Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice » Goleta

2 Quick Strategies For Pricing Your Goleta and Carpinteria Home To Sell!!

kevinschmidtchen — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:51:28 +0000

Over the last 2 years in the Goleta and Carpinteria areas, a good amount of the real estate listings on the market have been either short sale or bank owned properties. Because of this, prices have continued to slowly drop since the peak in early 2007.

These days you can get a “good” family home in both areas for somewhere around the $500,000 to $700,000 price point. This is in stark comparison to 2006 when most of these homes were selling in the $875,000 to $1,050,000 range. If you are a seller of a non distressed home, you have added pressure in these areas of Santa Barbara to make your home stand out.

Here are 2 quick tips that can help in getting your home sold.

1. Price your home to be found amongst most real estate searches. When people are out looking for homes to buy, almost everyone has a budget and price point they are trying to stay in. Often people will be looking up to $600,000, or they might push it to $650,000. Therefore, if you have determined that your home is worth right around $600,000 +, make sure you price your home say around $595,000. This way the buyers that are looking up to $600,000 will not miss your home. If for instance you felt your home was worth $610,000 and priced it accordingly, you will most likely miss out on a lot of buyers up to $600,000 that would be happy to have your home.

2. Do not get super fancy with your asking price. As an agent, sometimes I see people pricing their homes at $787,775. To me and most people, this is a little crazy and brings attention to itself and the seller for no good reason at all. It is best to try and keep sellers as an afterthought for most buyers and to have potential clients focus on the home itself and the area. Why waste energy and bring so much attention to the asking price. Most often this will backfire. Price your home instead at $775,000 or $777,000. The goal is to showcase the home and not the seller or any quirky marketing messages.

Further Reading:

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For information on Real Estate here in Santa Barbara, Montecito and/or our surrounding areas, as well as any other aspects of life in our area, please don’t hesitate to contact Kevin Schmidtchen at Sotheby’s Int’l Realty.

Thank you for reading. I hope you find Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice informative. Please feel free to contact me or comment below with any thoughts.

Santa Barbara Real Estate – Goleta Real Estate Market Update June – October 2011

kevinschmidtchen — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:23:07 +0000

Here is a wrap up of the real estate market in the Goleta area from the summer months through til the end of October 2011. Normally this time of year sees a lot of activity in June and July, then slowing a little in August as many people are on vacation, sending kids off to school, paying bills from all the summer activities etc. Then in mid September through til about Thanksgiving we have a relatively strong real estate market on average.

Closed Sales in the Goleta Area

During these 5 months from June – October, Goleta had approximately 158 Closed sales of condos, town homes, PUD’s (planned unit developments) and single family homes. The lowest priced sale was $175,000 for a 1 bedroom 1 bath condo on Dearborn Place. The highest sale was $1,550,000 for a single level Mediterranean home in the gated community of Vintage Ranch.
Santa Barbara Homes - Vintage Ranch

Santa Barbara Homes - Vintage Ranch

Current Active Homes for Sale in Goleta

Currently as of November 1st, 2011, there are approximately 152 homes available for sale in the Goleta area. The lowest priced available homes for sale are condos ranging generally from around $175,000 to around $250,000. The highest priced homes tend to be properties with a lot of land and/or newer homes to ocean front homes such as the one currently listed for $2,550,000 located on the bluff top at 5289 Austin Road.

The City of Goleta is generally about a 5-7 minute drive to Santa Barbara. It is located north of Santa Barbara and close to the UC Santa Barbara campus.

View: All Current Active listings in Goleta in the Santa Barbara MLS

Further Reading:

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Thank you for reading. I hope you find Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice informative. Please feel free to contact me or comment below with any thoughts.

Goleta CA CORT Report Real Estate Sales August 2011

kevinschmidtchen — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:56:00 +0000

Here are the latest statistics for real estate sales in the Goleta area for August 2011. The shaded area with an ‘X’ states whether the property was a bank owned (REO) sale or not. Although bank owned foreclosures within Goleta get a lot of the news, the majority of sales are still traditional sales in the Goleta area. Additionally, most of the REO’s tend to be at the lower end of the price scale both within Goleta as well as throughout the Santa Barbara area.

Further Reading:

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Thank you for reading. I hope you find Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice informative. Please feel free to contact me or comment below with any thoughts.

Goleta, Summerland and Carpinteria CORT Report on Real Estate Market Price Changes

kevinschmidtchen — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:50:40 +0000

Here are some of the latest statistics for the CORT reports for real estate here in Goleta, Carpinteria and Summerland CA. These statistics give a quick overview of comparative price changes in the real estate market in the month of July for the last 8 years.

Further Reading:

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Thank you for reading. I hope you find Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice informative. Please feel free to contact me or comment below with any thoughts.

