Oct 29th	7 Great Reasons to Buy a Santa Barbara Home Now!!
2010	Categories: Buyer's Resources & Advice, Santa Barbara

1) You Can Get a Great Deal These Days. Try and play hardball as we are still in a buyer's market.   We are also currently a few years into the biggest housing bust that most any of us have seen and prices here in the Santa Barbara area have come down about 30%-35% on average from their peak....roughly to 2002 and 2003 levels.  Yes, it is mixed and certain areas have declined only 20-25% while others are down 40%.  Will prices fall further here in the Santa Barbara area?  This is the obvious question and the answer is yes,... Read more

Tags: buy santa barbara home, santa barbara affordability, santa barbara home

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Aug 6th	Santa Barbara Homes For Sale with a Good Walk Score!!
2008	Categories: Buyer's Resources & Advice, Green Housing & Living

$100...$120...$140...$160...Who knows where we will be with the price of oil here in the coming future.  One this is for certain, this first 7 months of 2008 has really gotten the attention of everyone when it comes to the increased cost of commodities, oil, gas and overall living.  Changes in lifestyle are happening quickly...and transportation is at or near the top of everyone's list. Just in these first 7 months of 2008, the highways have seemed a little more empty, hybrids are more prevalent, bike sales are up and people are starting to reassess where they are living.  This leads me to a great site that I... Read more

Tags: santa barbara home, santa barbara homes for sale, santa barbara real estate, walk montecito ca, walk santa barbara ca, walking in montecito ca, walking in santa barbara ca

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Jun 17th	5 Ways to Increase the Chances of Selling Your Santa Barbara Home in Today’s Market
2008	Categories: Santa Barbara, Seller's Resources & Advice

If you are in a situation where you need to think about selling your Santa Barbara home in today's market, here are 5 rules I think that could be of help. 1) Be honest with your price.  The most common mistake in a down market is to set your price based on yesterday's market.  Generally the first batch of buyers you get in the first 10 days will tend to pay the best price.  If you don't attract any of them, you are potentially in for a long haul with a slower market.  If there is a lot of inventory in... Read more

Tags: qualified santa barbara realtor, santa barbara home, santa barbara market today, selling your santa barbara home

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Feb 22nd	How Green is Your Santa Barbara Home…and Realtor?
2008	Categories: Green Housing & Living

As the Santa Barbara real estate market has slowed in the last 18 months, it makes sense that some Realtors are trying to stand out with niche marketing efforts.  One of these niches seems to be Realtors marketing themselves as eco-friendly and green.  While I am 100% supportive for anyone with an eye on environmentally conscious action (real estate or otherwise), make sure your Realtor is not using "basic green talk" as cursory knowledge of green building simply as a marketing ploy in a tougher market.  Again, I loudly applaud any Realtor that is going out of their way to learn about solar, energy-efficient appliances, geo-thermal pumps,... Read more

Tags: earth friendly design, eco-friendly, energy efficient appliances, green, green building, non-toxic paint, realtor, santa barbara home, santa barbara real estate market

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Feb 18th	Plan for your Santa Barbara Remodel Now, so that you don’t go Crazy Later
2008	Categories: Buyer's Resources & Advice, Seller's Resources & Advice

Many of us have heard our share of drama stories and even read articles about the drama involved with many Santa Barbara home remodels.  Whether it is a simple kitchen make-over or a complete addition to your Santa Barbara home, here is a quick planning strategy to hopefully save you wasted time, energy and money. Start with a wish list, even if this will have to be dwindled down in the future.  This is surely one of the most fun activities in the entire remodelling process, so have a great time and get creative.  Keep all of your notes, drawings and cut-outs... Read more

Tags: building codes santa barbara, contractor, permitting process santa barbara, realtor, remodel, Santa Barbara, santa barbara home, santa barbara remodel

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Dec 27th	5 Crucial Tips to have your Santa Barbara Home Ready for Sale in a Slow Market
2007	Categories: Santa Barbara, Seller's Resources & Advice

When times are good, getting top dollar is not a problem for most Santa Barbara sellers. In fact, many buyers prefer the home to look more on the shabby side since they feel this appearance will be represented in a lower asking price. Now with many sellers having an extremely difficult time getting top dollar, owners can take some critical steps in improving their chances of getting a good offer. 1) Curb Appeal for your Santa Barbara Home: Just like that special someone you meet for the first time, first impressions are extremely important. If you want to sell your home for as... Read more

Tags: homes, Santa Barbara, santa barbara home, sellers

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