Taking On Mortgages and More

Meet our newest real estate columnist, Austin Lampson. Lampson has spent the last quarter-century helping her clients balance math and emotion to achieve their financial goals. And now she comes fresh to our pages every month.

You’re starting your newest column with us; what inspired you to start it?

I am so excited about “The Mortgage Minute” coming to print! My belief is that the more education and knowledge one has, the more enabled they are to live their best life. Mortgages are super-duper nuanced, and yet also super commoditized. We live in a time where the media makes you think that all you have to do is press a button for every past financial and personal decision you have made to be accurately balanced into a monthly payment by an algorithm — um, no, we’re still human and human input still matters. Thus, being able to take what we’ve been sharing though video content into print is an amazing opportunity to help our community be stronger financially.

What do you do for work, and what nonprofits are you involved in?

The 805 is blessed to have such a philanthropic core. My degree is in economics, my heart is for education, and my soul loves the world around us. I have had the honor of serving as Treasurer of NAWBO, Fund Development Chair for Junior League of Santa Barbara, and on the board of SBAOR, as well as serving on their Education Committee. I spent more than a decade volunteering for the Natural History Museum, and am currently on the board of MOXI, as well as once again being co-chair for MOXI @ Night.

As a side note, one of my greatest community projects was actually not for an established nonprofit at all. I used to rent in Montecito before I moved to Carpinteria and would walk the underpass of Butterfly Lane at Coast Village Road. Tired of it being dark and gloomy, I led a grassroots effort to repaint the existing mural and copy it over to the parallel side. I raised the funds, secured permission from Caltrans and the County of Santa Barbara, as well as the Montecito Neighborhood Association, then put in the man hours (after work) to make it happen. Even after construction, it’s still there, adding a bit of color to the day of those who pass by.

It’s said you have quite the green thumb. What are the organic foods you grow, and is anything else in your garden?

It’s funny what will spark your heart as the opportunity arises. When my husband and I bought our current home, the eight 24-foot-long veggie beds were a bit in flux. I realized that I wanted to rely less on commercially produced foods, so I started learning. I focus on companion gardening (Carrots love tomatoes! Marigolds deter nematodes!) and moon phase gardening (beans for the new moon, beets after the full moon). My love of color also means there’s quite a few dahlias in between. And don’t forget to plant for pollinators! It’s so fun to have folks over and let them make their own bouquet to take home; they get to express themselves that day and be reminded of our friendship for days thereafter. Our goal is to produce about a third to half of our food.

What are some of your favorite things to do in Carpinteria? What are some things that pull you into Santa Barbara?

We live in such a slice of paradise. It’s such a blessing to be able to go for a hike in the morning, a paddle mid-day, and laze in the garden in the afternoon. Reynaldo’s Bakery makes the best breakfast burritos, Carp Kitchen has perfect picnic options (though Albertsons’ fried chicken and broccoli slaw is a close second), and dinner from Uncle Chen or Sushi Terri is perfect for any night. Besides the amazing farm cart, restaurants, and pickup spots, we so appreciate the options at Heritage Goods, beauty at Gallup & Stribling, and simply being able to walk places. Oh, and the skate park is pretty legit, too!

Santa Barbara brings me back for music, art, friends, and, of course, food!

Have you always been a writer, or is this something new? What’s some content you’re looking forward to focusing on?

My mother is a writer and was a TV and documentary producer for a long time. She taught me the power of sharing words. Someone once said to me, “Be yourself, only bolder.” For me, that also means to speak and write your truth, and share YOUR voice. Honestly, I rarely do more than two drafts (outside of spelling — ha!), as I believe what flows through in that moment is what you are meant to express. Grammar is important, structure is important, and being vivid with your words is key. If you can feel that you are here with me, looking at the purple mountains dancing under our setting sun’s last kiss of daylight, then we can understand each other better. With this article, I think it’s important to translate the minutiae of the regulated, compliant, ever-changing lending landscape to the day-to-day lives of our 805 community. We do not get paid the same way here as other parts of the country; our insurance needs are different; credit is always a tightrope — heck, I’ve even seen someone use pirate treasure as a down payment for their house. Being able to lift the lid on what goes into home finances is not only an honor and quest of mine, but it’s also kind of fun!

What do you like to do outside of work? What are some ways you like to unwind?

Well, certainly the garden takes up some time! On land, I love to hike, take walks around my neighborhood, and I practice yoga pretty much every other day. In the water, I love to paddleboard, swim, body-surf, and fish. I also love to paint with acrylics and mixed-media, and I am an avid reader. I am also working on getting the Gratitude Journals I’ve been self-printing since COVID out to the public via Amazon KDP. I guess sitting still is not my strong suit! Even so, taking that quiet moment to sit and admire the light cascading around us, through the dancing leaves of our trees, as a sweet kiss on my face brings such joy.