What Kind of Real Estate Does $1 Million and $2 Million Buy You In Santa Barbara and Montecito?

A few times a year I like to give updates on what you can expect for various price points in Santa Barbara and Montecito.  Over the last few years this has changed quite drastically as the market first went down and now has come back up at such a strong pace. Most homes today for example are worth on average about 20% more than they were just a year ago and so this leads to generally a decently different home.  In Santa Barbara, if you are at the $1 Million price point and you... Continue Reading >

What Are Home Prices in The Montecito Union School District Here in Montecito?

Unless you are sending your child to private school, the exact school district you purchase a home in is a major part of most families decision when buying real estate.  Here in Montecito CA., the biggest public school is Montecito Union and for most families they consider this a wonderful school.  Parents are very passionate about schools, so it is hard to compare exact pros and cons so I am not going to really talk about this here.  But if you are looking to buy a home in the Montecito... Continue Reading >

What Does $1 Million Buy in Today’s Very Strong Santa Barbara Real Estate Market?

Where is our real estate market today? We continue to see buyers very very comfortable with where the Santa Barbara real estate market is today.  Most reports and statistics are also showing that this very strong market is not just a tick here and there, but a market with "very strong legs".  We have now seen about 6-8 straight months of solid activity with homes selling quickly and prices very stable.  Here in Santa Barbara, we are now once again confronted with multiple offer situations on many homes, with some homes even seeing... Continue Reading >

Montecito CA. Real Estate Once Again Finds Itself in Top 10 Wealthiest Zip Codes in the U.S.

Once again, America's most expensive zip codes includes Montecito CA.  Coming in this year at #9, statistics show that the median home price here in Montecito to be at $3,099,000.  So far this year, the most expensive sale in Montecito was a dated, but clean ocean front home located at 1473 Edgecliff Lane that closed for $10,750,000.  Other significant sales were a brand new Mediterranean Estate with privacy and panoramic ocean views located at 1379 Oak Creek Canyon Road.  This wonderful Estate closed for $9,000,000.  Another gorgeous Italian Villa located... Continue Reading >

Low “Good Inventory” in The Heart of The Montecito Real Estate Market

Where is all the "Good Inventory" in Montecito?  This is what a lot of agents and their clients are asking themselves with regards to the guts of the Montecito Real Estate market right now.  These days the entry level price for getting into Montecito real estate is around $1.1 to $1.6 million.  There are a few lower priced homes that come on the market, but only here and there and often these are almost "tear downs" or smaller older homes on or right next to a busy section on East Valley Road etc. For most... Continue Reading >

Happy Homeowners Around the Miramar Hotel in Montecito?

The latest "New Miramar Hotel Plan" has been recently approved by the County this last week.  Current owner of the property, Rick Caruso went back to the board with a reduced size after getting approval from the Montecito Planning Commission earlier this year.  After hearing comments from the board and the community, Mr. Caruso essentially took the following steps...eliminated the tennis court, reduced the gross square feet of the project by 120,000, reduced the total rooms from 192 to 186 and agreed to have a maximum number of guests down... Continue Reading >

Montecito Real Estate Sales – First 6 Months of 2010

For the first 6 months of 2010, there were a total of 77 closed real estate sales in the Montecito area.  This is in comparison to only 55 closed sales in the first 6 months of 2009. Below I have broken down these closed sales into price points for comparison of the last 2 years and to see how our upper end real estate market has really started to stabilize and rebound here in Montecito in the last several months. First 6 Months Comparison 2009 vs. 2010 Sales up to $1,000,000 2009 - 6... Continue Reading >

A Recent History of the Median Price Point for Montecito Real Estate

Here is a quick glance over the last 30 years of the median price point for single family homes in the Montecito area. Further Reading: Median Sales Price East of State - Last 30 Years Hope Ranch CA Real Estate Home Sales Statistics - 2009 Montecito CA Real Estate Home Sales Statistics - 2009 Santa Barbara Market Statistics Santa Barbara Photo Tour Buyer's Resources for the Santa Barbara area Seller's Resources for the Santa Barbara area For information on Real Estate here in Santa Barbara, Montecito and/or our surrounding areas, as well as any other aspects of... Continue Reading >

Things to Do in Santa Barbara, California – Montecito and Shopping

Whether you are a local, in town visiting family and/or friends, or here on vacation in Santa Barbara, California, there is never a lack of activities and things to do in our wonderful seaside resort community.  Here below is the fourth installment in a series of articles that point out some of Santa Barbara's most prominent local attractions.  Some of these will be cultural, some dining, some active pursuits and some I am still deciding on.  This fourth installment will be focusing on... The Montecito Area and Shopping: Montecito has taken a huge accent into... Continue Reading >

Things to Do in Santa Barbara, California – The Waterfront

Whether you are a local, in town visiting family and/or friends, or here on vacation in Santa Barbara, California, there is never a lack of activities and things to do in our wonderful seaside resort community.  Here below is the third installment in a series of articles that point out some of Santa Barbara's most prominent local attractions.  Some of these will be cultural, some dining, some active pursuits and some I am still deciding on.  This third installment will be focusing on... Santa Barbara Waterfront: The Waterfront runs along the coastline from Leadbetter Beach... Continue Reading >

Things to Do in Santa Barbara, California – The Downtown Area

Whether you are a local, in town visiting family and/or friends, or here on vacation in Santa Barbara, California, there is never a lack of activities and things to do in our wonderful seaside resort community.  Starting today, I am going to write the first installment in a series of articles that point out some of Santa Barbara's most prominent local attractions.  Some of these will be cultural, some dining, some active pursuits and some I am still deciding on.  This first installment will be focusing on... Santa Barbara Downtown Attractions: The Downtown area... Continue Reading >

Any Decision on The Miramar Project in Montecito CA? Update August 4, 2008

Despite a marathon meeting last week, no decision has been made on the hottest topic in Montecito Real Estate...Will Mr. Caruso have his proposed plan for The Miramar project be approved.   For a complete story, Chris Meagher from The Independent, has the latest update and information on where the project stands. Further Reading: Real Estate Market Update for Montecito CA - First 6 Months 2008, Concerns Rise Again About the Proposed Development of the Miramar Hotel in Montecito CA., The Secret of Santa Barbara and Montecito Oceanfront Property and Estates View: Map of Miramar Hotel For information... Continue Reading >