Don Katich @proddon

@SCE has informed the #cityofgoleta that it may have to shut off power for parts of the City if fire weather develops. SCE is communicating directly to customers who may be impacted. To check if you are in a designated area, go to SCE at sce.com/outage-center/… and put in your address. For tips to stay prepared and more info go to tinyurl.com/3rs62utw

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Some people in America are really rich. So some states plan to tax them more. But don’t politicians realize that Americans can move? @SteveForbesCEO explains why "tax the rich" always fails:

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The forecast strength of this El Niño is nothing short of astonishing! Plotted below are all the strongest El Nino’s on record vs the 2026 forecast (thick white line). Look at how deviant this event has the “potential” to be! Forget “Super”, if this verifies it deserves “Supercalifragilistic expialidocious!” The latest median model ensemble forecast monthly peak via @hausfath calculation is +3.3°C in the Nino 3.4 region in December. The next closest is 2015 at +2.6-2.8 depending on data source used. Now it’s important to note that this event may not reach that height. Frankly I’d be mildly surprised if it does. But it’s not a forecast out of thin air, it’s the median of 13 models and 643 members, so we’ll see. (To include 1877 I had to use NOAA PSL link to HadISST data which showed the 2015 event max at 2.6). #elnino

Kevin O’Leary: Foreign powers are trying to halt U.S. progress with AI, using the Marxist playbook If true—and O’Leary seems confident it is—this is incredibly disturbing And it speaks volumes about the organizations they use to manipulate Americans

CAA victory spreads as court strikes down L.A. rent-triggered relocation mandate caanet.org/caa-victory-sp…

The U.S. Space Force has approved the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink 17-21 mission to low-Earth orbit, Friday, April 10, 2026, between 7:39 p.m. – 11:39 p.m. PT from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4). Live Webcast: spacex.com/launches/sl-17…

Short-term rentals are capping peak hotel occupancy in coastal California costar.com/article/493251…

'People can’t move into a permit': California cities struggle to plan for enough housing costar.com/article/546744…

Santa Barbara City Council advances Rent Control Ordinance with annual increases limited to 60%of CPI with a cap of 3%- whichever is less. Council also advances Rent Registry. Staff will now draft ordinance for Council review.

Landlords Plan Lawsuit to Challenge Santa Barbara’s Rent Freeze Ordinance noozhawk.com/landlords-plan…

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Thursday February 12, 2026, 11:42 AM: A powerful Siberian series of Pacific storms is making its way to California and especially Southern California by Monday morning. This storm is going to unleash higher thresholds 3.7 to 8.0 inches of rain as possible but most likely between 3.2 to 6.0 inches looks solid with this heavy rain event is trending aggressively. This robust storm also has a impactful very intense polar jet stream axis of 180 knots. That will slam Los Angeles County directly on Monday 5PM - Tuesday 8PM. That will create potential for strong damaging winds of 60 miles an hour on Monday afternoon to Tuesday morning with possible power outages affecting from San Luis Obispo down to San Diego and urban flooding concerns for much of our region. #CAwx

Santa Barbara's Rent Freeze Folly: Ignoring Data for Political Theater By DON KATICH General Manager, Radius Group In a move that prioritizes short-term applause over sustainable solutions, the Santa Barbara City Council on January 13, 2026, adopted a temporary Rent Freeze ordinance and amendments to the Just Cause Eviction rules. This interim action, scheduled to become effective February 26, 2026, halts all rent increases for covered residential units until December 31, 2026—or sooner if a permanent rent stabilization (rent control) program is enacted. No existing rents are rolled back, but the ordinance introduces a retroactive mechanism: lawful rent increases implemented after December 16, 2025, will offset future allowable hikes under any permanent system. For example, suppose a permanent program ultimately permits annual increases tied to inflation (60% of CPI), allowing roughly 1.7% annual increase on a $2,000 rental unit, equating to about $34 per month. If a landlord had lawfully raised the rent by $100 prior to the effective date, the $66 difference ($100 - $34 = $66) would be credited against (and reduce) those future permitted increases. In practice, this could mean the landlord receives no additional rent for several years until the prior increase is fully "absorbed" by accruing allowable amounts, even as operating costs like insurance, utilities, taxes, labor, and maintenance continue to rise unchecked. In addition, the Just Cause amendments further complicate matters by requiring owners who wish to leave the rental market, by withdrawing units via the Ellis Act, must remove all units on the property simultaneously, impose a five-year re-rental ban, and adhere to new procedural requirements. The removal from the Rental market for 5-years will also extend to a new Buyer. Exemptions exist for post-1995 housing, certain owner-occupied properties, subsidized units, and those under the Costa-Hawkins Act, but for many properties, this creates significant uncertainty and disincentives to maintain or expand rental supply. Tenant rights proponents, during hours of emotional testimony, framed this as urgent relief for affordability crises, citing personal stories of housing insecurity. Yet, this policy reeks of pandering, ignoring robust data that point to inventory shortages, not landlord greed, as the core issue. A detailed report from Beacon Economics and Pepperdine School of Public Policy on Santa Barbara County's rental market reveals a far more nuanced reality. Over the past decade, real post-rent renter incomes have risen 25.3%, outpacing the national 21.4% growth. Poverty among renters has dropped sharply from 31.3% to 22.7%, and the share earning over $100,000 has more than doubled to 33.7%. Overall rent burdens have stabilized at 31-33% of income, with only single-person households experiencing a slight increase to 44.4% at the median—hardly indicative of widespread exploitation. Dig deeper, and the data screams supply constraints. Vacancy rates linger at a dismal 3-4%, below California's 4-5% and the U.S. 6-8% averages, fueling competition and price pressures. Our rental stock is antiquated: 37% of units were built in the 1960s-1970s, compared to just 18.2% since 2000—lagging state (26.5%) and national (28.5%) figures. Construction costs have exploded, with the Producer Price Index for multifamily inputs rising from 100 in 2014 to 170 in 2024, making new development a financial gauntlet. Rents have climbed—median asking up 27.7% in real terms to $2,100—but growth has moderated recently, with year-over-year softening. Residential mobility has declined, from 45% to 30% for single renters, suggesting tenants are "stuck" due to scarce options, not predatory pricing. This rent freeze, while freezing revenues, does nothing to halt rising owner costs—exacerbating imbalances. History is clear: such controls deter investment, leading to deferred maintenance, reduced supply, and black-market dealings. In Santa Barbara, where overcrowding affects 13% of renters and household sizes are shrinking, these measures could accelerate deterioration of an already aging stock. The city's commitment to a permanent program—potentially including long-term caps, a rent registry, a rent board, and new enforcement—signals more bureaucracy ahead, further chilling development. At Radius Commercial Real Estate (@RadiusGroupCRE), we've engaged in this process, submitting detailed concerns about economic fallout, legal risks, and supply impacts. It's time for evidence-based policy, not emotion-driven edicts. Streamline permitting, offer incentives for new builds, and tackle barriers to inventory growth. Santa Barbara's charm should not come at the cost of housing viability. By embracing data over drama, we can foster true affordability and prosperity for landlords and tenants.

Apartment ownership group to leave California citing high operating costs, energy and anti-housing provider environment. Camden seeking to exit California: Real Estate Alert multifamilydive.com/news/camden-ex… via @multifamilydive

Insightful summary of the Q4 CRE market across the Central Coast. radiusgroup.com/wp-content/upl…

Understanding the Current Housing and Economic Reality: A Conversation with Dr. Chris Thornberg westlarealestategroup.com/post/understan…