Most Significant Luxury Montecito and Santa Barbara Real Estate Sales in 2011…So Far

kevinschmidtchen — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:07:21 +0000

2011 has started off the year once again with the upper end of our market feeling fairly active. There seem to be a bunch of buyers looking around above the $3 million price point, with several homes going into escrow. So far in 2011, we have had our share of significant closed sales here in the upper end in Montecito, Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria.

Montecito Sales

770 San Ysidro Lane, Montecito CA 93108. Listed price $6,300,000. Sales price $5,650,000. This 6 bedroom / 8 bathrooms gated estate is located near San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito’s Golden Quadrangle. This stylish home lends itself to grand entertaining with the flow of indoor / outdoor spaces, highlighted by 2 pools and spacious lawns. Sophisticated, yet inviting, the home has high-end appliances & finishes, a family room and media room and a guest house.
361 Ortega Ridge Road, Montecito CA 93108. Listed price $6,950,000. Sales price $5,300,000. Enjoy expansive, panoramic views of the Montecito Valley, mountains & ocean. Set on 1.4+/- acres with beautiful gardens, swimming pool, pool house & tennis court. This distinctively designed 5700+/- sq. ft. home combines indoor/outdoor living and features, 6 bedrooms, 5 full baths, office/den, formal living and dining rooms, family room, wet bar, 3-car garage and much more.
339 Santa Rosa Lane, Montecito CA 93108. Listed price $4,995,000. Sales price $4,250,000. Extensive remodel on this extremely well located Montecito home in MUS district. Panoramic mountain views captured from almost every room. Everything redone including underground utilities. New hardwood floors, dual zone heat/air, 3 stone fireplaces, romantic master suite w/his/her baths, 3 other en suite bedrooms, guest house, gorgeous pool/spa with shade pavilion. Must see to appreciate.
786 Hot Springs Road, Montecito CA 93108. Listed price $5,650,000. Sales price $3,930,000. Captivating English Tudor estate is nestled on over 1½ lushly landscaped acres. Main home enjoys 4bd/4.5ba, library/den, gleaming kitchen opening to large terrace w/BBQ, lavish master suite. Also includes spacious pool house, sparkling pool/spa, ponds, tennis court, brick & stone patios, beautiful trees, extensive lawns, & wonderful mountain views. Outstanding detail & superb craftsmanship throughout!
1720 Glen Oaks Drive, Montecito CA 93108. Listed price $3,795,000. Sales price $3,600,000. Magnificent Mediterranean estate situated on 1 beautifully landscaped acre & features superior quality throughout! Extensively remodeled, boasting designer finishes, 4bd/4.5ba, 5 fireplaces, gourmet kitchen, formal living /dining room, family room, hardwood floors, cathedral beam ceilings. Also a large separate cottage, top-of-the-line outdoor kitchen, sparkling pool w/spa, & entertaining patios.

Santa Barbara and Hope Ranch Sales

440 Via Dichosa, Santa Barbara CA 93110. Listed price $7,950,000. Sales price $6,100,000. One of the very best in Hope Ranch, this approximately 9,000 sq. ft. residence — defined by understated elegance, quality and comfort — features construction and classic architecture that will stand the test of time. This spectacular home offers premium views of Laguna Blanca Lake, the mountains and Goleta Valley and hosts all the amenities you could ever imagine.
3475 Marina Drive, Santa Barbara CA 93110. Listed price $4,950,000. Sales price $4,825,000. Prominent Mediterranean Estate featuring unobstructed bluff-top ocean & island views from most rooms in this exquisitely crafted, single-story home. Completed in 2008, the thoughtfully designed spaces connect seamlessly to the private & lushly landscaped grounds to provide all of the elements most desired for today’s luxury coastal lifestyle.
1368 Via Veneto, Santa Barbara CA 93111. Listed price $3,495,000. Sales price $3,050,000. La Romana Estates… A Way of Life… Ever changing vistas of the Islands, coastline & Mountains provide the dramatic backdrop for this brand new Mediterranean estate. Located in a gated enclave of only 24 sites, this custom 5 bedroom, 5 bath home with 3 car garage features a splendid entry courtyard with fountain & a rooftop entertainment terrace w/330 degree views, fireplace & vertical valet.

Goleta and Hollister Ranch and Gaviota Sales

575 Refugio Road, Goleta CA 93117. Listed price $10,990,000. Sales price $10,000,000. Historic ‘Rancho Refugio’ Caldwell Ranch 449+Acres has a long history from the early 18th century. Located just north of Santa Barbara and has an abundant water supply from 15 existing water wells. Ideal setting for the income producing lemon and avocado orchards and for the 4 income residences. Main Ranch House with pool offers mountain and distant Pacific Ocean views.
111 Hollister Ranch Road, Goleta CA 93117. Listed price $6,000,000. Sales price $6,000,000. Rare parcel in Hollister Ranch with main house and barn guest quarters. Parcel 111 is in a prime location, just 8 minutes from the gate and 3 minutes to private beaches. The main house is just 3 yrs old, contemporary ranch style built with top quality construction and eco-friendly materials. Beautiful canyon views, open floor plan with indoor/outdoor living flow and wonderful pool area.

