Sotheby's International Realty in Santa Barbara CA. is the areas largest real estate company and has been selling prestigious homes in our area for over 4 decades, first as the largest locally owned company Pitts & Bachmann Realtors, and now as Sotheby's Int'l Realty.  Placing client needs at the center of our business philosophy, Sotheby's Int'l Realty in Santa Barbara and Montecito CA. is committed to providing superior service with the highest ethical and professional standards. Why do people locally in Santa Barbara and Montecito choose to work with Sotheby's Int'l Realty for their real estate needs?  ---Many of the comments I receive include our knowledge of the local market, our reputation and our extensive network. Local Traditional Marketing: Read Full Story  For a complete  su... 12/21/2008

                             Looking for Santa Barbara Bank Owned Properties?                                                                       SEARCH SANTA BARBARA COUNTY BANK OWNED HOMES Search Santa Barbara Bank Owned Homes Here You can also serach: MONTECITO LUXURY HOMES MONTECITO HOMESMONTECITO BANK OWNED HOMESHOPE RANCH REO PROPERTIESSANTA BARBARA BANK OWNED HOMESSANTA BARBARA FORECLOSURES     12/16/2008

There are certainly many records being set in the financial world these days. Real Estate is no different. The number of Santa Barbara area homes sold in November is another all time low as far as I know. I did have my hopes up that the last quarter of this year would see more sales than last year. Two months in to the last quarter of the year and the Santa Barbara Real Estate Sales are 3 transactions behind where they were last year. Come on December! In 2007 there were 93 transactions in December. After seeing what we opened as a company in November it is going to be close. We have a number of transactions that are wanting to close by the end of the year, so there may be a small surge. So what did sell in November of 2008? The highest priced sale was a property in the Carpinteria, Mon... 12/12/2008

Here is the Santa Barbara cort report for closed sales for October 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. View: All Market Statistics Further Reading: Cort Report April 2008, Cort Report May 2008, Cort Report First 6 Months 2008, Market Statistics and Reports for the Year 2008 For information on Real Estate here in Santa Barbara, Montecito and/or our surrounding areas, as well as any other aspects of l... 11/21/2008

I am a very proud graduate of Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA.  It is more than a college, it is a place that is truly forming young people.  I can't begin to explain in a blog what Westmont has meant to my life and my family.  Most folks don't understand how a college can be so impactful...you really have to experience it or know somebody who has.  Anyway, Westmont was engulfed in flames last night, with several buildings (including 14 faculty homes) being lost.  As far as I know, nobody was injured.  My coach, who is more so my mentor and friend (he, his wife, and his 2 children were all part of my wedding) lost his home.  Gig Harbor High graduate and cross country and track and field standout Kate Stuart is a freshman at Westmont this year, running for that same coach I ran for... 11/14/2008

Whether you are a local, in town visiting family and/or friends, or here on vacation in Santa Barbara, California, there is never a lack of activities and things to do in our wonderful seaside resort community.  Here below is the third installment in a series of articles that point out some of Santa Barbara's most prominent local attractions.  Some of these will be cultural, some dining, some active pursuits and some I am still deciding on.  This third installment will be focusing on... Santa Barbara Waterfront: The Waterfront runs along the coastline from Leadbetter Beach to Buttefly Beach.  This scenic area is a natural fit for outdoor pursuits including walking, running, rollerblading, kitesurfing, fishing, boating etc.  Most weekends there is a Sunday Arts and Crafts Show along East... 11/09/2008

Looking for a great golf experience here in the Santa Barbara, Montecito, Goleta and surrounding areas.  The golfing scene here in Santa Barbara is excellent with a range of prices and choices to suit every level.  Because of the superb weather here in Santa Barbara, golf is played year-round.   Below I have outlined a list of all the local and private courses in our area. Public 18 Hole Golf Courses Sandpiper: Sitting on a wonderful perch directly along the coastline, Sandpiper is one of the most picturesque golf courses around.  Sandpiper is a memorable experience for anyone with a true combination of challenge and beauty.  It has been rated by Golf Digest as one of the top 25 public courses in the country.  If you play from the tips it is a long 7000+ yards.  Many professional level... 10/20/2008

Whether you are a local, in town visiting family and/or friends, or here on vacation in Santa Barbara, California, there is never a lack of activities and things to do in our wonderful seaside resort community.  Here below is the second installment in a series of articles that point out some of Santa Barbara's most prominent local attractions.  Some of these will be cultural, some dining, some active pursuits and some I am still deciding on.  This second installment will be focusing on... Santa Barbara Mission District: The Mission District is one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in Santa Barbara and is home to the neighborhoods of The Upper East and Mission Canyon.  Many of the older homes in Santa Barbara can be found in these areas with larger lots, mature growth, numerous san... 09/26/2008

Whether you are a local, in town visiting family and/or friends, or here on vacation in Santa Barbara, California, there is never a lack of activities and things to do in our wonderful seaside resort community.  Starting today, I am going to write the first installment in a series of articles that point out some of Santa Barbara's most prominent local attractions.  Some of these will be cultural, some dining, some active pursuits and some I am still deciding on.  This first installment will be focusing on... Santa Barbara Downtown Attractions:  The Downtown area is dominated by the main street in Santa Barbara, State Street.  Most people consider the main center of downtown to be at the intersection of State and Carrillo Street.  Numerous important historical buildings lie within the do... 09/22/2008

