House & Home: November 26, 2022

&HOUSE HOME

T H E U L T I M A T E C E N T R A L C O A S T R E A L E S T A T E S O U R C E

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note from the SBAOR President

By Bob Walsmith, Jr. President of the Santa Barbara Association of REALTORS®

Why the holidays might be a good time to sell your house

When it comes to real estate the ideal time to sell your home often falls in the spring months. After all, many people hunker down during the winter months or are too busy with the holidays to think about purchasing a new home. And don’t forget, people like to start shopping in the spring to make sure they are settled in their homes before the start of a new school year.

But what if you can’t wait until the weather warms up to get your house on the market? Should you consider putting your house for sale around the holidays?

It may not seem like the most ideal time, but the holiday season does have its benefits — provided you position your home in just the right way. You might not get in the middle of a bidding war, but you are going to deal with serious buyers who are ready to close a deal. Here are six rea sons why the holidays are a good time to sell a house.

There’s Less Housing Inventory

During Winter

Conventional wisdom says people should wait until the spring to get the most from a home sale. After all, inventory nor mally picks up in the spring as the weather gets warmer. This often leads to price wars breaking out in coveted neighborhoods. A home in a great area with a lot of potential buyers can sit on the market for just a few weeks or, in some cases, even days.

But that doesn’t mean people don’t look, or buy, at other times of the year. In fact, there are plenty of homes listed around the holidays that may command more money, even if the inventory is limited. If you play your cards right, you may even be able to sell your home quicker than the ones listed in the spring. One reason is the lack of competition during the holidays. Many sellers don’t want to list their houses just before or during the holidays—some don’t want people tracking in snow and dirt during each showing, while others just want to enjoy the holidays as family time.

Winter Buyers Are More Serious

Most open houses take place during the spring and early summer. It isn’t un usual to see people saunter into a property without a clear plan to buy. People often check out homes just for the sake of look ing. After all, hitting open houses is a fa vorite pastime for many Americans.

But if your house is up for sale in the winter and someone is looking at it, chances are that person is serious and ready to buy. Anyone shopping for a new home between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is likely go ing to be a serious buyer. They aren’t going to spend their precious time around the holidays seeing how the other half lives.

Putting your home on the market at this time of year and attracting a serious buyer can often result in a quicker sale.

That Warm and Cozy Feeling

The holidays are often a time when people gather around fireplaces, drink hot chocolate, and bake cakes and cookies. Homeowners who put their houses up for sale during the winter months can stage their house to give off the comfy and homey vibe that appeals to many buyers.

Not to mention that buyers tend to be more emotional during the holidays and may be more likely to make decisions based on the feeling a house conjures up. During the spring, there is a lot more foot traffic in homes that are up for sale. Some buyers may not be able to do a thorough walk-through with so many distractions.

Festive Neighborhoods Are Inviting

One of the staples of the holiday months is that many people adorn their homes with festive lights and decorations. That is also true of local communities where lit-up snowflakes and wreaths can be found on lampposts up and down the main streets.

People purchasing a home during that time may see the neighborhood in a dif ferent light — more festive and cheer ful—and may be more willing to consider an area that they may have been on the fence about.

Year-End Job Transfers

Another good reason is timing. The end of the year is typically the time when people get notified they will be moving because of a job transfer, or perhaps an of fer comes through from another company that’s just too good to pass up.

Those people are going to need a home sooner rather than later and, as a result, they’ll be hunting for a new home dur ing the holidays. These buyers can’t wait for spring, which is one reason why list ing during the holidays can get the home sold—and sold quickly.

End-of-Year Tax Breaks

Reducing the property tax bill may not be the main reason buyers purchase a new home, but it could be why serious buyers make a move during the holidays. That’s because buyers can deduct the mortgage interest, property taxes, and in terest costs of the loan if a sale closes on or before December 31.

The Bottom Line

When you sell your home during the holidays, you will face less competition, find more serious buyers, and may even be up for a quicker sales process. It also presents a unique opportunity to create a warm and cozy environment that you can’t present during the spring and sum mer months.

Walsmith, Jr. can be reached at 805-720-5362 or emailed at Bob@BobWalsmithJr.com

HOA Homefront Reader Questions Are Board Meetings Properly Open?

By Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. CCAL

Dear Kelly:

Our HOA continues to have meet ings without posting a proper notice, no agenda. The directors receive an agenda, but the members do not. Is this consid ered an illegal meeting? And if so, do all the discussions and votes taken at this meeting need to be redone at a properly noticed meeting?

