Grass Valley, CA

Times were hard in the early days of Grass Valley California - the territory had to be cleared so houses could be built. Trees were cut down, burned or turned into lumber to build the homes and schools. Very little was wasted and the quality of life in Nevada County began to steadily develop. Water had to be carried by nearby springs prior to wells being dug. Stones were cut and shaped, and crops were sown and harvested by hand.

The name Grassy Valley seemed appropriate when immigrants first came through the meadows here to provided fodder for their horses, oxen and cattle. Later, in 1849, a group of immigrants from Boston settled by the side of Wolf Creek. They built a store and cabins and named their settlement Boston Ravine. The main route through the area ran between Nevada City and Rough & Ready. The area that is now downtown Grass Valley was about halfway between the two settlements, so in 1850, it came to be known as Centreville. The Postal Service opened it's first office under that name. Ultimately the three settlements became one town and adopted the name Grass Valley.

Little Known Grass Valley Facts:
Grass Valley was the first city in California to pass a law limiting cat ownership to one per household. In effort to put an end to the increasing number of stray cats, the law passed in 1987 and was the first of its kind.

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About Grass Valley Clifornia (CA)

Grass Valley in Nevada County is located West of Lake Tahoe and North East of Sacramento and San Francisco. This area in the sierras is California gold country and its beautiful scenery, springs, lakes, rivers, mountains, forests, and historic landmarks are what makes Nevada County world famous. Once you visit, live, camp, or just view the beauty of this region you will fall in love with Nevada County.

Grass Valley has warm to hot, dry summers, and wet, rainy winters. Summer is very dry but a thunderstorm may occur. The dry season is from May to September. November to mid-April is the true rainy season. Grass Valley has somewhat of anOceanic climate, except that summers are warmer and dry enough to give Grass Valley characteristics of the Mediterranean Climate like much of Northern California. Snow does occur at times and can be heavy. The winter rains contribute to a heavy fuel-loading of brush and grass, which dry out during the summer, posing a wildfire hazard. Nevada County Home Buyers and Sellers If you are looking for a Grass Valley Real Estate Agent, you will find Philip's 15 years experience along with his credibility very useful. Being a past Firefighter of almost 12 years a vast majority of Philip's clients are law Enforcement, Firefighters, Paramedics and Military personal. As a licensed CA agent under the Department of Real Estate, Philip's commitment is to always act in the best interest of his clients.

Are you interested in buying or selling real estate in California and are unsure if you can afford it. Just give Philip a call and five minutes is all it takes to know if this dream can become a reality.

Contact Philip today for more information by visiting him at Nevada County Home Sellers contact page.

Some Other Helpful Links when searching for a home: Home Search

Real Estate News on Twitter

You have decided that you are going to offer Owner Financing with the sale of your home or business; here are some pointers to think about when creating a note that will make it attractive to buyer’s(investors) should you later need to sell your note and get the cash you need, but also protect your interests if you decide to hold onto it.

* Down Payment – You need to get a good down payment to build equity in the note and give the buyer of the property more incentive hold his end of the agreement. This means at least 15% for a standard house, and 20-30% for commercial properties, and land. These numbers cannot always be reached, so try to get as much as you can without putting the buyer into a financially precarious position.

* Buyer’s Credit Score – Try to sell to a buyer with decent credit score; a credit score of 625 or greater is preferable. Investors will often buy a note with a credit score below 600 but be prepared for a deeper discount. It is important to recognize that a low credit score does not always represent the buyer’s ability to make timely payments, as the low score could be due to a host of reasons that are easily remedied. If you do sell to a buyer that has a less than average credit and you are going to hold on to the note for a while, be sure to report the loan to the credit agencies on a regular basis; if the buyer(payor) is making timely payments this activity will reflect favorably on the buyer’s credit score and more money for you should you decide to sell the note in the future.

* Interest Rate – A competitive interest rate is important because it will make it easy for the buyer to purchase the note and yield the desired profit without much of a discount to the note holder. Make sure that the interest rate being charged is at a minimum 8%, 10% is what I recommend. — R E Young

Hi Folks,

Showing & selling rural property in the Sierra foothills puts me in close touch with people and family's looking to be closer to the land and who wish to enjoy a simpler life than they have been accustomed to.

Permaculture is one of those topics that comes up often.

"Permaculture (a combination of two words: Permanent & Agriculture) is about designing ecological human habitats and food production systems. It is a land use and community building movement which strives for the harmonious integration of human dwellings, microclimates, annual and perennial plants, animals, soils, and water into stable, productive communities. The focus is not on these elements themselves, but rather on the relationships created among them by the way we place them in the landscape. This synergy is further enhanced by mimicking patterns found in nature."

If I summed up permaculture in one word I would call it harmony.

Over the last few years, I have heard of some great classes offered with hands on experience to be had and lessons to last a lifetime, but they that great story often follows with the sticker shock of it all . . . folks paying $2,500 to $3,000 per person for a 3 or 5 day intensive course . . . or . . . $500 for a weekend.

Wow, so much for grass roots helping thy neighbor do the right thing ey?

I think the concept is a great one and it has been in use and successfully practice for thousands of years by a multitude of cultures all around the world. Permaculture has a great place in todays back to the land models that are being tossed around and continually honed to impress the largest number of people. Impressing people with something so good and genuine, shouldn't have to be so hard . . . but more importantly it should not have to be SO DARN EXPENSIVE!

Now, are you ready for some good news?

Keith Crabtree and Mike Kluk have joined forces again to offer a bargain of an all day class at Sierra College's Grass Valley Campus.

An all day permaculture class taught by certified instructors for only $88 per student!

I am happy to share their new class details . . .

New Permaculture, Garden and Soil Preparation Class @ Sierra College

Permaculture strives to leave your land in better condition than when you arrived. Basic concepts and tools of rural, suburban and urban permaculture approaches will be introduced. Specific topics covered will include philosophy and design themes, efficient water use, soil health, orchard care and gardening, energy conservation and personal power production including solar, wind and microhydro.

Please bring a sack lunch to the class.

Saturday, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM; 1 session on October 17, 2009 Tuition: $78.00 Materials Cost: $10.00 Instructor: Keith Crabtree Location: Sierra College Nevada County Campus (Map)

If you have additional questions about the class, please call Keith Crabtree directly at 530-635-1253 or Mike Kluk at 530-273-5006

It will be a valuable earth connecting experience . . . guaranteed!

May all your acres be green ones!

Paul

Learn to live more self-sufficiently and sustainably.

When:

Saturday September 5, 2009 from 9am to 3pm

Students will learn how to:

• Design your urban or suburban yard or rural land to make it more productive and pleasing
• Harvest and Save Water
• Evaluate and improve the soil you have to work with
  
• Create raised and sheet mulched growing beds
• Raise your own vegetables and perennial food crops (including berrries, fruit trees, root crops, herbs and more)
• Use cold frames, Greenhouses and Shade Cloth to extend the seasons for both warm and cooler weather garden crops
• Conserve energy and evaluate options for personal energy production
• Bonus: Learn about the creation and growth of an already successful green business enterprise -- J. Appleseed Foods
  

Price- $45 for the entire day- bring a friend for half price and spouses and domestic partners are free.

Bring your own lunch and a lawn chair.

For directions and more information contact:
Mike (530) 273-5006
Joel (530) 478-9987
or Keith Crabtree of Green Acres 101 (530) 269-1217

Space is limited. Trainers are certified in Permaculture Design.