On December 20, 2009, we wrote about the best in class of taquerias in Santa Barbara.  It is still one of our favorite places here.  Friday, we were there for lunch and marveled that each time we go, it is as good as we remembered from the last time we were there.  This restaurant has exsited since the early 80's and each time we leave there is a line forming out of the door, and it continues to form down the block daily.   We used this example as being the best in class in their niche and consistently getting the best results and the best word of mouth referral.  When tourists are in town, we make sure we get there just before they open at 11:00 AM, and get in line with the other smart locals... La Superica is the best in its class, the best Mexican food in town at any price. The Robb... 12/29/2012

One of the little markets we frequent for certain delicacies and wines is Tri-County Produce Co-op on Milpas Street in Santa Barbara.  It is the only grocery store within walking distance to the beach, and you get a great view as you check out.  They have a wonderful strategy where everyone wins.  If you bring your own bag for your purchases, you are given a ticket that is worth .05cents, and then you can deposit in one of the 8 different charities represented on the wall.  They started this last year, and they have already donated $8938.85.  Everyone wins, the environment, the charities and the store for giving their customers a reason to support them, because of their commitment to the community WATCH VIDEOS-  Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  Personal Branding Case Studies   ... 12/28/2012

10/25/2012

One of our favorite places for Sunday breakfast is at the East Beach Grill located on the beach. The restaurant is housed in an older Spanish style building on the beach and the tile detais are exquisite.The food is great and fresh. The pancakes are wonderful and locals swear by the wheat germ ones with fresh strawberries or blueberries.  You order at the counter and a waiter/waitress brings your order.  It is a wonderful place to watch the surf and people.  We enjoyed an omelette and several cups of Peet's coffee.  It was a great way to start the morning.  So if you find yourself in Santa Barbara don't miss this quintessential Santa Barbara Landmark at 1188 East Cabrillo Boulevard Santa Barbara,  805-965-8805. HAPPY SUNDAY, CHEERS, RON & ALEXANDRA 09/16/2012

Here is the REALTORS® Confidence Index survey report. The survey provides extremely useful information about the housing markets from those who are on top of the market every day—the nation’s REALTORS®. Contact me if you have any questions about this. 09/04/2012

Fixed Mortgage Rates Ease Going Into The Labor Day Weekend http://allthingssantabarbara.com/2012/08/31/freddie-mac-fixed-mortgage-rates-ease/ 08/31/2012

Santa Barbara Real Estate through the end of July ‘12 for Montecito, Hope Ranch, Santa Barbara, Goleta,Carpinteria and Summerland. This is an analysis of the Santa Barbara Real Estate market including Carpinteria/Summerland, Montecito, HopeRanch, downtown Santa Barbara and Goleta through the month of July 2012. First, the Home Estate/PUD market, sales were approximately at the same level that we saw in June when therewere 129 sales, declining slightly to about 125; the median sales price also came in very close to the June number when it was $830,000 falling a bit to about $820,000. The escrows went up, however, from 116 in June to about 130 in July while the median list price on those escrows fell from $912,000 in June to about $810,000 in July. The average days on the market for prope... 08/23/2012

We both love green beans.  We also love the yellow variety.  Today we discovered purple beans at the Farmers Market in Santa Barbara.  Of course we bought some purple beans.  We are planning on making a three color bean salad with sweet onions, a lemon and olive oil dressing, and topped with toasted walnuts and shaved parmesan cheese.  It is one of our favorite summer salads.  It is easy and delicious. Happy Saturday, Cheers, Ron & Alexandra WATCH VIDEOS-  Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies  About Language of Luxury - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY -   GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!   Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain Follow Us on Twitter: LuxuryMarketing 07/28/2012

