Followers of my blog, I appreciate YOU! As you know, I prefer to write about the wonderful events in our little community and the very interesting people who live here. I hope you will allow this blog about my current listing called "Country Comfort." You'll see why if you care to continue reading.
Situated on forty very private acres, this spacious 2,450 square foot home is truly designed with convenience and comfort in mind. Not a cookie-cutter tract house, the single story floor plan was carefully designed by collaboration of the owners, Ken and Tina Haws, and the local builder of custom homes, Barry Zimmerman. Built in 2005 this three bedroom, two full bath home has the latest features such as tankless hot water system, central vac, and dual heating. The high ceilings with recessed lights accentuate the drama of the central living area. Fifty miles distant, the snow-covered Yolla Bolly coast range mountains sparkle in the morning sun, framed by the gracefully arched west-facing windows of the living and dining rooms.
An entire paragraph could be written about the kitchen. This one probably has more cabinets than you've ever seen in a kitchen and they are beautiful alder with a cherry stain. A central cooking island adds even more counter space in this working country kitchen, and with two ovens you can easily manage a large turkey and several pies at the same time for Thanksgiving. There is even an appliance garage, something I have never heard of before, and of course a wine storage cabinet convenient to the formal dining room. The window over the sink looks east through the blue oaks, welcoming the morning sun at breakfast time.
Looking for a home with a private master suite? The split bedroom floor plan provides the ultimate privacy for this spacious master. As you would expect, a large walk-in closet is nicely situated opposite the master bath which features a separate shower and jacuzzi tub. Soak in comfort as you gaze out the window through the oaks towards Shingletown Ridge. It's totally private, not another house in sight.
One of the great ideas for a country house, especially one with horses such as this one, is a mud room. This one even has a sink. While most mud rooms are just large enough for a coat rack and a bench to remove crusty boots, this one is so large it has morfed into a family room frequented by the Haws family grandchildren. The perfect play area totally enclosed by north and west-facing windows, it's light and bright. The cement floor is indestructable for those vigorous kid activities.
The laundry room has a nice window over the folding counter letting in plenty of natural light. This room also serves as a pantry and has an amazing amount of storage space with floor to ceiling cabinets on both walls. You can fill up the truck or van at Costco... you'll not be able to fill up all these cabinets. And for the gardener and home canner, there is ample room for all those home-canned goodies you put up at harvest time. The fenced garden area already has several fruit trees.
A small ranch needs a workshop, and this one includes a half bath in the spacious 900 square foot double door garage. Bring all your tools and your big pick-up truck. It all fits nicely in this beautiful garage/workshop, attached to the main house by a covered walkway.
The well is protected by an attractive pump house. There is also a large covered area for the storage of tractors, a wood splitter, rider mower, four-wheeler and other ranch equipment. You'll never need to buy firewood. This forty acre ranch has gently rolling grasslands punctuated by dozens of blue oaks which burn long and hot. The house does have central heat powered by propane if you prefer, but nothing beats the warmth of a wood fire. The wood stove in the living room is designed with an enclosed wood storage area for convenience.
Every ranch needs a barbecue set-up, and this one is sweet. Very well situated on the west side of the house to enjoy the panoramic views, this outdoor patio is spacious and comfortable with a large picnic table and lots of lounge chairs. Those warm July evenings will soon be upon us, so put that beer on ice and fire up the barbie! This is the place to really enjoy the property. While you're grilling, the kids can play on the tire swing or try out the hammock strung between two oaks.
Horses? This ranch has a couple. The pastures are fenced and cross-fenced, so rotating the critters to the area with the greenest grass is a piece of cake. The dirt trails and unpaved roads in this area make riding a pleasure. It's a rural area with few other houses and spectacular views in all directions.
Bottom line: This private ranch and custom home, only two miles from the Manton store, school, post office and diner, is the perfect place to discover your own "country comfort." Check it out online by clicking on the "my listings" tab at www.mantonproperty.com or better yet, arrange for your own private tour of the property by contacting the gracious owners Ken and Tina Haws. They'll be happy to show you around. To make an appointment, just call them at (530) 474-3653. Welcome to Manton Volcanic Wine Country! Oh, I almost forgot... priced to sell quickly at $599,000.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Goodbye Bruce Barron, Creator of Waterwheel Park
Just a hand-written note hastily written was thumbtacked to the Manton Post Office bulletin board, "Bruce Barron Has Died; Services Pending." When I returned to my Cedar Ridge Road home with the mail, as I stepped out of the car I heard that distinct but faint call of honkers high in the sky. The white puffy clouds were racing north with an approaching storm and I squinted, searching for the source of the sound. Then I saw one V-shaped string, high, high above, just little specks riding that fast-moving jet stream straight as an arrow to the north country and home. That must have been Bruce calling out his Farewell to Manton, I thought quietly to myself.
I try to remember when I first met Bruce and saw his marvelous gift to the Manton community, the fabulous oasis called Waterwheel Park. It was in the early '80s when Bruce cooked up a huge kettle of beans for the annual Volunteer Fire Department Barbeque. It was so typical of Bruce, always doing something to support the community. Bruce and his wife Elna took their land which they called Lassen Ox-Shoe Ranch and dedicated a portion of it for a community gathering place, a spot for weddings and Grange picnics, a place to meet your neighbors and sip a cold beer while catching up on local news. No other place in Manton existed for such a thing.
