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- 26 Answers
- 1 Best Answer
- 9 First Answers
- 8 Useful Answers
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About Me
I moved to Sonoma County from the Bay Area in 1999, after spending many weekends and holidays with friends throughout the county. I decided to trade in my Bay view and Silicon Valley and SFO commuting for a small ranch in the wine country northwest of Santa Rosa, with close proximity to Healdsburg, Sebastopol, Windsor, Kenwood, Glen Ellen and Sonoma. I went from selling and marketing software and technogy to marketing properties for sellers and finding country and horse properties for a wide range of buyers, many of whom have bought weekend getaways or who haved moved to the Wine Country full time.This Site and Homescopes Real Estate BlogMy wish for this blog and the informal network of Coldwell Banker agents I am affiliated with at Homescopes.com is that we provide our communities, clients, potential neighbors, friends and associates a way to stay on top of the diverse local real estate markets in Northern California. Also, we want to share the unique local flavor of our various counties and communities that we enjoy so much.Wine Country and Horses….Horses and Wine Country???Well, the main rationale for moving here from the Bay Area is that my back yard was not big enough for my horse, and I was tired of boarding her at a stable a half hour away. Also as a kid growing up in New York I had the crazy idea that I wanted a farm. No one in my family is quite sure how that happend, but it did. Anyway, one un-scheduled December day in 1998, I went driving to see what kind of farm I could trade my home for in Sonoma, Napa or Marin counties. The fact that I could afford to make the move and have plenty of room for horses, gardening, grapes as well as to be close to a variety of great restaurants and lots of things to do, plus only an hour from the Golden Gate Bridge, seemed like a logical next step. Within 6 months I had made the move, and by August my horse was safely ensconced at home with me.
Pam’s background
Prior to establishing her real estate business, she spent over 20 years in high level marketing and sales in the software and internet business, developing and implementing marketing and sales strategies for companies such as Macromedia, Lotus Development and Borland. Since 2003, she has applied her skills and experience to the effective representation of home sellers and buyers in Sonoma County. Her network includes experienced realtors in Napa and Lake Counties as well as elsewhere in California. Her experience negotiating with large corporations such as American Airlines, Chevron Corporation, Boeing and Bank of America and in crafting innovative product launches lend themselves to excellent representation of her real estate clients.Pam is a country property owner, grape grower and horsewoman thrilled to live and work in Sonoma County.
Pam’s background
Prior to establishing her real estate business, she spent over 20 years in high level marketing and sales in the software and internet business, developing and implementing marketing and sales strategies for companies such as Macromedia, Lotus Development and Borland. Since 2003, she has applied her skills and experience to the effective representation of home sellers and buyers in Sonoma County. Her network includes experienced realtors in Napa and Lake Counties as well as elsewhere in California. Her experience negotiating with large corporations such as American Airlines, Chevron Corporation, Boeing and Bank of America and in crafting innovative product launches lend themselves to excellent representation of her real estate clients.Pam is a country property owner, grape grower and horsewoman thrilled to live and work in Sonoma County.
Testimonials
"Pam was recommended to me by a Marin friend and realtor whom I had informed of my wish to find property in the Sonoma/Santa Rosa area. I couldn't be happier with the outcome of my search. In three days of intense looking at a variety of listings, Pam nudged, pointed and otherwise encouraged me toward an area that she thought might meet all my requirements. It took a while to convince me to give it a try but sure enough, Pam's intuitive abilities were correct. She knows the market and she knows her stuff. I found exactly what I REALLY wanted (even though I didn't know, myself, what that was--nor was I able to articulate it-- when we first started out). From escrow to closing, Pam made the whole thing a breeze--the simplest, easiest process I've ever encountered in several decades of home-buying. Pam was right on top of everything, which meant I didn't have to worry. What a relief! I would enthusiastically recommend her to anyone who wants to find the perfect place in wine & horse country."
Gail Harris Thu Jul 10
Gail Harris Thu Jul 10
"For anyone hitting this site because they are considering buying a house with horse property, you are onto the best kept secret of location and person power. Well, I guess its not really a secret given Google these days…but having to write most of time for work I usually avoid spending any additional time at the computer crafting responses/testimonials/ etc…I’d rather be out riding a cross country course! However, Pam was such an extraordinary real estate agent that I can’t resist singing her praises so more stellar horse people end up in Sonoma County. Perhaps you are like us…two horses, two SF based jobs, thinking that you had to wait until retirement to get into a nice horse property. In the meantime you are writing those hefty boarding checks each month for small stalls, limited turnout, extra charges for trailer parking, blanketing, less and less places to ride outside of an arena, etc. Not true!
