Last Friday, I took a guided tour of a charming abode hidden at the end of a long and curving driveway on East Mountain Road. Located just a block away from the San Ysidro Trailhead, the property included an historical guest cottage (believed to have once belonged to Priscilla Presley), and a home office above […]
It goes without saying that the last few weeks have been a tumultuous time for everyone, and the global pandemic and associated social distancing and quarantines have had far reaching consequences for nearly every type of trade or commerce. The local real estate market in Santa Barbara and Montecito is no exception; here’s what’s happening […]
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2018 and 2019 saw solid years for sales in the $10,000,000+ range. In 2019 there were 10 homes that sold over $10,000,000 in the Montecito, 93108 zip code, and 14 over $10,000,000 if you include homes sold in the Padaro Lane area. In 2018 there were seven sales in Montecito over the $10,000,000 price point. […]
The 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. It also shows us at five price-points where value is most recognized […]
As we move further into the New Year, we are seeing new homes come on the market, as well as listings that had expired at the end of last year and are coming back on. Inventory is generally low right now, but not far off averages for past years overall. Additionally, many of the homes […]
When a seller lists their home for sale the most important question that must be answered is, at what price to offer the property. While some go with a flat number, say five or eight million, most agents and sellers might offer a home for just a bit less, perhaps to entice, to catch people […]
In what was 2019’s largest residential real estate transaction in Santa Barbara County, filmmaker George Lucas closed escrow on a two-acre property adjacent to his existing property on Padaro Lane in December. The $28M off-market deal was sold by listing agent Susan Pate of Compass, with SB Brokers’ Troy Hoidal representing the buyer, according to […]
Whether one moves to Montecito for the weather, the beaches, or the Santa Barbara lifestyle, one thing we as Realtors know is that most buyers, if they can afford it, either must have, want, or would like to have an ocean view. When suggesting a home a client might like, the question that follows is […]
Housing trends change with some regularity, although perhaps not as frequently as fashion trends change. Housing style trends can take longer to shift as changing the style or look of a home is a very costly undertaking. Maybe that is why we tend to refer to housing styles in terms of eras, other than type […]
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Over time, or sometimes when a new listing hits, a specific listing or a smaller group of properties can stand out as what agents might collectively see as good buys or, Best Buys. This is not a term meant to imply that a property for sale is necessarily “cheap,” but perhaps by my definition, it […]
Montecito continues to enjoy a healthy real estate market, with sales up 22% over last year; 131 homes and condos have sold so far this year, compared to 107 by the end of August in 2018. By this time in 2017, prior to the Thomas Fire and debris flow, we were at 149 sales. Looking […]
In the past half dozen or so articles we have worked our way across Montecito, looking at different neighborhoods and homes for sale within these pockets. We have covered areas such as western Montecito’s edge on the border with Santa Barbara, the Cold Spring School area, the now-open-again, San Ysidro Ranch and Montecito Union School […]
As we head into the last quarter of the year, it is interesting to look back at where we have been and then forward to what lies ahead. Back in November, hardly a long time ago, most forecasters believed that mortgage rates would rise to 5% or higher this year. Don’t laugh. At the end […]
In August, the Old Firehouse building at 1486 East Valley Road in Montecito was purchased by an unnamed investor with ties to the Santa Barbara area. The property was listed for $16 million, and closed for $13,000,000. Francois DeJohn, Kristopher Roth, and Caitlin McCahill Hensel of Hayes Commercial Group represented all parties in the transaction. The 6,357 square-foot […]