Waterwheel Park was his finest creation. In a beautiful creek bottom with giant sycamores and oaks, Bruce built a waterwheel to capture the energy of falling water to turn the spit on which he roasted meat for the hungry hordes. There was cookhouse and picnic tables, a covered bridge adorned with horseshoes and Bruce's welded whimsical creations for entertainment. Fiddle and guitar often would accompany barbecued beef and beans at so many community and fraternal gatherings. Bruce built community and loved doing so.
The plaque which commemorates Waterwheel Park states it best: "Bruce and Elna Barron established the Waterwheel Park in 1961 to serve in conjuction with the Manton Frontier Days Rodeo and Barbeque. Launched by Beef, Beans and Cowboys, the Park was designed to preserve our Western Heritage and pay homage to the memory of our Native Americans and early California Pioneers. May People in future generations continue to appreciate the beauty and serenity of this bucolic park area and enjoy giving remembrance to those venerable traditions of the Old West." Though now privately owned and only occasionally opened for public events, the memories of good times together will always remain as Bruce's legacy for so many of us.
This short blog could not possibly relate all the many adventures and accomplishments which characterize Bruce's ninety years on this earth. Fortunately for us, Bruce was also a superb raconteur who chronicled many of those entertaining life stories in a book he wrote titled "Fabulous Memories of a Truly Adventurous Life--Short Stories You Will Long Remember." This paperback is rich with tales of local history, cowboys, rodeos, and unexpected and unusual events of yesteryear. It is available at the Manton Museum, a place where you can see a display of twenty different kinds of barbed wire, donated by Bruce. Of course, there is much more to see in the museum. To acquire Bruce's book and see the wonderful displays in the museum, contact the President of the Manton Historical Society, Pat Grag at (530) 474-5219. Bruce was a big supporter of the Historical Society and would certainly have welcomed your support of this local treasure.
In conclusion, again I will quote a few lines of poetry from Bruce's book:
After feeding hungry cows
all those hefty bales of hay
A cowboy saved that wire
Twas a sin to throw it away!
Having extra haywire around
just made a lot of sense
He might be needing it someday
to fix that busted fence.
.....
Oh, alack and alas,
when it's my time to expire,
If a cowboy can be found,
who my widow can hire,
I'll feel safe from the devil
and his eternal fire,
If he'll just seal my tomb
with that old baling wire.
May you rest in peace Bruce, and thanks a million for all the memories. Services will be held at the Allen & Dahl Funeral Chapel in Palo Cedro, Wednesday, March 23rd at 11 a.m. It is located 1/4 mile south of Highway 44, phone (530) 547-4444.
I try to remember when I first met Bruce and saw his marvelous gift to the Manton community, the fabulous oasis called Waterwheel Park. It was in the early '80s when Bruce cooked up a huge kettle of beans for the annual Volunteer Fire Department Barbeque. It was so typical of Bruce, always doing something to support the community. Bruce and his wife Elna took their land which they called Lassen Ox-Shoe Ranch and dedicated a portion of it for a community gathering place, a spot for weddings and Grange picnics, a place to meet your neighbors and sip a cold beer while catching up on local news. No other place in Manton existed for such a thing.
Waterwheel Park was his finest creation. In a beautiful creek bottom with giant sycamores and oaks, Bruce built a waterwheel to capture the energy of falling water to turn the spit on which he roasted meat for the hungry hordes. There was cookhouse and picnic tables, a covered bridge adorned with horseshoes and Bruce's welded whimsical creations for entertainment. Fiddle and guitar often would accompany barbecued beef and beans at so many community and fraternal gatherings. Bruce built community and loved doing so.
The plaque which commemorates Waterwheel Park states it best: "Bruce and Elna Barron established the Waterwheel Park in 1961 to serve in conjuction with the Manton Frontier Days Rodeo and Barbeque. Launched by Beef, Beans and Cowboys, the Park was designed to preserve our Western Heritage and pay homage to the memory of our Native Americans and early California Pioneers. May People in future generations continue to appreciate the beauty and serenity of this bucolic park area and enjoy giving remembrance to those venerable traditions of the Old West." Though now privately owned and only occasionally opened for public events, the memories of good times together will always remain as Bruce's legacy for so many of us.
This short blog could not possibly relate all the many adventures and accomplishments which characterize Bruce's ninety years on this earth. Fortunately for us, Bruce was also a superb raconteur who chronicled many of those entertaining life stories in a book he wrote titled "Fabulous Memories of a Truly Adventurous Life--Short Stories You Will Long Remember." This paperback is rich with tales of local history, cowboys, rodeos, and unexpected and unusual events of yesteryear. It is available at the Manton Museum, a place where you can see a display of twenty different kinds of barbed wire, donated by Bruce. Of course, there is much more to see in the museum. To acquire Bruce's book and see the wonderful displays in the museum, contact the President of the Manton Historical Society, Pat Grag at (530) 474-5219. Bruce was a big supporter of the Historical Society and would certainly have welcomed your support of this local treasure.
In conclusion, again I will quote a few lines of poetry from Bruce's book:
After feeding hungry cows
all those hefty bales of hay
A cowboy saved that wire
Twas a sin to throw it away!
Having extra haywire around
just made a lot of sense
He might be needing it someday
to fix that busted fence.
.....
Oh, alack and alas,
when it's my time to expire,
If a cowboy can be found,
who my widow can hire,
I'll feel safe from the devil
and his eternal fire,
If he'll just seal my tomb
with that old baling wire.
