Sonoma Real Estate Prices Down/Up\Down~~~What?  This inconsistent movement sums up the latest monthly news on residential real estate sales in Sonoma County.  I subscribe to the Sonoma County Real Estate Report which analyzes data specific to Sonoma County real estate sales.   Here's the thumbnail chart for March real estate sales in Sonona County...courtesy of REReport.com. Breaking it out,  price drops were mostly in the Sonoma County "entry-level" market (under $500K) where they fell 12.0% year-over-year.  In the "luxury" market ($1 Million and up) prices were down 9.2% for same period.   However...there was a 4.4% price gain in the "move-up" market ($500K to $1,000,000.) City by city the data is varies quite a bit. My friends at REReport.com also provide this chart showing a breakdo... 04/16/2011

New Sonoma Listings - Want Potential or Already Perfect? Looking for a Sonoma fixer?  How about a fabulous Sonoma Valley estate with big views, pool, bocce ball and everything else you might conceivably want?  Properties in both these categories popped up on the MLS in Sonoma this week.  The broker tour featured 16 listings and included a 1940's bungalow in Glen Ellen on an untamed wooded lot.  It's a real charmer, partially renovated, with two bedrooms a great kitchen and potential to become one of the sweetest homes on the block.   I did take a look...and a long one, at that...at a beautiful home in the exclusive Sonoma Mountain subdivision of Sobre Vista.  In an earlier post, I wrote about the original estate in this exclusive community that was once the country home of a sugar magna... 04/15/2011

Not A Word About Sonoma Real Estate - If You Love Life, Watch This! This post has absolutely nothing to do with Sonoma real estate---nothing to do with real estate at all.  It is a video that has touched me so deeply that I'm going to share it where ever I can so I'm posting it here on Active Rain.  My mom is celebrating her 80th birthday this month and the guys in this video, which is actually an advertisement for a bank, share her great exuberence and zest for life.  Watch this....you'll smile....you may even cry.  It's a beautiful production.  It might just make your day.       04/14/2011

Speechless Sunday - Sonoma Land with Views! What a view!  It's the wide-open space that lies to the south of State Highway 37, off Highway 101, and stretches to the waters of the San Pablo Bay.  It's the scenery that dazzles you as you head toward Sonoma wine country and Napa.   These are the Sonoma Baylands and the level acreage stretching out as far as you can see has been protected by the Sonoma Land Trust and is the focus of a wetlands restoration project.    It's ultimately to be turned over the the US Bureau of Land Management.   I think the most beautiful thing about this view is that it's here to be enjoyed by many generations to come.   04/10/2011

Is It Better to Buy in Sonoma (& elsewhere) -- Or Rent? I was skeptical when I first started watching this video aimed at Buyers in Sonoma (and elsewhere) because it came to me as a link in an email from a local mortgage broker.  He's a great guy...brighter than the dickens...and I've done quite a lot of business with him.  I was skeptical because, as a former newswoman, I believe it's critical to always consider the source of information and the motivation for putting it "out there."  Clearly, there's a benefit to lenders when buyers get off the fence. Still, I put my skepticism aside and I watched the video.  Partly because I've got clients who love this mortgage broker...and partly because he's one smart fella who ususally has valuable info to share and he appreciates both the value ... 04/09/2011

As of April 8, 2011 33% of available listings in the beautiful wine country town of Sonoma are in escrow. For the month of March 2011 35 homes sold (20 of which were distress sales) for an average final selling price of $414,594. The average original asking price of these homes was $508,774. The range of final selling prices was from a low of $110,000 to a high of $1,350,000. Of the 35 homes that sold 4 sold at their original asking prices and 3 sold over their original asking prices. It took these homes an average of 126 days to sell To see everything that is currently available for sale through our MLS, click here. To see some of the many fun things to do in our neck of the woods, click here. To learn more about this area in general search more around this blog, visit my website or co... 04/08/2011

Sonoma Condos and Sonoma Adult Community Homes. The Thursday March 31st 2011  Broker tour showcased 14 residential listings including several condos conveniently located close to Sonoma Plaza and several single family homes in Sonoma Adult (+55) Communities.  Tour day dawned about as beautifully as any perfect Sonoma Spring day might.  Wild flowers and Iris like this beauty in a Glen Ellen garden are bursting forth following heavy rains and above average temperatures.  'Twas another happy day for all critters lucky enough to live in Sonoma Valley and a lovely day to review new property offerings. Here's the latest overview of fresh housing inventory Sonoma real estate agents saw today. The Condos on Guadalupe, Spain, and Robinson are in great locations for access to all Sonoma Plaza ame... 03/31/2011

