Elk Grove (Sacramento, Stockton, Orange: real estate, apartments, foreclosures)

[Mossy]

Would you move there? Why or why not?

My family and friends want us to look down there. Near the new mall and developments. I am hesistant cause of what I read and hear but we do have friends and family there. We are going to seel our home now. So sad cause we love it but just don't like the area plus we want a less expensive home. Learned a lesson here let me tell you.

[zen_klown]

I would feel much more comfortable about buying in Orangevale vs. Elk Grove. I would be willing to rent in Elk Grove, but right now I would be a little reluctant to buy in Elk Grove.

Elk Grove is one of those neighborhoods that right now could go either way.
In the 80's that area between Mack Road and Florin Road was a new neighborhood on the edge of Sacramento. But the chaos in the surrounding neighborhoods drove the middle class away. The big problems that I see with Elk Grove is that there isn't a really strong geographic boundary between Elk Grove and the chaos that seems to come out of Meadowview, Parkway and Valley Hi. Within the past year, the police are still making arrests for street prostitution on Stockton Blvd as close as Mack Rd.

The immediate problem in Elk Grove is that it is one of the areas being hit really badly by foreclosures. A lot of the people buying up these foreclosures are investors planning to turn the properties into rental units. Owner occupants tend to be better educated and there children tend to do better on standardized tests. When you lose the owner occupants, test scores fall and your neighborhood equity dries up. Elk Grove right now is a community in transition.

In Folsom, you are close to the Folsom Lake, Natomas, and the American River. In EDHS, you have the views from the hills. In Greenhaven, in Sierra Oaks, in Wilhaggen, you are near the river.

In these other areas, there are geographic features that make the area appealing and help to keep the neighborhood desirable in even in bad markets. I am not sure that you can say that about Elk Grove. If you are just looking for cheap new houses, I would take Anatolia over Elk Grove. The top rated high school in the EGUSD is Pleasant Grove High and its attendence district is primarily in Anatolia. But if there was a posterboy for sprawl in the Sacramento region its probably Anatolia. There isn't much shopping there, its mostly just housing. If you look at the rest of the test scores in the EGUSD, many high schools in the district are pretty comparable to Cordova High in Rancho Cordova.

If you aren't familiar with these neighborhoods look here.
http://maps.cityofsacramento.org/Map...20streetsE.pdf

If you want to see the prostitution arrests look here.

Online feature - Crimemapper - sacbee.com

Schools in Sacramento County ranked by API

County List of Schools

Schools in El Dorado County ranked by API

County List of Schools

[Mossy]

As always Zen, thank you for your input! I do agree with you. Seems overall, Folsom has best schools. I didn't see Davis there. We love Davis but just don't know. We did make the decision to proceed with selling depending how bad we are going to take a hit. We are just having a really hard time deciding where. We don't want a mortgage more than 250K.

Originally Posted by zen_klown

I would feel much more comfortable about buying in Orangevale vs. Elk Grove. I would be willing to rent in Elk Grove, but right now I would be a little reluctant to buy in Elk Grove.

Elk Grove is one of those neighborhoods that right now could go either way.
In the 80's that area between Mack Road and Florin Road was a new neighborhood on the edge of Sacramento. But the chaos in the surrounding neighborhoods drove the middle class away. The big problems that I see with Elk Grove is that there isn't a really strong geographic boundary between Elk Grove and the chaos that seems to come out of Meadowview, Parkway and Valley Hi. Within the past year, the police are still making arrests for street prostitution on Stockton Blvd as close as Mack Rd.

The immediate problem in Elk Grove is that it is one of the areas being hit really badly by foreclosures. A lot of the people buying up these foreclosures are investors planning to turn the properties into rental units. Owner occupants tend to be better educated and there children tend to do better on standardized tests. When you lose the owner occupants, test scores fall and your neighborhood equity dries up. Elk Grove right now is a community in transition.

