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My wife and I are considering a move to the Sacramento area and from what we have seen online we like the areas in EDH, Folsom and Granite Bay. We like the EDH the best because of the school systems and it appears a bit more affordable compared to Granite Bay. We currently live in the suburbs of Chicago (30 minute drive to the city) and we are sick of the dreadful winters and the Sacramento area appears to be a nice draw consider it's weather, affordability and location (near Lake Tahoe and San Francisco.) I am able to relocate and my job would be near the Rancho Cordova/Rosemont area. My wife is a RN specializing in Pediatrics and is working on her doctorate, and we have researched places like UC Davis, Kaiser, etc. We are both in our mid 20s and looking to start a family in a few years. Our price range would be around $500k-$700k
1) How would the commute be from EDH/Folsom/Granite Bay to UC Davis and Rosemont area?
2) What is the job market for RN in Pediatrics in the Sacramento area? She has almost 4 years experience in inpatient and outpatient setting We have noticed the pay is much higher than the Chicago market. It appears nurses start around $50/ hour? Can someone confirm this and/or recommend a good recruiter?
3) We notice a lot of the homes in El Dorado Hills are part of home associations. We don't necessarily mind this because we currently live in a condo and have some experience in dealing with them. Which HOAs should we stay away from in EDH? We have read some bad reviews about Serrano.
4) Mello roos is something new to us. It appears some new development pay an additional fee used to build library, schools, etc? Why would some areas in EDH be subject to Mello Roos and others not?
5) We have heard about the hot summers in Sacramento (although we prefer Sacramento weather compared to humid hot summers we have here) and a pool is a must for us. If we are looking at a home in say a gated community how restrictive are they towards building a pool? Or does this vary by HOA?
6) How bad is the smog issue I am reading about? Flood zones? (is this even possible with all the droughts lol?)
7) COL. I understand income taxes are higher but property taxes are much lower. Car registration fees appear to vary. What else is there to consider?
If you don't have kids yet, is there a reason you want to move to such a far-off suburb just based on schools? If you end up getting jobs at a place like UC Davis Medical Center, Sutter or Mercy General, you might look at closer-in neighborhoods like East Sacramento, Land Park or Midtown. The neighborhoods are beautiful and picturesque, walkable and bikeable, and would reduce your commute to mere minutes--even by bike or on foot. $500-700K is enough to get a very nice place--either a historic Craftsman home or a super-modern loft. No Mello-Roos fees, and the streets are tree-lined. Think along the lines of Oak Park, Elmhurst or LaGrange. If you find a job at Kaiser Morse or Point West, look at Arden-Arcade, Campus Commons or homes along American River Drive. It's less walkable than the old streetcar neighborhoods, but they have a lot of mid-century charm and you'll save a ton of money and time on commuting.
If you're worried that summers will be like Chicago, stop worrying. Sacramento's summers are hot but dry. 100 degrees here is more comfortable than 85 degrees in Chicago's humid summer. There are places with pools (and condos with pools) but air conditioning works wonders, and the shade trees in the historic neighborhoods help cut down the heat. Another feature of our dry summers is that the evenings cool off very rapidly--it can hit 100+ degrees during the day and drop to 70 at night, and the closer to the American River you are, the more you get the "Delta breeze"--think of it as a very gentle version of the wind you get off Lake Michigan.
We are both the suburban types and enjoy the peacefulness, the open space, safety, parking, outdoor activities and etc. Even now we are a short commute to Chicago but rarely venture out there.
The commute is the main issue we envision if we do plan to move out to say EDH and have to work near the city.
The neighborhoods I'm talking about, except perhaps for Midtown (and some would say even Midtown), are not urban, high-rise, inner-city or high-density neighborhoods. They are neighborhoods of tree-lined streets and single-family homes. In terms of intensity of land use, they're a lot more like the outer Chicagoland suburbs. Even downtown Sacramento is nowhere near the scale and intensity of the Chicago Loop. The ones near Kaiser like Arden-Arcade aren't even in the city limits. All are pretty similar in terms of access to outdoor activities, just closer to the outdoor activities along the American and Sacramento River or the Delta instead of being closer to the Sierra foothills and Folsom Lake.
