12 Bridges, El Dorado Hills, Folsum, Whitney Ranch - Pros & Cons - Also looking for info on solar homes. (Roseville: appointed, for sale) - Sacramento - California (CA) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

Calidreemer · 02-12-2008, 11:51 AM

Thanks Gotpancit - is that a nod to the Phillipino noodle dish? Anyway - I appreciate the feedback.

gotpancit · 02-12-2008, 02:30 PM

yes ma'am. being half filipino does that to you. Oh and thats another thing, you will probably find a good amount of diversity in sacramento.

NorCalMan · 02-12-2008, 04:56 PM

Hey Calidreemer,
Sorry so late in posting as I see you're coming to Sacto this week, but let me add my two cents anyway. First off I live in Folsom and highly recommend it for it's nice homes, white collar workers, close proximity to the freeway, good shopping-both grocery and clothes-and a wide variety of restaurants. Moving on...
IMO the snake issue is not really an issue. In my 20 years of riding my bike and running in and around the American River Parkway I have encountered a snake exactly once. That's once over thousands of miles from Downtown Sacramento all the way up to Auburn. Now further up into the foothills around Auburn, Newcastle, or Georgetown I have no doubt that there are more snakes but you're not moving there. In the Sacramento area there are too many people for there to be much of a snake problem.

If you are looking to have access to a lot of horse riding areas Folsom is nigh unbeatable. Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma both have miles of trails around them and the bike trail-which goes right through Folsom-has horse trails parallel to the bike path. The problem though is-as far as I know-there aren't many options for boarding your horse in Folsom (i'm sure there are I just don't know any). The best place to board in this area is in either Granite Bay or Loomis but it's expensive FWIH.

The solar home issue is kinda sad. We have so much sun here that if solar panels were in place the amount of energy saved would be huge. Alas, very few homes in this area have solar panels and those that do either pay a premium to the builder or a lot of out of pocket expense to have them installed.

I think you said your budget was around $650K. I don't know what that will get you in 12 Bridges or Whitney Ranch but in Folsom that'll get you a lot of home. In EDH you'll pay a premium and get a smaller home.

The biggest problem we have with bugs here are mosquito's in the spring and fall but nothing like you'd see in a more humid state. In the winter and summer here there's no mosquito's. In areas that are older with larger tree's you'll find more spiders but the spiders I've seen in Pennsylvania or Arizona put our spiders to shame. Down by the river we have cicada's but that's about it.

The only people that think our winters are cold are people who come from Arizona or Texas or people from Southern California. A Sacramento winter is probably akin to a Chicago spring. In a normal winter it's cold-ish for two months, usually December and January. Right now it's 70 degrees and it's the middle of February. I think the weather monkey said it would get back down in the 60's for high's later this week but I'm not complaining. January was a really rainy and windy month for us but it was abnormal.

If you get a chance to come to Folsom look in the Empire Ranch area for the newest homes.
Good luck

Calidreemer · 02-12-2008, 06:07 PM

Got Pancit - my mother in law is Filipino (sorry for the spelling earlier) so my husband is half Filipino and German. He does not like the traditional food - he's a picky eater! I, on the other hand, love Pancit! My good friend whose husband is the same as mine (not related) introduced me to her mother in law's pancit and I was hooked! Unfortunately since my husband doesn't like it I don't get to eat it much at all.

Calidreemer · 02-12-2008, 06:12 PM

Norcal Man thanks for all of that information! It's very helpful and reassuring (snake issue). We are so looking forward to our trip and can't wait to get out of this snow. It's snowing again!

Thanks again for your help!

"sal" · 02-12-2008, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calidreemer

Hey Sal - we are coming out this weekend - Feb 15 -18 to do some looking around in those same areas and EDH and Folsom. No, I didn't get much information unfortunately. We think the up-charge is worth it considering the high cost of utilities. We want a house with 3,000-4,000 sf so we know the cost of air conditioning will be high and why not use sun power? I don't understand why all homes are not being built with solar, especially in states with many days of sunshine. Maybe we will run into each other? That would be funny! Where are you from?

In Virginia now, but originally California. Lived in Sacto area almost 25 years ago. EDH and Folsom are too far a commute for me, but Whitney Ranch, Crocker Ranch and East Roseville are on the list. I'm sure the agent will have a few other spots for us to check out. Good luck with the house hunt!

cw68 · 02-13-2008, 10:16 AM

Sacramento is, IMO, a good California fit for a Midwesterner.

As far as mosquitoes go, they are NOTHING like back at home. And while spiders in FLA and AZ might dwarf ours, there are tons more here than in Chicago. I used to have a spider phobia and now I'm over it. Seeing black widows routinely does that to you. I can even identify black widow webs now. The weather is great, if you like hot. It's not a smothering hot without the humidity, but hot nonetheless. I love it. What I think I like best about our summer weather is that every weekend is sunny and beautiful. No weekends spoiled by rains. The downside? No thunderstorms really.

