Wine country properties for discriminating buyers

Beautiful single story view property located on its own knoll in the exquisite  town of Healdsburg. The new owner will enjoy all the benefits of design and elegance that was created in 2001 with a professionally designed kitchen, gorgeous landscaping, a  small vineyard of Merlot grapes, and exceptional views of Alexander Valley and the hills beyond. When you walk into the home, a private entry foyer greets you. Next  you enter the great room which features a gas fireplace surrounded by custom built-ins and  10 foot high ceilings add to the feeling of  spaciousness and a wall of windows floods  the interior with light . You are greeted with the sunny southern exposure of the gorgeous backyard  which was professionally landscaped  and includes a large patio as well as a covered deck  where you can enjoy the view. A high hedge defines the boundary of the backyard and provides privacy to enjoy a glass of wine with your evening meal throughout the year.

The home is designed with two separate master suites on opposite ends of the home which truly is helpful since you can expect to have lots of visitors coming to enjoy the exceptional quality of life of Sonoma County and especially the town of Healdsburg.  From my own personal experience over the past 36 years I have seen Healdsburg change from a sleepy agricultural town to a world renowned hamlet featured in articles throughout the world. We boast the finest restaurants including Cyrus where I have enjoyed the highest quality of food and service. Besides Cyrus there is Ravenous on North Street,  Willi’s Seafood Food Raw Bar on Healdsburg Avenue, Bistro Ralph on the Plaza, just to name a few of the highest quality restaurants in Sonoma County and perhaps the world.

This exceptional .7 acre property is located just a few miles from Healdsburg’s famous square. One can walk from your new home to downtown and enjoy your morning coffee at the Flying Goat Coffee on Center Street where the locals gather every morning to enjoy conversations with each other. Another favorite  Mexican restaurant is El Sombrero on Center Street where I have enjoyed the best the town has to offer in Mexican cuisine without the fuss of a fancy place.

Another benefit of this home is the exceptional professionally designed kitchen with a center island featuring a huge slab of  light yellow Zodiac . The highest quality of appliances are featured along with a gorgeous  limestone tile floor. The highest quality of flooring is featured throughout the home as well as the 10 foot ceiling which adds to the feeling of spaciousness. The office is separated from the living area by a wall of gorgeous glass that serves to reduce any noise from the great room. The home is furnished with exceptionally beautiful furniture which one could purchase separately so that the property may be bought as a “turn key”.

This property is proudly offered at $1,139,000.

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Once every fifty years or so, an opportunity comes along to own your own Heavenly fifteen acres in West  Sebastopol filled with its own Redwood forest, two year round streams, a  meadow,  an apple orchard and two ponds. The propert  was built in the 50’s in the style of Camp Currie, Yosemite and is named Willowbrook. This exquisite property boasts a lodge home with redwood logs decorating its exterior and interior along with three additional  one  bedroom cabins in  a similar style. A paved road leads to this serene setting just one mile north of Bodega Highway on Furlong Road. The quiet is punctured only by the sounds of the two streams, the rustling of the trees, the diverse wildlife of native birds whistling in the trees. The property boasts a sun drenched swimming pool with its own huge flagstone patio with steps leading down to another patio next to the bubbling year round stream. From the deck off the pool cabana, one can enjoy the view of the Redwood forest, stream and huge ferns growing in its own grotto like setting.

The fifteen acres are gifted with both the warming sun in the meadow, the ponds, and the pool area as well as the apple orchard on the other side of one of the streams. The lodge is kissed by the sun, while behind the main home  a redwood grove grows with its cool  shadows creating a cool area to relax.  A trail leads around the lodge through the forest to the beautiful pool area which enjoys the warming rays of the sun.

Priced at $1,300,000.00

Please call Realtor Sheila Giovan at 707 495-4356 for a private showing. All showings must be arranged through the selling agent.

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Stunning West Dry Creek Valley 40 acre Estate Bulding site with spectacular views of vineyards and Dry Creek Valley below.  Cleared and ready for the most discriminating buyer who is looking forward to building in the most gorgeous area of the wine country in Healdsburg.  The property is located on the bench line on the western side of  West Dry Valley directly behind the award winning Raymond Burr’s winery.  All trails and roads have been improved so that you can tranverse the entire property.  The southern part of the property boasts a possible building site already leveled and with an additional extraordinary view. No matter what you goals are, this property is a rare find of a buildable site,  existing 12000 gallon cement water tank, existing new well drilled in November  2009 as well as other water sources, and a new septic system has been designed and permitted by the County  and is ready to be installed.  Electricity is on the property attached to the antique home  which can be used to live in while you are building your dream home. A seasonal stream and beautiful trees add to the serenity of the parcel.

