Chasing Dreams: Coastal, Valleys, Vines or Sea

June 2004 will mark 15 years that my husband and I are living full time in the California North Coast region. And it is almost that long that I've been selling real estate at Mendo Realty. In all those years of helping people look for property, the constant is the dilemma that all Buyers face: "What is the ideal spot for me to live out my dream of a country home."

If you are a Coastal/Sea person you think you have to decide between oceanfront or ocean view. If you are a Valley/Vines person, you feel the choices are the Valley floor or a hill overlooking the scene. Actually, with both scenarios, the choices are much broader.

For sea-lovers, the coast offers a broad variety of choices. The vacant oceanfront parcel is definitely an "endangered specie." Build-able oceanfront parcels are few and far between and the prices reflect the paucity of inventory. If you can afford the drama of the oceanfront, there probably is no better real estate investment than oceanfront. To fracture the immortal words of Will Rogers, "Buy oceanfront — they ain't makin' it anymore." Remember, after the Mendocino Coast oceanfront, the next stop is Hawaii!

Ocean view parcels are not far behind in scarcity. The inventory of ocean view and ocean front homes is also low and promises to remain there for some time to come. "Why is that?" people ask. There are two very simple answers. There just aren't many homes on the Mendocino Coast (as compared to an urban or suburban community of the same geographic size). Mendocino County is approximately 100 miles by 100 miles and has fewer than 83,000 people living within those boundaries! Then, too, people come to the North Coast and typically stay for 15 to 25 years. This means that we don't see a big turnover of homes. It has only been in the last 3 or 4 years that "locals" have been taking advantage of the low interest rates to move up to bigger or better-located homes in the area. For generations, people came here, built a home (often by hand) and stayed put. Also, some movement has occurred contrary to the norm with some "coasties" cashing out of their high-ticket homes and going smaller or moving away to be nearer children and family in other areas.

So, what are the alternatives: keep in mind if you are on the coast you are near the ocean — and it's not going anywhere! You can live a mile or two from the shore and be on a bluff watching the whales and seals in a matter of minutes. Living off the coast might afford you a better climate (see Gio's upcoming guide, "Fog: The Great Debate") in which to grow a tomato or have a balmy summer evening out of doors!

Prices are generally lower a little further away from the ocean. Think of the price map as a wave: the closer you are to the Village of Mendocino the higher the price, the bigger the wave. If you feel that you can't live without a daily latte and a stroll in Mendocino, then stay within what I call the "3 mile limit." If you feel adventuresome and are looking for a more rugged and less populated base, remember that some of the most beautiful parts of the Mendocino Coast are north of Fort Bragg and further north in Westport. Prices are relatively lower as well.

In the case of the Valley lovers: the Anderson Valley, Comptche Valley, Yorkville and Hopland areas offer many alternatives as well. These areas are not for a person who needs to shop every day. When I get time off, I often don't leave "my mountain" for days at a time! We hunker down and work in the garden, read, BBQ and generally stay put.

These Valleys offer great variety. Besides the high ridge setting with expansive views of vineyards and forests, there are creek-side properties — serene in summer and lush all winter long. If you dream of a redwood forest, you can find a property that offers a combination of views and trees, often in a more remote setting. Don't be afraid of these larger parcels. Often even on a forty acre parcel there are only a few acres for a home and garden on this kind of land and the rest of the acreage is tree-growing ground. Larger parcels often mean the absolute privacy you are dreaming of. Keep in mind that this kind of living might mean a solar home (off the grid) and some clever "outside the box" thinking when it comes to development. They always mean a few extra minutes drive to the highway.

Keep in mind that with inland properties you often will pay the same amount for 1 acre as 5 and the same for 5 as 20 acres. You are always paying for the building site. My parcel is like this: lots of steep ground and about 2 or 3 acres gentle to level; but, I'm a ridge person. If you are on the Valley floor, and want plantable acreage, the formula holds, but the more level ground you have the higher the price of the parcel — whatever size it is!

When I do my "drive about" introductions to the Valleys, I include roads that meander through the lower elevations and then up in the high-view country. It's my way of finding out how people respond, viscerally, to what each view and location has to offer.

Wherever you choose, as a place of refuge from the city or the start of a new and different lifestyle, remember that the partnership you establish with your Realtor is going to be a long-term relationship. You'll be meeting in the grocery store and at the post office.

I look at every new resident as a new neighbor and the opportunity to facilitate those country dreams as priceless!

Gio's Property Search Pointers...

• Start your search early and visit the area often.


• Inventory is low. Be ready to pounce if you see what you're looking for. There are not a lot of "duplicate" properties here.


• Make a checklist of property features you want but be flexible.


• Call Gio for a "drive about" in the region of your choice!


• Gio covers the North Coast from Westport to Irish Beach.


• Gio covers the Valleys from Anderson Valley to Hopland.