We're not finding many possible places. It's very hard to find properties that meet all our needs and that are affordable. But we have another possibility:
"Two 5 bedroom homes on 38 acres. Many outbuildings. Was formerly used as a camp/school and permitted by the county to house 12 kids. Creek, ballfield,workshop,classroom buildings, big water system, end of road privacy. Right behind Mt.Gilead church camp. Lots of trees and open areas. Tons of interesting potential! School or camp?" $925,000.
"VERY LARGE VICTORIAN WITH NON-CONFORMING ONE BED GRANNY, BARN, GARAGE, SHEDS. ALL USEABLE LAND. MAY BE POSSIBLE TO GET USE PERMIT FOR SCHOOL, DAY CARE, ELDER CARE, CONTRACTORS, OR OFFICES OR RESIDENCE!" $675,000.
We rejected Bodega due to street noise but it's still a possiblity if we're stuck.
"Come & enjoy this gardner's paradise. Main house has hardwood throughout and an upgraded kitchen. Guest cottage is legal and has its own septic system. There is a gourgous koi pond, a 2 car detached garage w/workshop, a huge barn from early 1900's and room for a horse." $659,000.
Snow Road is still a distant possibility. Asking price was $659k. We offered what it was actually worth, $610k. They countered at $650k. We countered at $620k. They rejected. They want the extra money, even though it's more than the place is worth. It's currently in escrow with another buyer
The only sure people involved at this point are Cyndi & Mikel (a couple) and Connie. There are several others who range from mildly to moderately interested. We strongly considered buying a large tract of vacant land and building our homes. As we started crunching numbers we realized it would be too expensive and take too long (meaning we'd have to rent nearby apartments during the building process). We were also running into zoning restrictions. As wonderful as that dream was, we had to give it up.
Our current plan is to buy a smaller piece of land with existing houses on it. This means fewer people and less room but we'd be able to move in right away (or within a month) and we'd be commuting distance to major cities like Santa Rosa and closer to towns with more than a post office and general store.
One place we are looking at is the Guerneville area (Russian River). Of all the locations within a 45 minute drive to Santa Rosa, Guerneville is the most affordable. It's also far west enough, and filled with enough hills and rivers, that there is very little agriculture. We don't have the fog of being right on the coast, but we won't be near any vineyards either. And Guerneville itself is a wonderful town. It has a health food store, a Safeway, video/DVD stores, a great new/used bookstore, a public library, and tons of other shops and businesses. It's politically progressive with "no spray" (pesticide) signs all over the place. It's also a gay resort, especially in the summertime. Monto Rio is 4 miles down the road and has a movie theater, live theater (indoor and outdoor) and public beaches. We don't want to be right in town because of town smells (gas stations, traffic, etc) but we're hoping to be a bike ride away.
Many properties in the Russian River area are fairly close to the river. We will not be considering properties that front the river because of mold and flooding issues. Some of the properties we are considering are a block or more from the river, but we won't buy unless we can be certain mold and flooding will be under control. Very mold sensitive people will not want to live in this area anyway, even if it won't be next to the river.
Our minimal property is on at least 1/2 a acre and has three homes or two homes with one that can be subdivided. This assumes only the three sets of us will be buying. We don't have commitments from anyone else yet. We are looking hard for properties on larger lots with more living units in them. Some would make good rental units, others would require that people buy in with us.
Since nearly all the lots can not be subdivided, all buyer's would own their own homes and jointly own the land and community buildings/areas. We would hire a lawyer to draw up an agreement to turn the property into a cooperative or something similar.
It is possible we will find a property that has a parcel that can be split from the rest. It is also possible we will find a property that has a building site on it. There really aren't a lot of properties that fit our needs so we're not being picky about the extras.
The Bay Area is an expensive place, even as far north as Sonoma County. If you buy a 2-3 or more bedroom house, expect to pay at least $200k (total of down payment plus your share of the mortgage). $250k is more reasonable for 3+ bedrooms. If we are able to get a property with building sites, you would pay for your share of the land plus the cost of your own home. Smaller homes/cottages can be as low as $100k but $125-150k is more likely.
Renters should expect at least $500/month for a studio cottage, and more as the size goes up. Parking an RV or trailer would probably run $2-300/month.
We would probably all want to share some monthly expenses like repairs or upkeep on common areas. But that should be minimal. There should be few costs beyond the usuals of buying and maintaining a home (or renting). Remember that all home buyers pay closing costs. For a $200k home, that runs $3-5k. If you take out a loan, there are costs for that too. We would share the cost of drawing up our legal documents for the property, but that shouldn't be more than a couple hundred total.
These costs are all guesses. We won't know the true costs until we find the property we wish to buy. But they should give you a good idea.
We need to know who is interested in joining us and under what circumstance's. Please tell us the following:
Email Cyndi at cyndi@tikvah.com
Or phone Cyndi and Mikel at 510-531-5464
For more information, contact Cyndi Norwitz at cyndi@tikvah.com - Page last modified 7/8/02