Almost a decade as renters didn’t dampen Alexandra Andorfer and George Croton’s love of San Francisco. They made probably the most of their 950 sq. toes, even discovering methods to develop their household — now with two canine and two cats — of their two-bedroom simply off Buena Vista Park, close to the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.
However a number of years spent having fun with food-and-wine weekends with mates within the bucolic Sonoma Valley, about 50 miles north, impressed one other risk: Might the couple depart the town and discover sufficient of what they beloved about it in a small-town setting?
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It was, partially, a query of background. Whereas Ms. Andorfer, 33, had principally grown up in massive cities (Pittsburgh and Baltimore) and attended faculty in Chicago, Mr. Croton, 32, was a product of Santa Barbara, Calif., and its rambling atmosphere. “Santa Barbara has that form of ‘small metropolis, massive city’ factor occurring,” he mentioned. “It’s very lovely, plenty of outside stuff, but in addition plenty of facilities and eating places and enjoyable issues to do.”
Mr. Croton was hotter to the thought of leaving San Francisco, the place the couple met in legislation college. Each of their jobs as attorneys have been within the Bay Space, although every might telecommute a number of days per week, leaving room to think about a distinct way of life. And Ms. Andorfer was considerably shocked to search out how a lot she regarded ahead to their getaways, particularly to the city of Sonoma, a foodie haven with 11,000 residents set within the vibrant coronary heart of Sonoma Valley wine nation.
“I in a short time might see myself residing there,” she mentioned. “It doesn’t have metropolis vibes, nevertheless it has eating places and tradition — numerous issues occurring. I like to cook dinner and I’m in a bunch of wine golf equipment, together with a number of proper in that space.”
It was Ms. Andorfer who advised visiting some open homes in Sonoma — “only for enjoyable,” she mentioned. Mr. Croton added a wrinkle when he proposed together with Marin County, about 30 miles south of Sonoma, with its coveted mixture of rural really feel and higher-end facilities.
At an open home in Marin County, the couple met Kristen Perry, an agent with the Kristie Martinelli Crew at Coldwell Banker who beforehand was an government at a number of tech startups.
“It’s at all times attention-grabbing when individuals depart the town,” Ms. Perry mentioned. “Some take a really very long time to get to the purpose of truly being prepared to maneuver. However Alex and George moved in a short time as soon as they realized that they felt fairly positive about it.”
The couple scouted open homes for weeks, in search of a spot with an ethereal really feel and distinctive structure. They hoped to stay inside strolling distance of outlets and companies, as they have been in San Francisco, and wished both an enormous yard or park entry for his or her pets.
With some assist from Mr. Croton’s mom for a down fee, they capped their finances at $1.35 million.
Amongst their choices:
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