The Power of Color: How to Bring Spring and Summer into Your Home

Did you know that your choice of paint color for a room in your home can powerfully alter the mood experienced in that particular room? With the arrival of summer, now is the perfect time to give your home that new 'fresh' look. "Out with the old, and in with the new" is what spring and summer are all about, right? So say goodbye to the cold of winter and hello to the vibrant colors of summer!
 

Red
Red brings people a sense of energy and excitement, being proven to make the heart beat faster. Being associated with desire and passion, red could be the perfect color for dining rooms and living rooms. In the living room or dining room, red draws people together and stimulates conversation. Celebrate summertime with the unexpected combination of a soft green and cherry reds with pops of yellow creating an atmosphere of celebration, helping to shake of the winter chill with a dose of show-stopping color.

 

 

Orange   

Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange is a great way to celebrate the first days of spring and summer. As a citrus color, orange is associated with healthy food and stimulates appetite making it a perfect color for dining rooms. This attention grabbing color creates a sense of energy and warmth making it another great color for bedrooms and living rooms. Using fresh shades of soft oranges can give rooms both a modern and original look. This sophisticated combination conveys the energy and anticipation of a new season, and gives the room a that clean, uncluttered confidence of spring.







Yellow
Yellow has the power to evoke happiness, and optimism. Studies have shown that the brain releases more serotonin when the eye takes in yellow, creating positive physiological vibes. Light yellow is associated with intellect, freshness, and joy. As soft and refreshing as spring and summer sunshine, this color combination of light yellows, greens, and whites will drench your living space in uplifting color and sunshine, making you feel like you in the middle of a felid of sunflowers on a bright sunny day.

 

  

Green

Representing the feeling of renewal, youth, and vigor the color green seems to be one of the most popular and versatile. Green inclines the feeling of calmness and has been shown to have a soothing affect, making this another good choice suited to almost any room in the house. In a kitchen, a sage or medium green cools things down; in a family room or living room, it encourages unwinding but has enough warmth to promote comfort and togetherness. In a bathroom, it’s relaxing and pleasant. Soft greens are perfect for that 'Cool Spring Breeze' look, giving it a crisp and clean vibe. The usage of soft greens, and neutral inspires thoughts of new leaves and gentle breezes.

 

Blue 

Having a tendency to create an atmosphere of relaxation, Ancient Egyptians, Native Americans, and many others used this color to heal. Blue has also been shown to slow pulse rate and lower body temperature, making it great for bedrooms, and living rooms. To get that 'Spring by the Sea' look, use a subtle combination of light blues and off-whites. This color pallet announces the onset of spring, and portrays a morning stroll along a the sandy beach with clear blue waters in the middle of spring.

Purple 

Research shows that purple has a proven ability to stimulate brain activity, and imagination. It has been said if you surround yourself with purple you will have peace of mind. Many find it popular to paint young girl rooms this color to boost imagination or an artist's creativity. For that spring and summer look, stick to light shades of purple (lavender) adding lots of whites and off-whites, with maybe a splash of light green to give the room the look of a fully blossomed field of lavender flowers among clear skies during the rise of spring.

Santa Barbara Real Estate Market - A Look at Q1 2012 (January-March)

This year has been quite an exciting and active year in Santa Barbara real estate. A lot has been happening over the past few months, and things seem to be looking up in the market! 


(Check in again for more updated statistics that will be posted on my blog in the next week.)


Looking just at this year's sales for the first quarter (January through March) specifically in the Home/Estate market (not including condos, vacant land, investment properties, etc.), we see signs of acceleration.  The market has picked up speed across all segments, but these graphs are specific to the Home/Estate market. After experiencing about 70 sales in January and February, the numbers of sales rose by about 30% to 99 sales in March. To emphasize that rise in activity, not only did the numbers of sales go up, but the median sales price also went up to about $845,000 from $677,500 in February. 

