About Montecito's Montecito

We spotted this beautiful shrub of Matilija Poppies as we got off the 101 Freeway at the San Ysidro exit. This lovely plant is a May bloomer and is native to the Southern California coastal and valley region. It is drought tolerant requiring scant watering, and does well in most soils. It reminded us of another Sister Corita quotes,

Love the moment.

Flowers grow out of dark moments.

Therefore, each moment is vital.

It affects the whole.

Life is a succession of such moments and to live each, is to succeed.

HAPPY SUNDAY, Ron & Alexandra Seigel

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Montecito, CA Information and Current Property Listings

Montecito has long been an enclave of the rich and famous. At one point in the early 20th century, Montecito had more millionaires per acre than anywhere in the country. It was a great place to live 100 years ago and it still is today. It's difficult to imagine another place with a better climate and more natural beauty than Montecito. The Santa Ynez Mountains stand boldly to the North and the land, divided into spectacular estates, gradually descends through oak forests with boulder strewn streams flowing to one of the calmest stretches of sandy coastline in the State.

Montecito continues to attract some of the wealthiest and most successful people in the country and even throughout the world. Located just 90 miles North of Los Angeles and the center of the film and entertainment industry, many of Montecito's gated estates are the full and part time residences of well known celebrities.

Families with children are are drawn to Montecito's excellent public school system with both Montecito Union and Cold Springs serving the elementary grades. Two well regarded private schools in Montecito are Crane and Laguna Blanca.

Shopping and restaurants can be found in both the Upper and Lower Villages where you can always find a nice outside table to eat or have coffee. Visitors looking for a place to stay in Montecito can choose from the Four Seasons Biltmore on Butterfly Beach and the ultimate getaway retreat at The San Ysidro Ranch in the foothills overlooking Montecito. In the Lower Village, choices include the Historic Montecito Inn built by Charlie Chaplin back in 1927 and the more economical Coast Village Inn.

Home prices in Montecito start at around 1 million with the most exclusive estates selling for upwards of 30 million dolllars. Montecito has many neighborhoods to choose from, including gated golf communities, beachfront developments, the historic Hedgerow District, the Golden Quadrangle and more. If you would like more information about real estate in Montecito, contact me here or at (805) 757-1867

Here is a current and updated list of homes for sale in Montecito, CA

Homes in Montecito priced under 1 million

Homes in Montecito priced from 1 to 2.499 million

Homes in Montecito priced above 2.5 million

The Glass Pavilion, an almost entirely glass home enclosed by natural landscapes, and Montecito’s crème de la crème neighbors including Oprah Winfrey. This spectacular property was designed by well know Los Angeles designer and builder, Steve Hermann.

Situated on a 3.5 private acre estate of gently rolling lawns and Oak Tree groves, the home consists of 14,000+ sq.ft., and includes, five bedrooms, five+ baths, spacious kitchen with wine room & grand hallway.

One of its most extraordinary features is its art gallery currently displaying a vintage car collection. The space is so generous that it is capable of holding up to 32 cars within its walnut lined walls. This is a world-class home with possibly no equal. Simply Amazing!

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If you would like more information or schedule a viewing appointment, I would be very happy to arrange a private showing. Please contact me at (805)448-8882 or sylvia@sanbarb.com.

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Please click here to view a list of additional extraordinary properties currently available in Montecito and other Santa Barbara locations; or please visit my website, SantaBarbaraConnection.com - Santa Barbara's ultimate resource for luxury real estate.

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Listed By: Sotheby's International Realty, a Santa Barbara MLS Participating Member. The data relating to this listing comes from the Broker Reciprocity/IDX program of Santa Barbara Multiple Listing Service. This agreement grants members rights to feature other participating members’ listings on their websites.

Montecito Tea Fire Still Burning

I recently attended an interesting meeting of the Montecito Fire Committee. About two years ago there was a massive fire that raged in the hills above Santa Barbara destroying hundreds of multi-million dollar estates, known as the tea fire. Many of these homes were built on hillsides and back in canyons serviced by private roads that do not meet current fire dept specifications, primarily because they are not wide enough for the big modern fire trucks. Santa Barbara County allowed owners that lost their homes, two years to rebuild through a streamlined permitting process without having to go through the multitude of committees and reviews normally required, and without regard to the current road standards that are now required. For many reasons, many homeowners have not started the process of rebuilding; some did not have adequate insurance coverage, others are living off of their insurance pay out, second home owners were not in a hurry to rebuild, the list of reasons is endless. The land owners that choose to build in the future without benefit of this grace period will be required to comply with all current codes and procure all necessary committee approvals in order to be issued building permits.

This is where the story gets interesting. The part where the landowners have to agree upon issues of common interest amongst themselves. Where personalities, individual interests and of course, money, all combine to make decision making very difficult. This particular road that has provided access to about 13 montecito homeowners, some for over 50 years, is too narrow for the fire trucks to navigate safely in case of a fire. It will need to be widened and straightened, basically rebuilt before any homes can be assigned building permits due to the fact that the 2 year grace period us up. Without the ability to build on these lots, they are worth very little, because the new owners would have to build a costly road before permits could be issued. Santa Barbara County was kind enough to agree to the funding for a bond to pay for the roads construction. The bond will be repaid by the homeowners through a property tax assessment over the next 30 years. It's seems like a great deal for the homeowners. The taxpayers will lend money for building the private road to the homes, to be repaid over 30 years. The owners have to agree to pay back the bond with the county. They also have to agree to an equitable division of the check that the county hands them when the road is completed. Should the lot owners further up the hill pay more than the owners that use less road? Can everyone afford to pay the tax assessment? Would some owners rather do nothing?

Despite the peacful setting, high on this panoramic hillside overlooking Santa Barbara and the calm Pacific Ocean beyond, tensions are high. Can 13 neighbors get together and unanimously agree on an issue that effects them all? We shall see.

Santa Barbara Hiking- San Ysidro Trail

Santa Barbara's topography lends itself to some beautiful hikes. The scenic Santa Ynez mountains tower over this coastline to the North and provide easy access to hiking trails. Many of these trails start in the foothills just a short bike ride or drive from downtown. I am always suprised to find flowing creeks and waterfalls on many of the Santa Barbara hikes. Santa Barbara's average rainfall is only about 14 inches a year which is similar to many deserts. On a recent sunny May morning I hiked up the San Ysidro trail back to the 60' waterfall. Total distance is about 3.7 miles round trip with a 1200 foot elevation gain. The trail winds it's way up the narrow San Ysidro Canyon along the creek. There are many pools and small waterfalls to be seen as the water cascades down the canyon. This is a pretty steep hike but well worth the effort.

If you would like information or assistance in your Montecito real estate search, contact me at (805) 757-1867.