Is Santa Barbara Your Next Home? Unveiling Pros & Cons of Living in Paradise (2023)

Are you thinking about making Santa Barbara, California, your new home? As I am a Santa Barbara, California native who has been selling real estate in town since 2001, I have just about seen it all. I am here to give you the inside scoop on the pros and cons of living in this coastal paradise! From exploring the housing market to diving into the lifestyle, we're your ultimate guide to understanding what life in Santa Barbara truly offers.
In this video, we'll cover the real estate trends in Santa Barbara, give you a sneak peek into the local neighborhoods, and share insights into the culture and lifestyle. Whether you're planning to invest in real estate or looking for a perfect place to live, we've got you covered! Get ready to discover if Santa Barbara is your dream destination.
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Joe Parker
The Santa Barbara Group at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties
3868 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93105
[phone]
DRE #01314939

[@matthewhuszarik4173]

We have homes in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Very similar weather away from the water don’t have the fog and have moderate temperatures. Santa Barbara has more traffic but also has more activities to do. San Luis Obispo has less traffic and relatively less expensive real estate.

[@joesbparker]

True, I always loved SLO just went up there for a weekend getaway.

[@jerryherriott3651]

We love Santa Barbara and Montecito. We have rented a home for a month the last 10 years; unfortunately can not travel much anymore so I am traveling thru your videos. Love the inside, outside, views of the homes for sale. Here in New Jersey when it is a clear beautiful day we say “Santa Barbara Sky” . Lucky you to be living there….enjoy!

[@joesbparker]

Amazing! Thank you for watching and commenting! Please share with anyone you meet that is considering Santa Barbara. 🙏🏼

[@1955porsche]

great upbeat video , really enoyed it very professional presentation thank u Sir

[@SirCarlosMusicBMI]

Thank you for another awesome video regarding Santa Barbara 😊 I grew up at 226 Oliver rd. On the Mesa. I did all the activities you mentioned from camping at Red Rock, Hiking the Tea Gardens and soaking in the natural hot springs, walked many times from the Mesa to UCSB on the beach. What a beautiful place to grow up at. I also was very blessed to be able to work at some of the BEST 5 ⭐️ Restaurants from San Ysidro Ranch to the El Encanto. Growing up with this work experience I was able to open 2 full service restaurants in Paso Robles and just recently retired after being in business for over 32 years. You bring back so many memories with your videos. Santa Barbara will always be home 🏡 for me. I do miss Santa Barbara BUT i feel that S.B. Misses me more 😂. So many wonderful things to do in S.B. I Just don’t have the time to list all of them. Thank you so much for sharing your tours. I’m still hoping to get that winning lotto ticket. Btw, I even played at fiesta once with a band I was in. I miss Tar on my feet after a long walk on the beach 🏖️. Blessing’s, Carlos ✝️🙏❤️😊❗️

[@joesbparker]

Thank you as always my friend. Glad you are getting to flashes of the times you have enjoyed in Santa Barbara.

[@oldwave6106]

I worked at San Ysidro Ranch back in the day. Did you know Jill and Mark?

[@Vayanovic]

Hey man I lived in Santa Barbara for 2 years, as an international student, went there for college. Miss that place, life was hard as a student because I wasn’t able to work legally and I was restricted. I hope I can go back there one day with a working visa and live there again with more freedom. It’s a really beautiful city!

[@joesbparker]

You’re so fortunate to have that experience as hard is it may have been. Thank you for watching!

[@Vayanovic]

@@joesbparker yes you are right. It helped me to become stronger and mature. I will be back one day as a resident, if God wills… take care and thank you for your words.

[@joesbparker]

@@Vayanovic all my best to you my friend.

[@Vayanovic]

@@joesbparker 🙏🏾 thank you and you too.

[@heatherangellight8558]

Great info but please don’t play the same music over and over and over. It overwhelmed your voice at times.

[@joesbparker]

Thanks for the feedback, will work on that with my team.

