Mar 6th	Santa Barbara Real Estate Gets Wish Granted from the FHA
2008	Categories: Buyer's Resources & Advice

After a fair amount of backlash and letter writing, the government this week raised the mortgage limits for loans guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration in several high cost California counties, including Santa Barbara.  The maximum amount of $729,750 will now be allowed for the Santa Barbara area and only time will tell what effect this will have on the housing market here.  For many residents here in the Santa Barbara area where the average price of a single family home is over $ 1 Million, this will allow homeowners with high-rate sub-prime mortgages to refinance into federally insured loans.  Additionally, it... Read more

Tags: FHA Loans, jumbo loans santa barbara, maximum amount, maximum level, Santa Barbara, santa barbara real estate, subprime mortgages

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Mar 5th	Search The Santa Barbara Area MLS…and More!!
2008	Categories: Buyer's Resources & Advice, Santa Barbara, Seller's Resources & Advice

Question- What has been the biggest change in Real Estate in the last few years (outside of the sub-prime fallout)? Answer -  The amount of real estate information that buyers and sellers can gather on their own by going online. A few years ago, the standard features for a Realtor were to simply have a static website with contact info, some pictures of a few properties, offerings of a CMA and some links to various "resources".  Buyers had to start the early process of their search by contacting a Realtor and asking a bunch of questions...Today, buyers and sellers want to be equipped with more... Read more

Tags: real estate information, santa barbara area listings, santa barbara area mls, santa barbara real estate, search santa barbara mls

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Mar 3rd	Santa Barbara CA Neighborhoods – Samarkand
2008	Categories: Samarkand Neighborhood

Samarkand- Santa Barbara Samarkand meant "the land of heart's desire" in the archaic Persian tongue. It identified the fabulous Asian city where a mythical Queen Scheherazade spent her 1001 Arabian nights. In Santa Barbara, the melodic oriental name was first applied in 1920 to a deluxe Persian style hotel, formerly a boy's school. As the dominating landmark of a hilly, elevated neighborhood, the Samarkand gave its name to an area bounded on the east by Oak Park, on the north by Hollister Avenue (now De La Vina Street), on the west by a ranch boundary fence centered on modern Las Positas... Read more

Tags: samarkand, samarkand real estate, samarkand schools, santa barbara neighborhoods, santa barbara real estate

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Feb 25th	California State and Regional Home Sales and Price Information for 2007
2008	Categories: Market Statistics / Updates

  The C.A.R. (California Association of Realtor) today reported a snapshot of their statistical information for homes sales here in California for 2007.  From what I understand, most of this information is collected from a group of around 90 Realtor Associations statewide. Further Reading about Market Statistics and Updates 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 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... Read more

Tags: california regional home sales and price information, market statistics and updates for santa barbara, realtor, santa barbara area stats, santa barbara real estate

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Feb 22nd	Santa Barbara CA Neighborhoods – Mission Canyon
2008	Categories: Mission Canyon Neighborhood

Mission Canyon - Santa Barbara Mission Canyon, which with the Old Mission complex and the area bounded on the south by Mission Street, making up Santa Barbara's "Mission District," is unique. No residential neighborhood in the city boasts a richer historical background, or offers more relics and landmarks of Old Spanish Days Fr. Junipero Serra, when he helped found the Royal Presidio of Santa Barbara in 1782, intended Santa Barbara's Franciscan mission to be built in El Montecito near the present site of Our Lady of Mount Carmel church on East Valley Road. But four years later, when his successor, Fr. Fermin... Read more

Tags: mission canyon, mission canyon real estate, old mission, santa barbara area properties, santa barbara mission district, santa barbara mls, santa barbara neighborhood, santa barbara real estate

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Feb 20th	The Secret of the Santa Barbara Channel Islands
2008	Categories: Santa Barbara Local / Things to Do

Hop aboard Santa Barbara's The Condor Express, schedule a trip with Santa Barbara Adventure Company or hitch a ride on a local fishing boat...Good Luck!!  However you manage, schedule a trip out into the Santa Barbara Channel and the Channel Islands. One of the most scenic and enjoyable natural features of the Santa Barbara coastline is the local Santa Barbara Channel Islands.  Located approximately 25 miles from Santa Barbara, the islands provide you with a great experience each and every visit.  Unless you have your own boat though, you are pretty much sequestered to the 3 main Islands of Santa Cruz (the largest),... Read more

Tags: channel islands, Santa Barbara, santa barbara area mls, santa barbara area properties, santa barbara real estate

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Feb 15th	Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice, Your Online Real Estate Resource
2008	Categories: Buyer's Resources & Advice, Santa Barbara, Seller's Resources & Advice

Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice is an online resource for Santa Barbara Real Estate, Montecito Real Estate and the surrounding areas.  When you work with a real estate agent to sell or buy a home, it will in all likelihood be the first or second largest financial decision of your life!!  That is a very big decision.  With that in mind, Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice is here to help you with finding information for all your real estate related questions and needs for Santa Barbara, Montecito, Summerland, Goleta, Hope Ranch, Carpinteria and the Santa Barbara Wine Country. You can search the Santa Barbara... Read more

Tags: Carpinteria, Goleta, Hope Ranch, market statistics, market updates, montecito real estate, neighborhood info, santa barbara area listings, santa barbara area mls, santa barbara real estate, schools, Summerland

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