Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice » The Mesa Neighborhood

2011 Santa Barbara Real Estate Market Update for The Monroe Elementary School District

kevinschmidtchen — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:29:06 +0000

The main areas of the Monroe Elementary School District encompass the neighborhoods of The Mesa, Campanil Hill and Yankee Farm and then stretches over and grabs a small swath of Downtown.

Monroe School Map - Santa Barbara

The Mesa area in Santa Barbara stretches from the Santa Barbara City College on the east and extends two and one-half miles to Arroyo Burro County Beach (or “Hendry’s/The Pit” to locals). The Mesa is an extremely desirable neighborhood and has often been voted the “Best Neighborhood” in a local paper’s poll.

The Mesa would be considered by most “a family neighborhood” although you get your mix of everyone it seems. Much of the housing on The Mesa consists of single family homes, but there are definitely numerous condo and apartment complexes as well as some scattered income properties (duplexes / triplexes).

On The Mesa the average price for a single family home tends to be between $700,000 and 1.1 million, but prices can easily go up to $2.5 million. So far this year (through the first week of December) there have been 33 Closed Sales on The Mesa area (in the Monroe School District) ranging in price from $525,000 to $1.55 million. Currently as of today there are 6 homes pending sale and 7 Active homes for sale in the Monroe School District on The Mesa. The active homes for sale range in price from $625,000 to $1,350,000.

The Campanil Hill area is located on the sea-cliff just outside the boundaries of Hope Ranch and is a gorgeous private feeling neighborhood filled with larger homes and estates. Most of these homes have expansive views of the ocean and Channel Islands and sit on nicely landscaped parcels of .5 acre to 6 acre lots. The entire area is relatively small and sits on a gently sloped hill.

In the Campanil Hill and Yankee Farm area the average price for a single family home tends to be between $1.1 million and $5 million. So far this year (through the first week of December) there have been 4 Closed Sales in The Campanil Hill area ranging in price from $1,485,000 to $4.85 million. Currently as of today there is 1 home pending sale and 3 Active homes for sale in the Monroe School District in The Campanil Hill area.

View: Current Active Real Estate Listings Monroe School District

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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.

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.

Very Nice Referral from Recent Client – Santa Barbara Real Estate, The Mesa

kevinschmidtchen — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:30:45 +0000

To whom it may concern :

“I, Robert Hay, wish to acknowledge the excellent service I received from Kevin Schmidtchen at Sotheby’s Realty. I have lived in either Montecito or Santa Barbara since 1954 and my family has or has had deep ties in businesses and in charities throughout the town. I wanted to sell my beautiful house at 104 Vista Del Mar Drive and after giving it a good try in the summer, and fall of 2010 I took it off the market. I remember years past how Kevin would send me updates on The Mesa real estate and he seemed on the ball so this spring of 2011 I decided to list my property with him. I wanted someone who was motivated, a hard worker, and smart. Kevin was all this and more.

I believe he listed my house a the right price and his photos and marketing strategy in my opinion were very good. We sold my home yesterday and I have to say working with Kevin has been a real pleasure. I isn’t so easy to sell a house these days and Kevin spent a lot time in explaining things to me and was very professional.

My friends and family are impressed and one close friend told me if he is going to list his house he would like to use Kevin. I wish Kevin lots of luck.”

Is San Roque a Better Place to Live than The Mesa Neighborhood?

kevinschmidtchen — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 17:37:05 +0000

What area would you choose in Santa Barbara…San Roque or the Mesa?

I pose this question simply because I seem to be asked this a few times a month. I think the obvious reason of this is that both areas are considered by most wonderful “neighborhood areas”. Additionally, much of the real estate values also seem to align with each other…so obviously buyers are looking in both areas. The average single family home in both areas tends to fall somewhere in the $750,000 to $1.3 million price point.

For many, the decision comes down to schools, proximity of the ocean vs. the mountains, being close to downtown and the style of homes in both areas.

With regards to schools, this is a tough question to answer as any parent seems to be pretty passionate when it comes to schooling decisions. So it is hard to give a “correct” answer on this. What I do know for sure is that in both San Roque and The Mesa, families seem to be very positive about the schools in both areas…Peabody for San Roque and Washington and Monroe for The Mesa.

With regards to the other elements that come into making a decision between both areas, I personally do not think you can loose as I personally very much like both areas.

With regards to The Mesa, you get the obvious feeling of being close to the ocean, the smell of the water, cooler weather on hot day, the location almost begging you to go for a walk/ run or simply get to the beach or the picturesque Shoreline Park.

With regards to San Roque, in general you get a lot more greenery and trees around your homes and on the streets, close access to the hiking trails in the local hills, proximity to all that upper State Street offers, warmer weather and a quick shot to downtown Santa Barbara.

With regards to housing, values are pretty much the same, but in San Roque you tend to find more of the Santa Barbara character style homes and older style homes than you find on The Mesa.

Anyhow…just some quick thoughts as I field this question often and simply wanted to share. I can go into much much more detail and thoughts on both, so you if you have questions, please let me know.

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.

