Something tells me that times they are a-changing in Montecito… Whether it’s the 50-plus cars I saw at both the Hot Springs and San Ysidro Trailheads on the same day recently, or that I could not find a parking spot at sunset near Butterfly Beach on a weekday in March, or the fact that booking […]
Retired high tech executive Jan Wesemann is getting priceless publicity in the Wall Street Journal this week as she puts her 20-acre French country-style Montecito estate on the market for $12 million. Jan moved into the 7,600-square-foot, five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bathroom house, built in 2001, 10 years ago and brought up her four daughters on the Park […]
Recently Trending
More from Montecito
Well, let me just say, “whew, what a year that was,” to 2020. Let’s see what 2021 has in store for us, and what we will make of it collectively as a community here in lovely Montecito. As usual, we are having lovely weather and the rain this past week was welcome for sure. More […]
Montecito actor Rob Lowe who sold his 10,000 sq. ft. Picacho Road estate for $46 million has lost no time in spending the money, having purchased three new residential properties in Southern California since the sale just three months ago. Having spent $13 million on a new 6,000 sq, ft. five-bedroom, six-bath estate, Stonehedge, on […]
As he approaches retirement, Bruce Giffin, one of Santa Barbara’s top developers, ponders his legacy Construction is known for being a tough business. Competition is high, margins are low, cash flow swings in both directions and a shortage of skilled workers makes the industry all the more precarious. As he approaches his 35th anniversary in the […]
As we begin to slow the ride on this incredible rollercoaster of a year, it is important to consider all that has changed in the past 11-plus months. The pandemic, the political and social climate of uncertainty, the business and day-to-day implications of these circumstances that make it feel like a lifetime of adjustment all […]
One phrase has summed up the mortgage world since March: “record low rates.” Lenders have seen their pipelines swell to levels never seen before and things do not seem to be slowing down. Rates for conforming loans have been held low by the government’s intervention in purchasing mortgage-backed securities to aid in market liquidity. Meanwhile […]
With over fifty percent of the homes in the area being rentals, and many of the owners living outside of the region, property management plays a vital role in maintaining the range of real estate found throughout Santa Barbara and Montecito. Many houses have just mom and pop homeowners who may not have the time […]
Santa Barbara Symphony has appointed Rebecca Roling as vice president of patron and community engagement. A lifelong classical music fan, patron of the arts, and musician, Roling will build upon and leverage the popular organization’s impact and momentum, and be responsible for the growth of donation and ticket revenue through patron connection and loyalty. Five […]
Read more...
To the Rosewood Miramar for breakfast at the Malibu Farm with London Sunday Times travel writer Jonathan Thompson. The meeting was organized by my former News-Press colleague Karna Hughes, now an executive with Visit Santa Barbara, who thought my 13 years of experience living in our rarefied enclave might be of some use to the […]
The nearly one-acre Montecito Residence, built barely a decade ago for Chicagoans John and Dorothy Gardner, has been sold for $7.2 million to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs Mark Armenante and Young Sohn, co-founders of Vlocity, the cloud-applications software company acquired by Salesforce for $1.3 billion earlier this year. Built almost entirely from steel and glass, the […]
When people think of Montecito, they usually envision mountain and ocean views, homes of substantial size with lovely landscaping, privacy – and a swimming pool. While not everyone wants a pool, it is rare to find a buyer who will turn away from a home just because it has a pool. For most buyers, a […]
Inventor Ron Popeil, who brought us the Chop-O-Matic, the Veg-O-Matic, and the Showtime Rotisseries and BBQ, among many other creative TV infomercial inventions, is selling his Santa Barbara ranch for $4.9 million. The bucolic property sprawls across 150 acres in the hills above our Eden by the Beach, centering on an 1800s home with a […]
Comedian and political pundit Dennis Miller, 67, has sold his Montecito spread for $49 million in an all-cash deal. It’s the second largest amount recorded for a home in our rarefied enclave in recent years, behind only the $63.3 million paid by construction heir Riley Bechtel for a much larger estate last month. According to […]
