Moving to No. Cali: Lake of Pines or Auburn (San Diego: renters, HOA)

[courtneyleigh]

Hello all,

I have lived in San Diego/LA area for the last 11 years. My husband may take a job up north in the Grass Valley area. Im a bit hesitant, as its a different lifestyle than I am used to. However, with two small boys I am willing to move if if means a better childhood for them. Anyways, from research it looks like Lake of Pines is a good area. How does that compare to the general Auburn area? I realize LOP has HOA and amenities. I guess I am wondering is it hard to get in there, are renters allowed, and do renters have access to the pool/beach/lake as well? Are both areas safe, with good schools? We would likely rent at first to find the area we want to settle and then buy a home. Also, I am an RN and new Nurse Practitioner so I am worried about being able to find a job up there. Its difficult to pick up and move such a distance when you dont know anyone or the area so any input or advice is appreciated! Thanks in advance.

[Aquaboy]

LOP is a gated community with strict security. No visitors are allowed unless someone invites you (we tried once.)
I would check the rental listings up there and see whats available.

[Samoi137]

We've looked in LOP for a second home. A bit of an older community, but looked nice. Lake Wildwood is another gated community, actually a tiny bit closer to GV than is LOP, though further away from Sacramento. Don't know about the schools in either. Realtors, or a property management company, should be able to tell you about rentals. When we did look at homes in LOP, to buy, I got the impression that everyone had access to pretty much everything, including several community beaches, and the club house/rec center. Ditto for Wildwood.

p.s. if you say "North Cali," most people will think you're referring to a city in Colombia. "Cali" for California is not widely used, though I see it alot on Web sites such as this and Lonely Planet.

[Jasmine728]

Lake of the Pines definitely has renter's. It is a nice community. As for the nursing/nurse practitioner Good idea to rent and see if you like it before buying. There are a lot of nice areas in and around Auburn/grass valley. Probably a good idea to see where you get work too so both of you are fairly close to your job. Lake of the Pines gives you a good base to apply in both Grass Valley and Auburn. If you have experience in Nursing you should be able to get a job fairly easy. Not sure about the Nurse Practioner prospects although my doctor's office has them and may even be hiring. Check out Sierra Doctor's , great practice imo, been going there for over 10 years. Good Luck!

[caligirlz]

You should have no problem getting a job as an RN/NP with any of the large IPA medical groups like Sutter, Mercy, UC Davis or Kaiser. I believe all have satellite clinics in the Auburn area. There's also several Rural Health Clinics and community clinics around....although, there are several I would warn you to stay away from (PM me if you want this info). If you want acute care, I believe you'd have to commute into Roseville. There is a small Sutter Hospital in Auburn, but I believe they have limited services. There's lots of nursing jobs in the area depending on your experience, and willingness to commute.

On a side note, no one really cares if you use "cali" as an abbreviation for California. It's really not that big of a deal. I've been using it long before I found this website, and I've never heard of the other website mentioned. Whatever works, most of us just go with the flow.