Dear B.B.:

– B.B.

Boards may not discuss or act upon any non-emergency items unless that item was on a published agenda at least four calendar days before the meeting, per Civil Code Section 4930(a). There are two exceptions - emergencies (Sec tion 4930(d)(1)), or if something arose after agenda posting, requires immediate action, and a two-thirds vote of the di rectors to add it to the agenda (Section 4930(d)(2)).

The agenda must be sufficiently specif ic to allow members a reasonable oppor tunity to determine if they wish to attend the deliberations or even to address the board during the open forum. In about 2016, a landowner partnership sued the Rancho Santa Fe Association regard ing the denial of its proposal to develop some land within the association. One of the partnership’s arguments was that the board did not adequately disclose the topic on the published agenda; therefore, the HOA’s decision was invalid. At the appellate level, the court in 2018 issued its decision in Golden Eagle Land Invest ment LP v. Rancho Santa Fe Association, ruling in part that the HOA’s agenda was sufficient to inform the members of the topic to be discussed.

Agendas should be fair and reason ably informative to the members served by the board.

– Sincerely, Kelly Dear Kelly:

Our question: We saw your writing

which clearly explained HOA boards must follow Civil Code 4090(b). How ever we have been told the Governor’s July, 2022 proclamation states California is in “emergency” status and it replaces 4090(b). My reading is that the procla mation speaks to be prepared if Mon keypox becomes epidemic. Our board is advised that it is in “emergency” and does not have to follow Section 4090 and can maintain virtual only meetings. What is correct?

– Thank you L.B. Dear L.B.:

There continues to be many erroneous statements on this issue, creating further confusion for California HOAs. In short, the Davis-Stirling Act requires that, if the board is meeting using telephone or virtual platform, there must be a physical location where someone can observe the meeting without using the telephone or virtual platform. Last year, an emergency bill was passed in September, creating a new section 5450, which allows purely virtual meetings to occur during times of declared local or state emergency. How ever, there isn’t ANY emergency allowing the application of the statute, because the declared emergency does not make the in-person meeting unsafe or impossible. I am not aware of any California juris diction that in 2021 or 2022 has barred in-person HOA meetings from occurring – so the statute does not presently apply. Consequently, HOAs cannot have purely virtual open board meetings, but must comply with Civil Code Section 4090 and have a physical location at which a member can attend. It is unfortunate that there is so much noncompliance with the statute – HOAs must catch up and return to in-person or hybrid meet ings – to comply with the law and also provide the greatest transparency to their members.

– Thanks, Kelly

Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. is a Fellow of the College of Community Association Lawyers andPartnerof Richardson

DeNichilo LLP, a law firm known for community association advice. Submit questions to Kelly@rodllp.com. Past columns at www.HOAHomefront.com. All rights reserved®.

Ober

Bob

Plumber: Deep thoughts about soaking tub styles

By Ed Del Grande

Freestanding bathtubs are a one-piece self-supporting fixture with finished surfaces inside and out.

Photo courtesy Kohler/TNS

What are my bathtub upgrade options?

By Paul F. P. Pogue

Question:

Hi Ed: We’re really thinking a lot about our upcoming bathroom remodel, and now want to include a soaking tub. It’s a big area, so I want the bath in the middle of the room. Should we choose a drop-in style with custom base or a freestanding tub? –

Answer:

Installing either a drop-in bath with a custom-built and finished support base or a freestanding soaking tub are both nice choices for larger bathrooms. These soaking tubs come in many shapes, sizes and colors, along with nice spa and comfort options.

But there is a big difference between the two styles that may require some extra thinking and budget planning.

First, drop-in bathtubs are finished on the inside of the tub along with a wide, flat, finished tub rim on top. (Undermount units are also available.) A finished custom support base usually needs to be built around the unfinished sides of the tub.

Freestanding baths, on the other hand, are just that. It’s basically a one-piece self-supporting fixture with finished surfaces inside and out.

With these differences, each style has its own advantages. Drop-ins can offer workspace for plumbing inside the support base, while freestanding units are usually ready for installation without needing surround walls or extra finish work.

Finally, I can’t tell you what style to choose. But I can tell you that placing a large soaking tub in the middle of a large bathroom can create a big-time center of attention.

