Prudential CA Realty Volunteers Help Build the new Adams School Garden

What an amazing day it was on Tuesday March 9  with the kick-off of the Adams School Garden!

The Center for Sustainability at SBCC has partnered with the Orfalea Fund’s s’Cool Food Initiative to spearhead the s’Cool Garden program – the mission, simply stated, is to connect students to their food and their environment  through school gardens.

With the help of many volunteers from the community, including Realtors from Prudential CA Realty, many of the tasks necessary to build the garden were easily completed:  building a compost bin, building and filling the raised vegetable bins with soil and mulch, planting vegetables and other plants in containers created by the students.    All of the classes at Adams had the opportunity to work in the garden and rotate through the various work stations.

Submitted by Kathleen Barnato, CRS, a Realtor at Prudential CA Realty and a volunteer with the Adams School Garden.

Here is the Montecito, California, caravan for Wednesday, march 3, 2010.  If you see something you like, or wish further information, please let me know!  I’m only a cell phone call/text away.  805.570.3366

Tour On 03/03/2010

2,495,000 4925 Sandyland A Road F8 3 3 BEACHFRONT! First open EVER! Lovely 3/3 condo on the sand. Never before available. Note time. Linden Avenue 03/03/2010 10:00 to 12:15.

3,995,000 4921 SANDYLAND RD F8 4 3 ON THE SAND! Rebuilt from the sand up in 1999 w/style and quality. Featured in magazines. Linden 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

737,500 1370 STERLING AVE G6 3 2 2nd Open – NEW LISTING! High-end remodel. Great room, outdoor kitchen, spa, wood floors, fireplace, Eleanor 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

725,000 1545 MEADOW Circle G6 3 3 1st open, Great location, sunny & bright, move in condition! remodeled, mtn views Linden 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

1,150,000 5575 RETORNO ST G8 3 2 1st open, BIG Mtn views!, .47 acres, close to beach & shopping. LB go all day Concha Loma 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

505,000 1290 VALLECITO RD H7 4 2.50 New Price ~ It’s much lower

$505,000 stop by preview the least expensive home in Carp. Ogan Road 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

1,595,000 6226 VIA REAL J8 6 4 1st OPEN. 2 NEW homes. 4ac Flat Private Scenic.1 of a kind, there are no comps. Lunch. Bring clients Bega Way 03/03/2010 10:30 to 01:30.

875,000 633 CIRCLE DR Q10 3 2 New unbelievable price for Cold Spring Area. Note time. Westmont Road 03/03/2010 10:00 to 12:00.

875,000 245 CLOYDON CIR Q10 2 1 Wonderful opportunity in Westmont and Cold Springs School areas. Chelham 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00

1,400,000 156 EUCALYPTUS HILL CIR Q12 3 2.50 MAJOR REDUCTION. Now you have to see this drop- dead ocean view unit; clean/bright/grt price! Eucalyptus Hill Road 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

3,565,000 1075 COLD SPRINGS RD R10 5 4 MUST SEE MONTECITO ESTATE. OCEAN AND ISLAND VIEWS! BEAUTIFUL APPOINTED INTERIOR. LUSH GARDENS. Sycamore Canyon 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

2,995,000 214 EUCALYPTUS HILL DR R11 5 4 New Listing 1st Open- Beautiful Mediterranean Ocean View Home on 3+ acres. CANCELLED IF RAINING Eucalyptus Hill Rd 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

15,300,000 1360 E MOUNTAIN DR S10 8 12 Rarely open.Redesigned by Marc Appleton on 2.6 acres w/ocean,mnt vus 6 bed + 2bedG.H.Exqusite! Lunch Picacho 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

1,495,000 740 Hot Springs RD S10 3 2 GREAT PRICE CHANGE! Cheerful& bright home down long driveway in great location, off Tejas Lane. Tejas 03/03/2010 11:00 to 01:00.

1,499,000 61 SEAVIEW Drive S12 2 2 Beautiful, impeccably remodeled and decorated Montecito condo underpriced for a quick sale. Channel 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

1,535,000 1325 VIRGINIA Road S12 3 2 2nd Open. Spanish beach area cottage. Treats……. Olive Mill Rd. 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

5,750,000 90 BUTTERFLY LN S12 3 5 NEW LISTING Lavishly & Quality Built New Construction close to Butterfly Beach, cancell if Rain. Channel Drive 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

2,695,000 1177 ORIOLE RD S12 4 5 Huge price reduction! 4 beds+5ba,study,media room & close to beach & lower village.Value! Note time Middle 03/03/2010 11:00 to 01:00.

