Santa Barbara
From wooded hills and magnificent estates to the laid back beaches, Santa Barbara’s renowned beauty is more than skin deep. Active, community-minded residents have shaped this metropolitan area into a well-rounded, multifaceted gem of a place for the discriminating person to live and work, many who are convinced they live in paradise.
Known as “The American Riviera,” the mix of so many cultures and people with world travel under their belts makes for an exciting mix of life. Opportunities abound in Santa Barbara to enjoy a life tailored to families as well as the individual’s needs. There is quality shopping, over 400 fine restaurants, numerous cultural activities, countless active outdoor pursuits, top educational institutions such as the University of California, and a small local airport to shoot you off to wherever you may need to go…while counting the days until you return. Yes, the climate here is wonderful.
Early on, Santa Barbara’s soothing climate provided a prime stomping ground for the Chumash Indians. They were followed by the Portuguese, Spaniards and Franciscans, who later left their stamp with the beautiful Mission Santa Ines in Solvang, La Purisma Mission State Historic Park in Lompoc (one of the most complete and authentic missions standing) and the Queen of the Missions, Mission Santa Barbara. Mexico stepped in for 24 years before Colonel John Fremont crowned Santa Barbara a U.S. territory in 1846.
In the early 1900s, Santa Barbara became the film capital of the world before the motion picture industry centralized in Hollywood. Morethan 1,200 movies (mostly Westerns) were made in a 10-year span and Santa Barbara became a favorite retreat for such legendary film stars as Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin.
The area soon evolved into a haven for wealthy Easterners and a hot spot for health-seekers lured by the city’s curing mineral baths. At the turn of the century, luxury rail cars turned out the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Carnegies and Duponts, followed by an artistic swell of painters, poets and authors.
Today, Santa Barbara proper is home to some 95,000 residents and still exudes the warmth and relaxation of a small city, coupled with the major attractions of a metropolis. Many of the buildings, homes and estates built in Santa Barbara have a Spanish-Mediterranean architecture and are located anywhere from the relaxed pristine coastline to the foothills.
Pedestrian-friendly with roughly 76 designated historic landmarks, an impressive line-up of performing arts venues, museums, galleries and restaurants, the area is an excellent vacation destination, especially from the California hubs of Los Angeles (92 miles south) and San Francisco (332 miles north).
Santa Barbara’s unique neighborhoods vary in size, topography and real estate values, all with their own unique characteristics.
If you are interested in real estate here in Santa Barbara, Montecito and our surrounding areas, as well as any other aspects of life here, please don’t hesitate to contact Kevin Schmidtchen at Sotheby’s Int’l Realty.
Read About: Santa Barbara’s Oceanfront Areas
Search: Properties in Santa Barbara
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Read: Testimonials
View: Map of Santa Barbara Area
Read About Individual Santa Barbara Neighborhoods and Schools:
Downtown, The Mesa, The Westside, Mission Canyon, San Roque, Samarkand,
The Riviera, The Upper East, Campanil Hill and Yankee Farm, The Oceanfront
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Dreaming of Ocean View Homes and Estates in the Santa Barbara and Montecito CA Areas!!
July 28th, 2008 Categories: Campanil Hill Neighborhood, Carpinteria, Hope Ranch, Luxury Real Estate, Mission Canyon Neighborhood, Montecito, Santa Barbara, Summerland, The Mesa Neighborhood, The Oceanfront Areas, The Riviera Neighborhood
Santa Barbara with OCEAN VIEWS!!!
Some of the most prized real estate to be found here in the Santa Barbara and Montecito areas is the abundant ocean and island view homes and estates that exist. With numerous hills and bluff tops throughout the town, the back drop of the Santa Ynez Mountains and the gorgeous coast line and local islands that stretch out to the horizon, it is no wonder that ocean view homes are extremely desirable in our area.
With so much varied terrain, I have tried to outline below the many options when looking for a property with an ocean view.