In addition, this property enjoys ideal Healdsburg weather  conditions where the sun rises over the eastern part of Dry Creek Valley and lights this property so you can have your morning coffee in the sunlight. The views  from the older antique home are spectacular of the well manicured  valley below.

If you are thinking of building in the wine country,  this is the property that you must see and bring a glass of wine to stop and enjoy the views.

The price is $1,350,000.

Please contact Sheila Giovan at 707 495-4356 for a private showing.

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Beautiful view from knoll overlooking the Russsian River Valley

10.33 acre estate parcel has remarkable panoramic views of the Russian River Valley with vineyards in every direction. Features include 3 bd/2 bath ranch style home, huge renovated barn with cement floor and office. The barn can easily hold 10 cars. Additional amenities include tennis court, small cottage, large covered patio surrounded by adult shade trees and garden. Six acres are planted with award winning Pinot Noir grapes which are leased and provide great views and income ($10,000) per year. In addition, 3 ½ acres+- are ready to be planted by the new owners with the added bonus of free tertiary water on site. The property is totally private , located on a hilltop with exceptional views and yet not visible from the main road. A Must See!

VisualTour of this listing.

Offered at $998,500.

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Short Sale Homes  in Sonoma County

This is the time to start looking at Short  Sales in Sonoma County. Short Sale homes and investment properties are homes and condos that the owner has missed a minimum of two  bank payments.  Hopefully, once the owner has missed two payments, he or she should enlist a realtor to see about selling the home before the foreclosure is final. The owners  market the homes in hopes of selling them before the bank forecloses on the home. In addition, the homeowner’s credit  is less effected by a short sale property than a foreclosed property. Therefore, it behooves the owner to try to complete a short sale as soon as possible.

Short sale homes run the full gammit of prices from $200,000 to the millions. Today  I ran all the Short Sales in Sonoma County for all homes that are currently in Short Sale status from $200,000 to 2 milion. There are currently 669 available homes and condos in Sonoma County.

Short Sales in Sonoma County

Once the Short Sales are listed, you have the opportunity to bargain for the homes. At this point,  the Buyer has the opportunity to look at the property. The Buyer actually ends up dealing with Bank or Savings and Loan which owns the First mortgage and perhaps the Second mortgage as well. The owners often do not realize that they are not in the driver’s seat anymore.  The Banks are the ones that decide to accept an offer or reject it. The drawback from Short Sales is that the Buyer must be prepared to wait several months to complete the deal. It is exasperating to deal with the Banks, however,it is worth the wait when the Buyer gets the house at a greatly reduced price.

Why look at  Short Sales?

The obvious reason is that the price is so much cheaper than a regular sale where there isn’t any problem with delinquent loans. The owners of regular houses do not want to address the huge depreciation in their property as reflected by the hundreds of thousands less in asking price on REO’s and Short Sales. It is very difficult to explain to current property owners that their home prices have followed the REO’s and Short Sales down in pricing. Therefore, it is much easier to look at realistic pricing of  Short Sales!

Playing the Game of Short Sales

I refer to the Short Sale Experience as much like a game. The property isn’t sold until the lenders decide to accept the offer. The property owner has no input into the agreed price between the buyers and the banks. The banks can wait and extend the period when they are accepting offers. And in addition, if your offer is accepted, the bank can accept another offer that is better than yours. The bank has the right to take a better offer even  if the property is listed as CC, Contingent-Show. Therefore, I recomment that we look at properties that are listed as CC because you too can pump the last price that was offered.

669 Short Sales Available in Sonoma County on December 21, 2008

My proposal is to list my favorite homes on my blog that I select  to entice prospective Buyers to call me and see these excellent buys in Sonoma County. You can Google me to see my background in Sonoma County and the articles that have been written about me in the Press Democrat. I also have built two custom  homes from the ground up and I am familiar with the costs to remodel homes with my list of trusted contractors. My full name is Sheila H. Giovan and I can be reached at 707 495-4356 mobile phone. I am associated with Healdsburg Sotheby’s International Realty at 409 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg.

