Santa Barbara
Nationwide the housing market is seeing unusual inventory gains in November. Is this a sign that the scarcity of housing inventory could be improving? Interest rates have dropped slightly and although a large percentage of home sales have been All Cash purchases it appears buyers may be returning to the market.
SANTA BARBARA RANKED 4TH BEST PLACE TO LIVE IN CALIFORNIA BY US NEWS
US News placed Santa Barbara as the fourth best place to live in California following San Jose, San Francisco, and San Diego.
Santa Barbara has been described as the “American Riviera,” a “playground for the rich and famous” and, quite simply, “paradise.” Situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, Santa Barbara, with its near-perfect climate and the ocean at its doorstep, is an outdoor lover’s paradise. Along the beachfront, residents can bike, run, kayak, surf, play beach volleyball, or stroll out onto Stearns Wharf, a historic wooden pier dotted with shops, restaurants, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center, an interactive marine education facility. A water taxi connects the wharf and the Santa Barbara Harbor, where residents can charter a fishing boat or visit the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.
Art, history, and other museums and galleries are readily available. Entertainment options range from outdoor concerts at the Santa Barbara Bowl to lectures, music, films, and theater performances at smaller venues.
On Sundays, the Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show takes place along Cabrillo Boulevard, featuring wares from dozens of artists. Farmers markets are also regularly held throughout the area. Popular annual events include the Summer Solstice Celebration, Old Spanish Days Fiesta, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and the I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival held on the grounds of Old Mission Santa Barbara, often called the “Queen of the Missions.”
Outside the immediate area, residents can hike, camp, and go wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley. Solvang, the Danish-style village, is a popular day trip locale, as is the town of Goleta, thanks to its indoor ice skating rink, aptly named Ice in Paradise.
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