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Price Reduced $100k! Wow! 💸 121 W De La Guerra #7

121 W De La Guerra #7 

Award winning luxury town home in downtown Santa Barbara w/a walk score of 98! Large 1 bedroom+loft unit showcases an open concept floor plan with wood floors, gourmet kitchen, granite counters, stainless appliances, gas fireplace & private patio. Luxurious bedroom features Juliette balcony, en-suite bathroom with double vanity & oversized walk-in closet. Loft is perfect for overnight guests or dedicated office. Completely gated building with elevator to street level and parking garage. Steps away from renowned amenities - including restaurants, theaters, galleries, museums, historic sites, boutiques and shopping. Less than 1 mile to waterfront and beaches.

OPEN THIS WEEK:

THURSDAY 12-2
SATURDAY 1-3:30
SUNDAY 2-4

 (805) 351-2101


One Twenty One is the winner of The American Institute of Architects Santa Barbara Chapter Merit Award for excellence in design and has been awarded the coveted Santa Barbara Beautiful Award for 2014.

Want to know what it's like to live at One Twenty One? See what neighbor Doug has to say...

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BUSINESS OF THE MONTH: J North Productions

Jesse Natale 

Jesse Natale 

What does J North Productions services consist of?
We are a commercial and promotional video production and photography company.  We do a  wide variety of projects from tv commercials, corporate and product videos, real estate, and even documentary work. 

We are also building a network of creatives which our clients will be able to access for things like web design, graphics and stock video and photos... something my partners and I will be launching later this year.


How long have you been doing videography/been in the industry??
I started working with video in high school ...like Hi 8 tapes and VHS which feels pretty ancient now... then I did some documentary non-profit work around the world. Got a commercial film degree and started my company in 2006.

How would you describe your style—documentary, cinematic or a mix of both?
I have some personal preferences in what style I like, but every project is different and we try to develop an appropriate style depending on the client and the product itself. So it's definitely a mix. 


With increasing need for video content have you noticed a spike in business?
There has definitely been a gradual increase in demand for the type of content we produce. Most business owners know by now how important good quality video and photo content is and its just a matter of when they are ready to commit moving forward. 

A lot of people are a little nervous to dive in expecting things to be expensive and time consuming but I think its important to just get started with something small to get the wheels turning. A little bit of video and photo marketing goes a long way. 

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Favorite job so far ?
We feel really lucky to have so many great clients.  A lot of them are companies that use our services year round. A few of my favorite projects have been with local companies like Figueroa Mountain Brewing and Beckmen Vineyards. We have also been working with Adidas and P3 sports over the past few years and thats definitely exciting stuff to shoot. We are currently editing some promotional content for adidas that we shot a few weeks ago.


Least favorite job so far ?
I've had to shoot some boring stuff, but I probably shouldn't be too specific (wink)...we are finally at the point that we can pass on some jobs here and there that aren't the right fit. I'm trying to get better at detecting early on when it's the right fit or not. 

My least favorite part of this work is never feeling like the product is completely done and perfect.. I always feel like theres one or two things I wish were better or different. Ive heard thats pretty common for artists to feel that way...although I don't really think of myself as an artist. 


What do you most enjoy about the work you do?
I really enjoy the creative side of the work we do...not so much the business side. I love being able to create a tangible piece of work that hopefully many people will get to see.  It's all about evoking emotion out of the viewer...which sometimes can be accomplished easily and other times it takes a lot of work. We want to portray the client or product we are shooting and make the viewer feel like they are right there in it...  It feels good when we do it successfully. This industry is always changing from the technical side of things and we have to continually keep up and keep things fresh, so every day is a little different. Sometimes it's crazy long hours and working all weekend and sometimes it's a Tuesday morning and I can choose to just go for a surf instead of working... really can't beat that.


So you do real estate videography as well? Interesting real estate properties you have done?/ What was your favorite property?
Yes we definitely do a little bit of everything and there is a huge need for our services in the real estate world here in Santa Barbara for obvious reasons. 

Its fun to bring a home to life through videos and photography...sometimes can be quite challenging, but it's nice to end up getting a great product out there when it's all done. 

There are such beautiful properties in Santa Barbara so it's nice to be able to be a part of showing them off.  

