Al Gore Montecito home - Is 8 mil enough to buy a 'beach front' estate/villa in CA or could this be a rumor?

Question

Al Gore Montecito home - Is 8 mil enough to buy a 'beach front' estate/villa in CA or is this a rumor?

Just looking to confirm this...  and maybe to get a more accurate idea where this home is, my research only got me as far as you see below... 

Reason for the question... I've been hearing pundits on the radio and blogs and other stories circulating the past few days that Al Gore allegedly purchased a huge home on a beach just recently.

Reason I'm asking if this could just be a rumor, does it make sense why would "Mr. Global Warming" would be buying a mansion 'on a beach' of all places, considering his stance against Global Warming and his warming about alleged expected rising sea levels?

Not going to even try and defend him on his decision if that is true... but just trying to makes sense of this new buzz going around... I feel my question is a legitimate one because if you looked into real estate in the area [1] the L.A. Times reported he bought a home, 8 mil actually is below average for a 'mansion' first of all, let alone "1.5 acre beach front" property... so what's the story here??

I can completely understand the criticism against him (beach property, preaching rising oceans, etc... would be very hypocritical if true wouldn't it?), certainly not good PR for the Al Gore Co... but again, the reason I find this hard to even believe... is because from my research, 8 million does not even come close to affording you beach front property in Montecito, CA... look at this image for a realistic property in that price range in this area...[1]


Also, exactly 'where' is important... because the Montecito 'region' includes elevation as high as 3,000 feet (google Montecito Peak)... the entire region has a mountain range behind it, so saying a home has "ocean view" isn't saying much... (very deceptive depending on who is telling the tale) [2]

And so, I ask again, is it not fair to conclude that he must NOT have 'beach front' property... but rather, he just moved out of his 7 million dollar downtown San Francisco high-rise condo, to a 7 million dollar house near Santa Barbara instead, that evidently is 'elevated' enough that it has an 'ocean view'... and likely, his view looks something like this... [3] (see this actual 'ocean view' seen from Mount Calvary Road, Montecito, California... consider the difference between what can be perceived as 'ocean view' to that of 'beach front property')????  

What is the truth here, did he buy a house on the beach, which would make him an idiot and a hypocrite, or did he buy a house which likely is elevated and has an ocean view (from a 'safe' distance... ocean rising-wise)??

So anyone with thoughts on this so to help me clear up what is the deal... it would be nice if someone knew actually what Al Gore bought and where... like I said though, I doubt these rumors a mansion with "beach front" property is accurate (or if it is even possible, for that price) but I'm at the mercy of the media and bloggers still until someone offers some real facts...

My personal feeling... If his house IS literally on the beach like so many people are feeding us, including folks on Y/A and blog sites, social media sites, etc... keep spreading... then Al Gore DESERVES any criticism he gets for it... otherwise, it is a useless, inaccurate rumor that should away (but probably never will, will it?)


[1] Montecito, CA property values example
http://cocomidel.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/montecito-map-cheat-sheet.jpg

[2] View of Montecito/Santa Barbara, CA as seen from the ocean
http://homepage.mac.com/cjbowdish/SailSBAug2008/pictures/picture-10.jpg

[3] Example view of ocean ("ocean view") from Montecito property
http://www.2399mountcalvaryroad.com/images/01.jpg

Dana1981 · Accepted Answer

The exact same issue was brought up a few months ago after Gore bought property in San Francisco.  The wording was similar - something about bayside view or property or something.  I found an address for the property in question, looked it up, and it was 26 feet above sea level and 700 feet from the bay.

Here's the thing - even under a business-as-usual scenario, sea level is only projected to rise about 1 meter by the year 2100.  Plus I'm pretty sure Al Gore isn't planning to live another 90 years.  So in the short-term, sea level rise isn't a significant concern except for those living right around sea level.

Fritz K · Answer

I agree with the others - clearly, just a house with 'ocean view' which from your great examples -that is most likely the case with Gore's new home - but some people may want people to think by 'implying', it is 'beach front' somehow... like, quite literally 'on the beach'!  and Judging from some of what I've seen other people trying to implicate by this - what folks are doing is they either think or just want you to think (or both), that Al Gore did just buy a house that is mere feet away and above the ocean - pretty funny - but lame in a way that bad information or disinformation rather, should get so easily passed around. I heard this one on the radio too by the way, and was like you said -- I either thought I heard "beach front" or they implied it, but the point was for sure.  But I do know they were trying to draw the comparison and conclusion that global warming again must not be real because al gore doesn't even believe it obviously himself if he's going to just go and buy another controversial home, this time right on the beach next to the ocean, hilarious.

Seeing the same thing keep coming up on here also, your post was a good one in the fact that you brought up a very good point and so short of it, to sum up my answer - it is true probably he bought a house there, but not on the beach at sea level quite obviously (how dumb do these people really, think  Al Gore is anyway?) and so it is a rumor though, those saying or implying his home is a beach house or on or near any "beach" -  like the one man said, he just has a house like many of those in that area which must simply have 'a view' of the ocean, and as you stated, from an elevated distance.

good question (and research), thanks!

? · Answer

Al Gore Montecito

antarcticice · Answer

Over the last week a number of deniers have posted the question about Al Gore and Beach front property, but they don't seem to be reading their own links (not uncommon) as the news stories don't mention 'beach' at all, they say Ocean view, which could be anywhere in the hills you have posted pictures of.

Keith P · Answer

No reliable source says Gore's home is beachfront. They say it's "ocean view". But Montecito is one big mountainside, you can see the ocean from pretty much anywhere in Montecito, even hundreds of feet above sea level.

This is a bunch of hot air by the usual unreliable bloviators. Yes, Rush, I mean you.

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Al Gore Montecito home - Is 8 mil enough to buy a 'beach front' estate/villa in CA or could this be a rumor?

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