Do want access to a Santa Barbara Home Search in real time? Use the MLS that all members of the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors subscribe to:  Santa Barbara Home Search One of the nice features is that I am able to build customized searches and send search results to clients on a daily basis.  I can also build a portal with customized search links that allow clients to see properties in real time based on customized parameter sets. Here are just a couple examples of popular search links on my site:  Popular Search Links.  I can customize by school, area, lot size, bed/bath, sq. footage - etc. For prospective buyers, having access into the system that Santa Barbara agents use daily is by far the best way for current, timely and CORRECT property info! Please Contact Us to set up you... 07/23/2012

Wow!  What a difference a year makes.  June Property sales for single family homes were 144, up 25.2% from 115 in June of 2011 and 12.2% lower than the 164 sales last month. June 2012 sales were at their highest level compared to June of 2011 and 2010. June YTD sales of 720 are running 30.7% ahead of last year's year-todate sales of 551. The Median Sales Price for single family homes in June was $797,500, down 6.2% from $850,000 in June of 2011 and up 2.5% from $777,938 last month. The Total Inventory of Properties available for sale as of June was 605, down 1.1% from 612 last month and down 31.6% from 885 in June of last year. June 2012 Inventory was at its lowest level compared with June of 2011 and 2010.  Click the image at right for a pdf of the Santa Barbara Real Estate Market Upda... 07/22/2012

Pudwill Farms near Pismo Beach (San Luis Obispo County) grows these beautiful red currants, and bring them to the Santa Barbara Farmers Market their beautiful variety of berries.  This tiny berry is related to the gooseberry.  Currants are black, red, or white.  The black ones are used for preserves, syrups and liqueurs. These lovely little gems grow on bushes.  They can be eaten off the vine, however they are quite tart. They are not related to what is sold as dried currants which are Zante grapes/raisins. An article in the LA Times remarked "Their dense flavor is perfectly suited to jams and coulis, which also allow you to easily strain out the seeds. A bit of fine mesh is all it takes, unless you want to duplicate the technique used in Bar-le-Duc, a town in northeastern France famou... 07/15/2012

Today the Santa Barbara Farmers Market was resplendent with the colors, and the air was perfumed with the smell of ripe peaches,nectarines, plums and pluots.  The photo above is of "Fancy Lady Peaches".  When you cut into one, the fruit inside has a red starburst. These are Glacier White nectarines.  They are very sweet and fragrant and beautiful to look at. These are pluots, they come in a variety of colors, dappled green, yellows, purples and reds.  Pluots are also knows as plumcots (word originated by Luther Burbank) or apriplums, They have existed for hundreds of years in those areas of the planet where both plums and apricots are grown.  Pluots are a delicious combination of both. We spotted these beautiful red plums. And here are dark purple plums HAPPY SATURDAY, CHEERS RON & ALE... 07/14/2012

Wall Street Journal: Housing Passes a Milestone The housing market has turned—at last. The U.S. finally has moved beyond attention-grabbing predictions from housing “experts” that housing is bottoming. The numbers are now convincing. Nearly seven years after the housing bubble burst, most indexes of house prices are bending up. “We finally saw some rising home prices,” S&P’s David Blitzer said a few weeks ago as he reported the first monthly increase in the slow-moving S&P/Case-Shiller house-price data after seven months of declines. Read the more here.   07/13/2012

The color of these golden beets at the Santa Barbara Farmer's market caught my attention.  Unlike their red cousins, these beets do not leave a red stain on your hands when you peel them. Prior to the invention of  blush makeup, a slice of red beet was used to add blush to one's cheeks. According to the Tiny Urban Kitchen blog, they are best eaten chopped and roated in the oven until they caramelize.  Here is their recipe, Oven Roasted Golden Beets 2-3 golden beets 2-3 T vegetable oil salt and pepper to taste Peel and chop into cubes golden beets. Toss with vegetable oil and put in a baking sheet or tray, making sure the beets are in a single layer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Roast at 400 degrees F for about 25 minutes, or until beets are soft and have golden brown edges. Serve imme... 07/07/2012