We have shot a few homes in Montecito and Hope Ranch that just blow your mind. I'm not sure there is one specific favorite but If I ever get super rich Im going to just take all the best parts of each house we've shot and throw it all into one epic house.

 

 

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New Listing! Open This Weekend

121DeLaGuerra-6858.jpg

121 W De La Guerra #7 

Award winning luxury town home in downtown Santa Barbara w/a walk score of 98! Large 1 bedroom+loft unit showcases an open concept floor plan with wood floors, gourmet kitchen, granite counters, stainless appliances, gas fireplace & private patio. Luxurious bedroom features Juliette balcony, en-suite bathroom with double vanity & oversized walk-in closet. Loft is perfect for overnight guests or dedicated office. Completely gated building with elevator to street level and parking garage. Steps away from renowned amenities - including restaurants, theaters, galleries, museums, historic sites, boutiques and shopping. Less than 1 mile to waterfront and beaches.

OPEN 1-3 SATURDAY AND SUNDAY (805) 351-2101


One Twenty One is the winner of The American Institute of Architects Santa Barbara Chapter Merit Award for excellence in design and has been awarded the coveted Santa Barbara Beautiful Award for 2014.

Want to know what it's like to live at One Twenty One? See what neighbor Doug has to say...

An interview with resident of the One Twenty One complex in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara.

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BUSINESS OF THE MONTH: CDB Group

Kat Hitchcock’s Interview with Brandon Arlington owner of CDB Group

Santa Barbara home design by the CDB Group

Santa Barbara home design by the CDB Group

Kat: What does CDB stand for?

Brandon: Consult. Design. Build. We do all of those things, and it is more of a business model than just a name. Which is why I chose it. 

Kat: Awesome! I love that. Okay, so what does your team at CDB Group consist of?

Brandon: We have field personnel, office administration, project managers, carpenters and laborers.

Kat:  What is the biggest project that CDB Group has completed in Santa Barbara?

Brandon: Planning, design, permitting and development of a 4,000 sq ft residential custom new build project in Mission Canyon. Project is currently in the construction planning phase. The residence has features such as media room, private office, steam shower & a double two car garage.

Kat: What has been your favorite project?

Jamie Slone Wines 

Jamie Slone Wines 

Brandon: It would be hard to pick one because we have has so many great projects, and they all bring something different to the table. Jamie Slone Wines is one that comes to mind immediately when talking about commercial projects. It was really fun being able to work with great clients, Jamie and Kym, as well as putting something together that’s in good taste and design, and is enjoyed by the Santa Barbara community.  Residential is hard because our remodels are so great and there’s so many. 

Kat: How many years have you been doing construction?

Brandon:  I started in construction when I was 13 years old, so that’s 20 years. I worked for my father’s construction development company for a while which is where I started. I used to work at an architecture firm where I was their errand boy while I was doing some CAD (computer-aided design) and drafting courses at Santa Barbara City College. 

Kat: What’s your favorite part about doing what you do?

Brandon:  I would say the task of creative thinking and trying to take a challenge that in a lot of instances the odds are slim. When you consider construction companies, and especially start ups the likelihood that they are going to be successful is pretty low. I enjoy beating the odds and the challenge of it, and being able to use creativity to come up with new approaches to problems and actually solving them.

Kat: What sets CDB Group apart from the other companies in town?

Brandon: I would say the biggest thing is that we are a one stop shop. That doesn't necessarily mean everything is done in house, but we connect people with good business people in the area. We know that in order to grow sustainably that we have to pace ourselves and there’s a lot of operations out there that come out of the gates sprinting as hard as they can and tire out. We are a company that is dedicated to not doing that and giving a top notch service to our clients and being around for the long run.

Kat: Okay, last question what should people do before starting a project on their own?

Brandon: Don’t start on your own. Consult with people and ask questions. Its about getting connected with the right people and consulting with them, and having a clear direction of the pathway that you should take to conduct the project you’re after. Also word of mouth goes a long way in this town.  All of my business I have generated over the years is word of mouth I haven’t advertised at all. After the second year in business we had a sustainable growth pattern at about 30% per year. These next oncoming years we plan on continuing that type of growth pattern

 

 

Free CDB Onsite Project Consultation for anyone that mentions Ralston and Hitchcock! 