I think a lot of people assume that Sacramento is a very urban, built-up city like the ones of comparable size in the Midwest or the east coast. Just do yourself a favor and take a look around before settling for life way out in the boonies--the neighborhoods I'm talking about may be well within your level of suburban comfort and safety. There are hospitals all over, but the highest concentration of medical jobs is within the city of Sacramento--El Dorado Hills is so small it doesn't even have a city government.
I live in Folsom and am an RN. I'm not big on commuting. I would not want to drive to UCDMC on a daily basis. My brother & SIL do, and they hate it. My SIL uses light rail, a lot. State employees get discounts on their light rail fares. There's a couple of LR stations in Folsom, with parking, so your wife could take the light rail from Folsom to the 39th street stop, and walk 2 block walks to UCDMC, depending on her shift. In a car, hwy 50 is very congested and it would take about 30-40 minutes, depending on traffic & time of day to get the UCDMC & park. Sutter General would be a similar commute.
There is always the option of working at Marshall Medical Center in Placerville, or Mercy Folsom, both would be much shorter commutes. Traveling to other hospitals, if she wants to work in that setting, would require longer commutes: Mercy San Juan, Kaiser Roseville, Sutter Roseville (mostly surface streets) or Kaiser South, Methodist Hospital both in South in the South sac area.
I don't know the current acute care RN salary, as have worked in business nursing for many years. I used a recruiter when first moved to town, but I don't know if it is really necessary, especially of your wife is looking at acute care. But, I do have a name...Peg Canon of Health by Design. Www.healthbydesign.net
As for the summertime heat, there is another thread totally dedicated to that subject. There is a temp difference of about 5-10 degrees hotter out in the suburbs like Folsom & EDH, but it's a dry heat & mostly tolerable except for the 100+ degrees by 11 am days..
I agree with the above--if you can spare some time to visit the area and explore neighborhoods closer to where you want to work, I think you'd be surprised. Sac is not super dense, and there are a lot of pleasant neighborhoods closer to where you'll be working without the huge commute and with a little more personality. Sac in general has lots of trees and tons of parks, so it's less crucial to be in the exurbs to avoid feeling claustrophobic or nature-deprived.
EDH and Granite Bay are your fancier, "roll up the streets at night" type suburbs. Granite Bay it into stories right now because they use, by far, the largest amount of water per person to keep their lawns plush. Folsom is largely suburban in character but is unique in that it has its own nice (if small) downtown, lots of trees, great bike paths, and access to light rail (though it stops running early in the day).
My wife and I are considering a move to the Sacramento area and from what we have seen online we like the areas in EDH, Folsom and Granite Bay. We like the EDH the best because of the school systems and it appears a bit more affordable compared to Granite Bay. We currently live in the suburbs of Chicago (30 minute drive to the city) and we are sick of the dreadful winters and the Sacramento area appears to be a nice draw consider it's weather, affordability and location (near Lake Tahoe and San Francisco.) I am able to relocate and my job would be near the Rancho Cordova/Rosemont area. My wife is a RN specializing in Pediatrics and is working on her doctorate, and we have researched places like UC Davis, Kaiser, etc. We are both in our mid 20s and looking to start a family in a few years. Our price range would be around $500k-$700k
1) How would the commute be from EDH/Folsom/Granite Bay to UC Davis and Rosemont area?
2) What is the job market for RN in Pediatrics in the Sacramento area? She has almost 4 years experience in inpatient and outpatient setting We have noticed the pay is much higher than the Chicago market. It appears nurses start around $50/ hour? Can someone confirm this and/or recommend a good recruiter?
3) We notice a lot of the homes in El Dorado Hills are part of home associations. We don't necessarily mind this because we currently live in a condo and have some experience in dealing with them. Which HOAs should we stay away from in EDH? We have read some bad reviews about Serrano.
4) Mello roos is something new to us. It appears some new development pay an additional fee used to build library, schools, etc? Why would some areas in EDH be subject to Mello Roos and others not?
5) We have heard about the hot summers in Sacramento (although we prefer Sacramento weather compared to humid hot summers we have here) and a pool is a must for us. If we are looking at a home in say a gated community how restrictive are they towards building a pool? Or does this vary by HOA?
6) How bad is the smog issue I am reading about? Flood zones? (is this even possible with all the droughts lol?)
7) COL. I understand income taxes are higher but property taxes are much lower. Car registration fees appear to vary. What else is there to consider?
