i’m having so much fun with my daily redfin listings. there are plenty of little cottages up and down the state, but there aren’t many places i’d consider living. i’ve got special climate/ocean/dark sky/traffic requirements.
this little red cottage is from the ’30’s and is 720 sq. feet. it comes furnished!
i don’t know much about guerneville except that it’s in the redwoods, used to be a former logging town, is in the russian river valley between santa rosa and jenner, and is known for its free-spirited vibe. it’s maybe 30 minutes or so to the sonoma coast. i’ve stopped for chow here before on the way to and from timber cove.
it gets about 52 inches of rain a year (!) and has a history of flooding. uh oh.
this teeny tiny place is 672 sq. feet on a 714 sq. ft. lot. that’s a whopping $811/sq. foot, friends!
it’s in northern marin county an hour north of san francisco and this is the cheapest house in the area. it’s only bathroom is up a steep flight of stairs. wouldn’t work for me, but it’s darling dontcha think?
i’ve never been to dillon beach, but maybe i’ll get there someday.
the little blue cottage in dillon beach
this is the least expensive of all the houses. $201 buckeroos a square foot. it’s 1415 sq feet on a 5227 sq foot lot. i never imagined myself living in a victorian, but this one feels clean, spacious, and very bright. love all the windows! i also like the fact that it’s all on one level and has a mother-in-law unit in the back yard. with the inexpensive price i could get that unit fixed up and turn it into a rental. a small bit of income would be v. fabulous! and when i’m 90 my full-time nanny could live there for free.
of course it is WAY up north in eureka, but after my visit to that foggy coast something like this is very appealing. it’s actually my favorite of the lot.
eureka has 27,000 homo sapiens living within it’s city limits which makes it the largest of all the communities so far, which means more amenities & conveniences i might need in retirement years.
the ramshackle victorian in eureka with a big yard and lots of windows
forestville is another community in the russian river valley. it’s been a summer destination for bohemians, writers, artists, since the early 1900’s.
love the open feeling, windows, and all the green around this place. cool ceilings too!
this one is 1480 sq. feet on a 6969 sq. foot lot. well over twice the size of moss cottage. it has an attached “granny studio”.
i love the fact that it’s been updated. it was born the same year as me – 1963
not sure if i could live in this tiny of a town (pop. 3293) might feel a bit too rural to me. even though i long to escape city life i like having neighbors i see on a regular basis. i could certainly enjoy an extended getaway in a place like this though!
mid-century yellow house in forestville
i’m going to be doing the retirement dance for quite a while. it could get like a broken record around here. i’ll keep sharing little places that stand out in the crowd. it’s nice to have a place to post all of my thoughts, dreams, and worries about this process. and of course i appreciate hearing about your searches too. do keep me posted on that one wild precious life of yours.
in other news, the durrells of corfu has begun it’s second season on masterpiece and i am thrilled! it’s charming, scenic, rich & wonderful.
i the world of audio books, i am still making my way through rosmunde pilcher’s coming home. i don’t like it as much as the shellseekers, winter solstice, or september, but i’m still enjoying it a great deal. gentle stories for turbulent times.
and…the wild trees is unputdownable. here is why:
As a ‘mature’ woman of 73, I think that most of us finally realize the need for dependable friends very near by as well as good facilities, stores, public transport, uber, incl doctors who are willing to take on new patients. But then again, who the hell knows where medical care is going. My dh and I considered moving when we were married in 2001 (ages 56 and 61) but realized year by year that our needs were changing and some of our wants modified. But then again we are city type people and are happy in our smallish town in the Baltimore/DC area. I suggest when you visit the type of place you are looking for, check out people who 10-20 years older than you are now and ask them about the town. Happy hunting!
I’m reading a box that I’m thinking you’d enjoy, https://www.amazon.com/Library-at-Edge-World/dp/1473621062.
It has me thinking of cottages and freedom. And it reminds me a bit of Rosalind Pilcher.