 

 

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BUSINESS OF THE MONTH: AllScape Design + Installation

Kat Hitchcock’s Interview With Nate Zacarias and Ben Hatcher owners of AllScape Design + Installation

 

Kat: First question, what does being water wise mean?

Nate Zacarias 

Nate Zacarias 

Nate: It basically means to be efficient with the way you use your water and trying to effectively reduce and save on not only on water but also on cost. Water is expensive it is becoming the new high end gold. 

Kat: Exactly, we have sellers that have acres and acres of land and obviously with the drought it has made their water bill more expensive. From a maintenance standpoint they are all trying to figure out the best plan of action. 

Ben:  There’s a lot of different avenues on ways to save water- whether it's irrigation assistance, drought tolerant plants and adding mulch to absorb moisture when it does rain. There’s a lot of different ways you can reduce the use of water. 

Kat: What is the ROI analysis on irrigation projects?

Ben Hatcher 

Ben Hatcher 

Ben: We calculate the return on investment. We calculate what the customer is currently spending and how long it will take for that budget to pay itself back. On small properties it is very rare. You have to do pretty extensive things to your landscape to create an ROI that is noticeable. Typical ROI’s would pay back in 5-15 years depending on what you do. I think it’s just seeing their water bills go down that makes our clients happy.  

Kat: For those who don't know what is the difference between hardscape and landscape? 

Nate: Hardscapes are hard materials like concrete, rock work, pathways- anything outside of softscapes. Softscapes would be considered planting and lawn installations, anything that has to do with plant material and gravels. Pathways can be both hardscape and softscapes. 

Kat:  A lot of our sellers have been putting in fire pits and decking, does AllScape design + installation handle those type of projects? 

Nate: Of course. We handle fire pits, any kind of woodwork like fencing, decking, pergolas, we do it all. If we can’t do something we have amazing contractors that can do it.

Kat:  What are the biggest mistakes you commonly see when people do their own landscaping? DIY Do’s and Do nots?

Ben: I think going with cheap material. So often when we go on a consultation we find cheap Home Depot material that doesn’t last long, or something not being installed properly. Actually the most common thing we find is irrigation breaks. 

Kat: Can AllScape Design + Installation test the irrigation lines for breaks? 

Ben: Yep. More often than not we find breaks in the valves or the piping. 

Nate: We call this an irrigation evaluation, we evaluate the entire system- find out where the flaws are- find out where you are wasting water, and then give a proposal to fix that at first and then give the customer ideas on how to improve and make it more efficient. 

Kat: What makes AllScape Design + Installation different than other landscape companies?

Ben:  I think just being on top of our game. We have connections with great sub contractors, our knowledge, and being in the field for so many years. 

Nate:  Also I think its our communication.

Ben: Communication is key. 

AllScape Design + Installation Completed Project

AllScape Design + Installation Completed Project

Nate: The fact that we call people back - and we joke that should be our slogan because it’s true- we hear it all the time so many people just don’t call you back. 

Ben: And we are on site, on time, if we can’t be there we call ahead of time and just keep the client updated with good communication. Which is lacking with a lot of contractors. It’s something they struggle with. So I think thats the one thing we have built our business on and considered a major part of our success is our communication. 

Nate:  I also think we are fairly priced. You know were not high end or low end but we are right where we should be as far as what we charge clients. I think that shows. 

Kat: That is awesome. What do you find most difficult or challenging as a landscaper?

Ben: Figuring out their budget. It’s not like our prices stay the same, but people struggle to tell us their budget.

AllScape Design + Installation Completed Project

AllScape Design + Installation Completed Project

Nate: To know someone's ideal budget is key because it helps me just design what I need to design within that range. Otherwise I have fun with it and make it lavish and then they see the proposal and they get taken aback. If I get a set budget then I can design around that. So that is a challenge when clients don't know ahead of time. 

Kat: When someone hires AllScape Design + Installation what should they expect? What sort of planning should you do beforehand?

Nate: If they want to do a project- it is nice to know what type of style. Those are questions I bring to the table. If you want a Mediterranean, drought tolerant, if you want a California garden type, free flowing design, or do you want something more symbiotic and symmetrical. There’s all different styles out there. 

Kat: Besides style of project, what else should they expect?  

