View to the Northwest, great sunsets from here

Located 10 minutes from Santa Rosa and hwy. 101, 25 minutes from the Sonoma Coastline, 15 minutes to Sebastopol and nestled in the middle of the Russian River appellation, wine country; this is a great location for a family home or a country get away!

Some of the details:

• The septic system plans are approved to build a home up to 5 bedrooms
• There is electrical power available at the lot line
• There is a paved drive with private gate up to the easement leading to the lot
  

  Private road through a gate to the building lot

• It’s in a well regarded School district
• Drive through an area of “High End Estate” homes leading up to the lot
• The lot is gently sloped and easy for building
  

  the view from the lot line at the private road

OFFERED AT: $425,000

image courtesy of one green planet

First and foremost is to learn how you use your water and where it goes. I don’t mean just down the drain but also how the water flows though your yard. Understanding this flow and your usage and just paying attention will make a real difference. Here are three key ways you can affect your water flow.

• Rainwater catchment
• Reuse water through a “Greywater system
• increase your contribution to the local water table by allowing more water to percolate into the ground and less runoff into storm sewers by replacing impervious paving with water permeable surfaces, terracing steep slopes, mulching planting beds and covering bare ground with vegetation.

Next in importance is how you use your water in your home. Here are 8 great tips to conserve water in your home:

1. Fix leaky faucets and toilets, which can waste up to 20 gallons of water per day!
2. Install low-volume or dual flush toilets to save up to 80 gallons of water per day.
3. Install low-flow shower heads to reduce water use during bathing by nearly 20 percent.
4. Take a short shower instead of a bath. A 5 minute shower uses 20 gallons of water. The average bath requires 36 gallons.
5. Use the dishwasher to clean a full load of dishes rather than washing by hand. Dishwashers use 9-12 gallons per load. Washing the same set of dishes by hand can use up to 20 gallons.
6. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth, shaving, or doing dishes to save 5 or more gallons.
7. Xeriscape your lawn instead of planting grass. If you have grass, be sure to water it during the coolest part of the day to minimize evaporation. And turn off irrigation systems when the weather permits.
8. Harvest rainwater and graywater (from baths and dishes) and use it for outdoor watering.

Frankly, as with any other change, it starts with each and every one of us. What will you do to continue conserving water in your home?

Irene Turner

Introducing International Interior Designer Irene Turner. She specializes in renovations, and offers services such as:

• Preparing your home for sale-Not staging, but with an expert eye and professional approach to re-arranging, de-cluttering, and refreshing your home with what you already have, it will show better, and sell faster.
• Seeing the full potential of the home you live in, or are contemplating buying-Looking at homes that need fixing up can be daunting, especially when you don’t have the eye for seeing a homes full potential. With-in minutes, Irene can see beyond the 4 walls and help you visualize the home of your dreams.
• Color consultations-To prep your home for sale, or to make a home you just bought completely yours, she will help you select the perfect colors for your home that work for you.
• Refresh your home with what you already own-Whether preparing your home for sale, or looking for a face lift for a home that needs some TLC.
• Design plans for décor or renovation that you can take and execute yourself-On a bit of a budget? Need help putting together plans that can be permitted with an experienced eye for all the possibilities? Irene can help you get the plans in place so you can execute as time and money allow.
• Full fledged design service, from creation to completion, for large-scale décor, renovation and new construction projects-With 18 years in the international interior design business, Irene brings a professional eye and a global perspective to each and every project.

I’m here to help you feel at home in your space! Irene Turner at Home

image via sweetique

Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing. Ernest Hemingway-Death in the Afternoon

Yes, it’s true, wine, in moderation, can be good for you. Apart from all the health benefits,  wine is also good for your psyche. Enjoying a glass of wine with friends or relaxing with a glass of wine after a long day at work is good for the soul.

Living here in Sonoma County, I am fortunate to be surrounded by world class wineries, and must say I enjoy a good glass of wine in the evening. It seems to be a way of life here…good food, paired with great wine.