May you rest in peace Bruce, and thanks a million for all the memories. Services will be held at the Allen & Dahl Funeral Chapel in Palo Cedro, Wednesday, March 23rd at 11 a.m. It is located 1/4 mile south of Highway 44, phone (530) 547-4444.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Winter Tracks
After years of drought, monster snows have returned to Lassen Peak. Even Vulcan's Throne, the 500 foot high black lava mole on its southwest face, is blasted white, a rare sight. Meteorogolists for the California Department of Water Resources tell us that the water content of the snow pack is the most EVER for this early in the season. Truly, nature's bountiful precip bodes well for fish and fowl in 2011. There's no telling if the snowflakes will continue to bury the mountains for the duration of winter and into the spring, but it's a most encouraging start.
Winter in Manton. There is snow, but not too much to travel. There is cold, but just enough to make the apple trees and grapes go dormant. New Year's Eve was the perfect example. We got two or three inches overnight at our place, elevation 2,700 feet. It stuck to the trees, covered roof tops and transformed the woods into the proverbial winter wonderland, a perfect Christmas card, just one week late. There's some excitement to driving without chains, to be the first traversing Cedar Ridge Road, hidden by a white blanket, vaguely outlined by the walls of trees on either side.
Slipping and sliding, we glide on home more like a sleigh than a car.
While snow hides the usual landscape, in a strange and wonderful way it reveals the history of things unseen and mysterious: animal tracks. I'm no expert in determining the authors of these various marks in the snow, some small, some unsettlingly large. I know we have rabbits, squirrels, skunks and foxes. Large prints are more intriguing. I have learned that dogs cannot retract their claws, while mountain lions can. We have both wandering by our master bedroom, silent in their nocturnal prowling.
Seldom seen icicles are also a treat. Like mushrooms, one day they just suddenly appear. The sun comes out and with a chorus of watery drips they vanish again until next winter. For whatever reason, most likely the usual manic overload of holiday activity, I had failed to check my rain gauge for awhile. It's mounted on a fence post about chest high, well away from the house. What a surprise! Never saw this before: my rain gauge contained a fourteen inch tall perfectly cylindrical and transparent ice popsicle. I removed it and carried it bare-handed back to the house where I displayed it proudly to my wife Donna through the living room window before dropping it on the cement patio. It shattered into four or five smaller popsicles.
I find comfort in even the usual and expected aspects of our Manton winter... The Christmas tree lit up at night down by the old fire station. The sign on Highway 36 just leaving Red Bluff stating the loop road through Lassen Park is closed, buried now in packed snow measured in dozens of feet. Eskimo Hill at the summit of Highway 44 is popular again with kids on inner tubes and makeshift sliding devices. But most of all, there is just the joy of the land at rest, the silence and serenity of the snowy woods. The mittens, neck scarf and wool hat come out of the bottom drawer and get regular use for a few months. A piping hot cup of hot chocolate or tea is enormously welcome. Cards from distant friends catch us up on another year gone by.
This time of year the dreaded dense and frigid tule fog fills the great central valley of California like a gray/white lake. From numerous vantage points in Manton we can look down on this vast winter sea and across to the snow-covered peaks of the Yolla Bolly Wilderness of the Coast Range. Between storms the sun still has some warmth, though the clear blue sky is crisp and cold, particularly in the shade. When the snow returns, it can be mesmerizing. There is a very strange sensation I experience sometimes when gazing out the window at a particularly heavy snowfall in progress. Giant flakes cascade straight down like millions of white moths falling from above. Suddenly I feel as though the house is rising up and the trees as well are rapidly ascending. One could even say, it's an uplifting experience!
Happy New Year to One and All!
Tom Knight, Broker
MANTON REALTY
Winter in Manton. There is snow, but not too much to travel. There is cold, but just enough to make the apple trees and grapes go dormant. New Year's Eve was the perfect example. We got two or three inches overnight at our place, elevation 2,700 feet. It stuck to the trees, covered roof tops and transformed the woods into the proverbial winter wonderland, a perfect Christmas card, just one week late. There's some excitement to driving without chains, to be the first traversing Cedar Ridge Road, hidden by a white blanket, vaguely outlined by the walls of trees on either side.
Slipping and sliding, we glide on home more like a sleigh than a car.
While snow hides the usual landscape, in a strange and wonderful way it reveals the history of things unseen and mysterious: animal tracks. I'm no expert in determining the authors of these various marks in the snow, some small, some unsettlingly large. I know we have rabbits, squirrels, skunks and foxes. Large prints are more intriguing. I have learned that dogs cannot retract their claws, while mountain lions can. We have both wandering by our master bedroom, silent in their nocturnal prowling.
Seldom seen icicles are also a treat. Like mushrooms, one day they just suddenly appear. The sun comes out and with a chorus of watery drips they vanish again until next winter. For whatever reason, most likely the usual manic overload of holiday activity, I had failed to check my rain gauge for awhile. It's mounted on a fence post about chest high, well away from the house. What a surprise! Never saw this before: my rain gauge contained a fourteen inch tall perfectly cylindrical and transparent ice popsicle. I removed it and carried it bare-handed back to the house where I displayed it proudly to my wife Donna through the living room window before dropping it on the cement patio. It shattered into four or five smaller popsicles.
