The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced on January 18, 2023, the highly anticipated line-up for the 38th Festival which will run from February 8, 2023, through to February 18. The Film Festival will showcase 52 World Premiers and 78 US premieres from 43 countries along with tributes featuring the year’s top talent, panel discussions, and free education and community outreach programs.TRIBUTES Montecito Award honoring Angela Bassett – Thursday, February 9 at 8:00 pm Outstanding Performer of the Year Award presented by Manitou Fund honoring Cate Blanchett – Friday, February 10 at 8:00 pm Maltin Modern Master Award honoring Jamie Lee Curtis – Saturday, February 11 at 8:00 pm Variety Artisans Award sponsored by Variety – Monday, February 13 at 8:00 pm –  Honorees to be annou... 02/08/2023

MY 2023 NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONSI was going to quit all my bad habits, but I realized no one likes a quitter.I resolve to take all the Christmas lights down by Easter.I resolve to get into shape. Round is a shape.I resolve to read more, so I’m going to put the closed captions up on my TV screen.I resolve to leave the toilet seat down, as long as my wife promises to leave the toilet seat up.I resolve to get better at multi-tasking, so I’m going to start texting while sitting on the toilet.I resolve to stop making the same mistake twice. Instead, I’ll make a different mistake each time.I resolve to stop messing up my online passwords, so I’ve changed all of them to “Incorrect.” Now every time I key in the wrong code, the computer reminds me, “Your password is incorrect.”I resolve to conserve ... 01/08/2023

Fractional home ownership. One-eighth ownership. Basically a timeshare. What could go wrong? Santa Barbara real estate enters residential fractional home ownership.Disruptor Pacaso, is a Bay Area-based company that buys homes and then sells fractional interests in them to second-home buyers. After the sale – in which the company makes a profit – the company then manages the home, and the co-owners use Pacaso’s technology to schedule time in the home. Kelley Mahan Herrick reported in the Montecito Journal that, “The company has acquired two homes in the Santa Barbara and Montecito areas: one on Las Alturas on the Riviera which sold for $1,085,000 for a 1/8 share and one on East Valley Road in Montecito, which is selling for $1,294,000 per 1/8 share, with six shares already sold. Some nei... 12/29/2022

Seen around town recently...Ellen and Portia noshing at Tre Lune.  Ryan Gosling checking out Whole Foods. Chris O’Donnel getting his java jolt at Pierre LaFond. Candy heiress Jacqueline Mars at the Ritz Carlton Bacara. Grammy-winning rocker Adam Levine and supermodel wife Behati Prinsloo noshing at Field and Fort in Summerland.  Chris Pratt, wife Katherine Schwarzenegger, and Maria Shriver shopping at the Montecito Country Mart. Writer T.C. Boyle lunching at the Natural Cafe on Hitchcock Way.Larry Davis and Ted Danson chatting at San Ysidro Ranch. Chris Pratt doing pushups while pumping gas at the Coast Village Road Chevron. Laura Dern checking out Merci Montecito. Donald Trump’s ex Marla Maples, Lawrence Fishburne, and Maria Shriver at a concert at the Music Academy’s Hahn Hall. Christ... 10/23/2022

Santa Barbara RealtorsHOW'S THE MARKET?How’s the market? Home prices have increased while the average rate on a 30-year mortgage edged up to 6.079 percent this week.The Central Coast experienced the largest decline among major regions, with sales plummeting 37.3% from the previous year. The housing inventory in California is now back to the pre-pandemic level.The graph below reflects the number of home sales per month dating back to 2013 up till July 2020 in southern Santa Barbara County. Santa Barbara - Montecito - Hope Ranch and surrounding communities. 09/14/2022

   Based on a variety of different factors including stricter standards for lenders, more homes starting to come on the market, and significant fluctuations in home asking prices the average interest rate on a mortgage has remained consistently low for most of the past decade. However, interest rates have started to rise and this may cause some people to reconsider purchasing and wait out this market. In order to help you understand this new phenomenon, we will help explain how rising interest rates are affecting the housing market.   It appears the housing market here in Santa Barbara has peaked. We're beginning to see what is now being referred to as "Price Improvement," which I'm guessing, sounds better than " Price Reduction" which had been the norm for when a seller reduces their a... 06/16/2022

