SantaBarbaraRealEstateVoice

Cort Report for Santa Barbara, Montecito, Goleta and Carpinteria CA. Areas - First 6 Months of 2008

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:45:37 -0500

Here is the Santa Barbara cort report for closed sales for the first 6 months of 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.

Further Reading: Cort Report April 2008, Cort Report May 2008, Market Statistics and Reports for the Year 2008

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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Santa Barbara Real Estate Market Update for the Hope Ranch Area - First 6 Months 2008

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:33:13 -0500

I have summarized below an easy to look at brief outline of the overall MLS statistics for the Hope Ranch CA area through the first 6 months of 2008.

The total number of single family homes sold in Hope Ranch was 9. The number of current pending sales for single family homes is 5. The number of current active listings for single family homes is 20.
There are no condos, townhomes and PUD's in the Hope Ranch area.

The lowest sale in Hope Ranch was a single level home for $1.635 Million on Ramitas Road. The highest sale in Hope Ranch was an ocean view home for $6.195 Million on Marina Drive.

Please feel free to contact me directly if you have questions or would like more in depth information and statistics about:

1) The Hope Ranch area

2) The area around your personal home

3) A specific area, street or home in Hope Ranch

Further Reading: Overall Market Statistics for the Santa Barbara area, Market Statistics for the Hope Ranch 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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Santa Barbara Real Estate Market Update for the San Roque Neighborhood - First 6 Months 2008

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:53:29 -0500

I have summarized below an easy to look at brief outline of the overall MLS statistics for the San Roque Neighborhood in Santa Barbara through the first 6 months of 2008.

The total number of single family homes sold in San Roque was 16. The number of current pending sales for single family homes is 3. The number of current active listings for single family homes is 12.
The total number of condos / townhomes sold in San Roque was 9. The number of current pending sales for condos / townhomes is 2. The number of current active listings for condos / townhomes is 10.
The total number of PUD's sold in San Roque was 1. The number of current pending sales for PUD's is 1. The number of current active listings for PUD's is 2.

The lowest sale in San Roque was a single level condo for $525,000 on San Remo Drive. The highest sale in San Roque was a single level home for $1.77 Million on Calle Mariposa.

Please feel free to contact me directly if you have questions or would like more in depth information and statistics about:

1) The San Roque Area

2) The area around your personal home

3) A specific area, street or home in San Roque

Further Reading: Overall Market Statistics for the Santa Barbara Real Estate 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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Santa Barbara Real Estate Market Update for the The Mesa Neighborhood - First 6 Months 2008

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 12:29:00 -0500

I have summarized below an easy to look at brief outline of the overall MLS statistics for the The Mesa Neighborhood in Santa Barbara CA through the first 6 months of 2008.

The total number of single family homes sold on The Mesa was 25. The number of current pending sales for single family homes is 2. The number of current active listings for single family homes is 26.
The total number of condos / townhomes sold on The Mesa was 2. The number of current pending sales for condos / townhomes is 1. The number of current active listings for condos / townhomes is 4.
The total number of PUD's sold on The Mesa was 1. The number of current pending sales for PUD's is 2. The number of current active listings for PUD's is 0.

The lowest sale on The Mesa was a single level 2 bedroom condo for $575,000 on Barranca Avenue. The highest sale on The Mesa was an ocean view fixer home for $2.2 Million on Luneta Plaza.

Please feel free to contact me directly if you have questions or would like more in depth information and statistics about:

1) The Mesa Neighborood

2) The area around your personal home

3) A specific area, street or home on The Mesa

Further Reading: Overall Market Statistics for the Santa Barbara Real Estate area, Santa Barbara CA Beach Property in High Demand

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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Santa Barbara Real Estate Market Update for the Montecito Area - First 6 Months 2008

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:33:50 -0500

I have summarized below an easy to look at brief outline of the overall MLS statistics for the Montecito CA area through the first 6 months of 2008.

The total number of single family homes sold in Montecito was 93. The number of current pending sales for single family homes is 18. The number of current active listings for single family homes is 135.
The total number of condos / townhomes sold in Montecito was 9. The number of current pending sales for condos / townhomes is 2. The number of current active listings for condos / townhomes is 14.
The total number of PUD's sold in Montecito was 1. The number of current pending sales for PUD's is 0. The number of current active listings for PUD's is 1.

