The Santa Barbara Home and Garden Expo

So, you’ve finally found your Santa Barbara dream home…now what?  Transforming a house into a home is a multifaceted process.  It can be time consuming and stressful to coordinate furniture, décor, organization, remodeling, upgrading, and creating the perfect outdoor space to enjoy Santa Barbara’s ideal Mediterranean climate.  Thankfully, this weekend at the Santa Barbara Home and Garden Expo, visitors can find inspiration, advice from professionals, and home and garden related products and services for indoor and outdoor living at the Earl Warren Showgrounds!

The Santa Barbara Home and Garden Expo will feature hundreds of vendors from a wide variety of specialties.  Whether you’re looking to learn about the latest and greatest offerings to add to your gourmet kitchen or searching for a professional to help tear it down completely for a top-of-the-line remodel, the Santa Barbara Home and Garden Expo promises a bountiful selection of ideas, industry experts, and products to suit any taste.  In addition, many exhibitors will be offering exclusive savings to attendees, making this expo a must-see show for any current or future homeowner.

Many of the exhibitors at the Santa Barbara Home and Garden Expo will be showcasing “green” products and services that are sustainable, eco-friendly, and high-quality to help educate attendees about sustainability, energy efficiency, and other environmentally responsible options.  These booths will be prominently flagged to increase visibility and encourage visitors to learn more, echoing the Santa Barbara community’s consistent efforts toward promoting eco-conscious living - a practice that Sterling Properties supports.  In fact, Broker and Co-owner Staci Caplan was among the first to earn the GREEN designation through the National Association of REALTORS in 2009.  She also chaired the first Green Task Force at the Santa Barbara Association of REALTORS in 2009 and served on the Green Task Force at the California Association of REALTORS in 2008 and 2009.  She continually educates herself and her fellow associates at Sterling Properties about sustainable practices in real estate, business, and green building.

If you haven’t found your Santa Barbara dream home just yet, the Santa Barbara Home and Garden Expo is still an excellent opportunity to plan for the future, learn from the many experts in attendance, and get inspired – and when the time comes, Sterling Properties will be happy to help you find your perfect Santa Barbara home!

Diana Bull Attends NAR Issues Conference

Diana Bull, Broker Associate with Sterling Properties attended the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) 2012 Issues Conference in Miami, Florida.  The focus of the Issues Conference was to plan NAR’s strategic and political direction for the upcoming year.  

According to Diana Bull, a veteran NAR Director for over 20 years, “The National Association of  REALTORS® is working hard to protect the American Dream of home ownership.  This means making our voices heard by government leaders, policymakers and Congress as they enact laws and write regulations that impact the real estate industry.

Specifically, NAR will be focused on protecting the Mortgage Interest Deduction, extending the Mortgage Debt Cancellation Relief for homeowners in trouble, preserving the capital gains exclusion on the sale of residences, and maintaining the property tax deduction for homeowners.

Our goal is to strengthen housing and real estate investment and ensure that the dream of home ownership is available now and for future generations.”

Diana Bull was President of the California Association of REALTORS® (CAR) in 1999 and served as CAR’s first female Treasurer in 1996 and 1997.   She has served on NAR’s Executive Committee, as a Regional Vice President, on numerous NAR committees, including service on NAR’s Finance Committee which manages the assets of the organization.  Diana Bull is currently NAR’s Chairman for Risk Management.

In 2011, Diana Bull was named REALTOR Emeritus by the National Association of REALTORS®  and, in 2010, became a member of NAR’s Hall of Fame.

In addition to her REALTOR commitments, Diana Bull is the 2012 President of the Santa Barbara chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).  She has been active with NAWBO in the Public Policy arena and lobbying on issues which affect women business owners.

Diana Bull can be reached at diana@dianabull.com.