Greetings, prospies.

Renting a room in the Bay Area is rough these days.

Bet you've looked at dozens of these. You can stop now.

How's the sound of a ranch smack dab in the middle of everything - yet also secluded in the sweet nature of Los Altos Hills? We're a ten minute drive from Stanford, a quarter mile from Tesla Motors, two minutes from the 280 on-ramp and six minutes away from the delights of downtown Los Altos. Mom and pop hardware stores, cute restaurants and shops galore. With all that proximity, you can still count on waking up to the sounds of birds and horses trotting down the road (or running through our front yard). A neighbor dog named Shasta comes to visit and chases the bunnies that live on our lawn. We can promise evening nature walks with views of the rolling hills and the sparkling lights of SFO holding patterns. And feel free to sit on our back porch, eat dinner and take in the stars. This is no Palo Alto suburbia. This is Idyllwild Ranch.

What do you get? A private room that opens to a lofted porch. A vast backyard featuring our very own, hand-crafted mahogany-stained Idyllwild-branded bar. Full kitchen access - shared food, dinners cooked several times a week (typically by either a native Parisian or a born-and-bred-Texan), 2 1/2 baths shared among six people and a clutch of awesome housemates. Your carpeted room comes fully furnished with everything except a mattress: you'll have a desk, closet, two dressers.

About those awesome housemates. One computer scientist, two semi-qualified mechanical engineers, one civil engineer and some guy who doesn't really do mathy stuff. Among them three former Stanford tour guides, five home states and one stick shift car. There are also other cars. And room for your car. If you have a car. If not it's cool. Okay.

We like cooking - dinners on Sunday, bagels sometimes, a separate fridge for beer. Expect a social house - doors stay open, people staying over in the living room, a party every month or two. The social calendar may return in the spring. Maybe the fall. The garage has been converted into a parlor of games - foosball, Rose-and-Crown quality darts, pool table (slight lean to the north) and a pair of couches. Paradise, if you ask us.

Duration? We have an opening starting January 1st. However, you may take your sweet time moving in over the month of December before then - the man moving out is gone by December 1st and is happy for you to use his space if you'd like to move in earlier. We are looking for folks who are staying at least through June 1, 2014, but this is negotiable.

Pictures? Just ask.

Cheers,