The Home Page | Moms, Memories, and a Mountaintop Mansion

Meanderings on Carpinteria, Musings on Moms, and More

This edition of The Home Page was originally emailed to subscribers on May 8, 2022. To receive Sarah Sinclair’s real estate newsletter in your inbox each Sunday, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

Moms on a Mission

Happy Mother’s Day to all! Not a lot of little girls decide on a career in real estate from a young age … unless they have a mom who takes them to open houses, has them help put up signs, make flyers, and more. Here in Santa Barbara, real estate has become a multi-generational affair for a lot of successful agents and teams. In this week’s issue, we highlight just a few of our dynamic mother-and-daughter Realtor duos, like Dianne and Brianna Johnson, shown above.

Mountaintop Mansion

If a secluded mountain top hideaway is the stuff your dreams are made of, this unique Montecito listing may just be your dream come true. The last gated 35-plus-acre parcel on Toro Canyon Road offers unparalleled 360-degree panoramic views of the coastline and channel islands, and consists of your own private canyon highlighted by a four-bedroom, six-bath home perched on a majestic mountaintop. Listed at $3,995,000 by Bartron Group Realtors. Learn more here.

Mission Canyon Memories

Built in 1907 and known as La Casa Nichita, the adobe home at 679 Mission Canyon Drive was owned for many years by Barbara Tellefson, founder of the Unity Shoppe. Tellefson passed away in 2020, leaving a hole in the fabric of the local nonprofit community but leaving behind a legacy, including her house, to charity. A large existing mortgage meant that Unity Shoppe could not maintain ownership of the house. Kathy Hughes, an agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, has volunteered at Unity Shoppe for years and represented them in the sale of the historic home, donating a portion of her commission to Unity Shoppe as well. Kathy is shown above in front of La Casa Nichita. Proceeds from the sale will be used to further the nonprofit’s mission to support those in need. Our Great House Detective Betsy J. Green told the story of the home in this story published last year.

Pondering the Palms

You’ve likely heard that the iconic The Palms restaurant and bar in Carpinteria is for sale. If you talk to any of the Carp locals at the Farm Cart, Esau’s patio, Thursday Farmer’s Market or any of the other usual hangouts along Linden or Carp Ave., they’ll all have an opinion about the sale of their beloved Palms. Nancy Kogevinas and Ken Switzer are representing the longtime owners of The Palms. In this touching video, Tod and Bill Bennett reminisce about their parents and grandparents before them, who built and opened the trademark cook-your-own steak restaurant in the 1950s from a hotel of the same name that was built in 1912. As Bill Bennett says, “It’s time for a new generation now.”

Happy Sunday to all, and a special shout-out to all the moms!

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