Home Buyers Ask: What do I pay my Realtor?

Home Buyers Ask: What do I pay my Realtor?

By Marie Sue Parsons on April 30th, 2010
I remember when I was a young twenty-something and my husband and I wanted to buy our first home.  We didn’t want to pay extra for a Realtor so we were looking at “For Sale by Owners”.  Little did we know then that home buyers don’t pay extra for representation.  Brokerage fees come out of the total ... [Continue Reading]
Realtors host Mountain View Neighborhood Garage Sale

Realtors host Mountain View Neighborhood Garage Sale

By Stephanie Young on April 15th, 2010
Marie Sue Parsons and I have been hosting an annual garage sale in the Mountain View School neighborhood for nearly 10 years.  We do this as a courtesy to the neighborhood and as a way for neighbors to clean out their homes, get out and meet each other, have some fun and maybe earn a little money!  ... [Continue Reading]
How Technology is Making Home Buying and Selling Greener

How Technology is Making Home Buying and Selling Greener

By Marie Sue Parsons on April 13th, 2010
When I started selling real estate 33 years ago, we wrote offers on a single sheet of paper.  Over the years, our purchase contracts became longer and longer amounting to piles of paperwork for each transaction.  Today, we are moving back in the direction of less paper as we utilize more and more technology to handle ... [Continue Reading]
Real Estate Snapshot of Mountain View School Neighborhood

Real Estate Snapshot of Mountain View School Neighborhood

By Stephanie Young on April 12th, 2010
Mountain View School is one of the most desirable elementary schools in Santa Barbara.  Childrens’ test scores consistently rank among the highest in the County.  In addition, the school has an excellent teaching staff, the finest curriculum, and parents are very involved in the school activities as well as in the classrooms.  If you are a resident in ... [Continue Reading]

Your Guide to the NEW CA Residential Purchase Agreement

By Stephanie Young on April 10th, 2010
On April 28th, 2010, California Association of Realtors will have access to the newly revised California Residential Purchase Contract and Joint Escrow Instructions ( herein called “Purchase Contract”). There are many differences between this new version of the purchase contract and the current purchase contract which has not been significantly revised since 2002.    Last week we attended a 2 hour training ... [Continue Reading]

Borders Building in Santa Barbara Sold for $10M

By Stephanie Young on April 6th, 2010
Tough economic times aren’t stopping all deals from going together.  The Borders building located at 900 State Street at the corner of State and Canon Perdido just sold for $10 million.  This sale represents the largest commercial real estate deal in Santa Barbara in the past few years.  Borders Bookstore will remain in the building, as they ... [Continue Reading]

Short Sale and Foreclosure Certified!

By Stephanie Young on April 5th, 2010
Marie Sue has recently become certified in selling short sales and foreclosures in the Santa Barbara real estate market. She completed the SFR course offered by the National Association of Realtors.  Buying and selling properties that are short sales are not for the faint of heart.  Knowing how to help people maneuver the complexity of ... [Continue Reading]