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Folsom Prices Hit 5-Year High


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#16 TruthSeeker

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Posted 10 September 2013 - 08:04 AM

We didn't move here to move up any "social economic ladder" (socioeconomic?).  We found a house we could afford, it was a safe community, had good schools, good parks, and there used to be very little traffic within town and was very walkable (still is for us).  I do, however, qualify my response to "Where do you live?" with "I moved to Folsom before it boomed and live in the older section of town" because you get that look.   My kids have mentioned it too.  When they say where they grew up people automatically assume their parents are well off.  

 

I've run into the people that say Folsom has a reputation for being snooty.  I think it's an uninformed opinion being misplaced on a majority of the residents, but there are also those that live up to the reputation with their attitudes that because they paid more for their house it automatically gives them class.  

 

Having said that, the good people more than make up for the bad and this is still an excellent place to live.  It's getting more expensive to live here, but we haven't found anyplace else we'd rather be.
 

 

 

Great post!


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#17 Steve Heard

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Posted 10 September 2013 - 09:32 AM

 

+100!

 

Why do people need to be judgmental and racist and put labels on people and places? That's BS in my book. The people claiming to have a problem with Folsom ARE the problem themselves. It sounds to me like they are too judgmental and racist to get anywhere in life - always too busy blame shifting. It's everyone else's fault but their own for where they are in life. Give me a break. I'm happy to live with all types, all classes, all races and I think it's good for Folsom to have all classes/wealth/races represented to keep a good balance. I don't want to live in a rich whitey only town, I think EDH sucks entirely because of the snooty holier then thou attitude from the people there, they can stuff that attitude, life is way too short to put up with that.  We are all equal - period, end of story.

 

 

What a great discussion!

 

When I decided to move to the Sac area, I had several friends and family members recommending Elk Grove and Natomas, and just one recommending Folsom. I'd been visiting my brother-in-law here for about 10 years or so before deciding to make the move, so I was somewhat familiar with the community. 

 

One of my concerns was the racial acceptance issue. I remember driving up East Natoma from Folsom Blvd, there was house that displayed the confederate flag. Not exactly a 'welcome' sign. Someone I know close to Folsom PD told me that they would get what they jokingly called 'NIF' (n_______ in Folsom) calls, because the literally would get calls saying 'I just saw a black person driving down Riley'. One friend who had lived here but moved said, 'man, they don't want you there'. 

 

I was told by my brother in law that this old attitude was dying out, and after doing a lot of research on the 3 communities. I chose Folsom. It is clean, safe, has great schools, lots of opportunities for outdoor exercise and recreation, the Historic District, and people take care of their properties.

 

In comparison, Elk Grove and Natomas, though they had new developments, already had crime issues, and driving through the neighborhoods I saw grafitti on street signs (on brand new streets), groups of boys walking down the street in their red gear, and then I got hit up for change when I pulled into the gas station. All of this can happen anywhere, including Folsom, but I played the odds.

 

I did get grief from some people I knew for moving to a Folsom, with people telling me the people were 'stuck up' and one said that I wanted to be 'with the white people'.

 

My daughters did get called names because of their racial make-up, and I did have a couple of run-ins with people who I believed treated me differently because of race, but those have been rare. I also dealt with similar issues growing up in San Francisco. 

 

Of the most vocal critics of my move to Folsom, one, who had been living in Elk Grove for a couple of years, ended up with her 2 sons involved in gangs and both ended up in jail, and one from Natomas has had his cars broken into in their driveway by people who actually had to open a metal gate to get to them.     

 

I've grown to love this town and the people in it and am happy to have raised my kids here. I highly recommend it, no matter what your race is. 

 

We didn't move here to move up any "social economic ladder" (socioeconomic?).  We found a house we could afford, it was a safe community, had good schools, good parks, and there used to be very little traffic within town and was very walkable (still is for us).  I do, however, qualify my response to "Where do you live?" with "I moved to Folsom before it boomed and live in the older section of town" because you get that look.   My kids have mentioned it too.  When they say where they grew up people automatically assume their parents are well off.  

 

I've run into the people that say Folsom has a reputation for being snooty.  I think it's an uninformed opinion being misplaced on a majority of the residents, but there are also those that live up to the reputation with their attitudes that because they paid more for their house it automatically gives them class.  