[@AviBecker]

Another awesome vid Joe!!

[@joesbparker]

Thanks brother!

[@oldwave6106]

Loved here for 55 years. It’s a great city with problems like any other.

[@joesbparker]

Thank you for sharing. Please reach out if there is ever anything I can do for you. 805-886-5735

[@adrianaqueen1807]

@joesbparker are you working with rental properties too? Planing to move out of Los Angels like to know my options.

[@Workingartist1]

Love your video! You detailed our town perfectly!

[@joesbparker]

Thank you. I appreciate you watching and commenting. 🤙

[@tthomas501]

Sounds good to me, I'm in!👍. TFS, you'll be the one I contact when I get ready to move!😊

[@joesbparker]

Love it! Looking forward to meeting you.

[@camilogomezkeep2324]

the June gloom sold it for me!

[@joesbparker]

Come get out of the heat.

[@cecilecorpuz5735]

The one thing you are missing is the potential of a major fire, more so than Earth Quakes, one time while talking to a few of my friends of which they worked for the fire department there in Santa Barbara I commented, the one thing that scares me the most about living in Santa Barbara is the amount of big trees here, if a large fire begins and if these trees start to go up in flames, there basically nothing going to stop it, one then commented I was thinking the same thing, as like the Oakland hills fire, just so happens I used to live on the corner of Castillo and W. Arrellaga street, one night a homeless camp fire started a brush fire and very near by was a tall Redwood tree and it was very close to a 2 story apartment building, when first seeing the fire the first thought that came to mind was that tall tree catching fire so I dragged a water hose as close as I could to the fire so I could put some water on it until the arrival of the fire department, this happened a little over 10 years ago, that was a close one.

[@joesbparker]

Yes, it’s definitely a real danger here. We’ve had several big fires go through the mountains in the front country some of them devastating. The most recent ones the fire department has done an amazing job saving structures. I remember looking up at the hills and everything was burnt, except for the houses. It’s all grown back now but who knows anything is possible.

[@alanvega7576]

Great job on the video. Santa Barbara is a warm and welcoming town. I was born and raised here and will return once I retire from the military. So much has changed. Also, which Italian restaurant would you recommend I check out next time I am in town ?

[@joesbparker]

That would be great to see you make it back to SB. As for Italian there are a few good ones, I like Trattoria Vittoria.

[@thatgirl952]

To summarize the real estate, if you're looking for single-family homes they start around the $1M mark, and that's for homes that have zero curb appeal, are around 1,000 square feet and need to be fully remodeled and landscaped. Perhaps I missed it, but I don't think he mentioned the devastating flooding that occurs during the rainy months.

[@joesbparker]

Some truth to your statement, but it’s even get hard to find any single family home for $1M since the market continues to climb. I made a video for you and I do talk about the devastating mud flow in Montecito. Exposed: 13 Reasons Santa Barbara Might NOT Be Your Paradise! {2023 Guide} kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpW1i56NbpmtntU

[@MarcassCarcass]

And where might such cool dry weather be found for those that want a diverse music scene?

[@joesbparker]

The music scene here in Santa Barbara is very diverse and there are some great venue options. Our foothills and the Valley on the other side of the mountains are warm and dry.

[@eddihurta7173]

From Carpinteria, one thing you could mention...The Price 😂 💰💸 (edit it was mentioned...probably low ball in my opinion of the cost as it is hell to pay)

[@joesbparker]

The least expensive condo in carp right now is $740,000. The least expensive house right now is $929,000. I know it’s super expensive but for Santa Barbara standards it’s under 1 million so that says something 🤣

[@RobertReilly-mc8zq]

Is it a good place to retire? And what's your favorite photo spot, other than the Mission and the Courthouse... I will be there July 24-27, 2023 for fun and an eye to perhaps move in a year or more. From Upstate New York.

