North of Nevada City, North San Juan has always been known as unique for its sense of community and self-sufficiency.

In 1853, gold was discovered here and North San Juan became a boomtown. North San Juan was named by a German miner who had served in the Mexican war and thought the area looked like a hill he saw with a prison built on it called San Juan de Ulloa.

The middle Yuba Canal provided water, making hydraulic mining possible in the area on a grand scale. And North San Juan became home to thousands. In 1884, hydraulic mining ended and North San Juan real estate ceased being about gold and became desirable for its fertile soil and away-from-it-all location.

Many of the town’s early structures were built of brick and equipped with the mandatory iron doors and shutters, and a few still remain in good repair today, even as impressive homes and organic farms replace the outdated makeshift homes settled by disillusioned hippies fleeing San Francisco after the Summer of Love.

North San Juan real estate is as diverse as its population. Its residents are as likely to be shopping at local market Mother Truckers for local organic produce as producing a Sufi dancing performance at historic North Columbia Schoolhouse, enjoying a community-wide Thanksgiving dinner, or traveling to hear Noth San Juan’s most famous resident (internationally acclaimed poet Gary Snyderr) read from his most recent book.

Each Western Nevada county neighborhood has its distinctive feeling and North San Juan, if not the most distinctive, has a history and an ambience unlike any other.

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First-generation Italian-Americans settled this area, naming Chicago Park after their first U.S. stopover – Chicago, Illinois. The Donner Trail passes through Chicago Park.

Although rural and bucolic, Chicago Park’s easy accessibility to I80 is a bonus for those whose lives include commuting to the east or west. – an added advantage to those fortunate enough to own Chicago Park real estate.

Chicago Park real estate includes many ranches and large parcels as well as properties near to Rollins Lake with its fishing, hiking, boating and camping opportunities. At an elevation of 2100 feet, it is not unusual for fisherman enjoying this 900-acre lake to compete with osprey and eagles for trout and warm water species.

Historically a ranching area, Chicago Park has been home to pear, apple, and peach orchards since the early 1900’s. Chicago Park’s rich soil produces superb mountain fruit. In fact, a pear grower from Chicago Park won first prize at the International Exposition in San Francisco in 1915 for his Bartlett pears.

In Chicago Park, the notable Bierwagon family-owned farm has been run by several generations of the family. The Bierwagons are also the genial hosts at Chicago Park’s Happy Apple Kitchen, a cozy (and delicious) destination for travelers.

If you have a dream of owing property in Western Nevada County, do yourself a favor and consider Chicago Park real estate.

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Nevada County Real Estate is almost as diverse in nature as nature itself. It can mean the rolling pastureland and stately oaks that are so typical of the terrain in Penn Valley, some with farmhouses or modern horse setups, others just waiting for your dream house.

Nevada County Real Estate can mean the ornate Victorian homes in downtown Grass Valley or Nevada City, many of which have been lovingly restored to honor their resplendent Gold Rush heritage.

Nevada County Real Estate can mean rural properties by rushing creeks or with ponds attracting the Canadian geese and Sandhill Cranes on their migration paths.  Or, it can mean up-to-date properties with trend-setting features, straw bale homes, unique log homes, views of the Sacramento Valley or the snow capped Sierra Buttes.

No matter which dream you’re dreaming about living here in the foothills of the Sierra – if it’s Nevada County Real Estate you’re after, Realty Executives Gold County is here to help you make the dream come true.

We know Nevada County inside and out.  We know all the places that are the locals’ favorites.  We know that, when you invest in Real Estate, you’re not just buying property, you’re buying a life style.

When you buy Nevada County Real Estate, you’ll own a little bit of the history that shaped this area when miners flocked to the gold-rich California hills.  Reminders of that history surrounds you, at places like the Miners Foundry Cultural Center where equipment was forged to take gold out of the mines and at the Empire Mine, today a State Park.  The long history is also present in the independent spirit of the people who make this their home, among them all the good people you’ll find at Realty Executives Gold County – people who are ready to help you realize your dream.

Alta Sierra is located 5 miles south of Grass Valley. Alta Sierra real estate is in demand because of its quiet residential community feeling and desirable amenities. Properties can be found on rolling parcels and steep lots, frequently with panoramic views.

As an owner of Alta Sierra real estate, you are adjacent to the Alta Sierra Golf & country Club, a privately owned facility with championship 18 hole golf course, clubhouse with restaurant, lounge and pro shop, a driving range, swimming pool and tennis courts.

There are cart paths leading directly to the golf course throughout the subdivision.

Alta Sierra real estate is also unique for having its own private airstrip, the Alta Sierra Sky park, adjoining several of its properties. Pilots are interested to discover the sky park has 3,000 feet of paved runway with a 2 to 3 percent grade.