The lowest sale in Montecito was a condo for $799,000 on Coast Village Road. The highest sale in Montecito was an ocean view home for $31 Million on East Mountain Drive.

Please feel free to contact me directly if you have questions or would like more in depth information and statistics about:

1) The Montecito area

2) The area around your personal home

3) A specific area, street or home in Montecito

Further Reading: Overall Market Statistics for the Santa Barbara Real Estate area, Market Statistics for the Montecito Real Estate 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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Santa Barbara Real Estate Market Update for the Carpinteria Area - First 6 Months 2008

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:12:19 -0500

I have summarized below an easy to look at brief outline of the overall MLS statistics for the Carpinteria CA area through the first 6 months of 2008.

The total number of single family homes sold in Carpinteria was 23. The number of current pending sales for single family homes is 8. The number of current active listings for single family homes is 35.
The total number of condos / townhomes sold in Carpinteria was 15. The number of current pending sales for condos / townhomes is 3. The number of current active listings for condos / townhomes is 78. (these active units include one major development that just put 40+ units on the market)
The total number of PUD's sold in Carpinteria was 1. The number of current pending sales for PUD's is 0. The number of current active listings for PUD's is 3.

The lowest sale in Carpinteria was a banked owned condo for $250,000 on Hickory Street. The highest sale in Carpinteria was a beach front home for $13.2 Million on Rincon Point.

Please feel free to contact me directly if you have questions or would like more in depth information and statistics about:

1) The Carpinteria area

2) The area around your personal home

3) A specific area, street or home in Carpinteria

Further Reading: Overall Market Statistics for the Santa Barbara area, Market Statistics for the Carpinteria Real Estate 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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Santa Barbara Real Estate Market Update for the Summerland Area - First 6 Months 2008

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:14:25 -0500

I have summarized below an easy to look at brief outline of the overall MLS statistics for the Summerland CA area through the first 6 months of 2008.

The total number of single family homes sold in Summerland was 5. The number of current pending sales for single family homes is 4. The number of current active listings for single family homes is 21.
The total number of condos / townhomes sold in Summerland was 1. The number of current pending sales for condos / townhomes is 0. The number of current active listings for condos / townhomes is 2.
The total number of PUD's sold in Summerland was 1. The number of current pending sales for PUD's is 0. The number of current active listings for PUD's is 0.

The lowest sale in Summerland was a two-story condo for $895,000 on Shelby Street. The highest sale in Summerland was an ocean view home for $1.85 Million on Emerson Street.

Please feel free to contact me directly if you have questions or would like more in depth information and statistics about:

1) The Summerland Area

2) The area around your personal home

3) A specific area, street or home in Summerland

Further Reading: Overall Market Statistics for the Santa Barbara Real Estate area, Market Statistics for the Summerland Real Estate 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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Santa Barbara Real Estate Market Update for the Goleta Area - First 6 Months 2008

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:55:42 -0500

I have summarized below an easy to look at brief outline of the overall statistics for the Goleta CA area through the first 6 months of 2008.

The total number of single family homes sold in Goleta was 113. The number of current pending sales for single family homes is 30. The number of current active listings for single family homes is 110.
The total number of condos / townhomes sold in Goleta was 45. The number of current pending sales for condos / townhomes is 13. The number of current active listings for condos / townhomes is 60.
The total number of PUD's sold in Goleta was 7. The number of current pending sales for PUD's is 0. The number of current active listings for PUD's is 4.

The lowest sale in Goleta was a single level condo for $265,000 on Dearborn Place. The highest sale in Goleta was a home on 10 acres for $3.74 Million on Glen Annie Road.

Please feel free to contact me directly if you have questions or would like more in depth information and statistics about:

1) The Goleta area

2) The area around your personal home

3) A specific area, street or home in Goleta

Further Reading: Overall Market Statistics for the Santa Barbara area, Market Statistics for the Goleta 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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Are $5 Gas prices effecting Santa Barbara CA Realtors and/or their clients?

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:02:34 -0500

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.