Making your own Search for Short Sales

Also, you can run a search for yourself on my winecountryranches.com which you can name the exact areas that you are interested and the price. It is tied to the MLS(Mutliple Listing Service) and therefore is updated to that moment. It is an ideal way to search for properties that meet your criteria.

I have lived in Sonoma County for over thirty four years. I am very knowledgeable about  Sonoma County. I have a passion for the beauty and uniqueness of this area of California. I look forward to working with you if you decide to look at these great bargains!

One last thought, how long will these REO’s and Short Sales last? At this time the Press Democrat is still publishing daily lists of homes to be auctioned at the court house steps. Until these postings of delinquent property owners stop, we will be seeing more Short Sales and REO’s to look at and buy at greatly reduced prices.

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This is the time to start looking at high end luxury REO’s in Sonoma County. REO stands for Real Estate Owned by Banks(homes that have been through the foreclosure process).   My definition of luxury bank owned homes includes the homes from $450,000 to $1,200,000. Yesterday I ran all the REO’s in this price range. Currently over a hundred luxury bank owned homes are available in Sonoma County. I like these properties the most because you don’t have to deal with owners and you can readily look at all the properies in a very short time. In addition, you only have to deal with the bank who owns the property who is anxious to sell it.

Let me give you some examples in  the market right now. Call me to see any of these homes.

260 Clear Ridge Drive in Healdsburg is an example of a property that is vacant and is an REO currently listed for $820,999. The original list price was over $1,500,000. This home was built as an expensive spec house that missed the elevated prices of a few years ago. This home features beautiful views and is very modern in design. It would be  great for a second home in Healdsburg for entertaining.

3783 Shillingord Place in Vistara in Santa Rosa is listed for $899,000 and was priced substantially above a million. It has a spectacular view from the top of Founttaingrove. This is very well priced for a Vistara subdivision home where almost  all the homes have sensational views.

9964 Troon Court in Oak Hills Estates is another beautiful home that is listed currently at $944,000.  Oak Hills Estates is a million dollar luxury neighborhood in Windsor located on huge lots and each home is individually designed mostly by architects. It features 4281 square feet on just under a half acre.

This is just three examples out of hundreds in Sonoma County of luxury REO homes.

My plan is to list my favorite homes that I select each week to entice prospective Buyers to call me and see these excellent buys in Sonoma County. You can Google me to see my background in Sonoma County and the articles that have been written about me in the Press Democrat. I also have built two custom homes from the ground up and I am familiar with the costs to remodel homes with my list of trusted contractors. My full name is Sheila H. Giovan and I can be reached at 707 495-4356 mobile phone. I am associated with Healdsburg Sotheby’s International Realty at 409 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg.

I have lived in Sonoma County for over thirty four years. I am very knowledgeable about  Sonoma County. I have a passion for the beauty and uniqueness of this area of California. I look forward to working with you if you decide to look at these great bargains!

One last thought, how long will these REO’s last? At this time the Press Democrat is still publishing daily lists of homes to be auctioned at the court house steps. Until these postings of delinquent property owners stop, we will be seeing more REO’s to look at and buy at greatly reduced prices.

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A great way to spend a day wine tasting is to visit the beautiful Alexander Valley just north of Healdsburg in Sonoma County. You will be astonished with the gorgeous mountains and the long valley with hundreds of acres of premium wines. The best approach from Highway101 is to exit onto Dry Creek Road and turn right for about three blocks until you reach the traffic light at Healdsburg Avenue. Turn left and start your journey up  the graceful drive to Alexander Valley Road. Turn right at the intersection of Alexander Valley Road and proceed to follow  the meandering road where some of the best wines in the country are grown. You’ll cross over the historic Russian River, named for the fort that the Russians had established long ago. Luckily, we got control of the area and the Russians left.

About a mile past the bridge you will be treated to one of my favorite places to enjoy a light sandwich at the well known Jimtown Store. It is located at 6706 Highway 128. Alexander Valley Road becomes Highway 128 at the stop sign. Just continue on straight and Jimtown Store is on the left. once you have enjoyed this little bit of history, proceed on Highway 128 where you will  have several choices of very fine wineries.

My favorite is Hanna Winery which has won consistently in the Harvest Fair for its excellent wines. Hanna Winery is located on the left at 9280 Highway 128 up a spectacular driveway to its tasting room. One year Hanna Winery received the award for best of show. Besides I especially enjoy the placement of their wine tasting room which gives you a commanding view of the valley below with great service and friendly servers. The owner of the winery, Dr. Hanna truly enjoys his life in Sonoma County and his winery shows his love of the area.

