Santa Rosa to Cloverdale??? (Compton, Lakewood: for sale, real estate, apartment)
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So I am getting sick of the over crowded madness & increasing ghetto-ness of Santa Rosa. I want to stay in the SOCO area,but have to move out of the city limits of Santa Rosa before I go crazy(er). Problem is,we can't afford anything big enough for our family in Kenwood or West county like Occidental or Bodega Bay or even Healdsburg for that matter.
I was looking into Cloverdale & want to know what people think? How is the commute? We all work in Santa Rosa & feel we would be willing to make the commute from Cloverdale for some more peace of mind & to own acreage/bigger house.We have found a couple properties we are interested in just out of town in the hills with a little land. How is living in the town? I have visited many times & it is a beautiful small town,but how are the people,the good,the bad,the food,traffic,etc.,etc. the real low down? I don't want to make a wrong move & be more frustrated,but it sure seems nice & quiet & clean up there. My only other concern is being farther from the coast,but I guess you can't have everything unless you're rich.
Anyways,all advice or info. is appreciated,this move would take place soon,so I am trying to get as much info & decide if it is a good move or if I should just wait a little while & see what other properties come up all over the county in the next year. I was told I can sell now for about $525,000-$550,000 if I can find the right buyer. All the perfect houses for my family & I
in the other more coastal parts of the county cost about $700 & up even in this market,so frustrating,arrrgggghhhhh!
Last edited by BodegaHead; 07-02-2010 at 01:24 AM..
So I am getting sick of the over crowded madness & increasing ghetto-ness of Santa Rosa. I want to stay in the SOCO area,but have to move out of the city limits of Santa Rosa before I go crazy(er). Problem is,we can't afford anything big enough for our family in Kenwood or West county like Occidental or Bodega Bay or even Healdsburg for that matter.
I was looking into Cloverdale & want to know what people think? How is the commute? We all work in Santa Rosa & feel we would be willing to make the commute from Cloverdale for some more peace of mind & to own acreage/bigger house.We have found a couple properties we are interested in just out of town in the hills with a little land. How is living in the town? I have visited many times & it is a beautiful small town,but how are the people,the good,the bad,the food,traffic,etc.,etc. the real low down? I don't want to make a wrong move & be more frustrated,but it sure seems nice & quiet & clean up there. My only other concern is being farther from the coast,but I guess you can't have everything unless you're rich.
Anyways,all advice or info. is appreciated,this move would take place soon,so I am trying to get as much info & decide if it is a good move or if I should just wait a little while & see what other properties come up all over the county in the next year. I was told I can sell now for about $525,000-$550,000 if I can find the right buyer. All the perfect houses for my family & I
in the other more coastal parts of the county cost about $700 & up even in this market,so frustrating,arrrgggghhhhh!
I had business interests in Cloverdale for a few years and watched it grow from a speed trap (before completion of the 101) to a decent place in a very short time. though I spent a great deal of time there I didn't live there. All in all it's a nice little town. If you like outdoor activities and a little peace and quiet, you should like it. If you're looking for the night life and availability of stuff you'll hate it. SR is the closest thing to a city and SF is quite a drive. To me the people generally seem more suburban than small-town if that makes any sense. But though the town has more of a suburban feel, it is still a small town and like any other small town where everyone knows everyone, your business will be everyone's.
I once considered moving to Cloverdale but in the end the deal breaker was the distance from the coast. While it has the Russian River, it's not the same. The tone of your post tells me you are like me and just need to be near an ocean. If I'm right, you won't like it. There's just something about the sea that calls some of us and we can't fight it.
Cloverdale has grown enormously in the past 20 years but now that the housing bubble has burst and stopped the strong outward push from SF, I suspect the town will remain fairly stable for many years and probably won't explode into the mess SR has become. I lived in SR before the boom and can understand your distress. It's population grew much faster than it ability to comfortably sustain it's population. Traffic is a nightmare and just about everything is a hassle. I live in the East Bay and believe it or not, day-to-day living here seems easier than in today's Santa Rosa. While Cloverdale wouldn't be my first choice of a place to live due to the distance from the Ocean, it beats Santa Rosa easily.
Thanks for the advice Joe. I kind of had those feelings from my research & visiting there. We are going to put our house on the market next week just to see if we can even get a buyer.
