Nevada City vs. Auburn: Which Sierra Foothills Lifestyle Fits You
I get a version of this question almost every month from people relocating to the area: should I look in Nevada City or should I look in Auburn? Both towns sit in the Sierra Foothills, both pull in a steady stream of Bay Area and Sacramento transplants, and both get lumped into the same "should we m
What Is Your Nevada County Home Worth in Summer 2026?
Your neighbor's sale price from last year isn't your home's value anymore. 📉 Grass Valley values are down roughly 3-6% compared to a year ago, while Nevada City has held closer to flat. That doesn't mean your home is worth less than you think -- it means pricing has to be based on this month's data
Lake Wildwood vs. Lake of the Pines: Which Fits You
If you have narrowed your Nevada County search to a gated lake community, you have probably landed on the same two names everyone else does. I get asked to compare Lake Wildwood vs Lake of the Pines almost every month, usually from a Bay Area or Sacramento buyer who wants lake life without giving up
Does Selling Your Nevada County Home Reset Your Property Taxes?
I get some version of this question almost every time I sit down with a client who's owned their home for 15, 20, or 30 years: "If I sell and buy something else, does my property tax bill start over?" It's a fair worry. Nevada County home values have climbed a lot since a lot of my clients bought, a
What the Draft Horse Classic Reveals About Living in Nevada County
Every September, something happens at the Nevada County Fairgrounds that tells you more about living in Nevada County than any market report I could hand you. Massive Belgian and Clydesdale draft horses, some weighing close to a ton, pull polished antique wagons around the arena while a few thousand
Should You Offer a Rent-Back Agreement When Selling in Nevada County?
Last month a seller in Grass Valley asked me a question I get more than you'd think: could she sell her home and still live in it for a few extra weeks while her new place finished closing? The answer was yes, through something called a rent-back agreement. If you're selling in Nevada County and you
Grass Valley vs. Nevada City vs. Alta Sierra: Income Needed to Buy
I get asked some version of this question every single week: how much do I actually need to earn to buy a home here? Buyers usually have a number in their head from an online calculator, and it rarely matches what our market requires. So I ran the real income needed to buy in four of the towns I wor
Grass Valley vs. Lake of the Pines: Which Sierra Foothills Lifestyle Fits You
I get some version of this question almost every week from people moving to the area: should I look in downtown Grass Valley, or should I look at Lake of the Pines? They're both in my backyard, both places I've sold in for 20+ years, and they could not feel more different day to day. If you're weigh
New Construction vs. Resale in Grass Valley: Which Is Right for You
If you're weighing new construction against a resale home in Grass Valley, you're not alone. I get this question from buyers almost every week, and the honest answer depends on your budget, your timeline, and how much you want to deal with fixing things later. Right now there are several new constru
