57 replies to this topic

[Orangetj]

$100 should cover dinner for two at Masque, provided that you don't drink lots of wine! I haven't been to the Bistro 33 here in EDH, but we used to go to 33rd Street Bistro in East Sac quite a bit. I don't remember it being all that expensive - more mid-priced. It wouldn't surprise me if the one in EDH has a different menu and price level, though. With 2 little kids, we rarely get out to any of the "nicer" restaurants any more!

[Dave Burrell]

$100 should cover dinner for two at Masque, provided that you don't drink lots of wine! I haven't been to the Bistro 33 here in EDH, but we used to go to 33rd Street Bistro in East Sac quite a bit. I don't remember it being all that expensive - more mid-priced. It wouldn't surprise me if the one in EDH has a different menu and price level, though. With 2 little kids, we rarely get out to any of the "nicer" restaurants any more!

Thanks for the info on Masque and I believe you about the wine

I checked and you are right, the Bistro 33 in EDH is part of the same chain
http://www.bistro33.com/edh/index.html

I guess all in all the price wasn't too terrible, it just seemed that the wait, the overly hoighty toighty crowd and obnoxiousness didn't seem to make it worth it, but the food did taste pretty good.

one thing I thought was cool about the place was that in their outdoor area the had fire pits with good fires going, that was a neat night time scene

my kids are older and we're enjoying getting out to some nice dinners now and then...

hang in there, as your kids get older, it gets easier and you will get your life back

[palango]

hang in there, as your kids get older, it gets easier and you will get your life back

I love my kids, but I cannot wait.

[Dave Burrell]

I love my kids, but I cannot wait.

only about 10-15 more years...

[cw68]

$100 should cover dinner for two at Masque, provided that you don't drink lots of wine! I haven't been to the Bistro 33 here in EDH, but we used to go to 33rd Street Bistro in East Sac quite a bit. I don't remember it being all that expensive - more mid-priced. It wouldn't surprise me if the one in EDH has a different menu and price level, though. With 2 little kids, we rarely get out to any of the "nicer" restaurants any more!

33rd Street Bistro is a good place. The Haines Bros. now have quite a few restaurants. I went to Bistro 33 in Midtown last summer and was not impressed at all. Especially for the price. However, I hear they have a great happy hour appetizer deal. Don't know if the EDH one has it too.

[palango]

33rd Street Bistro is a good place. The Haines Bros. now have quite a few restaurants. I went to Bistro 33 in Midtown last summer and was not impressed at all. Especially for the price. However, I hear they have a great happy hour appetizer deal. Don't know if the EDH one has it too.

All I know is that Bistro 33's (ED) line are out the door on the weekends and also very very busy on any weeknight. The valet parking attendents are always busy with the BMers, Mercedez, Jags, etc.

[markm62]

My family is considering a move to the Folsom/El Dorado Hills area. We are just beginning our search for a neighborhood. I've read the utilities can be very high in El Dorado County vs. in Folsom. How bad are they for about 2500 sq ft?
Also, we've seen a couple of houses in the Lake Hills Estates area that looked interesting (especially for Lake Forest Elementary, our kids are toddlers). Price range ~$475,000. Any comments about that area?
Thanks!

Oh my, where do I start? El Dorado County utility costs are outrageous if you have a family and need to heat/cool a larger home. My propane bill was $700 last month, and I turn OFF the heat during the day and keep it at 67 at night. My current home is approx 2600 sq. ft.

Water, propane, electricity, and waste can easily cost $500/month and up, which is very high compared to Sacramento.

El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park, and associated area homes are experiencing a drastic fall in value. Don't be fooled by locals maintaining the party line that 'El Dorado Hills is a great place to live.' There are streets in 'Serrano' that are lined in foreclosures, bank owned homes, attempts at short sales, and just plain empty homes. You would make a serious mistake to buy right now. Expect another 20% drop over the next two years.

For example, those homes you are seeing listed at $475k-ish in Lake Hills were supposedly worth $675 and up a mere three years ago. Do some research and DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT REALTORS tell you. Those same homes may be worth $300-something in two years. That's your toddler's entire college fund down the drain. So much for Stanford U...

I will be purchasing a home next year in Gold River (good schools there too, and a much nicer area IMHO) and turn the Cameron Park home into another rental.

