Categories:
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Feb92023
WHAT MAKES A HOME A TROPHY HOME?
Trophy Homes Are the Crème de la Crème
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Jan132023
REAL ESTATE TERMS USED IN LISTING DESCRIPTIONS
Buyers, Be Aware
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Oct182022
THE KEYS TO SELLING LUXURY REAL ESTATE IN SANTA BARBARA
7 Tips to "Sold" in a Changing Market
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Oct142022
SANTA BARBARA BUCKET LIST
"The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams." - Oprah Winfrey
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Jul122022
SPOTLIGHT ON: THE SANTA BARBARA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Many of my clients ask me about Santa Barbara schools. Often, about the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD), the main public school district serving Santa Barbara
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Jul12022
SPOTLIGHT ON: EXCLUSIVE MONTECITO GATED COMMUNITIES
Montecito’s gated communities offer more than security and privacy. Residents find a sense of exclusivity and status -- making these luxury enclosed residential enclaves popular among the well-know and well-heeled. Plus, owning one is a wise investment especially when you consider that homes in gated communities often sell for a premium.
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Jun212022
TOP SANTA BARBARA REALTOR RECOGNIZED BY LEADING INDUSTRY PUBLICATION
The top Santa Barbara Realtor has garnered acclaim by the prestigious Thousand RealTrends + Tom Ferry International, ranking as the #6 Realtor in California and #23 in the nation based on sales data from 2021.
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Jun182022
SANTA BARBARA REAL ESTATE MARKET REVIEW: MAY 2022
When it comes to home values, the May 2022 Santa Barbara real estate review indicates the region has enjoyed a historic run over the course of the last decade.
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May162022
SANTA BARBARA REAL ESTATE MARKET REVIEW: MARCH 2022
We’re seeing more pressure on pricing in the Santa Barbara real estate market as we enter the second quarter of 2022. Due to that pressure, home prices are up across the board in our little slice of heaven, while inventory is still down.
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May162022
SANTA BARBARA REAL ESTATE MARKET REVIEW: APRIL 2022
The word “unprecedented” has become ubiquitous when describing the real estate market in Santa Barbara and across the nation as buyers continue to buy and sellers continue to sell. The market is not quite as frenetic as last spring and summer, but this is still an excellent time to list your home and buy that dream home you’ve always wanted.
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Apr292022
SANTA BARBARA WATER CONSERVATION: 7 WAYS HOMEOWNERS CAN HELP
As the California drought continues, WaterWise in Santa Barbara County has stepped up its efforts to promote Santa Barbara water conservation and awareness. That’s good news since Santa Barbara County has been one of 50 counties in the Golden State in a drought emergency since July 8, 2021.
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Mar312022
CRISTAL’S PICKS: SANTA BARBARA EVENTS IN APRIL 2022
Spring is a very special time in Santa Barbara, with our enticing outdoor adventures, delicious culinary experiences, inspiring cultural attractions, and unique Santa Barbara events in April.
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Mar182022
THE LAWS: CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE DISCLOSURES
Even in our current HOT real estate market, every California home seller, including my clients who contracted me to sell their Breathtaking Ocean View Montecito Retreat pictured above, must familiarize themselves with California real estate disclosures laws.
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Feb22022
ENNISBROOK: LUXURIOUS HOMES AND NOTEWORTHY PROVENANCE
In 1845, 356 acres of vacant land in the hills a few miles northeast of the Santa Barbara Presidio, dotted with native oaks and not much else, were granted to Nemecio Dominguez, a prominent Presidio soldier.
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Jan232022
Local Spotlight: Historic Ocean View Ranch
The new owners of Dos Pueblos, Santa Barbara County’s historic ocean view ranch, have big plans for the future that include restoration, education and research. The property, which was on the market for many years listed at $40 million, was finally picked up by the family of Roger Himovitz from the Schulte family who owned the property since 1977.
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Jan92022
Montecito Real Estate: A Look Back at the 2021 Market
As we welcome the new year, it seems like everyone’s asking the same question: what’s going to happen next with the Montecito real estate market? And for good reason.
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Dec202021
Ojai California: A Magical Mecca of Wellness and Wonder
As real estate buyers continue their search for the perfect home or home away from home, I’ve added a new hamlet to my portfolio of distinctive Santa Barbara area communities.
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Dec22021
Vacation Homes: Competition, Cash and Considerations
Today’s homebuyers are still in love with vacation homes. So much so that demand for vacation homes in the U.S. rose by 70% in October of 2021. And it looks like this trend will continue; solidified by work-from-home policies, preferences, and a desire to beat an expected interest-rate hike.
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Oct212021
Buying a Second Home? Or a Third? You’re Not Alone.
