RealWise with Stephanie Johnson

Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson looks at where buyers can negotiate right now and where they can't. Using September numbers for months of inventory, days on market, and sale price as a percentage of list price, she ranks eight areas from the most buyer leverage to the least: Healdsburg, two Santa Rosa ZIP codes, Sonoma, Windsor, Sebastopol, and west and east Petaluma. She als...

Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson walks through the third quarter 2026 numbers for the county and for seven areas within it: the Sonoma coast, Healdsburg, Sebastopol, Sonoma, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, and the Russian River. County-wide, sales, median price, and days on market barely moved from last year. Price per square foot jumped, and she explains why that doesn't mean homes got...

Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson shares the West County spots she goes to as a local after five years of living here. These aren't picks for weekend visitors. They're the coffee shops, bakeries, family-friendly cafes, and restaurants she visits on her own time. The route starts in south Sebastopol and heads west through The Barlow, Graton, Freestone, Occidental, and Bodega...

Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson explains how fire risk affects home insurance for buyers. She starts with a question from clients who were just quoted a California FAIR Plan policy on a home in Bodega Bay. She covers the two separate systems that rate fire risk, and how the 2025 fire hazard map changed in Healdsburg, Sonoma, Petaluma, and Sebastopol. She also explains what the FA...

Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson compares two towns in the southern part of the county that sit about 30 minutes apart and feel very different to live in. Petaluma is a small city of about 60,000 with strong schools, a river running through downtown, and a year-round calendar of events. Sonoma is a small wine town of about 10,500 with a median age of 57, a busy tourist season, and...

Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson tours two historic homes in downtown Healdsburg, priced at $3 million and $3.3 million and both walking distance to the plaza. One is a 1936 Craftsman on Tucker Street with a detached ADU that needs a facelift. The other is a turn-of-the-century home on Fitch Street that's already been meticulously restored, down to the detailed millwork. She w...

Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson compares two homes priced right around $2 million that could not be more different from each other. One is an established property down a private lane in Sebastopol with plenty of square footage and real charm. The other is a newer build on a hilltop in the Larkfield-Wikiup area of Santa Rosa, with 360-degree views and 11.5 acres. She walks through...

Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson takes you along on a broker tour of three homes priced at or just under $1 million: one in Santa Rosa, one in Windsor, and one in Sebastopol. She walks through what makes each property and each town different, from a renovated starter home near Montgomery Village to a spacious Windsor house with a backyard that outshines the rest of the listing to...

Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson takes listeners on a full map tour of the town of Sonoma, starting at the historic Sonoma Plaza and working outward through the neighborhoods that surround it. She covers real price ranges, from walkable condos on the square to affordable senior housing in Temelec to private lakefront estates on Lake Josephine, along with the history behind the pla...

Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson puts two of the county's most talked-about wine country towns head to head. She compares the food and wine scene in Healdsburg and Sonoma, walks through the very different feel of each town plaza, and pulls real sales data on what homes actually cost in each zip code. She also covers demographics, wildfire risk, outdoor recreation, and how long...

Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson takes you on a tour of the town of Sonoma, starting at the plaza where California's independence was declared. Along the way, she covers the Tuesday farmers market, Sunday concert series and other events that keep the square busy year round, the nearly 20 tasting rooms you can reach on foot, and the trails that start just blocks from downtown....

Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson walks through the real pros and cons of living in the town of Sonoma, covering the wine and food scene, the walkable historic plaza, fire risk, the tourist season, school options, and what it actually costs to live there. If you are trying to decide whether Sonoma is the right fit for your move, this episode will help you go in with your eyes open....

Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson breaks down five of Sonoma County’s most desirable towns and matches each one to Bay Area neighborhoods, helping buyers figure out where they will actually feel at home after the move. If you are trying to figure out which Sonoma County town actually fits your life, this episode will help you narrow it down. I'm Stephanie Johnson, a Sonoma Coun...

Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson breaks down the five things every buyer needs to know before purchasing new construction here in Sonoma County, from the inspection you still need on a brand new home to the buyer's agent you are entitled to bring along for the process. She explains why being brand new does not mean a home is free of issues, and what a punch list is and why get...

Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson breaks down a tax strategy that lets buyers purchase a short term vacation rental in Sonoma County and write off a significant portion of that home's value in the first year of ownership. She explains the difference between a short term and a long term rental, and why that distinction is what makes this tax benefit possible for busy professiona...

If you're a Bay Area professional weighing whether a move to wine country is actually worth it, this episode answers that honestly, straight from someone who's lived both sides of it. Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson lived in San Francisco for almost 25 years before making the move herself. In this episode she breaks down exactly what she does not miss about city life, inc...

If you own a cosmetic fixer with good bones, or you are getting ready to sell in Sonoma County right now, this episode will save you time, money, and a lot of second guessing. Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson walks through five improvements she sees consistently help homes sell faster and for more money, and none of them require a gut renovation. She covers why paint is the single...

The Bay Area real estate market in 2026 is producing numbers that would have seemed impossible a few years ago. A San Francisco fixer closing at $3.5 million. A Berkeley home going $1.3 million over asking. If you own a Bay Area home right now, you are sitting on serious equity. The question is what to do with it. In this episode, Sonoma County real estate agent Stephanie Johnson runs two real sce...

Stephanie Johnson spent close to 25 years in San Francisco. She built a career there, raised two boys there as a single mom, and ran a real estate business there. And then she left. In this episode, Stephanie is not talking to you as your agent. She is talking to you as someone who made the exact move you might be considering: leaving the Bay Area for Sonoma County and changing her whole life in t...

If you've been wondering what $2 million actually gets you in Sonoma County, this episode is your inside look. I walk you through three homes I recently toured — one in northern Sebastopol, one in Healdsburg's Alexander Valley, and one in the Fountaingrove neighborhood of Santa Rosa — and break down what each lifestyle really feels like. You'll hear about the Sebastopol property with i...

If you're thinking about buying a home in Sonoma County, this episode is essential listening. I break down real market data from the last 60 days and reveal something surprising: we're in a split market where 52% of homes sell in under 30 days (often above asking), while 10% sit for 120+ days and eventually sell for just 91% of list price. In this episode, you'll hear: • The four disti...

If you've ever wondered what your budget actually gets you in Healdsburg, this episode walks you through three real homes at three very different price points — and what each one tells you about the market. Stephanie tours a $1M downtown cottage on Center Street that needs a full renovation but comes with approved expansion plans, a $2M home on 5+ acres in the Dry Creek Valley with panoramic v...

Are you dreaming about more space, a slower lifestyle, and more value for your money? You've been eyeing Sonoma County — the wine country escape that's closer than you think and more attainable than you realize. Welcome to RealWise Sonoma County, the podcast built people relocating from San Francisco, Marin, East Bay, the Peninsula and beyond who are serious about making the move to Sonoma...

Most people who visit Healdsburg never leave the plaza — but if you're thinking about actually living here, the real story starts outside the tourist area. In this episode, Sonoma County agent Stephanie Johnson takes you on a guided tour of Healdsburg, California, mapping out the neighborhoods, lifestyle, and price points that define this small but mighty wine country town. You'll hear abo...

Thinking about moving to Sonoma County? Healdsburg is one of the most sought-after wine country town for buyers looking to relocate from the Bay Area and beyond — but what's it really like to live here, and how much does it cost? In this video, I'm giving you a complete tour of Healdsburg, California — from the iconic downtown plaza to historic neighborhoods, Dry Creek Valley estates, and...