Home appraisals in Merced County, by tomorrow

Merced County is almond, dairy and sweet potato country, with Merced, Atwater and Livingston along Highway 99 and Los Banos and Gustine on the west side toward Pacheco Pass. I appraise older homes in town, newer subdivisions at the edges and farmhouses out in the orchards. When a parent dies or a marriage ends, the house or the farm parcel is usually the biggest question, and I answer it from your photos.

What I look at in Merced County

1. 1

   North Merced, out toward the UC campus, has many of the newer tracts, while central Merced and Atwater have older streets with big trees. I keep comparisons within the same era, since the two sell differently.

2. 2

   Los Banos grew fast in the 2000s, so whole neighborhoods share a builder and floor plans. I compare within the same tracts and note solar, pools and changes from the original plan.

3. 3

   Parts of Merced along Bear Creek, and Planada, flooded in January 2023. For homes there, I check flood maps and ask what was damaged and how it was repaired.

Across Merced County

Merced County is mostly flat, but its markets still differ: Highway 99 towns, west-side communities near San Luis Reservoir and rural parcels with wells. I match each home with sales from its own corner of the county.

Merced County questions