With all the information out there in the online marketplace, finding a well qualified and knowledgeable real estate agent can be difficult.  If you are local to Santa Barbara, a referral from a friend or colleague is a great place to start.  I personally would then research information online about the agent to learn about them, how they work, as well as their online presence which is so important in today's real estate market.  Then you can decide if this person is a good match or if you should look further. If you live out of town and are searching for a home here in Santa Barbara CA., it can be that much more challenging to find the right agent to work with.  Read Full Story If you have any real estate needs in our area, I would be happy to touch base and talk about your situation. ... 09/13/2008

Here is the Santa Barbara cort report for closed sales for August 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. View: All Market Statistics Further Reading: Cort Report April 2008, Cort Report May 2008, Cort Report First 6 Months 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 co... 09/11/2008

Santa Barbara's South Coast's Real Estate Market has been experiencing historically low numbers of transactions. Carpinteria, Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Montecito have all had their part in these numbers. Real Estate, even in our little part of the world has not been immune to what is happening every where. This year the highest number of real estate transactions that have been recorded was 135 back in April. That was followed by 132 in May, 127 in June, and 118 in July. You have to go back to August of 2007 to find a number higher than these. Guess what happened then? The credit crisis hit and we haven't been the same since. People I speak with seem to be under the impression that getting a loan to buy a property is impossible. I'm here to tell you it isn't. We are closing escrows and ... 08/20/2008

Here is the Santa Barbara cort report for closed sales for July 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, Cort Report First 6 Months 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... 08/19/2008

As more and more larger multi-unit Santa Barbara real estate development projects get presented to the City of Santa Barbara for approval, discussions abound over the future development path the city is taking with these luxury condo projects.  In layman's terms, the debate is clear and simple. Side A: Wants to have strong height restrictions in place and preserve the "beauty" of Santa Barbara Side B: Wants to avoid urban sprawl and therefore would like to build inward with less height restrictions than what currently exist In my view, the politics of this debate have not been too prevalent as far as topics of conversation go up until about 2005, when some of these major "projects" actually reached completion and they were there for the public to visibly see in full view.  Now that more... 08/19/2008

Here are some Santa Barbara NOD"s, NOT's & REO's to share with everyone.  Hope that you like and thank you for your time. - Bob Submitted Week of 08-06-2008(The NOD's and NOT's are ran from 07/22/2008 - 07/23/2008REO's are ran from 07/18/2008 - 07/23/2008) Notices Of Default (NOD) - Download PDF FileNotices Of Trustee Sales (NOT) - Download PDF FileReal Estate Owned Sales (REO) - Download PDF File Click the image above to view the archives 08/12/2008

I hope you are having a great summer.  My family and I just returned from 12 days is Colorado.  The highlight was going tree soaring at Tall Timbers between Durango and Silverton.  It was a very fun day that I would highly recommend to all www.soaringcolorado.com Amanda, Michael, Sarah, Mark & Cathy Click Here To View Larger Mark relaxing on vacation Click Here To View Larger Emergency Evacuation Things To Take As we were leaving the Santa Barbara Airport on our vacation the Gap fire was just getting started.  Here is an Emergency Evacuation Checklist that thought might be useful in planning for the future. Click Here to view the PDF file Equity Title Median Home Prices 1981-2007 Here are some median price statistics that show the median price going back to 1981. Long-term real estate i... 08/06/2008

Agents in Santa Barbara could not believe what the sales price of Peregrina was.  It was amazing how many agents contacted me after they saw the posted sales price of this home.  "If my buyer knew it could sell for that...they would have made an offer" or "why didn't you tell me the seller would take that type of price".... What is the point of this....?  Never assume what the seller may or may not take...If you have a buyer that wants to make an offer ...MAKE IT!!  In this market don't be the agent that is surprised when they see what a home sold for. 08/06/2008

Hello this is Bob.  Santa Barbara is considered a destination property and has little to virtually no new home construction.  The foreclosure market has not impacted our market dramatically like it has in so many other markets throughout California.  That being said we still have some opportunities as a result of NOD's or NOT's here in the South County of Santa Barbara (Carpinteria being the southern most point to the end of Goleta).  CLICK HERE for the map of Santa Barbara South County.  Supplying this information (which I obtain from a local title company) on my website and on a monthly e-newsletter I send out to my database has been a useful tool.  Visit my website HERE and sign up to view the latest SB South County Foreclosure information that I update on a weekly basis. Here's a sc... 07/31/2008

Santa Barbara with OCEAN VIEWS!!! Some of the most prized real estate to be found here in the Santa Barbara and Montecito areas is the abundant ocean and island view homes and estates that exist.  With numerous hills and bluff tops throughout the town, the back drop of the Santa Ynez Mountains and the gorgeous coast line and local islands that stretch out to the horizon, it is no wonder that ocean view homes are extremely desirable in our area.  With so much varied terrain, I have tried to outline below the many options when looking for a property with an ocean view. Montecito- Full of beauty, history and grandeur, Montecito, approximately eight square miles of hidden neighborhoods and expansive estates, has been the destination of choice for celebrities and millionaires for over one hu... 07/28/2008

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 specifi... 07/21/2008