When Susan Quillin and Jean Nelsen decided to leave Palm Springs last year and return to friends and family in Northern California, they had already moved several times and learned a few things about themselves: They knew what they wanted, and they could act quickly.
Those two attributes would stand them in good stead as they re-entered the San Francisco Bay Area market, where home prices are soaring and bidding wars are brewing. But this time, the couple was exploring new territory for them: Sonoma County.
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Quillin, 71, and Nelsen, 77, met in 1986 while working on organizing Gay Games II, the Olympic-style event that had begun four years earlier. Since then, they’ve lived in three different locations in and around the cool Bay Area, with a detour to the desert of Palm Springs for the next six years. The day they moved in, it was 122 degrees.
“We wanted something warmer. We’d forgotten the definition of ‘warm’,” Nelsen said with a smile.
They’ve never been afraid to make quick decisions: Ms. Quillin, a psychiatric nurse, and Mr. Nelsen, an accountant with his own practice, retired in the same month in 2017. They bought a three-bedroom home in Palm Springs after just one visit, and when they felt the pull of Northern California last year, they were ready to act.
“They were very specific about what they wanted,” said Paula Gold Nocera of Vanguard Properties, who was introduced to the couple through a mutual friend. “I wish I had 100 clients like them.”
The couple preferred new construction, which meant less maintenance, more options and modern finishes. They wanted a family-friendly neighborhood, something they didn’t experience when they lived in downtown Palm Springs. Having a little yard space for their rescued little pup, Poppy, was a key bonus.
“Everywhere we’ve ever lived has had a view – the ocean, a lagoon or the mountains,” Quillin added. “That was really important to us.”
Careful not to make housing too expensive for their lifestyle, they set a budget of less than $1 million and told Gold-Nocera to focus initially on Petaluma, a city of 58,000 (slightly larger than Palm Springs) with a charming downtown and an easy 30-minute drive from San Francisco, though other areas were also open options.
Among the options are:
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