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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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Cort Report for Santa Barbara, Montecito, Goleta and Carpinteria CA. Areas - May 2008

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 09:37:42 -0500

Here are the Santa Barbara cort reports for closed sales for the month of May 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 reports.

If you would like further info about a certain month or area, please let me know so that I can be of help.

Further Reading: Cort Report April 2008, Market Statistics and Reports for the Year 2008

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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Little Known Advantages of Blogging Realtors - Santa Barbara and Montecito CA.

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:33:00 -0500

A few years ago blogging was almost an unknown in the real estate business. Here and there a few Realtors and other real estate professionals were blogging, but not to the extent that is seen today. In the Santa Barbara and Montecito CA areas, there is currently very little blogging done by Realtors.

To me this is very interesting since the use of the Internet continues to expand as THE MAIN TOOL (an often the main starting point) for buyers and sellers to search for homes, gather information about areas, learn real estate tips and meet potential real estate agents.

For most buyers and sellers, I feel that working with a Realtor who blogs and blogs regularly (say 2-3 times per week) gives them many advantages.

Advantages for a buyer or seller of working with a Realtor who Blogs!!!

#1 - You as the consumer get to know the real estate agent and get to establish a rapport with them even before you meet them personally. Through their blogging, a buyer or seller will learn about an agent's values, their style, their knowledge, their interests etc. Ultimately the consumer can then decide if they are someone they trust to help in achieving their real estate goals. There will be a definite comfort level achieved before you even begin.

#2 - You gain a definite insight into what the Realtor actually knows about their particular role in the real estate market they are in. Are they writing about short sales and foreclosures...if not, then most likely they don't know much about them. Are they writing about oceanfront property and high-end property...if so, then most likely they do know about this market. No one knows everything about their particular business, but what they do know they tend to write about.

#3 - You will learn if the Realtor is an expert is your neighborhood of interest. If they have never written about Santa Barbara neighborhoods such as The Mesa, San Roque, Downtown, Oceanfront in Montecito, view homes and so on, then most likely they are not comfortable with those areas or markets for whatever reason. A Santa Barbara Realtor that blogs about certain areas demonstrates their knowledge of the area.

#4 - Does the Realtor cite facts and figures to support their points that they are making? Are other posts and websites they refer to in their own posts helpful as well? If this is all done clearly and of help, then the Realtor is taking their time to do their research. A definite criteria that any good Realtor should have.

#5 - The presence that a Realtor has online is extremely important these days with the Internet becoming THE MAIN TOOL in researching real estate. If you are looking for an agent to help you sell your home, make 100% sure that they have a good Internet presence and knowledge of how to market your property online. If you Google them for example, will they show up all over the place or are they hidden on the Web? If they are hidden, then most likely any online presence of your home being sold will also be hidden. If they are everywhere, then most likely your home will have a very good online presence.

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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

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:15:16 -0500

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.

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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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Is My Realtor a Santa Barbara Neighborhood Specialist in My Area?

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:01:31 -0500

Sometimes buyers and sellers will hire a real estate agent who works outside of an area because of friendship or thinking they could save money since this Realtor will give them a "kick-back" on their commission. From my experience, working with an agent who does not have intimate knowledge of the neighborhood you are looking to buy or sell in can hurt you in many ways...financially speaking. Therefore, if you choose to want to work with someone you know who does not know your area well, have them team up with a Realtor who does know the area.

Here is a sample list of some crucial information that a Santa Barbara neighborhood specialist will undoubtedly know, whereas an out-of-area real estate agent most likely will not:

The history of the neighborhood and the homes, who lived where, when etc.
Which homes were previously sold outside of the MLS, FSBO etc.
What makes certain homes on a street worth more than the other homes
Which streets in each neighborhood are considered more desirable than others
Neighborhood nuisances such as loud pets, traffic etc. and their influence on value
How to accurately price certain homes to determine specific values
Which agents tend to take listings at market and who takes overpriced listings and for what reasons
Listing agent's individual reputations and how to negotiate and work with these agents
Pending legislation, assessments or neighborhood changes and regulations
How to potentially get inside information out of a listing agent because they know how a certain agent works
New inventory that is not yet on the market but will be coming...or sellers that would sell if an offer was brought to them

Further Reading: The 2 Major Steps in Buying a Home in Santa Barbara CA

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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Summer Art, Festivals and Culture in Santa Barbara CA!!!

