Today, the Santa Barbara Farmers market was relatively quiet.  Some of the farmers took a well deserved weekend off.  These long stemmed artichoke are  beautiful. Many people don't realize that the stems can be eaten separately after you peel them, and they have a sweet nutty flavor.  Or cook them with the artichoke, if you wish. Snow pea leaves are considered by the Chinese a delicacy, and it is according to our palates. They can easily be sauteed in a wok with finely minced garlic and ginger, and a touch of wine. Wishing everyone a wonderful Saturday!   Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel- -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 AFFLU... 11/30/2013

With 6 days a week of Farmer's Market in Santa Barbara, we are fortunate to have caring farmers who grow organic vegetables and fruits.  We love supporting their endeavors as often as possible.  A lovely selection of these came home with us for our Caprese salad this evening.  The majority of our restaurants stock up on Tuesday afternoons in the downtown area, and on Saturday on Cota Street which is held in a  city parking lot one block away from our main downtown street..   And here is a secret, our little town of Carpinteria has a Farm Cart daily with a small selection, so on Mondays, there is still somewhere to find Farm fresh goodies. Wishing you all a phenomenal Sunday, Cheers, Ron & Alexandra Seigel Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel- -WATCH VIDEOS-  Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate... 11/23/2013

There was a distinct buzz today at the  Santa Barbara Farmer's Market today.  The weekend before Thanksgiving is a good time to get all the fresh vegetables one needs for their particular feast.  We noticed this beautiful enormous fennel. Rignt next to it were bunches of celery, which smell like celery.  We love using the leaves as part of our dressing, they add a distinct fresh flavor.  It makes store bought pale by comparison. And further along we noticed the magnificent napa cabbage at the farmer who specializes in Asian vegetables and herbs. It was definitely a rhapsody in green today. Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel- -WATCH VIDEOS-  Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites   Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies   About Language of Luxury  - JOIN THE LOL ... 11/23/2013

Ron noticed how the color yellow was everywhere we looked at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market.  The first was this patty pan squash.  It looks like little gears to me.   Then, there is the straightneck squash, which resemble zucchini (same family). There is this small round variety.   And  further, we found more yellow ones,  such as this spaghetti squash, which is so pale in contrast.  This squash has long thin strands which look like pasta and are good with marinara sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Happy Sunday, Cheers, Ron & Alexandra 11/17/2013

Among all the wonderful vegetables and fruits a new face appeared on one of the farmer's stand at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market.  We noticed a group of Japanese and Chinese ladies excited and crowding around this new offering.  When they stepped away, we stepped in to see what was going on.   It is fresh young ginger, still attached to the above ground stem.  This is the ginger used for the pickled ginger that accompanies sushi and sashimi. So naturally, I had to buy one to try.  I am going to use it with a fresh  Kauai shrimp dish this evening. Wishing you lots of Saturday Smiles, Cheers, Ron & Alexandra Seigel Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel- -WATCH VIDEOS-  Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites   Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies   About Language ... 11/16/2013

Living in Santa Barbara was always a dream for my husband and I while growing up about an hour or so south of here in Hidden Hills, California. Once we were able to make the move and start a family, it was as if there wasn't a need to travel for vacations anymore?  Each time we ventured somewhere nearby like Palm Desert, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego or Laguna Beach, we always found ourselves longing to be back in the comforts of our own home with everything Santa Barbara has to do and offer.  As grateful as we were to be able to take a trip, we were equally grateful to be so fortunate to live in a town like ours!With that common thread of thought, many of my local friends have recently been doing mini staycations at the Bacara Resort and Spa.  They have found the true meaning i... 11/13/2013

As the fall season begins, new delights abound at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market.  We love fresh walnuts fresh off the trees.  Notice the beautiful texture of the shells.  These type of details will often inspire our designs, when it comes to branding. Satsuma tangerines is another beautiful fruit that is sweet and full of vitamin C,  And there are these beautiful Fuji apples grown by our singing farmer friend, (he confided in us that his fruits and vegetables are thriving because he sings to them.  We bought enough to make an apple tart for dessert this week.  Here is the link to the post, showing the picture of the apple tart.  I used Ina Garten's recipe, and it has been a hit each time.   Wishing you Saturday Smiles Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel- -WATCH VIDEOS-  Buzz-Worthy Lu... 11/02/2013

