Choosing a Real Estate Agent in Comptche, CA
By Matthew Martinez
Comptche is a small unincorporated community in the redwood hills of Mendocino County, on Comptche-Ukiah Road inland from the town of Mendocino, between the coast and Anderson Valley. Most property here is rural: homes on wooded acreage, ranches and timberland reached by long private roads, with private wells and septic systems. No brokerage keeps an office in Comptche, so the agents below work from the Mendocino Coast, Boonville and Sonoma County.
This guide is published by Diamond Real Estate Group, one of the brokerages listed. Our broker is listed first; other agents are in alphabetical order. The order is not a ranking, and inclusion is not an endorsement.
How to use this agent guide
Start with the property questions below, then compare the publisher and five regional candidates. Public profiles and licensing records answer different questions: a license establishes regulatory status, while a profile describes claimed service areas. Neither establishes local sales experience, quality of service or suitability for your transaction. Some candidates name neighboring communities or the county rather than Comptche itself; the profile evidence is shown explicitly. Interview more than one agent and ask for recent, relevant examples.
Comptche housing in numbers
We did not find a Census place profile for Comptche that we could open, so the figures below are for Mendocino County as a whole.
| Measure (U.S. Census QuickFacts) | Mendocino County |
|---|---|
| Population, July 1, 2025 estimate | 88,122 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes, 2020–2024 | $512,200 |
| Owner-occupied housing rate, 2020–2024 | 61.7% |
| Median household income, 2020–2024 (2024 dollars) | $68,092 |
| Mean travel time to work, 2020–2024 | 21.5 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census QuickFacts, Mendocino County. County medians say little about a Comptche parcel, where value usually rests on acreage, timber, water and permitted structures. Ask an agent for recent sales of comparable land in the Comptche area.
Redwood acreage, timber and Comptche-Ukiah Road
Comptche has no city government; Mendocino County handles zoning and permits. Much of the land around the community is zoned for timber, rangeland or rural residential use, and timber harvest history, recorded easements and road maintenance agreements often matter as much as the house. Winter storms can close or slow travel on Comptche-Ukiah Road and on private roads, so ask about access in all seasons. For more, see our Comptche real estate guide.
Costs and rules specific to a Comptche purchase
- Transfer tax. Comptche is unincorporated, so no city transfer tax applies. Fidelity National Financial’s title guide (Who Pays What, rev. January 2026) lists Mendocino County’s documentary transfer tax at $1.10 per $1,000, customarily paid by the seller: about $563 on a $512,200 sale (the county median value). The County Recorder collects the tax but does not post the rate, so confirm it on your escrow estimate. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Zoning. The County’s Inland Zoning Code was updated in full on September 10, 2024, according to the notice of determination filed with the state. Ask County Planning for the zoning of the parcel, and whether any part of it is in the Coastal Zone, before you plan a barn, shop or second unit.
- ADUs and septic. The County’s ADU page allows detached ADUs up to 1,200 square feet and bars ADUs on a septic leach field or its replacement area, so locate the leach field before planning a second unit.
- Fire hazard and insurance. Look up the address on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, read the natural hazard disclosure report, and get an insurance quote before you remove contingencies.
- Wells and water. Ask for well logs and get a well yield test; on creekside parcels, ask about any recorded water rights.
Agent profiles to compare for a Comptche transaction
Matthew Martinez, Diamond Real Estate Group (publisher)
Matthew Martinez is the Founder, CEO and Managing Broker of Diamond Real Estate Group, based in Sonoma County. Contact him to discuss representation for your specific property and location. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc #02163490.
Five regional interview candidates
These profiles are drawn from the local and broader county research. The final column records the location evidence in each public profile; a nearby town or county reference does not establish completed transactions in Comptche. Ask each candidate to demonstrate relevant experience before hiring them. This is an interview starting point, not a ranking or a claim that every agent specializes in this community.
| Agent / public profile | Brokerage as described by the profile | DRE record | Geographic evidence in the source profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anne Fashauer | North Country Real Estate, Boonville | Broker #01841891 | Comptche, Boonville, Philo, Navarro, Fort Bragg; Anderson Valley |
| Sarah Schoeneman | Mendo Sotheby’s International Realty | Salesperson #01383401 | Mendocino, Fort Bragg, Mendocino Coast, Anderson Valley (neighboring areas, not Comptche) |
| Kelley Urbani (licensed as Kelley Ann Freeland) | Engel & Völkers Mendocino | Salesperson #02094249 DRE record name: Freeland, Kelley Ann. | Little River, Fort Bragg, Elk, Westport (neighboring coast towns, not Comptche) |
| Tracy Wolfson (licensed as Tracy R Wolfson) | Engel & Völkers Mendocino | Salesperson #02089975 | Comptche (listing), Mendocino, Fort Bragg, Albion, Manchester |
| Hannah Adams | Coldwell Banker Mendo Realty, Ukiah | Salesperson #02316222 | Ukiah; Mendocino County |
For a wider comparison, read the county agent guide. Verify current license status and brokerage affiliation on the linked DRE record, and agree on representation terms in writing.
How to vet a Comptche agent
- Ask about rural and timberland sales. Ask how many sales of wooded acreage, ranch or timberland the agent has handled in the Comptche area or nearby.
- Confirm water and septic. Ask for well logs, a yield test and the septic permit, and locate the leach field before planning any addition.
- Check roads and easements. Ask for recorded access easements and any road maintenance agreement, and how the road holds up in winter.
- Ask about timber history. On forested parcels, ask whether timber has been harvested under a state plan and what restrictions remain.
- Get fire insurance quotes early. Wooded parcels can be costly or hard to insure; build the premium into your budget.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status and a current broker on the DRE lookup, and read any public comments on the record.
Comptche questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in Comptche?
No. Comptche is unincorporated, so only the county tax applies, listed at $1.10 per $1,000 in Fidelity National Financial’s 2026 guide. Confirm it on your escrow estimate.
Are there real estate offices in Comptche?
None of the agents we checked has an office in Comptche. The agents in this guide work from Mendocino, Fort Bragg, Boonville and Healdsburg.
Why do some agents in this guide not name Comptche?
Only two of the profiles we opened name Comptche. The others name the Mendocino Coast towns nearby or Mendocino County as a whole, and the table says so for each.
Who handles permits in Comptche?
Mendocino County Planning and Building Services. Ask the County which zoning code applies to the parcel before you plan new building.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- U.S. Census QuickFacts, Mendocino County (county figures as reported in our October 2026 Mendocino County agent guides)
- Fidelity National Financial, Who Pays What: California Transfer Tax and Fees (rev. January 2026)
- Mendocino County Recorder
- Mendocino County Inland Zoning Code, Ch. 20.040; CEQAnet notice of determination, SCH 2008062074
- Mendocino County, Accessory Dwelling Units
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Agent profiles on homes.com, compass.com and mendosothebysrealty.com, linked in the table
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Nearby agent guides: Fort Bragg · Boonville · Philo
Related: Comptche real estate guide · Comptche home valuation · Mendocino County agents guide · 20 tips for choosing a real estate agent
License-status update: the linked California DRE public records were checked November 2, 2026 and showed "Licensed." Public profile research retains the dates stated above. Names on DRE records may differ from public profile names; verify status and brokerage before selecting an agent.
