Santa Barbara County is located on the Pacific coast of the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, just west of Ventura County. The population of Santa Barbara County as of 2006 is 421,625. The county seat is Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara County was formed in 1850 and derives its name from the Mission Santa Barbara that was founded on December 4, 1786, in what is now Santa Barbara. The county has a total area of 3,789 miČ, 72% of it is land and 28% of it is water. Santa Barbara County grew by only 0.2% from 2000-2005, while California on the whole grew over 7%.

Tip #143: Team up with a Real Estate Professional
So why do you need the help of a Realtor®? Well, most Real Estate transactions are very complicated. In most cases, buying, selling or even renting a home requires disclosure forms, inspection reports, mortgage documents, insurance policies, deeds, multi-page government mandated settlement statements and a lot more. A knowledgeable guide through this complexity can help you avoid delays and costly mistakes. Real Estate has it's own language. If you don’t know a CMA from a PUD, you can understand why it’s important to work with someone who speaks that language and knows the local Santa Barbara County Real Estate market.