I find comfort in even the usual and expected aspects of our Manton winter... The Christmas tree lit up at night down by the old fire station. The sign on Highway 36 just leaving Red Bluff stating the loop road through Lassen Park is closed, buried now in packed snow measured in dozens of feet. Eskimo Hill at the summit of Highway 44 is popular again with kids on inner tubes and makeshift sliding devices. But most of all, there is just the joy of the land at rest, the silence and serenity of the snowy woods. The mittens, neck scarf and wool hat come out of the bottom drawer and get regular use for a few months. A piping hot cup of hot chocolate or tea is enormously welcome. Cards from distant friends catch us up on another year gone by.
This time of year the dreaded dense and frigid tule fog fills the great central valley of California like a gray/white lake. From numerous vantage points in Manton we can look down on this vast winter sea and across to the snow-covered peaks of the Yolla Bolly Wilderness of the Coast Range. Between storms the sun still has some warmth, though the clear blue sky is crisp and cold, particularly in the shade. When the snow returns, it can be mesmerizing. There is a very strange sensation I experience sometimes when gazing out the window at a particularly heavy snowfall in progress. Giant flakes cascade straight down like millions of white moths falling from above. Suddenly I feel as though the house is rising up and the trees as well are rapidly ascending. One could even say, it's an uplifting experience!
Happy New Year to One and All!
Tom Knight, Broker
MANTON REALTY
Monday, November 8, 2010
Winter Camp
The second large snowfall of the season has covered Lassen Peak in a cystalline white blanket. The air is cool and fresh, scented with pine. Distant sounds of buzzing chainsaws echo through the woods. Winter is descending on our little foothill community. The nights are long. After work, men gather 'round the wood stove in the Manton Saloon, warming their hands by the crackling fire. At home, summer's harvest sits on pantry shelves in long rows of brightly colored Mason jars.... tomatoes, beans, peaches. The grapes are all picked, now slowly bubbling in fermentation vats, soon to be labeled pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, syrah.
I marvel at the thought of local tribes wintering in makeshift streamside villages this time of year, scarcely more than one hundred years ago. How did these people survive the cold winter nights for even one month, let alone the thousands of winters they occupied this land we now call Manton? Little remains of their culture which might shed some light on the answer, for their culture was simple and nomadic. Evidence of their daily lives has been decimated over the years by plunder of ancient village sites. Treasure hunters have dug up mortars, pestles, metates and arrowheads and taken them home to languish as souvenirs in dresser drawers and backyards. A few items are found in dusty display cases in corners of seldom-visited museums, a brief footnote in California history.
An interesting recently published book which describes in some detail the tribal culture of the southern Yana indians who called Manton home has the strange title, "Ishi's Brain," by Orin Starn, professor of cultural anthropology. I just read this book at the suggestion of my dear friend Scott. He and his hiking buddy Phil backpacked into the Ishi Wilderness last month in search of Grizzly Bear's Hiding Place, the last known winter camp of the Yahi band of indians. While they were unable to find the exact spot, they did have a great adventure in the difficult-to-access Deer Creek canyon, the last known habitat for a native American population still "living in the wild."
While Scott and Phil packed in their provisions and had the latest camping gear, Ishi and his companions had none of that. They lived off the land by their wits. However, Nature was bountiful. Winter run chinook salmon, some forty or fifty pounds in size, splashed up the creeks to spawn this time of year. The Tehama deer herd, still the largest migratory deer herd in California, came down off the mountain to enjoy the tender green shoots of new grass which always pop up after the first rains of the season. Abundant acorns at this lower foothill elevation were ground up and prepared as mush in tightly woven baskets. I learned that this cooking was accomplished by taking hot rounded river rocks from the campfire and putting them into the acorn mush. For shelter, simple huts were fashioned from the supple branches of creekside trees. Capes made from fox or raccoon pelts provided body warmth. Volcanic glass we call obsidian was used to make the necessary tools for hunting and cutting. These people lived close to nature, in harmony with the land and only took what they needed to survive.
During the dramatic influx of settlers to California in the 1850s and 60s, native American culture in northern California was largely destroyed. During this tragic time of transition, men, women and children were brutally murdered and forgotten. In the recorded instances of Indian resistance or retribution, white settlers were whipped into a frenzy of violence against the so-called "uncivilized savages." These brutal episodes are buried in the history books, but linger on in such local place names as Massacre Flats, Blood Island and Battle Creek.
I was very moved by the story of Ishi and what I learned about the plight of his people. As someone who lives in the same place occupied not so long ago by the southern Yana, I am haunted by their shadows and souls. I finished readng the book about the same time Scott and Phil emerged from their wilderness adventure in the heart of Ishi's homeland. As a result, I penned the following poem, which I hope you will enjoy.
Finders, Keepers...
Crossing the Milky Way
A shooting star splits in two...
Celestial heartbreak, then disappears
Foretelling heartache, pending fears
Near Grizzly's Hiding Place.
Coming up canyons to caves,
Sport-shooting, treasure-hunting,
They came to take baskets,
Volcanic glass blades to skin otters,
Raccoon capes, acorn grinders.
There are no more reminders.
Southern Yana left no trace,
Shivering in snow, watery graves.
Secrets of the Tuscan soul
Buried in black water hole.
Salt tears now wash far distant shores,
No footprints in warm sand remain.
Chants of brave hunts, fresh game galore,
Are silent in cold ash rain.
Vanished Yahi, red dust stain.
