Santa Barbara Real Estate Blog
Actionable articles to help you navigate Santa Barbara real estate
Zia Group named eXp Realty’s top midsized team in the U.S.
Zia Group was just named eXp Realty’s top midsized team in the U.S. for July 2026, by closed sales volume. eXp just named us their top midsized team in the…
The Power of Scarcity: How Fewer Homes for Sale Benefit Home Sellers In Santa Barbara
In the ever-changing landscape of the real estate market, the dynamics between supply and demand play a pivotal role in shaping the experiences of both buyers and sellers. While a…
Introducing the Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan Program
The dream of owning a home is still alive for many individuals and families, especially for those who live in Santa Barbara. However, the high cost of housing can be…
Santa Barbara Spotlight: A Brief History of the Music Academy of the West
The Santa Barbara Music Academy (SBMA) is a non-profit organization that has been providing music education to the community of Santa Barbara for over 50 years. The school’s mission is…
Why your home’s Zestimate valuation is incorrect in 2023
Zillow’s “Zestimate” feature, which uses complex algorithms to estimate the value of a home, has been the subject of much debate and controversy. Some homeowners have praised the feature for…
10 tips to help you prepare your home for sale
If you’re planning on selling your home, you want to make sure you’re getting the best price possible. But, how do you make your home stand out and attract more…
Buyer & Seller Perks in Santa Barbara’s Real Estate Market
Right now, the housing market is full of outstanding opportunities for both buyers and sellers. Whether you’re thinking of buying your first home, moving up to a bigger one, or…
7 Renovation Projects to Maximize Your Home Value in Santa Barbara
Spring is in the air, and Santa Barbara residents are looking to buy homes at an unprecedented rate. If you are having thoughts of selling your home, this may be…
5 Reasons To Sell Your Santa Barbara Home This Spring
When selling a house in Santa Barbara, most homeowners hope for a quick and profitable transaction that puts them in a position to make a great move. If you’re waiting…
The 2021 Santa Barbara Housing Market Continues To Boom
2020 will be known for a lot of things, and a record-breaking year for real estate will certainly be one of its more unexpected legacies,” prominent economist Daryl Fairweather said.…
Can You Buy a House in Santa Barbara with Bad Credit?
Some people are under the impression that you must have impeccable credit in order to buy a house in Santa Barbara. That’s truly not the case — there are plenty of…
How to Buy a House in Santa Barbara
Buying a home in Santa Barbara is one of the most rewarding — and expensive — decisions any of us will make. Before you put out the welcome mat declaring…
5 Ways You Can “Give Back” in Santa Barbara This Christmas
It is the season of giving here in Santa Barbara, and this year our community has more needs than ever. With Santa Barbara now entering yet another mandatory lockdown, we…
19 Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Your House In Santa Barbara
Selling your house in Santa Barbara can be an intensely emotional experience in any market, but it’s particularly nerve-wracking when it seems like other homes are going under contract in…
Does The Real Estate Brokerage Matter When Selling a Home in Santa Barbara?
Anyone who’s bought or sold a house before is already aware that choosing the right Santa Barbara real estate agent can make a big difference in your experience. But what…
How To Buy a Foreclosure in Santa Barbara
Many buyers are understandably nervous about buying a foreclosed home in Santa Barbara, also known as a distressed sale. There are many horror stories about people purchasing a foreclosure and…
7 Reasons to List Your Santa Barbara Home this Christmas
Around this time each year, many homeowners decide to wait until after the holidays to sell their houses. Similarly, others who already have their homes on the market remove their…
Beachfront Homes for Sale in Santa Barbara
The city of Santa Barbara and its surrounding residential neighborhoods from Carpinteria to Goleta are located along one of the most breathtaking and pristine stretches of coastline in California. Nestled…
Santa Barbara Experiencing Major Influx of Out-of-town Homebuyers
As you have been hearing from Zia Group recently, the Santa Barbara real estate market continues to be extremely active. As of now, most Zia Group listings are generating multiple…
4 Reasons the Presidential Election Won’t Impact Santa Barbara Real Estate
This week, Americans will decide our President for the next four years. That decision will have a major impact on many aspects of life in this country, but the residential…
2 Ways Home Equity Grows Your Net Worth
Equity continues to rise, helping Santa Barbara homeowners secure a much more stable financial future. According to the most recent data from CoreLogic, the average homeowner (nationally) gained $9,800 in…
A Complete Guide To Selling a House With Tenants In California
It’s stressful being a landlord at the best of times, but when the time comes for you to sell your investment property and move on, the stress can feel palpable.…
Should I Sell My Vacation Home in Santa Barbara?