More Americans are buying a second home (or a third) these days, and they’re shopping in locations like Montecito. There are many reasons behind the trend that’s become more and more popular since the global Pandemic outbreak.
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Sep292021
The Art of Selling a Luxury Home: Secrets of A Top Realtor
If you’re considering selling a luxury home, keep in mind that sales are soaring. In fact, multi-million-dollar home sales surged by 88.2% year over year in the second quarter of 2021.
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Sep152021
Moving Tips: A Top Realtor’s Moving Checklist
The process of moving into a new home requires careful planning. To help out, I’ve put together this moving checklist with the top 8 moving tips I’ve come to recommend before and after my clients move into their new abodes.
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Jun182021
The Santa Barbara Real Estate Market Continues to Skyrocket
The Santa Barbara real estate market is continuing to surge, with prices soaring, even as more inventory hits the MLS. In May of 2021, Santa Barbara home sales shot up 61.3% compared to last year, selling for a median price of $1.8M.
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Apr212021
Attention Vacation Rental Owners (and Potential Owners)!
In the words of David Bowie and Mick Jagger, “the summer’s here and the time is right for dancing in the streets!” That sentiment couldn’t be truer right now for vacation rental owners in Santa Barbara and Montecito.
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Feb262021
A Luxury Realtor’s Homebuyer Guide to Property Easements
This comprehensive home buyer guide to property easements offers a comprehensive knowledge base for buyers to refer to prior to entering into escrow.
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Jan42021
The Smart House: More Valuable in Today’s Market?
By now, every homeowner should know about the importance of integrating smart house technology into their abode. After all, it’s technology that can make life easier and add value when the time comes to sell.
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Dec212020
Tips on Buying a Home During the Holidays
Most people cringe at the thought of buying a home during the holidays. Only the Grinch would want to pack up and move during the holiday season, right? Wrong.
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Aug42020
Santa Barbara Landscape Design: Complementing Your Home’s Architecture
From Spanish Colonial Revival homes and Victorian and Craftsman beauties, to mid-century modern and contemporary residences, Santa Barbara’s distinctive architecture is greatly enhanced by complementary landscape design.
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Jul172020
Buying a Santa Barbara Home During a Pandemic
As I stated in a previous blog post, the residential real estate luxury segment is leading the way in our economic recovery from COVID-19, especially here in Santa Barbara.
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Jul142020
7 Tips for Creating Your Own Safe Haven
What makes a happy home? A safe haven offering sanctuary from the storm, so to speak. It’s one that brings a smile to your face and a feeling of security even when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed.
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Jul72020
Preparing Your Santa Barbara Home For Sale
A few minor touch-ups can go a long way toward making a favorable impression on potential buyers — and perhaps cinching a deal.
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Mar112020
Selling a Montecito Home: A Few Things to Consider
If selling a Montecito home is at the top of your to-do list, then this blog is for you. Selling your home is hard. And emotional.
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Feb262020
Montecito: Best Place to Live in the Santa Barbara Area
Those of us who call Montecito home know it is one of the best places to live in California, the nation and maybe even the world.
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Apr32020
Santa Barbara and Montecito Landscape Design
An architectural style is a specific way a building was designed that is characterized by unique and notable qualities. Santa Barbara and Montecito landscape design styles include elements like form, method of construction, materials, and regional character.
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Apr162020
The Richness of Santa Barbara History
The founders of the City of Santa Barbara were among the first in the nation to realize the cultural and economic value of preserving historic buildings.
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Apr292020
Santa Barbara Housing Market: Home Prices in the Shadow of COVID-19
It seems like everyone is wondering how COVID-19 is affecting the U.S. housing market these days. Even with the widespread shelter-at-home orders and extreme unemployment numbers, a new report from real estate strategists UBS Wealth Management Americas, predicts U.S. home prices are likely to hold steady in 2020.
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May212020
Moving During the Pandemic: 7 Steps to Doing it Safely
Are you considering moving during the pandemic? In a recent blog, I shared my expertise about the Santa Barbara and Montecito housing market in the slowdown of COVID-19.
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Aug122020
The Santa Barbara Luxury Real Estate Market is Booming
A limited supply of available properties along the South Coast of Santa Barbara County are keeping home values higher than one might expect in the time of COVID-19.
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Dec272020
Housing Market Forecast: Predictions for 2021
There’s a lot to be optimistic about when it comes to the 2021 housing market forecast and predictions from the experts. Home sales, new construction and homeownership are expected to climb to record highs as mortgage rates remain historically low.
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Oct142020
Moving to a New Home: 6 Considerations for Families
Moving to a new home can be a fun and exciting time for a family. Whether you’re moving with children or aging parents, there are some important things to consider before you begin your search.
