les Firestein […]
Lea másTo say it has been an active spring in the Montecito Real Estate market would be an understatement. Without even taking into considering the recent, national challenges, and even when comparing to most 45+/- day periods, regardless of market conditions in recent years, it has been a good six weeks in the Montecito Real Estate […]
Lea másIt was March 2004 and I was pregnant with our first child when my husband and I bought our home here. We’d married nine months earlier at the San Ysidro Ranch and we would drive up for weekends, rue L.A.’s show biz culture and roam around Montecito, fantasizing about raising our kids in one of […]
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We grew up in and around Montecito. We were given so many opportunities to learn and explore and grow. This community invests so much in us, and we want to keep in touch to let you know how and what we’re doing. Mine is the first letter in a series of letters from Montecito Kids […]
Lea másThe Montecito Heat Index measures present demand for Montecito single-family homes. By focusing upon buyer contracts, rather than closed escrows which typically lag a month or longer from accepted contracts, the Heat Index provides a forward-looking indicator of both market strength and direction. At five distinct price points, we look at where value is most […]
Lea másDon’t let them fool you. All roads do not lead to Rome – at least, not anymore. But: there is always a close connection between any road and whatever travels on it. Most of our roads today began as animal tracks. Animals didn’t need motels, or scenic views. They bought no souvenirs, and never wrote […]
Lea másI’m confused. Prior to May 25, law enforcement officers, along with firefighters, doctors and nurses, were celebrated as America’s heroes for showing up as first responders when other workers were told to shelter-in-place. What has happened to unleash a flood of angry protestors with signs that read “Eat the rich. Hang Bankers”; “F*** Capitalism”; and […]
Lea másAfter over 25 hours of digging through the details of the San Ysidro Road Roundabout project, the Montecito Planning Commission approved the project last week in a 4-1 vote. Commissioner Susan Keller was the dissenting vote, saying the project, in her opinion, is not consistent with the Montecito Community Plan. The project has been an […]
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As we mark the end of the 2019/2020 school year and head into summer break, we want to honor the graduates of the Class of 2020, all of whom celebrated their commencements without the normal pomp and circumstance of a traditional graduation ceremony. Instead, our local high schools celebrated their seniors in unique ways: from […]
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