This older Sebastopol building has a wonderfully ornate roof with great window detailing and shingles custom fitted to the curves. It's no wonder the owners were eager to save the hundreds and hundreds of hours a previous generation of skilled craftspeople invested in this project. Raising the building and giving it new life makes sense when the value being preserved is so exceptional. 08/15/2010

LOCAL SEBASTOPOL RESIDENT JOINS IN FIGHT TO END BREAST CANCER WITH AVON FOUNDATION   SET TO PARTICIPATE IN WEEKEND-LONG AVON WALK FOR BREAST CANCER ON JULY 10 & 11, 2010  Sebastopol, CA June 10, 2010 - She is IN IT TO END IT! Lynn Bowen of Sebastopol will join together with thousands of dedicated women and men to raise funds and awareness to help defeat breast cancer in the upcoming Avon Walk for Breast Cancer San Francisco.  Lynn will participate in this non-competitive event, which offers the option of completing a marathon (26.2 miles) or a marathon and a half (39.3 miles), over the weekend of July 10 - 11.  This is Lynn's third time participating in the Avon Walk, and she is training hard and raising funds in preparation for the event.  Lynn was inspired to take part in the Avon Wal... 06/15/2010

LAND IN GREEN VALLEY APPELLATION FOR SALE - Sonoma County has become known as one of the great wine regions of California.  Within the Russian River Appellation in Sonoma County is an area known as Green Valley Appellation, which has the location, soil, and climate conducive to the growing of premium varietals. Click on this link to learn more about the Green Valley Appellation fog, and watch the time lapse demonstration of how the area is cooled by the fog.  This area is also known for Gold Ridge Soil, a fine sandy loam, the most sought after type in Sonoma County. If you've been searching for vineyard land in Sonoma County you've probably noticed a scarcity of large parcels available in the GREEN VALLEY APPELLATION.  This 23.2-ACRE PARCEL is FOR SALE for the first time in 100 years.  ... 04/16/2010

Price: $1,675,000 FIZBER.com ID 15703978 Farm/Ranch with 3 bed, 5.0 bath, in Barlow lane Sebastopol, CA, 95472 http://www.fizber.com/15703978/ Barlow lane - For Sale By Owner Property Details: Type: Farm/Ranch Address: Barlow lane, Sebastopol, CA, 95472 Sq footage: 5995.0 Floors: n/a Bathrooms: 5.0 Bedrooms: 3 Year built: 1979 View full property details and seller's contacts. View more California homes for sale. Homes for Sale by Owner. Description: Gormet kitchen with 2 sinks and 2 refrigerators and a 6 burner dacor natural gas cook top, convection oven, tile floor, tile and granite counter tops, raised panel red oak custom cabinets. Entertainment area has small refrigerator, microwave, sink, cabinets, incredible wood toped rounded bar. Large Steel building with concrete floor, creek,... 04/14/2010

Screamin' Mimi's - Sebastopol CA - Ice Cream - Restaurant - Sonoma County Wine Country Lifestyle What is it about ice cream that just works no matter what the weather is like? The other day, my wife an i were driving around town, in the rain, taking care of our chores when we both looked at each other and said, "Ice Cream!" Now, there are plenty of ice cream shops in the Sonoma County Wine Country, but there's only one place to get truly rich, creamy and deliciously hand made ice cream that's served fresh everyday. That place is called Screamin' Mimi's in Sebastopol, CA and it is the bomb! Screamin' Mimi's was established in Sebastopol, CA in 1995 by an ice cream lover named Maraline Olson. Apparently, Maraline, aka Mimi, had a talent for making ice cream that's rich in flavor, thick in... 01/15/2010

  Animal Shelters are always under financial pressure and they, and other, non-profit organizations are having an especially hard time in an economy that is 8 to 9 million jobs short of full- employment! People, facing an uncertain economic future, naturally cut back on giving to private charities. That is why, those of us who are fortunate enough to have some measure of security maintain our support and hopefully expand it. In lieu of Christmas presents this year our family and friends are going to exchange contributions to organizations like Heifer International, the Humane Society and food banks. HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all of you, your families, including its members who are pets...and don't forget........Heavy Petting is encouraged!                                   12/14/2009