Among all the usual offerings of fruit, and vegetables, the seasonal spiny lobster appeared.  Unlike the Maine lobster with its claws, this species does not have claws.   "It is a nocturnal creature livng among rocks in depths of us to 213 ft,  and it  feeds on plankton.  Research shows that females carry up to 680,000 eggs which hatch into larvare after 10 weeks.  Various fish, octopuses and sea otters eat the lobsters.  Their defence is a loud noise produced by their antennae" Wikipedia. Lobster season in California started on Sept 28th, and ends on March 19, 2014.  According to our purveyors, Gorgita Seafood, the best way to cook it is boiling it in ocean water for  9-11 minutes. Wishing you Saturday Smiles, Cheers, Ron & Alexandra Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel- -WATCH VIDEOS-  ... 10/26/2013

This particular farmer has a uncanny sense of humor.  When beans are in season, his signs announce that they are "dolphin free" beans, and today's "gluten free" popcorn made me chuckle.  Right next to it is "ugly garlic, really good". The Peacock Farm is blessed with artistic hands whose luxuriously arranged offerings say "buy me"! Then there are the flower vendors, some selling seasonal plants, and some with amazing arrangements.  Wishing you an abundance of Saturday Smiles. Cheers, Ron & Alexandra Seigel Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel- -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   10/19/2013

  Luxury real estate marketing professionals should include as, part of their blog posts, a section covering local news.  This would include restaurants, seasonal events, and locals of note.  One of the comments, we recently received on one of our own posts in which we reviewed a local restaurant said, “One of my blog posts about a wonderful little restaurant in Camas, has over 50,500 views.” –Debb Janes, Realtor in Camas, WA Whether or not your audience is currently living in the marketplace you are writing about, these posts bring to life your place of work.  They may even spark a desire to explore, even if it was not their original choice.  For the locals, it may be fun news. We are certain that, if we polled the locals around here in the Santa Barbara area, very few would know that ... 10/16/2013

Friends had recommended that we have lunch at Romanti-Ezer in Santa Barbara, so we decided to give it a try.  Located in an area known as the Funk Zone (off the beaten path), Romanti Ezer has some of the best mole we have ever tasted.  Located at 701 Chapala at Ortega, it is just close enough to the ample parking at the Paseo Nuevo shopping center.  Everything is made fresh and to order.   Ron and I shared a Hole Mole burrito stuffed with carnitas (pulled pork, fresh tomatoes, peppers and spices), and generously topped with the best red mole sauce.  It was perfectly spicy with a hint of chocolate.  We also ordered a fish taco, made with fresh sea bass (local, of course), and fresh pico de gallo.  The accompanying green and red sauces were very tasty.  We sat on the patio, and they have... 10/13/2013

This Saturday at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market, one of the highlights was the "last peach of the season", aka October peach.  We love peaches grilled on the barbecue, as well as raw as a snack or in a salad.  All the varieties are great, and this one tastes even better.  It is probably because it is the last peach of the season! Wishing you lots of Saturday Smiles, Cheers, Ron & Alexandra Seigel Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel- -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 10/12/2013

One of our artistic farmers, at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market created this beautiful arrangement of autumn's abundance, for our delight today.   Wishing everyone a delightful Saturday with lots of Saturday Smiles! Cheers, Ron & Alexandra Seigel Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel- -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   10/05/2013

We had a blast at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market.  Peppers in all variety abounded everywhere we looked.  There were homemade ristras with a touch of corn, (California Style.) We loved these little ornamental pepper plants.   Here are some Corno di Toro (aka bulls'horn), which is a sweet frying pepper. Ron was inspired to make Chile Rellenos for dinner tonight.  We bought Poblano peppers for his culinary wizardry, and also picked up some jalapeno jack cheese to stuff them with.  Happy to report Pepperland is alive and well here in Santa Barbara County.  It is good to be home.  We are experiencing a gorgeous sunny day, with a high in the mid 70's!  Wishing you a fabulous day filled with Saturday Smiles. Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel- L-WATCH VIDEOS-  Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate... 09/28/2013

