The King’s Ranch Origin Story
Hi! We’re the Sullivans. Dream-riddled DIYers, disciples of Christ, and parents to 4 future saints (that’s the hope, anyway!). Our marriage is dedicated to serving God, building His Kingdom, and rebuilding marriage & family life in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. We’ve been at this for 13 years (to date) with quite a few downs and thankfully some ups. Our Kingdom building efforts in our beloved San Francisco have led us to the present: The King’s Ranch, a homestead and campground perfectly suited for families looking for a comfortable escape from the noise of the world. But, how exactly did this project come about?
For as long’s I’ve known him, Sean has talked of owning a large swath of land, preferably forested, so he could do selective cuts to the forest to generate income, while having a place to spend time off-grid. I, having grown up watching This Old House on PBS, dreamed of restoring my very own dilapidated historic home one day…
We’ve gained some remodeling experience over a decade’s time working on various residential projects, but nothing near the extent of a full gut and rebuild, and certainly nothing on a sizable piece of land that needed to be managed.
A few years back, Sean started periodically checking listings for vacant land in Sonoma County, CA. Notably, I was very much against the idea. Years of his wistful “what if” searches passed, until one day he came up on a listing that was rather intriguing. But, the price was no where near affordable and his pesky wife (that’s me!) blew off the idea. Months went by, the price dropped and dropped again (on my birthday, no less), and all of a sudden it was within reach. The land was most appealing for him, and for me the 1930 farmstead that needed a LOT of love called out. Our shared dream turned into building a retreat house and campground, something comfortable and attractive to families. A pool, sleeping porch, land to run around and affordable for people via a work trade program. Once we discovered the website created by the listing agent, we knew this place was for us. “This offering would be ideal for a family that wanted to develop a retreat compound to bring everyone together and have private solitude and nature to help make life memories.” I mean COME ON!!!!
We drove up to the site once before putting in an offer. Indeed, the hot mess of a house spoke to me and the stands of redwood trees and mature oaks beckoned as they creaked ever so gently in the breeze. We had to give it a shot.
Through some very convoluted, yet God-ordained, financing we were able to put in an offer at less than half of the original listing price, and they took it. Actually, the sellers reduced the price even more after we expressed serious interest, as they were desperate to sell. 132 acres atop King Ridge was ours. We closed the sale on September 14, 2023: the feast of the Exhaltation of the Holy Cross. This was, yet again, a God Project (tm).
Let’s go!