Seeing Peanut Butter on the Sidewalks of Sonoma.   When you see James Cannard walking around Sonoma he's often got a four-legged friend named Peanut Butter ambling along with him.  James keeps Peanut Butter on a study green leash during these outings.   He says their daily walks together help them both  stay in shape and they combine their exercise with  shopping expeditions that take them into the boutiques around Sonoma Plaza.   These two are a couple of Sonoma characters who add a quirky country feeling and a sense of fun when it comes to living in Sonoma. They bring smiles to many faces of residents and visitors.  They are just one more reason why living in Sonoma is good for man and beast!                   03/23/2011

Sonoma Residential Listings on March 20, 2011 The Spring Sonoma real estate market has arrived and our inventory remains historically light.  What's noteworthy to this seasoned Sonoma Realtor is the number of distressed as compared to non-distressed listings that are for sale.  The number of distressed properties as a percentage has been inching up. About 90% of all listings are single family residences.  There are not many condos or townhomes in Sonoma Valley as a general rule and all of those are located basically in the town of Sonoma.  In all, there are 20 condo listings right now---about half of these are distressed properties. In the single family housing category we've got 160 listings and of those 35 are distressed. The chart at the right shows that 76% of all listings are non-d... 03/21/2011

As you see in the charts below the number of homes selling is up over the last several years, but the average sales price is down a bit from the same time last year.  Good news is that it is well above 2009, which is clearly the bottom. Sonoma Home Sales Charts by Kelley Eling, Marin County Realtor To see everything that is currently for sale through our local MLS click here. To see some of the fun things to do in our neck of the woods click here. To learn more about this area in general search more around this blog, visit my website or contact me directly. 03/16/2011

New Sonoma Listings on Broker Tour 3.10.11 Something for everyone this week!  A Sonoma condo is the lowest priced property at $135,000 followed by a 3bedroom/3bath single family home on the west side of Sonoma that's a short sale.  Other listings include a remodeled "classic Eastside Sonoma Beauty," and a lovely  Glen Ellen home in a wooded setting.  The list of properties on our weekly Thursday morning tour was relatively short but some of the listings were very sweet. As usual I have my favorites...and can tell you about the pros and cons of each.  I took some pictures despite steady rainfall...to show you just a bit of what was show-cased for agents and brokers today.   The property shown above is the Glen Ellen home with land which originally hit the market in July '08 at $3,995,000... 03/10/2011

As of March 7, 2011 34% of available listings in the beautiful wine country town of Sonoma are in escrow. For the month of February 2011 31 homes sold for an average final selling price of $681,130. The average original asking price of these homes was $734,219. The range of final selling prices was from a low of $99,900 to a high of $3,995,000. Of the 31 homes that sold (15 of which were distress sales) 6 sold at their original asking prices and 5 sold over.  All others sold for less. It took these homes an average of 142 days to sell. To see everything that is available for sale through our MLS click here. To see some of the many fun things to do around in our neck of the woods click here. To learn more about this area in general search more around this blog, visit my website or contac... 03/07/2011

New Sonoma Real Estate Listings - March 3, 2011 There were 18 new listings on Sonoma Broker Tour this week.   Our tours are Thursday mornings every week and during the first half of the day Sonoma Valley real estate agents are dashing from property to property learning about the lastest introductions to the market. This week I've got two favorites.  One has been on and off the market for two years and, in my opinion---but what do agents know anyway???---it's now priced in line with today's values at $1,495,000.  I'm talking about 120 Loma Vista.  It's a very pretty "Monterey Colonial" that sits on just about an acre which has been fully developed with gorgeous gardens, a beautiful pool, very cool pool house, and lots of storage.   My other fave is a little house on Melvin Avenue where m... 03/03/2011