Snakes, however, are significant. My husband ran early mornings on the American River Parkway daily while training for a marathon and saw many snakes. In new construction areas, you'll see a lot because they are being displaced from their homes. Once the construction settles down, they find hiding spots and aren't as much of a problem. Multiple friends in the new areas of Empire Ranch have seen them. One doesn't use her pool or hang out in her backyard because of her three little kids and the snakes she's seen skimming the pool. The fire department took three snakes from her yard last year. This is an extreme case, mind you, but you do have to alter behaviors due to snakes.

There's a pond by my house that my kids like to go fishing at. During summer snake months, we don't go because of the snakes. It's not a huge problem, but you do have to be wary of them and know their habitat and the dangers associated with them. A friend of mine got bit while playing golf in Lincoln, looking through the rough for his ball. A freak accident, almost died because it was a baby and they don't know how to regulate the amount of poison they release, but he was just golfing.

I wish there were more solar homes, too. If you are in SMUD territory, they do give incentives for installing solar power. If you are concerned about the amount of energy needed to cool your home, make sure to take advantage of tree shade and that your house can take advantage of the cooler nighttime. Get one that has good airflow, with windows that open all around to release the heat and take in the cool. It makes a huge difference.

Calidreemer · 02-13-2008, 11:50 AM

Hi CW 68 thanks for your post. Do you know if it is possible to catch the Delta breeze in any of the communities I mentioned? EDH, Folsom, Lincoln, Rocklin etc? Also, with new construction and solar homes (which is what we believe we will end up with) I don't know that we will have much choice about having mature trees around our home.

I agree that Sac is a good fit for midwesterners. I lived in the Sac area in 1990 and loved it. I also agree with the sunny weather - it allows you to keep your plans while avoiding seasonal affective disorder (LOL). We don't mind hot either as long as it is a dry heat. I am always cold though, so maybe I am not as sensitive. My husband has osteoarthritis and back problems, so the dry heat always makes him feel better.

We can't wait to get out there this weekend and get a break from the horrbile weather we have been having. We have so much snow followed by cold it's not even funny. Thanks again for the information and if you have anything else to add please do!

cw68 · 02-13-2008, 05:37 PM

You can get some Delta Breeze (I live in Folsom) but it's not as pronounced as it is closer to the Sacramento River. When I lived in Land Park, the breeze would kick up about 7-8pm and just roar through the house, really cooling it down. I find that out here in Folsom, the top floor of the house gets cooled down starting about 9pm, and the first floor much later. I would definitely recommend a whole house fan. Once it's cooler outside than in, open the windows and blow the hot air out. I loved doing it in the morning, when it was definitely cool out. I'd suck in all the cool air and then close the windows and trap it inside.

I have to note that I hate air conditioning, so this might not make the house cool enough for you. Like you, I get cold easily and hate being cold. When I have my air on, I set it for 82-84. I still want to run around in shorts and tank tops and not bundle up!

No, with new construction, you won't have mature trees, but make sure to plant some extras at strategic locations around your house and let them grow to provide you shade. You can have shorter trees that won't cover the top of the house and the solar panels, but will still shade the walls and windows.

The weather's been great this week, 71 yesterday, 60s and breezy today. This weekend should be sunny and 60s. My sister still lives in Chicago (well, Elmhurst) and my other sister in Madison, WI -- they've gotten a ton of snow with lots of cold. ICK!

"sal" · 02-13-2008, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cw68

You can get some Delta Breeze (I live in Folsom) but it's not as pronounced as it is closer to the Sacramento River. When I lived in Land Park, the breeze would kick up about 7-8pm and just roar through the house, really cooling it down. I find that out here in Folsom, the top floor of the house gets cooled down starting about 9pm, and the first floor much later. I would definitely recommend a whole house fan. Once it's cooler outside than in, open the windows and blow the hot air out. I loved doing it in the morning, when it was definitely cool out. I'd suck in all the cool air and then close the windows and trap it inside.

I have to note that I hate air conditioning, so this might not make the house cool enough for you. Like you, I get cold easily and hate being cold. When I have my air on, I set it for 82-84. I still want to run around in shorts and tank tops and not bundle up!

No, with new construction, you won't have mature trees, but make sure to plant some extras at strategic locations around your house and let them grow to provide you shade. You can have shorter trees that won't cover the top of the house and the solar panels, but will still shade the walls and windows.

The weather's been great this week, 71 yesterday, 60s and breezy today. This weekend should be sunny and 60s. My sister still lives in Chicago (well, Elmhurst) and my other sister in Madison, WI -- they've gotten a ton of snow with lots of cold. ICK!

Uh oh...we're flying through Chicago Thursday to get to Sacramento. I hope the runway and taxiways are clear by then! Lol