 

Having said that, the good people more than make up for the bad and this is still an excellent place to live.  It's getting more expensive to live here, but we haven't found anyplace else we'd rather be.
 

 

In talking to old timers here, and with folks who grew up in the area years ago, I'm told that Folsom used to have the opposite reputation, that it was a hick town where you stopped for gas and a bite to eat on the way to the lake, or where bikers went to hang out at the bars on Sutter. 

 

I often remind people that many if not most of us living here in Folsom could not afford to buy in the Bay Area, and we'd qualify for low-income housing there. 

 

I have a house on the market in Belmont, on the SF Peninsula right now. It is a 3 bed 1 bath 1300 sq ft house built in 1963. It needs updating and is across the street from a garage and a paint store, and just steps from an industrial and commute corridor. We just got an offer at $675,000, and the sellers want $715,000.

 

Need something bigger? Something updated?

 

There's a 4/2 fixer in the same neighborhood on the market for $730,000, and a fully updated 3/1 of 1010 sq feet for $775,000.

 

If you want bigger AND updated, figure on spending $850,000 to live there, or half that for Folsom, and you get a much better quality of life.  


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#18 4thgenFolsomite

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Posted 10 September 2013 - 02:33 PM

 

In talking to old timers here, and with folks who grew up in the area years ago, I'm told that Folsom used to have the opposite reputation, that it was a hick town where you stopped for gas and a bite to eat on the way to the lake, or where bikers went to hang out at the bars on Sutter. 

 

 

 

that was not that long ago.  back in the 1970s and 1980s, if you told people in Sacramento you were from Folsom, you knew they thought of it as a cow town.  not hicks, but nothing to do, boring, etc.  I loved it and would breath a little sign of relief getting off Hwy. 50 onto Folsom Blvd. and see the deer and the grey pines.  They can have their city.  Folsom is an actual place with actual trees and wild life.  When I do see the haughty attitude of people around Palladio (I mentioned seeing it at Whole Foods bier garten not long ago), I think, "why?  what is there that is so special about this faux paradise that makes them feel they have arrived?"  I have friends with real money, like let's fly to baja for lunch money who could probably never be able to tell the difference between rancho cordova and Folsom.  they would laugh to think other people see such a big distinction. 

 

its all relative, folks.  but if people want to think Folsom is somehow "better" and it keeps property values up, that's fine by me!

 

asbestos hills makes a good point about the south of 50 annexation though.  when that is built in, all the new money will go down there, even the new fashion mall they have planned, but remember, folks, we will always have the water and the historic district!  :)  and that will always keep the property values north of 50 in good shape.


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#19 Redone

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Posted 11 September 2013 - 05:49 AM

 

 

In talking to old timers here, and with folks who grew up in the area years ago, I'm told that Folsom used to have the opposite reputation, that it was a hick town where you stopped for gas and a bite to eat on the way to the lake, or where bikers went to hang out at the bars on Sutter. 

 

 

^^ because all the "fancy pants" back then were in Rosemont and parts of Rancho.   



#20 Doug Moore

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Posted 20 September 2013 - 11:29 AM

I personally don't care what people think of Folsom. It has been many things for nearly 160 years. To me, Folsom has history and lots of park space around lakes and that is pretty obviously wonderful! Very happy to live here. If only it wasn't so hot in summer! :)

 

Agreed, let 'em talk. We love Folsom's parks, family-orientation, the aquatic center, the PD & fire crew, green space, Bulldogs, convenient shopping, great schools & the biking trails.



#21 Steve Heard

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Posted 20 September 2013 - 03:33 PM

 

Agreed, let 'em talk. We love Folsom's parks, family-orientation, the aquatic center, the PD & fire crew, green space, Bulldogs, convenient shopping, great schools & the biking trails.

That's what I tell folks who ask about it! This is a great town, and I love living here!  


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#22 fouroheight68

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Posted 03 January 2014 - 12:49 PM

Prices definately have jumped up. We are in escrow on our house in Briggs Ranch. My wife and I both bought our first houses in 2008 and 2010 (we're 28 now), so moving to Folsom is quite a sticker shock. However, our Elk Grove house appreciated almost 100k in the last 1 1/2 years, so it's all relative. Folsom is one of those areas (like GB, EDH) that may have minor price fluctuations, but in the long run should always retain it's value. All the fundamentals are there - good schools, limited construction, good paying jobs, recreation, and location. We cant wait to move at the end of the month, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else!



