Four Houses Four Stories - Flipbook - Page 8
Inflection
Point
From Chaos to Discovery
The journey began with a dartboard approach—
literally. The couple sought rural land within 40 miles
of Sacramento or a 30-minute commute. Their wish
list was ambitious: a site of 3 to 20 acres with room for
happy dogs, a large vegetable garden, an orchard or
vineyard, and, above all, an inspiring view.
Driving the back roads near Auburn, they stumbled
upon a forlorn “For Sale” sign dangling from a single
screw. The property was an overgrown tangle of
dead trees, poison oak, and, oddly, a grove of timber
bamboo. At its heart stood a derelict “hillbilly house,”
surrounded by rusted sheds, broken-down cars, and
heaps of junk.
Undeterred, they noticed a crawl hole in the thicket.
Crawling through 25 feet of dense vegetation, they
emerged onto a hilltop—and gasped. Before them
lay a sweeping, 65-mile view of the Central
Valley, stretching all the way to the Bay
Area foothills. It was love at 昀椀rst sight.