1,399,000 412 LEMON GROVE LN T11 3 3.50 Minutes to Lower & Upper Village. Montecito Union School District. (Cancelled If Raining) Santa Rosa Lane 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

2,550,000 22 MIRAMAR AVE T12 3 2 San Ysidro 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

3,880,000 538 CROCKER SPERRY DR U11 3 5 New Listing – First Time Open. Cancels if raining. Birnam Wood Drive 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

3,250,000 2117 FORGE RD U11 3 3.50 GREAT NEW PRICE @ this beautiful Birnam Wood home- which was remodeled & expanded w/ new pool & spa! Birnam Wood 03/03/2010 11:00 to 01:00.

4,486,000 295 LAS ENTRADAS DR U12 4 5 Ennisbrook Spanish: big vus, outdoor living, terraces, pool, gardens, guest hse. Agents only pls. Jelinda Dr. 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

2,395,000 2225 FEATHERHILL RD V11 3 3 Reduced. 1.6 A, 3BD/3BA private rd, MUS, Sep 3-car gar/studio. Bank owned, financing avail. Romero Canyon 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

4,495,000 330 ASEGRA RD V12 6 4.50 Stunning, 5 acre Tuscan estate – ocean views, privacy, gst house, high quality – move-in condition. Greenwell 03/03/2010 11:00 to 01:00.

3,795,000 340 TORO CANYON RD W12 3 3 New Listing ~ 1st Open! Ocn & island vws. 2.85+/-, w/barn & stalls, guest hse & more. Rain cancels. Via Real 03/03/2010 10:00 to 01:00.

1,700,000 2790 VIA REAL 2 W12 OVER $1M PRICE ADJUSTMENT !! Ocean/Mountain Views From This Remarkable 5 Plus Ac Lot. Note Time Padaro 03/03/2010 11:00 to 01:00.

1,500,000 2790 VIA REAL 3 W12 SIGNIFICANT PRICE ADJUSTMENT !! Exclusive Montecito Ranch Estates 5 Plus Ac. Ocean/Mtn View Lot Padaro 03/03/2010 11:00 to 01:00.

635,000 1405 TOMOL DR 3 2 1st Broker Open! Beautiful Remodel. Healthy snacks served.

There you go!

Here is a market update for Santa Barbara, Montecito and South Santa Barbara county.

For the month of January, in South Santa Barbara County, there were about 60 sales. Last year, for January 2009, there were only 44 sales, so our numbers are up. (December we posted 95 sales – end of year activity, no doubt.) In the $1M to $2MM category, there were 27 sales in December 2009 but only 7 in January of 2010. I believe this is a result of lack of inventory in this price range.

Below $1M, or entry level in South Santa Barbara County, there were 50 sales in December 2009, but only 44 in January 2010. Above $2MM, there were 11 sales in December 2009 and only 7 sales in January 2010. Our median sales price for single family residences, excluding Hope Ranch and Montecito (our high end market) went down to about $750,000. For the last several months it has been yo-yoiing up and down between $750,000 and $925,000. The sales price to list price ratio is now about 75% for the month of January. I believe this could be due to the number of REO and short sale listings closing. The good news is that there were over 50 escrows opened in the month of January, with the median listing price around $825,000. Let’s see if the ratio goes from 75% to a higher value.

In Montecito, there are 7 sales so far, with a median sales price of $3.3MM.

On the East side of Santa Barbara there were 20 sales, an increase of 100% over last January, with a lower median sales price of $839,000.

On the West side of Santa Barbara, there were 8 sales, a drop of just a few from last year at this time. the median price was $727,500. In Hope Ranch, only two sales so far this year, after a busy 2009. The median price in January was $3.6MM.

Entry level Goleta has 8 sales this January, with a median of $550,000, down from a high of $790,000 last January. This is due to the many REO and short sale properties offered in this distressed area.

