The Home Page | Hot Pink Palace and Accolades Aplenty

This edition of The Home Page was originally emailed to subscribers on February 19, 2023. To receive Sarah Sinclair’s real estate newsletter in your inbox each Sunday, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

As the hot pink glow of Valentine’s Day continues to warm our fuzzy little hearts, my favorite listing of the week is one that came across my desk with a neon magnetism that I just have to share. This magnificent pink estate was custom-built for glamorous star Zsa Zsa Gabor, who was as well-known for her lavish lifestyle as her movie credits.

The home reflects Hollywood’s Golden Age with details such as elegant chandeliers, mirrored walls, and a grand piano, as well as an original Hungarian rotisserie in the kitchen, a luxurious primary suite, and black-and-gold hand-carved double doors that stand out against the bubblegum-pink exterior.

And of course, a generous soaking tub that looks out over the mosaic-tiled swimming pool. Ooh la la! Married nine times, Gabor famously quipped “I am a marvelous housekeeper: Every time I leave a man, I keep his house.” Well this one, at least, can be yours for less than $4 million.

Locally, it was a busy week in the real estate world, with forecasting, awarding, and the ongoing flurry of open houses, closed escrows, and new listings. Here’s a glimpse from our view.

The Santa Barbara Association of Realtors held its annual Real Estate Market Update this past Wednesday, February 15. In addition to the main speaker, California Association of Realtors economist Jordan Levine, three local presenters provided their review and forecast for the packed audience at Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. As shown above: Cristal Clarke of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Montecito gave us her take on the luxury residential market, Gene Deering of Radius Group spoke on the commercial market, and Kat Hitchcock of Compass addressed the general residential market. One of Kat’s points that stuck with me is that statistics can be very different depending which segment of the market one is focused on. As consumers make plans for the future, analyzing data and trends carefully — ideally with a trusted expert — can help inform our decisions. On the same day, Downtown Santa Barbara brought together business leaders, politicians, and members of the non-profit community for its Annual Awards Breakfast to honor stand-outs in categories of Business Champion of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Youth Leader, and Citizen of the Year.

On the same day, Downtown Santa Barbara brought together business leaders, politicians, and members of the non-profit community for its Annual Awards Breakfast to honor stand-outs in categories of Business Champion of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Youth Leader, and Citizen of the Year. As a sponsor, the Independent was honored to present the Citizen of the Year award to Jeff Shaffer, who has worked tirelessly for almost 20 years to provide solutions and understanding on the issues of homelessness. Jeff’s kindness and humility were evident as he accepted his award, which I can tell you firsthand was truly a surprise. While not all of the awards were specifically real-estate related, everything happening on our State Street core affects all of us who live here. And there’s a lot happening downtown!

If your week’s been anything like mine, I hope you’re relaxing today. While you unwind, find everything you need to know in this week’s issue of the Independent. Enjoy your Sunday!