Many Mendocino homes date from the mid-19th century, making them rich with history and character, just like the rugged shores of this California village on the sea.

For those of you who don't know where Mendocino is located, it's a sleepy village about 150 miles north of San Francisco. It's not easy to get to, either, because there are no major thoroughfares into Mendocino. Driving Highway 1 is a roller-coaster ride; the road winds and has a lot of switchbacks. People like me who are prone to car sickness suffer a bit through those curves, climbs and descents. But it's worth every moment of queasiness to visit this magnificent town.

The village itself sits directly in front of the ocean, isolated from everything else around it. Its streets are wide and easily navigated on foot, which is how I came to photograph almost three dozen of Mendocino's most gorgeous real estate. My husband thought we would visit a few art galleries and have lunch. Instead, I dragged him from one home to the next so I could take pictures. He's a saint.

Although a few homes are available for sale around half a million, the bulk of properties sold in Mendocino fall within a range of $800,000 to $2 million, according to an agent at Mendo Realty. The most expensive sale in town was $5 million. If you're considering a second home along the coast, check out these photographs of Mendocino homes.

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_{©Elizabeth Weintraub}

Technorati tag: Mendocino Homes

Plenty of real estate investors specialize in buying fixer uppers, but a little bit of sweat equity goes a long way for first-time home buyers, too.

See, one of the problems with buying a fixer upper as an investor is not every investor has the ability to pay all cash for these homes. Many take out mortgage loans to finance the purchase. So while they are making repairs, they are also making mortgage payments on an empty house.

Home buyers, on the other hand, have the option of living in the house while they are fixing it up. Owner occupants can take their time doing repairs; not everything needs to be completed at once, and rooms can be tackled one by one until the home is finished. A great benefit is the fact that home buyers can create living environments just the way they want it -- painting the walls in colors of their own choosing, selecting their own grade of floor coverings and types of appliances -- the home can be customized to suit their individual needs and tastes.

The caveat emptor in this situation is the fact that remodeling can become addictive. Lots of home buyers find when they are finished and there is nothing left to do, they feel like they must sell and buy another home to fix up . . . read more about Fixer Uppers.

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• Top 10 DIY Mistakes
  
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• How to Buy, Fix-Up and Sell Your Home

_{©2007 Elizabeth Weintraub}

Technorati tag: fixer uppers

Did you ever think you'd hear a real estate agent tell you that there are lots of reasons to not buy a home?

Not every person in the universe is an ideal candidate for home ownership, nor should everybody who can buy a home. If you don't believe me, just look at some of the foreclosure statistics. Some buyers stretched themselves too far. Others got into situations they would never have had considered a decade ago. Some people get caught up in buying frenzies and think that if all their friends are buying a home, by golly, they should, too.

Stability in your job, your relationships and your life can act as safeguards against an unforeseeable future . . . read more about Reasons to Not Buy a Home.

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Many environmentally conscious home builders are crafting green homes by using green building materials. Even if you're not in the market to buy a green home, though, you can help to stop global warming and protect the environment when you replace old appliances or remodel.

My husband never quite forgave me when I gave the buyers of our last home the new front-loading washer. But it was a stickling point for them, and I wasn't going to blow the sale over a $1,000 appliance.

So when the washer / dryer combo unit that came with our present home broke down and parts were unavailable to repair it, our home protection plan offered to replace it for free. Except the appliance they were going to give us was a replica of our existing model, which wasn't energy efficient. A little known aspect of many home protection plans is the company will generally credit you the replacement cost and let you pay the difference for an upgrade at wholesale pricing.

This was an opportune time, I figured, to make amends with my husband and give him the front-loading washer and dryer of his dreams. After all, he does the laundry in my house. Read more about Green Homes.

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_{©2007 Elizabeth Weintraub}

Technorati tag: green homes