[@joesbparker]

Yes, great place to retire. I am working on some videos about retirement in Santa Barbara so please be sure to subscribe to the channel so you don’t miss it. Also, Stearn’s Wharf and the harbor are great spots for photos.

[@honeybeejourney]

It’s a good place to retire if you can afford to buy a million dollar home, or pay $3,300 for a two bedroom one bath.

[@joesbparker]

@@honeybeejourney exactly, just like a Mercedes Benz is a nice car to drive if you can afford one. It’s a luxury city like it or not, that’s the nature of exclusivity.

[@master-kq3nw]

santa barbara beatiful i remember show s barbara cc sophia cruz eden

[@joesbparker]

That show has left a lasting impression. As a local who grew up hear, looking back on it now, it seems like a turning point where Santa Barbara became glamorized like a designer label. The trend continues to some degree, but the heart and soul of Santa Barbara can still be experienced.

[@DillonTDavis]

I only say this because I’m a big fan of the channel, but that looped background music makes this video borderline unwatchable. Sounds like the intro to 1883 on constant loop. Makes it very difficult to enjoy the video.

[@joesbparker]

Appreciate the feed back thank you! And thanks for watching.

[@extendedplay8830]

I love Santa Barbara I lived in L.A. for 9 yrs , I got tired of the dangers of Los Angeles, I finally made the decision to relocate to SB Best decision I’ve made Great video !! Great channel .

[@joesbparker]

Thank you very much for taking the time to comment and sharing you journey to SB. 🤙

[@curtc3092]

I lived in SB for 30 years. Had a nice, smaller home behind the Mission and Nat'l History Museum. While the city still has many wonderful people and events, the dramatic increase in homelessness and traffic congestion, really made me question whether it was worth it for me. In my 30 years there, I went from seeing State St. as a great place to walk around, with unique, locally-owned stores, to being overly-commercialized (how many cheezy t-shirt stores do they need??), with still a growing homeless and traffic problem, which the local gov't refuses to address. I'll always remember driving to and from work on upper State St, and sitting stuck in traffic at a stop light, and how if I closed my eyes, and re-opened them, I'd swear I was in downtown LA. I retired in 2019 and decided I could do much better. I cashed out and bought a wonderful home in Ojai. I love it here, and wish I'd moved out much earlier. I don't miss SB at all...

[@joesbparker]

So glad you found your home. SB is not perfect, but there is plenty to appreciate about it if that’s what you’re looking for.

[@SirCarlosMusicBMI]

Was Jill a redhead and mark a Hispanic man? I think that I was employed there around 1980-1985 Thank you for asking. Blessings, Carlos

[@joesbparker]

You remember Acacia on Coast Village Road? I was a bartender and server there right up until the last night it was open.

[@TobQuevedo]

im from Sweden, studied in santa barbara for 1 semester, and for me Santa barbara is like a dream town, the chill beachtown energy, kind people and alot of things to do! really recommend people to visit or move up there if possible

[@joesbparker]

Yes it’s a special place and what great memories you have being here for your education. I hope you make it back and I hope to visit Sweden 🇸🇪 one day.

[@ulrichskaarsgard7848]

I think SB is beautiful! But, I have a few issues here. Weather is overrated. Too much fog, especially this year. The homeless situation is not good, especially in the beautiful parks and State street with the urine smell and the city/police do nothing about it! Overall too expensive for what is is. We ended up moving to Ojai. Much better community. No homeless, no gang shootings, no graffiti, no crime and the people here are actually friendlier than in SB.

[@joesbparker]

Very insightful perspective, thank you so much for sharing. I could see many of the points that you make, and Ojai is an amazing community…although it can be very sleepy or boring for some being as small as it is, especially after the second and third year when the novelty has worn off. I was actually on State Street yesterday and there were 2 foot patrol cops walking the beat, which was new to me so I think there is improvement underway. So glad you found your community. 😊🤙

[@lindaguida4074]

Wicked expensive!!

[@joesbparker]

Believe that

[@CrummyVCR]

There are no cons to Santa Barbra. None. Its a cultural paradise, progressive visionary, and overall a God Send.