Down the road a bit is Field Stone Winery that has a lot of character with the wine tasting room part of the storage and super friendly folks who are part of the winery. They have lots of picnic tables situated under large oaks.  I have enjoyed several parties at this fine establishment with local wine growers and it is always fun to be here.

At this point it is best to go back Highway 128 to where Alexander Valley Road stopped and turn right on Highway 128 toward Geyserville. Next you can stop at one of the wineries where I am a wine club member. It is called Stryker Winery and has won awards for its fantastic design. When you are in the wine tasting area, the owners designed it so you are looking directly out at the Valley. Also, the staff is super friendly and it is worth joining the wine club because you can then taste all their wines that are opened without charge.

Finally, continue on to Geyserville and turn right on Geyserville Avenue. Here you will find a marvelous restaurant named Santi Restaurant, 21047 Geyserville Avenue. It is a famous restaurant with various past owners and now is owned by great chefs. Not to be missed.

To return to Healdsburg just go south on Geyserville Avenue and proceed south on Highway 101. One last thought, you might enjoy a stop at the fantastic renovated remodeled and glamorous Rosso and Bianco Winery, formerly known as Souverain. It is a show stopper designed by the new owner Francis Ford Coppola. You can exit the freeway at Independence Lane and go west.

For any additional information and recommendations, please call me at 707 495-4356. I think that this day   trip should not be missed.

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A delightful day can be spent driving along the Dry Creek Valley road from Highway 101. Get off at the Dry Creek exit and turn left onto Dry Creek and enter into one of the most scenic areas of California. As you drive along the valley you will notice all the gorgeous vineyards and very few homes along the valley floor. The  Sonoma Dam limits the building of homes in this river bed valley. The River from the Sonoma Dam flows through the valley and joins the Russian River further down towards Forestville.

One place to stop for refreshments and a great viewing of all the people who frequent the area is the Dry Creek General Store located at 3495 Dry Creek Road. The food and sandwiches are great and you can pick up lots of different types of  drinks. The staff there is friendly and helpful. Also, don’t miss the exceptional bar to the left of the store. The walls are lined with antelope and deer heads and  olden times relics.

The next fantastic spot to visit is the Ferrari-Carano Winery(8761 Dry Creek Road) which features the best garden setting of the eniire valley. You feel as if you are entering an Italian Villa overlooking the valley. Don’t miss the fantastic private garden similar to the Japanese Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. This place is heavenly and should not be missed. In addition they serve delicious wines and it the winery has many  types of wines to taste.

Continue on Dry Creek up to the Lake Sonoma where you can cross the bridge onto Rockpile Road located on the otherside of the lake. It affords a terrific view and is maybe five more miles past the Brandt Memorial Building where you can stop and learn about the history this dam.

Once you return back towards the Dry Creek Store, turn right onto Lambert Bridge Road and cross over to West Dry Creek Road which features even more lovely wineries where you can taste their wines. I am especially fond of the Bella Winery which is located to the right at the end of the road. Here you can wine taste inside their underground cave.

Once you have enjoyed the Bella Winery, return and follow the meandering West  Dry Creek Road where you will find numerous wineries. The most famous for Pinot is the small Rochiola winery located at 6192 Westside road. Dry Creek Road deadends into Westside Road and be sure and turn right onto Westside Road and drive along this scenic and delightful road lined with vineyards featuring pinot grapes. Rochiola is world famous for its Pinot Noir and has won more awards than anyone. Usually you can only buy one bottle of the Pinot Noir, however, everyone in your party can buy one. It is worth the drive.

After visiting Rochioli, return to Healdsburg to enjoy a stroll around the town square. Often times, there is music performed in the center of the square and you can enjoy a great dinner at the numerous restaurants within two blocks walking distance from the center of town.  One that I love is Ravenous which is located at 420 Center Street, just a short walk north on Center from the square. It also has a smaller location next the the big theatre in town at 117 North Street. Another one of my favorites is not to be missed is Bistro Ralph, 109 Plaza.

If you need any other recommendations, just call me on my cell phone 707 495-4356. I am happy to help you enjoy this paradise.

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Sheila enjoying a Grand Canyon ride

Welcome to my blog about country property in Sonoma County. I have been working with discriminating buyers of luxury and equestrian homes and land for many years. I look forward to working with you.

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