125 Gray Avenue | Santa Barbara, CA 93101
2 BEDROOMS | 2 BATHS
OFFERED AT $1,799,000
Listing agent: David Kim
Listing Brokerage: Village Properties
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California housing market
Sold 🌊 Stunning Carpinteria Renovated Beach Home + Designer Furnishings
With this sale our team has represented the 2 highest sales in the Concha Loma neighborhood in nearly a decade.
Stunning ground-up renovation a few hundred feet from the sand in Carpinteria’s most sought after beach neighborhood, ''Concha Loma''. Designer furnishings are included in the sale of this elegant 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom single level home which could ably serve as a primary residence, vacation home or high-end luxury beach rental. Enter into a breathtaking, light and airy great room featuring skylights, fireplace and massive 24-foot sliding glass doors which maximize the indoor-outdoor living area.
Discerning eyes will find tasteful finishes throughout the home, including wide plank wood floors, Caesarstone, Limestone and Marble counters, Pottery Barn vanities and modern amenities such as central heating & A/C, surround sound, CAT-6 wiring, security cameras, chef's kitchen featuring Kitchen-Aid range, outdoor shower and more! The private grounds are studded with mature fruit trees and various sitting areas, which include a gas fire pit for outdoor entertaining. A detached 550SF 2-car garage with separate driveway offers additional possibilities.
Sold for $1,825,000
Sold 🔑 Modern Living Downtown Carpinteria
Another home sold to a satisfied buyer! We are happy to have represented the sellers in the sale of this modern 2 bedroom, 2 bath Berkus designed townhome only a short distance to the beach. Remodeled throughout featuring cathedral ceilings, large master suites on each level, spacious living/entertaining areas, pool and large 2-car garage.
Modern living in downtown Carpinteria only a short distance to the beach! Stunning Barry Berkus designed 2-story town home features soaring cathedral ceilings and a flexible floor plan with large master suites on each level. Spacious living/entertaining areas offer potential to create a third bedroom. Features fresh paint and new carpets throughout, crown molding, smooth ceilings, new stainless steel refrigerator, washer/dryer included, granite counters, claw foot tub, wainscoting, gas fireplace and a large finished attic. Enjoy private patios off both the master bedroom and the dining room. Heated pool. Oversized 2-car garage + excellent guest parking.
Just Sold 🏡 5343 Ogan Road, Carpinteria
We are so grateful to have represented both of the wonderful buyer's and seller's of this inviting, remodeled 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home in a convenient Carpinteria location close to downtown.
• Light filled interior • New wood flooring throughout • Viking & Kitchen Aid Appliances • Milgard Windows • Granite counters • Remodeled Baths • 2 car garage • Fantastic entertaining patio
Here are four things you'll need (and two things you won't) when you're ready to switch from renting to owning. Sure, owning a home is the American dream. It's also the largest investment most of us will ever make, so go into it knowing what is and isn't required.
Here's what you'll need:
- Enough money to make monthly mortgage payments. Duh! If a mortgage payment will bust your budget, you can't get rid of your landlord yet. Use a mortgage calculator to estimate your monthly payment.
- Enough income to pay property taxes and homeowner's insurance. The mortgage isn't the only cost you'll have each month. You also have to pay taxes and insurance. If you can't make those payments, say bye-bye to the house.
- The ability to maintain the property. You must keep a home in good repair or it will lose value and you'll lose money. You can do the work yourself or hire it out. Either way, you can’t ignore peeling paint and windows that won’t close, like you did when you were a tenant.
- A decent credit record. If you have lots of late payments, have declared bankruptcy or left old debts unpaid, it's harder to get a mortgage. And if you do get one, your bad credit record will make you pay a much higher interest rate.
Here's what you won't need:
- A big down payment. It's best to make a big down payment so you can skip paying private mortgage insurance (PMI) and lower your monthly payments, but it is possible to buy a house for almost nothing down.
- Experience. In most major cities, real estate companies hold home-buyer education classes for first-timers. Go, even if you have no immediate plans to buy. The information you get can lead you to other sources of help.
Photo by ©iStockphoto.com/theboone
For more information regarding first-time homebuyers visit HGTV.
If you’re planning to sell your house this year, well, you’re in luck. “The 2016 housing market is forecasted to be mainly a seller’s market, filled with increasing home prices, relatively low inventory, and fierce competition between buyers,” says Jonathan Smoke, chief economist for realtor.com®.
But you could still make missteps on the way to the bank. Yes, your house will likely sell, but when? Remember, time is money.
“For sellers, it’s about understanding the ins and outs of their local market so they can optimize the price of their home and close quickly,” Smoke says.
Smoke and his team analyzed market trends to distill their best advice for homeowners looking to sell in 2016. Follow these tips to get the most out of your home sale.
