Why Other Home Developers' Home Prices are High in Coastal Southern California

No matter how dense the property is and how low the cost of building might actually be, depending on the builder's costs and what the market will bring, the homes still sell for a high price because people are willing to pay more since there are fewer homes for sale anywhere near a price most working people can afford. 

People who come to Santa Barbara are willing to pay over one million dollars or more for a two-bedroom condo. Most people (95%) who already live here cannot afford to pay that kind of a price on a home. 

What Government Has Done, and Can or Cannot Do to Offer Affordable Housing

The fact is that the leaders in the Santa Barbara community are unable to leverage dollars from the State/Feds to produce housing that would be available to the Middle Income level workers - they've also apparently washed their hands of any creative ideas to solve the problem for the middle class, only claiming to be concerned about ensuring there is housing for county and city employees. 

On top of that issue, different levels of government have placed a fee, in-lieu of requiring builders to create housing that is affordable to the Lower-income Class in Santa Barbara. The fact is however, that the fees that the County and Cities have created, only makes the problem worse for the Middle Class. These fees take a home that was already nearly impossible for a middle-income person to buy, and nearly doubled it’s price. Then the market sent these prices over the top past a million dollars, since these fees were enacted.

Neighborhood Associations: "I've got Mine"

            As well, the neighbors to most developments try and fight so many aspects of a new home, or a home remodel, especially density. 

            As is common knowledge, the result is that few homes for the lower-income classes and none for the Middle Income Class are being built here anymore by the large developers, unless someone owns their own land already, and has a contractor working with them to build their own home.