Hi
We are trying to buy a vacation home in an up and coming wine area. We LOVE Sonoma, but unfortunately most places are over our spending limit. We have not made it up to Mendocino or Lake Counties - do they have good wine? I realize it's probably not like Napa or Sonoma yet, but do you think it might be?

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks!

Have you checked prices around Sonoma and Napa recently? If they were out of your range last month, they might not be this month.

http://forums.winespectator.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6826053161/m/699101794

^^^ Yep.

Mendocino has some very good wine.

I also think prices in the Anderson Valley are pretty reasonable.

Yes Mendocino and Lake Counties ARE and will ALWAYS be cheaper. Keep in mind your access to those areas as the farther north you go (depending where you are coming from) the longer your trip may be. If you are looking to rent out your vacation home when you are not using, you need a desirable location for others as well. I've had a vacation home in Sonoma County for the last 5 years, for sale now and I have been currently looking at properties in Napa and Sonoma Counties. There can be deals in both counties but kind of depends on your price range and locations.

Try Temecula.

You didn't mention where you are located or your budget.

Are you thinking, vacation home, i.e., weekends? Or , vacation home, i.e., 4-6 weeks in a row somewhere?

quote:

Originally posted by pysco-rotie:
Try Temecula.

Judging by your location it seems you know Temecula well

Thanks for your responses. We are looking for a vacation home we would purchase and rent out when we're not there and use ourselves maybe 6 weeks a year (hopefully)! We live in Minnesota and have been out there several times and absolutely love it... but we're a young couple and we don't have a huge budget. Looking for a good value - we're happy to do work on the house and in the yard. Just trying to find the best location for us and other people that would want to rent it. Thanks again.

quote:

Originally posted by lizardking:

quote:

Originally posted by pysco-rotie:
Try Temecula.

Judging by your location it seems you know Temecula well

Jelly,

My recommendation is only to buy here, if you live here. Unless you have large pockets, being an out of state investor is tough. You will need a property manager and that will eat at any income that you may enjoy. I also would not expect to rent a house out as a vacation home unless it's in a vacation area.

The other impact on rentals (and home prices) is the price of gas. Driving up to Mendocino or Lake counties takes time and costs money for fuel. When gas goes up, real estate starts coming down, as well as the volume of weekend renters from the city.