4517 Earhart Ave, Santa Rosa - Make An Offer

I'm guessing the owners of this house might be open to an offer at this point. The home has been on the market over 170 days and another home of the same model came on the market just over 30 days ago. I visited this community when they were initially selling and they seem to be fairly nice homes. Cobblestone is a respected builder in the area and this could be a good deal. This house is on the smallish side, but could be perfect as a starter home for someone. The kitchen in this particular plan is more niche than gourmet, so keep that in mind if cooking is a passion. If I recall, these homes included a wood-burning fireplace with a gas starter. No A/C here, but it was an option for buyers and others in the community may have it.

1406 Marylyn Circle, Petaluma - Good Price

This townhome was just reduced significantly and seems to be a pretty good bargain. Nearly 1600 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2 car garage for $434,900. That comes out to around $274.00 a square foot. The house has been on the market for quite some time and apparently the owners are getting a bit anxious to sell. The first set of pics that were posted showed an empty house. They have since taken the time to stage it and it looks pretty nice. The home also includes a wood burning fireplace (always a plus for me) and the community has a pool and tennis court. At 255.00 per month, the HOA dues seems a bit steep, so keep that in mind if considering this home.

Woodbridge Classics – Big Bang for the Buck

And now for some good news…If you're looking for a new place up in the Northeast Santa Rosa area, take some time and visit Woodbridge Classics by Rivendale. These townhomes are built in pairs -- not huge, long buildings of multiple units. Because of this, you only share one wall with your neighbor. Most of the units consist of one Plan 4 and one Plan 5. The Plan 4 homes are low income units and include 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The Plan 5 has 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths.

I am particularly excited about the Plan 5 as it clocks in at just over 1900 square feet and the prices are around 490K right now. That’s only 257.00 per square foot for a brand new home. I also really like the floorplan for this home, but I know everyone has different needs. It features one bedroom and a full bath downstairs, which can be used for a guest bedroom, office, or whatever your needs might be. I was very impressed with the kitchen in this home as it has a huge island and tons of cabinet space. The flow of the kitchen, dining and family rooms is very nice in my opinion and creates a great space for entertaining and everyday living. There is also a nice big storage space under the stairwell that could also be a great fort for your kids.

Moving upstairs in the Plan 5, there are 3 decent sized bedrooms and they space seems quite usable and comfortable. One of the secondary bedrooms is a bit smaller than the other, but it doesn’t fall into the “that’s a joke” category. The laundry room also lives upstairs and there are plenty of windows throughout to make the house feel open and light. The master bedroom is not huge, but the size seemed fine to me. The master closet is large and includes some basic shelving to help you with organization.

So what are the downsides? That depends on what you’re looking for in a home. The homes do include a back yard (positive points), but they are pretty small. Definitely better than nothing and pretty much what you would expect when buying an attached home. You also get a garage, but it’s a very narrow tandem number that will make your mini-van feel huge. Garage is good, not great actually, but I’m not a big fan of the long, narrow tandem design. Again, better than street parking and provides great storage possibilities for any other pack rats like myself.

Regarding the location, I’m not so sure. There is quite a bit of building going on in this area. Rivendale is also building Woodbridge Traditions (Single-Family detached) in the same neighborhood and another community called Montage just around the corner. Another builder is starting work on a development next to Woodbridge, but I have not seen any info on it yet. They look like small, detached homes – possibly in the 1100-1300 square foot range. There is a school right next to these communities and quite a bit of open space surrounding. It seems like it could be a nice neighborhood when things get built out, but you never know really. There is a farmhouse just to the south and I have heard roosters ever time I have visited this community. This land could probably be sold in the future, so it’s unclear if there will be more homes or something else to the south of the community.

I visited last week and they are about halfway through their construction and sales process. If you’re looking for a brand new home, want a good sized place and also a good deal, check out Woodbridge Classics, you might be pleasantly surprised.