We thought we couldn’t afford anything within commuting distance to SF but Pam changed that perception and made it a reality. With tight work schedules, competing demands on free time and a budget, we were probably not a real estate agent’s dream couple, and we were very, very picky about what kind of place we envisioned as ideal for the horses and ourselves. Pam was exceptional. She sent frequent email postings of properties, worked completely around our work/horse showing schedule, lined us up with talented bankers, insightful consultants, crunched numbers for us, fed us at fabulous restaurants to keep the energy levels up and never complained that she wasn’t out riding when we made her drive us around every square inch of two counties on the weekend. She is extremely bright (that helps with complicated country property purchases where the contracts read like IRS manuals), perceptive (figured out what we liked and didn’t like faster than we did), knowledgeable (had or found the answers to every horse/property question that we came up with) and was lotsa fun in the process (and I think house buying is a pain to be honest). Did I mention she is also persistent? We would never have ended up in our fantastic 5 acre place with such happy horses if we hadn’t finally followed her advice that we see this one property “that I think has everything you want”. Well we saw it, bought it, and as they say in the fairy tales of old “lived happily every after”."
Christine Kennedy, William Hamersky, Rohan and Seamus Fri Feb 8
Christine Kennedy, William Hamersky, Rohan and Seamus Fri Feb 8
"“Pam does an amazing job and we would highly recommend her to anyone needing a thoroughly knowledgeable realtor with excellent marketing skills. She is willing to go the extra mile as we found out after 3 successful transactions buying one and selling two properties in less than a year.”"
Jeffrey Johnson and Terry Loveton, Sebastopol Tue Aug 21, 2007
Jeffrey Johnson and Terry Loveton, Sebastopol Tue Aug 21, 2007
My Q&A
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Pam Buda's Questions (1)
Pam Buda's Answers (26)
Pam Buda answered:
Wow--I was out all day showing property in Sonoma county yesterday and I think you got some great answers in the meantime! I agree with most everything said, and wanted to reiterate 1 point. As Dave said, you should be first in line to see the new REO's as they come on and be in a position to write on them prior to the submission of multiple offers. Also, many of the agents specializing in REO's publish status lists of offer activity for their inventory. At a glance, your agent can guide you to the ones available. One list I subscribe to will indicate as many as 13 or 14 offers for especially desirable properties. If a bank as received only one offer right off the bat, and is waiting for more--that will be indicated. Could it be that the first offer was lowball? One listing I was following had an offer on it for weeks. Once a second offer came in, the bank indicated they would cut off new offers 3 days later.
As a cash buyer you are able to be much more competitive than the first time buyers competing against you. Many popular listings, REO or otherwise, are shown on the first day on market to agents and their clients who were aware of the property's coming on the market in advance of day one.
As a cash buyer you are able to be much more competitive than the first time buyers competing against you. Many popular listings, REO or otherwise, are shown on the first day on market to agents and their clients who were aware of the property's coming on the market in advance of day one.
Pam Buda answered:
Hi Jake,
You have gotten a lot of good info from Lori and others which I won't duplicate. If you love to fish or boat or play golf, Bodega Bay has a lot to offer. I often run over there for dinner or a Sunday drive from the west Sonoma county countryside. Having lived in the fog belt when I lived in the city of San Francisco, I personally prefer living in an area with less fog and more sunshine. All of Sonoma county has a much milder climate than what you are accustomed to but the closer you are to the ocean and our spectacular coast, the less sunshine and more breeze you will have in the summertimes. On really warm days I will head out to Bodega to ride the horses there where it is cool. There are many areas within very close proximity to Bodega Bay in your price range, and you can choose your climate--absent the cold winters! Good luck in your search and let me know if I can be of assistance. I work with many out of the area buyers.
You have gotten a lot of good info from Lori and others which I won't duplicate. If you love to fish or boat or play golf, Bodega Bay has a lot to offer. I often run over there for dinner or a Sunday drive from the west Sonoma county countryside. Having lived in the fog belt when I lived in the city of San Francisco, I personally prefer living in an area with less fog and more sunshine. All of Sonoma county has a much milder climate than what you are accustomed to but the closer you are to the ocean and our spectacular coast, the less sunshine and more breeze you will have in the summertimes. On really warm days I will head out to Bodega to ride the horses there where it is cool. There are many areas within very close proximity to Bodega Bay in your price range, and you can choose your climate--absent the cold winters! Good luck in your search and let me know if I can be of assistance. I work with many out of the area buyers.