And, by the way, Lake Forest Elementary is a great school.


Good luck!

[Orangetj]

Never mind.

[palango]

There are streets in 'Serrano' that are lined in foreclosures, bank owned homes, attempts at short sales, and just plain empty homes. You would make a serious mistake to buy right now.

I agree. Serrano has more Foreclosures and bankowned properties than all of the other areas in El Dorado combined. The association is absolutely useless and powerless. I see a homes where the backyard is not maintained and weeds have grown so tall and all over the place (Foreclosure homes) and nothing can be done. I saw a listing for a 2 year old 4300 sq ft ($629k)foreclosure home with open space on the market for more than a year and still no one wanted it.

[Skye]

Thank you all for your input. We took one look at Serrano's HOA dues and counted that area out, but we like El Dorado Hills and Cameron Park for the scenery (and we're researching the schools in that area). We're keeping an eye on the actual selling prices, not the listed price, and we're still a few months out before we can look for a house in ernest. If I can just get over my (irrational?) fear of the earthen dam breaking, I'd just do the sensible thing and look only in Folsom....

Thanks a bunch!

[chriscvk]

Let me start off by saying that I don't live in either Folsom or El Dorado Hills, however I have family in both areas and thereby am very familiar with both communties. I have to say I have never experienced such home town bias in my life. You Folsom people act as though your community is Shangrilah, while El Dorado Hills is like the depths of Hell. As far as utility costs go, I checked out both the SMUD and PG & E websites. The SMUD site indicates by there own research that electric costs are ~28% less on average than PG & E. Therefore if you consider that PG & E supplies gas to both cities, that the combined energy savings in Folsom might be ~15% over that of EDH. Not a real big deal. In light of the typical Folsom residents perspective, I make the following predictions/observations.

1) Home prices in Serrano will plummet so much in coming years that the homes will be sold
for parts only.

2) Median home prices in Folsom will eclipse those in San Francisco, Beverly Hills and Monaco

3) EDH will become a ghost town due to rampant fears of asbestos, snakes, fire and mobs of
unrully snobs.

4) Folsom will become a major tourist destination surpassing S.F, N.Y and Paris (mainly due to
the zoo, historic district and fine eateries).

5) People will suddenly realize that EDH sucks and that they all made the mistake of their lives
for moving there (what the hell were we thinking!).

Folsomites, please add to the list, as I am sure that I have only skimmed the surface.

[Orangetj]

Good on ya, Chriscvk. Having lived in both towns myself, I also find it funny how much anti-EDH sentiment there seems to be. The part that really gets me is that I've heard many comments about Folsom from people living in other parts of Sacto that are much like those made by some Folsomites about EDH. IMO, the truth is that they're both nice places to live and both have their respective advantages and disadvantages. In the final analysis, the differences are matters of degree rather than being as huge as is often made out.

[Orangetj]

If I can just get over my (irrational?) fear of the earthen dam breaking, I'd just do the sensible thing and look only in Folsom....

Thanks a bunch!

Why would that be the "only sensible thing"? There are many neighborhoods in EDH other than Serrano, so if the HOA dues are offputting to you, check out some of the other parts of town. Folsom is nice, too, but it would be a mistake to dismiss EDH out of hand. We have friends who lived at the opposite end of EDH, near Green Valley Road and El Dorado Hills Blvd. Nice, quiet neighborhood with big trees and no HOA. Very close to the lake, a few minutes drive from Folsom shopping, etc..

[spork]

I live in Marina Woods, near Lake Forest Elementary/Marina Village Middle. My home is ~3,000, no pool, 1/3 acre.
My bills are as follows:
Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb
PG&E: $62.37, $74.28, $141.54, $188.09, $141.56 - 68 in winter, 76 in summer

EID (water): $164.79 (2 months), $154.23 (2 months), $141.61 (2 months) This doesn't vary too much in the summer because the biggest component of the expense is the sewer access fee, which is fixed at ~$90. I also don't have a large grass area, most of the landscaping only requires drip irrigation.

Waste: 45.22 every 2 months - fixed

HOA: ~200/year

Mello Roos: 0

Let me know if you have any other questions.

[Orangetj]

Wait a minute....are you saying you don't pay $600 a month for PG&E??? Impossible!