Condo Market update: We are up to 20 sales in January, better than 12 in January of 2009. However, the median sales price is lower this year: $375,000. Again, lack of proper inventory of “Normal sales” and too many REO and short sale properties on the market.

For more information, please contact me. I’m just a click away!

Kathleen Barnato, CRS

k@kathleenbarnato.com

www.kathleenbarnato.com

1170 Coast Village Road, Montecito, CA 93108

Find me on Facebook:

Kathleen Barnato CRS

Homes, condos, estates, beachfront sales – Certified Residential Specialist

365 Things to Do in South Santa Barbara County/Montecito, California

Casa de la Guerra

Pueblo-Style Architecture in Santa Barbara

Spanish influence was established early — but with a touch of green

Casa de la Guerra was built in the 1820s to house Presidio Comandante José de la Guerra.

Reprinted with permission of Anthony Grumbine, Harrison Design Associates | Published on 01.30.2010

Thick plaster walls, burnt red roof tiles, and a relaxed Mediterranean climate are hallmarks of Santa Barbara’s architectural style. These hallmarks are living reminders of our city’s history. They reach back to the early days when the Spaniards first established their fort, or presidio, amid a thriving Chumash Indian civilization.

For Spain, California was important in two ways. The Spanish government wanted to establish presidios to defend its interests from Russian fur traders as well as those in the United States looking for a northwest passage. In addition, Spanish Franciscan friars, led by Father Junípero Serra, wanted to establish missions to spread Christianity to the natives. These dual purposes led the Spanish crown to work with Franciscans to establish 21 missions and four presidios along the California coast from 1769 to the early 1800s.

Santa Barbara’s Presidio — a Model of Civility

The Presidio at Santa Barbara was the last of the four presidios to be established. Founded in 1782, Santa Barbara’s presidio and surrounding adobes alluded to the beauty and care that Santa Barbara is famous for to this very day. As Capt. George Vancouver (after his visit in 1793) wrote, the presidio is “far more civilized than any of the other Spanish establishments … The buildings appeared to be regular and well-constructed, the walls clean and white, and the roofs of the houses covered with a bright red tile. The presidio excels all the others in neatness, cleanliness, and other small though essential comforts.” (from James Early’s Presidio, Mission and Pueblo).

This care to detail, beauty, civility, and attention to the comforts of life has a long-standing tradition in Santa Barbara, dating back to the city’s founding. And, thanks to the efforts of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, the presidio is largely rebuilt, making it possible to experience the first landmark of our city’s history in all of its former glory.

The Mission — Faith and Works

Although Serra wanted to establish Mission Santa Barbara at the same time as the presidio, the mission was not founded until 1786 (two years after Serra’s death). As Early explains, the first mission was built of wood posts, or palisades, and covered in plaster. This was soon replaced by a larger adobe-brick mission that, by 1820, was replaced by a mission of sandstone block.

Mission Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara Mission. (Marc Compton photo / Harrison Design Associates)

Positioned up on the hill overlooking the Santa Barbara Channel, the mission complex soon flourished with buildings, including a monastery, housing for the Indians, a water reservoir, aqueduct, granary and weavery. The Santa Barbara Mission was both a source of faith as well as a center of communal life for the newly founded community.

A House of Importance

Click here for an adobe construction animation by Anthony Grumbine of Harrison Design Associates.

One exemplar of early adobe construction is Casa de la Guerra. Built in the 1820s by the presidio comandante, José de la Guerra, it is a perfect example of early Spanish Colonial architecture. Its massively thick walls tell of its adobe brick construction method while its simple round wood beams give it a powerfully rustic presence representing an era before industrialization or specialized tradesmen. The large clay barrel tiles remind one of its Spanish roots, as do the wood lintels that span the window and door openings.

Even the tower at Casa de la Guerra — unusual for adobes of this time — tells of a connection to Spain. De la Guerra, a Spaniard by birth, had traveled to Mexico and then to Santa Barbara, where he was the comandante and a successful tradesman. As archeologist Michael Imwalle explains, by including a tower in the design, de la Guerra referenced his family crest, which has a tower as one of its symbols. The family customs and traditions of Spain were being manifested in Santa Barbara.