Montecito- Full of beauty, history and grandeur, Montecito, approximately eight square miles of hidden neighborhoods and expansive estates, has been the destination of choice for celebrities and millionaires for over one hundred years. Montecito offers an unhurried pace of life, breathtaking scenery and two very quaint shopping and dining “villages” that make locals feel that even the trip a few miles east to Santa Barbara is a small journey. Montecito has numerous hills but mainly slopes gently away from the ocean up towards our local mountains. Because of this gentle slope and the abundance of mature growth, I would estimate that 1 out of 5 homes in Montecito are ocean view homes where as most all homes have a wonderful private setting and views of the local Santa Ynez Mountains. Montecito Real Estate values range from $ 2 Million to $30 Million and above with ocean view homes starting at around $5 Million.
The Riviera- Bridging the two mile span which separates Mission and Sycamore Canyons, the sylvan uplift which the padres knew as the “mission ridge” has for the past 65 years been known as “The Riviera” due to its resemblance to slopes along the Mediterranean coasts of France and Italy. Probably 2 out of 3 homes on The Riviera boast wonderful coastline and island views. For many, this is one of the mos
t prominent locations when looking for a ocean view home. The Riviera Real Estate values range from $ 900,000 to $ 8 million, with ocean view homes and estates starting at around $ 1.5 Million.
Hope Ranch - This wonderful area has an abundance of lush and gently rolling hills hosting approximately 700 homes, most of them luxurious Hope Ranch estates with gorgeous landscaped grounds. Many of these estates sit perched on these low hills that provide expansive views of both the Santa Ynez Mountains and The Pacific Ocean. Hope Ranch Real Estate values range from $2.5 Million to $30 Million, with ocean view homes starting at around $5 Million.
Campanil Hill and Yankee Farm area- Located on the sea-cliff just outside the boundaries of Hope Ranch, Campanil Hill and Yankee Farm 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 just outside the gates of Hope Ranch. The Campanil Hill and Yankee Farm Real Estate values range from $ 1.7 million to $ 6 Million, with ocean view homes starting at around $2.5 Million.
Summerland- Summerland is a rather relaxed, tiny, hillside community snuggled on the coast between Carpinteria and Montecito with breathtaking ocean and island views. Summerland Real Estate values range from $1 Million to $15 Million, with ocean view homes starting at around $1.3 Million.
The Santa Barbara and Goleta Foothills - The beautiful mountains that sit as our local backdrop stretching roughly 15 miles from Goleta to Santa Barbara have abundant view properties. Each canyon has its own distinct name and price range of homes, with many sitting on wonderful perches with ocean and island views. Real Estate values in The Foothills range from $1 Million to $8 Million, with ocean view homes starting at around $1.3 Million.
The Mesa - Half of The Mesa is relatively flat while the other half sits on a hillside (a smaller and less steep version of The Riviera neighborhood). Many view homes on The Mesa have dramatic prominent views of the ocean and islands because of the close proximity to the ocean. Real Estate values on The Mesa range from $900,000 to $6 Million, with ocean view homes starting at around $1.2 Million.
The Oceanfront- This pretty much goes without saying. The lucky few that live directly along the coastline and oceanfront here in the Santa Barbara area enjoy a gorgeous ocean front presence. Roughly half the oceanfront homes sit directly onto the sand while the other half sit on bluff tops ranging from roughly 20ft - 80ft above the beach. Oceanfront Real Estate values range from $3 Million to $35 Million.
View a sample list of current ocean view homes and estates from $1 to $5 Million
View a sample list of current ocean view homes and estates from $5 to 10 Million
View a sample list of current ocean view homes and estates from $10 Million and above
Please contact me if you would like a sample list of past sales of ocean view homes as well as if you would like to be set up with personal listings of ocean view homes.
Further Reading: The Secret of Santa Barbara and Montecito Oceanfront Property and Estates, The Luxury of Santa Barbara and Montecito Oceanfront
Kevin Schmidtchen - 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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Are $5 Gas prices effecting Santa Barbara CA Realtors and/or their clients?
July 4th, 2008 Categories: Real Estate News, Santa Barbara
Everyone has been talking about the continuing rise in gas prices we have experienced here in the first 6 months of 2008. If you are not one of us, then you are on a wonderful extended vacation somewhere abroad…hope you are having a great time!!!
In California, with our higher taxes on gas and higher costs of producing cleaner fuel, we see some of the highest prices in the entire country. So where does this put Realtors here in the Santa Barbara area who depend on their vehicles every day as part of their job to look at the inventory and to drive clients around.
Additionally, what are potential buyers thinking with regards to these higher prices?
