Jim Eldridge
Real Estate Professional
- English,
- French
Jim first visited Mendocino in 1984, while on a trip with his father to tour Stanford University in Palo Alto. They had flown out from Denver to visit Stanford as a possible college destination for Jim, and after the tour they took a side trip up the coast to visit an old college friend of his father’s, a nationally renowned sculptor named Wheatley Allen. That leg of the California trip was unforgettable — Jim still recalls seeing the village and Big River beach for the first time, and having fresh sourdough and cracked crab at the Allens' stunning farmhouse property in the redwoods. Jim's head was turned toward California, and in the end he was fortunate enough to attend Stanford, where he graduated with his B.A. in 1989.
After college, California was permanently in Jim's blood, a condition most of us around here share. He lived in Santa Barbara for a number of years, and in the hills above Oakland, but few experiences were more gratifying than when Jim and his wife Jill bought their first home, in Mendocino. Since then they have extensively remodeled their 1800's farmhouse, built a custom wooden barn-style studio beside it, and have lovingly re-landscaped and reworked the property into their dream homestead.
Having worked with this brokerage since 2007, and having helped clients buy and sell all manner of coastal real estate, Jim is well-qualified to assist in navigating the often complex and turbulent waters of real estate sales and development on the Mendocino coast. Although he has found his niche in high-end real estate sales, Jim's years here have been diverse and wide-ranging, and have included projects incorporating systems of grading, design, architecture, engineering, permitting, building, even interior decorating, which are particular to this area.
Many locals wear multiple hats, and being no exception, Jim also owns a local property management business, Applewood Property Management. Run by Jill and Jim, Applewood manages many long-term residential rental properties here on the coast, as well as a number of high-end commercial properties. They also offer care-taking and concierge services for owners who want their properties cared for while they are away, or who simply want help navigating subcontractors in the accomplishment of projects around the home. This business has brought full circle Jim's understanding of and relationship with the coastal real estate environment in all its many facets.
Since they moved to the area, Jill and Jim have been blessed with two children, Mae and Auden, and are wholly and passionately committed to the well-being of the community, on behalf of themselves, and especially their kids. Jim is just as committed to working with diligence, intelligence, energy, and creativity to achieve the greatest goals of his clients!