Our home seeking wishlist:

I've had this real estate wanted ad posted on Craigslist for months...

• Walking distance to Nevada City downtown (1 mile or less)
• High speed internet (50MG or more) 
• 1/4 acre or more of useable land that can be used for gardening and chicken coop
• Private location- no major road noise
• At least 2 bedrooms (prefer 3)
• Area that can be converted or used as an office (ideally separated from the house)
• Central heat and air, dishwasher, garbage disposal, laundry hookup
• Open floor plan  

Here are some additional items that we desire:

• Vaulted or wood beam ceilings
• Wood burning stove
• Kitchen with lots of counter space and pantry
• Garage, Chicken Coop, Veggie Garden

What's on the market?

Here are a couple of the most recent real estate listings that sparked our interest and why we ultimately had to pass: 

Mount Calvary Street, $360,100
In-Town and private! Homes like this do not come up often! Wonderful vintage 1940's, modernized bungalow on Piety Hill. Well kept, light, bright, open kitchen/living area; all windows look out to lovely gardens, heritage sequoia; great separate 350SF+/- studio;separate garden shed; end of the lane privacy on Mt. Calvary Lane. An amazing opportunity! FULLY LENDER APPROVED SHORT SALE! BUY NOW!



What we love: There are a number of things that we love about this house. It has an adorable vintage style, room for a large veggie garden/chicken coop and an unfinished studio that would be tempting to convert into a dwelling for our in-laws (namely my father who has cancer) or other folks who are passing through. We could also convert the garden shed into a nice little office/man cave for Shon to work out of. The neighborhood is awesome and there is a beautiful tree in the front yard that welcomes you home.

Drawbacks: The listing price! They are asking $360K, while for some people this might be right on target with their price range its is far from what we can afford. I spoke with the realtor and she said we could put in a lower offer after it had been listed for seven days if there was no activity. However, she also insisted that I use her local lender. Is that legal? Probably not. So I am not thrilled to work with the agent on this one. While the location is ideal in terms of conveniences (grocery story, gym, school) you can hear the freeway. We really want to be able to enjoy the serenity of being in the mountains without listening to the continuous hum of cars driving by. However, road noise is something that we would consider trading off down the road for a house that is more modestly priced, but for now it's a deterrent. 

Nile Street, $224,500
Choice in town Nevada City home on fabulous, all useable .53 acre parcel. Outstanding location close to Pioneer Park with its swimming, tennis, creek, horseshoes, band-shell, baseball and more! Easy walk to historic downtown, schools, and more! Master on main floor. Sweet front porch so bring your rocker! Back yard is park-like with a small veggie garden.

What we love: So much potential!! This house has the mid-century charm that we love. Skylights in the main living areas, open kitchen and a nice front porch. This sits on a huge lot with tons of opportunities for gardening, and maybe even keeping a little goat. The front yard also looks like a nice place to add a small fruit orchard. It is in a fantastic location if you enjoy recreating at the park with quick access to the community pool, creek, and park. Its also a really short walk to town. The best part is the listing agent Charlie Brock. He seems like someone you would want to adopt into your family. He has a fun singing introduction on his real estate website (he thinks is embarrassing) that I love. If ever committed to a realtor, he would be our guy. I will definitely be hitting him up for guitar lessons when we move into town. 

Drawbacks: The floor plan is not really conducive to family living. The master bedroom is upstairs and the other bedrooms are downstairs in a dark mildly cramped setting. Without young children, this could be workable but I couldn't imagine having my kids rooms so far away from our room. I want to imagine a life for my children where they are in a bright open cherry space and close to mom and dad. Another issue is with the land. It's covered in tress that I would feel super guilty cutting down for my own homesteading ambitions. Ideally we can find a place that wouldn't entail harming any native plants. 

So far these are the two listings that have caught our eye since starting this blog. I'll update as new ones come onto the market.

The time has come!

My husband Shon, and I have always dreamed of living in Nevada City. Like so many others we have imagined a life for ourselves in a small town that is central to some of the most outstanding recreation, art, music and culture that California has to offer. We met in Placerville, CA where Shon was born and raised and relocated for work to Sacramento. Since moving to Sacramento, we started our family. I am a stay at home mom who cares for "Ollie" our 2 year old son.

We love Sacramento but our hearts are in the Sierra Nevada Foothills and we couldn't think of a better place to raise our children than Nevada City. Most recently, Shon secured an IT job that allows him to work remotely. Our dream of moving to Nevada City has finally been realized! 

Now, finding our dream house is the next step. This blog is intended to share our home-seeking journey as well as the discoveries we make about Nevada City along the way.