I am still looking in West county & elsewhere,but it isn't looking good,just looked at 2 places outside of Sebastopol yesterday,each with an acre or so for $550 & $600,000 in this low market & they should be demolished,complete sh*tholes,unliveable without tons of work,the propery was sh*t & the houses worse. Guerneville is too freaky for me & I don't care too much for old musty Forestville housing.
It seems Cloverdale is the only place we can afford the property we want as everything in SR is sardine canned or if it is in the hills with land it's big $$$$$. I am a big mountian fan too & CLoverdale has the nice mountain town feeling with the river & lake Sonoma,but I have to get out to the coast at least 2 times a month. How far is Goat Rock/Jenner from there,like an hour or so or longer??? What would the closest coastal beach be???
As far as living in the East bay being easier than SR,wow! But I guess if you're in the right neighborhood down there I could see that. SR is just too big for it's briches now,at least the bay area has the capacity for large population. Anyways,this is a tough situation,the rest of my family I split the mortgage with is set to move up there & they want the house on the market next week,I'm still hesitant to move & want to hold out here until my Grandmother passes & look for a smaller property out twoards the coast,but I do enjoy the quietness & scenery of Cloverdale a lot.
PS. Do you have any other suggestions on places to live? We are kind of stuck in Sonoma county right now because of our jobs. I found some incredible properties in Monterey county not too far
from the coast that had land & nice houses in our price range,but the rest of my family doesn't want to make the move. That's my problem is the family situation,I live with my wife (we are in our late 20s) & we split the mortgage with my Mom & we take care of my Grandma.
Last edited by BodegaHead; 07-03-2010 at 05:04 PM..
As you may have noticed, towns in Northern CA that are affordable tend to have issues that make them affordable. But, for affordability the general rule is the further north and inland you go, the cheaper. Considering what you've told me, I'd say Cloverdale is your safest bet. For a short time I had an apartment in Ukiah and commuted to Santa Rosa. The commute wasn't too bad. Kinda long but not much traffic at all. May be worth a looksee. Good luck.
I imagine you are investigating real estate thoroughly, but I wonder if you might be underconsidering western county. For example, if you find the vibe in Gurneville too "far out" that's fine...but I suggest you can still live thereabouts. You do not have to buy right in the town itself, you don't have to be friends with everyone in the area, and many of the houses, even on a "lot" are sort of secluded--perhaps you can make peace living there? And at half a million in this market, there is not ANYTHING livable around Forestville area? Occidental area? I could be wrong, but I wonder that if a little patience you can find something on the market closer to the coast yet still commutable to SR. Sounds to me you really would enjoy being closer to the ocean than Cloverdale, which otherwise would be a fine choice. For that matter, is there nothing nice abouts Geyserville in that price range, where at least you are closer to SR and the coast? Or are you searching for a home with fair amount of acreage about it...in which case, Cloverdale may be your only choice. All the best.
Cloverdale is a good community, nothing wrong with it, a little secluded and they keep to themselves. Check out Windsor, Windsor is magnificent, I know people who work at Kaiser in Santa Rosa and live in Windsor and the commute isn't bad. Windsor has the best schools in Sonoma County (they're the only school district in SOCO that actually has increasing enrollment). What I love in particular about Windsor is it is so safe, you can walk anywhere at any hour and not be bothered. I'd look around Lakewood Meadows Park, you can get a home there that is decent sized for upwards of $250,000-300.
Right now we are looking to buy something better than we have. Right now we live in Rincon valley,the "best" part of Santa Rosa by Annadel & Spring lake with a semi-secluded 5 bd./3ba. house & a 1/3 acre,it's nice,but still in town & busy & we have a lot of traffic noise,being close to the parks is great,probably the only thing that has kept me here this long.
Rincon valley is alright,but too busy & really yuppie,sick of all the snoberry here & it just gets busier & noisier every year & as the rental prices go down the valley homes in the lower range by us get seedier & seedier,Mission Blvd. is turning into a wanna-be Compton,it's a dump & the rich people hide up on that hill & pretend it doesn't exsist when they drive down to Olivers market to spend $400 on a few bags of groceries,kind of a sick 3rd world scenerio in my own backyard.
I would love to get out in the country a little & I like the fact that Cloverdale seemed somewhat middle class "normal",didn't seem too snobby or too hick or too hippy,just kind of in between,that's the kind of people we are,we're not extremists. We also love West county,but it will be hard to find something affordable with enough space.
