Sunshine, Scarcity, and a Surge in Celebrity Curb Appeal
If you’ve been wondering whether the Southern Santa Barbara real estate market is cooling off or just catching its breath—spoiler alert—it’s the latter. As we cruise through mid-2025, the region continues to defy broader market trends with a cocktail of rising inventory, resilient demand, and a dash of Hollywood sparkle.
Click Read More below for more insights ,market conditions, and much more!
Market Overview Locally and Nationally
May 20, 2024 – Mortgage rates moderated further last week before inching up in the past couple of days, as the latest economic reports suggest that consumer inflation resumed its downward trend, while retail spending cooled more than expected. It will take more than just a couple of reports to justify rate cuts for the Fed, but the new numbers offer hope that the central bank could still lower rates in their upcoming July or September meeting.
The California housing market, meanwhile, kicked off the spring homebuying season with an encouraging start. April home sales at the state level improved moderately from last month and were up from the same month of last year, while the statewide median price soared to the highest level on record. Housing supply continued to improve, with new active listings surging by double-digits from a year ago for the fourth consecutive month. Source: California Association of Realtors.
Click Read more for Santa Barbara real estate market trends, statistics, and video.
Optimism is on the rise…
Mortgage rates have fallen for nine consecutive weeks and are expected to drop further although many think it’s unlikely that rates will drop below 6%.
The Federal Reserve’s campaign to lower inflation through rate hikes had a significant impact on the housing market. Now that inflation is easing, and interest rates are falling, it’s likely buyers who have been sitting on the sidelines might get back in the game.
The big question for 2024 is will there be a notable increase in inventory? The general consensus among real estate professionals is optimistic as you’ll see in the video included in this post. All expectations are for an increase in inventory. But, truthfully, only time will tell. All indicators at this stage look good without any significant unforeseen disruptions.
Click Read More below for Market Update, last year’s sale’s statistics, and a very timely Altos Research video.
Market Update
The Santa Barbara housing market is very competitive. Homes in Santa Barbara receive 4 offers on average and sell in around 31 days. The median sale price of a home in Santa Barbara was $1.5M last month, down 17.0% since last year. The median sale price per square foot in Santa Barbara is $1.24K, up 5.3% since last year.
Click Read More below for Charts, Graphs, and more Statistical Data
The Upper East
The Upper East neighborhood of Santa Barbara has been the crown jewel of the city with the most sought-after homes for decades. The houses are outstandingly large, and impressive. Sopping with character and intrigue. The embellished yards are groomed to perfection. And it’s quiet.
One can only dream of living in the Upper East. Driving through it is a pleasure in and of itself, gazing upon the glamorous houses, drowning in drool as you dream about what you would do with all that square footage.
The Santa Barbara Mission sits center stage amidst this audience of upscale homes, providing a performance fit for a standing ovation every time. With a rose garden and a picturesque backdrop of mountains and blue sky, the mission steals hearts daily. Established in the 1700s, the mission has been added onto and rebuilt three times. Now she stands in all her glory, increasing the property value of all of those around her.
Click Read More below to go to video.
Market Trends & some good reasons for Optimism
RATES HAVE FALLEN ABOUT 1.5% SINCE MID-OCTOBER. That translates to about $100 a month in savings per $100,000 borrowed.
The Housing Market is most definitely Not Frozen source: JVM Blog/ JVM Lending
INVESTORS ARE STILL BUYING: Investors seem to see something much of the homebuying world does not. Agents report that they’re dealing with investors of every type. The low inventory for Investment properties is fairly limited in Santa Barbara right now making good investment properties very desirable especially if they’re priced right.
RATES WILL CONTINUE TO FALL: Rates are expected to fall in the first half of 2023. If that happens we may also see more homes for sale. CoreLogic is predicting appreciation next year.
(For More Information Click Read More Below)
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June 2022 Statistics and Market Trends
Have homebuyers had enough? Nationally mortgage rates have spiked on top of record appreciation! Up 42% since the onset of the pandemic. Locally though the real estate market here in Santa Barbara has only seen modest changes so far. Homes may be taking a little longer to sell, and we’re seeing more price reductions/ price improvements. It seems as if the market reinvents itself every day.
No Signs that the Market is Easing Up…
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