Santa Rosa, CA

Vintage Home Sells in Ridgeway Historic District, Sonoma, California

Last year I was involved in helping a retired couple moving from Michigan to the wine region in Sonoma, California to be closer to their daughter (a single -mom) and three grandsons.

The original plan was to find a home close to their daughter, who was renting a vintage home in the Historic Junior College District in Santa Rosa, California. Their love of vintage properties inspired them to make an offer on a property within walking distance of her and the boys. However, short sales with long closing dates were not working since their desire to relocate 8 to 10 months later or bidding the property up thousands of dollars was not in the game plan. 

This has happened many times in my real estate career and when we discussed their real options, I explained to them something better usually turns up in the long run. So, we decided to expand our search for a vintage home in an adjoining historic neighborhood.

Guess what? A Vintage, Norman Tudor Beauty came on the market in the Historic Ridgeway District and they decided it provided enough room for ALL of them to live under one roof. This Norman Tudor Beauty with two stories, numerous rooms with nooks and crannies, large rooms, kitchen, breakfast room, formal living room with wooden beamed ceiling , gracious dining room, workshop, basement, large separate laundry/mud room and garage was a blessing in more ways than one.  An estate sale, this had been home to one family for over forty years. Five children had been reared in this home and they had many wonderful memories of their mom, dad and each other.

The house had a lot maintenance issues ( many vintage homes do) but the family is used to hard work and has the required skills and patience to restore her.

Since the family has moved into their "new" vintage home they have repaired dry rot around the fireplace from water seepage, rehabilitated the old asbestos roof, rebuilt an outside staircase and painted numerous rooms .

Today, three lively boys, their mother (who designs jewelry in her remodeled atelier in the old workshop), their uncle and both grandparents now live in this Vintage, Tudor Beauty creating wonderful memories of their own.

Kathleen Bonham - Sonoma  Vintage Home Specialist

Contact a Sonoma Vintage Home Specialist

Phone Numbers that will help you during your move

As many of you already know I recently completed my courses for my state exam. However, after my Real Estate Practice class I am torn between two worlds. Some Real Estate Professionals consider the "old school" methods of a sign a lockbox and a contract is the only way to go. However... After attending RAINCAMP and becoming a marketing major I have been truely awakened to the endless capabilities of technology and there is no telling what is still to come.... I personally can not see how a simple For Sale sign can even hold a candle to some of the virtual tours and complete listing advertising. It is absolutely amazing how far technology has come. Anyway... what I am trying to achieve with this post is some diverse feedback on both the pros and cons of the "old school" method and the same for the new "jetson's" age we are upon in the RE Industry. How does it affect REO's?? Would they be a faster process one way or the other.... etc. I look forward to hearing opinions because from the professionals I have previously discussed this issue, the preferences in the 2 definitely vary to say the least. My Practice teacher is strictly old school and swears by it... And the man is very very successful. And anyone who has attended rainCAMP or has removed their heads from the sand knows that we are on the brink of technology. Opinions....pls. The more the merrier..

The Cascades is a condominium complex in Rincon Valley on Mission Blvd. It was built in 1987 and has a "Space Colony" look from the outside. There are 37 units inside it's gated walls. There is minimal guest parking out front. The entrance is a gate and intercom system. Once buzzed in, you enter a Garden of Eden court yard with pool and tall mature landscaping. The front doors of the units face the court yard. All the units are two stories and parking is beneath the complex in a subterraneal garage. The entrance to the garage is also through a secure gate that can be opened remotely from inside your car. Each unit is assigned 2 parking spaces.

The units range from 700+ sq ft to 1188 sq feet (with one unit being 1802 sq ft) and have fireplaces in the living rooms. The units are heated by forced air, natural gas furnaces. The kitchens are all electric. Again this is a condominium complex so the exterior is all taken care of by the Cascades Home Owners Association. The monthly fee is $348 (as of this writing) and covers your water, garbage, and insurance.

As of this date, units rent in the $1,200 range however this can vary greatly depending on the size and condition of the unit.

In 2009 only one unit sold and it was for $170,000. The Cascades are centrally located to Hwy 12. The Montecito Shopping Center is about 1 mile away and coffee shops and a convenience store are a very short walk down Mission.

The Cascades is a great place to live, and a great condominium for somebody first getting into the market. Give me call if your interested in obtaining more information, or if you'd like to see any of the units that are for sale.

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Redwood Village off Middle Rincon Ave is a great, affordable, condominium complex in the heart of Rincon Valley. The complex hosts 70 units, a pool, club house, and laundry room. As the name suggest, Redwood Ct is surrounded by tall beautiful redwood trees.

Redwood Ct is in walking distance to Madrone Elementary and Maria Carrillo High School. Across the street is the Montecito Shopping Center, home to Oliver's market, restaurants, Laundromats, hardware and other stores.

I've written contracts on several of these units. There are several floor plans, some are single level, and other are two stories. None of the units have attached garages but rather each homeowner is assigned a carport.

As of this article, the HOA dues are $330 per month. The HOA dues pay for the resident's garbage, water, exterior paint, roof, management, and insurance.

During 2009 only four units were sold. The lowest price was $104,000, and the most expensive was $150,000. The median price was 133,000 and the average days on the market was 175. The units range in size from 760 sq ft to 1200 sq ft.

Santa Rosa is blessed to have a fantastic historic district called Railroad Square.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, its located between 3rd, and 6th, and is just west of US 101. 

Come visit and step back in time to the 1870's, a time when Santa Rosa had just 6000 residents.  The railroads where exploding across the United States and had just arrived in Santa Rosa.  Some of the earliest settlers where Italian immigrants who came to Sonoma County to farm, and work on the railroads.  They found Sonoma County very similar to their native country in agricultural potential, beauty, and weather.  Trains stopped in Santa Rosa 10 times a day on their route between San Francisco and Eureka.

Four Italian stonemasons went to work and created five of the most historic buildings still standing in Railroad Square.  The Northwestern Pacific train depot, The Western Hotel,  Railway Express Agency building (currently A'roma coffee house), and the La Rose Hotel.  So well constructed, these buildings survived the 1906 earthquake that took down San Francisco, and most of Santa Rosa.

Santa Rosa re-built itself from 1906 to 1915, and added a new architecture of brick buildings that were more of a warehouse style but continued to serve the railroad community.  Factories, canneries, and breweries have turned into todays great restaurants, wine tasting, and antique shopping.  A list of current businesses and can be found at: RailroadSquare.net 

Commonly referred to as "restaurant row" Railroad Square hosts a nice variety of restaurants to include:  Don Taylor's Omelet Express,  La Gare French Restaurant, LoCoco's Cucina Rustica (my favorite), Chevy's and others.  Looking for entertainment, stop by A'roma Roasters Coffee House, or the 6th Street Playhouse.

So is that all... restaurants and antique shopping? Here are some other things you might want to do while visiting Railroad Square:

• Go see Santa Rosa's "other round barn" on Donahue.
• visit the train museum in the depot
• try some wine at one the wine bars
• see a play
• take a self-guided walking tour
• visit in August for the Art in the Park and Heritage Days
• check out Charlie Brown and Snoopy's bronze statue
• Bike, jog or walk along the Prince Memorial Greenway
• visit in October for Railroad Scare family halloween
• Check out the many sculptures
• have a great cup of coffee at Santa Rosa's famous A'roma Roasters
• walk over the Simon's Santa Rosa Plaza for some shopping
• visit in December for the Holiday horse and carriage rides

DeTurk Round Barn (9th at Donahue)

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Map of Railroad Square