07/20/21  |  Hertha Wolff-Arend


From my previous blogs, it is pretty obvious that I am a great fan of country living. I am lucky to live in a beautiful home on some acres with my family and animals.

One person’s heaven is the other person’s nightmare, but working as a real estate agent, I observe that more and more people are moving from the cities like LA and San Francisco to the rural Central Coast. Is there a shift in attitude and/or lifestyle? Is it the aftermath of COVID that drives people outside the cities into the country? I am sure there are statistics and trends that relate to this development, but it is not my intention to build on those trends that you can read about online.

Instead, I would like to describe the perfect evening in the North County, which is the area north of San Luis Obispo. I live in Paso Robles, famous for good wine and restaurants – a major tourist attraction.

When heading north of Paso Robles you will drive to Lake Nacimiento with communities like Heritage Ranch, Oak Shores, Riverview or even further north to Bradley, Bryson Hesperia and Lockwood.

I am not surprised if you never heard about these places, but I consider them hidden gems. You are away from the crowds but still close to Highway 101 which gets you quickly to the nearby towns. Be prepared for drought and heat in summer, temperatures can go up into the three digits on certain days, but the nights mostly cool down significantly. These are the kind of North County evenings that are magnificent.

Imagine sitting on your porch sipping on a glass of wine watching the sun going down. The temperatures are dropping rapidly, and a slightly cool breeze is blowing the stress of the day or any burden away into the horizon. These evenings are priceless. You might see deer passing by and later when it gets dark you hear the coyotes calling each other. The sun melting in the horizon turns everything into a warm reddish light, the hills are blending in like dark shadows and the houses far back turn into magical castles. These moments will imprint you for life and you will not miss city noises or neighbors anymore.

What sounds like a dream for many people can be turned into reality easier than ever. The pandemic taught us that we can work from home and still be productive. I have sold homes to people from the Bay Area who are working from home now while living their dream of country living. Once a week or whenever necessary, they drive to an office meeting or wherever they need to be.

Checking your options and asking yourself what lifestyle makes you happy would be the first step in making a change in your life. As a real estate agent, I cannot help you make this decision, but once the decision is made, I can help you find your new home. I serve all of San Luis Obispo County – I am passionate about helping people finding their place, I am a professional and I know the area very well.