Central Coast leads the way as solar, tourism boost SLO County recovery
By Staff Report / Friday, November 22nd, 2013 / Central Coast, Real Estate, Top Stories, Tourism, Tri-County Economy / Comments Off on Central Coast leads the way as solar, tourism boost SLO County recovery

In remarks prepared for the 2014 SLO County Economic Forecast Breakfast on Nov. 22, Jordan Levine of Beacon Economics said only San Luis Obispo, San Jose, San Francisco and Bakersfield have gone positive when it comes to the pre-recession jobs peak.

Emissions cap prompts oil firm backlash
By Stephen Nellis / Friday, November 22nd, 2013 / Central Coast, Real Estate, Top Stories, Tri-County Economy / Comments Off on Emissions cap prompts oil firm backlash
Santa Barbara County’s decision to impose a strict cap on carbon emissions from a proposed oil project puts the county at a competitive disadvantage in California and likely will cut into the money energy firms pump into the regional economy.
The Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 on Nov. 12 to require Santa Maria Energy to cap its carbon emissions at 10,000 tons per year. Santa Maria Energy had proposed 136 wells for a site near Orcutt.
Santa Barbara County’s oil is thick and viscous. In order to extract it, companies inject steam into wells to soften the oil. Burning natural gas to create the steam is what generates the bulk of carbon emissions.
Study: Skilled workers priced out of San Luis Obispo
By Patrick Kulp / Friday, November 15th, 2013 / Central Coast, Real Estate, Top Stories, Tri-County Economy / Comments Off on Study: Skilled workers priced out of San Luis Obispo

The findings highlight a pervasive mismatch between the high price of even starter homes and the number of jobs that pay wages high enough to support those prices. Experts say the gap is a significant roadblock to the state’s economic growth.

$17.8M sale positions Camarillo shopping center for turnaround
By Marlize van Romburgh / Friday, November 15th, 2013 / Columns, Real Estate, Top Stories / Comments Off on $17.8M sale positions Camarillo shopping center for turnaround

The bankrupt Camarillo Plaza community shopping center has been sold to an undisclosed Beverly Hills buyer for $17.8 million after receiving 20 separate offers. The 74,072-square-foot mall is located on Daily Drive at the intersection of Brently Avenue, across Highway 101 from the Camarillo Premium Outlets.
Camarillo Plaza sells for $17.8M out of bankruptcy
By Staff Report / Tuesday, November 12th, 2013 / Real Estate / 1 Comment

The bankrupt Camarillo Plaza community shopping center has been sold to an undisclosed Beverly Hills buyer for $17.8 million after receiving 20 separate offers.
Sonos sets tone for tech firms as it snaps up downtown space
By Marlize van Romburgh / Friday, November 8th, 2013 / Columns, Real Estate, Technology / Comments Off on Sonos sets tone for tech firms as it snaps up downtown space

Music equipment maker Sonos markets some of the highest-quality audio equipment around, but the company is being very quiet as it snaps up thousands of square feet of space in downtown Santa Barbara. According to the brokers at Radius Group’s economic and commercial real estate forecast on Oct. 31, Sonos has now leased about 100,000 square feet of new space over the last year, and is looking for more.
Court launches bids for eight Nesbitt hotels
By Stephen Nellis / Friday, November 1st, 2013 / Real Estate, South Coast, Top Stories, Tourism / Comments Off on Court launches bids for eight Nesbitt hotels
Montecito hotel magnate Pat Nesbitt could lose as many as half of his Embassy Suites properties under a recently approved bankruptcy reorganization plan.
Nesbitt and his company, Windsor Capital Group, parked a portfolio of eight Embassy Suites hotels in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, listing more than $100 million in debts, after being unable to work out a deal with his servicer, New York-based Torchlight Investors. Nesbitt’s Embassy Suites properties in Lompoc and San Luis Obispo were not involved in the case.
Court documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Santa Barbara indicate the eight hotels in the bankruptcy are now slated to go to the auction block.