This isn’t breaking news, but housing in Santa Barbara is ridiculous and out of touch. My post previous to this was a yurt available for $1200/month, that’s more than what I a pay a month for my house is Washington. So what? That’s not earth shattering, after all Santa Barbara is Santa Barbara–Opera lives here, what do you expect?
While during our tours of the countryside looking for housing I made a statement to Tarah about the attitude I’ve sensed from people since living here. I explained to her that there are the “haves and the have nots.” And we’re clearly representing the “have nots.” At the time I didn’t really stop to explain what I meant by that statement. I certainly feel blessed with all that I’ve been given and received. My comment was directed specifically at property and home ownership. Those people that have found a way to afford a home or have had their home before prices got to where they are today, they are the “haves.” My first experience with this attitude was at work. When I first started there was a big push to get funding for the expansion of Hwy. 101. In learning the history of this debate I learned that the opportunity to expand was offered some 10 years ago, but because the wealthy residents (the haves) wanted to the area to maintain its size and at the very least force slow growth by creating an unattractive transportation situation. That was a very strategic lobbying campaign that worked for a little while: Hwy 101 construction begins in 2008.
What that experience symbolized is the prevalent attitude that suggests, “I’ve got mine and good luck to the rest of you.”
I recently attended the economic forecast summit for Santa Barbara County. It was a lot of what you’d expect, but with some very telling specifics and statistics. 80% of the economy is driven by the service sector. The other main industry that ties into to service sector is tourism. The economist presenting joked that if you wanted to see a major downturn in the local economy people would just need to start mowing their own lawn! Meaning the jobs lost by way of people taking the time to take care of their own homes would be a significant shift here. Now that is amazing. And I’m not surprised, even our rental came with a gardener.
The other main issue that was addressed is that Santa Barbara isn’t really building an economically sustainable community. Due to these high prices of homes, very few young professionals and young families are able to continue to or consider moving here for work. This makes recruiting by companies for jobs (what Tarah does) very difficult. How do you convince a young person or a person in mid-level management that opportunity abounds here in Santa Barbara, when really its going to expensive and you probably will never afford a home with the salary we can afford to offer you?
So what is being done about this? Not much. Which is where my original comment to Tarah comes from, “the haves and have nots.” Those that have aren’t really working to establish a real framework to ensure continued community and economic development here in Santa Barbara. The avocado farmer that has been working his land for the past 45 years can not exactly expect his son or daughter to come back and work the same property, unless he expects to also surrender his own home as well. With prices of property so high, it is impossible to expect agricultural land purchased to be true investment property. The price to get in would be so high that it would take decades to truly turn a profit on that land. And how about the elected officials? Same thing, there really isn’t an answer and the attitude really seems to be that we’ll just ride this out the way it seems to be going and see where we end up, even if it is at their own detriment.
Well there you have it. My Saturday morning commentary. I want to make it clear that I am enjoying my time here (sunshine, hiking, beach, great restaurants, sunsets, perfect weather, etc.) and although I am not able to buy a home, I’m learning a lot about people, our area, real estate and economics. I just thought I’d share my perspective on it. We may be a “have not” regarding home ownership and real estate, but that might just be where God wants us right now, showing us that we “have” plenty to be thankful for in the meantime. And in that meantime. . .I’m going hiking.
experience is nothing like the actual kind, but isn’t it great to have something, not nothing. I think so. Donny and Katie-http://www.sandridges.wordpress.com-even found away to upload video, which I haven’t even thought of and now I’m able to experience a moment with little Grif-man, that I wouldn’t otherwise. And get a load of this funny photo of Griffen on the cover of this Nirvana album. . .classic.