      It use to be the best way to sell a home for the most money was to price it right, and give it the most exposure possible. The old rule of thumb was the "more exposure" the property received the greater likelihood of that property getting it's " highest or best" price. Then the third party data vendors showed up and nothings been the same ever since. And, if you still buy into the notion that the most exposure possible is best for your listing then you need to know exactly what that involves, and the new problems created by these third party data vendors.      The real estate industry (NAR), appears disinterested in the continual marginalizing of it's membership by buying into any real estate technology that comes down the road. NAR continues to support outdated ways of thinking w... 09/04/2013

Last month, we showed how American architectural styles reflect our vibrant cultures, vast geographic areas, and time-forgotten eras in part 1 of "Architectural Styles".  Now let's look at 12 more popular styles that you may encounter while showing or listing beautiful San Diego homes.Architectural Styles of American Homes Mediterranean This popular California style is a combination of Spanish, Italian, and Greek influences, but with modern updates.  It is a single or tiered-story design with a shallow sloping roof, arched windows and doorways, red tile roof, and an optional round tower room.  Its wide, asymmetrical design is flanked by palm trees, tropical plants, and Mediterranean low-maintenance landscape.  Inside, expect to find earthy natural materials, such as clay tiles, terracot... 08/23/2013

TEN REASONS WHY YOU NEED A REALTOR TO SELL YOUR HOUSE   1. The 2 most important considerations when selling a home is Price and Exposure. If your home has been on the market and has not sold, it’s one of 2 things. It wasn’t priced right, or the property didn’t receive the right kind of exposure/marketing.   Amazingly, there are some sellers that will take a house that has already been on the market and bring it back on as a For Sale By Owner? For many buyers this if often seen as an act of desperation. Oftentimes prospective buyers that are aware how long this house has been on the market previously, will worry that there may be something wrong with the property.   These sellers, even with a price reduction, don’t seem to understand why they seem to only attract bottom feeders and preda... 07/20/2013

Local Santa Barbara artist Chris Potter looking out towards Butterfly BeachVisit Chris's website at: Chris Potter ArtReal Estate News You Can Use:Real Estate Recovery...Why Investors Are Betting On The Housing ReboundBy Bill Saporito Time MagazineToday's Dream House May Not Be Tomorrow'sBy Robert J. Shiller New York TimesHow To Navigate The New Rules Of Real EstateBy Kate Rockwood Parade Magazine 07/20/2013

Santa Barbara has become on of the nation's top Golf destinations.  Golf Digest and Golf Magazine rank the courses in this county as some of the best in the country.  The area boast a portfolio of championship golf courses designed by leading industry architects, who have skillfully integrated the natural beauty of Santa Barbara into this amazing golf experience.Rancho San MarcosRancho San Marcos Golf Course is considered by many to be the premiere golf experience in Southern California.  Nestled in the mountains, 12 miles from downtown Santa Barbara.  Rancho San Marcos was built on the site of the historic Rancho San Marcos, circa 1804.  Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., this gem provides views of the Santa Inez River Valley, and gracefully meanders through the ancient oaks and prese... 07/19/2013

Mortgage Spikes Could Prompt Larger Down Payments      The prospect of rising interest rates may cause potential buyers to get off the bench, and step up to the plate sooner - rather than later.  This expected uptick in mortgage rates may also cause homebuyers to dig deeper into their pockets for a down payment according to a recent LendingTree survey.      LendingTree found that 56% of buyers looking to enter the market in the next year planned to make down payments of more than 15%, while 44 % fell on the other side of the spectrum.      Larger than average down payments are not new to Californians, though in a May survey LendingTree found that the state's buyer's were already putting an average of 19.1% down when buying with a 30 year fixed mortgage.  That's the second highest figur... 07/19/2013