In 2021, the Santa Barbara Independent publication heralded the “Boroughs of Santa Barbara,” selecting seven neighborhoods. This is an update as Santa Barbara’s neighborhoods aren’t just lifestyle choices—they’re strategic investments.
As we move through 2025, the local real estate market is showing signs of stabilization, but the story varies dramatically depending on where you look. Here’s a borough-by-borough breakdown of what’s hot, what’s shifting, and why it matters.
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Back in 2021, the San Roque neighborhood saw a spark of artistic revival with the relaunch of LOCCAS (La Cumbre Center for Creative Arts). Though its initial launch faced hurdles, the mission remained clear: to foster creativity, community, and connection in one of Santa Barbara’s most charming enclaves.
Fast forward to 2025, and San Roque continues to thrive—not just as a hub for the arts, but as a neighborhood deeply committed to preserving its rich history and architectural beauty. The City of Santa Barbara has launched an ambitious Historic Resource Survey in San Roque, aiming to document and protect the area’s iconic homes, many built in the 1920s and 1930s. Residents are actively contributing stories, photos, and memories to help shape the neighborhood’s official historic narrative.
Click Read More below for more information on San Roque.
Every July 4th, Americans gather to celebrate more than just fireworks and hot dogs—we honor the birth of a nation. On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, severing ties with Great Britain and launching a bold experiment in democracy.. Though the vote for independence happened two days earlier, July 4th became the symbolic birthday of the United States, a tradition that’s stuck for nearly 250 years.
Why Fireworks? Founding Father John Adams envisioned future celebrations filled with “Pomp and Parade…Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations”. And so, fireworks became a staple—first launched in 1777 over Boston and Philadelphia, and now lighting up skies from coast to coast.🌴 Santa Barbara’s Fourth of July Festivities If you’re lucky enough to be in Santa Barbara this Independence Day, the city’s waterfront is the place to be.
Click Read More below to see what’s happening: and SB Fireworks video.
You may be wondering why a real estate blog would post something about Martin Luther King. Many people are not aware of how much Martin Luther King helped the lives of home buyers, sellers, and real estate agents.
Martin Luther King’s death gave Congress the last push needed to pass the Fair Housing Act in 1968. The Fair Housing Act was put into place to ban racial discrimination in housing. You cannot be refused the rental or purchase of a house based on your race.
It didn’t happen overnight. Believe it or not, it still can and does come up. In 2020 the National Association of Realtors passed a ban on all Pocket Listings. Pocket listings are listings held off the market by a real estate agent who shares that information with whomever they so choose. Studies have shown that the last people to hear about Pocket Listings were people of color.
A large number of homes are sold off the market. Sometimes the agent with the pocket listing double-ended the sale. The ban on Pocket Listings began on January 1, 2020. Implementation of this new law began on May 1, 2020. There are a few scenarios where the sale of an off-market property is probably ok. Such as the sale of a property within a family, or a buyer and seller that have already come to an agreement and request a real estate professional to help conduct the sale. If you’re not sure what may or may not be legal in this regard you may need to consult with an attorney.
As professionals, we’re tasked with making people aware that discrimination based on race is not acceptable. We must refuse to work with anyone that wants to do so. I’m proud to be a part of this ongoing history.
Today, January 20, 2025, we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King.
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Nearly a hundred thousand Los Angeles County residents are still under evacuation orders as of Monday, January 13, and with more than 10,000 homes, schools, or other structures completely destroyed by fires from Pacific Palisades to Altadena to Sylmar, many are seeking refuge just up the coast in Santa Barbara.
Personal accounts posted on social media show frantic families packing their cherished belongings into cars and looking for anywhere safe. As evacuation centers in Los Angeles began to rapidly fill up, some jumped on Highway 101 northbound to find shelter on the Central Coast.
By the weekend, Santa Barbara hotels were filling up with people affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. On Saturday, Visit Santa Barbara announced a special lodging rate for evacuees at 25 different locations, with some offering 25-30 percent discounts or rooms for prices as low as $129 per night.
Click Read More below for links to the full stories
Have a great 4th of July!
The video was shot from the Upper Riviera neighborhood here in Santa Barbara. If you listen to the audio you’ll hear some rowdy neighbors hollering and whooping it up during the event!
Click Read More below to go to the full post, 4th of July fireworks video, and a list of holiday events taking place here in Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara has been pummeled recently with a storm meteorologists are calling an atmospheric river. There are more storms on the horizon with a smaller storm predicted for this weekend. The creeks are full and the ground is saturated.
In this post, we provide (below the video) Emergency Maps for southern Santa Barbara County as a resource you can refer to if necessary. Some of these Maps are interactive. Click on the link or image to go directly to Map.
Click Read More below for more information and video.
The Santa Barbara Film Festival brings together the best of film in a picturesque coastal setting. The Festival began in 1986 and has grown into an internationally recognized event for its showcasing of Independent and International Cinema, and the high-profile celebrities that attend.
The 2024 Film Festival is an eleven-day event held February 7th through the 17th. The Festival is proud to present a diverse slate of more than 200 films to over 100,000 film enthusiasts. The audience is a unique combination of film industry professionals, local, regional, and International attendees, and a large student population.
Click Read More below for more information about the 2024 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Some sightings of notable Santa Barbara personalities from the Montecito Journal, KEYT, the Independent, and Noozehawk. Plus some curious insights and tales from John Cleese, Steve Martin, and a plane trolling Harry and Meghans Riven Rock estate with a banner.
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For the second consecutive year, Carpinteria’s Kevin Costner opened his oceanside estate for a fundraiser to support One805Live!, an organization created in 2018 to support local First Responders, and raised over a million dollars.
The event attracted over 3000 guests including Harry and Meghan with entertainment provided by Maroon 5, Alan Parsons, and John Fogarty. Oprah Winfrey was also on stage interviewing Santa Barbara fireman Sam Dudley.
Also in attendance was friend and fellow realtor Adam McKaig whose outreach program to help the homeless received the Heart of the Community Award from some special guests including Price Harry.
Click Read More Below for more “Sightings” around town.
