Montecito Connection November – December 2015

November Montecito Market

The most expensive Montecito home sold in the past two months was 2010 Birnam Wood Drive which sold for $4,500,000. This recently remodeled Mediterranean contemporary style home has 4,166 square feet with four bedrooms, fi ve and a half baths. The least expensive sale was a three bedroom, two and a half bath, planned unit development home at 115 Coro nado Circle that sold for $1,680,000. The most expensive condo was 11 Sea view, a two bedroom, two bath, with 1,599 square feet which sold for $1,475,000, and the least expensive condo was 1936 Jameson Lane #D, a two bedroom, two bath, with 1,258 square feet, that sold for $895,000.

As of the 20th of October, the median price is up 6.3 percent to $2,922,500, while the number of sales for 2015 in Montecito was 17 percent below 2014. A year ago, properties closed for 88 percent of the original listing price. This year Montecito homes are fetching 92 percent of the original asking price. Sales are steady, although they are trailing last
year’s vigorous market.

There is an impression that we are selling more high priced homes, but the total dollar volume of homes sold is down 3.2 percent from the same year-to-date total as last year. We are going to finish the year with nearly 20 percent fewer sales than last year. The take away message is that in 2015 home sellers are selling for higher prices, and closer to the listing price compared to last year, but fewer homes are selling.

Radon in Montecito

Radon occurs naturally in soil and is a cancer-causing radioactive gas. As a natural radioactive decay product of uranium, it is found in nearly all soils. It is invisible. You can’t smell it, or even taste it. Radon gas is considered harmless when dispersed in outdoor air, but when trapped in buildings can be a serious health hazard. Its radioactive particles can get trapped in your lungs when you breathe. As the particles decay, they release small bursts of energy. These bursts can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer over the course of one’s lifetime, although not everyone exposed to elevated levels of radon will develop lung cancer. Many years can elapse between exposure to radon and the onset of disease.

Radon concentrates in the Rincon Shale Geologic zone, and is found in Montecito. Birnam Wood, some of Ennisbrook, across the Valley Club and up Ortega Ridge, and most of Summerland are a hot spot. Another high radon area is a triangle formed by Sycamore Canyon on two sides and Alston Road on the other. A medium hot area is from San Ysidro Ranch across Park Lane and Bella Vista all the way to Romero Canyon including the top blocks of Mariposa and Lilac.

To protect yourself and your family, testing is the first step. You can use do-it-yourself test kits from Home Improvement Center or Home Depot, or you can purchase one online for about $15 plus lab fee. Or you can have a radon testing company come and test your home. Winter is the best time to test as the windows must be kept closed for more than two days, without air conditioning.

The state makes available radon zone maps, but they are 20 years old, and low resolution. You will find them if you Google: Radon Santa Barbara. A free Radon map app is available for the iPhone at Radon map of Santa Barbara. You can call me 805 451-9300; I can
help you know if your home is in a high radon zone over the phone.

If you find high levels in your home, fixing the problem is straightforward and costs $5,000-$15,000 for most Montecito homes. Most radon problems can be fixed quickly using proven techniques and time-tested durable materials. Radon gas can be intercepted under a house and blown out to the outside air, making the home safe to live in.

Client Comments…

“We are very pleased to have chosen Scott Williams as our Realtor. He guided
us through the process with clear and concise instruction. He was always
available, communicated very well and helped us arrive at a fair and successful
sales result.”

— Ron and Ellie Freese

“We met Scott and a handful of other agents while browsing open houses in Santa Barbara. Scott was the most professional, straightforward and knowledgeable agent we had met and was experienced with the areas that we wanted to look at. Scott provided us with a detailed market analysis on each home we were interested in. Ultimately, we
bought a home in our desired location through a multiple bid situation. It has been a few years now and Scott has become our trusted friend in the community. He is the only real
estate agent that we would recommend to anyone without hesitation.”

— Tim and Gin Freeman