29 replies to this topic

[wreathlady]

Hi,
We are new and are looking in Rancho Cordova Area. What is the best neighboorhood and best value. Where are some areas to stay away from. Looking for a good deal. 3bd 2 bath 1600 sq ft. Under 300k or less.

Any info would be great.
Thanks

[asbestoshills]

DON'T BUY THERE...BUYER BEWARE! BAD WATER, BAD SCHOOLS AND BAD AREAS ABOUND!
LOCATION, location, location....FOLSOM, EDH, GRANITE BAY, ROSEVILLE,ROCKLIN.......IMHO, there are no other places I would live in this area......

[frappylove]

You need to be real careful buying in rancho!! Like the other person said, try some other areas first!!

[wreathlady]

Hi,
We are new and are looking in Rancho Cordova Area. What is the best neighboorhood and best value. Where are some areas to stay away from. Looking for a good deal. 3bd 2 bath 1600 sq ft. Under 300k or less.

Any info would be great.
Thanks

Thanks for the input. I will look elsewhere.

[Steve Heard]

Thanks for the input. I will look elsewhere.

Rancho has gotten a bad rap over the years.

Once, it was home to the military families and to the families of folks who provided services to Mather AFB. Cordova High was an athletic powerhouse, producing lots of professional athletes. It was a diverse and close-knit community, despite the transitory nature of some of the residents.

With the years, and the closing of the base, the area deteriorated. Lots of businesses left, and it became a largely rental community, with lots of what became low-income housing.

It is on somewhat of a rebound, but it still has its issues.

Gold River is an area that has some more upscale homes, but the majority of Rancho is not.

[FolsomLivingForMe]

Rancho has gotten a bad rap over the years.

Once, it was home to the military families and to the families of folks who provided services to Mather AFB. Cordova High was an athletic powerhouse, producing lots of professional athletes. It was a diverse and close-knit community, despite the transitory nature of some of the residents.

With the years, and the closing of the base, the area deteriorated. Lots of businesses left, and it became a largely rental community, with lots of what became low-income housing.

It is on somewhat of a rebound, but it still has its issues.

Gold River is an area that has some more upscale homes, but the majority of Rancho is not.

I wouldn't live in Rancho, but this was nicely put!

[realtor]

You can go to my website to review the local communities surrounding the lake and get a better idea of where you'd like to live. www.FolsomLakeHomes.com All the various communities have something to offer and since I can't read your mind and don't know your likes/dislikes you can review the information and make note of what interests you the most. I've just revamped my website because I have found that most people simply want the information and will contact me once they decide where they want to land. BTW I just opened escrow for a client who is purchasing in Rancho Cordova...it's a modest home in a regular neighborhood of working folks and they will be able to enjoy home ownership and not be house poor so that's a positive in my book!
Good luck.

[Phonon]

My office in Rancho has been broken into and burgled 4 times over the last 3 years.

I watched a guy smoke rock right outside my office window. One-way glass makes for interesting viewing of the the people that use our parking lot as a public walkway.

You could not pay me to live in Rancho.

[MSgt]

One of my friends at work just bought a home in Rancho. She has lived in the area for years and loves it. Folsom is more upscale but if you are looking for a bargain Rancho is good. She got a 1600 sq ft home for less than 240,000 4 months ago. It was what she could afford and she got a very good deal and lives in her first home. Everyone is very happy and excited for her (single mom with a teenager). I had another friend who bought 10 years ago in South Park for thier first house. Now they live in a very nice neighborhood in another area.

[Suburban Pool Service]

DON'T BUY THERE...BUYER BEWARE! BAD WATER, BAD SCHOOLS AND BAD AREAS ABOUND!
LOCATION, location, location....FOLSOM, EDH, GRANITE BAY, ROSEVILLE,ROCKLIN.......IMHO, there are no other places I would live in this area......

