Max Cutler Real Estate

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Max Cutler Real Estate

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Helping buyers and sellers navigate real estate in Grass Valley, Nevada City & the Sierra Foothills. DRE # 02293192

10/21/2026

Heads up for anyone with a dog: the 12th annual Howl-o-ween Dog Mob Parade is this Sunday, October 25 in downtown Grass Valley. It runs 3 to 4:30pm, kicks off at El Barrio Market on Neal St, and it's free. It started in 2014 with 14 dogs and this year they're aiming for 1,000.

If you want your dog in the costume contest, today is the last day to register. Chico is all in on the bandana. Babu is still deciding whether he'll tolerate the witch hat.

Max Cutler, Century 21 Cornerstone
DRE # 02293192

10/19/2026

This one sold back in July, but I never shared it. 11550 Sky Pines Ridge Road in Nevada City, 3 bed, 2 bath, about 2,400 sq ft under the tall pines, and it never hit the MLS.

Not every sale goes on the open market. I represented the buyers on this one, and we found it through a conversation instead of a listing. Sometimes a quiet off-market deal works out best for everyone.

If you're looking and not finding the right place on the MLS, let's talk. Some of the best fits never get listed.

Max Cutler, Century 21 Cornerstone
DRE # 02293192

10/16/2026

Fall is one of the best times to move plants around here in the foothills. The soil is still warm, the air is cooling off, and the rains do a lot of the watering for you, so roots can settle in over winter before they have to deal with summer heat.

A few things I've learned moving perennials, shrubs and young trees on our place:

1. Timing. Aim for October into November, once the heat breaks and ideally after deciduous plants start dropping their leaves. Pick a cloudy day or late afternoon.
2. Water the day before. A well watered plant holds its root ball together and handles the move better.
3. Dig wide, not just deep. Most feeder roots are near the surface, so take as big a root ball as you can carry.
4. Loosen the roots. If a plant is root bound, with roots circling the pot or the root ball, gently tease them apart or make a few shallow cuts down the sides so they grow out into the soil instead of in circles.
5. Plant at the same depth it was growing. Burying the trunk or crown deeper is a common mistake that can rot it.
6. Water it in well and mulch, but keep the mulch a few inches off the trunk.
7. Hold off on fertilizer. Let it focus on roots, and save the feeding for spring.
8. Think about gophers. They're no joke around here. Wire baskets are worth experimenting with, but they can restrict roots as the plant grows, so weigh that before you commit.

Spring is when you'll see if it worked, so fall is a good time to fix that tree you planted in the wrong spot.

Max Cutler, Century 21 Cornerstone
DRE # 02293192

10/14/2026

Babu has officially claimed the potato bed now that the fall potatoes are dug, so here's a quick fall check-in on the Nevada County market while he supervises. I pulled the summer numbers from the MLS for single family homes that went under contract July through August and have since closed.

Countywide, 197 homes sold, about the same as last summer's 211. The median price came in around $535,000, down a little from $550,000. The big change was speed. Median days on market dropped from 48 to 26, so homes that were priced right didn't sit long.

Right now there are 378 single family homes for sale in the county. Last week we saw 37 new listings and 26 new pendings, both up from the week before. Nearly 3 in 4 active homes have been on the market 30+ days, so buyers have some room to negotiate. If you're thinking about selling this winter or spring, now's a good time to figure out the sweet spot on pricing. Happy to run the numbers for your place, no pressure.

Sources: MetroList MLS and Century 21 Select's weekly activity report, Nevada County single family homes.

Max Cutler, Century 21 Cornerstone
DRE # 02293192

10/12/2026

With the rains on the way, here's a quick look at the ways we can slow water down and keep it on the land instead of watching it run off down the hill. Most of these are simple, and even one or two can make a big difference on a foothill property come August.

If you only do one thing this winter, walk your land during a good storm and watch where the water goes. It'll tell you where a swale, a rain garden or a tank makes the most sense.

Looking at land and wondering what the water is doing? I'm always happy to walk it with you.

Max Cutler, Century 21 Cornerstone
DRE # 02293192

10/10/2026

We've built our garden beds two different ways out here, and people ask me about them all the time, so here's my honest take.

The curvy gray ones are ferro cement, which is basically a thin shell of cement over a wire mesh frame. They take more time and money up front, but they won't rot, gophers can't chew through them, and you can shape them however you want. The thick walls also hold onto moisture and warmth, which helps in our hot dry summers.

The wood ones are cedar that was harvested and milled right on a neighbor's property. We charred them shou sugi ban style, an old Japanese technique where you burn the outside of the boards. The burn layer helps the wood hold up against rot and bugs a lot longer than plain lumber. They're quicker to build, cheaper, and easy to move or change later.

Either one beats pots for us. Pots dry out fast in the heat and don't give roots much room. And versus planting straight in the ground, raised beds let you start with good soil instead of fighting clay and rock, keep the gophers out with some wire on the bottom, and are a lot easier on your back.

If you're looking at property and wondering how a garden would work on it, I'm always happy to talk sun, soil and water with you.

Max Cutler, Century 21 Cornerstone
DRE # 02293192

10/09/2026

Price just dropped to $549,000. I'm hosting an open house this Saturday, October 10 from 12-3pm at 11568 Colfax Hwy in Grass Valley. It's a Craftsman style cottage in the Union Hill School District with a vaulted great room, the primary suite on the main floor, and a separate artist retreat out back that's a really fun bonus space.

Come check it out and say hi, I'll be there all afternoon.

Listed by Clark Wright, Century 21 Select.

Max Cutler, Century 21 Cornerstone
DRE # 02293192

10/08/2026

The leaves are starting to drop out here, and that means the rains aren't far behind. Fall is my favorite time to walk a piece of land, because once the first real storm comes through, you can see exactly where the water wants to go. Where it sheets off the driveway, where it pools up, and which spots stay soggy for days.

One of the first things I learned getting my Permaculture Design Certificate was to watch before you change anything. My wife and I still do this on our little farm every year, and it tells us more than any map.

If you own acreage around Nevada County, grab a jacket during the next storm and take a walk. A few quick notes on where the water runs can save you a lot of erosion and wasted water down the road. And if you're looking at land to buy, I'm happy to walk it with you and talk through what the water is doing.

Max Cutler, Century 21 Cornerstone
DRE # 02293192

07/18/2026

I love seeing happy clients!

05/21/2026

Showing off our biggest radish to date.

Permaculture at work as well as years of trial and error on the homestead are helping to yield the biggest radish I've ever grown.

Address

901 La Barr Meadows
Grass Valley, CA
95949

Telephone

+15309555209

Website

http://Max-cutler.c21cornerstone.com/

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