Despite all the moving parts in the economy, the upcoming election, and the worldwide pandemic, housing demand for Santa Barbara County is at an all-time high, with no apparent slowdown in sight. A few months ago, we noticed a change in buyers’ behavior, emphasizing the beginning of a significant lifestyle shift where our homes became the center of our lives in a way we have never experienced before. People now realize they can live anywhere regardless of where their office is located, and as a result, Santa Barbara and Montecito have been added to a short-list of communities drawing people in to reside here permanently.

The hot buttons we hear most are properties with views, charm, beautiful gardens, are “walkable”, and recently updated, turn-key homes. Additionally, buyers are gravitating toward wide-open spaces with acreage and tranquility. We also saw the vacant land market return, with numerous parcels selling during Q3, proving that buyers are planting roots here for the long haul. August was the busiest month for closings, both nationally and locally, where 258 listings sold in South Santa Barbara County. Mortgage applications continued to rise, and buyers are taking advantage of the record low rates – which are below 3%. We anticipate this extremely busy market will continue through the end of the year and most likely into the new year.