Sebastopol median prices for single family homes are still falling. My feeling is that Sebastopol remained an attractive location for home buyers and maintained a higher median price all through 2008. Home prices in Healdsburg and Sonoma were falling far faster than in Sebastopol last year. What we are seeing now is a classic case of the Sebastopol market finally catching up to what the rest of Sonoma County has seen. 12/05/2009

I'd like to welcome new Active Rain member, Eric Brandon. Eric and his son have taken a number of real estate courses with me at the local junior college.  Eric owns a floor covering business in Sebastopol, CA called Brandon Carpet.  I've referred him to several jobs, and like the way he does business. I've been bugging him and his son, Kyle to join A.R. for the past 4 months as they work their way toward taking the state R.E. test.  Here's a link to his profile. http://activerain.com/brandoncarpet  .  Eric is a pleasure to do business with, a real family owned and operated local business.  11/29/2009

I met a great real estate agent from Sebastopol today. His name is David Mark-Raymond and he impressed me and my clients with his property knowledge, his candor, and his gentle approach to the art of real estate. We get to meet new people all the time in this business. I blogged about how thankful I am to get to meet new buyers just a few days ago. That's why it was so special for me to meet an agent who I instantly trusted to do the best thing not just for his client, the seller, but for my clients as well.  It's an often forgotten part of the agency relationship, but both the listing and selling agents have duties to their clients that include honesty, integrity, and fair play. I got the strong sense, walking and talking with David, that he holds these principles deep in his being. I ... 11/25/2009

                                            Traveling the Back Roads of Sonoma County / Fall Series This weekend my husband, our miniature schnauzer and I went on a excursion along the byways of West Sonoma County. The first segment of our trip took us along Hall Road going west through the Santa Rosa plain to Occidental Road to 116 going South. All along the route were scenes that attested to West County's peculiar combination of the bucolic, the whimsical and the free - spirited! For example , this mailbox is approximately twelve feet off the ground. As it label indicates , it is only for AIR MAIL. A few yards down the road, was a ranchers collection of old farm machinery. The centerpiece is a Vintage John Deere tractor with classic metal lugged wheels. I'm sure if you fired- her - up... 10/20/2009

Some of my fondest memories are when I get to wander down a country lane to a friends house and just hang out, listen to music, have nice conversations while eating and drinking and looking at some really great art. Today was even more fun because I got to do this over and over and we did not even know half of the people we dropped in on and we were welcomed like old friends. I am talking of course about Art Trails which just wrapped it's 24th year. I am sorry to say that it is over, today was the last day but you should put it on your calendar for next year because it is a lot of fun and a great way to get next to some great art and some great artists right in your own back yard. You can get all of the information you need at http://www.sonomaarts.com/artrails/  so you can plan for nex... 10/18/2009

Sonoma County is agricultural heaven. Famed horticulturist Luther Burbank went so far as to say about Sonoma County, "This is the chosen spot of all this earth as far as Nature is concerned. I won't disagree. For those who are looking for an acre or two of this gardening paradise, Sebastopol stands out among all the others. For a host of reasons, including the failure of apple growers to make enough profit from their work, many Sebastopol country properties were broken into smaller parcels before zoning laws were enacted to preserve large farms. Other agricultural towns, like Healdsburg, simply don't have a lot of small parcels available. Sebastopol country property surrounds the town of Sebastopol, but is more sparse in the direction of Santa Rosa. The Laguna de Santa Rosa occupies a v... 07/28/2009

I've been thinking about all the great little spots and holes in the walls we have around here and thought I'd help spread the word about these little gems.   Some of my favorites and in no particular order are: Mimi's Ice Cream in downtown Sebastopol on the corner of Bodega Hwy (hwy 12) and Petaluma Ave (Hwy 116) across from what used to be the Chevy dealership.   If you are ever in town this is a must if you love good homemade natural ice cream.   And, if you are a chocoholic like myself as well as a caffeine addict then Mimi's Mudd is the flavor to try.   The smell of freshly baked waffle cones permeates the air.   Once you've been to Mimi's it WILL be a favorite. Sushi Tozai also in Sebastopol on Healdsburg Ave and lucky for me it's right down the street from my office!!!   Some of ... 05/24/2009

