The Home Page: Hot Market, Cool Properties

This edition of The Home Page was originally emailed to subscribers on March 6, 2022. To receive Sarah Sinclair’s real estate newsletter in your inbox each Sunday, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

WHITE-HOT HOUSING MARKET

Recent local real estate statistics, provided by my Realtor friend Jessie Sessions, show absolutely no sign of the market slowing down. Jessie reports that the average sales price on the South Coast in the month of January was $1,950,000 for single-family homes and $854,500 for condos.

Jessie uses the home shown above as an example of this hot market activity. Listed at the end of January for $1,225,000 by Michelle Cook of Compass, the two-bedroom, 969-square-foot home at 1009 E. Canon Perdido Street received more than 14 offers and closed in five days for $1,725,000, causing quite a buzz.

To check out even more recent activity, click here for all local sales from December 2021 through February 2022. I love this quick glance by zip code. Thanks, Jessie!

FROM ART TO ZEBRAS AND MORE

A giraffe, a dozen zebras, six antelopes, and a few llamas are included in the sale of a most unusual property recently listed by local real estate agent Jody Neal of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties. The 1,225-acre estate sits down a private road that crosses forever preserved, open cattle ranges at the intersections of Orange, San Diego, and Riverside Counties in rural San Juan Capistrano. In addition to the exotic animals, the estate boasts a vast collection of statuary, including a 15-foot-tall bronze Neptune guarding the swimming pool; “Il Porcellino,” an Italian bronze boar statue in the driveway; and three, full-size terra-cotta soldiers from Xi’an, China, in the Asian garden. A chapel, art gallery, equestrian center, two-acre lake, rifle range, aviary, dog kennels, greenhouse, observatory, wine gazebo, gym, orchard with 23,000 certified organic lemon trees and 1,000 imported Italian olive trees, and a helicopter pad also come with. A two-story guest house, 2,200-square-foot garage, 2,200-square-foot workshop, and 2,100-square-foot employee triplex complete the compound. And oh, yes, the single-story main house is a 5,048-square-foot Tuscan villa with four bedrooms, three baths, and a light-filled loggia. Views from the $22,950,000 property include Catalina Island and the Newport Coast. Good thing you can see it all from home, because you’re never going to want to leave. 

OKU SAY CAN YOU SEE

You’ll recognize the building above as home to always-hopping Oku and Flor de Maiz restaurants on beachfront Cabrillo Boulevard, but it’s also one of the award-winning entries in AIA Santa Barbara’s annual design awards. The program features local architects’ best projects in a variety of categories, and they’ll be showcased for the public in an exhibition at the S.B. Public Library’s Faulkner Gallery. AIA S.B. President Alayna Fraser said, “The annual Design Awards program is a unique opportunity to engage the public around the topic of excellence in building design. The selection of recognized buildings reflects the values important to the American Institute of Architects — sustainable, innovative, site-sensitive, and inspirational design.” An opening reception will be held on Thursday, March 10, from 5:30-7 p.m. A selection of children’s artwork from the Kids Draw Architecture program will also be exhibited alongside the professionals’ works, offering something for everyone.

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