The Summer Solstice Parade began in 1974 and has evolved to be the biggest event in Santa Barbara County, often drawing crowds of over 100,000 spectators from all over the world.    It is comprised of very creative and original floats, giant puppets, fantastic costumes and masks of more than 1,000 parade participants of all ethnic and economic backgrounds.  There is dancing, music, drumming and drama that is sure to please the spectators.    The floats are all created at the Community Arts Workshop (CAW) in the Downtown Santa Barbara building pictured here. It is quite a production and a lot of fun to attend. The crow in the metal gate sculpture is the symbol for CAW.  It is quite a production and a lot of fun to attend. Check out more about the Solstice Parade in Santa Barbara. It is a... 06/10/2022

As a real estate marketing professional it is easy to get bogged down with the day-to-day activities of“transaction engineering” and neglect the life-blood of your business: promotion and marketing.  Sometimes you need to step back from your practice to regain your “orbital marketing prospective”.  It is only when you view your practice from a broader perspective that out-of-the-box thinking is possible. Opportunities to out-think and out-market your competition abound.  This Memorial Day weekend we are going to see if any real estate firms or agents are sponsor one of the most well-attended community events of the year in our town of Santa Barbara, California.  We haven't seen any such sponsorships in past years. What a great opportunity for standing out this is!"I Madonnari, or street... 05/26/2022

We were inspired by a comment on one of our recent blog posts by fellow Active Rain member, Will Hamm, to return to our coverage of the Santa Barbara Farmer's Market. And, we are delighted to report that the market is back in full swing.Here in downtown "SB" we often have what is known as "May Gray" and "June Gloom" with overcast skies due to a low coastal cloud cover which burns off mid-day.  Although we enjoy this time of year thoroughly, there has been wonderful blue skies and warm weather each morning, all month so far. The colors were especially brilliant at the market.On this morning's trip we were blown away by the magnificent mushroom displays. So, we wanted to share them with you. Such  variety!  Quite often we get inspired by nature for color schemes for our personal and compa... 05/17/2022

 #santabarbara, #santabrbaraca, #santabarbararealestate, #santabarbarahomesforsale, #albertopachecorealtor 05/05/2022

Those real estate professionals who are truly passionate about their work have an innate  attraction power that can effortlessly generates business. The power of passion is palpable! It is a true pleasure to witness this in any thriving business. By far, the best place in Santa Barbara to get a coffee drink in the morning is the Handlebar Coffee Roaster.  The line is usually out the door and the energy is vibrant. It is owned by a husband and wife team, Olson and Anderson, who formerly were professional cyclists in Europe. Anderson won the 2009 Route de France Féminine, the women’s version of the Tour de France. They switched gears in 2011 and directed their focus to roasting some of the best coffees in the world.  The outstanding service at Handlebar Coffee Roaster is amazingly consist... 05/03/2022

Summerland is a small town within Santa Barbara County, between Carpinteria and Montecito.  Two of our favorite local restaurants are there: The Summerland Beach Cafe (great for breakfast-best waffles) and The Nugget. The Nugget (pictured above) is a crazy, eccentric place that feels like it could be a saloon from California Gold Rush days.While enjoying lunch at the Nugget this week, we noticed these guys at the bar. One was wearing a tee shirt with a graphic for "Stinky's" House of Fish on the back. It reminded us that humor, when it is done right  (and is part of your brand personality) can really resonate with your target market because it leaves an indelible impression that is hard to forget, even after hearing the brand name just once.Then,  if you buy-in to the name you cannot he... 04/18/2022