[@joesbparker]

Hard to argue with that! 🙌

[@ulrichskaarsgard7848]

What about the homeless pissing all over State street and stealing from the local stores while the police do nothing about it?

[@1Barsamian]

I went to UCSB, I’m originally from Ventura county. Santa Barbara is run by liberal cretins in the city govt, No different than the communists in Sacramento; that is the biggest con, but let’s not forget the cost of living either.I live in a nice small town in the Midwest now, I may miss the geographical beauty of California, with the people in the government and the crowds are disgusting. Glad to be done with pollution, crime, Overcrowding and most of all overreaching government and taxes

[@JustDvoh]

As a 38 year resident of Santa Barbara I can say there are some cons. There is overcrowding, high tax rates and high home prices and high rental prices. Also, Oprah lives here.

[@CrummyVCR]

@@JustDvoh Taxes help every city prosper. Overcrowding? Um, its a city of under 150k lol. Its in no way "crowded" Oprah , yeah that is a mixed bag of issues. The whole Hawaii thing she is in with is questionable to so the least...

[@user-gu6vf3je1d]

My man wants to move here. It’s an absolute no for me. Blah… Beach, water yet no where to moor to… Expensive and boring…

[@joesbparker]

Yeah, not for everybody. There are some communities in Ventura that have canals and docks right in front of the homes always thought that would be cool to be able to walk at your house get in your boat and cruise the canal out into the ocean or perhaps going over the mountains into the valley and having a big ranch with easy access to the ocean in about 20 to 30 minutes.

[@robertjosan]

Don't forget the tons of homeless and the smell of urine all over State Street and beyond haha

[@joesbparker]

Not nearly as bad as most cities, in fact I just had an amazing breakfast with the family on lower State Street at Dawn Patrol cafe and it was absolutely delightful. No bad smell and barely any unhoused. The city has partnered with Dignity Moves to adopt transformative real world impact on improving the lives of many. dignitymoves.org/downtown-santa-barbara/ Sounds like you may have a passion for the subject so check out the link. Thank you for watching and commenting. ✌️

[@betterbuck]

Born and raised in SB, moving out of state though because the liberal government has turned the entire state into a dumpster fire.

[@joesbparker]

We need more people to leave so we can free up some inventory of homes for sale.

[@betterbuck]

@@joesbparker I’m sure the rapidly growing number of illegals, homeless and criminals in the area will appreciate your thoughtfulness. Most people can’t even afford to own a home in sb anyways 👍🏻

[@joesbparker]

That's right, Santa Barbara is a premium locations to own real estate and they are not making all that much more of it so, not only is it premium, it rare and that makes it one of the safest places to invest money. As with most premium products in the world only a small percentage of the population can afford it. I appreciate the engagement with the channel. Thank you!@@betterbuck

[@hawlikd]

Tax, tax, tax and the Woke Liberals!

[@joesbparker]

Fair enough, sounds like it’s not the place for you. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@jeanneroulet2240]

Why bother with Santa Barbara go to Hawaii. It never has gray skies unless it's raining and then it blows over the waters. Warm all the time. Really no comparison Santa Barbara is overrated.

[@joesbparker]

I love Hawaii and could absolutely live there! It’s warm and beautiful. I know some people get Island fever and want to go back to the mainland, but I think I could handle it.

[@nadademamaditas]

Many people, myself included, don't like warm humid weather like Hawaii. I like tropical destinations for vacations but not to live in. I have lived in SB for 7 years now and can say it's not overrated.

[@douglasthompson9482]

I absolutely adore Santa Barbara….no comparison with Hawaii. Problem with Hawaii is that it is too far from the continent, locals aren’t friendly, vastly too expensive. I could go on….Hawaii to me is just okay.

[@lieutenantdan4722]

Santa Barbara is NOT worth it!

[@joesbparker]

I can see that for many, it’s no joke!