The Plan Matters

It was not only building methods and traditions that the Spaniards brought to California, however. They also brought their organization of public and private life. The plan is a powerful tool that organizes how people within the building interact with each other as well as how they interact with the public. Early adobes were often simple one- or two-room dwellings, which were then enlarged, if the family grew in wealth. The house would continue to grow into an L, or even U, shape, around a central courtyard, with portales (covered walks) to shade the inhabitants from the sun. Individual rooms would often open directly onto the courtyard. As Gerald Foster notes, these L- and U-shaped houses were the early ancestors of the prolific American ranch house.

GREEN Architecture … Old-World Style

Since Santa Barbara has a Mediterranean-like climate, many of the same building principles apply to this region as in Spain. Thick white plaster walls with relatively few windows and doors block out much of the heat of the sun during the day and then release that same heat during the night. In Spain, fireplaces were small since wood was scarce and upper-story windows were used for natural ventilation. Fired-clay tile roofs (which last to this day) minimized the long-term need to constantly replace roofing materials. These, and many other naturally developed techniques, continue to work as well in Santa Barbara as they do in Spain.

Watercolor

A modern Spanish Colonial Revival house utilizes traditional Spanish materials and forms that are naturally suited to the climate. (Harrison Design Associates rendering)

Another important aspect, and one that is often overlooked, is the benefit that timeless beauty brings to the environmentally friendly table. If a building is both well made and in a beautiful architectural style (or “lovable,” as architect and New Urbanist Stephen Mouzon would say), it is more likely to be re-purposed/re-used, rather than demolished. And, considering the vast amount of energy that goes into making every building, it would be much easier on the environment if our buildings were made in beautiful styles and made to last.

Prior to our ability to overcome nature through technology, Spanish architecture learned to work with its environment in the most energy-efficient ways possible while adding details and embellishments for the sake of beauty. By doing so, traditional Spanish architecture was — and still is — a perfect fit for Santa Barbara.

The Past and the Future

Adobe houses, the presidio, and the mission are all great examples that we have with us today of early Spanish Colonial architecture in Santa Barbara. By appreciating and understanding Santa Barbara’s roots, we can help continue the legacy of beauty that has been handed down for more than 200 years.

— Anthony Grumbine is a project designer at Harrison Design Associates, www.harrisondesignassociates.com, an architecture firm in Santa Barbara (as well as Beverly Hills and Atlanta) specializing in high-quality architecture in a range of styles. Harrison Design Associates is dedicated to the improvement of the field of architecture through study, education and leadership. Anthony can be reached at agrumbine@harrison-ca.com.

Since I live and specialize in the Samarkand neighborhood, I thought it appropriate to provide information on the retirement home that so prominently occupies part of our neighborhood.

The Samarkand: A Rich History, a Community Resource

The Samarkand of Santa Barbara has embarked on a comprehensive program to ensure that prospective residents and their families understand the retirement choices available to them. (The Samarkand of Santa Barbara photo)

By John Hall, The Samarkand of Santa Barbara |

It began as a boys’ school in 1916. Then, it became a plush hotel decorated with Persian rugs and Flemish tapestries. It thrived in the “Roaring Twenties,” changed hands after the stock market crash in 1929, and became officers’ quarters during World War II. In 1955, the guests were replaced by residents when the buildings were converted into a retirement home. But it didn’t thrive with dignity and distinction until Covenant Retirement Communities assumed ownership in 1966.

The Samarkand of Santa Barbara is now a retirement community offering residential living, assisted living, assisted living with memory support, and skilled nursing care. The original building may be gone, but the koi pond, magnolia trees and blue vases are reminders of the rich past of these 16 acres at 2550 Treasure Drive.

Just as the campus has changed over the past century, The Samarkand has adapted in how it serves the needs of seniors and their families, while retaining the tradition and values that remain at the core of its mission: to affirm the dignity of each person.

Almost 9 million Californians, or 23 percent of the population, are Baby Boomers. This generation is facing difficult issues about aging, but for most of them, it’s not getting older that causes them concern, but their aging parents.

“We work with many families who are earnestly looking for the right choices and options for their aging parents,” said Pam Bigelow, marketing director for The Samarkand. “But before they can get to that point, they aren’t sure how to approach their parents about the issues that come with aging.”

