The Home Page | Festivities, Flowers, and Downtown Gems (2024)

This edition ofThe Home Page was originally emailed to subscribers on April 14, 2024. To receive Sarah Sinclair’s real estate newsletter in your inbox each Sunday, sign up at independent.com/newsletters

When a super-cute home for sale pops up in my neighborhood, I have to go take a peek. The property at1528 Castillois a charming triplex with three one-bedroom, one-bath units: a 1904 house that was remodeled into a duplex, plus a free-standing, one-bedroom cottage that was added behind the main house in 1921. All sorts of oh-so-cute period details such as built-ins, hardwood floors, and a sparkling clawfoot tub abound. VisitKathleen Rogersat this one-of-a-kind downtown gem from noon-3 p.m. today. You just might see Scout and me out on one of our walks, too!

I heard about Kathleen’s sweet listing on Thursday morning at the Cabrillo Arts Center, whereSanta Barbara Association of Realtorsmembers gather each month to share information and industry announcements, plus hear from experts on various topics. Besides me cajoling members into smiling for the camera, as evidenced above, this week’s meeting included a presentation from the real estate fraud investigation team at the DA’s Office. Schemes involving vacant land—where someone poses as the owner and tries to initiate a false sale—are a recent example of local fraudulent activity. We were reminded that the best rule of thumb—“If something seems too good to be true, it probably is”—holds true for both consumers and professionals. Along with the warnings, there was plenty of fun at the meeting.Jean Sedarwas the lucky winner of two tickets toThe Lehman Trilogy, the current show atEnsemble Theater Company, courtesy of yours truly at theSanta Barbara Independent.

Our columnistCheri Raeshowed us some great superbloom shots in herOur Santa Barbara columnthis week, including this one of her daughter Sophia in the middle of a field of purple posies in theAnza-Borrego Desertin 1998. I have high hopes of hitting theCarrizo Plainmyself next week, but in the meantime, I’m soaking up every in-town bloom that I can

I had to pull over to admire these protea flowers abloom in a front yard as I was driving down East Los Olivos Street last week, and the wisteria at theCounty Courthousedeserved a special visit:

If you look past Scout’s curly tail, you’ll see a wedding photo shoot in progress. We were not the only ones captivated by the backdrop!

Speaking of the courthouse, anew class of docentsjust graduated from the 10-week docent training program, with classes that prepare them to impart information on thearchitecture, art, history, and significance of this local landmark to visitors from all over the world. The Docent Council is celebrating 50 years of leading free educational tours, and it currently has 64 trained docents led byRobert L. Ooley, FAIA, County Architect (retired) andRodney Baker, Docent Council Projects Chair.

Tue Apr 16, 2024 | 19:11pm

https://www.independent.com/2024/04/15/the-home-page-festivities-flowers-and-downtown-gems/