Master Contractor/Plumber Ed Del Grande is known internationally as the author of the book “Ed Del Grande’s House Call,” the host of TV and Internet shows, and a LEED green associate. Visit eddelgrande.com or write eadelg@cs.com. Always consult local contractors and codes.

©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Your bathroom can serve as a serene oasis and a center of calm in your home during a busy season and a long winter. A new bathtub is an excellent time to increase your peace and add a touch of comfort and elegance.

Here are some examples of what you can get for your dollar. In many cases the choice of materials, from acrylic to marble, have the strongest impact on cost.

Refinishing an existing tub

Average cost: $480-$900

The most basic option to improve your tub involves refinishing it or simply placing an entirely new lining over it. This is a short job that doesn’t land with a heavy cost. It’s quick and easy way to give your bathroom a fresh new look and maybe a little more “wow” factor. In a single afternoon, it can turn a tired, worn-out older bathtub into a sparkling beauty that serves as your bathroom’s centerpiece.

Refinishing is also know as reglazing or resurfacing. Relining will cost a little more. The process involves cleaning and sometimes stripping the original surface, then adding new layers of primer and topcoat to complete the refinish. Ask your refinishing pro about the various options. Your pro will seal off the room and use specialized equipment that creates a durable finish with a high gloss.

New bathtub

Average cost: $3,400

Simply replacing your bathtub with a newer one will tend to cost on the lower end, but if you’re replacing your tub, you want an upgrade, right? Soaking tubs are very trendy right now, and old-fashioned clawfoot tubs have made a comeback in recent years. You can also add a walk-in tub, which is both more accessible and allows more room in the tub.

Numerous factors go into the cost of a new tub. Removing the old tub tends to cost between $200 and $1,200, for instance. Larger tubs, tubs built into the wall or floor, or castiron tubs will cost more to remove. In some cases, you’ll have to modify the floor to handle additional weight. Don’t forget the cost of the surround, which can be a few thousands dol lars in and of itself.

Luxury bathtub

Cost: $7,500 and up

In addition to a simple tub, you can add luxury elements that upgrade your tub into the centerpiece of a calm, serene sanctuary. For example, a jetted or whirlpool tub, which costs an average of $7,500, creates a massaging effect. A hot tub brings a new level of luxury to your bathroom. Clawfoot and soaking tubs create a lovely calming effect, and will run in the $6,000 range. For convenience’s sake or aging-in-place, a walk-in tub that meets universal design standards costs about $5,000. The sky’s the limit with these options, so talk to your bathtub pro.

Santa BarB ara County SaleS

This is a partial list of all recorded residential sales in Santa Barbara County from November 14 to November 18, 2022. While these recordings are public record, the News-Press receives this information from an outside source. This list does not represent all sales that occurred over this time period. Consult your REALTOR® for further information regarding home sales in your area of interest.

AREA ADDRESS SELLER

CARPINTERIA

GOLETA

BUYER PRICE DATE

GOLDSTEIN STEVEN EA $1,233,000 11/18/2022 5688 FIESTA DR ELLERT LAURA

4637 NINTH ST GONZALEZ SUSAN

BANNER MELINDA EU $1,500,000 11/16/2022 890 LINDEN AVE MAZZETTI MARK EA

890 LINDEN PARTNERS LP $3,275,000 11/17/2022

HOULEMARD NATALIE $590,000 11/14/2022 253 FIR TREE PL KELLEY CHARLES EA

7634 HOLLISTER AVE 126 BEDARD DAVID

ROMANSANTA-ECKERT KATHRYN EA $1,000,000 11/18/2022 7116 ALAMEDA AVE NOVAK SHARON

LEACHMAN SHELLY EA $1,215,000 11/15/2022 1111 E OCEAN AVE 4 ENTE PHILLIP 1111 E OCEAN LLC $319,000 11/16/2022 1012 W CHESTNUT AVE CLEAN SLATE REAAL ESTATE LLC GEISLER JONATHAN $360,000 11/18/2022 116 N K ST ROSALES CORNELIO NEWELL PAUL $415,000 11/16/2022 1317 E COLLEGE AVE POSTMA JEANNE

MORIARTY KERRY $475,000 11/15/2022 1039 N E PL WILDER MARY SOLORIO NANCY EU $525,000 11/15/2022 720 SOUTHBROOK DR GRIFFIN EVA

