There's Elk Grove and there's Elk Grove ... Happy to Answer Questions (Visalia: RV park, renters)

[CeJeH]

That's still not Elk Grove, technically. But very close

[wburg]

Originally Posted by caligirlz

I did not realize the LR extension into EG was in progress. Holy cow, this is expensive! I think it will be good in many ways, but will definitely have a downside. EG is already so very close to South Sac. Too close. I wonder if EG plans to limit nighttime services like Folsom.

The "Fix50" repair job, a bit more than half a mile (6 city blocks) of elevated freeway resurfacing, cost $40 million. So figure an equivalent length of freeway repair, four and a half miles (assuming there was a freeway there to repair) would cost around $350 million. A new freeway, probably quite a bit more.

And yes, as others have mentioned, the line does not extend to Elk Grove itself.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by DontKnowIfImComingOrGoing

I think buying in an area with a HOA is worth $50K since it protects your investment which assumes the HOA is strong.

Feeling my age here. At the near approach to 70, HOAs are a relatively recent "discovery." I may be wrong but wasn't Gold Country one of the first in the Sacramento area and that was somewhere around 20 years ago?

In any event, it used to be that your house was your home, not an investment. HOAs can be very limiting and some are ridiculously expensive which, if coupled with Mello-Roos, can drive home ownership costs out of range of many. While some HOAs can be useful in keeping values steady, some can also be both restrictive and abusive. In the end I guess it all comes down to owning and maintaining, decorating and landscaping your home as you, the nominal owner sees fit, or letting neighbors you may not know dictate to you how it's to be done and assessing fines if you don't do it right. Not my idea of a good time.

[caligirlz]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Feeling my age here. At the near approach to 70, HOAs are a relatively recent "discovery." I may be wrong but wasn't Gold Country one of the first in the Sacramento area and that was somewhere around 20 years ago?

Are you thinking of Gold River? When I hear Gold Country, I always think of the community out by Castaic Lake. We used to drive by it all the time on 5.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by caligirlz

Are you thinking of Gold River? When I hear Gold Country, I always think of the community out by Castaic Lake. We used to drive by it all the time on 5.

The mind is decidedly the first thing to go. Yep! I was thinking Gold River, not the foothills or Castaic Lake. But I do at least remember where they are.

[WizardOfRadical]

Gold River was built at a time when Rancho Cordova was unincorporated. Pretty much everything between Sacramento and Folsom was run by the county. Gold River needed the HOA's to pay for all of the quality stuff they have. The well maintained roads, landscaping, security, and all that good stuff that you don't find in Rancho.

[DontKnowIfImComingOrGoing]

Ah. That's why I said HOA will protect your investment. I didn't say they were everyone's liking!

If you have particular tastes then stick with non-HOA as the HOA are double edged swords. they can put liens on your property which is great if you have non-complying neighbors. Not so good if your that neighbor!

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by DontKnowIfImComingOrGoing

Ah. That's why I said HOA will protect your investment. I didn't say they were everyone's liking!

If you have particular tastes then stick with non-HOA as the HOA are double edged swords. they can put liens on your property which is great if you have non-complying neighbors. Not so good if your that neighbor!

HOA's frequently fail to "protect your investment" and in some cases make your home impossible to sell. If there is a pending lawsuit against the HOA, or if they have not properly funded their reserves a bank will not issue a loan on your property. If dues + mortgage payment end up being significantly more than comparable homes without an HOA, you will end up dropping your asking price- or not selling. HOA's try to sell you on the idea that without them your neighbors would park cars on their lawn and pain their house purple. The fact is that it is demographics more than an HOA that dictate the condition of your neighborhood. Look for a neighborhood that is stable and at least 80% owner occupied and you will most likely not be plagued with houses in your area that drag down the value of your home.

If you want to live in an HOA be prepared for at least one of the following to happen:

A bunch of busybodies will take over the board of directors and start passing new onerous rules as fast as they can write.

The management company will fail to fund reserves, or you will have a major catastrophe with a community asset like a cracked community swimming pool. All residents will get a bill in the mail for 'their share' of the repairs.

You will inadvertently break a rule (like leaving your trash can out overnight) and incur fines for each day of $100 or $200 until it is remediated.

In my opinion the only HOA one should ever consider are those with a very limited scope like common area landscaping and NO R&R's for individual homes.

[NickB1967]

Originally Posted by wburg

The "Fix50" repair job, a bit more than half a mile (6 city blocks) of elevated freeway resurfacing, cost $40 million. So figure an equivalent length of freeway repair, four and a half miles (assuming there was a freeway there to repair) would cost around $350 million. A new freeway, probably quite a bit more.

And yes, as others have mentioned, the line does not extend to Elk Grove itself.

An elevated freeway is hardly the same task as a simple at-ground one.

But at least the extension to Cosumnes River is being built. Why it was not finished first, ahead of the "Green Line" to nowhere, is beyond me.

[NickB1967]

Originally Posted by caligirlz

Meadowview is practically North EG. At least according to some people on CD.

City limits do make a difference. Elk Grove is to Sacramento proper as San Leandro is to neighborhing Oakland.