Montecito and Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara MLS

Please check out my website for access to the Santa Barabara Multiple Liting Service (MLS).
You can preview the available properties in the Santa Barbara area and if you find a property you would like more information on, email or call.

www.montecitosantabarbara.com

Ocean View Toro Canyon Home

Check out my new listing in the beautiful Toro Canyon neighborhood, Santa Barbara county.
Toro Canyon's mailing address is Montecito, one of the most equisite towns on the Calfornia coast.
Toro Canyon Road starts just above the Padaro Lane beach and travels several scenic lush miles up into the foothills. My new listing is close to the beach, but elevated enough to have spectacular ocean and island views from the front and wonderful mountain views from the back. take a look at my photo tour and enjoy...better yet come visit Santa Barbara, take a stroll on Padaro Lane Beach and drive or bike up Toro Canyon Road to experience our special environment.Here is my http://www.sbphototours.com/Popup/Toro Canyon Photo Tour

Classic Santa Barbara Home

Here are some photos of my new listing. It is perhaps the most special Santa Barbara Spanish Style home on the market! Take a look at this photo tour. I have many more photos if these look interesting to you. Just give me a call or email.  This is the Photo Tour .
If you are interested in a classic Santa Barbara style home...this is a rarely available property.
I have many more photo tours I can email if you would like to see other properties, styles, prices.
Enjoy!

Lake Havasu

Woke up this morning to an article in the New York Times, Houses With Low Property Taxes:Give yourself a Break.  On same page, shown  in the column ON THE MARKET a home for sale in Lake Havasu CIty, Az was featured for sale. This was super interesting to me because I am building two homes there for resale. The first home is in escrow and went under contract prior to completion.
The second home should sell prior to completion as well. I am now busy looking for a couple of more lots to build on there. Lake Havsu City has just boomed in the last year and lots are almost double what they cost last year. Building costs are up about 20%. It is generally getting more difficult to find what I am looking for. Like the article talks about, property taxes are comparatively low in Lake Havasu City, home prices are reasonable and the recreational activities are terrific. I have a great agent there who finids me terrific lots (well, she is working on finding new lots for the coming projects)
and keeps a close watch on the construciton while I am 7 hours away in Santa Barbara and then she gets them sold.
More about Lake Havasu and my agent coming soon.

Classic 1924 Spanish Home

I am listing a classic 1924 home that is the epitomy of Santa Barbara style that visitors to Santa Barbara fall in love with and residents of Santa Barbara dream of making their home.
Photographs are coming over the next few days as well as some Santa Barbara style links.

Carpinteria Sandyland Beach Condo

The last week has been a whirlwind of real estate. I listed a condo for sale in Carpinteria located in a very popular beach vacation rental area are known at Sandyland. The condo is a small, less than 600 square feet, charming 1 bed townhouse style unit a block from the beach. The listing price was $487,500. There was a flurry of calls and showings, multiple offers and in escrow at over asking price. Now I am working on locating other properties for those who missed out. The mediam price for a home in Santa Barbara is now over 1 million. Will be listing a gorgeous Classic Spanish Santa Barbara style home near the Santa Barbara Mission in March. Give me a call at 805 961 2718 for more info.
Carpinteria is a wonderful small beach town. There is even a great camp ground on the beach, if you like beach camping, Capinteria State Beach

Chinese New Years and family

I lost my way to my Santa Barbara blog last week. Was immersed in Santa Barbara real estate work.
Personally this last weekend and the coming week is about being blessed with a daughter from China, trying to balance being busy with a new listing and Chinese New Year's celebrations in our community and school. Also dealing with social issues with single parenthood and trans-racial adoption.
I am fighting like a tiger to protect my daughter and to celebrate her Chinese heritage. It has been a wild couple of days but we are ready for the Year for the Rooster and I am busy working at getting my listing sold. Will get back with some great Chinese New Years events and real estate info.

Santa Barbara is Buzzing

There is a chilly (for Santa Barbrara)  55 degree wind blowing tonight, but downtown Santa Barbara is buzzing with the opening of the International Film Festival. Friends are cocktailing at Luckys  in Montecito and at opening night parties. I'm off to the Rose Cafe to warm up with some yummy enchiladas and a Tecate.

Getting "Sideways" in Santa Barbara is a fun way to get spend a couple of days in our wine country.
Seeing the movie first is a must. Check out Santa Barbara showtimes at the Metropolitan Theatre
Definitely hit the wonderfully romantic Wine Cask for dinner before or Intermezzo for late dining after.
Doug Margerum, proprietor and wine guru, wrote a great piece in our paper today WINE INSIDER "Sideways" redux... ".So get to the Wine Cask, have a great wine, maybe not a Merlot, see the movie, plan your Getting Sideways tour, pack your   Sideways Tour Map   and enjoy the tour. It's a lot of fun.

On The Streets

Ken Williams, a social worker in Santa Barbara for the homeless, has a beautifully written, of course thought provoking, commentary Voice From Santa Barbara in today's 1/26/05, Santa Barbara News Press. This is tragically, also Santa Barbara.