Alta Sierra real estate is available in two different areas, Alta Sierra Estates and Alta Sierra Ranches. Lots range in size from a quarter acre to 10 acres. Covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&R’s) ensure the subdivision remains true to the various architectural styles and price ranges envisioned when the area was first subdivided.

At the entrance to Alta Sierra, you will find a small shopping area that answers residents’ day-to-day needs. More extensive shopping is an easy few minutes drive up Highway 49 to Grass Valley and all its conveniences. Those who own Alta Sierra real estate find that having all the amenities close at hand more than compensate for the short trip to town.

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Penn Valley real estate has its own flavor; rolling pastureland, meadows, farms, and horse ranches give way to more of a neighborhood feeling closer to the valley’s small commercial area.

Penn Valley real estate also includes a popular gated community, Lake Wildwood, with amenities galore. Located 10 miles from Grass Valley, off Highway 20, Lake Wildwood boasts a 300-acre lake, five developed parks, and 80-slip marina and clubhouse, an 18-hole championship golf course and pro shop, swimming, tennis, water skiing, boating, and fishing. There is a full calendar of activities for both adults and children, every month of the year. Across from Lake Wildwood is another commercial area, supporting the active population living there.

One of Penn Valley’s recreational jewels is Western Gateway Park on the banks of Squirrel Creek. This 80 acres is open to everyone and families gather for picnics, barbeques and softball games year-round. The park has playgrounds, trails, a horse arena, baseball fields, tennis courts, an amphitheater and a dog park, surrounded by grassy meadows and beautiful shady oak trees. Those who are fortunate enough to own Penn Valley real estate enjoy the park in their own backyard.

Because of its 1,400 foot elevation, rich soil, and eight-month growing season, Penn Valley real estate is often the first choice of those whose interest in agriculture brings them to the foothills. During the Gold Rush, wagon trains from Sacramento to Nevada stopped in Penn Valley to stock up for the long trip to the Comstock Mines. Although the wagon trains are only a memory, the historic covered bridge over the Yuba River at Bridgeport bears testimony of this area’s importance in the mid-1800’s. Penn Valley real estate was valuable then, and remains valuable to this day.

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If you have a young family, Grass Valley real estate is for you – cozy bungalows surround the many parks in the areas close to town, with Nevada County’s excellent schools nearby. Acreage outside of town offers room to roam, raise animals, experience life in the country.

People are attracted to Grass Valley real estate for its many advantages: if you’re a gardener, Grass Valley real estate is for you – luscious gardens produce fruit and vegetables as well as gorgeous flowers from early spring until late fall.

If you want the friendly buzz that comes with living in the heart of a small town, Grass Valley real estate is for you. Downtown Grass Valley is booming. Visitors come everywhere to frequent the unique shops, wine tasting rooms, the antique emporiums. And restaurants? Grass Valley boasts restaurants of many flavors – Asian, Mexican, Chilean, Thai, and several very popular restaurants with American/continental menus.

Owning Grass Valley real estate opens a world of recreational opportunity to you. You’re minutes from fishing, cycling, hiking, mountain biking, paddling, and less than an hour away from skiing, snowboarding, and sledding. Why not live in the place you want to play? The beautiful Yuba River is at your doorstep and several lakes offer easy kayak trips on a sunny morning.

If Grass Valley real estate is on your mind, call us at Realty Executives Gold Country. We can say without any reservation that we know Grass Valley real estate!

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You won’t find fast food restaurants here, nor will you find a hardware store or supermarket chain. For those, residents choose to travel the two-three miles to Grass Valley and its larger shopping centers.

Ranging out from Nevada City’s charming downtown, those searching for Nevada City real estate find a number of choices. Climbing up Banner Mountain or Highway 20 past the snowline, many homes resemble mountain chalets, on lots dotted with pines and firs.

Closer to town, a comfortable mix of old and new somehow works to keep this historic town one of the friendliest you’ll find anywhere.

Take another direction, and Nevada City real estate becomes largely multi-acre lots, traveling along North Bloomfield or Lake Vera Roads toward the summertime joys of the Yuba, or along Highway 49 and its many beaches and swimming holes, toward North San Juan.

Those interested in Nevada City real estate often cite the accessibility of the area’s rich musical life, professional theatre, many book stores and galleries as the reason for their quality of life. Others find the proximity of lakes and rivers for paddling, trails for hiking and mountain biking, and concern for the environment reason to settle here.

Whatever the reason, Nevada City, with its quaint storybook downtown, its parades and festive nighttime events in summer and winter, and its historic traditions, is a place like no other. Owning Nevada City real estate is like owning a piece of California history.

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