#23 Rich_T

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Posted 03 January 2014 - 01:46 PM

For some reason I missed this thread until now.  I grew up in a town (Alamo) that was a normal middle-class small town when we moved there in 1965 (I was 4 years old), and which now is one of the most expensive zip codes, if not THE most expensive zip code, in the Bay Area.  I moved away in the 1980s, in fact out of the country, and when I came back in 1995, I couldn't afford to buy a house in the area where I was raised.  I looked around and picked Folsom because I found a job that let me live and work in the same small safe town, not too far away from a city, where we could raise our daughter (less than a year old then).  And I could actually (barely) afford to live here!  To this day it irks me that Folsom residents are assumed to be affluent.  For some, it is a way to live an affluent-style life, or simply a "normal" middle-class life, in a place that doesn't cost as much as truly affluent areas.  This is especially true for those who are lucky enough to cash out of the Bay Area and settle here.

 

We have never left, and our daughter has since graduated from Folsom High.  We have been happy with our choice the entire time, and our goal has been realized of making this her home town that she will always carry with her.  Now that she is living elsewhere, we will probably stay on for a while, but I'm not married to Folsom, especially as it keeps turning into something that it didn't use to be.  By the time S50 kicks in, I may be long gone, onto the next phase of my life.  But Folsom remains optimal for families with growing children.

 

As for safety and good schools, that comes from having a mostly professional class who lives here.  The contrast to neighboring Rancho Cordova is mind-boggling to me.  If Folsom ever becomes a magnet for a different type of people*, then it will be all over.  The contrast to our neighbors in Granite Bay and El Dorado Hills is also interesting, since THEY seem affluent and perhaps snooty when compare to Folsomites.  But again, in turn they probably can't afford the premiere Bay Area locations.  And if you live in a premiere Bay Area location, you probably can't afford Beverly Hills.  There's always a next level higher, for those who want to "move on up".  I'm happy just to have a found a level that has worked for my family.

 

(*That is not explicitly a racial reference, but a lifestyle reference.  Folsom is startlingly multi-racial because of the tech jobs.  In addition to the white majority, Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern residents abound.  Blacks who live here are the ones who don't appreciate living in the dominant black culture that unfortunately comes with crime and bad schools.  Latinos who own homes here are similarly part of the middle class.)



#24 Steve Heard

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Posted 03 January 2014 - 06:26 PM

As for safety and good schools, that comes from having a mostly professional class who lives here.  The contrast to neighboring Rancho Cordova is mind-boggling to me.  If Folsom ever becomes a magnet for a different type of people*, then it will be all over.  The contrast to our neighbors in Granite Bay and El Dorado Hills is also interesting, since THEY seem affluent and perhaps snooty when compare to Folsomites.  But again, in turn they probably can't afford the premiere Bay Area locations.  And if you live in a premiere Bay Area location, you probably can't afford Beverly Hills.  There's always a next level higher, for those who want to "move on up".  I'm happy just to have a found a level that has worked for my family.

 

(*That is not explicitly a racial reference, but a lifestyle reference.  Folsom is startlingly multi-racial because of the tech jobs.  In addition to the white majority, Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern residents abound.  Blacks who live here are the ones who don't appreciate living in the dominant black culture that unfortunately comes with crime and bad schools.  Latinos who own homes here are similarly part of the middle class.)

 

Interesting thing is that for years, Rancho Cordova was more of a draw than Folsom, with all of the jobs at and supporting the Air Force base, including the hospital. There was a time when Rancho citizens wanted to break off from the Folsom/Cordova school district. 

 

Now, it the other way around. 

 

As for the racial issue, I wouldn't say that  "Blacks who live here are the ones who don't appreciate living in the dominant black culture that unfortunately comes with crime and bad schools."

 

Rather, I'd say that many if not most of the people who move here are like-minded, regardless of race, and do so because of the quality of life, which includes safety, good schools, etc. 

 

After all, there are white, middle eastern, Asian and Hispanic neighborhoods with crime and bad schools. Just take a look at other areas of the county, or up the hill. 


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#25 cw68

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Posted 03 January 2014 - 08:07 PM

 
Interesting thing is that for years, Rancho Cordova was more of a draw than Folsom, with all of the jobs at and supporting the Air Force base, including the hospital. There was a time when Rancho citizens wanted to break off from the Folsom/Cordova school district. 
 
