The Home Page | Sweet Dreams for the New Year

Credit: Blaine Moats

This edition of The Home Page was originally emailed to subscribers on January 7, 2024. To receive Sarah Sinclair’s real estate newsletter in your inbox each Sunday, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

Are we tired of predictions for 2024 yet? I hope not, because they just seem to keep coming. A couple that crossed my desk this week from Better Homes & Gardens are the flower of the year and plant of the year, brought to us by the folks at 1-800-Flowers. The bright petals and striking colors of peonies, shown above, have garnered it the title of flower of the year, while the easy-care philodendron (shown below) gets the nod as plant of the year, as it helps us bring the beauty of nature indoors.

They state that criteria for the selections included symbolism, popularity, and projected trends. They also note that peonies are ideal for romantic gestures, and that philodendrons are commonly recognized as a symbol of love. Sounds like 2024 is primed to be a super sweet year!

Speaking of sweet, the bright fuchsia splash of the bougainvillea growing up the facade of the Ablitt Tower is a sight for sore eyes, and one of my favorite examples of how landscaping can seamlessly embellish the architecture it compliments. The Ablitt Tower is one of Jeff Shelton’s masterful creations, and the bougainvillea has been tended for years by local firm Valencia Tree & Landscape.

Check out this new listing sparkling in the sunshine, blue skies, and summer-looking weather we’ve been experiencing. The house at 4384 Modoc Road is a three-bedroom, three-bath Spanish Mediterranean–style home listed for $1,595,000 by Gary Goldberg. The spacious third-floor “rooftop” deck showcases gorgeous mountain views all year round. That’s what I call living the sweet life.

Another sweet tidbit from our friends at Hitchcock & Associates: Kat, Kylie, and Kara showed off their adorable listing at 921 San Pascual this week. As you can see from the kitchen shot above, it’s being aptly compared to Barbie’s Dreamhouse. So for this week’s open house, the team offered … pink cupcakes, natch.

I hope that your new year is starting off on a sweet note, too. For an extra dose of sweetness, here’s a shot of Scout on her first hike of the year enjoying the first sunset of the new year, high above Santa Barbara at the top of Tunnel Trail.