The Home Page | Snowy Scenes, Style Secrets, and More

From Snow on Hills to Artwork on Walls

This edition of The Home Page was originally emailed to subscribers on February 26, 2023. To receive Sarah Sinclair’s real estate newsletter in your inbox each Sunday, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

There’s snow in our backyard! This brilliant view from Thursday contrasts a bright-green Santa Ynez hillside with the snowy Los Padres National Forest as a backdrop. With a blizzard warning for the mountains, and snow expected down to 1,000 feet, we’ll likely see more rain and stormy conditions early next week. My friend Mike Eliason captured the beautiful shot above, as well as this scene from East Camino Cielo:

See these and more of Mike’s latest shots here on Instagram.

Also on Thursday, before the rain hit, this standout view was causing oohs and aahs on the open-house caravan. This vista was snapped by Marisa Holly of First American Title Company as she toured new local listings. Look for more details on this amazing property — located at 20 Camino Alto and offered by Beth Slifirski — coming soon.

If the weather has you looking for indoor projects, look no further than this week’s Style Specialist column. Author Christine Cowles shares some of her favorite tips for hanging — or not hanging — art on your walls. One of her favorite tactics is leaning rather than hanging art. Reasons? As she says: “I’m a fan of this approach for two reasons: (1) no hammer and nails required; and (2) it’s easy to swap out whenever you desire.” An easy method with designer appeal? Sign me up!

Our very own Sara Caputo, author of the monthly Simply 805 column, will present “Are You Working Your Brand for 2023?” at the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors office on Tuesday, February 28, along with SBAOR President Todd Shea.

Full of business plan recommendations and other tips for success, this session is sure to include plenty of fun as well as function. Realtors and affiliates are encouraged to register here.

Finally, before I finish up and go take a lunch break, here’s a sneak peek at one of the 17 burgers that will be featured in next week’s fan-favorite Burger Week issue. I got to sample Le French Onion Burger from Yellow Belly Tap and Restaurant as an “assignment” this week (okay, okay, I volunteered), and I’m here to vouch for its deliciousness. Note: Ignore the fries. They were delicious, too, but they were a special bonus just for me. Why yes, I DO have the best job in the world! Get ready to try it yourself: Burger Week starts Thursday, March 2!