New Local Fave - The Monarch - Montecito CA.
If 2025 was defined by resilience, 2026 is shaping up to be a year of recalibration and opportunity. The ultra-luxury real estate market, particularly at the $10 million-plus tier, is entering a more deliberate phase, one marked less by urgency and more by intention. Wealth continues to be created, transferred, and strategically deployed, but with sharper discernment. Buyers are no longer simply purchasing homes; they are underwriting long-term lifestyle decisions in an environment where capital, technology, and values increasingly intersect.
As the year winds down, the holiday lights twinkle, and the scent of gingerbread fills the air, it’s safe to say we've reached the "home stretch" of 2025!
This December, we're putting a bow on a truly remarkable year in real estate. Whether you "decked the halls" of a brand-new home, successfully sold your property to move on to your next adventure, or simply watched the market with interest, it's been a busy and dynamic twelve months.
For those of you still hoping to find a "holly jolly" closing before the ball drops, this isn't the time to put your search on ice! Highly motivated buyers and sellers are taking advantage of this low-inventory, high-seriousness season.
We're here to make sure your final real estate wishes of the year come true.
Warm Thanksgiving wishes from Santa Barbara. May your holiday be effortless, elegant, and filled with moments you’ll truly enjoy.
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.”
Tucked within Montecito’s exclusive Birnam Wood Golf Club, this distinguished estate was once the residence of legendary interior designer John Saladino. A master of uniting interior and exterior spaces, Saladino’s touch is evident throughout — from French doors framing lush garden vistas to classical columns accenting the poolside retreat. Designed in the 1960s with timeless architectural detail, the home remains a sanctuary of elegance, seamlessly blending artistry, comfort, and the natural beauty of its surroundings.
Compass Luxury turned to the experts at the forefront of luxury real estate to understand what’s truly happening at the highest tier of the market today. We surveyed elite Compass agents nationwide to take the pulse of the ultra-luxury space and gain deeper insight into this ever-evolving landscape.