Interested in current market statistics for the Sebastopol Market Area of CA Real Estate?   Following are the stats for the April 2009 market as well as what is currently (as of May 23) available in the residential real estate market.    Residential meaning, Single Family Homes, Condo's as well as Farms/Ranches.   This month I am changing this up a bit by dividing out the detached single family homes from the condo market. NOTE: The Sebastopol Market Area includes Occidental & Camp Meeker as well as Sebastopol. As of Today May 23, 2009 the Sebastopol Market Area currently has: 154 Listings: 134 Single Family Home Listings with List Price Range of  $49,900  -  $9,500,000  Average List Price $933,826  *  Median List Price $729,000  13 are Bank Owned aka REO/Foreclosed properties & 13 are ... 05/23/2009

One of the many reasons I LOVE living here in Sonoma County is the availability of fresh and nutritious and often organic local produce.   Below is a mailer I recently sent out to my database regarding the Local Farmers Markets in the county.   This document offers when & where to find these Farmers Markets.   Again let's buy local when and where we can. 05/03/2009

If you are like me you wonder sometimes just when is it the season for a specific fruit or vegetable.   With an emphasis of striving to buy local here is a local harvest calendar for the Sonoma County California area.   05/03/2009

Earlier this year President Obama signed into the 2009 Stimulus Package and with it came the new and improved 2009 First Time Home Buyers Federal Tax Credit.   This TRUE TAX CREDIT was not exactly what we (the Realtor community) were hoping for but was a vast improvement over the 2008 credit.   Below is an explanation of how this tax credit works, who & what qualifies, timeframe it is valid as well as how to apply for it.   Pretty much the in's and outs of it as well as a bit of history of it's making.    I have highlighted a couple of sections not to be missed such as the definition of exactly who is considered a First Time Home Buyer as well as how and when a buyer can apply for the credit.   I assume there are many buyers out there that could benefit from this incredible credit but ... 05/01/2009

Frames not supported Frames not supported Sebastopol remains one of the most desirable areas in Sonoma County. The schools are strong, the children above average, and everyone is beautiful. No, seriously, Sebastopol is a great town. If you want to see what's available as REO bargains, check out my Sebastopol REO map.If you'd like to keep updated on the Sebastopol market you can sign up to get a weekly report with a detailed analysis of sales, trends, and projections. 04/26/2009

Interested in current market statistics for the Sebastopol Market Area of CA Real Estate?   Following are the stats for the March 2009 market as well as what is currently available in the residential real estate market.    Residential meaning, Single Family Homes, Condo's as well as Farms/Ranches. NOTE: The Sebastopol Market Area includes Occidental & Camp Meeker as well as Sebastopol. As of Today April 17, 2009 the Sebastopol Market Area currently has: 146 Active Listings: List Price Range $59,900 -  $3,995,000 Average List Price $776,472   Median List Price $639,450   16 are Bank Owned aka REO/Foreclosed properties & 20 are Short Sales 29 of the 146 Listings In Escrow in "Contingent" status: List Price Range $164,000 -  $1,595,000  Average List Price $493,597 Median List Price $475,00... 04/17/2009

Interested in current market statistics for the Sebastopol Market Area of CA Real Estate?   Following are the stats for the February 2009 market as well as what is currently available in the residential real estate market.    Residential meaning, Single Family Homes, Condo's as well as Farms/Ranches. NOTE: The Sebastopol Market Area includes Occidental & Camp Meeker as well as Sebastopol. As of Today March 17, 2009 Sebastopol currently has: 120 Active Listings: List Price Range $74,900 -  $2,950,000 Average List Price $743,297   Median List Price $617,000   17 are Bank Owned aka REO or Foreclosure properties & 17 are Short Sales 28 of the 120 Listings are In Escrow in "Contingent" status: List Price Range $164,000 -  $1,295,000  Average List Price $541,196 Median List Price $498,950  Of... 03/17/2009