If you're curious about Santa Barbara real estate trends, you've come to the right place.Ā The numbers are in for 2014 and if they're any indication, we're anticipating a busy Spring season for buying and selling. How good were last year's numbers? Well, would it surprise you to know that real estate values in Santa Barbara have nearly reached pre-crash levels? Let's explore the Santa Continue Reading »
How Will You Find Your Next Home: Zillow or a Santa Barbara Realtor?
When looking for your next home, should you use Zillow or a Santa Barbara Realtor? Ever since Zillow launched, people interested in the real estate market have debated whether the popular app would some someday replace Realtors, brokers and agents. It's true that if you're curious about real estate values in Santa Barbara and elsewhere, Zillow can be a really useful tool. Zillow provides Continue Reading »
Selling During Drought: Water the Grass or Replace It?
Conventional wisdom says that the first rule of curb appeal is a lush, green, beautifully landscaped lawn. Curb appeal is often top of mind for people preparing to sell a home and that usually means an investment in landscaping. The question is, does conventional wisdom hold up in Santa Barbara, where we're in our third year of serious drought? At a time when driving a dirt-caked car has Continue Reading »
How To Upgrade A Kitchen, Santa Barbara Style
What do homebuyers want in a Santa Barbara kitchen? And how should that impact your style and design choices when upgrading or renovating your home? Whenever a home buyer asks me to put together a list of homes to tour, our conversation usually begins with my client sharing her wish list of features. Things like number of bedrooms and bathrooms, ideal size and square footage, the school Continue Reading »
Why Sellers Should Invest In Outdoor Spaces
If you're thinking about investing in your Santa Barbara home, chances are you're also thinking about what parts of the house need sprucing up. We already know that a few home improvement dollars can go a long way toward increasing your selling price. But where should you spend? For Santa Barbara homeowners, there's more than conventional wisdom to consider. For example, should you add a new Continue Reading »
The Psychology Of Staging Your Home For Sale
It's been said that buying a house is one of the most stressful things a person can go through. In part, that's a function of finding the right location for themselves and their family. Or the enormity of moving a lifetime of belonging to a new town or city. While some of the tension felt when buying or selling a house can't be avoided, some of it, thankfully, can be. This is where staging your Continue Reading »