Home appraisals in Tuolumne County, by tomorrow

In Tuolumne County I value gold-rush houses on Sonora's hills and the old streets of Jamestown and Columbia, cabins up Highway 108 in Twain Harte and Mi-Wuk Village, and homes at Pine Mountain Lake near Groveland. When a parent's place must be settled, a divorce needs a figure, or heirs want to sell, my appraisal gives everyone the same starting point.

What I look at in Tuolumne County

1. 1

   Up Highway 108, I check whether a cabin sits on its own lot or on Forest Service permit land around Pinecrest, where you own the cabin but not the ground. Those sell very differently.

2. 2

   Twain Harte and Mi-Wuk cabins range from summer places to year-round homes. I note insulation, heat, plowed access and winter use, since that splits the market.

3. 3

   Sonora and Jamestown have older homes on steep lots with stone walls, small garages and many additions. I look at how the add-ons were built and compare with other older in-town homes.

Across Tuolumne County

Tuolumne County reaches from the reservoir country around Lake Don Pedro through the gold-rush towns to snow country at Pinecrest and Strawberry. I compare Tuolumne foothill, town and mountain homes in separate groups, since each sells on different terms.

Tuolumne County questions