JEROME ANDREW $615,000 11/18/2022

LOS OLIVOS HWY 154 BRANQUINHO JOHN EA LOS OLIVOS MEADOWS LLC $4,650,000 11/18/2022

SANTA BARBARA 1078 MIRAMONTE DR 3 SCHOENBERG E RANDOL EA GILLES THOMAS EU $765,000 11/15/2022 208 S VOLUNTARIO ST LESTER KENDRA ROSS ORION $910,000 11/15/2022 421 FELLOWSHIP RD MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT MORIARTY LAWRENCE $1,005,000 11/15/2022

Santa BarBara County SaleS

AREA ADDRESS SELLER BUYER PRICE DATE

SANTA BARBARA 1025 CAMINO DEL RETIRO GM BUILDERS & ASSOCIATES WEISER KELLY EU

SANTA MARIA 128 CLUBHOUSE LN KELLER SILVYA

715 S BRADLEY RD 20 SJOSTEDT NOHL EU

1512 OAKRIDGE PARK RD LUKEN-REID LINDA EA

$3,400,000 11/15/2022

MORALES VICTOR EA $370,000 11/18/2022

HANSEN JORDAN $380,000 11/15/2022

ATILANO RUBEN $400,000 11/16/2022

1631 N DEPOT ST SLEPICKA JESSICA MOLINA MAXIMILIANO EA $438,500 11/18/2022 150 N GRAY ST TAYLOR PEROCKET EA LOPEZ JENNIFER $480,000 11/15/2022

1401 STUBBLEFIELD RD WOBROCK ANNA EA

ABRAHAM JOSEPH EA $500,000 11/17/2022

4242 WOODMERE RD ROSS THADDEUS EA PAUL VANESSA EA $510,000 11/15/2022 1226 PINO SOLO DR CAMPBELL CLAYTON EU SILVA SHANE EA $515,000 11/16/2022

424 E ORANGE ST FAULKER ALEXANDRIA

BARBOSA FERMIN EA $520,000 11/18/2022 3455 DICKSON DR ROINESTAD WILLIAM EU HOMETOWN LTC PHARMACY INC $600,000 11/16/2022 4454 SUNVIEW DR MORGAN DAVID EA FLOYD SAUNDRA $610,000 11/16/2022 2990 COUNTRY CLUB LN TUNNELL MARY EA GARCIA GUSTAVO EU $650,000 11/18/2022 4454 RADCLIFF LN LEADBETTER RICHARD EU GILL SEAN EU $685,000 11/15/2022 1189 FOXENWOOD DR PALMER ROBERT EA PUTNEY MARTHA EU $710,000 11/16/2022 828 S SPEED ST VONNIEDERHAUSERN KATHERINE EA SIMPSON NATHAN $720,000 11/17/2022 4327 COUNTRYWOOD DR MIRANDA MICHAEL EU SHINNICK DAVID EU $800,000 11/16/2022 5616 OAKHILL DR WELLS ERIC EU CASTLE VINCE $1,475,000 11/14/2022 2337 THOMPSON WAY CYGNUS HOME SERVICE EA DONAHUE-THELE LLC $1,750,000 11/15/2022

SUMMERLAND 3233 SERENA AVE LINDE SCOTT EA PET JUDITH EA $2,100,000 11/18/2022

SANTA YNEZ 1895 VIEW DR BURKE KELLY EA BEISE YANN EU $2,525,000 11/18/2022

UNICORP 1406 CALLE MARANA WALLACE LORI

HOMETOWN EQUITY GROUP $249,000 11/18/2022

On Gardening:

Augusta Lavender heliotrope debuts to awardwinning performance

By Norman Winter

The Garden Guy’s pollinator habitat shows Augusta Lavender heliotrope being used with Heat it Up Yellow gaillardia, Rockin’ Blue Suede Shoes salvia, and next year’s new Meant to Bee Queen Nectarine and Royal Raspberry agastache.

Augusta Lavender heliotrope made its debut in 2022, and after having it in my garden for 18 months, I am even more sold on the plant. Keep in mind I also wrote about it in summer 2021 and January 2022 and it continues to demonstrate award-winning traits.

This is an absolute must-have plant for the rare color offered the landscape, and of course, pollinators. The plant is really an anomaly to The Garden Guy for several reasons, and I’ll explain as I go.

Photos courtesy Norman Winter/TNS

According to the plant tag, it is cold-hardy in zones 9a and warmer. Not only have my plants persevered, I even had blooms for around 14 or 15 months. I have never been without Augusta Lavender plants since planting in April 2021.