Windsor is cute Kay,but I don't want a track home,I like Windsor & have friends there ,but all they have there is cookie cutter track homes 3 ft. apart unless you have $800,000 to spend. Our main problem is we want to improve upon what we have with seclusion & 1-2 acres,even in Cloverdale it's not too cheap. I like the russian river area & was going to buy on Armstrong woods road,but really the town of Guerneville is just too seedy & freaky & I'm somewhat of a hippy & it's just too freaky deaky dirty out there,wouldn't want to raise my kids there in the midst of gay men meth orgies & all the wierd sh*t out there.Houses the also have too many structural problems & flooding/mold,etc..
Occidental is CRAZY expensive dude,search the MLS,we need a 4 or 5 bd. & 2-3 ba. for our living situation & would like at least an acre,in Occidental that will cost you $750,000 & up,up,up. But you have some good points prarie guy,I think our decision as of now is to wait & see what comes up on the market in the next year,right now there is just not much choice for our needs. We fell in love with a Cloverdale house that is for sale,but would have to sell right now to get it & the floor is slanted badly which I don't like,seems like it could be big foundation/structural trouble in the future & we would like to shop around more & see what else comes up.
Geyserville would be sweet but very few houses for sale & they go quick. I like Healdsburg a lot too,but it is very expensive for what we are looking for.
Thank you everyone for chiming in,I am enjoying having others to talk to besides my family. I don't ever mean to sound negative at all either,it is just frustrating how over priced Sonoma/Marin counties are even in this LOW market & I am just voicing my personal opinions on certain areas,Guerneville is great for the day,but wouldn't want to raise kids out there or live permanantly,I'm starting to feel the same way about Rincon valley after 6 years even though it is supposed to be the "best" spot in SR.
Yeah Bodega, that is a problem with Windsor. I would seriously consider it now though, I was just looking at one of the non cookie cutter homes 2300sq ft on a 6000sqft lot those used to be in the 800k's. This one is like 520, in this economy you can get a home that was 800 for 500.
If you are looking for acreage with a big (4-5 bd home) I think your instincts are right, Cloverdale would be the most immediately viable. I am surprised to hear Mission Blvd. is going downhill, presume this is the tracts near Hwy 12? If good schools are a big concern....West Sonoma County district (Sebastopol/Forestville) easily the best 9-12 publics in the county imo, so I could understand giving up on Gurnevville, but might still encourage you to look/hope for something in those towns to come upp...I know, Sebastopol expensive like Healdsburg, but no harm in keeping an eye out. As a side note--you scorn the "rich people" but to many of us, a 5 bedroom house on one third an acre, that's sitting very pretty, too--many people might dare call that "rich" as well!! Sounds like you really would prefer leaving Sonoma County for, say, Oregon or Washington coast, or even, say, Fort Bragg or Point Arena, but rare to be in an industry where you could relocate easily. Keep searching I think you can find what you are looking for.
Kay,I guess I'll have to look again in Windsor,it's still a little busy though. I really only want to come into town when I want to,I think that is my biggest problem.
Prarieguy, yeah we love West county,I hope some more affordable stuff comes up there sooner or later. MIssion Blvd. nera HWY12 is right,it is getting CRAZY busy & pretty ghetto in spots. It still has good schools for the most part & the parks are nice,but the town is disorganized,busy & loud. I had a freind that just moved off of Yukon off Mission & man,you may as well live in East LA,it was all "minorities"/illegal Mexicans,thugs & drug dealers,lots of vandalism & grafitti,trash everywhere,noisy,run-down rentals,etc. It is bad,but most people coasting through the main streets don't notice it,you have to live down in the valley to know what's really up.
As far as me being "rich",I guess I am lucky in some ways,but it took a lot of hard work & we stick together as family. I myself don't make a lot of money & I rented for a long time. I am referring to the Land Rover/Mercedez driving folks living on the the hills where hubby pulls in 150,000- $400,000+ a year & has a retirement fund/ stock investments.
We are working lower middle class who all stick our heads together to keep a dream alive. I love the coast & found many affordable places right in Gualala on the Sonoma/MEndo coast border,kind of like a coastal Cloverdale,BUT the catch is what you said about the places you mentioned,NO WORK & with the Jenner grade the commute is not doable to here. We love SoCo ,but I think we all are overworked & tired & would like a place to have our own space & some peace & quiet,kind of like a small retreat from the rat race to keep us sane. Right now some would love to be where I live,but I am sick of being right in the middle of the rat race & the traffic & traffic noise & neighbor noise just leaves a guy like me with little peace of mind.
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