As shown below, the first quarter (Janurary through March) sales were higher in conparision to the past few years. As of March 2012, the market for Home/Estates reached 238 sales compared to a low of 144 in 2009, showing roughly a 40% increase. In addition, the median price for the first quarter ($795,000) is still at a low, down about 35% from 2008's median price of $1,214,500 .Yet, we see a very slight increase of $5,000 from last year's median price of $790,000, which may be a forecast for a slight rise in prices in the coming months. 

Now let's take a look at what is happening within each district of the Santa Barbara County by taking a closer look at the 'Year over Year' comparison for the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011:

Carpentaria /Summerland Home/Estate sales were up from 12 transactions last year to 24 in the first quarter of this year, and the median sales price is up from $672,500 to $690,000. For Montecito, Home/Estate sales were up from 28 to 45 with the median sales price dropping from $2.388 million last year to $1.75 million this year. East of State Home/Estate sales were up going from 46 in 2011 to 72 in 2012, but the median sales price went down from $895,000 in 2011 to $837,500 in 2012. West of State sales were down from 42 to 39, but the median sales price went up from $669,095 to $739,500. Hope Ranch sales were up from 4 to 6, and the median sales price went up from $1.775 million to $1.82 million. Goleta South sales went up with 14 last year and 23 this year, but the median sales price went down from $649,500 to $550,000. Goleta North sales went down with 42 in 2011 and 37 in 2012 with the median sales price dropping from $685,000 to $615,000. 

From the Condo perspective,  the 'Year over Year' numbers for condo sales are up about 35% as well, and the median sales price went up slightly. Both aspects of the market seem to be showing similar trends. 


Carpentaria/ Summerland condo sales went down from 15 to 8 with the median sales price falling from $353,500 to $313,750. Montecito condo sales went down with 5 in 2011 and 3 in 2012 with the median sales price up from $645,000 to $1,135,000. East of State condo sales went up from 8 to 20 with the median sales price rising from $414,750 to $462,515. West of State condo sales went up from 9 to 21 with the median sales price falling from $425,000 to $415,000. Goleta South condo sales went down from 14 to 12 with the median sales price also down from $355,000 to $248,500. Goleta North condo sales went up from 7 to 9 with the median sales price down from $365,000 to $345,000.

As we near the close of the second quarter of 2012 both the Home/Estate and Condo markets look to be in good shape. Sales are up for both sectors, and the median sales prices are slightly up for both homes and condos. The market is still showing to be extremely affordable, and from my perspective, when you combine this with incredibly low interest rates, this a great year for the buyers in the market. With spring and summer having arrived, this tends to be the more robust time for our real estate market, and this may be the time to jump into the market while sales are up and prices, interest rates, and overall affordability are highly in your favor! 

Weekly Snapshot Statistics - Santa Barbara Real Estate Market

For the week of 4/9/2012-4/15/2012

54 New Listings

31 Price Changes 
43 Sales Pended:

   33 (under $1M)
   7 ($1-2M)
   2 ($2-4M)
   1 ($8M+)
31 Closed:

   23 (under $1M)
   5 ($1-2M)
   1 ($2-4M)
   1 ($4-8M)
   1 ($8M+)
15 Expired

3 Canceled

1 Withdrawn

14 Back on the Market

El Fureidis Estate

El Fureidis was designed by the renowned architect Bertram Goodhue to be one of Santa Barbara's most magnificent Mediterranean estates. Located on 10 very private acres, with views, beautiful landscaping, cascading pools, an interior courtyard, motor court, multiple verandas, and a rooftop terrace. Indulge in the luxury of modern day amenities, while experiencing the grandeur of old Montecito. The property has a rich history, and has been host to numerous events and stars, including the site for Charlie Chaplain's wedding, the location for the movie Scarface, and it is rumored that John and Jackie Kennedy spent part of their honeymoon at the property. Available for rent at $30,000/month immediately. Contact Emily McBride at emily@villagesite.com.