If you had $350-375k for a home, which family-friendly area of Sacramento would you pick? (Orange: real estate, renting)

[cag25]

Hello,

I have read all of the threads on this board about Sacramento over and over again as we begin preparing to buy a house, and I am so grateful for all the things I have learned. I was wondering, though, if anyone would have any insights into our situation.

We want to buy a home next Spring, and will be able to afford between $350k and 375k. I am not sure where to focus our search. We need at least a 3-bedroom home, and hopefully one with a good-sized yard. We are currently renting in Davis, and we love it-- but we can't afford to buy here.

Our most important criteria is that the area feel safe and have good schools.

Other than that, we'd like to keep DH's commute time to a minimum. He works in Carmichael near the Manzanita/Winding Way intersection.

I'd love to have a strong parks and rec program with lots of activities for kids as well as nice walking paths and parks.

Here's what I've discovered so far (please correct me if I'm wrong about any of this):

Folsom-
This seems like the ideal place except that I don't think we'll be able to find much of a house in our price range. Also, would the commute from here be terrible for DH to get to Carmichael? Am I wrong to think that he could take a surface road (like Madison) over to Carmichael in about 20 minutes during regular commute times?

Roseville-
Roseville sounds like a good option. I am impressed by the schools and parks and recreation programs. It also seems like we could find a house in our price range here. My concern is that it seems so busy-- we've been there twice and both times felt a bit overwhelmed with all of the traffic and congestion.
It seems like living on the southern side of I-80 would mean an easier commute for DH. (Could he use surface streets to get to Carmichael, or would it be better to hop on the 80 for a few miles? I know that the traffic on I-80 during commute times can be pretty bad.) Again, is it wrong to think that 20 minutes would get DH to Carmichael?
Does all of Roseville seem crowded or is it mostly more congested around the Galleria area?

Carmichael/Fair Oaks-
Obviously this would be a great commute option for DH. I think that I could live with the San Juan school district because of their open enrollment policies. It also seems like we could find a home in our price range here that we would be pleased with.
My concern is the safety issue-- isn't there a lot of crime in these areas? I know that there are some REALLY nice neighborhoods in Fair Oaks, but I'm afraid the homes in our price range will be in mediocre neighborhoods. I'm also worried that there won't be any place for us to go walking, and the parks and rec programs are smaller with less options for kids. Also, is the traffic congestion bad around this area too?

Orangevale/Citrus Heights-
Same concerns as above, but it is probably even worse here. Not as close to DH's work either. But the prices are the best and some of the homes in our range seem quite nice. I've read on these forums that the north side of I-80 should be avoided when looking for a nice neighborhood here. Does this seem accurate?

Gold River-- A few homes in our price range here, but the ones that are seem to mostly be in the Folsom-Cordova school district, not the San Juan. This seems to be a major concern, as the Rancho Cordova schools seem to have some trouble. Also, DH would have to get across the river to Carmichael... on Sunrise, right? I would imagine that is a bottleneck during rush hours.

Sorry about the long post; I'm just hoping that someone can let me know if my logic is faulty and if there is anything else that I should think about. I just want to be safe and have a short commute and good schools and a nice house. Can we find this for $350-375k? Any advice will be warmly welcomed.

Thank you!

[humboldtrat]

Bad news!! You're not going to find a 3 bedroom house in the Sacramento area for $350K - $375K. Maybe a small condo.

[cag25]

I don't know... I'll admit that I don't know much about the area, but I thought that our price range would give us a chance.

On the metrolist MLS, I found a lot of 3-bedroom single-family homes ("1 house on lot" for under $375,000....

44 in Folsom
225 in Roseville
76 in Carmichael
72 in Fair Oaks
101 in Orangevale
315 in Citrus Heights.

I know that a lot of these might be undesirable, but we're sure hoping to find one that will work for us!

[NewToCA]

Rancho Cordova south of Douglas has a few new homes in your price range, and the school district is Elk Grove Unified.

Development is called Sunridge Park.

[BearBranch]

Their is a great little Sacramento Neighborhood between off Madison bordered by Garfield. Lots of very cool mid century modern Streng homes mixed with nice ranches. I owned a home their until 2005. Most are in the 300's That should do the trick. Tht neighborhood is a call Creek View Estates and it is truly a hidden gem. Here is an example(However this particualr street is on the busy side). I urge you to check out that neighborhood.

95841 Homes, Real Estate, Condominiums & More - REALTOR.com

5001 HOLYOKE WAY, Sacramento/Foothill Farms, CA 95841**

List Price: $312,990


Bedrooms: 4
Full Baths: 2
Partial Baths: 0
Square Feet: 2,155
Lot Size: 6,534 Sq. Ft.
Year Built: 1970
Listing Date: 06/07/07
On Market: 22 days
Type: SFR
Status: ACTIVE
MLS #: 70061027

[BearBranch]

The above also borders Carmichael.

[Guingirl]

Good luck in your quest. Stay away from South Sacramento. You will probably find something that is about 30 years old in that range. My Mom just sold her house in an older part of Roseville, 20 year old house for 475K.

[CityGirl72]

For the price I would say a house in Elk Grove or a condo in Folsom - would be my choices

[cw68]

You could get a house in Folsom for that price, not just a condo, though it wouldn't be a large home.

[movingoutofCA]

You know, no matter what price limit an out of stater say that they are looking for a house within, someone always tells them --- No Way, Forget it, You'll have to live in a dump, etc. yes California is expensive but our streets are not paved in gold.