Category

Visit WineCountry

Feb 23
0

Love where you live

By | Buyers, Sonoma County info, Visit WineCountry | No Comments

When searching for that perfect home, so many things are to be taken into consideration. The perfect location has everything to do with lifestyle. An example that always comes to mind when thinking about this is my brother. He purchased a small house in Zwartsluis, a historic town surrounded by water. He loves water sports, the boat launch is across the street from where he lives. Although the home is small he loves living there, the house is walking distance to downtown. When visiting my brother I love walking trough the small street to the lively and touristy downtown area.

When it comes to living in the wine country, there are so many options to choose from. Petaluma has a totally different climate and ‘vibe’ than Healdsburg, Santa Rosa, Windsor or Sebastopol. For those who like the outdoors, proximity to parks and recreation areas count. For families with children the proximity to schools and after school activities are a priority. And this is only a start.

So when it comes to searching for the perfect property for your lifestyle and needs, it’s a great idea to team up with a local realtor. This is even a good idea when you have lived in the area a long time. Quite often I hear from my clients when I mention an area or neighborhood that they didn’t know it existed and it has happened more than once that my clients ended up in that location/neighborhood.

So don’t be surprised when your realtor is asking you a lot of questions about your lifestyle, needs and wants or has a questionnaire for you to fill out when you start the process of finding that perfect home. You might find out that there might be an even better match than what you initially had in mind.

Enjoy the spring like weather in our beautiful county!

Sep 16
0

Selling Historic properties – The Francis House in Calistoga

By | Sonoma County info, Visit WineCountry | No Comments

Thomas Edison once said: Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

Quite a few years ago, on my way to an appointment to sell a historic property, I drove by a property that was old and in disrepair, intrigued by the setting and the roof. I even took a picture thinking that it would be quite special to ever sell a property like that.

A few years later a received a phone call from a friend asking whether I’d be interested in selling an old building in Calistoga that had been foreclosed upon by a local investment company… Yes you guessed right, it was the old building I was intrigued with years before.

It was a long journey to sell this once so gorgeous grand dame called the Francis House, it was initially built in 1886 by a local merchant James Francis. It is unique since it’s the only stone building with authentic French Second Empire architecture in Napa County, the signature architecture of France popularized by Napoleon III in the mid-19th century and characterized by a mansard roof.. It was put on the national list of historic places in 1979.

Selling unique properties is all about finding the right buyer. A lot of people were intrigued by the property and wanted to restore it. Yet this was a unique property and hence a unique opportunity not for the faint of heart. All but one had to realize that it was too much to take on. In of June in 2o15 Richard Dwyer called to see the property. After showing the property and talking to Richard and Dina I realized I had found the right buyer, they LOVED historic properties, had the knowledge and the resourced to take on this to unique property. At once point during the escrow process, Richard said: there are a lot of unknowns but we love the property and will somehow make it work… After a last negotiation because of the immense permit fees that would be required by the city of Calistoga we ended up closing escrow in September of 20

 

It took more than 3 years to find the right buyer, partially due to the fact that we were still coming out of a recession and partially due to the fact that it takes time to find the right buyer for unique properties. Then it took about 3 years for Richard and Dina Dwyer to restore this unique grand dame to its original grandeur and the some extra.
I highly recommend considering this small inn for your next stay in the Wine Country. Sonoma Magazine is featuring this incredible property : A Piece of Calistoga Becomes Luxury Five-Room Inn

I will forever be grateful to this special couple to take on this project so dear to my heart.

Mirjam

 

Jun 30
0

A little more than 6 months later

By | Firestorm 2017, Sonoma County info, Visit WineCountry | No Comments

Rebuilding goes fast! When my dad first came to visit us in the United States and noticed homes being made of wood instead of brick, his first response was: If I would live here I would built my own house. In the Netherlands, all homes are made of brick and concrete, a much longer process. Remodeling is also a lot more complicated. 

