LOCATION,LOCATION,LOCATION! This one-of-a-kind Don Pedersen designed custom home is located steps from the wonderful shops and restaurants of Montecito’s Lower Village and Butterfly Beach. Inspired by tropical plantation style homes and integrated seamlessly with charming Santa Barbara details this home is impressive! The dramatic entry and open floor plan boasts soaring 30′ beamed ceilings, warm maple floors, and is flooded with natural light from an abundance of windows and skylights. A fantastic property for entertaining with multiple sets of French doors opening to an expansive veranda. The generous sized master suite has his and her baths and walk-in closets and is located on the main level. There is an elevator for easy access to the lower level with additional rooms and hugh 3 car garage – a perfect place for autos and hobbies. The beautifully landscaped grounds feature a magnificent magnolia tree, colorful and mature plantings, a charming stone wall and pathways plus an enchanting 2 bdrm guest cottage. For the garden enthusiast there is also a wonderful greenhouse which could serve as an art studio. A rare opportunity for so much in such a prime Montecito area. Offered at just $2,699,000.

For more details contact Pat Saraca at 805-886-7426, Distinctive Real Estate

Dramatic Living Room

This exquisitely remodeled home is open today! 623 Alston is near both the Upper and Lower Villages of Montecito with easy access to downtown Santa Barbara, too. Reminescent of a country home in the South of France, this home is a perfect blend of old world charm with today’s modern amenities. Charming features include leaded glass windows, high wood beam ceilings, antique inspired fireplaces, gleaming wood floors, gorgeous master suite with relaxing spa tub. French doors flow out to the expansive brick courtyard with beautiful gardens. Approx 3000 s.f.  with 3 bdrms and 3 full baths, formal living and dining rooms, kitchen, family room, breakfast nook, office/den. Just reduced to a great price of $1,595,000.  Hurry on this one!

Enchanting entry

I am pleased to announce a pocket listing in Montecito, California. This Montecito luxury home is located with easy access to the Upper or Lower Villages. This French Country home has a classic, vaulted roofline with stately fluted chimneys. The hedge and flower-lined walkway leads to the brick entry. The spacious living room boasts high beamed ceilings, hardwood floors and an antique inspired fireplace. The tastefully remodeled kitchen opens to a breakfast nook and a spacious family room  with a charming stone fireplace. The formal dining room and the breakfast area have French doors flowing to a delightful brick patio and lush grounds – ideal for entertaining large crowds or for more intimate gatherings. Thereare 3 bdrms and 3 full baths – the romantic master suite opens to a private patio complete with spa, one bedroom suite is upstairs separate from the others, and there is a wonderful office/library which could serve as a media room. Decorator colors and designer touches are found through out this home creating a perfect blend of casual elegance! A must see for those seeking a Montecito luxury home! For more information on this Montecito property or Santa Barbara

A Taste of Provence in Montecito!

A quaint gated approach welcomes you to an enchanting pied de terre where you will find the perfect blend of old world character and today’s modern amenities. The front courtyard is blooming with colorful flowers and lined with attractive flagstone pavers.  A dutch door greets you at the foyer as you enter this charming abode for sale in Montecito. Warm white washed floors & crown moldings grace the main level. The multi-function living/dining room boasts wonderful mountain views and an inviting nook that is perfect for a home office area. An abundance of light flows through the newly installed French doors which allow for easy access to the delightful courtyard. The efficient kitchen is fully equipped with newer appliances & stunning granite counter tops and ready for creating gourmet meals. Also located on the first floor is the master bedroom complete with  custom shelving in the closet, bath with soaking tub & shower, and its own private patio – a lovely spot to have your morning coffee and start the day.The second floor “loft style” bedroom is a special space with vaulted ceilings, dormered windows, built-in bookcases, a cozy reading alcove, and awe-inspiring mountain views. This charming retreat is located in the heart of Montecito near the picturesque Upper Village (with its wonderful shops and restaurants), the reknowned San Ysidro Ranch, and less than 2 miles to the Montecito Oceanfront! Makes a great Montecito vacation get away or a wonderful full time residence. 1 of only 2 units! This Montecito charmer is for sale at $875,000.  Call 805-560-9951 for an appointment to view this or any other Montecito property!

It was a beautiful day for viewing estates for sale in Montecito! There were 21 properties in Montecito on the broker tour this week.  The newest estate listing is a spectacular Mediterranean on 20 gated acres complete  with 7 bedrooms,  8.5 baths, media/screening room, fantastic gourmet  kitchen, 4-car garage, gorgeous pool, incredible ocean and mountain views, a guest house with its own gated entrance, bocce ball court, lawn, fruit trees, and Koi pond. This Montecito luxury home is located on one of the most desirable streets in Montecito. It  is offered at $12,700,000. On the other end of the spectrum there lies a  wonderful opportunity to purchase a Montecito property via a short sale. This single story, ocean view home set amidst larger estates,  overlooks red tile roofs and the Montecito Country Club. The 1/2 acre Montecito property is gated, has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and boasts lush landscaping and magnificent ocean views.
This is a rare opportunity to purpose a Montecito property in a distress sale. Whether you are looking for a high end luxury property or an entry level Montecito home now may be the best time to start your search! There are some great deals to be had!