Pam Buda answered:
Hi there--widespread crime is just not an issue here--I am not sure where you are getting your news. There are areas which are higher crime and you can search the crime rates for the various cities you are interested in. For the price range you are discussing there are some tract homes available, generally REO's. For the square footage you want that may be a challenge. I would focus your efforts on Sonoma County, possibly southern Napa, but in general Napa and Marin are much more expensive.
If you are open to a townhome, there are some very nice options. Also a client of mine is closing escrow on a very nice property in Oakmont, an over 55 community in Santa Rosa near the border of Kenwood, in the heart of the wine country. You can definitely find something in your price range there. There are also some over 55 communities in Healdsburg and Cloverdale which you might like, if you qualify! ;)
You can see some of my other comments on this topic on my Trulia profile and my blog. I would be happy to talk to you if you would like to arrange a time. I will have some time available mid afternoon today (my time) and tomorrow am, or Saturday afternoon. Good luck--it is wonderful here, although the skies are very hazy right now due to all the fires in Napa, Lake and Mendocino counties.
If you are open to a townhome, there are some very nice options. Also a client of mine is closing escrow on a very nice property in Oakmont, an over 55 community in Santa Rosa near the border of Kenwood, in the heart of the wine country. You can definitely find something in your price range there. There are also some over 55 communities in Healdsburg and Cloverdale which you might like, if you qualify! ;)
You can see some of my other comments on this topic on my Trulia profile and my blog. I would be happy to talk to you if you would like to arrange a time. I will have some time available mid afternoon today (my time) and tomorrow am, or Saturday afternoon. Good luck--it is wonderful here, although the skies are very hazy right now due to all the fires in Napa, Lake and Mendocino counties.
Pam Buda answered:
Paula, It sounds as though you have made a number of good solid improvements to your home, which is in a good commute location and close in to town but with a country feel. I just ran a number of market trend graphs in your price range--$575K to $775K and you might be surprised that Sebastopol, along with certain other highly desirable parts of Sonoma County, has not been hit as hard as many other areas. The median price in that range is stable to up slightly. The ratio of accepted offers to new listings is double what it was last year at this time, and the average days on market is up only slightly. I can't really comment on how much your improvements would add to your sales price however without seeing the property. They should certainly help it to sell faster. But homes of your square footage on nice sized lots and in a good location should sell quickly if price well. If you would like to see the charts, I can email them to you. You can also find good market updates on my blog below, or by calling me. Good luck in your decision-making.
Pam Buda answered:
Hi there--there definitely is a gang presence in Sonoma County, as most places these days. That said, I personally, and most of the people I know, feel very safe here. There was even a crime incident in my very rural neighborhood a month or two ago--the family down the street on 500 acres had 2 bad guys drop their car and take off through the vineyards to the Laguna. Their family has owned that property for 160 years and that was a first. It is important in any community to check the crime databases and government agencies. You could also search the Press Democrat (local newspaper) for their recent articles on the topics. The Santa Rosa PD does have a gang unit which you might also be able to contact.
FYI I have no plans to move any time soon, nor do any of my friends or clients but you need to satisfy yourself for any community you are considering.
FYI I have no plans to move any time soon, nor do any of my friends or clients but you need to satisfy yourself for any community you are considering.
Cool country properties
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Specialties
Country Property, Wine country living, Horse property, Negotiation, Contracts, Marketing properties, technology for marketing, selling and finding properties, Great restaurants and fun things to do in the wine country of Northern California, Vizsla dogs and resources for pet owners buying or selling real estate in Sonoma county.
Experience
Latest:
Realtor and Previews Property Specialist for Coldwell Banker
June 2003—present
Previous:
Principal for Convergence Point
Advisor and interim executive for emerging technology companies in sales, marketing and business development strategies.
January 1991—December 2002
Previous:
Vice President of Sales for Macromind, now Macromedia at Adobe
Launched Macromind Director to national distributors, resellers, corporations and major partners such as Apple Computer. Negotiated distribution and promotional deals, built a sales organization from headquarters into a national team.
April 1989—December 1991
Previous:
Director of Western Sales for Borland International
$43,000,000 P and L responsiblity including sales management, business development and product marketing strategy for the Western half of the United States, and national product marketing efforts.
April 1986—April 1989
Previous:
Sale and marketing for Lotus Development Corporation, now IBM
Various sales and marketing positions during a time of rapid growth and public offering. Company grew from zero to $360,000,000 in gross sales and from 25 to hundreds of employees during this time. Great fun and a wild ride!
March 1983—April 1986
Certifications & Awards
Rookie of the Year for Coldwell Banker, 2003
Interests
Horses, Dogs, Vizslas, Great food and wine, gardening and horticulture, grape growing, reading, former avid sailor and ocean racer, travelling--not enough time to do it all!
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