Another thread about moving to Sac area (Sacramento, Orange: real estate, foreclosures)

[bekah_rae]

Hello all. I have been reading a few other threads about relocating to the Sac area. Pretty mixed reviews.

Well, the general idea I am getting is that Sac area has a lot of options for where to live/lifestyle/etc. A lot of people have said that it just depends on what you are looking for and what you can afford. So I was hoping that if I gave a general idea of what my husband and I are looking for then maybe I'd get some more specific feedback.

We are in our mid-20s w/o kids. But we are planning on having kids in about 2-3yrs from now. I grew up in L.A. area but my husband and I have been living in Redding for a few years now. We figured that Sac was a good compromise between the two. Our income will be in the lower bracket. We'd like to buy a home (we own ours now) but can only afford to buy below the $300,000 mark(way below if possible). My husband is a worker bee, but doesn't want to commute too far for work. He also doesn't like being right smack dab in the middle of the city. I am an actress and am looking to get involved in the Sac area theatre scene. We don't want to be in a crummy neighborhood, but I know that the nicer areas (Natomas, etc.) are way out of our current price range.

Thank you in advance for your replies and suggestions.

[CityGirl72]

Look into Plumas Lake area

You will need to be way far out from Sac. Sac schools are crap - and the good are in Roseville, Folsom, and Eldorado Hills - which is FAR out of your price range. A house near 300K (no where near under)you are looking the ghetto - seriously.

There are lots of places that are affordable but not family friendly. So you will need to choose. Have you thought about maybe a condo?

[Hawkeye48]

It will be rough to find a house to buy in a good neighborhood for only 300,000. Most homes for under 300K are in areas that are questionable. You might try the Tahoe Park area. It's an area where you still have a lot of very old homeowners that have taken really good care of their property. Would you be willing to live in a condo? Check out trulia.com. It's a great real estate site and you can search each neighborhood street by street.

[KidBlue]

Tahoe Park is a good suggestion. I used to own a rental home there. You'll need to be careful because each street can change dramatically. You might also try older areas of Citrus Heights, Roseville, and Orangevale. But under $300,00 will be tough......

[bigdave01]

I agree, I would look into Citrus Heights, Orangevale, and Roseville. They are all decent areas.

[NewToCA]

If you're OK with condominiums Folsom and Carmichael are two nice areas with some condos in your price range (min 2 br and 2 ba).

[jostovall]

Greetings. I just happened upon this great site and read your thread. I have been a Sacramento transplant from LA since '68 and have watched the developing and established areas change and grow. As a realtor of 20 years, 24/7, I have remained in the Carmichael area. Presently, as you are probably aware it is a preverbial candy store for buyers which now includes an $8000 tax credit for purchase. The most heavily hit locations for foreclosures include Natomas. However, that region is experiencing other problems. There are many wonderful areas in proximity to the hub of activity for your talents and whatever your husband endeavors may be. There are wonderful choices under 300K in many good neighborhoods. I live in one It is a gem for any. With family planning in the near future I might suggest locating in proximity to good schools. Fair Oaks, Carmichael and other parts of Sacramento offer wonderful choices. I have sold all over California and Sacramento by far offers the best in value for home ownership, especially now. MOD CUT

[wburg]

If you want to be in the theater scene in Sacramento you really should be close to midtown/downtown where all the theaters are: Music Circus, B Street, Geery, the Space, etcetera. Midtown does not resemble being smack dab in the middle of the city unless you consider a row of 1-3 story Victorian homes and tons of trees to be "smack dab in the middle of the city." Midtown is a bit like downtown Redding, except larger, and there are actually things to do.

If you're planning on having kids on 2-3 years, go ahead and move downtown now while you can still enjoy it. Once your kids are school age, figure 7-8 years from now, you can decide whether or not you want to split the central city and move to the suburbs, or stay downtown. The way things are going, the shape of central city schools could be very different, or maybe you'll just want a change by then.

A lot depends on where the husband works: about 10% of the regional jobs are downtown, but employment is spread out all over the place. If he has a job in place, look at someplace close to there. If he works downtown, look around the central city. Try looking at home listings on sacbee.com in the 95814 and 95816 ZIP codes: there are a baker's dozen condos and little bungalows under $300K right now, any of which would make a great starter, most of which have enough room for a nursery room.

[BrennaLivingInSacto]

There are TONS of homes all over Sacramento that would suit your price range... there are even a few in Folsom that you can find.... I would suggest that you look at www.Realtor.com to see what is out there on the market (they have a direct feed from MLS, they are just a little behind in their lag time as MLS will show what is pending quicker than this site, but it's a good place to start), or talk to your Realtor... they will have everything that is currently active and know which areas will suit your needs.