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Fri, 30 May 2008 23:07:05 -0500

One of the amazing luxuries of living in Santa Barbara is the amount of culture and art that exists here. As the summer approaches for 2008, I wanted to point out a few of my favorite cultural highlights that I think should not be missed.

Music Acadamy of the West is a wonderful venue to see live orchestra and intimate concerts. The Music Academy of the West has been recognized "as one of the world's preeminent summer music programs for gifted pre-professional classical musicians." Their festivities kick off June 23rd.

The Lobero is a great venue to see live performing arts including music, dance and theatre. The Lobero Theatre is a huge asset to our community as a place for performing arts.

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Further Reading: Treat Your Kitchen's Home to Food from The Santa Barbara Farmer's Market, The Secret of The Santa Barbara Channel Islands, Looking for an Active Vacation in The Beach Town of Santa Barbara?

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?

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:45:27 -0500

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!!

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Mon, 26 May 2008 11:15:48 -0500

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.

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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

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:52:29 -0500

Here are the Santa Barbara cort reports 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 reports.

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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Do Open Houses Work in the Santa Barbara and Montecito Areas?

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:52:26 -0500

As a real estate agent here in the Santa Barbara and Montecito area, it is almost impossible to sell a home unless you get people in to first see the home. With this said, one of the main first questions a Realtor is asked upon listing a home for sale is...how will their property be shown.

That begs the question: Are open houses a big selling tool?

Answer: No/Not really/ Barely/It can be...

Most likely you will get some version of this answer from a seasoned real estate agent. The problem for many agents is that the majority of home sellers in the Santa Barbara area view open houses as a right. If an agent is unwilling to hold their home open for 2-4 hours on a nice sunny weekend afternoon, week after week, waiting for prospects to come rolling through the door with an offer in hand, they feel cheated.

But do open houses work for the seller. Here is what Realtors know and sellers should know about open houses if they don't already:

1) According to the NAR's latest profile of buyers and sellers, "only 7% of all buyers visited open houses as a first step in their safari for a new house. Most people start their hunt on the Internet." Additionally, most all buyers use a Realtor and based on the client's needs, they will view properties on their own schedule with their agent.

2) Open houses do work, but not necessarily for the seller's home. Instead, open houses are mainly held open by agents as a form of branding, farming and/or to attract potential new clients in the form of buyers for other homes or possible sellers of other homes.

3) For the most part, most agents would prefer not to hold open houses except for the first few weeks of a new listing. Anything beyond this feels excessive for most agents.

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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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Concerns Arise Again About The Proposed Development of The Miramar Hotel in Montecito CA.

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:54:10 -0500

First it was Ian Schrager, the big city boutique hotelier...

Next it was local billionaire Ty Warner, the famous toy maker and hotelier...

And now developer Rick Caruso is learning first hand about the long path it will take to please all sides for a proposed development to "revamp" The Miramar Hotel located on the beach in Montecito CA.

From the start in 2006 when Mr. Caruso purchased the property from Ty Warner, he has pleased many residents and the city by holding open forums and meetings with community members regarding the development plans for The Miramar Hotel. The problem is, that to date it simply seems too hard to please everyone while also leading a profit turning adventure for Caruso Affiliated. Ben Preston, from The Independent writes a great article updating the latest concerns and news about the project being proposed.

Time is the only guarantee that we know will happen and it continues to look like any development for The Miramar Hotel will need plenty of time. The one thing that seems to be agreed upon is that everyone wants the project to happen...it is just how and on what terms.

Further Reading: The Luxury of Santa Barbara and Montecito Oceanfront Real Estate, The Secret of Santa Barbara and Montecito CA Oceanfront Property and Estates, Montecito CA Beach Property in High Demand

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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Will Santa Barbara's Beloved Rincon Point Real Estate Switch to Sewer in the Near Future?

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Tue, 13 May 2008 11:38:33 -0500

Nearing 10 years of at times rather heated controversy, the debate to switch from Septic to Sewer at Rincon Point has taken a large step to becoming a reality. Rincon Point is home to one of the best waves in all of California and definitely stirs up emotions for many when talking about the health of the ocean. Ethan Stewart, from The Independent, has written a very informative article about the latest up to date developments.