There were 26 properties on the agent caravan this week in Montecito. There were 3 new listings ranging from at the low end of the price range a  5 bedroom home on a hillside location with fantastic ocean and city views with an asking price of $1,725,000. Though in the city of Santa Barbara this Via Alicia home does have a Montecito zip code.  This home was previously listed at $2,295,000 so presents a good buying opportunity for someone seeking a Santa Barbara view home. At the high end of the price range is a wonderful property on Cima del Mundo. This Santa Barbara  luxury home sold about 1.5 years ago for $18,000,000 and is now priced at $22,000,000. This is a great opportunity to purchase one of the finest luxury homes in Montecito. The buyers did put some exquisite upgrades into the home which was brand new at the time they bought it and it is essentially brand new still as they have rarely come to the property.  For someone wanting a premier Santa Barbara property this is it. It offers privacy, incredible quality, unbelievable views and all the amenities on could want. It is truly one of the  finest Montecito properties currently available.

Fifteen estates priced at $5,000,000 and above have closed escrow since July 1 in the Hope Ranch, Montecito, Santa Barbara areas. The most expensive one being an incredible oceanfront property in Hope Ranch. It sold at a price of $18,440,000 which was just over 35% off its original asking price and slightly over 21% off the last list price. It had been on the market for 8 months. This Mediterranean estate boasts 8 beautiful acres with its own private paved path down to the beach. There are sprawling lawns, putting greens, a pond, tennis court, pool, cabana, and guest house. View this Hope Ranch Estate. Ten of the 15 luxury home sales were in Montecito with the highest sale being a spectacular 10,000 s.f. home on 2.6 ocean view acres on prestigious East Mountain Drive selling for $13,100,000. This Montecito estate also had a guest house and pool. It had been on the market for 14 months at $15,300,000 and sold for 13% off the asking price. Another high end oceanfront property in Carpinteria just closed escrow this week at $10,700,000. This Hamptons style home was listed at $13,800,000 selling at 22% off its final list price(32% off original list price). It is in the gated Sand Point colony on 1.42 oceanfront acres with 133 feet of beach frontage and a pool. At this point the number of sales in the $5 million plus luxury real estate market in Montecito, Hope Ranch, and Santa Barbara is on pace to surpass last year’s numbers. Buyers may have realized that with so much seller motivation now is a great time to acquire a Santa Barbara estate. You may contact me at patsaraca@gmail.com  or  805-560-9951 for additional real estate information.

The luxury home segment in Santa Barbara has seen a very active spring! Fourteen estate properties have closed escrow at the $5,000,000 +  price since April 1. This compares to 8 properties closing in this price range for the same time period last year. That is an astounding 75% increase in closed sales! Perhaps the money is coming out of gold and into real estate again! The highest priced sale is an oceanfront estate which sold for $16,250,000. Located in a guard gated community this gorgeous 7000 s.f. Cape Cod style home has 5 bdrms, 7 baths and 190’ beach frontage on 2+ acres. And yes it has a guest house and a home theater! Originally priced at $32,500,000 when it hit the market in 2008 – it sold at an impressive 50% discount – I’d say well worth the wait!

Another notable luxury estate that recently closed escrow is a 1930’s Dutch Cape on 3.5 acres with dramatic mountain and ocean views in Montecito. Located just a stone’s throw from Oprah’s little place this property was written about in a previous blog about Montecito ocean view estates! It came on the market at $23,900,000 a year ago and just closed escrow at an even $15,000,000. Some great deals have been made in the Santa Barbara luxury market. Sellers are showing lots of motivation as can be seen by looking at the list to sales prices. Watch for an update on the Hope Ranch estate market next!

Rare opportunity to live in an exquisitely appointed Montecito luxury home  in a most desirable Montecito location. A stunning and very spacious 3 BR 3 bath restored French Country estate home in a prime location near Coast Village and all it’s wonderful shops and minutes to Downtown Santa Barbara, State Street, Stearn’s Wharf, and the beach. Recently restored with luxury appointments, beamed vaulted ceilings, and custom finishes, this home is a professional’s dream, with spacious rooms, high ceilings and exquisite, hard wood floors. There is a wonderful office suite or media room. There is also a spacious, well appointed guest suite as well on a floor of its own. The beautifully adorned, generous Master suite  with a elegantly marbled tiled bath and glass enclosed shower along with ample closet area, opens to a private patio with spa. Custom cabinetry adorns the high function,  updated kitchen with granite counter tops, marble tile and state of the art appliances, an informal breakfast/dining area flowing easily to a beautifully landscaped brick patio for entertaining and relaxation. This French Country home has a classic, vaulted roofline with stately fluted chimneys.  There are 3 bdrms and 3 full baths.This home is a perfect blend of casual elegance! A must see for those seeking a Montecito luxury home! Offered at $2,185,000.