Santa Barbara’s new rent law caps the coupon on 13,000 apartments at about 2%. What that does to income, value, and exit, why it may not be the last word, and how to keep up. On January 1, roughly 13,000 Santa Barbara apartments start behaving like bonds. The coupon is capped at about 2.1% a […]
Hello, Montecito residents and visitors… I hope you are enjoying springtime in paradise. For our regular MJ readers, you might have noticed this article’s absence from the publication for these past few months after 13 years of regular reporting… my apologies. However, after some time off and letting the market settle into 2026, I’m back […]
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Grand in presence and graceful in livability, Miramar Meadows is a newly built Montecito compound where timeless architecture and refined functionality meet just moments from the Pacific. Past soaring palms and manicured hedges, Miramar Meadows reveals itself with modern lines and a quiet grandeur. The arrival is stately yet restrained, offering a striking first impression […]
Well, if this fall has been a hint of what winter will be like, I’ll take it as often as I will summer. These past weeks (Thanksgiving week to December 21) have been lovely, and with fewer crowds (the town secret), amazing sunsets, warm days and even some warm nights… those few weeks after Thanksgiving, […]
Montecito’s luxury real estate market demonstrated exceptional strength in October 2025, recording 23 residential sales with a remarkable median sale price of $7,780,000 for House/PUD (Planned Unit Development) properties. The average sales price for these House/PUD properties reached an extraordinary $13,158,298, underscoring Montecito’s position as one of California’s most prestigious real estate markets. The month’s […]
Montecito resident Chris Dentzel’s secret to a good night’s sleep is not lavender, chamomile, or any of the usual somnolent suspects you might think of. “I actually sleep a whole lot better,” Dentzel said. “And I know there are more things to do.” The key to Dentzel’s tranquility is evident throughout his thoughtfully designed Sycamore […]
Life in the American Riviera – along the alluring Santa Barbara south coast, and enclaves like Montecito – strikes a special balance: it’s not far from the urban sprawl of L.A., yet a world away. And the appeal of living here goes beyond gorgeous views, perfect weather, and an uncanny ability for property values to […]
In our little enclave by the ocean, we meet several high-net-worth individuals and families looking for ways to reduce their taxable estates. One of the more sophisticated tools available is an Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust (IDGT). Despite its confusing name, the IDGT is a legal and effective strategy that separates estate tax from income tax […]
Greetings and Happy June Gloom. Hopefully by the time this is published we will be seeing the sun before the late afternoon, but I suppose any sun in June is cause for celebration. Cheers to it being almost Solstice and time for the busy Montecito Summer. For my stat happy audience, I’m delighted to report […]
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Many features that make the Santa Barbara area a great place to live – the alluring coastline, mountainous backdrop, excellent colleges, and small-town scale – also contribute to its relatively stable commercial real estate market, providing steady tourism, a well-educated employee base, and constraints on new development. However, our relatively secluded enclave is not immune […]
Montecito Real Estate Sales Continue to Impress… It’s April and I’m not seeing any showers to bring May flowers. While we did have a nice handful of downpours this winter, my lawn is still hoping for some mid spring sprinkles. As I write, we are experiencing a week of fog with some clearing. June gloom […]
The Santa Barbara South Coast real estate market continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience in early 2025, with significant price appreciation in most areas and a persistent shortage of available inventory driving competitive bidding situations despite rising interest rates. Montecito, in particular, maintains its position as one of the nation’s most exclusive real estate markets, though […]
Well, my fellow Montecitans, the Montecito Real Estate market started 2025 off with a bang, as January brought the largest number of sold homes in one month in well over a year. January!!! A month that is normally one of the slower of the year is now the benchmark for months to come. With 25 […]
Without attempting to be a statistical tower of stats and figures, I have attempted here to give an overall look at Montecito’s Real Estate market – and her nuances – through an analysis of homes sales thus far, January 1 to November 30, 2024. To summarize some thoughts about the Montecito and 93108 Real Estate […]