In Folsom, you are close to the Folsom Lake, Natomas, and the American River. In EDHS, you have the views from the hills. In Greenhaven, in Sierra Oaks, in Wilhaggen, you are near the river.

In these other areas, there are geographic features that make the area appealing and help to keep the neighborhood desirable in even in bad markets. I am not sure that you can say that about Elk Grove. If you are just looking for cheap new houses, I would take Anatolia over Elk Grove. The top rated high school in the EGUSD is Pleasant Grove High and its attendence district is primarily in Anatolia. But if there was a posterboy for sprawl in the Sacramento region its probably Anatolia. There isn't much shopping there, its mostly just housing. If you look at the rest of the test scores in the EGUSD, many high schools in the district are pretty comparable to Cordova High in Rancho Cordova.

If you aren't familiar with these neighborhoods look here.
http://maps.cityofsacramento.org/Map...20streetsE.pdf

If you want to see the prostitution arrests look here.

Online feature - Crimemapper - sacbee.com

Schools in Sacramento County ranked by API

County List of Schools

Schools in El Dorado County ranked by API

County List of Schools

[ubu]

I put Elk Grove in the same category as West Sac, and where I live Natomas. For a while I was thinking about moving (I was thinking Campus Commons) because my neighborhood in Natomas is deteriorating. But I decided against it and here is why.

What you can now find in neighborhoods like Natomas or Elk Grove are properties that are cheaper to buy than to rent. If you move to place that is cheaper to buy than to rent, you are pretty indifferent to further price drops in the neighborhood because there is an exit strategy. You just rent the place out and move elsewhere. The rents you collect will cover your mortgage, so its a realistic plan.

But the advantage of a place like Natomas or Elk Grove is that you can find housing that is really cheap right now. If I moved to Campus Commons most of my salary would be going to my mortgage. I wouldn't be saving very much each month. But in a place like Natomas or Elk Grove, you can buy something where even after your mortgage you can afford to put away a fair amount of money each month as savings. This means later if prices keep falling in the region, you have the cash to buy something else in a better neighborhood.

This is basically why I am staying in Natomas for as long as I can. While the neighborhood isn't great, its not Oak Park either. The longer I stay here, the more money I have saved.

Here is a map of price to rent ratios in the Sacramento region.

Sacramento, CA Real Estate, Apartments & Houses for Rent - HotPads.com

[Mossy]

Originally Posted by ubu

I put Elk Grove in the same category as West Sac, and where I live Natomas. For a while I was thinking about moving (I was thinking Campus Commons) because my neighborhood in Natomas is deteriorating. But I decided against it and here is why.

What you can now find in neighborhoods like Natomas or Elk Grove are properties that are cheaper to buy than to rent. If you move to place that is cheaper to buy than to rent, you are pretty indifferent to further price drops in the neighborhood because there is an exit strategy. You just rent the place out and move elsewhere. The rents you collect will cover your mortgage, so its a realistic plan.

But the advantage of a place like Natomas or Elk Grove is that you can find housing that is really cheap right now. If I moved to Campus Commons most of my salary would be going to my mortgage. I wouldn't be saving very much each month. But in a place like Natomas or Elk Grove, you can buy something where even after your mortgage you can afford to put away a fair amount of money each month as savings. This means later if prices keep falling in the region, you have the cash to buy something else in a better neighborhood.

This is basically why I am staying in Natomas for as long as I can. While the neighborhood isn't great, its not Oak Park either. The longer I stay here, the more money I have saved.

Here is a map of price to rent ratios in the Sacramento region.

Sacramento, CA Real Estate, Apartments & Houses for Rent - HotPads.com

You do have a point and I see what you are trying to say. I am just concerned about schooling and the area. I know nice little pockets but the surrounding area makes me a little hesitant. It would be nice to live near my in laws though. Not having family around stinks esp. when I need a sitter. How is the commute from Folsom to Elk grove off traffic? I would say 30-40 min.