Price your home to the market
“What Realtors® tell me over and over again, and from the analysis that I’ve seen historically, the most important thing is getting the price right,” Smoke says.
In 2016, prices are expected to increase nationally 3% year over year. Local price changes are anticipated to be more dramatic, with markets such as Stockton, CA, and Las Vegas, NV, expected to increase by 10%. But that doesn’t mean those stats are true of your town, or your neighborhood.
“Making the error of going for a price that’s well above the market price is a recipe for being let down and potentially not selling the home at all,” he adds. A home that sits on the market eventually will turn off buyers, who will suspect that something is wrong with it.
Sellers who work with a local Realtor to optimize the price of their home based on its unique features and surrounding neighborhood are often able to receive the highest price for their market and sell more quickly.
List during peak season
Unlike buyers, who want to minimize competition, sellers benefit from demand. Prime home-buying season begins in April and reaches its peak in June, according to realtor.com analysis of home sales. Sellers who list their home during the prime spring and summer months benefit from a larger population of buyers and potential bidding wars, which often result in higher prices and faster closings.
Offer incentives
This one seems counterintuitive, given what we’ve said about a seller’s market, but hear us out. Last year—the best for U.S. home sales in nearly a decade—37% of all sellers offered incentives to attract buyers.
“The nature of this market is that you’re going to have more first-time buyers, who are more dependent on financing,” Smoke says. Getting a loan is one thing; coming up with a chunk of cash for closing costs, on top of the down payment, is another.
“If you’re a seller and you’re able to offer some money toward closing costs, you’re actually making it easier on that buyer, and they might be more willing to give you the full asking price,” Smoke explains. You could end up with a faster sale and more profit.
Best place to sell a home: California
This isn’t really actionable advice since if you don’t already own a home there you won’t be selling one, but FYI: California markets are accelerating past the already strong national averages and showing extremely favorable conditions for sellers.
Robust job growth, increasing prices, and limited inventory have sellers ready for big gains in the greater metro areas of Stockton, Bakersfield, Fresno, and San Jose. Once you’ve sold, though, you may not be able to afford to buy again in the area—we’d suggest looking in the Midwest or South.
Check out the full realtor.com 2016 housing forecast.
Make your home stand out with a few easy improvements. With the high inventory of homes on the market today, homebuyers can afford to be choosy. Buyers are looking for the best, so a home for sale can easily slip through the cracks if it's not in pristine condition. Use these 10 tips to whip your home into shape and wow potential buyers.
Improve your landscaping. Curb appeal is crucial to a good first impression, so make sure your home's lawn is immaculate. Mow the lawn, prune the bushes, weed the garden and plant flowers.
Clean the outside. A sloppy exterior will make buyers think you've slacked off on interior maintenance as well. Be sure to clean the gutters and pressure wash your home's siding.
Make repairs. In a buyer's market, you want your home to be in the best condition possible. Take care of major defects like broken windows or a leaky roof that could discourage buyers.
Make the front door inviting. A fresh coat of paint, especially in a color that contrasts with the home, will make the front door stand out. Replace faded house numbers so buyers can see them from the curb.
Buy a new welcome mat. Let buyers know they're invited into your home.
Remove clutter and depersonalize. Buyers want to envision their belongings in your home. Clean up by renting a storage unit for knickknacks, photos, extra furniture and other personal items.
Organize closets and drawers. Messy closets give the appearance that your home doesn't have enough storage space.
Make every surface shine. From ceiling fans to floors and everything in between, clean your home until it sparkles.
Take color down a notch. You might like your lime-green bedroom, but it may sour buyers. Paint your walls a neutral color that will appeal to a wide range of buyers.
Eliminate bad odors. Hide the litter box and spray air neutralizer throughout your home. When showing the home, fill it with inviting smells by putting out fresh flowers and baking a batch of cookies.
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The California Association of Realtors' (C.A.R.) 2016 California Housing Market Forecast, released yesterday, foresees 2016 to be "the best year for home sales activity since 2012." According to the report, California is expected to see over 430,000 home sales next year, exceeding 2015 sales by over 25,000 closings, an annual increase of 6.3%. Demand in less expensive areas (like the Central Valley and San Bernardino) is projected to stay strong thanks to solid job growth.
The forecast calls for a 3.2% increase in home prices next year, compared to 6.5% in 2015, 9.8% in 2014, 27.5% in 2013 and 11.6% in 2012.
Although home sales are expected to grow in the coming year, home affordability will continue to be an issue in the Golden State. Despite this cost affordability, 2016 is anticipated to be the best year for sales activity since 2012, which is great news for the California housing market.
Fixed rate 30-year mortgages are also expected to reach 4.5% in 2016.