A Near Miss and Zoning Questions

I now have my first failed property hunt. 7655 Bradley Road, Somis, was one of the results of my field trip. From Bradley, all that is visible is a bare hill, with a water tank and a pepper tree at the top. A plywood sign states that it is 32 acres of “open land” for sale by the owner. This open land, it turns out, consists of two trailer pads, complete with trailers, and not much else. This is visible up the tiny, easily missed Dusty Lane. Fences divide up the area and the avocado orchard that is nearby is not actually a part of this land. The owner states that it is zoned to be a nursery. The gently rolling hills would be perfect for horses, however. And, as you may be able to tell from my posting on Somis, I have a soft spot for the area. I think it is charming, quiet, and beautiful.

So what, you may ask, is the failure? It is already in escrow.

I contacted the owner to get more information on this eccentric property and found out that there was already a buyer. I am glad to hear that property is selling in the current market, but I was also disappointed to have come late to the party. The property was odd to look at, but 32 acres are nothing to sneeze at. Given the location and its appearance, I had high, perhaps silly, hopes that the price would be low. I was somewhat disappointed to learn that he is asking $2 million. With 32 acres, that breaks down to $62,500 per acre. This is the best going price of my discoveries so far, but there was so little there. All of the structures would have to be put into place, the price of getting “open” (read: barely developed) land. Perhaps my expectations are too high.

However, there is a ray of hope for anyone interested in this property. The owner is not certain that escrow will close, or hinted at as much, and recommends contacting him after Nov. 29 to verify that it has closed. If anyone is interested in following up on this property, please contact me through the blog. The only method for contacting the owner is a phone number and, out of respect for his privacy, I do not wish to post it openly here. However, I would be glad to give it out on request.

This property brought up an important issue for me. The owner specifically mentioned the permits for the trailers and the zoning for a “nursery” (not an actual zoning category, but within agriculture). I for one know little about zoning laws, but it is a critical consideration for any property or horse owner. Keeping horses is not just a matter of your own finances or the neighbors’ good will. Zoning laws restrict where and what you can build, as well as the kind and number of animals and plants you can commercially maintain. Information on the internet as to laws of specific areas is surprisingly sparse, but these are my offerings: http://real-estate-law.freeadvice.com/zoning/ and http://www.realestatelawyers.com/Zoning-Permits.cfm. When looking at properties, ask the owner or agent about zoning for the area. If they cannot answer to your satisfaction, contact a real estate lawyer. We must inform ourselves about the rights and restrictions of our line of work.

Area: Somis

Somis, like Newbury Park, is another subdivision of Ventura County. Its borders are defined roughly by Highways 118 and 34, otherwise known as Los Angeles Avenue and Somis Road respectively. It is a small area and the roads are winding. Many transform abruptly and it is not difficult to get lost. However, they also connect as a network within the area. The population was 3,061 in 2005 and the density is only 66 people per square mile. The average gross income is $84,284. The average home value is $1,340,932, which only includes houses and condos, not land values. It is predominantly agricultural. Citrus and avocado orchards take up vast tracts of land and there are numerous fields of seasonal fruits and vegetables with connected produce stands. There are three elementary schools, Mesa Elementary, Somis Elementary, and Golden Valley Charter, and one public high school, Somis Academy Charter High.

Somis will initially seem isolated, I believe, especially because of the roads that wind into the hills. Though there is one major residential area, most of the land is divided into large lots. Anyone living there will certainly have space to themselves. However, Somis is actually quite close to both Moorpark and Camarillo. The Camarillo Outlet Mall in nearby, along with movie theatres, restaurants, and shopping areas. Somis does have the wonderful feeling of the country, or as close as one can get in California, with its quiet and space, but it still has the conveniences of the city. The majority travel time to work is only 20 to 24 minutes. It is situated to have all of Ventura County, from Oxnard and the beach to Thousand Oaks and the upper edge of L.A., at its disposal.

Area information provided by City-Data.com. More on Somis available here.

Somis Fieldtrip, Part 1

Well, I decided to do things a bit differently for the next couple of weeks. I took RanchQuest on a fieldtrip. I headed out to Somis with a Thomas Guide and a few street names. Somis is most known as agricultural territory. Whole areas are devoted to lemons or avocados or strawberries. The streets wind and transition suddenly into new ones and veer off at right angles. I started on L.A. Avenue, where the traffic moves fast and trucks try to escape freeway traffic, and worked my way into the rural areas, where one other car is a surprise. I checked Balcom Canyon Road, Bradley Road, Donlon, Grimes Canyon, and Broadway. I found several interesting places, many of them delightfully large compared to what can be found closer to town. I’ll start today with 7355 Balcom Canyon Rd, Somis, CA 93066.

The road is narrow and crowded on the left by orange orchards, which show signs of damage from wind or frost. On the right, a mishmash of fence types divides the property into several sections. It is hard to tell what belongs to the property and what is actually next door. When I looked up the real estate adverts, it turns out it consists of 19.51 acres and everything I saw actually does belong to that property. There is a house, pale blue and white, perched on a hill at the back, overlooking the land down to the road. Oddly, the adverts state that the “main house pad” is “ready to build” on. The house currently listed is small, just 1,200 sq. ft, and one listing stated this was the guest house, so I am not sure where the main pad is. An additional oddity is the number of things listed as being in this small house: two bedrooms, two baths; fireplace; dining area; living room; breakfast bar and room (separate or together, I wonder?); laundry room; family room; and a covered patio. The kitchen includes: a convection oven; a dishwasher; a gas oven and range; refrigerator; and microwave. Where do they put it all? But in my opinion, the current house has a lovely view, if the windows are not blocked by all the appliances. Down the hill from it, there is a ten stall barn with pipe corrals attached on both sides. There are supposedly pastures, but I did not see any. There was what appeared to be an arena at road level, but it looked abandoned. It is listed as being 180’ by 110’, a respectable size, if a bit small. There are additional pens and three identical shelters that I could not identify. Perhaps they are connected to the outdoor pens. In the rear of the property, avocado orchards march neatly up the hillside. There are 140 mature plants and 650 three year old plants that are set to produce this year. With that level of production, I would recommend the property to someone with at least a passing interest in or knowledge of avocado care or an excessive love of the fruit as food.

The property is very nice, if a little ragged looking. The land is mostly bare and seems desolate. It could definitely stand some attention. But the facilities seem well suited to a professional competitor or intensive horse owner. The area seems isolated, largely because of the small, twisting roads. In fact, you have fairly easy access to Moorpark and Camarillo and their attendant amenities. But you enjoy the peace and quiet of a rural area in exchange for diminished convenience. If you need to go to town often, for work, shopping, or school, it may become a hassle. But for the stay-at-home type, it seems ideal. Now, the bottom line. The property is listed at $2,149,500. A little pricey, perhaps, but after the Kelly property, I feel like this is a fabulous buy. That property, for reference, broke down to a little over a million per acre and only consisted of 1.42 acres. This is almost twenty for about $110,000 per acre. The location is not as ideal, but you get so much more land and who doesn’t want that? My judgment—7355 Balcom is professional friendly, has great bang for your buck, and a good location.

If this property strikes your fancy, please visit Redfin (contact info is at the bottom of the page). The signs at the property list General Pacific as the realtor, though they list a Barbara K. Schuman, not Larry Krogh as online, but there is also a listing with Rosemary Allison at Century 21 America. I’m afraid I do not know anything more about the correct contacts.

My tour of Somis is not over, so check back for more property. If you would like to know more about the Somis area, please check my area archives in the right column.