How Much Does an Ocean View Home Cost in Santa Barbara CA?

kevinschmidtchen — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 16:48:46 +0000

There are many different reasons why we all choose to live here in Santa Barbara. Each and everyone one of them add up to a great quality of life. Among the most obvious are the medium sized town, the culture and arts, the restaurants, the weather, all the outdoor pursuits…you name. There are many wonderful realities of a life here on The American Riviera.

Although the beach and the ocean are never more than a few minutes away for all of us, some of us are blessed with having homes with wonderful ocean and island views. With all the different null tops around our town, there are also many different “ocean views.” Locals have become somewhat jaded with their opinions on what constitutes a “good ocean view”, and thus begs the question…How Much Does an Ocean View Home Cost here in Santa Barbara?

Generally speaking, the areas of town that have the most legitimate ocean views are The Mesa, The Riviera, Montecito, Hope Ranch and Summerland. There are pockets of ocean view homes everywhere, but these are the main areas with an abundance of ocean view property.

On The Mesa you are generally looking at a starting point of around $900,000 to find an ocean view home with the bulk ranging from around $1,000,000 to $1,300,000. On The Mesa you can easily go up to $2 million for a great ocean view home as well as $3 million for a bluff top ocean view home.

Santa Barbara - The Mesa Ocean View

On The Riviera you are generally looking at a starting point of around $1,000,000 million for an ocean view home with the bulk of ocean view homes from around $1,200,000 to $2,000,000. The high end ocean view homes on the Riviera generally fall into the $1,700,000 to $3,500,000 price point.

Santa Barbara - Riviera Ocean View

In both Montecito and Hope Ranch, you are generally looking at at least $1,700,000 for a starting point for an ocean view home and at this price point it will be a fixer. A quality ocean view home in both these areas will start at around $2,200,000 with the bulk of “good ocean view” homes going much higher.

In Summerland most all of the homes are ocean view homes. Prices generally start at around $600,000 for a fixer ocean view home with the bulk of these being around $800,000 to $1,500,000. The biggest issue with Summerland is that most homes have some freeway noise.

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.

What is the Pulse of Real Esate Here on The Mesa in Santa Barbara?

kevinschmidtchen — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:21:31 +0000

How is the real estate market in The Mesa Neighborhood here in Santa Barbara CA?

Here is a good overall update for The Mesa Neighborhood here in the last 12 months.

Current Inventory

As of today there are a total of 18 Active Listings for Sale on The Mesa ranging from $499,000 to $3.95 million. Of these 18 listings, 3 are condos and 15 are single family homes.
As of today there are a total of 6 Pending Sales ranging from $720,000 to $1.2 million. Of these 6 listings, all are single family homes.
In the last 12 months there have been a total of 72 sales on The Mesa. The highest priced sale on The Mesa in the last 12 months was a beautiful 4 bed 2 bath, Mid-Century Contemporary home located on the Bluff top at 2547 Medcliff. The sales price was $3,175,000. The lowest priced sale in the last 12 months was a complete fixer single family home located at 1109 Las Olas Avenue. The sales price was $400,000.

Overall in the last 12 months, the real estate market on The Mesa has heald relatively stable with maybe a drop of around 3-5%. The Mesa continues to have the appeal here in Santa Barbara of being one of the “quintessential family neighborhoods” with very desirable schools and the average cost of a 3 bed 2 bath 1500 single family home being priced around $800,000 to $1.3 million. Right now each year The Mesa always tends to sell well. With our warm beautiful beach weather and clear skies to the islands, the allure is there. The Mesa market from February til July is seemingly always strong.

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New Mesa Rental Available in Santa Barbara!! January 2011, $4,000 per Month

kevinschmidtchen — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 17:26:48 +0000

Harbor Hills area single-level home on the top of the Mesa. Spectacular views of the ocean, coastline, mountains & city from this newly remodeled 3/2 + sun room home! Features kitchen with Viking appliances, wood floors throughout, new mechanical, roof & landscape. Open floor plan & easy indoor, outdoor living. Santa Barbara living at its best! Washington school district!

Available: Jan 2011 for long term lease.
Asking: $4,000 per month
View: Map of Property

A Recent History of the Median Sales Price for Santa Barbara Real Estate – West of State

kevinschmidtchen — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 04:06:54 +0000

Here is a quick glance over the last 30 years of the median sales price for single family homes for Santa Barbara Real Estate – West of State.

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Recent Client Testimonial for a Home on The Mesa here in Santa Barbara CA.

kevinschmidtchen — Mon, 17 May 2010 17:47:58 +0000

I just received a very nice recent testimonial here from a client that just purchased a home here on The Mesa in Santa Barbara.

“We recently had the pleasure of working with Kevin Schmidtchen to purchase our home in Santa Barbara. Kevin is extremely knowledgeable, helpful, professional and fun to work with through every step of the home buying process. His service standards, personalized communication style, attention to detail and follow up, are outstanding and exceeded our expectations on every level. His in depth knowledge of the area, market, history, and trends, are outstanding. Without hesitation or reservation, we would wholeheartedly recommend Kevin as a first rate professional. One of the best in the business anywhere, world class.”