This year I was able to give it more partners, which points out the second anomaly, the first being a remarkable longevity for a plant that was supposed to die. The reason I was able to create new partnerships is that my Augusta Lavender heliotrope patch has gotten larger with more plants.

This opened the door for partnerships with the new Double Coded Butter Pecan coneflow ers and my favorite, which is a long sweep or drift in a pollinator garden with Heat it Up Yel low gaillardia, Rockin Blue Suede Shoes salvia and the new Meant to Bee Queen Nectarine and Royal Raspberry agastache.

While that was my favorite, I was also able to use some in mixed containers with Supertunias and Superbells calibrachoa. The use in contain ers really opens the door wide open for creative designer recipes, whether they be Proven Win ners’ or your own.

Until mid-June I was looking and feeling as though I were at Butchart Gardens in Vic toria, Canada. Then in late June and July, The Garden Guy turned in to The Grouchy Garden Guy. Temperature turned into stifling triple dig its, and rain was a rare event. It became a daily event of dragging the 100-foot hose with water wand or sprinkler. I felt as though I had created a monster.

The nonstop heat brought on spider mites to verbenas and whiteflies to my Augusta Lavender heliotrope. I cut the verbenas back much earlier and a little harder than usual. When I looked at the Augusta Lavender heliotrope, I despair ingly told them, “I knew you were too good to be true.” I kept the water regimen going, and then, in true miracle fashion, it rained almost every day in August.

Today the Augusta Lavender heliotrope plants are more numerous. They are lush and green with intensely colored blooms even though we have had a much earlier freeze than normal. Since I garden for pollinators and hum mingbirds The Garden Guy just doesn’t use in secticides or miticides.

The third anomaly to me was the survivabil ity after the onslaught of whiteflies. The Augusta Lavender is one tough, beautiful plant. Oh yes, the spider mite-laden Superbena verbenas sur vived too, demonstrating the effectiveness of cutting back and removal of infested material.

The Augusta Lavender needs plenty of sun light to really perform. The soil needs to be well drained but doesn’t have to be luxuriously or ganic rich by any means. The plants will reach about 24 inches tall with a possible spread of 36 inches. I don’t really deadhead other than to spruce up for a photo.

The plant itself looks a little like a lantana but with lavender blue flowers and a cute cottagelooking yellow throat. Swallowtails, fritillaries and a host of other butterflies along with bees will visit the nonstop blooms.

I am in zone 8a sharing my experience on a plant that has award-winner written all over it. Even if it is an annual where you live, it will be worth every penny.

Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Gar den.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterThe GardenGuy.

(above left) In this setting, “The Garden Guy” paired the Augusta Lavender heliotrope with next year’s new Double Coded Butter Pecan echinacea.

(above right) In another container, The Garden Guy combined Augusta Lavender heliotrope with Superbells Black Currant Punch with Superbells Grape Punch, both award-winning calibrachoas.

(below) This Eastern Tiger Swallowtail finds the August Lavender heliotrope to be the perfect feast.

RANDY GLICK

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Yard Sale Tips

Before Your Sale

• Prepare to start early. Collectors and antique dealers like to show up early in the morning.

• obtain a permit if required

• Clean up your space. People like clean and neat places.

• Gather lots of shopping bags. Gathering Items

• Test any electrical items to make sure they work.

• Collect your items and sort it by type. (clothing, toys, tools, etc.)

• Take time to clean or repair your items.

• Wash all the clothes so they smell fresh.

WhaT SellS BeST?

• Tools: Guys love it all, any kind.

• Baby items of all kinds, especially clothing.

• Kitchen appliances.

• Clothing: Kids and adult.

What Should You Not Sell?

• Items missing safety parts.

• unused prescription drugs or medications.

• Personal hygiene items.

• halogen floor lamps.

• old baby cribs or playpens, incomplete child safety seats.

adverTISING

• Tell your friends, family or coworkers about your sale. Word travels.

• Place a classified ad in the Santa Barbara NeWS-PreSS!! remember to check the publication’s deadline.

• In your ad, give lots of details. Include the address, day(s), time of your sale. list major items such as “lots of kids clothes.”

SIGNS

• Check your local ordinances.

• list your address and sale date on all signs.

• Post your signs at main intersections, street corners and at the end of your driveway.

• use same colors and writing on your signs as people recognize them at a glance.

• Keep a list of where you posted your signs. It will be helpful when it’s time to take them down.

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