The Home Page | Milpas, Mesa, Montecito, and More

This edition of The Home Page was originally emailed to subscribers on February 18, 2024. To receive Sarah Sinclair’s real estate newsletter in your inbox each Sunday, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

Sooooo many intriguing listings came across my desk this week. Here are details of just a few. The house above is likely to look familiar to any self-respecting Santa Barbaran. Anyone who’s taken in a show at the Santa Barbara Bowl will recognize the iconic 1926 cottage situated at 1116 North Milpas Street, right next door to our favorite local outdoor music venue. I’m told that the home, designed by architect Anna Louise Murphy Vhay, was likely constructed using fallen bricks from the 1925 earthquake.

While we all recognize its adorable exterior, what you can’t see from the street are the cottage’s hardwood floors, fireplace, built-ins, and other period details. The home is offered for sale by the team at Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group for $1,450,000. Here’s your chance to own a piece of local history — and a front-row seat to the excitement of every Bowl season.

Santa Barbara’s Mesa neighborhood is beloved by its denizens, and plenty of us Mesa-adjacent folk as well. Take a seat at Lighthouse Coffee on a Sunday morning, or linger in the aisles of  Lazy Acres, and you’ll meet plenty of passionate Mesa-ites. The luxurious Mesa home above is in easy walking distance to both of those spots, plus many more Mesa favorites. The four-bedroom, three-bath showpiece has incredible style inside and out, plus ocean and island views that can be enjoyed from the 12-foot LED back-lit, built-in backyard BBQ and gas firepit shown above. The experience is likely best in person though, and you’re in luck — 627 Dolores Drive is open today from 1-3 p.m. Reach out to Ricardo Munoz to find out more.

Here’s one that’s not for sale, but it has me dreaming nonetheless. Recently remodeled by Giffin & Crane, this 1895 gem is the original residence of Montecito’s Glen Oaks neighborhood. While the floor plan remains intact, just about everything else in and around the house has been reinforced or reimagined. The masterful transformation caught the attention of Architectural Digest magazine, which remarked that the home “stands out among its neighbors — not only for its rambling size … but also for its Gilded Age architecture.” Renovations extended to the landscaping, pool and cabana, wherein this delightful corner caught my eye:

The pop of color and fruity fun stand out among the grandeur of the entire property, and this room has earned its place as my favorite spot on the entire estate. Check out next week’s Independent Real Estate section for more photos and details from Heart of the Home columnist Keith Hamm.

Until then, we say farewell to SBIFF and “I do” to this week’s issue, which stars our annual Wedding Guide and a plethora of news and information, including 21 pages of real estate detailing open houses, recently sold listings, and more.