So, The Samarkand and 14 other Covenant Retirement Communities across the country are engaged in a new program to help families talk about these issues. The Web site, www.HavingtheConversation.com, features articles on things like, “When is the right time to give up the car?” and “Is staying in the house a good idea?”

“But the most popular page is the article titled, ‘How to best get started,’” Bigelow said. “People want to know how to bring up the subject without scaring mom or dad, or alienating them. It’s about a two-way conversation, and we give ideas that work.”

To help adult children through the process, the Web site includes a video, articles that can be downloaded and shared with aging parents, checklists for families, and a list of national resources and local services that may be available.

While The Samarkand is an option for those who choose a retirement community, Bigelow is quick to point out that the program is not trying to “sell” anyone on ideas that might not be a good fit.

“We are proud to provide a welcoming community and home to those who live here, but ‘Having the Conversation’ is not about The Samarkand or Covenant Retirement Communities; it’s about family members talking with each other, expressing their feelings, hopes and concerns,” she said. “It’s about peace of mind.”

Bigelow says many families may come to the realization that a retirement community is a perfect fit, or that it is not. Simple adjustments at home may make life a lot easier for aging parents. Hiring in-home care is another option. Sometimes the family can provide the best living arrangements. She says the important thing is for adult children and aging parents to reach a decision together.

Bigelow has been with The Samarkand for nearly 20 years, and recalls what one resident told her in 1991:

“A husband and wife were moving their boxes and we were talking about why they made the decision to move in,” Bigelow recalled. “She told me, ‘We came here as a gift to our children.’ Having ‘The Conversation’ is our gift to families.”

Click here for more information about The Samarkand of Santa Barbara, or call 805.687.0701.

— John Hall represents The Samarkand of Santa Barbara.

Montecito Planning Commission Calls Out NextG Over Cell-Tower Permits

Montecito Planning Commissioner Daniel Eidelson, right, asks a question of NextG representative Patrick Ryan during Wednesday’s meeting. (Lara Cooper / Noozhawk photo)

By Lara Cooper, Noozhawk Staff Writer | Published on 01.27.2010

Members of the Montecito Planning Commission sided unanimously Wednesday with residents opposed to the way several proposed cell-tower sites are moving through the planning process.

It’s a contentious issue that began when residents noticed yellow “notice of development” signs popping up in residential areas across a wide swath of the South Coast.

Cell company NextG wants to put up 39 “node” — or antenna — sites, including 14 in Montecito. Residents have appealed seven of the locations because of their proximity to homes, schools and view corridors.  NextG’s plans would allow for a 26-inch antenna to be installed on an existing utility pole in each of the locations. A 3-foot utility box also would be placed on the pole.

A central issue in Wednesday’s debate centered on the type of permitting the projects have been given.

Permits for this type of project range among four categories. A tier-one permit exists for the smallest projects. Tier four is used for the largest projects and can exceed 50 feet in height.

Because each of the seven locations was treated as a separate project, and not processed as one larger project, the company chose to pursue a tier one permit for each, which would require less scrutiny than a tier four.

NextG is the company applying for the infrastructure, but it would be used by cell company Metro PCS, which currently doesn’t have coverage in the Montecito area.

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved stricter cell tower regulations in December, but shied away from enacting a moratorium.

The Federal Communications Commission issued a declaratory ruling last November stating that state and local governments can’t deny an application solely because the service is available from another provider. So, just because Montecito residents get coverage from AT&T or Verizon, for example, doesn’t mean the county can deny NextG’s application for MetroPCS.

NextG official Patrick Ryan addresses the Montecito Planning Commission. (Lara Cooper / Noozhawk photo)

The county can deny the projects for aesthetic reasons. But if NextG proves it has a significant gap in its coverage, the county must provide an alternate location for the project, while still filling in that gap.

In the past, Montecito residents who have spoken out on the project have cited health concerns. They’ve argued that the electromagnetic frequencies the devices emit could have health consequences to those who live or go to school near them.

The Federal Communications Act pre-empts the county from prohibiting the antennas based on health concerns, assuming the locations comply with the threshold deemed safe by the FCC.

That point was hardly touched on Wednesday as the residents rallied behind their attorney, Susan Basham, who is representing the group in their appeal.

Instead, Basham focused on the aesthetic implications of the antennas going in, and called reviewing each as an individual project a “piecemeal” approach.