Now, it the other way around. 
 
As for the racial issue, I wouldn't say that  "Blacks who live here are the ones who don't appreciate living in the dominant black culture that unfortunately comes with crime and bad schools."
 
Rather, I'd say that many if not most of the people who move here are like-minded, regardless of race, and do so because of the quality of life, which includes safety, good schools, etc. 
 
After all, there are white, middle eastern, Asian and Hispanic neighborhoods with crime and bad schools. Just take a look at other areas of the county, or up the hill. 


Well said, Steve.

#26 Rich_T

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Posted 03 January 2014 - 09:50 PM

 

Interesting thing is that for years, Rancho Cordova was more of a draw than Folsom, with all of the jobs at and supporting the Air Force base, including the hospital. There was a time when Rancho citizens wanted to break off from the Folsom/Cordova school district. 

 

Now, it the other way around. 

 

As for the racial issue, I wouldn't say that  "Blacks who live here are the ones who don't appreciate living in the dominant black culture that unfortunately comes with crime and bad schools."

 

Rather, I'd say that many if not most of the people who move here are like-minded, regardless of race, and do so because of the quality of life, which includes safety, good schools, etc. 

 

After all, there are white, middle eastern, Asian and Hispanic neighborhoods with crime and bad schools. Just take a look at other areas of the county, or up the hill. 

 

I thought I was saying exactly that:  people who move here, regardless of race, move here because they are attracted to Folsom (or because they found work here).  But to your point, the reality is that probably few whites and Asians who move here are typically doing so to get away from an area full of crime and other issues. The argument that crime exists among all races is not a good argument, because it doesn't take into account the relative prevalence.  But in any case, that is not my focus here, and indeed my point about Folsom's racial diversity was made in the last sentence of a footnote, and was not the thrust of my comment.



#27 Steve Heard

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Posted 03 January 2014 - 10:13 PM

 

I thought I was saying exactly that:  people who move here, regardless of race, move here because they are attracted to Folsom (or because they found work here).  But to your point, the reality is that probably few whites and Asians who move here are typically doing so to get away from an area full of crime and other issues. The argument that crime exists among all races is not a good argument, because it doesn't take into account the relative prevalence.  But in any case, that is not my focus here, and indeed my point about Folsom's racial diversity was made in the last sentence of a footnote, and was not the thrust of my comment.

 

I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm guessing the reality also is that few blacks move here to 'get away from an area full of crime and other issues'. I moved here from Foster City, a community where single family homes were running about $500K when I lived there and now are $800K+.

 

While there are plenty of crime-ridden ghettos out there, not all blacks come from them.  

 

That's not to say I haven't lived in rough areas. I have.

 

Folsom, however, is not an escape for most, but for many is a move up. I don't want to live around crime or bad schools, but I wasn't running from an area that had them, either. 

 

I realize that race wasn't your focus, but I like to dispel such myths when I can. 


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#28 Rich_T

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Posted 04 January 2014 - 09:55 AM

Fair enough.  People who moved here from the Bay Area are doing so for the better deal they get on a good quality of life here.  But I was thinking more along the lines of people who are "moving up" from other Sacramento-area locations, which was the context of my comment, and which I don't think is a myth.



#29 Steve Heard

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Posted 04 January 2014 - 11:53 AM

Fair enough.  People who moved here from the Bay Area are doing so for the better deal they get on a good quality of life here.  But I was thinking more along the lines of people who are "moving up" from other Sacramento-area locations, which was the context of my comment, and which I don't think is a myth.

 

Well, there's no question that Folsom offers a better quality of life than crime-ridden neighborhoods with bad schools. I'd go so far as to say that depending on what one is looking for, Folsom offers a better quality of life than El Dorado Hills or Granite Bay. 


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#30 4thgenFolsomite

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Posted 04 January 2014 - 07:54 PM

 

Well, there's no question that Folsom offers a better quality of life than crime-ridden neighborhoods with bad schools. I'd go so far as to say that depending on what one is looking for, Folsom offers a better quality of life than El Dorado Hills or Granite Bay. 

Bingo!  Folsom is a town.  Granite Bay and El Dorado Hills are both modern residential developments that lack any kind of historic center.  Folsom is the real deal. 


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