CA
Santa Maria real estate, house by house
The Central Coast city with a bit of every kind of home, from starter homes to newer two-stories, at prices well under Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.
Living in Santa Maria
Santa Maria neighborhoods have a bit of everything: single-story ranch homes, larger two-story houses, newer developments, townhomes, and manufactured homes. It's the biggest city in northern Santa Barbara County, surrounded by farmland and vineyards, and home of Santa Maria-style barbecue.
It's where a lot of people get into the Central Coast without paying Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo prices. First-time buyers start here. Move-up buyers find the extra bedroom, the office, or the bigger yard. People relocating for work at Vandenberg Space Force Base and nearby employers land here, and so do rightsizers who want a single-story home with shopping and healthcare close by.
How I help buyers and sellers in Santa Maria
I'm Lisa Bognuda, a REALTOR® with eXp Realty of California and a licensed general contractor. My office is on Highway 1 in Santa Maria, and I've been helping buyers and sellers here since I was first licensed.
Many Santa Maria homes were built between the 1950s and the 1980s. They have practical floor plans, decent yards, and two-car garages, and they also have decades-old roofs, plumbing, and electrical. That's where the contractor's eye earns its keep. I like to walk your home before I talk price, so you know what to fix, what to skip, and what it's worth. Then your EPIC Report gives you three prices with the tradeoff of each spelled out.
For buyers, I like to walk every house you're serious about the same way, so you know what it's really going to cost you before you're locked into a contract.
Santa Maria neighborhoods and communities
- Bradley Square has attractive newer-style homes and well-kept streets, minutes from shopping, restaurants, parks, and Highway 101.
- Country Club Village is established, with comfortable homes and residential streets near the Santa Maria Country Club and Waller Park.
- Foxenwood sits partly in Santa Maria and partly in Orcutt, with tree-lined streets and spacious homes.
Just south, Orcutt has its own neighborhoods and its own market, and some of them, like Mission Highlands, carry a Santa Maria mailing address.
Santa Maria homes and the housing market
Some Santa Maria homes are fully updated. Others suit a buyer who wants to make a home their own. That spread is why two houses on the same street can sell very differently, and why I don't price a house off a spreadsheet.
Santa Maria doesn't sell the same way Orcutt or Nipomo does. Your EPIC Report looks at how homes like yours, in your part of Santa Maria, are selling right now.
If you own a manufactured home, it gets the same work. Here's how I sell manufactured and mobile homes.
Everyday life in Santa Maria
Santa Maria has the shopping, restaurants, healthcare, and parks of a real city, with farmland and vineyards all around. Wine tasting in the Santa Maria Valley is close, and Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, and the coast make easy day trips.
If schools matter to you, check the specific address with the school district, since boundaries can change from street to street.
Thinking about buying or selling in Santa Maria? Call or text me at (805) 868-6126. You don't need a plan to call me. That's my job.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of homes are in Santa Maria?
Single-story ranch homes, larger two-story houses, newer developments, townhomes, and manufactured homes. Many were built between the 1950s and 1980s.
Is Santa Maria a good place for a first-time buyer?
It's where many first-time buyers get into the Central Coast, because prices run well under Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Start with my first-time buyer page to see how the process works.
Should I update my Santa Maria home before I sell?
Not until someone has walked it. If you're open to it, my contractor's walkthrough gives you a Fix/Skip list, so you only spend money on what changes your price or could stall the sale.
How do I find out what my Santa Maria home is worth?
Ask for an EPIC Report. I like to walk your home as a licensed contractor, then give you three prices based on how homes like yours in your part of Santa Maria are selling right now.
Buying in Santa Maria
The method
How we do it in Santa Maria
Explore more of Santa Maria
Ready to make your move with Lisa Bognuda?