The travel industry is one of the major sectors that’s been hit extremely hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, it’s hard to know how long it will take for summer…
How to Find Good Tenants for Your Santa Barbara Rental Property
Real estate investment can be tricky. We’ve all heard horror stories about renters who don’t pay on time, or damage property. So how do you find good tenants for your…
Will Unemployment Rates Impact Santa Barbara Home Sales?
Ten million Americans lost their jobs over the last two weeks. The next announced unemployment rate on May 8th is expected to be in the double digits. Because the health crisis…
Governor Newsom Takes Executive Action to Establish a Statewide Moratorium on Evictions
Executive order banning eviction orders Governor Gavin Newsom today issued an executive order banning the enforcement of eviction orders for renters affected by COVID-19 through May 31, 2020. The order…
SBA Disaster Assistance in Response to the Coronavirus
The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering designated states and territories low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the…
3 Reasons Why This Is Not a Housing Crisis
In times of uncertainty, one of the best things we can do to ease our fears is to educate ourselves with research, facts, and data. Digging into past experiences by…
Fun Activities for Kids While At Home
As Santa Barbara children are displaced from their schools due to the coronavirus, the question has risen for parents: What will the kids do all day? The widespread school closures…
Coronavirus Resources for Property Owners
The following resources provide property owners with assistance during the COVID-19 crisis. Article written by National Association of Realtors. American Land Title Association (ALTA) has provided the following resources: County…
Surprising Real Estate Predictions for 2020 from Industry Leaders
This will be an interesting year for residential real estate. With a presidential election taking place this fall and talk of a possible recession occurring before the end of the…
27 Tips To Simplify The Home Selling Process
Because your home may well be your largest asset, selling it is probably one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. To better understand the home…
What To Know Before Signing a Listing Agreement When Selling a House
When you hire a listing agent, you’ll be presented a listing agreement that outlines the duties and responsibilities your real estate broker will have in selling your property for you.…
Should I Fix Up My House Or Sell It As Is?
With the fall season upon us, change is in the air. For many families, children are growing up and moving out of the house, maybe leaving for college or taking…
A Quick Guide To Reviewing & Accepting An Offer On Your Home
Negotiation is a fine art and typically works best when both parties get what they want. For example, you may be willing to take less money for your home in…
Is This Really The Best Week To Buy a House in Santa Barbara?
The week of Sept. 22, which marks the beginning of fall, is the best time of year to buy a home, according to a new realtor.com analysis. Buyers tend to…
14 Tips for Deep Cleaning Your New Home in Santa Barbara
If you’ve never owned a house before, then it’s entirely possible that you’ve never deep-cleaned a house. (Hey, no shame in that game.) But when the house is yours, the…
Buying a Fixer Upper in Santa Barbara? Read This First!
Fixing up a house — either to live in or to flip — has become an increasingly popular dream, and it makes sense: Who doesn’t love watching all those shows…
Renting vs Buying: Is it better to rent or own a home?