To the OP, beware that some will feel high-and-mighty with their prized and metaled "Folsom zip code" I grew up in Folsom as a kid and have lived in Folsom for 80% of my life and feel personally that Folsom is one of the nicest places to live, at least thats how it felt when I was 12-18 years old. Of course time would go on and I later would get married to a wonderful woman of which we both earn decent incomes but still at the bubble of 2007 couldn't afford even 900 sq/ft in Folsom at the time. We then settled on a brand new Elliott Home in the Stone Creek development in Rancho Cordova of which coincidentally Elliott builds the same identical home to this day in luxurious Empire Ranch for about $200K more than you can get in Rancho.

Something to keep in mind to the others, not everyone who comes to this forum earns $200K annually and can afford a Folsom, EDH or Granite Bay McMansion. To the OP my mother works for Aerojet with environmentals, she personally had the water checked before we bought our home and nothing was found out of the ordinary. The homes in Stone Creek & Anatolia are the equivalent or similar to that of Broadstone, Empire Ranch in Folsom, it is not run down by any means and is worth a look. If we won the lottery tomorrow yeah probably would buy a home in Folsom. Since we are doing the best we can, God says Rancho is fine for now. Better Schools are questionable to your situation anyway...we plan to keep our son in private school anyway Merry Hill when he is young and likely Capital Christian for when hes older. I have to admit my truck has been broken into twice since we have lived in our home, but I would be more than happy to list the laundry list of incidents that occurred on my street in Lexington Hills (Folsom) over the 15 or so years I lived their too.

Stone Creek even has a Forum similar to My Folsom


http://www.stonecree...es/mxdirectory/

-Ryan

[MikeinFolsom]

I think Ryan is correct. It isn't the neighborhood so much as it is your neighbors. My parents have lived on a cul-de-sac in Lincoln Village of all places for the last 25 years. No problems whatsoever, but in saying that, they have had the same neighbors the last 25 years as well. The areas just around the corner from them are crapsville, but no effects on their little "neighborhood in a court".

McKinley part in downtown Sac is full of expensive homes. They have troubles just like everyone else. Rancho Cordova has crappy pockets and they also have nice little enclaves. Search for them and find something to your liking. Don't be afraid to talk to the neighbors of the house you're thinking about purchasing. Last thing you want to do is move in next to someone you won't be able to stand for the next 360 months.

[wreathlady]

[quote name='Suburban Pool Service' date='Nov 24 2008, 09:05 AM' post='290335']
To the OP, beware that some will feel high-and-mighty with their prized and metaled "Folsom zip code" I grew up in Folsom as a kid and have lived in Folsom for 80% of my life and feel personally that Folsom is one of the nicest places to live, at least thats how it felt when I was 12-18 years old. Of course time would go on and I later would get married to a wonderful woman of which we both earn decent incomes but still at the bubble of 2007 couldn't afford even 900 sq/ft in Folsom at the time. We then settled on a brand new Elliott Home in the Stone Creek development in Rancho Cordova of which coincidentally Elliott builds the same identical home to this day in luxurious Empire Ranch for about $200K more than you can get in Rancho.

Something to keep in mind to the others, not everyone who comes to this forum earns $200K annually and can afford a Folsom, EDH or Granite Bay McMansion. To the OP my mother works for Aerojet with environmentals, she personally had the water checked before we bought our home and nothing was found out of the ordinary. The homes in Stone Creek & Anatolia are the equivalent or similar to that of Broadstone, Empire Ranch in Folsom, it is not run down by any means and is worth a look. If we won the lottery tomorrow yeah probably would buy a home in Folsom. Since we are doing the best we can, God says Rancho is fine for now. Better Schools are questionable to your situation anyway...we plan to keep our son in private school anyway Merry Hill when he is young and likely Capital Christian for when hes older. I have to admit my truck has been broken into twice since we have lived in our home, but I would be more than happy to list the laundry list of incidents that occurred on my street in Lexington Hills (Folsom) over the 15 or so years I lived their too.