Tom Knight
October 22nd, 2010
I marvel at the thought of local tribes wintering in makeshift streamside villages this time of year, scarcely more than one hundred years ago. How did these people survive the cold winter nights for even one month, let alone the thousands of winters they occupied this land we now call Manton? Little remains of their culture which might shed some light on the answer, for their culture was simple and nomadic. Evidence of their daily lives has been decimated over the years by plunder of ancient village sites. Treasure hunters have dug up mortars, pestles, metates and arrowheads and taken them home to languish as souvenirs in dresser drawers and backyards. A few items are found in dusty display cases in corners of seldom-visited museums, a brief footnote in California history.
An interesting recently published book which describes in some detail the tribal culture of the southern Yana indians who called Manton home has the strange title, "Ishi's Brain," by Orin Starn, professor of cultural anthropology. I just read this book at the suggestion of my dear friend Scott. He and his hiking buddy Phil backpacked into the Ishi Wilderness last month in search of Grizzly Bear's Hiding Place, the last known winter camp of the Yahi band of indians. While they were unable to find the exact spot, they did have a great adventure in the difficult-to-access Deer Creek canyon, the last known habitat for a native American population still "living in the wild."
While Scott and Phil packed in their provisions and had the latest camping gear, Ishi and his companions had none of that. They lived off the land by their wits. However, Nature was bountiful. Winter run chinook salmon, some forty or fifty pounds in size, splashed up the creeks to spawn this time of year. The Tehama deer herd, still the largest migratory deer herd in California, came down off the mountain to enjoy the tender green shoots of new grass which always pop up after the first rains of the season. Abundant acorns at this lower foothill elevation were ground up and prepared as mush in tightly woven baskets. I learned that this cooking was accomplished by taking hot rounded river rocks from the campfire and putting them into the acorn mush. For shelter, simple huts were fashioned from the supple branches of creekside trees. Capes made from fox or raccoon pelts provided body warmth. Volcanic glass we call obsidian was used to make the necessary tools for hunting and cutting. These people lived close to nature, in harmony with the land and only took what they needed to survive.
During the dramatic influx of settlers to California in the 1850s and 60s, native American culture in northern California was largely destroyed. During this tragic time of transition, men, women and children were brutally murdered and forgotten. In the recorded instances of Indian resistance or retribution, white settlers were whipped into a frenzy of violence against the so-called "uncivilized savages." These brutal episodes are buried in the history books, but linger on in such local place names as Massacre Flats, Blood Island and Battle Creek.
I was very moved by the story of Ishi and what I learned about the plight of his people. As someone who lives in the same place occupied not so long ago by the southern Yana, I am haunted by their shadows and souls. I finished readng the book about the same time Scott and Phil emerged from their wilderness adventure in the heart of Ishi's homeland. As a result, I penned the following poem, which I hope you will enjoy.
Finders, Keepers...
Crossing the Milky Way
A shooting star splits in two...
Celestial heartbreak, then disappears
Foretelling heartache, pending fears
Near Grizzly's Hiding Place.
Coming up canyons to caves,
Sport-shooting, treasure-hunting,
They came to take baskets,
Volcanic glass blades to skin otters,
Raccoon capes, acorn grinders.
There are no more reminders.
Southern Yana left no trace,
Shivering in snow, watery graves.
Secrets of the Tuscan soul
Buried in black water hole.
Salt tears now wash far distant shores,
No footprints in warm sand remain.
Chants of brave hunts, fresh game galore,
Are silent in cold ash rain.
Vanished Yahi, red dust stain.
Tom Knight
October 22nd, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Trick or Treat
With the rapid approach of Halloween in our small rural community of Manton, California, we can soon look forward to hearing "rat-tat-tat" on the front door and the delightful sound of enthusiastic young voices calling out "trick or treat."
I always buy Reese's peanut butter cups and hope there will be some leftovers. For "grown-ups" who still like to dress up for the occasion, the Saloon at Manton Corners will be having a party. As always in Manton, there's something for everyone.
The remainder of this blog is about "trick or treat" in the Manton real estate market, so read on at your own peril. Anyone who has owned property for the past three or four years has been subjected to a cruel trick: the massive decline in value of equities, particularly real estate. Many contractors are out of business, including our nephew, and the remaining ones still standing are renting out spec houses they can no longer sell. It's a familiar story just about everywhere. A shockingly large percentage of homeowners who have a loan now owe more than the house is worth. Five years ago nobody even knew the words "short sale" or "REO." Now most sales are distressed properties. Can anyone say the words: "Half Price?"
Like everything in life, there is a flip side to this story. Patient savers who were priced out of the sizzling market a few years ago (does anyone remember 20% a year equity gains?) are now able to do some bargain hunting. We have become accustomed to "half price" sales of furniture and clothing, but real estate? There is a catch, of course. It helps if you are an all-cash buyer, because the banks are sitting on their cash. It's very hard to get a loan and it's very hard for rural real estate to appraise for the loan amount. However, buyers with excellent credit and a lot of perseverance can find a real Halloween treat: fine property is available in some cases at half the price it sold for five years ago.
If you are thinking about making a purchase, here's one more thing to get your mind around: the interest rate on a conventional 30 year fixed rate mortgage is 4.19%.
