CalDRE # 01397913

Leave the Fuss in Malibu—Five Stunning, Low-Key Coastal Alternatives

Look further north to Carpinteria or Capitola, California, or to metro-adjacent spots like Bainbridge Island, Washington

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You’ve got competition if you’re considering Carpinteria, “a cozy beach town with a great vibe,” according to Emily Kellenberger, an agent with Village Properties in Montecito. “We had been a second-home market, but we now have a lot of primary-home shoppers looking to exit Los Angeles, San Francisco and other markets. Buyers are getting more aggressive, with multiple offers on almost everything.”

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Prospective buyers are battling over a shrinking inventory pool in this town about 84 miles northwest of L.A., she said. “We’ve got 12 listings across the whole market, ranging from $1.4 million to $160 million” for a 22-acre oceanfront compound. “But there’s a mixture of housing stock, including beautiful ranches, Mid-Century Modern, Spanish and Mediterranean-style estates, and hilltop properties with ocean views,” she said. 

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Carpinteria made headlines when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a polo match at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club in 2011. Along with equestrian activity, “Carpinteria’s been great about preserving nature and open space,” Ms. Kellenberger said. “There are trails atop bluffs over the ocean, a seal rookery and big agricultural components, like flower and orchid growers.”