Knights Valley Ranch - California Estate with a European Soul If you are anything like me, you may have seen your most lavish dreams of residential splendor quickly morph to complete and utter disappointment at 7:59pm PST last Wednesday.

Moments before the first Powerball spun down the long plastic tube, I was making preparations to sign a contract for my very own Sonoma County estate — complete with a waterslide from the master bedroom to the downstairs pool. Five balls later, cruel reality had punched a gaping hole in my residential reveries.

The glutton for punishment that I am, I have spent the past few days frantically researching what kind of Sonoma County property the Powerball millions could have bought me — would I have won the jackpot or the paltry $638,146 consolation prize won in Sonoma County.

Knights Valley Ranch Entrance

Entrance to Knights Valley Ranch (Photo Courtesy Intero Prestigio International & Sotheby’s International Realty)

How to Spend the Powerball Jackpot in Sonoma County

There were three winners of the record breaking $1.6 billion Powerball Jackpot. So what would a share of the grand prize buy you on the 2016 real estate market? While you wouldn’t be able to afford, let’s say, Buckingham Palace (valued at £1 billion), this kind of cash will still secure you a rather fine piece of property in Sonoma County.

You could, for example, become the proud owner of Sonoma County’s presently most expensive real estate listing Knights Valley Ranch ($32 million), while acquiring the Playboy Mansion (Hugh Hefner included) as a weekend getaway and still have some spare change to spend to your heart’s delight on diamond sculptures, marble floors, gold plated walls and other outrageous and extravagantly superfluous decor.

Tucked into the lush hills between Healdsburg and Calistoga, Knights Valley Ranch encompasses over six hundred acres of woodlands, pastures and creeks. The property was created in the style of an Austrian countryside villa, blending the clean and sophisticated aesthetics of European design and craftsmanship with the majestic beauty of the Northern California landscape. The result — “a masterpiece of relaxed, elegant living for you.”

Knights Valley Ranch Master Bathroom

Knights Valley Ranch Master Bathroom

Knights Valley Ranch Drawing Room

Knights Valley Ranch Drawing Room

Knights Valley Ranch Features Include:

  • Entry glass canopies inspired by art nouveau architect Victor Horta.
  • Japanese garden porch in traditional materials overlooking the bonsai garden.
  • Living room modeled after a “small Romanesque church.”
  • Dining room with “monumental Austrian jugendstil brass tiered chandelier.”
  • Library with 300-year-old Austrian oak parquet.
  • Vaulted medieval-style Austrian wine cellar.
  • Rooftop decks overlooking Mt. St. Helena, gardens and pool (sadly no waterslide).

Knights Valley Ranch is listed by Intero Prestigio International & Sotheby’s International Realty

Knights Valley Ranch Walk-In Closet

Knights Valley Ranch Walk-In Closet

Vaulted Medieval-Style Austrian Wine Cellar

Vaulted Medieval-Style Austrian Wine Cellar

Infinity Pool Overlooking Alexander Valley

Infinity Pool Overlooking Alexander Valley

Knights Valley Ranch Courtyard

Knights Valley Ranch Courtyard

Three Real Estate Options for Our Runner Up Powerball Winners

For the consolation Powerball prize winners, collecting approximately $638,146 each, real estate options in Sonoma County diminish significantly. Still, the real estate selection is not dismal enough for these winners to elicit my heartfelt sympathies — after all, not many of us can muster up $600K in down payment or afford a Sonoma County home sans mortgage these days.

Oak Leaf Drive

Entrance to Oak Leaf Drive, Santa Rosa (Photo Courtesy Coldwell Banker)

1. The first offering for the two lucky Powerball winners is a beautifully renovated 1960s home on Oak Leaf Drive in Santa Rosa for $619,888. Flooded with natural light, this 1401 square feet two bathroom-two bedroom property comes with a modern open plan kitchen-dining area, featuring quartz counter tops, custom tiled back-splash and a fireplace. The two elegantly styled and spacious bathrooms will allow you to “stretch out in a spa-like atmosphere” and the expansive backyard with stunning redwood deck will give you plenty of opportunity to host summer barbecues for family and friends. 6840 Oak Leaf Drive is listed by The George Burk Company Ryan Burk Oak Leaf Drive 2 2. Also within the price range of the second prize Powerball winners is a Tudor style mini mansion within walking distance to downtown Cloverdale. This 2,422 square feet two story home with three master suites features an open plan cook’s kitchen with top of the line stainless steel appliances, a living room with fireplace, 3.5 baths, plenty of storage and a beautiful patio for indoor-outdoor living and entertaining. Listed for only $515,000, our lottery winners would have a few more dollars to spend on luxury vacations to Paris, Tahiti and the Seychelles. 102 Caledonian Court is listed by Pacific Union International Inc.

Caledonian Court 1

Caledonian Court, Cloverdale (Photo Courtesy Pacific Union International Inc.)

3. If our Powerball millionaire friends would prefer a more secluded lifestyle, a hideout from the buzz attendant their gambling successes, they might consider Fern Falls, an “extraordinary compound” by the waterfalls of St. Elmo’s Creek, Cazadero. This is a place for “world travelers, nature lovers, romantics, family, friends” …and lottery winners!

Fern Falls 1

Fern Falls, Cazadero (Photo Courtesy Vanguard Properties)

The three bed-three bath 1,636 square feet refuge is an “eclectic remodeled delight of whimsy and fine finishes.” The new owner can enjoy discreet outdoor spaces and unique decks, exploring carved rooks and pools in a stunning creek side setting, and creating his or her very own masterpiece in an artists studio. “One of a kind, unbelievable, yours” (for $635,000), this Sonoma County oasis is located on 1.29 acres of “surreal beauty and privacy.” Fern Falls, 5701 Austin Creek Road, is listed by Vanguard Properties

And for the rest of us… Lets tune up to the key of G and the Delta, make that, the Sonoma County Blues… and a ticket for the next Powerball Jackpot! Fern Falls 2Fern Falls 3Fern Falls 4Fern Falls 5