The Home Page | Best of the Best

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This week, we published our Best of Santa Barbara® issue for 2026. Best of Santa Barbara® has become an institution over the years, wherein readers — all of you!! — vote for your favorites in categories as diverse as best tacos (Lilly’s), best toy store (Chicken Little), and best travel agency (AAA). It’s an all-hands-on-deck endeavor here at the Indy, with long hours and lots of snacks. And it’s a labor of love, with a big glossy issue to showcase the results.

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In this year’s Best of Santa Barbara® real estate categories, Village Properties was named the best real estate company, with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices as the runner-up. 

Best real estate agent awards went to Marisa Garber and Michelle Eskandari, winner and runner-up respectively. For the best real estate team, The Santa Barbara | Montecito Collective is the 2026 winner, with The Hall Team as the runner-up. Mortgage awards went to Jon McCuskey and Austin Lampson for best mortgage agent, while OriginPoint and Montecito Bank & Trust were named best mortgage company and runner-up, respectively. Congratulations to all of the winners, runners-up, and finalists!

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We put the finishing touches on Best of Santa Barbara® with “Best Fest” — our annual celebration of all the businesses and individuals who work so hard to be the best. Thursday’s weather kept us on our toes with sprinkles that lasted all afternoon. Just before party time, the rain stopped, the clouds parted, and we were treated to a perfectly magical moonlit evening at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. I paused for a laugh with our publisher Brandi Rivera and our editor-in-chief Marianne Partridge-Poett, above. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success.

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THIS WEEK’S COVER HOME:

Our real estate cover this week is a little bit different — it’s in the middle of the issue because of the glossy Best of Santa Barbara® format. You’ll find it on page 143 … but it’s worth the search! 1520 Willina Lane is the ultimate charming Montecito cottage, located in the coveted Hedgerows. From the pink tiled bathroom to the sweet pool house nestled in the back, this two-bedroom, two-bath home boasts the romance of a 1920’s vintage pedigree combined with modern convenience, all in a secluded garden setting. Listed by the winning real estate team The Santa Barbara | Montecito Collective, at $4,250,000. This is one to see for yourself.

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THIS WEEK’S OPEN HOUSES:

We’ve got the BEST open houses happening around town today. Pick a few favorites and make an afternoon of it. Find them all here.

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THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:

If you haven’t yet scooped up your glossy copy of Best of Santa Barbara® 2026, here’s the digital version to tide you over til you get the real deal. Here’s the front of the paper as well as the real estate section — it’s got all of your usual favorite contents plus (you guessed it!) the very Best of Santa Barbara®!!

Thanks, as always, for reading — and for making The Home Page part of your Sunday. Enjoy!