For many, Rincon is the pride and joy when it comes to the ocean for many locals both here in Santa Barbara and in Ventura. A laid back small beach enclave for many years, Rincon Point has seen its real estate values increase in the last few years to an average of $5-8 Million for ocean front property.

View Updated Active and Closed Sales for Rincon Real Estate.

View Current List of Active Beachfront Homes for Sale. If you would like further specific information about beach front communities or beachfront real estate, please let me know.

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

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:25:14 -0500

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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The New Expansion of Luxury Townhomes and Condos in Santa Barbara CA.

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:12:02 -0500

In the last 3-5 years, Santa Barbara has seen several small mixed-use style projects consisting of 2-10 residential townhome units sprout up within shouting distance of State Street and the downtown area. Most of these projects finished development before the market started to soften in early 2007 and therefore had no problem finding buyers.

The Paseo Chapala project located on the Corner of Chapala Street and De La Guerra Street was the first major development in the last several years that unfortunately got caught in the downturn of the market and presently still has 7 residential units up for sale. Even with this news, the appeal for developing high-end townhomes and condos in the downtown area does not seem to be subsiding anytime soon.

The newest batch of upscale top notch granite and marble laden townhomes are nearing completion toward the end of 2008 and into early 2009 and are mostly on the larger scale such as Paseo Chapala. The current major projects that are on the horizon are:

Paseo One located at the corner of Chapala and Gutierrez Streets. This project was taken over by Don Hughes in early 2007. There looks to be 35 units coming up for sale with possibly 7 of these already having been reserved.
A planned 53-unit development located on the corner of Carrillo and De la Vina streets.
The roughly 100 units proposed by Bill Wright above Cabrillo Boulevard on the corner of Garden Street and Yanonali.

View Current List of Luxury Condos for Sale in Santa Barbara and Montecito CA.

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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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Santa Barbara CA Schools Hard Hit With Budget Cuts

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:07:12 -0500

Members of the Santa Barbara School Board came together this last week to deal with the unfortunate and hard issue of the historic statewide budget cuts for our public schools. Ethan Stewart wrote an article in The Independent this week that summed up what took place during the meetings. With the magnitude of this issue, KEYT news also has been covering the story as well as shown in this video posting.

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 Short Sales a Good Path to Santa Barbara Real Estate Ownership?

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:10:14 -0500

At the beginning of 2008, I wrote a few articles about short sales and foreclosures in our local areas here in Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria. At that point, we had only seen a handful of foreclosures in our areas and most of these were in the entry level condo market from the $300,000 to $650,000 price point as well as track homes from the $590,000 to $800,000 price point. Short sales were also just starting to creep up in our local areas within the same market and price points.

Now in the last several weeks, we have started to see a definite increase in short sales with many sellers looking at short sales as a great opportunity to attempt to sell their home and many buyers looking at short sales as a great opportunity to get into the market here in the Santa Barbara area.

Here is the Catch: Not all short sales are actually going to be sold...in fact most won't from what we are seeing. Ruth Simon and James Hagerty have written a very informative article in the Wall Street Journal talking about this fact.

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Further Reading: Any Great Short Sale Opportunites in Santa Barbara and Goleta CA?

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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The Positives of FHA Loans Here in the Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria Areas

Kevin Schmidtchen - Santa Barbara CA Realtor (Sotheby's Int'l Realty) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:11:41 -0500

Here is a great list of positives about an FHA mortgage that I picked up from First Capital that I felt buyers should know about...

Common sense underwriting
Maximum loan amount $729,750
No declining market appraisal issues. Lenders are not reducing the loan to value if a home is in a "declining market" whereas all traditional loan programs are being cut by 5% loan to value
Buyer can put as little as 3% down of which all may be gifted
Seller may contribute 6% credit to buyer - 3% for closing cost and 3 % for down payment
Buyer may not need money out of pocket with some assistance programs
An employer / parent may co-sign and qualify for the loan as a non-owner occupant co-borrower
Flaws in credit history are allowable
Debt to income ratio of 31% / 43% or higher
Interest rates are generally at or below market - full documentation required for most loans

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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