Possible move to either Rocklin or Elk Grove with a small child (Roseville: short sales, real estate)

[NikkiK]

Hello,

My family and I are thinking about a possible move to either Rocklin or Elk Grove. We are outgrowing our current home in North Natomas and given the mess the school district is in, we are thinking we will move out of the area all together. We have a very young daughter that will be starting kindergarden in about 3 years. Anyone have thoughts on either Rocklin or Elk Grove in regards to schools, safety, overall family friendliness? Thanks for any responses! =)

[3kittens]

We have lived in Rocklin since 2001. Our kids were 6 and 1 when we first moved here. The schools are awesome. There has only been 1 teacher we didn't like. Our kids are now in 5th and 10th grade. We want to move out of our current house, but will NOT leave Rocklin until they are done with school. It is also a very safe city, the crime rate is very low. I am normally a lurker on these sites, but I love Rocklin so I had to chime in.

Hope it helps.

Go to the city website for more info.

City of Rocklin - Homepage

[NikkiK]

Thank you 3kittens for posting, I appreciate it. If we make the move we will start house hunting in mid Jan. so I am trying to gather as much information as I can before then. =)

[AllansHomes]

You can't beat Rocklin if you are looking for schools. I don't know what your house budget is but Whitney Oaks in Rocklin has access to an elementary, middle, and high school all ranked a 10 by the state. How big of a home do you need? Avg. homes in Whitney Oaks are about 2,500 square feet and $350K. There are less expensive areas in Rocklin that also have access to great schools.

Allan Sanchez

[Marsh511]

Whitney Oaks is one of the higher end areas in Rocklin. Whitney Ranch is newer and somewhat more affordable, with some homes selling for around $115/sq ft. There is also a brand new elementary school (Sunset Ranch) which draws only from within Whitney Ranch (515 kids, K-6), so that tells you the overall age group of the residents - LOTS of young children and perfect for a growing family. Homes range in square feet from just over 2000 sq ft to around 3800 sq ft. Parts of Whitney Ranch were built during the peak years, so there are still a few foreclosures and short sales, or some sellers simply willing to accept less on their homes out of necessity. So finding a nice, relatively new (3-4 yrs old) home for around $275-$325k is not out of the question.

Whitney Ranch may look farther on a map, but with so many roads that cross over into Roseville as well as quick access to 65 makes it very easy to get to!

[NikkiK]

Thank you so much for the input. Looks like everyone here has endorsed Rocklin. Anyone have thoughts on Elk Grove? I was looking at the 95757 zip as a possibility, Franklin high school area. Thanks!

[hypnotik]

Originally Posted by NikkiK

Thank you so much for the input. Looks like everyone here has endorsed Rocklin. Anyone have thoughts on Elk Grove? I was looking at the 95757 zip as a possibility, Franklin high school area. Thanks!

I live in that area, and I think it's a great place to buy a home and settle down. But I would stay away from the Agave apt. complex that's on Franklin/Willard Pkwy and Whitelock. Quite a bit of theft has been going on there lately.

Otherwise, the rest of the 95757 is great. I plan on buying a home in the area real soon.

[NikkiK]

Thank you for the info regarding Elk Grove! We have friends that live in that zip and really like it. I think we will most likely be going to Rocklin though after spending the last month driving around various neighborhoods in both areas. Rocklin - at this point just feels right for our family. (of course, this may change again, but right at this moment). We now need to find a good real estate agent for the Rocklin area. Any suggustions?

[NewToCA]

Good decision NikkiK, I'd go with Rocklin too.

To stay away from advertising issues, I request anyone who wants to provide a specific realtor recommendation to NikkiK do so via the site's Direct Message process.

[BeeGlee]

Right now both Rocklin and Elk Grove are very affordable considering the previous prices of homes in these communities 3-5 years ago. Rocklin definitely has better schools which seems like it's a determining factor in your search.