NOT A TYPO. As of the week ending October 15th, the advertised rate is 4.19%. If you want to pay a point or two, it's likely you could lock in a rate under 4%. OK, I'm not saying it's free money, but it's the best rate I've ever seen. Some day that forgotten word "inflation" may return, and when it does, that current rate lock will look like a stroke of genius. I don't have a crystal ball, but it seems to me that the decline of the dollar will continue as long as Uncle Sam keeps printing money out of thin air. As far as I know the word "real" is still in "real estate." And then there's the phrase real estate agents love: "land... they're just not making it any more." Perhaps that doesn't apply to the big island of Hawaii.
One more treat to keep in mind: those unadvertised properties known as "pocket listings." This term refers to properties which are not currently for sale, but owners have told a licensed broker that they would like to sell if they could get their price. Why would a person who wants to sell decide not to advertise in the open market? There are many possible reasons. Sometimes buyers are so discouraged by the "soft" market that they give up trying because they doubt they will receive the price they want or need. Sometimes a potential seller has tax considerations which might delay a sale in the current year. Sometimes the seller has signed a long-term lease which runs with the land and could dissuade an offer from a buyer who wants to occupy the property. Sometimes there are personal reasons related to issues of health or relationships. Whatever the reason, in most cases these potential sellers will let go of their property if the offer price is sufficiently attractive.
As a practicing real estate broker in Manton, I am aware of several such pocket listings. Properties I know about range in size from one to fifteen acres. Some are bare land, some have houses which are custom-built. For obvious reasons I am not able to describe these properties in such detail that they could be easily identified. However, if you are a serious buyer who has been waiting for the right time to pick up a special Manton property at a special bargain price, perhaps this is the time to TREAT yourself. Just give me a call and describe your dream property. I just might have what you're looking for in my pocket.
Happy Halloween!
Tom Knight, Broker
Manton Realty
(530) 474-1335
DRE#01441406
I always buy Reese's peanut butter cups and hope there will be some leftovers. For "grown-ups" who still like to dress up for the occasion, the Saloon at Manton Corners will be having a party. As always in Manton, there's something for everyone.
The remainder of this blog is about "trick or treat" in the Manton real estate market, so read on at your own peril. Anyone who has owned property for the past three or four years has been subjected to a cruel trick: the massive decline in value of equities, particularly real estate. Many contractors are out of business, including our nephew, and the remaining ones still standing are renting out spec houses they can no longer sell. It's a familiar story just about everywhere. A shockingly large percentage of homeowners who have a loan now owe more than the house is worth. Five years ago nobody even knew the words "short sale" or "REO." Now most sales are distressed properties. Can anyone say the words: "Half Price?"
Like everything in life, there is a flip side to this story. Patient savers who were priced out of the sizzling market a few years ago (does anyone remember 20% a year equity gains?) are now able to do some bargain hunting. We have become accustomed to "half price" sales of furniture and clothing, but real estate? There is a catch, of course. It helps if you are an all-cash buyer, because the banks are sitting on their cash. It's very hard to get a loan and it's very hard for rural real estate to appraise for the loan amount. However, buyers with excellent credit and a lot of perseverance can find a real Halloween treat: fine property is available in some cases at half the price it sold for five years ago.
If you are thinking about making a purchase, here's one more thing to get your mind around: the interest rate on a conventional 30 year fixed rate mortgage is 4.19%.
NOT A TYPO. As of the week ending October 15th, the advertised rate is 4.19%. If you want to pay a point or two, it's likely you could lock in a rate under 4%. OK, I'm not saying it's free money, but it's the best rate I've ever seen. Some day that forgotten word "inflation" may return, and when it does, that current rate lock will look like a stroke of genius. I don't have a crystal ball, but it seems to me that the decline of the dollar will continue as long as Uncle Sam keeps printing money out of thin air. As far as I know the word "real" is still in "real estate." And then there's the phrase real estate agents love: "land... they're just not making it any more." Perhaps that doesn't apply to the big island of Hawaii.
One more treat to keep in mind: those unadvertised properties known as "pocket listings." This term refers to properties which are not currently for sale, but owners have told a licensed broker that they would like to sell if they could get their price. Why would a person who wants to sell decide not to advertise in the open market? There are many possible reasons. Sometimes buyers are so discouraged by the "soft" market that they give up trying because they doubt they will receive the price they want or need. Sometimes a potential seller has tax considerations which might delay a sale in the current year. Sometimes the seller has signed a long-term lease which runs with the land and could dissuade an offer from a buyer who wants to occupy the property. Sometimes there are personal reasons related to issues of health or relationships. Whatever the reason, in most cases these potential sellers will let go of their property if the offer price is sufficiently attractive.
As a practicing real estate broker in Manton, I am aware of several such pocket listings. Properties I know about range in size from one to fifteen acres. Some are bare land, some have houses which are custom-built. For obvious reasons I am not able to describe these properties in such detail that they could be easily identified. However, if you are a serious buyer who has been waiting for the right time to pick up a special Manton property at a special bargain price, perhaps this is the time to TREAT yourself. Just give me a call and describe your dream property. I just might have what you're looking for in my pocket.
Happy Halloween!
Tom Knight, Broker
Manton Realty
(530) 474-1335
DRE#01441406
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Manton Apple Festival - Family Fun for Free
Good food, good fun, good cause... it's a great time to visit Manton, California for the annual Apple Festival, all day this coming Saturday, October 2nd, 2010 at the Manton School. Bring your hat and sunscreen. This local celebration takes place outside on the grassy athletic field. If you attend, what can you expect? FREE admission. FREE parking. FREE live music. If you want to eat, well that will cost you a modest sum, but much of the proceeds go to the scholarship fund for Manton School students. This is a wonderful way to support a brighter future for rural school children and enjoy some fabulous homemade apple pie a la mode at the same time. How can you beat that?