More than 40% of active Realtors in the United States are located in California, Florida, Texas, and Arizona. Nearly 2% of the adult population in Florida has an active real estate license. The number of active Realtors in Arizona has grown by nearly 10% from 2020 to 2021.There are currently more than 3 million active real estate licensees in the United States. As of October 2021, there were 1.56 million members of the National Association of Realtors®(NAR). More than 65% of active Realtors are women. The median age of all Realtors in the United States is 52. 45% of Realtors have completed a bachelor’s or graduate degree. 20% of Realtors have had their license for a year or less. 82% of licensed Realtors own their primary residence. 37% of licensed Realtors own at least one secondary p... 01/04/2022

        Santa Barbara’s own Foo Fighter, Chris Shiflett, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the group this year!       Recently, Santa Barbara’s weekly rag the Independent featured Chris on their cover and the week’s cover story was written by Marko DeSantis a longtime friend.  They both grew up in Santa Barbara, and at one time, were in competing Punk bands.  The WASPs and the KITTENZ!  Eventually, they merged into the same band and that’s where this story begins. It’s a lot of fun and a good read.         Rather than continue to babble on the links to the article and a secondary link to the Independent’s staff’s interview of Marko DeSantis are included below.  Love the Foo Fighters! They’re keeping Rock and Roll alive!Santa Barbara’s Own Foo Fighter lead guitarist C... 12/06/2021

Factoid: May is the best month to sell your home, and the best day is today May 23rd! If you’re thinking about selling your home, you want to list it at a time when it’s going to sell at the highest premium. And, as it turns out, that time is in May. Obviously, you'd need to list the property before May unless you've received an all-cash, no contingencies, quick close offer.According to a recent analysis from ATTOM Data Solutions, which reviewed over 40 million home sales between 2011 and 2020, on average, homeowners sell their properties for 13.4 percent above the estimated market value in May—the highest of any month.And, depending on which day you sell, that number could be even higher. According to the analysis, the top five most profitable days of the year to sell a home all fall i... 05/23/2021

The Fair Housing Act is a law that was created to help limit discriminatory practices related to landlords, tenants, and housing. The act was created on the principle that every American should have an equal opportunity to seek a place to live, without being afraid of discrimination due to factors outside their control.The Federal Fair Housing act is officially known as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. It prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of housing units based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The Fair Housing Amendments Act that became effective in 1989 amended Title VIII to prohibit discrimination based on disability or familial status (households with children under 18 or pregnant women); add new enforcement mechanisms, and expand... 05/20/2021

Is your living situation right for your home-based business?  And, if not, how to create or find a space that is. In this post, we will show you how to evaluate your current space, and share some options for your consideration if your business needs more room to thrive.What kind of space do you need? This is the first step in evaluating your workspace. Some people are just fine with a desk where others will require larger spaces to accommodate various equipment and work areas for their business.  If your current space needs more room it might be worth considering an expansion such as an extra room, or even an auxiliary structure.That said, there’s a lot to consider before diving headfirst into an expansion. You’ll need to check out your local zoning laws, building and safety codes. You ... 04/10/2021

The real estate market took off in California last spring. As soon as the shut-in began people began re-evaluating their living circumstances. Where one lived took on greater significance, and many real estate markets in California took off and Boom!With so many working from home people are re-thinking their living spaces. We experienced an exodus of urban dwellers for suburbia in 2020.  Many of the home sales last year in Santa Barbara were buyers from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Texas.  With all these changes, plus low interest rates, there is plenty of activity still.If you’re considering getting into this market we humbly suggest you do your homework first.Number 1.  Check Your Credit.  If you aren’t paying “all cash” your lender will expect detailed information regarding your f... 04/07/2021

 You’re ready for a well-deserved retirement and you’re looking for the perfect place to retire. How does a near-perfect climate where the natives are friendly on the California coast sound? Whether you want to kick back and enjoy the ocean and island views or explore the many sport-related activities and cultural events Santa Barbara has to offer this small-town oceanfront community might be just what you’re looking for!Santa Barbara offers a variety of housing options. With its mild climate, beautiful architecture, and numerous amenities, there is something for everyone. Here are the five reasons why retiring in Santa Barbara is an excellent choice.Santa Barbara’s Rich History and architecture     Santa Barbara is a beautiful coastal city. It effectively blends the old with the new. T... 03/20/2021

03/20/2021