Recently, there have been a slew of scientific studies relating new health benefits to moderate consumption of wine:

• it’s rich in antioxidants (especially red wine)
• raises your good cholesterol (HDL-Cholesterol)
• contains resveratrols
• counters some of the ill effects of cigarette smoking
• improve cognitive thinking
• may slow down the aging process
• help keep heart and circulatory problems at bay
• it’s also said that red wine in moderation may be good for your waistline
• it increases laughter, which can aid longevity

So with that in mind, I’m off to open a bottle of my favorite Russian Hill Pinot Noir to share with my wife! It’s just nice to know that enjoying a glass or two of your favorite tipple can actually have a benefit, don’t you think?

What’s your favorite wine, and by whom? Let me know, I enjoy finding wines I have not yet tried. 

Cheers!

My office with the new signs in place! Stop by anytime you are in Graton!

The logo was designed, the new business cards printed, the signs are changed on the office, the new sale signs are up in front of our listings, our new web site is launched and my new email is live! We are excited to finally announce the complete transfer from Valley Oak Real Estate Investments, to Sonoma County Properties.

Take a look at the short video below to hear why we changed our name. And, I invite you to leave a comment below; I’d love to know what you think of our latest endeavor. 

Sonoma County Properties

7 Generations of Buying and Selling Sonoma County Real Estate!”

the mustard seed on Slusser Rd. here in Sonoma County-image via my wife!

I love it when the first yellow flowers start to crop up. To me it’s natures statement that yes, spring is here. When I was a young boy there were old vineyards near the home I grew up in. When the flowers bloomed they were great places to run through and hide out playing cowboys and indians!

image via mighty mustard web site

Of course, as I grew older I understood that there was a reason that there was so much mustard seed everywhere I looked. Did you know that mustard plants are used as a cover crop in vineyards to reduce erosion, add nitrogen and improve soil tilth and water penetration?

Cover crops helps to increases organic matter, reduces compaction, reduces excessively vigorous vines, dust and mite problems, & provides a habitat for beneficials. By providing firm footing during wet weather, the plants allow for winter/early spring access in the vineyard.

Like all farmed crops, young grapevines can be very sensitive to plant parasites which can cause lots of problems in proper development of a vineyard.  I love it that we use all of these cultural techniques when we can, to naturally reduce harmful parasites rather than applying costly and dangerous chemicals to accomplish the same goal.

So yes, the mustard seed provides an important service in the production of our world famous wines…and, they offer us a lot of natural beauty as we drive around our countryside. Why not come and visit us here in Sonoma County? We’d love to see you.

Happy Spring Equinox!

Off of Slusser Rd. image courtesy of my wife!

Here I am with my first QR coded sign

QR codes stand for quick response code, and is the hottest thing since “sliced bread”. And here at Sonoma County Properties we are fully embracing this up and coming technology to help you access information about a property you happen to drive by and want to know more about. What, How? I’ll make it easy for you.

A QR code looks something like this:

image courtesy of ted-it blog

Newer smart phones already have a QR code reader included. If you have an older phone you can go to your APP store and pick up one for free, or perhaps for as much as 99 cents. There are many good reviews of the different apps, this link goes to the one that I used.

Here’s how it works. If you are driving down the road and see the code on my sign, stop for a minute and hold up your phone to the sign. Your phone will scan it through the APP, and it will immediately take you to the website on that house. You’ll be able to read all about the house, the vital statistics and you don’t even have to wait to see what the inside looks like!

how fast you can now pull up information-image via homecellers

Then, of course, if you are interested you can use the same phone to instantly call me and I will be happy to give you even more information and get you inside to see the house up close and personal. Usually these apps also work on your iPad or pod.

My first QR code sign went up last week on my listing at 2020 Bloomfield Rd. Next time you are driving down that road, you’ll be able to test your app out.

Call me with any questions or real estate projects, I’m here to help you!

