Sacramento vs. Denver

[wburg]

Definitely less of a "gayborhood," Woodland isn't so much a suburb as a regional farm town that has grown into a suburban role as the city expanded. A friend who owns a cafe there is trying to encourage creative people to move there as rents are cheaper than Sacramento and it still has some charm. You could do worse.

[Logic87]

The budget alone is an issue. You will have to either take on a larger loan (somewhere around $400k$500k) or rent.

[Xica_da_Silva]

Originally Posted by wburg

Definitely less of a "gayborhood," Woodland isn't so much a suburb as a regional farm town that has grown into a suburban role as the city expanded. A friend who owns a cafe there is trying to encourage creative people to move there as rents are cheaper than Sacramento and it still has some charm. You could do worse.

Well, and just taking a brief glance via RedFin, in Woodland there seem to be several cute homes within my price range, and with more sq. ft. than in Sacramento proper. Assuming the market doesn't change dramatically price-wise from now until the fall, it's looking very reasonable.

I walk into this with open eyes, realizing that I'm not going to get the the same amount of sq. footage without paying more, or living further afield from trendier parts of Sacramento. I think I'm okay with that- I think this would be a good compromise for me. The thing is, with my current job, I spend the majority of time on the road anyhow, so realistically I'll be doing exploration only on weekends.

The only thing I would question regarding Woodland:

- With the surrounding agriculture- is it super-stinky in the town? Also, does that make it a lot more humid during the summers(micro-climate)?

[Xica_da_Silva]

Originally Posted by Logic87

The budget alone is an issue. You will have to either take on a larger loan (somewhere around $400k$500k) or rent.

Yeah. I think being single has helped me save a lot of money over the years- but I can't compete with 2-household earners and I'm of an age where I'm a bit set in my ways and getting a roommate wouldn't work for me.

But I have a healthy attitude- I will end up where I'm supposed to- and I'm not rigid in terms of giving up trendiness or access to restaurants etc. in order to get the great climate and change of scenery. Woodland looks very reasonable and might actually work even better in terms of my need to commute to the airport frequently for my job.

[wburg]

Originally Posted by Xica_da_Silva

Well, and just taking a brief glance via RedFin, in Woodland there seem to be several cute homes within my price range, and with more sq. ft. than in Sacramento proper. Assuming the market doesn't change dramatically price-wise from now until the fall, it's looking very reasonable.

I walk into this with open eyes, realizing that I'm not going to get the the same amount of sq. footage without paying more, or living further afield from trendier parts of Sacramento. I think I'm okay with that- I think this would be a good compromise for me. The thing is, with my current job, I spend the majority of time on the road anyhow, so realistically I'll be doing exploration only on weekends.

The only thing I would question regarding Woodland:

- With the surrounding agriculture- is it super-stinky in the town? Also, does that make it a lot more humid during the summers(micro-climate)?

There's not all that much surrounding agriculture near Woodland, it is in the process of being turned into suburbs, haven't noticed any untoward smells but admittedly I don't spend a great deal of time there. And no, it's no more humid than Sacramento, which is not humid at all. If you visit, check out Guinevere's, a cafe on Dead Cat Alley just off of Woodland's main street. Great food and nice people.

[TheFlats]

I happened to be in Woodland last fall when it was warmer and stopped off of Main St. in the old downtown for a bite to eat. There were these musicians playing on the sidewalk and plenty of pedestrians around, it was really pleasant actually. Some of the best Mexican food in the region too.

But yes, you'll be a bit isolated from Sacramento and most of Woodland is generic suburbia at this point. Easy to get over the hills into Napa though, and the airport.

[Xica_da_Silva]

Originally Posted by TheFlats

I happened to be in Woodland last fall when it was warmer and stopped off of Main St. in the old downtown for a bite to eat. There were these musicians playing on the sidewalk and plenty of pedestrians around, it was really pleasant actually. Some of the best Mexican food in the region too.

But yes, you'll be a bit isolated from Sacramento and most of Woodland is generic suburbia at this point. Easy to get over the hills into Napa though, and the airport.

Thanks, TheFlats!

I love Mexican food- my favorite dish is mole (the brown version, not the red) enchiladas! Yum! Here in Phoenix we've got great Mexican food, so glad to hear I'll be able to find good places there as well. Not all the time, but sometimes I crave it and that craving must be fulfilled! I also love Italian and Thai food, which I'm sure I'll have no problem finding. I'm not that fussy, and I'm not even a foodie. Basically, anything with carbs, coconut milk, cheese, or tomatoes is good in my book.