Arroyo Hondo Preserve The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County protects natural resources, agricultural land and open spaces for the benefit of present and future generations. See below for some upcoming unique and family friendly outdoor activities: Arroyo Hondo Preserve Trail Crew Work Day – Mar. 15 Help keep trails accessible and beautiful. Come, bring your… more
What's Hot… And Cool: Geothermal Heating and Cooling
A recent Time Magazine article lists Geothermal Heating and Cooling as one of the top tens ways to help slow global warming. Taking note: Fashion Icon Diane von Furstenberg. She reinvigorated women’s fashion in the 1970s with the wrap dress. Can she do the same for a building? Her newest project is a 35,000-sq.-ft. office, showroom… more
Real Estate Market Update
February 2014 Real Estate Market Statistics for South Santa Barbara County* reflected a continuation of recent trends in which lower inventory resulted in fewer closed and pending sales. The good news, the number of new listings — while lower year-over-year — is showing some slight upward momentum… increasing approximately 8 percent over January. Median list price is… more
"Qualified Mortgage" Rules Have Begun!
New mortgage lending rules resulting from the Dodd-Frank Act took hold this past January that federal regulators are hoping will guard against a future housing collapse. The rules are essentially intended to ensure that borrowers can actually afford the loans they are seeking. Mortgages must now meet “Qualified Mortgage” (QM) guidelines and borrowers will be… more
January 2014 Real Estate Market Update
January 2014 Real Estate Market Statistics reflected a continuation of recent trends… the good news / bad news of rising values met with fewer sales and shrinking inventory. In South Santa Barbara County,* the median home value rose 6% from December and rose 32%year-over-year to $914,000. In Montecito, the median home value of $2.2MM was… more