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Apr22021
The Sweet Spot for Luxury Homebuyers: Not Too Big, Not Too Small
As affluent Americans reconsider their priorities amid the pressures of COVID-19, a sweet spot has emerged for luxury homebuyers.
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Apr102021
The Home Inspection: What Every Buyer Needs to Know
For most buyers, a home inspection can be both reassuring and exhausting. It is possibly the first chance a buyer has to go inside the home after they have made an offer.
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May292021
How to Declutter Your Home: Tips From a Luxury Realtor
Decluttering your home is not a new concept, but how to declutter your home requires some careful thought and a bit of expertise. And a decluttered home isn’t simply good for avoiding embarrassment when guests arrive; its health benefits have become increasingly recognized.
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Aug212021
The 2021 Santa Barbara Real Estate Market : A Top Realtor’s View
The 2021 Santa Barbara real estate market continues, with experts seeing a major post-pandemic rebound. Steady mortgage rates and job recoveries, combined with the law of supply and demand are working together to make home sales surge.
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Oct32019
Real Estate Investing: Still the Best Choice Anyone Can Make
Over the last two centuries, about 90% of the world’s millionaires have created their wealth through real estate investing. That statistic was first cited by Billionaire Andrew Carnegie.
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Jan42019
The Santa Barbara School District
Many of my customers ask me about the Santa Barbara School District, the main public school district that serves Santa Barbara and Goleta. I am happy to answer that the Santa Barbara’s public school district is highly rated; with 15,453 students in grades K-12 and a student-teacher ratio of 24 to 1.
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Feb52019
Montecito Estates: Calling New Owners to Paradise
Affluent buyers insist there’s something exceedingly special about Montecito estates. Perhaps it’s their location in this rarified enclave of just under 10,000 mostly affluent residents; neighboring world-renowned Santa Barbara, known as “The American Riviera.”
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Apr182019
Is Information on Real Estate TV Shows Believable?
The HGTV effect in the real estate industry is real, but don’t kid yourself into believing all of what you see and hear on your favorite real estate TV shows is necessarily valid.
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Jun42019
Buying a Home in a Buyer’s Market
As a follow-up to a recent blog post, I’m going to look at how buying a home in a buyer's market affects the high-end market, including the luxury home market right here in Santa Barbara and Montecito. It turns out there is a limit to how high home prices can go, even in some of America's most alluring, if overheated, places.
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Aug62019
Santa Barbara: Oasis of Arts and Culture
You may not consider the arts and culture when you think about Santa Barbara, but the area's location, climate, and topography are definitely good for the creative soul.
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Aug72019
Vietnam’s Economy Boom Means More Luxury Homebuyers in the U.S.
Once known as one of the poorest countries in the world, the boom in Vietnam’s economy is changing that reputation. In the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year alone, the country recorded 7.1% economic growth, making it one of the best performers globally today.
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Aug272019
Passive Income: 10 Ideas for Building Wealth While Sitting on the Beach
Are you interested in creating passive income while sitting on the beach in sunny Santa Barbara? There are several ways to make your money work for you. In order to get there, you have to focus on one of four options: time, money, work, or all three.
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Aug142019
9 Hidden Costs of Buying a Home
Are you aware of the hidden costs related to buying a house? For the unsuspecting homebuyer -- moving to a new home like the Singular Ocean View Montecito Home pictured on this blog -- these hidden costs can be truly frightening.
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Nov262019
What is an iBuyer in Real Estate?
“Instant offer” or iBuyer programs are grabbing so much attention these days in the real estate industry. The attraction of these programs for home sellers is convenience. iBuyer sales move quickly because they utilize a simpler process.
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Nov292019
Downsizing Your Home: 5 Signs It Might Be Time
Is it time for downsizing your home? I recently posted a guest blog, “Downsizing for Seniors,” explaining how to make it as stress-free as possible. But when I thought about the topic, I realized that downsizing is not reserved for seniors only.
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Jun262018
Is Buying a Home Together Before Getting Married a Good Idea?
In a previous blog, I shared info about a prenuptial deed when buying a home together after you’ve tied the knot. But what if you and your partner decide to buy a home together before you get married?
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Jul242018
Top 4 “Real Estate Facts” Debunked
We’ve all heard them, and everyone assumes these nuggets of wisdom are true, but should we rely on what are often considered real estate facts? Experts say absolutely not.
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Oct302018
Selling a Haunted House?
In honor of Halloween, I thought I’d take a look at the challenges of selling a haunted house. Would you buy one? In the real estate game, haunted houses have the official designation of being considered “stigmatized.”
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Dec72018
Celebrity Homes: Santa Barbara Sanctuaries of the Famous
Santa Barbara is a true oasis for the famous, which is why you’ll find so many celebrity homes here. The fact that celebrities choose to live on the American Riviera is not so surprising.
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