What better day than on a Friday evening to check out after a truncated week with a holiday?  Here is where we went last evening.  The Fish Enterprise in Santa Barbara has one of the best happy hours in Santa Barbara.  They have a great selection of draught beers, wines and several special appetizers.  As far as we are concerned, they make the best spicy calimaries with fried strips of jalepenos.  The atmosphere is lively.  Last night we shared a table with another couple we just met.  We had a great conversation and shared lots of laughs. Wishing you all a wonderful day's end.  Cheers Ron & Alexandra WATCH VIDEOS-  Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies  About Language of Luxury - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY -   GET FLUENT. G... 07/06/2012

What we love about living in Santa Barbara is that 6 days a week there is a Farmers' Market somewhere in town.  We also love our flower growers who are a dedicated bunch (smile).  They are always surprising us with new varietals of plants and blooms.  Most of the flower stock is flown in from Holland because many of our greenhouse and field owners are of Dutch descent and they feel that Holland has the best when it comes to floral stock. As we were walking around, we were astounded by the many varieties of sunflowers that were being sold today, like this buttery yellow one with a green center. Then we potted this fluffy looking one with so many petals you can barely see the seeds.  This is probably a treat for long billed birds. We loved its orange tones. And lthen there were these bea... 06/30/2012

Lloyd Cullen Real Estate is a local Santa Barbara Short Sale Realtor. As a Santa Barbara Short Sale Company that specializes in short sales, you are assured the highest standard of professionalism and can always count on our Santa Barbara Short Sale Realtor to help answer any questions you have in regards to Santa Barbara Short Sales. Santa Barbara Short Sale Realtor Lloyd Cullen is a local Santa Barbara Short Sale Expert with experienced Santa Barbara Short Sale Agents here to assist you.   Santa Barbara Short Sale Realtor We specialize in Short Sales for Santa Barbara and Surrounding Areas Sometimes, it is necessary for a Santa Barbara homeowner to consider all of their options in order to avoid foreclosure in Santa Barbara. Homeowners sometimes are able to negotiate payment plans or ... 05/30/2012

The crowds kept pourring in on this last day of the exhibit of the I Madonnari, (Italian for Street Artists).  The majority of the works were completed.  In some instances the perfectionists were still shading and adding definition to their work.  The following is a tour of the great variety of artistry and inspiration that was part of the creative enegy at the Santa Barbara Mission today. Tthe Ty Warner Sea Center is one of our favorites.  We loved the perspective and the array of jellyfish. This one is almost finished, and we felt we could fill in the blanks, the story is told even with part of the pavement uncolored This one of the leopard and the girl with the word "Chocolat" we had hoped would be done A Beautiful Native American The Culinary Arts Group of Santa Barbara A young gir... 05/28/2012

In one of our posts we mentioned the event of the I Madonnari, Italian for street painters at the Mission in Santa Barbara.  We got there early, so that we could experience the event from the very beginning.  Many of the artists had already started and had completed a section. Others were still marking off their grids and had begun to sketch their ideas.  Teamwork reigned supreme everywhere you looked, We are looking forward to seeing the completed works.  By Monday, everyone will have their work finished.  We will be returning to see the progress as it evolves. These squares of pavement are sponsored by various businesses and service organization in the community.  The artists create the pictures, mark out a grid and use pastels to express their artistry.  There are food vendors in a ... 05/26/2012

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May.  It was formerly known as Decoration Day, and it is honors US men and women who died in the military Service.  The first Memorial Day was celebrated to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War, it was expanded after World War 1. It is important to take a moment and reflect on all those who gave their lives for the freedom we enjoy. If you happen to find yourself in Santa Barbara, here is an annual event that is fun and benefits children in Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo Counties. "I Madonnari, or street painters will transform the Santa Barbara Mission Plaza using pastels on pavement to create 150 vibrant and colorful, large scale images.  The festival benefits the Children's Creative Pr... 05/25/2012