I'm not accountable for what is going on elsewhere, but right here in River City (oops, the Santa Maria Valley), we are experiencing an active market and in some cases, homes are flying off the shelf, so to speak!  Listen up: when a home is priced correctly, i.e. using proper data meaning recent neighborhood solds as comparables, it should sell...Read More!

When they are good, they are good as gold in Foxenwood Estates!!  This special home had barely opened the doors for showings when we received three offers, and you will see why as you view the slideshow below.  First, the location is special. Poppinga Way is the first street Mark Smith developed in Foxenwood Estates, and the homes are all...Read More!

It's that time of year again when the Santa Maria Valley invites you to celebrate the bountiful harvest of our incredible local strawberry crops!  This weekend only, at the Santa Maria Fairpark, you can savor tasty, juicy strawberries in many delicious and creative ways, but my personal  favorite will always be a simple strawberry shortcake. Okay, I am not opposed...Read More!

Another busy week last week produced 51 new escrows, and a further reduction in inventory, but only by 2 this time.  Check the prior week by clicking here.  Activity seems to be picking up in the Santa Ynez market as well, and I've heard rumors our neighbors further south in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties are showing increased sales too! ...Read More!

The Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser Saturday night for 4 of the Elks Rodeo Queen Candidates was lots of fun, and the dinner was good too!  There was a steady stream of customers enjoying spaghetti, salad and french bread, and some wine tasting as well.  I spent my calories on the bake sale rather than wine tasting, because it was mostly home-made...Read More!

There aren't many things I would just "re-print", but today I received an email from a client of mine who works for CASA, and I think the message should go from me to you in its entirety.  Without further ado: Can you Spare a Few Minutes to Help Change A Life?Dear Friends and Colleagues, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Santa Barbara...Read More!

This is a "sneak peek" without an actual "peek", as the house is not yet ready for photos!  However, next week I will be marketing a beautiful new Foxenwood Estates listing that has been refreshed with some updated lighting, brand new stainless steel kitchen appliances, new sod and more.  It is a traditional sale, not a distress (short sale/bank-owned) sale,...Read More!

Come one, come all, to support our local 2012 Elks Rodeo Queen Candidates!  These lovely young ladies are working hard to win, and each of them has selected a charity or organization that will receive a large percentage (90%) of the funds received. Please join me Saturday night and help them help others!                       Lots of fun, and giving a bit of...Read More!

Following the Monday Market Update, I was curious about the number of sales year-to-date this year over last year, as well as the percentage of so-called "distress" sales vs. traditional, regular sales.  A little research brought the following results:So far this year, regular sales are neck and neck with short sale closings and REOs still top the other categories.  Yet...Read More!

Very interesting!  Product once again is diminishing, with only 120 single family homes and condos available for purchase in the Santa Maria - Orcutt real estate market area.  Even more interesting, here we are at the time of year known as "the Spring Market", and sales are actually down.  Compare pendings and contingent sales, not the closed sales, as those...Read More!