7 Generations of Buying and Selling Sonoma County Real Estate

]]> http://www.sonomacountypropertiesonline.com/2012/03/15/real-estate-qr-codes-now-at-sonoma-county-properties/feed/ 0 http://www.sonomacountypropertiesonline.com/2012/03/15/real-estate-qr-codes-now-at-sonoma-county-properties/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SonomaCountyProperties/~3/clFX0a2hq6M/ http://www.sonomacountypropertiesonline.com/2012/03/13/sonoma-county-properties-is-pleased-to-present-land-to-build-on-grandview/#comments Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:35:14 +0000 Ron L. Welsh http://www.sonomacountypropertiesonline.com/?p=1184 Are you ready to build your own home on a smaller lot in the desirable Sebastopol Countryside?

our new For Sale Signs

Then this .8 acre near the top of Grandview, close to Cherry Ridge road might just be for you. Located on the west side and gently sloping away from Grandview to the west, it never the less could have a great view from the front of the house, to the east, of vineyards and the Sonoma mountain range.

image to the west on a cloudy day, on a sunny day Sonoma Mountain is clearly visible

To the west, you could look over Burgundy Ln. valley with views of hills, trees and on sunny days, our famous sunsets.

view to the south and west

While you would have neighbors, the slope of the land, vineyards, forests and the vista views make you feel that you are truly out in the country. Just 10 minutes to downtown Sebastopol, it’s rare to find a lot like this. With the perfect exposure, this property is ideal for a solar/energy efficient home.

Offered at $170,000

Call me for more information at 707-823-2533

I’m here to serve you!

Many things factor into a wines quality but I believe that:

The basic character of any vineyard is determined by two primary factors: weather and soil.

The wines of our Sonoma County Wine Country are world renown. Although all of our Sonoma County Appellations such as Los Caneros, Green Valley, Chalk Hill and Dry Creek can and do produce fantastic wines, my personal taste buds are particularly fond of the Pinots coming out of our Russian River Valley. It must be have been bred in my genes, as I am the 6th generation of my family born right here in the Russian River valley.

Here is some interesting information via the RRVW organization about the climate and soil conditions that make our region so unique:

A Cool Place to Grow Grapes

The Russian River Valley climate is sculpted by the regular intrusion of cooling fog from the Pacific Ocean a few miles to the west. Much like the tide, it ebbs and flows through the Petaluma Wind Gap and the channel cut by the Russian River.

The fog usually arrives in the evening, often dropping the temperature 35 to 40 degrees from its daytime high. The fog retreats to the ocean the following morning. This natural air-conditioning allows the grapes to develop full flavor maturity over an extended growing season — often 15 to 20 percent longer than neighboring areas — while retaining their life-giving natural acidity.

image courtesy of Ferrari Carano Vineyards

Rocks Become Dirt

The geologic history of the Russian River Valley is both active and recent. The collision between the North American and Pacific tectonic plates caused the uplift of ancient bedrock, which then eroded. Within the last few million years the eruption of volcanic vents immediately to the east resulted in the deposition of volcanic ash on the shallow ocean bottom. The resulting sandstone gave us our famous Goldridge loam soil.

Water flowing off of the Sonoma Mountain range carried with it eroded volcanic material, creating soils with large amounts of clay in the central portion of the appellation. Then, in what remains a major mystery to geologists, the Russian River, which once flowed south to what is now San Francisco Bay, changed course and headed west through the coastal foothills. Along its course it deposited large amounts of alluvial materials that are now river benchlands. Each of these different soils has a profound effect on wine produced from grapes grown in this soil.

 What is your favorite Sonoma County Appellation and why?

     Thanks for reading my Sonoma County Properties Blog.

Call Me for more information on any kind of Sonoma County Properties. I am here to help you!

2020 Bloomfield Road, Sebastopol, California

Included is:

• 3 roomy bedrooms & 2 bathrooms
• 2117 sq. feet of sunny living space
• an attached 2 car garage
• and an additional 1040 sq. ft. 4 car garage/shop with half bath and side studio
• new paint and clear pest report
• new back deck overlooking apple orchard
• front view of vineyards
• on 1.3 acres

Listed at $620,000 REDUCED TO: $599,000

MLS # 21204781