I had to think of dad when seeing some of the homes that are rebuilt after the fires, already ready to move into! The Coffey park area has quite a few that are ready to move back in, as a matter of fact the first home owner moved in a few weeks ago. Dan Bradford was the first to move back into his rebuilt home in the Coffee Park area. Per June 22 there were 222 homes under construction in the Coffey area. In the Mark West area as well as in the Fountaingrove area, we are seeing the same happens. It shows the resilience and determination to rebuilt and restore our local community #sonomastrong

In the mean time we all have become more aware of fire hazards, planting more fire resistant vegetation around the house, and creating a fire barrier were possible. 

The local parks are an explosion of wild flowers, it’s an incredible time to go outdoors and see the rebirth of our parks, Sonoma County is a beautiful place to live. Check out the website of the regional parks to pick your favorite park. And while you visit the website, either join or donate, extra funds are needed to support the rebuilt of the trails.

It’s a great time to visit enjoy everything our beautiful area has to offer!

Mirjam

Mar 18
0

Rebuilding Sonoma County

By | Buyers, Firestorm 2017, Natural disasters, Sonoma County info, Visit WineCountry | No Comments

Trucks and trucks with debris are slowing the traffic down. And result are showing, after 4 months almost all lots are cleared and ready to rebuilt. It will be interesting to see how many people will rebuilt their homes and how many will sell the cleared parcel.

The fact that different volcanic geologic formations sit side means that many toxic substances – arsenic, mercury, thallium to name a few- are naturally occurring. Ancient volcanic soils in the rocky Fountaingrove area, known as tertiary volcanics, are different than those in the more recent but related sedimentary soils in the surrounding valleys, referred to as quaternary Pleistocene volcanic. A great place to learn more about the ancient and not so ancient history about or area is the petrified forest exhibit on Petrified Forest road. It’s currently closed because of the fires and is expected to open soon.

The county and Army Corps of engineers have been talking for weeks on revising standards. Our first initial response might be that this is not in our best interest, but they are working on standards that according to their findings closer to the average natural background levels in an area.

When buying a home, one of the mandatory reports a seller has to provide is the Natural Hazard report. This report is put together by a third party and touches on many of the natural hazards in an area, including the soils. This report is limited as to all the toxic substances in an area but gives great insight as to the area. It mentions naturally occurring asbestos. I suspect that we will see the effects of the wild fires reflected in future reports.

Over the years I have come to the conclusion that very few buyers read this report from cover to cover. I highly recommend buyers take the time to read this report thoroughly and contact the company that provided the report with any questions.

Right now as realtor I am focused on this, however it’s spring time, the fires affected apr 2.5% of all the homes in Sonoma County, 97.5% of the homes were unaffected by the area. Sonoma County is a beautiful place to live!

Mirjam

Apr 15
0

Location, Location, Location…

By | Buyers, Sonoma County info, Visit WineCountry, Wine Tasting, Winery with picnic place | No Comments

Number one rule in Real Estate: location, location, location. Recently I have been working with buyers relocating to Sonoma County. It’s fun, I get to ‘brag’ about Sonoma County, the ‘bragging’ is easy, Sonoma County is a great place to live. And yet within Sonoma County, there are many nuances as to neighborhoods, micro climates, schools, personal preferences.

I remember moving to California, I was brand new in USA, everything was different. Luckily, when we moved into our first rental there was a handyman who gave many great tips as to shopping etc. I had a map on the table and every time he mentioned something I asked him where is was and marked it on the map. This was a while ago, now I would search it with Google maps and write it down as a list. However, maps are great to get started thus I have maps for those who want to get introduced to Sonoma County and when we go house hunting. And besides a map, a list of great professionals who are local who are part of the team that makes for a smooth relocation experience… there will be some frustrations anyway…

Even though everything is new and exciting, it is good to make a list of things that are important, if possible even in order of priority… Is it the outdoors, the restaurants, the schools, what popular locally…

Recently I re discovered a great winery in Hopland. It’s about 40 minutes from Santa Rosa to Hopland, a beautiful drive, worth the trip. The winery is Campovida. The property used to belong to Fetzer Vineyards. Next to great wines, there are beautiful gardens to stroll through and you can also stay at the property. Gary and Anna will warmly welcome you as well as the friendly staff in the tasting room, tell them I said hi;)

Mirjam