Category — Sebastopol

We all do visual double takes. Is that a Llama or goat or what? For all of us it’s a familiar experience, particularly since life is zooming by and we usually don’t have time to see things carefully the first time. When I looked at this property the first time I certainly made a bunch of assumptions that didn’t turn out to be true. I got one right, but I’ll tell you about that after I confess my mistakes.

By the way, the mistakes I made are why I ended up liking this Watertrough Road four acre parcel in Sebastopol so much. It fooled me several times as I would first label it and then have to change my mind once I got to know a little more about it. The learning process helped me understand all the great things about this place that the quick glance and premature labeling would have made me miss. So not only do I come out liking the property a lot, but it reminded me to wait before passing judgment. That’s almost always a good idea.

The first thing to hit you when you arrive is there’s no place to park. There is a modest driveway, but even one parked van can block access for a second vehicle. So you park down the road or in a neighbor’s driveway and think “inaccessible”. At least, that’s what my labeling mind did. The reality that I missed is that not only is there a long driveway with plenty of room beyond the gate, but there’s a completely separate access along the edge of the property that could lead to a new estate home site. Fortunately, Cory Maguire, the listing agent, was able to straighten me out. Oops.

My second thought was dryness and sparseness. The area around the house doesn’t have much grass and there’s not a lot of underbrush. As you probably guessed by now, wrong again.

Cory led me on a tour down the length of this gently eastward sloping land, and she pointed out both the ample dry grass underfoot and the hardy fruit trees that have endured irrigation-free summers and still managed to put out bumper crops of apples and pears. The grass free areas are a result of the owner’s alpaca herd doing what animals do the world over. Eat grass. Or pears. Oops.

This is fertile land, Goldridge sandy loam, that would support grapes, organic gardens, horses, or any other commercial or family 4-H activity you can think of. It’s zoned DA which is Sonoma County’s most flexible designation. If you’re thinking of a 4-H place the other thing you should know is that the school here, Twin Hills, is a very fine place to send your children. Great parents and teachers working together to make sure all the kids get a good education.

Before you think I was a complete loon about this property I have to say that I got one label correct. The first thought I had on seeing the buildings and fences was “fixer”. I was right about that. However, don’t let the general air of structural decrepitude mask the true character of this four acre gem from your sight. Keep in mind that the 1920’s farmhouse can keep it’s claim in Sebatopol history as a granny and a main dwelling further down the property can be built. Give me a call or send me an email and I’ll arrange a tour for you and we can talk about the field of dreams you would build here. Dave Roberts 707-869-1884.  – SORRY, THIS GREAT PROPERTY IS SOLD

And in case you missed the clues, those are alpacas in the top picture.

Bungalow is an interesting term. Real estate people use it for almost anything small, but it actually comes from Bangalore in India where the colonial English started using it as a term to refer to the residences built for them based on traditional architecture. The key features are single story construction with a wide verandah. There are many more key details that help define the bungalow style.

Bungalows were first built in the late 1800’s and the style remained extremely popular in the first part of the twentieth century. Bungalows in America were a residential expression of the Arts and Crafts movement which in turn was strongly influenced by the Craftsman movement. California set the pace and bungalows became almost synonymous with California.

Most of the cities in Sonoma County have great examples of bungalows. Click on View Listings to see one bungalow for sale in Santa Rosa and three bungalows for sale in Petaluma that I pulled from the MLS today. There were quite a few more listed, but they lacked the “bungalow essence” I wanted to show you. Let me know if you are interested in any of these. I’d be happy to show them to you.

Sebastopol real estate is not noted for whimsy. There are classic farm houses, beautiful bungalows, and plenty of contemporary country estates tucked in among the apple orchards and vineyards. There’s one piece of real estate in Sebastopol, however, that defines whimsy. Florence Street comes alive with a menagerie of creatures that spring from the creative minds of Patrick Amiot and Brigitte Laurent.

If you are bold enough to live on a street that embraces art and whimsy, I’d be happy to help you find real estate in Sebastopol. Our map search is a great way to see where Sebastopol properties for sale are located in relation to the city.