–Alan and Jennifer

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The Top 10 Best Real Estate Buys on The Mesa in Santa Barbara CA – last 6 months

kevinschmidtchen — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:33:44 +0000

Over the last 6 months our real estate market here in Santa Barbara CA has become fairly stable, especially in the price points from around $500,000 up to around $1 to 1.5 million and also in desirable neighborhoods such as The Mesa. Over the last few months we have even been seeing a decent amount of multiple offers on well priced homes. Here is what I have seen as the best buys on The Mesa over the last 6 months based on sales price and/or quality of home.

–sorted by sales price

1114 CLIFF DR SANTA BARBARA, CA 93109 Sales Price $683,000. 3/2 Mesa home with tons of potential & some views of the ocean. Sits high above the street, with attached 2-car garage. This home features nice wood floors, fireplace in living room and formal dining room. The back yard has some fruit trees & is just waiting for a new buyer to bring their green thumb. Very close to the beach & in Washington school district.
212 MOHAWK RD SANTA BARBARA, CA 93109 Sales Price $727,500. Bank Owned. Cottage, wood shutters, alder doors, and more. Tree lined street… a short distance to Mesa Lane Beach, Lazy Acres and Douglas Preserve.
740 FLORA VISTA DR, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93109 Sales Price $729,900. Westwood Hills diamond in the rough. Large room sizes. Great floor plan with several possibilities. Orange & Lemon trees, garden area and peeks of the ocean from the back yard.
402 LA MARINA, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93109 Sales Price $750,000. Bright & airy, refinished hardwood floors, new interior & exterior paint, new window coverings, new tile counter top & floor in small bath. Fireplace in living room…Very charming!
344 LA MARINA DR, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93109 Sales Price $785,000. This 1951 built Mesa home was originally a three bedroom and now ”legally” converted to a four bedroom 2 bath home. Fresh paint and numerous upgrades, and a peak of the ocean. Close to ocean, schools and downtown. Currently vacant with lock box ready to go.
1417 SAN MIGUEL AVE, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93109 Sales Price $810,000. Estate Sale. A chance to own a piece of the Mesa for under $750K. Cosmetic fixer with peeks of the ocean. Separate permitted garage conversion with separate entrance, one bed, LR and bath, plus a 2 car garage. Tons of storage, full laundry room, fireplace, smooth ceilings. All on .24 acre with avocado and orange tree.
138 SAN CLEMENTE ST, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93109 Sales Price $830,000. Wonderful and immaculate Mesa home close to Shoreline Park and the beach. First time on the market and a real gem of a property with fireplace in the living room, room for dining table, private backyard complete with a charming gazebo.
137 SAN CLEMENTE, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93109 Sales Price $835,000. One block from Shoreline Park and the sparkling Pacific Ocean sits this charming Mesa home with three bedrooms, one bathroom, 2-car garage and a bright sunny backyard with several fruit trees. The home appears to have good bones and is a great candidate for a remodel. Turn this into you dream home, the location is superb.
1538 CLIFF DR, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93109 Sales Price $970,000. Amazing quality, superb custom architectural features, with ocean views and a rooftop terrace! Bright spacious open floor plan, Great Room with a stunning 22ft clerestory ceiling, Brazilian cherry wood floors, granite gourmet kitchen, Turkish tile bathrooms, 3 patios, 5 sets of exterior French doors. Ideal location just a short distance to the beach, Mesa shopping, downtown, Hwy 101.
1330 SAN JULIAN PL, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93109 Sales Price $1,200,000. Stunning three bedroom and two bath ‘Beach Contemporary’ designed by local architect Michael Holliday, formerly of “Design Arc Studios. Custom teak cabinetry, “top-of-the-line” stainless appliances, elevated ceilings & numerous custom appointments. Extremely quiet, low traffic location within moments to beach access and Shoreline Park.

If you would like to talk about any of these listings in detail, The Mesa Neighborhood or anything regarding real estate here in Santa Barbara, please be in contact.

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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Santa Barbara Real Estate Home Sales Statistics – The Mesa Neighborhood Year End 2009

kevinschmidtchen — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:54:13 +0000

Year to date, there were a total of 63 closed sales of single family homes and condos in The Mesa Neighborhood here in Santa Barbara CA. As of December 29th, 2009, there were 5 properties on The Mesa that were pending sale (under contract).

The lowest sale on The Mesa was a bank owned 2 bed 2 bath condo located at 50 Barranca Avenue #6, Santa Barbara CA., 93109. The sales price was $395,000.

The highest sale on The Mesa was an ocean view home located at 1538 La Cresta Circle, Santa Barbara CA., 93109. The sales price was $1,852,500.

Overall, the market on The Mesa was fairly normal as far as activity the entire year. Currently there is a decent amount of demand for good valued homes in this area and buyers that are waiting for this new good inventory to come on the market.

If you would like a more complete update on The Mesa market, specific information about the general neighborhood and/or any other areas within Santa Barbara, Montecito, Carpinteria, Goleta, Hope Ranch, Summerland, and/or The Santa Ynez Valley, please feel free to contact me.

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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