I agree with what posters have noted Folsom and Sacramento each have their merits. Another option would be Gold River (its considered an upscale address) which is an unincorporated area next to Rancho Cordova with its own high performing K-8 school (Discover Center part of the San Juan School District) and shopping center as well as parks, bike/nature trails. Some sections are gated as well. I hear the HOA is strict but the area is very well kept and the HOA takes care of the front yards as well as paying for a security patrol (personally I live in an HOA community in Rancho and overall it's a benefit to have). It would cut down on your commute to and from Sacramento and would be an easy commute to Rancho/Rosemont. The area was developed in the 80's and from what I understand the Mello Roos bonds were paid off.
If you don't have kids yet, is there a reason you want to move to such a far-off suburb just based on schools? If you end up getting jobs at a place like UC Davis Medical Center, Sutter or Mercy General, you might look at closer-in neighborhoods like East Sacramento, Land Park or Midtown. The neighborhoods are beautiful and picturesque, walkable and bikeable, and would reduce your commute to mere minutes--even by bike or on foot. $500-700K is enough to get a very nice place--either a historic Craftsman home or a super-modern loft. No Mello-Roos fees, and the streets are tree-lined. Think along the lines of Oak Park, Elmhurst or LaGrange. If you find a job at Kaiser Morse or Point West, look at Arden-Arcade, Campus Commons or homes along American River Drive. It's less walkable than the old streetcar neighborhoods, but they have a lot of mid-century charm and you'll save a ton of money and time on commuting.
If you're worried that summers will be like Chicago, stop worrying. Sacramento's summers are hot but dry. 100 degrees here is more comfortable than 85 degrees in Chicago's humid summer. There are places with pools (and condos with pools) but air conditioning works wonders, and the shade trees in the historic neighborhoods help cut down the heat. Another feature of our dry summers is that the evenings cool off very rapidly--it can hit 100+ degrees during the day and drop to 70 at night, and the closer to the American River you are, the more you get the "Delta breeze"--think of it as a very gentle version of the wind you get off Lake Michigan.
I now recommend everyone (sans people just looking for a party area) evaluate the schools in an area. The reason is simple. Good schools reflect more upon the population of an area (e.g. parents) than they do teachers, class sizes, and school funding. I can go into any town, watch people for a day, and tell you how good the schools are. I can do this without asking a single question about the schools.
I am able to relocate and my job would be near the Rancho Cordova/Rosemont area. My wife is a RN specializing in Pediatrics and is working on her doctorate, and we have researched places like UC Davis, Kaiser, etc. We are both in our mid 20s and looking to start a family in a few years. Our price range would be around $500k-$700k
So in answer to your question, which is the best children's hospital in the Sacramento? I would say UCDMC, not only is it an academic/research center, but it also has magnet designation, a Level 1 pediatric/adult trauma center, heart center, the Mind Institute...so many different specialties to choose from. They have a really cool informatics department too.
Your wife may want to check out Shriner's, which is practically next door. Northern California
My order of preference would then be Sutter, Kaiser/Mercy (Dignity Health). I'm not a big fan of the kaiser model. I was raised in the central san joaquin valley, and we didn't take to kindly to the HMO/controlled healthcare model. Our town leaders, healthcare provicers, etc kicked the HMO's out of town when they were first introduced (Secure Horizons for Medicare, and later the county medi-cal managed care plans). We did eventually let them in, and there was even a small Kaiser office.
From what I've heard over the past 8 years I've lived here, the best working conditions as far as schedules, assignments, challenge, opportunity is UCDMC. I've seen a lot of burnt out nurses from Kaiser. Sutter has a reorg a few years ago, and fired a bunch of people including nurses. I believe all of the nurses are unionized with the California Nurses Association. California Nurses Association | National Nurses United
I just want to add, for your budget, you may want to take a look at East Sac, McKinley Park, Elmhurst, or Riverpark. Those neighborhoods are very close to UCDMC & Sutter General, even walking distance. And walking distance to stores. I lived there when I first moved to Sacramento. It's really a delightful area. There are lots of families, and activities at the local parks. These are beautiful treed areas, like a little paradise in the city. Once you pass under the freeways into those areas, it feels like a totally different area. If I was in my 20's, I would skip Campus Commons. I like the area, but there are a lot of retired folks who live there. And i believe the HOA is pretty high.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Last edited by caligirlz; 02-24-2014 at 11:44 PM..
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