Real Estate Prices in Sonoma Looking Good but How About Nicaragua? It's been an interesting week---a short getaway with a friend in Granada, Nicaragua. My friend invited me to join her at a property owned by a San Diego Realtor that she booked through Vacation Rentals By Owner (VRBO.)   We are old pals and we haven't spent much time together in the last 10 years so I jumped at the chance. Granada is a fascinating place culturally and economically.   It's become a growing tourist destination for North Americans and a hot spot for real estate buyers from the U.S. who like the lower cost of living, laid-back lifestyle, and tropical climate.  Nicaraguan real estate is getting more attention these days because retirees remain nervous about the the shaky U.S. economy.  Costa Rica had been the... 02/28/2011

I like construction and landscape details that make a house stand out from its neighbors. When it's done in a classic fashion that reminds me of small town America and classic homeowner dreams I get even more enthused. This property on Broadway in Sonoma combines a well-detailed white picket fence with a wonderful rose-covered arbor.  02/20/2011

New Sonoma Real Estate Listings Snapped Up! There is pent up demand for Sonoma homes.  No doubt about it.  Two properties that hit the market just this week have quickly gone into escrow.  One...a remodeled Sonoma Craftsman priced at $895,000...had an accepted offer on it just hours after it appeared on the MLS.  I stopped by on Thursday morning broker tour and saw that quite a few agents from other brokerages had been there, too.  (Your eyes are fine.  I intentionally blurred the focus on these business cards ...  I don't need to be advertising my competitors!)  The listing agent, a friend of mine,  says the buyers flew up from Rancho Mirage to look at the house and immediately made an offer the seller could not refuse.  The house is very nice...an award-winning renovation that receive... 02/17/2011

How to Buy a Sonoma Foreclosure Home. Nobody expects an explosion of Sonoma foreclosure sales, especially in higher priced properties.  Most of the sales of Sonoma's distressed real estate are closing for less than $400,000 and most of these are short sales.  That said, the market for foreclosures is heating up because Sonoma is such a fabulous destination and so close to San Francisco.  Investors and people wanting second homes or retirement properties are competing...sometimes fiercely---in terms of dollars and stress involved...for the relatively rare foreclosures that do pop up.  One such opportunity is this beautiful parcel I've photographed and shown below---two homes on one 5-acre parcel just minutes from the village of Glen Ellen. What do you have to do to compete?  Since some b... 02/16/2011

Sonoma Home with a Pool?  No Way! A home with a pool in Sonoma is a must-have for some and I get it.  I started swimming at about the same time I learned to walk.  I was lucky to have a grandfather who swam competitively (against Johnny Weissmuller and Duke Kahanamoku, no less.) I have wonderful memories of rambunctious relay races and playing Marco Polo until I lost my voice and my skin shriveled up like a prune. My poolside sunbathing days are over---those UV rays are bad for you, don't you know!!  Still, when July rolls around, I long for a deck chair, my tanning potion, sunglasses and a fluffy beach towel.   And those lazy summer late-afternoons with the low drone of small planes overhead, the laughing crows, and the hypnotic hum of the honeybees---pure bliss.  This old black and wh... 02/14/2011

"Quiet" Sales of Sonoma Luxury Homes. Bank-owned properties and short sales are still a big chunk of the Sonoma real estate market.    In January about 45% of closed escrows in the Sonoma Valley market---Sonoma, Glen Ellen, and Kenwood---involved distressed properties.  Most of these are selling on the lower end of our market at below $400,000. But there's also been an increase in off-market sales in Sonoma which started in the last few months 2010.  Sonoma luxury country properties are quietly selling at prices that have some eyes popping. A few examples: A 5000 square foot home on 10+/-acres in the exclusive gated community called "The Ranch" sold for $6,000,000 at the end of September.  It was a cash sale with no financing. The most astonishing sale...and a record for Sonoma County..... 02/13/2011

As of February 12, 2011 34% of available listings in the beautiful wine country town of Sonoma are in escrow. For the month of January 2011 30 homes sold for an average final selling price of $574,342. The average original asking price of these homes was $628,437. The range of final selling prices was from a low of $180,000 to a high of $3,179,000. Of the 30 homes that sold (17 of which were distress sales) 2 sold at their original asking price and 2 sold over their original asking price. It took these homes an average of 129 days to sell. To see everything that is currently available for sale through our MLS click here. To learn more about this area, including some of the many fun things to do around here, search more around this blog, visit my website or contact me directly. Sonoma Ho... 02/13/2011