Village Properties: Home sales still soaring in Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Real estate agents with Village Properties see Santa Barbara as a very active market right now.

“But last year our number of sales were down significantly, but our number of new listings was down even more … which tells me it’s more of a supply issue than a demand issue," said realtor Bob Curtis of Village Properties.

Curtis believes Santa Barbara has received tremendous exposure since Covid, because people wanted to move away from large cities.

“The demand for housing in Santa Barbara still very strong," said Curtis.

Nationwide, home sales remain sluggish.

The National Association of Realtors report says existing home sales in March were down 3.7 percent from March 2023.

But it's a different story on the south coast.

According to Village Properties’ most recent report, home sales in southern Santa Barbara County were up 23 percent in February compared to the year before.

Realtor Jackie Walters of Village Properties chalks it to location from the coast, good weather and the small-town community.

"There are new buyers that are arriving every month to come and explore from our community," said Walters.

Walters sees buyers coming from all over the state as well as across the nation looking for homes in Santa Barbara.

Right now, realtors are projecting more inventory when interest rates go down leading to increase sales.

“Take a good look at the properties have been up for 30 or 60 days … those properties that have had price reductions," said Walters.

Village Properties' report indicated condominium sales had the strongest growth, with a 41 percent increase over February 2023 levels.

"You’re going to be in that $600,000 to $900,000 for a condo," said Walters.

While the Village Properties team believes today's sellers are able to attract buyers, market shifts can happen at any time.