"Rebuilding Together" in West Sonoma County May 2nd 2006
Six low-income West County homes revitalized by volunteersby Patricia M. Roth - Sonoma West Staff Writer

The scent of freshly cut grass and mint filled the air early Saturday morning as Bonnie Wilson, 81, watched two dozen volunteers revitalize the house that she and her late husband, Roy, bought 53 years ago in Sebastopol.

The volunteers went to work with weed-wackers, hammers, paintbrushes and elbow grease in a flurry of activity that brought to mind an old-fashioned barn-raising. Smiles were contagious and no task seemed too tall for the men and women who worked on the 99-year-old house and spacious yard that for years sheltered Mr. and Mrs. Wilson and their four children.

Similar scenes were repeated simultaneously on six houses and three mobile homes in Graton, Forestville and Sebastopol. It was the West County's first attempt at Rebuilding Together, a national program that operates through local affiliates to help keep low-income homeowners in their homes.

They started off with a bang.

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Sebastopol loses residents in 2005 May 2nd 2006

 

Apparently, Sebastopol's idea to "brand" itself to make the city a more attractive destination for tourists, businesses and perhaps a few new residents, too, may not be as off-the-wall as some thought.

In its annual update of population figures for cities and counties, the state Department of Finance reported Monday that Sebastopol lost 29 residents between Jan. 1, 2005 and Jan. 1, 2006, leaving it with a population of 7,753.

Sebastopol was the only city in Sonoma County to lose residents last year although the state reported that the unincorporated area also saw a decline, losing 633 residents.

Overall, the county's population grew 0.5 percent to 479,929.

Santa Rosa added the most residents, 1,117, pushing its population to 157,148, a growth rate of 0.7 percent. It is the state's 30th most populous city.

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Check out the History of Occidental and Camp Meeker May 2nd 2006

Occidental was also once briefly known as “Meeker’s,” and like nearby Camp Meeker, was in great part the creation of a man of extraordinary energy and persistence. Born in Essex County, NJ, in 1841, Melvin Cyrus Meeker went to work as an errand boy at a grist mill at the age of 11. He subsequently worked in a hat factory, was made foreman of a paper mill, and then studied to become a carpenter, builder and expert in ornamental carpentry work, all before the age of twenty.

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Sonoma County Comparative Sales Report: 2005-2006 Apr 21st 2006

Bay Area Real Estate Information Services, Inc. Sonoma County Two-Month Closed Sales Report RESIDENTIAL: SFR, Condo/Co-op, Farms & Ranches, Mobile/Floating  STATUS: SOLD
March 2005				March 2006
TOTAL PROPERTIES SOLD: 700				TOTAL PROPERTIES SOLD: 567
	List Price	Sale Price	DOM		List Price	Sale Price	DOM
AVERAGE:	$549,905	$549,799	57	AVERAGE:	$591,985	$582,533	82
MEDIAN:	$519,950	$525,000	36	MEDIAN:	$548,000	$541,000	64
HIGH:	$2,495,000	$2,300,000	556	HIGH:	$3,950,000	$3,600,000	1,046
LOW:	$18,000	$16,000	0	LOW:	$13,500	$13,500	0
ADJ. AVG.:	$547,880	$548,056	57	ADJ. AVG.:	$587,066	$578,199	82
February 2005				February 2006
TOTAL PROPERTIES SOLD:  436				TOTAL PROPERTIES SOLD: 363
	List Price	Sale Price	DOM		List Price	Sale Price	DOM
AVERAGE:	$587,723	$579,720	65	AVERAGE:	$536,576	$528,523	88
MEDIAN:	$514,500	$511,000	42	MEDIAN:	$525,000	$518,000	81
HIGH:	$3,200,000	$2,890,000	455	HIGH:	$1,895,000	$1,760,000	671
LOW:	$22,500	$17,000	0	LOW:	$18,500	$12,000	0
ADJ. AVG.:	$583,006	$575,694	65	ADJ. AVG.:	$534,248	$526,542	88

Statistics from BAREIS MLS April 10, 2006. Information herein believed reliable but not guaranteed.
Copyright @ 2006 by Bay Area Real Estate Information Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
Adjusted average does not include the high and low sale data.

Bubble Talk: Why Consumers Fear Collapse Apr 20th 2006

RISMEDIA, April 20, 2006—According to the latest Experian-Gallup Personal Credit Index(SM) survey, 71 percent of consumers say it is likely that a housing bubble and collapse of prices could occur in the United States within the next year.

Twenty-four percent say such a housing bubble is not likely. In contrast, a much smaller number of consumers, 32 percent, expect the collapse of a housing bubble within their own area in the next year, and 65 percent say it is not likely.

When the time is extended to three years, 42 percent say such a situation is likely in their area, and 56 percent say it is not. In May 2005, a similar question found a slightly less pessimistic view, with 37 percent of consumers expecting a housing bubble and collapse within the next three years and 61 percent saying that was not likely.

This year, about half of all Americans (53 percent) recognize the term "housing bubble" without explanation -- up from 35 percent a year ago.

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Home sale price increases dropped into the single digits in the Bay Area for the first time in more than two years Apr 20th 2006
 In the nine-county region -- Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Napa, Marin, Contra Costa, Alameda, Solano and Sonoma -- a total of 9,745 new and resale houses and condos were sold in March. That was up 36 percent from 6,206 for February, but down 13.8 percent from 11,310 for March last year, according to DataQuick Information Systems.

In Santa Clara County, there were 2,571 homes sold in March, an 18.7 percent drop from the same month in 2005. The median price was $660,000, up 8.9 percent from March of 2005.

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Sonoma County Home Sales Surge in March Apr 18th 2006

 Sonoma County home sales surged in March and the median price edged back up to $575,000 as the busy spring home-buying season got off to a strong start.

The region's housing market bounced back from a six-month period of slowing sales and erratic prices. But sales and prices are not expected to take off this year as they did the past three years, with indicators pointing to a better balance between buyer demand and the number of homes for sale.

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What does the future hold for downtown Sebastopol? Apr 17th 2006

There is a lot of talk about the future development of downtown Sebastopol.  Below is a link to an overview of the Sebastopol Northeast Area Specific Plan.  This page will also allow you to search the Sebastopol City Planner website and access additional information on other developments in the area.

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