Tuesday, September 28, 2010

TOMS 'Style Your Sole' Event - - Tomorrow!

TOMS shoes has reached the mark of donating 1,000,000 pairs of shoes to those in need. For every pair that is purchased, they give a pair away. To celebrate this feat, stop in at 'Dressed' on Coast Village Road in Montecito tomorrow between 10am-5pm. Local artists such as Hank Pitcher and Michael Drury will be there to hand paint your shoes. I am unable to participate this year as an artist, but I will be on the team next year to paint your shoes and make them uniquely yours! Enjoy!

2010 Tour of Green Homes

Sign up for the 2010 Tour of Green Homes benefiting Habitat for Humanity.  Showcasing five homes in Santa Barbara, Montecito, and Goleta, as well as the Habitat for Humanity San Pascual affordable housing site, the Tour will demonstrate how environmentally friendly construction methods and materials can be incorporated into any project.

ABOUT THE HOMES:

Montecito Rebuild: Built to be faithful to the footprint of the origninal house built in 1947 by the owner's father, this home achieved a Three Star rating by the Santa Barbara Contractors Association's Built Green Program.

Downtown Historic Victorian:  Originally dating back to 1890, a new home has been built to reflect the beauty and design of the original. The property was  submitted for Platinum certification with the Green Building Council's LEED for Homes program, with 118 out of a total of 132 possible points, more than any other home project to date.

Goleta Sustainable Garden: The garden of this ranch-style home has been transformed from a typical suburban landscape to a riot of color, sound and life.  Meander through the pathways and find surprises to delight: passion fruit vines, fruit trees, and drought-tolerant plantings that give way to mountain vistas.
 
Mission Canyon Fire Safety Remodel: A lovely home in a wooded setting, this home is an example of what can be achieved with an eye to sustainability and fire resistance. 

Hope Ranch Estate Landscape:  Overlooking the ocean,  the owners of this home recently undertook a green remodel of both the home and added a highly sustainable landscape.

Habitat Affordable Housing Site:  Habitat for Humanity of SSBC is building a four unit owner-occupied condominium on San Pascual. The project is being constructed with volunteer labor and donated, recycled and/or purchased materials. 
Regular self-guided tour -  $25
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
  • Learn how to incorporate green design into your home
  • See how green building techniques can be affordable
  • View homes in Montecito, Santa Barbara and Goleta
  • Tour the Habitat Build Site
VIP guided tour - $125
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
  • Transportation provided in Airbus type comfort
  • Boxed lunch courtesy of Whole Foods Market
  • Professional presentations en route
  • Post-tour private reception
All proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity  as we strive to eliminate substandard housing from Santa Barbara.

I hope you'll join us!

Joyce McCullough
Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County
(805) 692-2226

Monday, September 27, 2010

Mark Schniepp Speaks on the Economy

Mark Schniepp was back recently to speak on the economy in Santa Barbara South County. The Santa Barbara Newspress article (dated Sept 17th by Sonia Fernandez) covering the event opened by asking the question that everyone wants answered, "Are we heading into a double dip recession?" Mark Schniepp says we are not.

The outlook was focused mainly on commercial real estate, but Mark also covered the local and national economy, and local residential real estate. According to Mark, the recent drop in the unemployment rate is due to a "hangover" caused by the ending of census jobs and "not indicative of a second recessional dip." He says that jobs will recover and we will see job growth from here on out....just slowly, and that part of the speed of the recovery has to do with people and their behavior. Consumption is a large portion of our GDP and the amount that people are spending is down, due to saving more and changed financial circumstances. (I know I am one of them ... I have been much more conservative about my spending in this market. I see it in my clients too.)

Investors are looking for more certainty when they spend their money, and Mark counted real estate as a more solid investment for people to make & said he believes stocks will continue to put out a lower percent in returns over the next ten years. Real estate prices are expected to rise gradually. Compared to other locations in California, Sonia Fernandez wrote that "the South Coast real estate condition is somewhat protected, given location, constraints on growth, and what Radius Group Commercial Sales Principal Broker Scott Glenn called the "93108 effect" -- that is, Montecito-based investors who are taking advantage of the lower prices and investing cash in local real estate."

In terms of commercial real estate, "Downtown Santa Barbara is still king," according to Scott Glenn. Also, the students in the area are the reason why Isla Vista has the lowest vacancy rate of anywhere in the South Coast. The general vacancy rate for rentals (for the entire South Coast) is still only at 3-4%. This is also due to more people renting instead of buying at the moment.

Dr. Schniepp believes improvement is more likely to be visible by 2012, which is the same summary he gave earlier this year. (Earlier this year, he said 2010 will be better than 2009. 2011 will be better than 2010. And, 2012 will be better than 2011, etc.) He still believes there are some uncertainties out there that could impact consumer confidence and behavior, including the end of Bush-era tax credits, our health care system, and some energy policies that will impact the bottom lines of people and businesses ... but credit is starting to loosen which helps buyers and investors get back in the market. It was essentially the same news we've all been hearing. We are seeing improvement. It's just a gradual shift, and quite honestly, I think a gradual shift is the more sustainable thing we could ask for. It might not be sexy and full of instant gratification, but that's fine with me.

Feel free to share your thoughts!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Open Sky

Open Sky
Oil/Canvas
48" x 72"
Price Upon Request
By Emily K. McBride

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Weekly Snapshot Statistics - Santa Barbara Real Estate Market

For the week of 9/6/2010-9/12/2010

44 new listings
63 price changes
31 sales pended (22 under $1M, four $1-2M, four $2-4M, one $8M+)
*The number of sales over $1M is 27% for the week
16 closed
31 off market (18 expired, 7 canceled, 6 withdrawn)
3 back on market

Friday, September 10, 2010

Santa Barbara South County Real Estate Sales YTD


 Click on the image to enlarge the graph.

Sandspit


Here's a new photo of an older painting.

Sandspit
Oil/Canvas
36" x 60"
Sold

Price Reduced

The price has been reduced on this lovely rental listing at 19 Francisco Drive to $3895/month! Please contact Emily at 805.252.2773 for showings. Pets accepted! Peabody School District.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Have Rental Available ~ San Roque Foothills

Please visit www.19franciscodrive.com to view all photos and more information...

Wonderful home in the San Roque foothills with spectacular views on 1.35 acres. Three-bedrooms, two full baths, living room, family room, large kitchen, and 2-car garage. Two fireplaces. Plenty of storage. Light and bright. Located on a cul-de-sac street. Very quiet and private. Per owner, this is located in the Peabody elementary school district. Priced at $4000/month for a 1-year lease. Pets considered. Please contact Emily McBride at 805.252.2773 or emily@villagesite.com for showings.









Working on a new painting...

...not quite finished. This is being commissioned by a friend in Chicago who has a burgundy/merlot colored couch. I've got her approval so far... ;0