Here are some observations that I have noticed here in 2008.
1) Carpooling - More and more I am seeing 2, 3 and even 4 Realtors sharing a car to go “caravanning” to look at the new inventory that comes out every week. This is obviously a good thing and will continue as far as I can see.
2) Combining Trips - Realtors seem to be combining trips a lot more than the past. Dropping off that document to an agent in Montecito on Tuesday can wait until Wednesday when Montecito’s caravan takes place. I also hear Realtors talking about combining errands and not making that drive for just one particular errand. Personally, I fit in this category a lot these days and just think it is smart.
3) Staying Local - Santa Barbara Real Estate Agents who were working with buyers and/or sellers on property in the extended areas such as Ventura or Lompoc are deciding to refer this business out. Additionally, buyers that were contemplating commuting from these extended areas are looking harder at their options to live local. You can search the Internet these days and find several articles talking about these specific economics.
4) Real Buyers - Santa Barbara Realtors are not just hopping in the car with a buyer they don’t know much about. Most experienced agents are “qualifying” their buyers a lot more to try and determine whether this will lead to a sale or just a lot of waisted time and waisted costly gas.
5) The Ego Car - More and more hybrids and smaller cars are showing up at the office instead of the BMW’s and Lexus’ etc. The Prius in and of itself has seemed to pop up a lot more. I myself am looking to purchase a new car here in the coming year and my wife and I are looking at all options with most of them being a smaller more fuel efficient car.
What you can Do ??- If you are in the market right now for real estate and yourself do not want to be driving around all over to look at property, I would recommend spending a lot of time doing research online to look at property. You can sign up here to look at all new listings that meet only your specific needs such as price, beds, baths, area etc. Additionally, you can search the entire Santa Barbara MLS if you are wanting to simply browse the entire market on your own. If you are wanting to know about past sales to study the specific market you are hoping to purchase or sell in, contact me and I can send you a list. Good luck!!!
Kevin Schmidtchen - 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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5 Ways to Increase the Chances of Selling Your Santa Barbara Home in Today’s Market
June 17th, 2008 Categories: Santa Barbara, Seller's Resources
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 your area then you need to create a buzz. If you end up not getting an offer in the first 2-3 weeks and you feel that it is because of price, do a large price reduction instead of setting out on a path of baby steps in price reductions.
2) Use a qualified realtor. Doing things on your own such as a FSBO is very hard in a slower market. You will have to work a lot harder than you can imagine to market your home these days. Also, hire a Realtor with some experience and not someone who just got into the business. You should use an agent with a track record in a slower market.
3) Stage your home to sell. Get rid of clutter, pictures of grandparents and your latest trip to the sea and sand. Create glam and a focal point in each room. Paint your home with a fresh coat and choose neutral colors as well as spacious colors.
4) Offer incentives for the buyer. We know about all the issues with financing these days. There are also plenty of horror stories for well qualified people. Make your home more affordable for a first-time buyer with offering to pay all closing costs for example. A $3,000 hit at close of escrow looks a lot nicer than no one knocking on the door and then having to contemplate a $35,000 price reduction.
5) If you are under water on your mortgage, look for options. If a family issue or a job is compelling you to move, you don’t have a ton of options. If it is a job for example, then ask your new employer to help with your loan and sale. Another option is to become a landlord. Our rental market in Santa Barbara is strong and maybe the best option is to wait out the slump as a landlord.
Further Reading: Do Open Houses Work in the Santa Barbara and Montecito Areas, 5 Crucial Tips to Have Your Santa Barbara Home Ready for Sale in a Slow Market
Kevin Schmidtchen - 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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Need Baby and Toddler Equipment on Your Next Santa Barbara CA Vacation?
May 28th, 2008 Categories: Montecito, Rentals / Vacation Rentals, Santa Barbara
Are you planning a vacation or visit here soon to the Santa Barbara and Montecito CA areas and are worried about all the items you have to haul. Why not Relax and let Santa Barbara Baby Company help you take care of the family.
Santa Barbara Baby Company offers premium brand rental equipment and supplies. Their service is designed to help parents enjoy their visit to the Santa Barbara area. Start your vacation by traveling with the luxury of minimized baggage. From infants to toddlers, they’ll make your stay in Santa Barbara more enjoyable. Free delivery of baby and toddler rental gear to Santa Barbara, Montecito, Goleta, Summerland and Carpinteria areas.