“A tier-one permitting system is designed for a single antenna,” she said. “If you look at those individually, you never get the entire picture.”

The county contends it’s using existing infrastructure — the telephone poles — which they say blend in and don’t add height.

“This is arguably one of the least intrusive designs available,” county planner Megan Lowery said.

Last year, county planners received an application for a 60-foot tower encased in a faux pine tree. Comparatively, she said, the NextG antennas are far more wieldy.

The cable NextG would install has the capacity for five networks, a point not lost on the residents.

Montecito resident Abe Powell showed photos he had taken of an antenna installed by NextG on Picacho Lane. A coil of wires had been left next to the antenna, dangling in the air, and Powell altered the photos to show what various antenna sites would look like with five antennas, instead of one.

“This is visual blight,” he said. “We think that’s unacceptable. … Every other cell company is going to want to do the same thing.”

NextG representative Patrick Ryan called Powell’s simulation a “misrepresentation” and said the wire coil had been there at the request of the county. “There is no plan to install five different antennas,” he said.

One commissioner asked outright how many carriers a community needs.

“There will be more companies, like Metro PCS, that will come to Montecito,” Ryan said. “We’re very much in the infancy stage of wireless.”

He said NextG is the first carrier to use this smaller equipment, and that his company is often invited into communities as an alternative to larger operations.

Ryan noted that because more people rely on their cell phones, all carriers are submitting applications for residential areas — not just NextG.

The commissioners ultimately took issue with the fact that the company didn’t process it as a tier-four project, which would have allowed the company to talk about alternative sites with nearby residents.

“Common sense says this is a network,” Commissioner Claire Gottsdanker said, recommending that it be permitted as such.

Article reprinted with permission of:

— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com
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As reported in the Daily Sound,” a 2-year study of a wastewater outflow site off the cost of Montecito has determined that bacteria levels in the area are within state standards, according to Heal the Ocean. ” http://www.healtheocean.org/

The study was funded by a state grant in the amount of $330,000, and monitored the water off Butterfly Beach, near the Biltmore Hotel.  Hilary Hauser, director of the non-profit Heal the Ocean, was impressed with the job the Montecito Sanitary District is doing in treating waste water.  The Johnson Ohama Charitable Foundation has donated additional funding to continue the analysis for an additional six months.

UCSB researchers (Carter Ohlmann, Libe Washburn, oceanographers, along with Dr. Trish Holden and her team)  tested the waters weekly from 2007 to 2009.  In many of the samples, microbiologists could not detect any traces of bacteria associated with human waste.

Heal the Ocean has plans to release another report that details the results of a five-year effort to study the entire coast of California waste water discharge.  It will specifically address CECs (contaminants of emerging concern) “such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products that are impacting the wastewater system.

Butterfly Beach, Montecito CA 93108

The following is information re-blogged from Montecito Journal.

Welcome to Montecito

Photo by Nick Koutoulas

Tucked between the mountains and the sea and boasting a near-perfect year-round climate, Montecito has become one of, if not the most exclusive and attractive communities in the world. Home prices begin at nearly $2 million and go up to $45 million and more. Along with a coterie of movie stars and celebrated authors, some dozen billionaires either call Montecito home or maintain second homes here.

There are two distinct commercial areas of Montecito: the upper village and Coast Village Road. In the upper village, a small shopping area between San Ysidro Road and Santa Angela Lane, contains a hardware store, grocery store, post office, gas station, stationery store, bookshop, three banks, a frame & art store, photo shop, two jewelry shops, hair salons & fragrance shops, a brokerage firm, drugstore, coffee shop, deli, real-estate offices, antiques, architects, dry cleaners, cheese shop, clothing & houseware boutiques, and three Italian restaurants. The Montecito Village Shopping Center is indeed the hub of this unique community.

Coast Village Road has a myriad of restaurants, real-estate offices, banks, boutiques, delis, hotels, motels, art galleries, video stores, pizza parlors, banks, jewelry stores, exercise salons, ice cream & gelato shops, etcetera, and is often compared to Rodeo Drive, although far more laid back; the number of clothing and accessory shops along Coast Village Road are limited and none are as ostentatious as their Beverly Hills counterparts.

