Where to live & work in Sierra Nevada Mtns HELP (Sacramento: relocate, trip)

[JustMovedHere]

Hello...my hubby and I are looking to relocate from AZ to an area in CA/Sierra Nevada Mtns...maybe Placerville...Jackson...or ??? We want to be in the "woods" with hiking/fishing/gold panning...where would you all suggest that has jobs available (office work for me, and he's a jack of all trades/handyman in the remodeling/construction field) that are within a reasonable distance/commute? We plan on taking a trip up there this weekend, so any suggestions would be great! (No kids, so schools do not matter to me, but affordable rent would be nice). THANKS!

[ellemaew]

I grew up just out of Placerville and used to go to church in Jackson. I'm more familiar with Placerville since that was where we shopped and did most everything. Placerville - and El Dorado County - has seen a tremendous amount of growth over the last couple of decades. The main industry in El Dorado county is construction, so your husband should have a pretty good chance of finding work locally. However, it is still a small town, and office jobs may be a little hard to find. The local paper is the Mountain Democrat - if you can get a hold of that it would help you find out what jobs are there. Towns that are commutable include Folsom, Rancho Cordova, some of Citrus Heights and Sacramento. The Sacramento Bee is the paper to check for jobs in those areas, and they have a pretty good site online where you can view help wanted adds.

The biggest trick is the commute - Sacramento is way behind on the public transportation, and the commute has gotten pretty bad heading down the hill from Placerville to Sacramento since there is only one main highway that services that entire corridor. Placerville does have some bus service that runs in the morning and evening, but the stops are somewhat limited.

I would definitely recommend having at least a lead on a job, or be willing to work in Sacramento. El Dorado county is no longer a cheap place to live, due to the influx of people from the bay area and other states. If you are going to work in Placerville, I would recommend that you look "up the hill" a little farther. Pollock Pines is a quite small town, but prices are a little cheaper up there than in Placerville and on down west of there. Stay away from Cameron Park (west of Placerville about10 miles) - the cheap housing is cheap for a reason. I lived there for about a year some 10-11 years ago and it was bad then.

[KidBlue]

Jackson and Amador County are in the woods and the gold country, but the area is pretty rural and it would be hard to find work. Pollock Pines is the most affordable area right now in the foothills while still being a doable commute to Sacramento. You might want to look at Pollock Pines, Placerville, Diamond Springs, and the infamous Cameron Park areas. Although the foothills are a long commute to Sacramento, there are a lot of businesses and job opportunities in the Rancho Cordova area, and the commute is much shorter. El Dorado Co. does have a commuter bus system from Placerville, Diamond Springs, Cameron Park, and El Dorado Hills.

I'm not sure why some of the posters feel Cameron Park is so bad. I have many friends who have nice homes in CP. I shop there often and like it. Oh well....

As a handyman, your husband will need to be licensed and insured, but handymen are in BIG demand in the foothills. The housing market is slow right now, but most people need a handyman or remodeler to fix up their homes.

I've lived in the area for about 20 years, so let me know if you have specific questions.

Good luck.

[tasmtairy]

I lived in Placerville for 30 years and have been away for 12. My daughter lives in Sacramento and goes quite often to Placerville to visit family. My father has commercial property in Placerville outside of Diamond Springs. I agree with the other posters, it is growing and getting more and more expensive.

A previous post suggested Pollock Pines, although a little cheaper, that is the snow line...meaning there will be snow there and not Placerville and below. Tons of people commute to Sacramento, my best friend does and uses some kind of "ride share" transportation system in place.

It is beautiful and there are still places to go camping, fishing without being crowded. Highway 50 is the main highway between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. Placerville is in the middle so you get the best of both worlds. When I lived in P'ville there wasn't even a Starbucks, now there are at least 2 that I know of. Interesting, I am going to Sac in Sept. so I am definitely going to check out my old stomping grounds.

Best of luck to you!!