A place in the country.
A hobby vineyard outside Healdsburg.
A few acres of vines east of Sonoma.
A little ranch near Sebastopol.
Sonoma County country real estate is driven by buyers looking for their piece of the American dream. Cities are crowded. Suburbs are less crowded, but a garage or bedroom is what you’re likely to see when you look out your windows. The dream of having enough land to get privacy, views, and room to spread out is strong.
The rural properties are concentrated in three cities; Healdsburg, Sebastopol, and Sonoma. The more suburban lots are likely to be found in Santa Rosa, but there are quite a few listings, particularly in north west Santa Rosa, that have the country feel that many are looking for.
It’s impossible to ignore pricing for foreclosured homes and short sales in this segment of the market. Not every city is affected, but the average price for both REO and short sale property is significantly lower than the average price for the open market sale properties. If you are bargain hunting for a country property in Sonoma County it might be smart to start by looking at the one to five acre REO property that is available.
The biggest downside to rural bank-owned homes is the lack of disclosure. If you’re buying from an owner who knows the property they can report on issues like wells drying up in the summer or a leak in the barn that only shows up in rain that lasts more than two days. The banks who own the foreclosed properties neither know these details nor are they required to disclose anything. REO country property is definitely a buyer beware situation.
Sonoma County Country Property Searches
- Healdsburg homes with one to five acres
- Sebastopol homes with one to five acres
- Santa Rosa homes with one to five acres
- Sonoma homes with one to five acres
- Kenwood homes with one to five acres
- Glen Ellen homes with one to five acres
- Petaluma homes with one to five acres
- Penngrove homes with one to five acres