Many horse owners dream of boxing up their house, loading up their horses and moving to the country. But the realities of living in a rural environment have shocked many unprepared suburbanites and city goers. Realtor and broker Jenna Michaud-Bonyadi says when looking to relocate to a rural area it’s important to find an agent with a firm grasp on country living. Jenna understands because not only is she a rural estate specialist, but a resident in a rural area.

“If you haven’t lived in a rural environment before there are a lot of things you need to know about building and living out in the country,” explains Jenna. “Many of the daily life amenities you take for granted in the city are not available in the country. New buyers need to know about wells and septic. Having built our ranch from the ground up, I can give buyers some insight into the process. A lot of people also ask me about setting up Internet and cable; it’s pretty much all satellite.”
Jenna was born in Florida with the horse bug, and she grew up riding her horse through the local orange groves. She moved to Northern California in 1990, but soon migrated south to Los Angeles in search of warmer weather. While living in the San Fernando Valley, she earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology with a minor in biology from California State University, Northridge. Then in 2003 Jenna and her husband, Dino, decided to pursue their dream of country life and took what Jenna describes as a “radical sabbatical.”
“We just decided to take a chance, come out here and start all over again,” says Jenna. “It was a very challenging process, but we have no regrets - moving out here was worth it. There is so much you can do with 20 acres out here. There are people with grand facilities with the most elaborate set ups, and others with very simple set ups that come out to trail ride on the national parks and BLM land. The possibilities are endless.”
Jenna covers the Kern County communities of Caliente, Twin Oaks, Piute Springs, Walker Basin and Havilah. The elevation in these Kern County communities ranges from 3,200 to 4,000 feet; high enough to get a bit of snow, but not so much that land owners need to worry about buying a snow shovel. Over the past 30 years, much of the land has been subdivided into 20 acre lots, though there are some 2.5, 5 and 10 acre ranches and ranch sites available.
“Many residents have moved here to fulfill their dream of having a hobby farm or working ranch,” notes Jenna. “The area is great for horses due to the amount of open space, fresh clean air, mild climate and terrain. The scenery is typified by gently rolling, oak studded grassy meadows with occasional granite rock outcroppings and some pine and juniper.”
Since moving to Kern County Jenna’s own horse herd has tripled in size. But Jenna believes that it’s more that just her horse knowledge and rural estate experience that makes her a good realtor. It is also her integrity and ability to effectively communicate with buyers. A great deal of her business is based on referrals and Jenna feels that it is the highest compliment a client can pay her.
“Buying land or a house is a big financial investment for most people and they trust you to help them. I take that trust very seriously. It’s important that buyers feel comfortable with their real estate agent, it makes everything go much smoother and everyone is happy in the end.”
For more information about Jenna or about property in Kern County call 661-867-2115, email jenna@twinhorserealty.com or visit her website www.twinhorserealty.com.