After 7 days of mandatory evacuations due to the North Bay fires, some of the areas are now being opened for homeowners to check on their houses, and this, unfortunately, means that many are searching for places to live.

While price gouging is being reported – mainly by renters – there are homes still listed that are far below market prices. However, there is a disturbing trend that can be traced back as far as the 10th of this month (the second day of the fires) – there are an unusually large amount of homes marked as ‘Pending’. When driving through West Santa Rosa, I saw no less the two vehicles stopping at multiple houses with ‘For Sale’ signs, and the drivers getting out with their phones. The sincere hope is that these were people with a need, but looking at the price history (changes) on some listings, there are houses with their prices being raised as high as $80,000 in the days following this emergency.

I’ve compiled a quick list of houses that are affordable, still listed, and in areas that are clear of fire damage so if you need to find a safe place, hopefully this will help. Scroll through the gallery to see…