Stone Creek even has a Forum similar to My Folsom
http://www.stonecree...es/mxdirectory/

-Ryan
Thanks for all the information. You spent alot of time and I appreciate it.
Mary

[Suburban Pool Service]

To the OP, beware that some will feel high-and-mighty with their prized and metaled "Folsom zip code" I grew up in Folsom as a kid and have lived in Folsom for 80% of my life and feel personally that Folsom is one of the nicest places to live, at least thats how it felt when I was 12-18 years old. Of course time would go on and I later would get married to a wonderful woman of which we both earn decent incomes but still at the bubble of 2007 couldn't afford even 900 sq/ft in Folsom at the time. We then settled on a brand new Elliott Home in the Stone Creek development in Rancho Cordova of which coincidentally Elliott builds the same identical home to this day in luxurious Empire Ranch for about $200K more than you can get in Rancho.

Something to keep in mind to the others, not everyone who comes to this forum earns $200K annually and can afford a Folsom, EDH or Granite Bay McMansion. To the OP my mother works for Aerojet with environmentals, she personally had the water checked before we bought our home and nothing was found out of the ordinary. The homes in Stone Creek & Anatolia are the equivalent or similar to that of Broadstone, Empire Ranch in Folsom, it is not run down by any means and is worth a look. If we won the lottery tomorrow yeah probably would buy a home in Folsom. Since we are doing the best we can, God says Rancho is fine for now. Better Schools are questionable to your situation anyway...we plan to keep our son in private school anyway Merry Hill when he is young and likely Capital Christian for when hes older. I have to admit my truck has been broken into twice since we have lived in our home, but I would be more than happy to list the laundry list of incidents that occurred on my street in Lexington Hills (Folsom) over the 15 or so years I lived their too.

Stone Creek even has a Forum similar to My Folsom
http://www.stonecree...es/mxdirectory/

-Ryan
Thanks for all the information. You spent alot of time and I appreciate it.
Mary

Your very welcome. I will be the first to say I would be in Folsom in a heartbeat over Rancho Cordova without any further thought for the same money. However with that said I would rather live in new Rancho Cordova than per se Citrus Heights, Antelope, Natomas, South Sac, West Sac or Lincoln. My wife works in South Sac/ Elk Grove and well I work all over Sacramento Co. I wanted a shorter commute for her and we like the quick 10 minute trip to Folsom for shopping or 10 minutes to downtown etc... What lacks in Rancho are decent accessible shopping within range of the newer areas like south Zinfindale & Anatolia. Growing up in Folsom gave me an acquired demand for a town with character e.g. an Old Town or historic district, rolling hills, Arts etc.... Rancho does not have that feel at all but what it does provide is value, I'm also baffled when I hear people bad mouth specific schools & schools districts as I have friends and family members that have graduated with honors and highly decorated degrees from some very prestigious schools and are very successful today that have attended schools at some point in their lives that were in lower income areas or inner cities, it's not the school but what your kids learn at home. There are many newer 3000+ Sq/ft homes within your price point in new Rancho. When the economy comes back new Rancho will be attractive for it's convenience to HWY 50, downtown and CSUS if you later need or want to rent or sell, it will likely be fairly painless.

If you currently live in EDH or Folsom and are moving or downsizing I think new Rancho or Orangevale are decent compromises theres a lot of hidden value & deals right now in Fair Oaks too. Gold River is nice but for a Gold River premium you could easily buy a home in Folsom or EDH, also Gold River is know for it's strict CC&R's think of Serrano or the Parkway not bad if you like communities that dictate what type of flowers you want in your front yard or how long your car can be left in front of your home etc...

-Ryan

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body,
but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
"Wow! What a Ride!"

weservicepools.com

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[Darthvader]

I think Ryan is correct. It isn't the neighborhood so much as it is your neighbors. My parents have lived on a cul-de-sac in Lincoln Village of all places for the last 25 years. No problems whatsoever, but in saying that, they have had the same neighbors the last 25 years as well. The areas just around the corner from them are crapsville, but no effects on their little "neighborhood in a court".

McKinley part in downtown Sac is full of expensive homes. They have troubles just like everyone else. Rancho Cordova has crappy pockets and they also have nice little enclaves. Search for them and find something to your liking. Don't be afraid to talk to the neighbors of the house you're thinking about purchasing. Last thing you want to do is move in next to someone you won't be able to stand for the next 360 months.

Search for the highest #'s of forclosures/zip code and you'll see Rancho right up there at the top, consider this before you buy there.