View: Current Real Estate Listings $ 3 Million to $7 Million

View: Current Real Estate Listings $ 7 Million and above

Further Reading:

Thank you for reading. I hope you find Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice informative. Please feel free to contact me or comment below with any thoughts.

For more information on Real Estate here in Santa Barbara, Montecito and/or our surrounding areas, as well as any other aspects of life in the Santa Barbara area, please don’t hesitate to contact Kevin Schmidtchen at Sotheby’s Int’l Realty.

Subscribe: To Receive Personal Listings of Santa Barbara Real Estate

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Santa Barbara Real Estate Cort Reports January 2011

kevinschmidtchen — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 20:53:59 +0000

Here are the latest CORT reports for the Santa Barbara real estate market for the areas of Hope Ranch, Goleta, Carpinteria and Summerland.

Further Reading:

Thank you for reading. I hope you find Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice informative. Please feel free to contact me or comment below with any thoughts.

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Goleta Real Estate 2010 Year End Sales – Single Family Homes Year End Stats

kevinschmidtchen — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:31:10 +0000

Here are the overall final year end statistics for single family homes sales in Goleta for 2010.

1) Overall there were a total of 252 Closed Sales (reported by the Santa Barbara & Goleta MLS) of single family homes.

2) These 252 sales are almost identical to 2009 where we had a total of 249 Closed Sales of single family homes in Goleta.

3) The lowest sale was a Short Sale fixer located at 97 Nectarine Avenue, Goleta, CA 93117 that sold for $270,000.

4) The highest sale was a 570 acre coastal ranch located at 1100 Refugio Road, Goleta, CA 93117 that sold for $7.3 Million.

5) As far as price points go, 59% of the sales in Goleta were below $750,000, 24% of the sales were from $750,000 to $1 million and 17% of sales were above the $1 million price point here in Goleta.

Further Reading:

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November 2010 Cort Reports Santa Barbara CA – Goleta, Carpinteria, Summerland

kevinschmidtchen — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:50:57 +0000

Here are the latest Cort reports for sales here in the Santa Barbara area for the month of November 2010 for Goleta, Carpinteria and Summerland.

Further Reading:

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Cash-In Refinancing for your Carpinteria, Goleta or Santa Barbara Area Home

kevinschmidtchen — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:31:18 +0000

Here is a great article by Tom Royce regarding Cash-In Refinancing. With interest rates as low as they currently are, this might be an option for a few people here in the Carpinteria, Goleta and Santa Barbara areas.

“If you are underwater on your present mortgage you probably think refinancing is insane. But with the low interest rates available for homeowners with good credit it may make sense.

What is Cash In Refinancing?

Cash in Refinancing is the cousin of cash out refinancing that was all the rage in the early part of the century. With cash out refinancing you would refinance your mortgage to get money out of it to spend on other things.

With cash in refinancing you reverse the trend. Typically done by people who are slightly upside down on their mortgage, those that are doing a cash in refinance of their mortgage bring money to the table in exchange for getting a much better rate on their mortgage and saving money in the long run.

Who Would Do This?

Surprisingly, according to a report from Freddie Mac, 18 percent of refinances done in the first quarter of 2010 were cash in’s. If you are planning on staying in your home for the long term, the math makes sense. Lowering your interest rate will more than pay back your re-investment into the home. This especially makes sense if you have money sitting in a low interest savings account or an investment that you want to liquidate.”

Further Reading:

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Are you an Ideal Candidate for a Short Sale here in Goleta CA?

kevinschmidtchen — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:57:50 +0000

Tips to Avoiding Foreclosure: Who is the Ideal Candidate for a Short Sale?

The reality for people that are unfortunately facing foreclosure is not something that is taken lightly. The prospect of not just losing your home, but dealing with all the emotional and financial realities that come with it can be more more than overwhelming.

Fortunately, certain people may be in a position to avoid this legal, financial, and emotional turmoil by going the route of a short sale.

Do you qualify to obtain relief through a short sale of your home?

Here are some of the qualifications a bank is looking for when determining whether you might be able to go the short sale route and get relief from your loan obligations.

Keys to what the banks are looking for are people who:

Have lost their job and are unable to obtain comparable employment.
Have serious long-term medical conditions that impact their current financial and future financial situation.
Have experienced a true family hardship.
Are required to care for a relative that has moved into their home.
Have not refinanced their original purchase loan.

Before you go the route of foreclosure and hobble your credit, find out if you are a candidate for a short sale by contacting the bank and asking the above questions.

If you have further questions and are looking for more concrete answers, please feel free to contact me. I will be happy to assist you in guiding you through the best course to take for your personal situation.

Further Reading:

Thank you for reading. I hope you find Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice informative. Please feel free to contact me or comment below with any thoughts.

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