When is it time to stop renting a home and seriously consider buying your own place? That’s a personal question and a very personal decision — it really depends on…
7 Steps To Buying Your First Home In Santa Barbara
1. Get prequalified for a loan Before you begin the home buying process, it is essential to know how much you can pay for a home. Your lender can make…
4 Questions to Ask When Selling Your Santa Barbara Home
There comes a time in every homeowner’s life when he or she realizes: “I am not the same person I was when I bought this place.” Maybe your lifestyle or…
10 Things Homebuyers Should Know About The Closing Process
If you’re reading this, you’re probably entering the home stretch. Hang in there! The closing process, or settlement, transfers ownership of your new home from the seller to you. Yes,…
4 Considerations When Helping Your Senior Parents Downsize
Watching your parents age is never an easy thing, and helping to make life decisions on their behalf can be immensely stressful. This is one of the reasons why children…
The Millennial’s Guide to Buying a Home in Santa Barbara
Millennials who want to invest in real estate have it harder than many other generations. Real estate prices are at record or near-record highs in just about every major market…
Host the Ultimate Open House When Selling Your Santa Barbara Home
An open house can be an ideal way to introduce a bulk of buyers to the property you’re hoping to sell them, and done right, an open house can sometimes…
Painful Home Renovation Mistakes to Avoid this Year
One of the very best things about owning your own home is that you can change it to fit yourself and your lifestyle. Home renovations are more popular than ever…
19 Ideas to Upgrade Your Yard This Summer
Even though humans are a species that builds and maintains our own shelter (also known as “homes”), we can all appreciate the beauty that the natural outdoors has to offer…
10 Considerations When Calculating Your Santa Barbara Home Value
There’s a reason why estimating a home’s value is a specialized process that’s typically executed by a licensed professional (also known as an appraiser) — it’s not easy to determine…
9 Common Types of Mortgage Loans for Homebuyers in Santa Barbara
If you’ve never bought a home before, the sheer number of mortgage loan options can be overwhelming. What’s the difference between a conventional loan and a government loan, and should…
13 Things Santa Barbara Homebuyers Should Know About Inspections
If you’re not familiar with home inspections, then you might have a lot of questions about what gets inspected, how thorough the inspectors are, why you even need one, and…
21 Telltale Signs of a Good Real Estate Agent
Just like in any other profession, there are good real estate agents … and there are, unfortunately, subpar real estate agents, too. But how do you know if you’ve got…
10 Tax Breaks for Santa Barbara Home Owners
Being a homeowner definitely has its advantages, and saving money on your taxes each year just might be at the top of the list. Make sure you’re taking advantage of…
4 Questions to Ask Before Selling Your Santa Barbara Home
There comes a time in every home owner’s life when he or she realizes: “I am not the same person I was when I bought this place.” Maybe your lifestyle…
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a House in Santa Barbara
Buying a home can be an anxiety-ridden process, and that potential anxiety gets amplified for anyone who’s embarking on homeownership for the very first time. There’s so much to do…
Daniel Zia Awarded Cover & Featured Interview In World Class Magazines
Founder of Zia Group, Daniel Zia, was awarded the cover and featured interview in World Class Magazines. Below, you can read the complete article written by author Katrina World. Focus,…
11 Questions To Ask When Interviewing A Realtor in Santa Barbara
If you’re in the market to sell your Santa Barbara home, OR purchase a home, there’s something you should know… all Realtors are NOT the same! Your decision to place…
How To Sell a Home During Probate In Santa Barbara
Selling a home during probate and trust in Santa Barbara has its own unique set of challenges and can be daunting for those who are unfamiliar with the process. If…
The Complete Guide To Selling A Home In Santa Barbara
This home seller’s guide is designed to help you understand the selling process before you put your home on the market in Santa Barbara, and it will help you make…
5 Reasons to Invest in Multifamily Real Estate in Santa Barbara
Investing in small multifamily real estate is one of the best investment strategies for building lucrative and consistent cash flow on a monthly basis. That alone makes small multifamily real…
1031 Exchange Rules for Real Estate Investors in Santa Barbara
As an active real estate investor, there will come a time where you need to sell one investment property and buy another. Perhaps the market has appreciated and it’s time…
Pros & Cons of Selling a Home Off-Market in Santa Barbara
Wondering if it’s time to sell your home off-market? It’s a good question to ask. Last year, 88% of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker.…
11 Things to Consider When Downsizing in Santa Barbara
