It’s time to say goodbye to the post of president of the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors and Multiple Listing Service.
For many of us, the year passed quickly with a local market improvement. From Carpinteria to Goleta, the area most represented by our association, there were more sales this year than last and the average selling price rose by about 8 percent. Although the increase in prices and number of sales may not have been felt by many, 2010 marks a better ending than 2009 for our local real estate market.
It has been a pleasure to serve my peers as president, along with the other 150-plus volunteers who assisted in our community and worked to protect our clients’ property rights. Our clients most benefited from the preservation of building height limits in the city of Santa Barbara, the waving of fees for mandatory sewer lateral replacement, and optional zoning information reports for condominium owners at the time of sale.
Since not all homes have yards for signs, we are working on the sign ordinance to maintain the placement of For Sale signs to be placed in the median strip by the sidewalk. Your speaking in favor of the current sign placement would be greatly appreciated and beneficial to all who are marketing their property within the city of Santa Barbara.
We at the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors accomplished many things and will do more in the coming year. You can be rest assured that the association will be looking out for your property rights in the future as it has done for the past 103 years.
I wish you all happy holidays and an even brighter new year to come. Stay safe and warm. Enjoy some relaxing time with the family whenever possible. That is what the holidays are really designed to help us do.
— Elaine Abercrombie, a broker with Abercrombie Fine Homes, is past president of the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors. She can be contacted at elaine@afhomes.net or at 805.450.0086.