Thinking of Sacto area... (Sacramento, Folsom: to rent, home, buy)

[steiconi]

We're looking for a new place to live.
I grew up in Carmichael, but that was a loooong time ago, and I'm not up on the area these days.

We'd like to be within about an hour of Sacramento, for medical care and other city amenities.
Have a little land, like an acre or so.
Have infrastructure like home mail delivery, high speed internet (I've been living without them for 12 years, that's long enough) (I have never watched a movie on the internet. backward, huh?).
Views.
Near water--river, lake. Waterfront would be fabulous, but possibly out of our price range.
speaking of which...up to about $350K
3+ bedrooms, 2+ baths.
Would like a little elevation, too, maybe 1500 to 2500 feet. Or someplace on the delta, maybe.
Prefer not to be on the I-80 corridor.
retired, no need for jobs; no kids so no need for schools.
will have car, don't need public transit.

We'd like to rent for a while first, then buy when we're certain. We have 2 cats.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Lee

[steiconi]

How about closer to Marysville/Yuba City instead of Sacramento?
Looks like some nice places in Dobbins. My sister used to live in a teepee in Dobbins, back in the '70s. It has probably changed since then.

[steiconi]

Folsom?
Fair Oaks? both prettier than Yuba City.
Does no one have an opinion or snarky comment?

[la_cavalière]

How about the Placerville area? Here are a few examples - although maybe too far from Sac for you:

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Placervill.../home/22386621

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Garden-Val.../home/22319813

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Somerset/6.../home/22367383

[steiconi]

That one in Placerville looks great. It's not even surrounded by digger pines (I'm not a fan of the digger pine zone).

All the pix taken this spring look so lush and green! I know that's not what it'll look like by the time we get there...