Nate: They usually have an idea and style is number one, and what they want to save. What type of plants they want to be incorporated, what colors, it’s key to know. A lot of people hate oranges and yellows. So we have to ask those questions. Not only what you like but also what you dislike. It helps me figure out the plant palette and what type of movement through the property and sitting areas. 

AllScape Design + Installation Completed Project 

AllScape Design + Installation Completed Project 

Ben: Also taking photos of stuff they like, a lot people take photos around the neighborhood of what they do and do not like. Right now our work is a lot of taking out grass and putting in drought tolerant plants. We typically go and meet with them and then ask them what you want to do and that then forms Nate’s idea of what he’s going to design. Then we do digital imaging as a quick test so they can see what they like and don’t like in different scenarios.  Then we will talk with them about moving forward.

Nate: Then we can go to the next level and do a blueprint design, a to scale design. Or we can go with the design imaging only and make a proposal based on that. Which would be the cheapest way to go. If they want to spend the extra $500-1000 to get it done right with the blueprint it does help. Then they own it, it is theirs and if they ever want to change anything they have the square footages. If they needed a different concrete contractor to come in and get square footage of the driveway it’s already set onto scale. I always try to push to get design blueprints done- but in the landscape world things move so fast.

Kat:  So what do ya’ll think of all this amazing rain?

Nate: Love it. Need it.

Kat: Do you think it is going to change anything in landscape world?

Ben: I hope it changes people’s philosophy about what a yard should typically look like. I hope we go away from the thought of huge lawn areas being ideal. You know typically you don't use your front yard as much so take out the front yard grass and just be more mindful of the water. 

Nate:  The problem is people see rain and think they can instantly go back to their old ways. I hope through all the education from the Santa Barbara and Goleta water districts people will think differently. The water districts did an amazing job getting people educated about being water wise. 

Kat: Okay, one more question. What do you love most about what you do?

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Nate: From day one in this industry I have always loved not only the creative part of it but its seeing a crappy yard transition into something special and unique. You know home owners have to live with it every day. I like seeing the transition and happy customers which is why I got into it. To help people out and I love being outdoors. 

Ben: Like Nate said being able to walk away from a project and transition something into such a big difference. Building something, making something and getting to work with the clients. 

Kat:  I feel like I have met a handful of your clients and they are all extremely excited with the finished projects and love working with you guys.

Nate: It’s a good community we live in and its fun to create those relationships with clients. 

Ben: We are kind of friends with a lot of them. We would see them out around town and go have a beer together. I think that is kind of special.

Kat: We love sending you guys business, thank you for being so great to our clients. 

AllScape Design + Installation free digital imaging draft for your next project when you mention Ralston and Hitchcock!

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Gold is the new green 🍂

After being in consideration since September due to a predicted 300 acre-foot water shortage, the city of Santa Barbara has decided to put forth a new effort in conserving water. Starting January 1, 2017 they will enforce a lawn watering ban with limited exceptions.

The video below demonstrates how going into the sixth year of drought has effected our community, and how banning lawn watering will increase the efforts to conserve. 

Joshua Haggmark the city Water Resources Manager, states "12% of our water is still being put on turf, that is why we are focusing our attention on that." Which he goes on to explain in a time not in drought our community as a whole usually uses 20% of water on average to water our lawns. "What we're trying to really do is help the community prioritize it's landscape. What we don't want to see the community let go of is the trees and shrubs, which are a much more significant investment by the community and really kind of give Santa Barbara it's 'look'."

For more information on water supplies, drought planning, regulations, and rebates please visit www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/Drought or call 564-5460. 

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Live in Luxury for Less! Price Reduced on this Award Winning One Twenty One Condo

All the luxury at a new low price, recently reduced $140,000!

121 W De La Guerra #9 is a luxurious gated town home in downtown Santa Barbara with garage and private elevator access to the unit! This stunning home is highlighted by incredible vaulted ceilings over an open concept floor plan. Interior appointments include dark mocha wood floors, gas fireplace, center island with sit-at bar, granite counters, stainless appliances and fantastic flow to a large patio through double sets of French doors.

One Twenty One Award winning luxury town home in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara with a walk score of 98! Only steps away from renowned amenities - including restaurants, theaters, galleries, museums, historic sites, boutiques, shopping and beaches.

121 De La Guerra Master 1.jpg

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