It’s so much fun to look at houses. My migrations have led me from my home and farm of 6 1/2 acres (which I miss terribly) to a sojourn in the beautiful Catskill Mountains of New York. There was a wonderful artistic community there, but too isolated for me to live alone. Now I’m in a flat in an apartment complex I hate. So now I need to come up with an escape plan. You’re dream casting is the best way to find where you want to go someday. Renting to try a place on for size is a good idea, too.
Mary Ann, I lived in Occidental and Sebastopol for many years. Please keep in mind that the Sonoma coast is jammed with tourists and weekenders in the summer. Traffic is terrible on the highway. I do hope you find the perfect home.
thanks so much. all of these comments from people who live in the area are super helpful. i have a thing about LIGHT so am not sure could live in the woods. but renting for a time first would be good.
I’m very much enjoying the cottages you’re posting, each charming in its own way. Of these, the little Victorian is my fav – I can see you sketching the little details on the exterior and the vintage lights in the bedrooms. There’s just something about a cottage!
mine too…just not sure i can live in such an isolated spot. not sure about anything! good thing i’ve got a lot of time to think and explore.
We live in 600sq. ft. in the U.P. of Mich. It’s too small for two people. I’m working on gett8ng my other half to move before we get to crotchety. Love the homes you showed! Very nice, all of them!
i know moss cottage would be way too small for 2, especially if one of them needed peace & quiet with no other homo sapiens nearby.
I vote for the Eureka Victorian! it looks perfect! and even if you don’t decide to rent out the MIL unit, you could use it as your studio!
I don’t mind these posts at all. I’m living vicariously through you, and dreaming. 🙂
yes the one in eureka is perfect in every way. in photos anyway 🙂
Your penchant for looking at cottages is also my penchant. It’s so fun to browse all of these cute places, whether they are “the one” or not. I just love LOOKING at them. It think it is a good idea to look at the ones near water in the spring when it is very wet, so you can see problem areas with water. I saw one on a creek the other day, but the creek had sandbags all around the bank. Hmmm. I also look for high water marks around the foundation and leaks in the roof. We are not looking to buy for another year or so, but it is still fun to see what is out there. You are very wise to consider aspects of aging as well. As we get older, we need good proximity to good docs and hospitals, and stairs could become a problem. I have even started paying attention to whether a wheelchair ramp could be put in if needed. My husband had many health problems that eliminate many places. Some years ago I used to walk past the cutest little cottage on the same street where I lived. Well, it must have loved me back because I did end up living there for a few years. I’m sure when you are ready, the perfect place will be there. In the meantime, it sure is fun to browse! I thoroughly enjoy it!
yes so much to consider. my imagination needs a steady diet of possibilities.
I love my bedroom in the red house! The laundry room looks adventurous!
i can keep a pair of stilts in the basement for accessing!
Oh Mary Ann…DO come to Guerneville, Forestville or Dillon Beach! All are pretty close together. My little bolt hole is in Cazadero, right between Guerneville and Jenner. Someday, I hope to rebuild just a bit bigger and newer for my dotage. My current cabin is ~550 square feet and I need a big arty/crafty area. We can go to see the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence bingo games every month and help them with their good works. The weather here is very San Francisco-like, with perhaps a bit more rain. And the redwood trees make it heavenly. We can have retreats and tea parties. Oh what fun!
that does it! HERE I COME! the sisters of perpetual indulgence bingo games sold me.
Both Forestville and Guerneville have areas that regularly flood, not just your 100 year flood (which is a total misnomer anyway, more like a 10 year flood average). Although many homes near the Russian River have been raised on stilts to get them above the flood waters. Anything with a tall staircase to get to the house, this is probably why. The other thing that can be hard to see/know from listings is how many vacation rentals are within earshot. Some areas can be pretty cheek to jowl and v.v. noisy especially in the spring to fall season. Forestville isn’t that far from Santa Rosa so you have all the amenities of being near a bigger city (medical care, shopping, activities). It’s fun to look, isn’t it?
yes, i recall reading about floods there either this year or last…