Nothing lasts forever — including a home where you raised a family or lived most of your working life. And it’s a fact of life that suddenly, a place that…
33 Tips to Make Your Santa Barbara Home Energy Efficient
Not too long ago in our country’s history, talking about making your house “greener” might get you labeled a hippie tree-hugger. But times change, and as gas, electricity, and water…
18 Ways to Prepare Your Santa Barbara Home for Winter
Winterizing your house might seem complicated, especially if you’ve never done it before. But if you follow these tips, you’ll be ready for rain, wind, or the occasional hail before…
The Ultimate Guide to Buying & Selling Off-Market Homes in Santa Barbara
You have probably hearing a lot about off-market listings lately. There seems to be some confusion about whether they’re a good idea or a bad idea, so we wanted to…
How To Choose The Best Neighborhood When Buying A Home
There are many factors to consider when selecting a neighborhood that is right for you. Below are just a few of the many factors — you may think of others…
12 Benefits of Owning a Home in Santa Barbara
Every family has a list of important dates. We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, pet adoptions…and the list goes on. For 64.4 percent of households in the United States, this list includes the day…
February 2019 Santa Barbara Real Estate Market Update
What a wet beginning to 2019 it has been! Good thing it is “sunny with a chance of clouds” within the real estate market in Santa Barbara. Many areas are…
8 Questions to Answer Before Buying a Second Home
1) How much will a second home cost? Besides sale price, you should factor in mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and maintenance fees—and some of those expenses are probably higher…
4 Reasons Real Estate is One of the Best Ways to Build Generational Wealth
Recently, David Greene, co-host of the BiggerPockets podcast and a nationally renowned author and speaker, wrote an article in Forbes explaining how investing in real estate could help build wealth. Many of the points he…
7 Steps to Take If Your Appraisal Comes In Low
Appraisals that come in below the agreed-upon purchase price can kill a sale. Having a response plan can save you from losing out on all the hard work you’ve undertaken…
New Reports Show It’s a Great Time to Sell your Home
We all realize that the best time to sell anything is when the demand for that item is high and the supply of that item is limited. The last two…
7 Ways To Make The Most Of Your Backyard in Santa Barbara
Thanks to Santa Barbara’s year-round mild weather, backyard barbecues aren’t just for Summer months. Whether it’s July or November, Santa Barbarians are always looking for the opportunity to BBQs with…
3 Myths About Today’s Real Estate Market
There are many conflicting headlines when it comes to describing today’s real estate market. Some are making comparisons to the market we experienced 10 years ago and are starting to…
Should I Buy a Home or Continue Renting?
There are some people who have not purchased homes because they are uncomfortable taking on the obligation of a mortgage. Everyone should realize, however, that unless you are living with…
Handy Moving Checklist For A Smooth Move in Santa Barbara
Moving can be a very overwhelming experience because there’s always plenty to do! But this Santa Barbara moving checklist helps you stay organized and on top of your move. Enjoy!…
Home Staging Tips to Attract Santa Barbara Home Buyers
You’ve settled on a solid list price, you’ve made updates to your interior and exterior — now, it’s on to staging. Making your home look both functional and beautiful and…
4 Considerations When Pricing Your Home For Sale
Assuming you price your property appropriately, your home for sale should start to gain awareness and leads within hours. But what exactly goes into setting a list price? Let’s delve…
5 Reasons You Need a Realtor When Selling Your Santa Barbara Home
With the advent and continual evolution of online search, you can access significant amounts of information within seconds. What the internet doesn’t offer, though, is provide detailed knowledge of the…
7 Steps to Prepare your Home For Sale In Santa Barbara
Congratulations on taking that next step in selling your home! We will walk you through the process, so please look over these helpful steps, and then drop us a note…
The Impact Of Tight Inventory On The Santa Barbara Housing Market
The housing crisis is finally in the rear-view mirror as the real estate market moves down the road to a complete recovery. Home values are up, home sales are up,…
Competition is Coming for Home Sellers
The number of building permits issued for single-family homes is the best indicator of how many newly built homes will rise over the next few months. According to the latest U.S.…
Santa Barbara Real Estate Market Update for Summer 2017
As we settle into 2017, and into the beautiful summer months here in Santa Barbara, we want to take a quick look back at the first half of 2017 and…
Santa Barbara Real Estate Market Update for Spring 2017
Happy Easter! As we wrap up a very active first quarter of 2017, we wanted to share with you a quick snapshot of what’s happening in our Santa Barbara real…