The Home Page: Puppies and Ponies and Pools, Oh My!

Putting together each issue of the Independent is like publishing a small book every week. It’s collaborative, fun, hectic, and extremely satisfying — especially at the point where we wrap up the final details and send it off to press. The best moment is Thursday mornings when I walk to my neighborhood news rack and hold the final product in my hands. This week, I was struck by several friendly, furry faces peering from those pages, and I decided to share them here, along with the stories behind their fluff:

This week’s issue includes our fourth annual Active Aging section — a guide to living your best life in your golden years. And what better place to do so than here in Santa Barbara County? We carried that theme into our real estate section, where columnist Sara Caputo penned a helpful article about paring down your stuff as you downsize and simplify. Check out her tips and tricks here while this doxie-in-a-box keeps his eye on you. 

Columnist Marsha Gray also talks about being realistic with your storage space and planning before you move rather than after. Check out her column here — and revisit the cutest pack of pups above, in Marsha’s previous article about making sure your home passes the sniff test.

Finally, for even more tips, this Washington Post article offers ideas to organize your home so that you’re ready for back-to-school season.

Meanwhile, over on Instagram, realtor Michelle Madril from Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties has one of the cutest puppers in real estate. As one of the featured office pups on our Independent real estate IG account, Michelle’s dog Kizzy has stolen our hearts with her antics, including this week’s adventure: bath time for Kizzy. Her tortured “before” shot is shown above, and check out her account for Kizzy’s hilarious bath time scenes as well as her glamorous après-bath look.

If your favorite four-legged friends wear hooves, check out this equine charmer that caught my eye in this week’s pages on a beautiful listing from Team Scarborough. In addition to a four-stall barn with horse turnouts, this luxurious Hope Ranch estate has plenty to offer, including a pool, spa, guest house, and an awesome indoor/outdoor entertainment area.

The beautiful setting with stunning mountain views reminds us why everyone who can live anywhere wants to live here. Get all the details here. 

Speaking of living in paradise, another feature that’s guaranteed to catch my attention is a sparkling pool. And we’ve got no shortage of cool pools in current local listings. The inviting oasis shown above is part of a resort-like compound set above Carpinteria on four acres. Contact listing agent Michael Nicassio with Sotheby’s. 

Or how about this oak-studded oasis in the ‘golden quadrangle’ of Montecito? A 1930s compound on Picacho Lane with more than three acres studded with ancient oak trees, this one’s offered by Riskin Partners Estate Group at Village Properties.

One of my recent favorites is this infinity pool overlooking the Santa Ynez Valley at the gorgeous estate at 2111 Random Oaks Road in Solvang. I visited and wrote about it earlier this summer, and it’s waiting for a new owner to dive right in. Contact Laura Drammer with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties for all the info. 

And for a few more picture-perfect pools, check out Keith Hamm’s recent article featuring a hot collection of Santa Barbara pools, including this Caribbean/Californian ranch-style home. 

Open House of the Week

Want to get out and visit some houses yourself? This one is so new that I haven’t seen an entertaining video about it yet, but if you follow the Santa Barbara Group team on Instagram, you know their snappy marketing style. Go see Avi Becker from 1-4 p.m. this afternoon at this classic 2/2 ranch-style home on a quintessential San Roque cul-de-sac at 210 Adair Drive, and admire it for yourself. 

If you haven’t picked up a paper copy of this week’s issue yet, flip through here for all the newest listings and open houses, plus all sorts of news-you-didn’t-know-you-needed, fun events happening near you, and a few more ponies, pups, and pools to smile about. Enjoy your day!

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