REMAX - Johnson's SIERRA Lifestyle Team

Grass Valley Real Estate Guide September 2025

Grass Valley, Nevada County, Real Estate

Introduction
The Grass Valley real estate market blends Gold-Rush history with modern amenities and remains an active market in 2025. Whether you’re a buyer seeking pine-lined acreage or a seller looking to make a strong first impression, understanding the latest trends helps you move confidently.

Market Snapshot — September 2025

Quick take: The market feels balanced with a touch of cooling compared to the past few years. Homes are still moving, just with more negotiation room and a bit more time for due diligence.

By the numbers (September 2025):

Median sold price (Grass Valley): $522,000
Median days on market (Grass Valley): 43 days
Sold in September: 120 Homes
Listings Active: 459 Homes totaling about 3 months of inventory

Although the numbers are lower than we would like it appears we are running about the same as last year. If we continue on trend we might see a small up swing in the next 2 months. This information has been provided by RE/Max Gold of Grass Valley.

Neighborhoods to Know

Downtown / Historic
Walk to coffee, galleries, and locally owned shops among charming Victorians and brick storefronts. Lots of options for outdoor activities or enjoying the arts. Ideal for buyers who value character and convenience.

Alta Sierra
Just minutes from town, Alta Sierra is a wooded, country-club community with an 18-hole course and a variety of home styles and lot sizes. If you want a little elbow room, and maybe a golf cart, start here.

Morgan Ranch & nearby subdivisions
Sidewalks, proximity to schools, and an easy hop to shopping and services. It’s a great fit for buyers after a neighborhood feel without sacrificing access to trails and town.

Nearby options to consider
Nevada City (sister town with Victorian charm) and Auburn (commuter-friendly to Sacramento with easy access to Tahoe).

Smart Buying Tips (Local Must-Knows)

1) Fire-wise clearance & insurance realities
Most of our area is “wildland-urban interface.” Be prepared for 100 feet of defensible space around structures (or to the property line) and expect insurers to ask about home-hardening. In certain high-hazard zones, the seller must provide AB-38 defensible-space documentation at sale, or the buyer agrees to complete it within a year. If you can’t secure a traditional policy, the California FAIR Plan can be a stopgap while you improve the home’s risk profile.

2) Acreage / land due diligence
On wells, plan for a well yield test and potability test; on septic, confirm permits and system conditions with the county and your inspector. These steps avoid surprises on rural properties and help lenders feel comfortable.

3) Seasonal timing & access
Inventory ebbs and flows, and showings can be easier (and driveways friendlier!) outside of heavy storm windows. If you’re flexible, we’ll time your tours to local conditions.

Lifestyle & Amenities

Historic downtown & events: From Friday night strolls to the beloved Cornish Christmas, the calendar stays full and festive.
Year-round outdoors: Trail systems and Empire Mine State Historic Park bring hiking/biking right into town, with rivers and high-country skiing a reasonable drive away.
Arts and Performing Venues: Grass Valley has a lively arts scene with local galleries, community theaters, and regular live-music nights that keep the downtown calendar active year-round. Small venues and seasonal festivals make it easy for residents to enjoy performances, support local artists, and find family-friendly events close to home.

About Johnson’s Sierra Lifestyle Team

You have an entire team working for you, buyers and sellers get fast availability for tours, plus a deep bench of vetted local pros to prepare listings and host open houses at no extra cost. We’ve been recognized with 10 years in Master’s Club and RE/MAX Gold Platinum Club, reflecting our dedication to clients and consistent results.

Bottom Line

Grass Valley’s 2025 market rewards good preparation and realistic pricing. Buyers have more time to evaluate wells, septic, and fire-wise features; sellers who price with today’s comps and present a move-in-ready home still attract strong offers. Ready to take the next step? Call Alisa at (530) 559-4871, email alisare2012@gmail.com, or use the contact form here.

CalHFA Dream For All is Coming Back

Real Estate

CalHFA Dream For All is coming back

Does this program truly help more people become homeowners?

by Alisa Johnson, January 2024

There is a question that has swirled around for a long time in my head.

Do down payment assistance programs really help get more buyers into homes? Would those buyers have been able to purchase without the assistance?

Last year when CalHFA released $25 million in funds for the CalHFA Dream for All program the funds were gone in less than 11 days. Did these funds actually go to first-time home buyers in need? Or did they get dispersed to just about anyone who applied in those first 11 days? I am not sure we will ever know the true answer to this but the program is on its way back but this time it has some adjustments to qualifications and a more controlled way to distribute funds.

Some of the qualifications for the new program release are as follows:

At least one applicant must be a California resident

At least one applicant must be a First-Generation Homebuyer – **this is a new requirement added with this release
- A homebuyer who has not been on title, held an ownership interest, or has been named on a mortgage to a home (on permanent foundation and owned land) in the United States in the last 7 years, and
- To the best of the homebuyer’s knowledge whose parents (biological or adoptive) do not have any present ownership interest in a home in the United States or if deceased whose parents did not have any ownership interest at the time of death in a home in the United States, or; PB.2023-03 Page 2 of 2 California Housing Finance Agency
- An individual who has at any time been placed in foster care or institutional care (type of out-of-home residential care for large groups of children by non-related caregivers)

Income must be less than or equal to $178,000 in Nevada County, or $180,000 in Placer County

Maximum Shared Appreciation Loan amount is $150,000 or $20% of the sales price or appraised value, whichever is less. – Shared appreciation loan can be used for down payment and closing expenses!

Minimum Combined Loan-To-Value (CLTV) is 95.00%

2/1, 1/1, and 1/0 temporary buydowns are permitted

These programs are created with the vision in mind to help more people become homeowners.

The 1st $25 million(2023) did not have the same requirements and I fear that a lot of those funds helped people purchase homes with those funds that had other means to afford home ownership.

So will 2024 be a better use of CalHFA Dream for all funds?

I believe so. If you are paying rent and spending over $2500 a month in rent then home ownership might be a great option for you and down payment assistance might be a great boost to get you there.

Homeownership is costly and you should be prepared as it is likely the largest investment you will make in your lifetime.

Some things that you can start now to prepare to be a homeowner are as follows.

Budgeting-Create a household budget.

Savings-Create a savings plan to have 6 mortgage payments in savings for emergencies.

Research– Gather information from your RE agent, lender, etc on costs you will incur in the buying process.