Many local artisans with their handmade wares will be exhibiting reasonably priced and useful items for sale under a myriad of those familiar white pop-up tents. There will be pottery and jewelry, woodworking and clothing. No commercial items are permitted, only authentic crafts from local artists. And what about apples? There will boxes and boxes of just-picked local apples, including some older hard-to-find varieties. It's been a good year for local orchards. Come and sample for yourself. Additionally there will be a variety of homemade jams and jellies, apple butter, applesauce, possibly some of Sue Young's wild blackberry jam if she hasn't already sold out. You will surely find something special to enjoy.
It's a family affair with wagon rides for kids, pie contests for all ages, and lots of good music under the big tent. Walking around looking at all those interesting booths can make a person hungry. No problem. There will be a number of food booths too, offering an assortment of savory items prepared fresh while you wait. Just a tip: you might want to get in line early. For those who have already discovered the local wineries, most tasting rooms will be open for business, affording the opportunity to take home some award-winning Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon. There are a few excellent whites available as well, for your late summer sipping pleasure. I know it's Fall, but it just doesn't quite feel like it yet.
Come on up the hill and enjoy this marvelous Manton tradition. You'll be glad you did. And did I mention, it's FREE!
Tom Knight, Broker
MANTON REALTY
www.mantonproperty.com
Many local artisans with their handmade wares will be exhibiting reasonably priced and useful items for sale under a myriad of those familiar white pop-up tents. There will be pottery and jewelry, woodworking and clothing. No commercial items are permitted, only authentic crafts from local artists. And what about apples? There will boxes and boxes of just-picked local apples, including some older hard-to-find varieties. It's been a good year for local orchards. Come and sample for yourself. Additionally there will be a variety of homemade jams and jellies, apple butter, applesauce, possibly some of Sue Young's wild blackberry jam if she hasn't already sold out. You will surely find something special to enjoy.
It's a family affair with wagon rides for kids, pie contests for all ages, and lots of good music under the big tent. Walking around looking at all those interesting booths can make a person hungry. No problem. There will be a number of food booths too, offering an assortment of savory items prepared fresh while you wait. Just a tip: you might want to get in line early. For those who have already discovered the local wineries, most tasting rooms will be open for business, affording the opportunity to take home some award-winning Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon. There are a few excellent whites available as well, for your late summer sipping pleasure. I know it's Fall, but it just doesn't quite feel like it yet.
Come on up the hill and enjoy this marvelous Manton tradition. You'll be glad you did. And did I mention, it's FREE!
Tom Knight, Broker
MANTON REALTY
www.mantonproperty.com
Friday, September 3, 2010
BIG FISH... Worth the Wait!
In our instant gratification digitalized consumer culture there are still a few good things worth the wait. After ten years of countless meetings, negotiations, frustrations, wrangling and horse-trading, work on the Battle Creek Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Project has finally begun.
Talk about a triumph over institutionalized bureaucratic inertia, i.e. "excuse me, this is my turf," just imagine getting agreement between federal, state, and local governments, then add to the mix the largest private trout hatchery in California, corporate P. G. & E., more than a few crusty old ranchers and a small rural community which hasn't seen much change in a hundred years... it makes watching cement dry look positively thrilling. Now that's an accomplishment worth celebrating, and indeed, the celebration is happening soon, September 15th to be exact.
Cows still graze the oak-studded pastures, but suddenly there are enormous cranes piercing the horizon leaning out over the sheer black basalt canyon walls, helicopters buzzing all day like angry potters wasps, and strange bright yellow work trucks all bellied up to the bar at Julia's Diner for Blue Ridge Burgers at lunch time. What in the world is going on in Manton, and by the way, where the heck is it? Never heard of it. Is it in California?
Yes, Manton is in California. It straddles Shasta and Tehama Counties in the foothills of Lassen Volcanic National Park, close to 35 miles east of Red Bluff and about 45 miles east of Redding. Manton is smack dab in the middle of the Battle Creek watershed, famed for its cold water springs and hence, the prime ancient breeding ground for chinook salmon and steelhead trout.
This was the home to native americans who feasted on deer, fish, rabbits, blackberries, and who always had an ample supply of acorns and cold clear spring water. Water is the key and Manton has this precious resource in abundance. That is why it was chosen for the Restoration Project.
When Shasta Dam was completed in 1944, this second largest dam in the United States was a magnificent achievement for flood control, power generation and water management for agriculture, but it meant the end for an equally magnificent fishery. The historic spawning grounds in the fabulous Upper Sacramento, Pitt and McCloud Rivers were lost forever, resulting in a precipitous decline in chinook salmon populations. In response, the federal government created the Coleman National Fish Hatchery near the mouth of Battle Creek. The State of California also noticed the terrific potential in the Battle Creek watershed and built Darrah Springs Fish Hatchery to supply numerous lakes in northern California. Mt. Lassen Trout Farm, a private enterprise, has more than twenty facilities, many situated on cold water springs. It is the largest private trout farm in the state. You can frequently see their semi-trucks heading down I-5 with thousands of rainbow trout destined for southern California.
