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The hamsters are at home.
And thanks to Andrea Navarro, this place is still the Pet House in Goleta.
Navarro bought the iconic Goleta store, 5781 Calle Real, on January 1st and 19th after she was hired as a cashier at the pet store.
“I’ve always loved animals,” Navarro told Noozhawk.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the arrival of corporate chains like Petco and PetSmart to the area, Pet House has remained a local favorite. Here a person can buy rats and reptiles, fish and frogs, birds and tarantulas.
The business has weathered generations of challenges, including expanding nearby Trader Joe’s into the previous section of the business. Pet House is now in a former blockbuster video building. VHS tapes and DVDs have been replaced by dog collars and cat treats.
Navarro met her future husband, Pablo, in the pet shop, had two children, ages 11 and 9, and worked long hours to keep the shop alive.
With the new owner, she launched a new website where people can order online.
“The live animals are a big deal because a lot of the animals we breed here are themselves,” said Navarro. “People come from all over – Ventura, far north – just to get rats from us because our rats are so incredible.”
She raises hamsters at home and works with local rat and bird breeders.
“We know where we get our animals from,” said Navarro. “We don’t get it from this huge, big supplier who we don’t know what we’re getting from.”
The previous owner, Wendy Guyer, was a licensed veterinary technician, so the business has always had high standards for its pets.
The truth is, Navarro said, the store makes a living from selling supplies, not animals. The animals are an attraction, but the food and accessories are where the business makes its profit. Many people buy their pets from Pet House and then buy their supplies online, which is not helpful.
“It costs a lot of money to clean all of these cages and give them good food,” said Navarro. “They really don’t make any money with the animals. It’s the supplies that come with it. It kind of kills us when people buy their supplies online but bring animals here because we are likely to lose money with the animals. But that’s it What brings people in is fun. “
The shop has 10 employees. It offers pickup and delivery within a radius of eight kilometers.
Village Properties joins the network
Village Properties has joined Forbes Global Properties, a new curated hypermarket that connects buyers directly with the best homes and realtors in the world.
Village Properties owner Renee Grubb.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Forbes Global Properties as an exclusive member in Santa Barbara,” said Renee Grubb, owner of Village Properties. “This is an exciting new chapter in our 25-year history. Our unparalleled reputation and experience in the Santa Barbara community, coupled with Forbes’ high net worth consumer base and global reach, will be a powerful tool for engaging luxury real estate customers.”
Village Properties, as a founding member, will be one of only 100 “Elite Real Estate Firms” invited to join the global network. According to a press release, buyers and sellers of properties for sale in Santa Barbara, Montecito, Ojai and Santa Ynez will be connected.
Forbes Global Properties is a branch of Forbes media company that extends branding and marketing services to Village Properties and other members of the real estate agent.
The consortium was co-founded by Jeff Hyland, co-founder and president of Hilton & Hyland, and Bonnie Stone Sellers, a leading authority on the global real estate markets and the luxury consumer. Then there is the CEO of Forbes Global Properties, Alex Lange.
Lawyers join new law firm
John Ambrecht and Elizabeth Mackey-Sall will join DT Law Partners law firm in Santa Barbara.
Ambrecht has more than 30 years of experience in estate planning and estate tax law and is the founder of the boutique law firm Ambrecht & Associates in Montecito. Mackey-Sall is a licensed California attorney and estate planning expert. She ran a private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to Santa Barbara.
DT Law Partners, 125 E. Victoria St., Suite I, specializes in business and corporate affairs, trust and estate planning, and trust, estate and business disputes. Mark DePaco and David Tappeiner are the founding members.
“We are very excited to have John and Elizabeth on our team,” said DePaco. “Your skills and credentials are exceptional and we know they will be an incredible asset to our clients seeking complex estate planning services.”
Ambrecht is a certified estate planning, fiduciary, and estate law specialist from the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. He is the author of the book “For Love and Money: Protecting Family and Assets in Estate and Succession Planning”.
Mackey-Sall is a graduate of Southwestern Law School, where she graduated Magna cum Laude with Honors for Public Service in 2013. She was a professor of law and taught the school’s bar exam preparation program before starting her own law firm in 2014 advising clients on all aspects of estate planning and administration, including wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, health care guidelines, powers of attorney, donations for Charities, estate administration, conservatories and other complex estate planning services, it said in a press release.
– Noozhawk employee Joshua Molina can be reached at (JavaScript must be activated to display this email address.). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews, and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.