Why Rent?
Traveling with a child or children can be a challenging experience. Baby equipment is not tailored for the nuances of travel and often becomes cumbersome and bulky luggage.
For those on flights, airlines often require you to pay surcharges for extra luggage – especially on international flights. In addition, excessive luggage creates a longer check-in process, and more baggage to manage, in addition to your child. Loose equipment checked onto flights can lead to damage or loss. Claims with airlines are tedious to file and rarely cover the actual damage or loss.
Start your vacation by traveling with the luxury of minimized baggage. Arrive at your destination with all the amenities you need to make your vacation with your child more enjoyable!
Kevin Schmidtchen - 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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5 Reasons I Should Buy Into Santa Barbara Real Estate Today!!
May 26th, 2008 Categories: Buyer's Resources, First-time Home Buyers, Santa Barbara
Many true buyers are sitting on the sidelines these days deciding on when to get into the real estate market. Ultimately this decision for each individual will be based on many different factors. If your own personal reasons are leading to you wanting to get into the Santa Barbara Real Estate market right now, here are 5 factors today that should be a part of your thoughts.
1) You can not time the bottom of the market. Timing the bottom of the market is incredibly hard to do and often harder to resist. With current inventory at a decent amount and mortgage rates very low, find a perfect place with your Realtor and then try and bargain. Even if the selling price seems to be very good, offer lower…if it is not accepted you can move on.
2) Low mortgage rates. Most economists agree that financing will become more expensive in the future. By now we have all heard our share of stories about financing woes even for well qualified people. Currently, the 30 year loan is now roughly at 6.1% and most economists see it reaching 6.5% by the end of the year and up to a 7% forecast sometime in 2009. So even if home prices do fall some more, there will most likely be a penalty to pay with higher interest rates.
3) Rates on “larger conforming mortgages”, which is almost a given for most buyers in the Santa Barbara area, won’t be dropping much. Even though the conforming amount has risen to $729,000 in the Santa Barbara area, investors are shunning these big jumbo loans. Because of this, these larger loans are unlikely to see a drop in rates in the coming year and then the program for these “jumbo conforming” loan amounts are set to all disappear.
4) Don’t just by for a cheap price, buy in a good area. Sure you might get excited about that great foreclosure price, but when you are buying a home, you are also buying the neighborhood. If more than a few foreclosures have come up in one area, there most likely will be more. They tend to be bunched in particular areas and this might not be the best recipe for stability in a neighborhood. An old rule of thumb is to buy the worst house on the best block…not the worst house on a bad block.
5) Work with a great Realtor that has experience and who you personally have a good connection with. This I think just needs to be accepted since times are tough for many Realtors. Make sure your Realtor is not desperate and just steering you into a home to finally make a deal. Sit down with your agent, express your needs and plans and get a good sense of whether they are looking out for you or just looking to get paid.
Further Reading: The Positives of FHA Loans here in Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria areas, The 2 Major First Steps in Buying a Home in the Santa Barbara area
Kevin Schmidtchen - 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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Cort Report for Santa Barbara, Montecito, Goleta and Carpinteria CA. Areas - April 2008
May 20th, 2008 Categories: Carpinteria, Goleta, Market Statistics / Updates, Montecito, Santa Barbara
Here is the Santa Barbara cort report for closed sales for the month of April 2008. The cort report lists all closed sales of property regardless of whether they were reported in the Santa Barbara MLS or not. This includes for sale by owners, transfers of property between family members etc. Upwards of 95+ % of all sales are reported in the MLS, where as 100% are reported in the cort report.
If you would like further info about a certain month or area, please let me know so that I can be of help.
Kevin Schmidtchen - 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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Home Schooling Options for Santa Barbara Families
May 12th, 2008 Categories: Santa Barbara, School Information
Impacted by the recent budget cuts in funding for our local schools, Santa Barbara announced plans this week to hold informational meetings for families that are interested in home schooling. Colby Frazier, from The Santa Barbara Daily Sound, wrote an informative article this week if you would like more information about the exact plans the school district has for home schooling in the Santa Barbara area.
Kevin Schmidtchen - 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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