The old-timers, and sadly their numbers are dwindling these days, tell tall tales of chinook salmon swimming up the rocky canyons of north and south Battle Creek, forty and fifty pound fish driven to return to their ancestral spawning grounds just below Angel Falls or Whispering Waters, sheer rock barriers beyond which they could not pass. Perhaps it's just a bit of nostalgic hyperbole, but these old ranchers say you could hear them coming upstream a quarter mile away and once they arrived in spectacular fashion you could practically walk across the creek on the backs of these giant fish. Could those legendary times ever return to Battle Creek? Perhaps they will, or at least, those are the hopes and dreams of all the many hard-working folks who have labored over the past ten years to make it happen.
P. G. & E. has agreed to remove five dams and take a reduction in hydro-electric power generation revenue. Hatcheries have made extensive and expensive adjustments to their operations. New and better-designed fish ladders are being installed where dams remain. Ranchers and private landowners have agreed to allow water channels to be routed through their lands. A very complex system has been designed to greatly increase water flows in Battle Creek and restore habitat to resemble more closely what it used to be long ago. Will the big fish return to Manton? Many believe they will.
To celebrate the beginning of this awesome project which will take years to complete, a private groundbreaking ceremony is planned for Wednesday, September 15th, followed by a public gathering at the Manton School with an excellent free dinner provided to all. It is the annual meeting of the Battle Creek Watershed Conservancy, beginning at 5 p.m. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m., followed by brief presentations on the dramatic events taking place right now on Battle Creek. The public is welcome. And one last comment: Welcome back BIG FISH!
Tom Knight, Broker
MANTON REALTY
www.mantonproperty.com
Talk about a triumph over institutionalized bureaucratic inertia, i.e. "excuse me, this is my turf," just imagine getting agreement between federal, state, and local governments, then add to the mix the largest private trout hatchery in California, corporate P. G. & E., more than a few crusty old ranchers and a small rural community which hasn't seen much change in a hundred years... it makes watching cement dry look positively thrilling. Now that's an accomplishment worth celebrating, and indeed, the celebration is happening soon, September 15th to be exact.
Cows still graze the oak-studded pastures, but suddenly there are enormous cranes piercing the horizon leaning out over the sheer black basalt canyon walls, helicopters buzzing all day like angry potters wasps, and strange bright yellow work trucks all bellied up to the bar at Julia's Diner for Blue Ridge Burgers at lunch time. What in the world is going on in Manton, and by the way, where the heck is it? Never heard of it. Is it in California?
Yes, Manton is in California. It straddles Shasta and Tehama Counties in the foothills of Lassen Volcanic National Park, close to 35 miles east of Red Bluff and about 45 miles east of Redding. Manton is smack dab in the middle of the Battle Creek watershed, famed for its cold water springs and hence, the prime ancient breeding ground for chinook salmon and steelhead trout.
This was the home to native americans who feasted on deer, fish, rabbits, blackberries, and who always had an ample supply of acorns and cold clear spring water. Water is the key and Manton has this precious resource in abundance. That is why it was chosen for the Restoration Project.
When Shasta Dam was completed in 1944, this second largest dam in the United States was a magnificent achievement for flood control, power generation and water management for agriculture, but it meant the end for an equally magnificent fishery. The historic spawning grounds in the fabulous Upper Sacramento, Pitt and McCloud Rivers were lost forever, resulting in a precipitous decline in chinook salmon populations. In response, the federal government created the Coleman National Fish Hatchery near the mouth of Battle Creek. The State of California also noticed the terrific potential in the Battle Creek watershed and built Darrah Springs Fish Hatchery to supply numerous lakes in northern California. Mt. Lassen Trout Farm, a private enterprise, has more than twenty facilities, many situated on cold water springs. It is the largest private trout farm in the state. You can frequently see their semi-trucks heading down I-5 with thousands of rainbow trout destined for southern California.
The old-timers, and sadly their numbers are dwindling these days, tell tall tales of chinook salmon swimming up the rocky canyons of north and south Battle Creek, forty and fifty pound fish driven to return to their ancestral spawning grounds just below Angel Falls or Whispering Waters, sheer rock barriers beyond which they could not pass. Perhaps it's just a bit of nostalgic hyperbole, but these old ranchers say you could hear them coming upstream a quarter mile away and once they arrived in spectacular fashion you could practically walk across the creek on the backs of these giant fish. Could those legendary times ever return to Battle Creek? Perhaps they will, or at least, those are the hopes and dreams of all the many hard-working folks who have labored over the past ten years to make it happen.
P. G. & E. has agreed to remove five dams and take a reduction in hydro-electric power generation revenue. Hatcheries have made extensive and expensive adjustments to their operations. New and better-designed fish ladders are being installed where dams remain. Ranchers and private landowners have agreed to allow water channels to be routed through their lands. A very complex system has been designed to greatly increase water flows in Battle Creek and restore habitat to resemble more closely what it used to be long ago. Will the big fish return to Manton? Many believe they will.
To celebrate the beginning of this awesome project which will take years to complete, a private groundbreaking ceremony is planned for Wednesday, September 15th, followed by a public gathering at the Manton School with an excellent free dinner provided to all. It is the annual meeting of the Battle Creek Watershed Conservancy, beginning at 5 p.m. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m., followed by brief presentations on the dramatic events taking place right now on Battle Creek. The public is welcome. And one last comment: Welcome back BIG FISH!
Tom Knight, Broker
MANTON REALTY
www.mantonproperty.com
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