Photo by Nick Koutoulas

Montecito’s two public elementary schools (rated among the best in the State of California) are joined by five private schools and a 1,200-student highly ranked liberal arts college. Two public parks, a public tennis court, and a family-oriented YMCA also benefit Montecito homeowners and residents. Architects connected with Montecito range from George Washington Smith and his assistant Lutah Riggs, to Carleton Winslow, Sanford White, Reginald Johnson, Bertram Goodhue, Frank Lloyd Wright, Julia Morgan, and many others of equal stature.

There are three private golf courses in Montecito: Birnam Wood (designed by Robert Trent Jones), The Valley Club (designed by Alistair McKenzie, co-creator of Augusta National, site of the Masters), and Montecito Country Club (landscape architect Max Behr’s original design is about to be altered by Jack Nicklaus). The Knowlwood Tennis Club and Coral Casino offer both swim and tennis clubs for their members. The fabled oceanfront Biltmore Hotel is now the Four Seasons Biltmore and is one of the few five-star establishments in California.

Photo by Nick Koutoulas

The Luxury market in Montecito/Hope Ranch and on the beach is alive and well, despite rumors of its demise…17 sales since January in the $5MM plus market, and 8 pending sales reported as of this writing…

Sales:

0 Rockbridge Road – listed for $32,500,000, sold privately for $25,279,265 (Montecito)

815 Cima del Mundo, listed for $25,000,000, sold for $18,500,000 (Montecito)

3284 Beach Club listed at $6,850,000, sold for $6,100,000 (beach)

3447/3445 Padaro listed at $8,150,000, sold for $6,350,000 (beach)

168 Rincon listed at $6,500,000, sold for $5,500,000 (beach)

777 Ayala Lane listed at $7,900,000, sold for $5,975,000 (Montecito)

735 Fuera Lane listed at $8,200,000, sold for $7,600,000 (Montecito)

427 Lanai Road listed for $5,495,000, sold for $4,700,000 (Montecito

1525 Las Tunas, listed for $7,500,000, sold for $7,150,000 (Montecito)

330 Malaga, listed for $5,875,000, sold for $5,550,000 (Montecito)

798 Park Hill Lane, listed for $9,700,000, sold for $8,200,000 (Montecito)

1631 Posilipo, listed for $8,950,000, sold for $8,300,000 (beach)

1039 Cima Linda, listed for $5,200,000, sold for $4,850,000 (Montecito)

4050 Cuervo, listed for $5,600,000, sold for $4,737,500 (Hope Ranch)

616 Juan Crespi Lane, listed for $6,988,600 sold for $6,988,660 (Montecito)

566 Picacho, listed for $5,950,000, sold for $5,450,000 (Montecito)

4280 Via Esperanza, listed for $9,950,000, sold for $8,200,000 (Hope Ranch)

Pending sales – in escrow – waiting to close:

4763 Sandyland $5,900,000 (beach)

1144 E. Mountain $12,500,000 (Montecito)

2549 Sycamore Canyon $16,000,000 (Montecito – Val Verde Estate)

2190 Alston $9,490,000 (Montecito)

4385 Marina $15,750,000 (Hope Ranch)

1340 E. Mountain $6,950,000 (Montecito)

How many active listings are there still out there, priced over $5MM?  The MLS shows:

Montecito/Beach – over 80 listings priced up to $29MM

Hope Ranch – 8 listings price up to $9,300,000

How many other properties are for sale, privately? Call me or search on my web site:  www.kathleenbarnato.com

This majestic estate is nestled on 17.4 lush and private acres, complete with a spacious main residence and 2 guest homes. The breathtaking grounds include an impressive reflecting koi pond, year-round creek, pool, fountains, and phenomenal specimen landscaping and beautiful gardens. This is an incredible opportunity to own a rich piece of Montecito’s history!

Offered at $16,000,000 and subject to bankruptcy court approval.  Owner financing may be available.   AUSTIN VAL VERDE: A Montecito Masterpiece is the first book to reveal the full extent and richness of Val Verde’s architecture, interiors, and gardens. The book includes never-before-published color photographs of the house and its gardens by the late Berge Aran that capture the enchanting spirit of this American architectural icon and give the reader the rare opportunity of exploring this wonderful place, inside and out.