If you travel approximately 95 miles north of Los Angeles on the southern coast of California, you'll come to a picturesque city known as Santa Barbara. It sits directly on the shores of the Santa Barbara Channel Ecological Preserve in the Pacific Ocean but is also positioned just south of the Los Padres National Forest. This creates an attractive terrain that gives residents and visitors easy access... Read More
If you travel approximately 95 miles north of Los Angeles on the southern coast of California, you'll come to a picturesque city known as Santa Barbara. It sits directly on the shores of the Santa Barbara Channel Ecological Preserve in the Pacific Ocean but is also positioned just south of the Los Padres National Forest. This creates an attractive terrain that gives residents and visitors easy access to the water and the Santa Ynez Mountains year-round.The below results are primarily rent to own homes in Santa Barbara County, CA:
If you travel approximately 95 miles north of Los Angeles on the southern coast of California, you'll come to a picturesque city known as Santa Barbara. It sits directly on the shores of the Santa Barbara Channel Ecological Preserve in the Pacific Ocean but is also positioned just south of the Los Padres National Forest. This creates an attractive terrain that gives residents and visitors easy access... Read More
If you travel approximately 95 miles north of Los Angeles on the southern coast of California, you'll come to a picturesque city known as Santa Barbara. It sits directly on the shores of the Santa Barbara Channel Ecological Preserve in the Pacific Ocean but is also positioned just south of the Los Padres National Forest. This creates an attractive terrain that gives residents and visitors easy access to the water and the Santa Ynez Mountains year-round.The below results are primarily rent to own homes in Santa Barbara County, CA:
Located within Santa Barbara County, the city is a major tourist attraction with a thriving service industry. Other jobs are available in agriculture, manufacturing and healthcare. With the University of California Santa Barbara campus located just west of the city's mainland, the region is also a hotspot for students and professionals interested in working in education.
Other points of interest within Santa Barbara City include the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, the Santa Barbara Zoo, Stearns Wharf and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. The city is also home to a sandy beach and a variety of parks, museums, art galleries and upscale shopping destinations. You may also see this area referred to as "Santa Barbara Island," but it technically isn't an island.
Buying a Home in Santa Barbara?
If you want to make Santa Barbara your home, get used to seeing home prices with seven figures. The overall median listing price for the city is often close to $1.5 million, but the median sales price typically hovers around $1 million. You can find homes selling for as little as $600,000 with the occasional home falling below that price, but the majority of the properties do sell for more than $600 per square foot.
Due the high cost of housing in Santa Barbara, foreclosure homes may catch your attention. While they come with the most affordable price tags, keep in mind that they typically require substantial work before they're livable. Make sure that you factor in the cost of renovation with some cushion for the unexpected before deciding to go this route.
Popular Neighborhoods in Santa Barbara
If you dream of living among the celebrities and super wealthy, consider looking for a home in the Hope Ranch community. The median home price is well over $2 million here, but you'll also find some of the most spectacular homes with state-of-the-art security and immaculate properties. For even higher prices and even more impressive neighbors, you may also consider the Montecito neighborhood.
If you're more concerned about living close to the mountains for the hiking opportunities, look to the northern community called Mission Canyon. It's located close to Mission Santa Barbara. If you prefer a sunny beach town with a casual vibe, you can't go wrong with Carpinteria on the coast.
Buying vs. Rent to Own Homes
If you want to buy a home in Santa Barbara but aren't quite ready to make it happen, consider renting your way to home ownership. Rent-to-own homes allow you to move into a property that you would like to call home in the future. You start out making monthly rental payments, but you have the opportunity to purchase the home before the end of your contract. This allows you to get comfortable in your new neighborhood while preparing for the financial aspect of purchasing a home. Not all homes in Santa Barbara offer this type of contract, but it's worth seeking out properties that do if you want to purchase a home in the next two or three years.
Cost of Living in Santa Barbara?
Due to the high cost of housing in Santa Barbara, the overall cost of living for the city is more than double the national average. This is one of the most expensive places to live in the United States, but that is only due to prices on the real estate market. If you can find a home that fits within your budget, you can live comfortably in Santa Barbara. Prices for transportation, utilities, healthcare and most goods and services are comparable to national averages.
Do you want to live on an island without leaving the U.S. mainland? Santa Barbara delivers the vibe of an island while remaining firmly rooted in the southern California coastal culture. It's a hot spot for tourists, which means there are many tourism and service-oriented jobs available for those who call the city home. Yet, this area is also home to the University of California Santa Barbara campus and offers jobs in education, agriculture, finances and other industries. Positioned between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, there is no better place to live if you enjoy spending time outdoors in nature.
Summary
Do you want to live on an island without leaving the U.S. mainland? Santa Barbara delivers the vibe of an island while remaining firmly rooted in the southern California coastal culture. It's a hot spot for tourists, which means there are many tourism and service-oriented jobs available for those who call the city home. Yet, this area is also home to the University of California Santa Barbara campus and offers jobs in education, agriculture, finances and other industries. Positioned between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, there is no better place to live if you enjoy spending time outdoors in nature.
Rent to Own Realtors
Using a realtor for your rent to own deal can offer great benefits. Agents are well versed in real estate so they can effectively communicate opportunities and discern which of those opportunities is a legitimately good deal.
Nonetheless, not a lot of realtors will want to help with your rent to own deal because upfront profit for a realtor is minimal and the big payout down the line is not a guarantee.
That means you’ll have to do a little research to ensure that you make the best decisions, but you will save money on commission.
About Our Listings
When you rent to buy a condo or a townhouse, you’re taking the first step toward becoming a homeowner. You can take advantage of many rent to own by owner programs with no credit check. Having bad credit shouldn’t stop you from owning one of your favorite apartments or houses.
While you lease-option or lease-purchase, you’ll work on improving your credit score and saving up a down payment so that you can qualify with the bank for the house you’re interested in. The bank is frugal with mortgage approvals because they often end up selling foreclosed homes for cheap prices because people cannot afford their mortgage payments.
When you lease to purchase, you’re making yourself into a better candidate for purchasing properties. Check out Rent to Own Lab’s free listings to find properties near me that meet your family’s needs.