Granite Bay CA Autumn Arts Festival
October 28th, 2008 categories: Folsom Lake, Granite Bay, Outdoor Activities, Special Events
Kickoff for new Art & Artist Magazine
Quarry Ponds, the newest shopping center in Granite Bay, hosted a culinary and theatre art festival last weekend that showcased a few artist friends of mine. There was a salsa contest by local chefs, ballroom dance exposition and a raffle for $500 along with the art show featuring local artists from the Folsom Lake area.
The weather was perfect for outdoor activity and I heard that this event will be the first of many for this local center. Since the seasons are changing perhaps the owners would consider a wine tasting dinner or hosting a ZAP dinner but that’s another blog.
Sierra Style Magazine was there promoting their “Saving with Style” program which features local businesses who participate by offering discounts on their products or services. This is a entertainment type card exclusive to local businesses who advertise in the magazine. My artist friends do advertise in Sierra Style so were on hand to promote the festival and offer their support.
I was having so much fun looking at the art and watching the dancing that I forgot to look for a copy of the much anticipated Art & Artist Magazine The art world is expanding in our region and once this magazine hits the stands I think we might have a shot at losing our cow town reputation.
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Gold River CA Home to Rowing Teams at CSUS
October 20th, 2008 categories: American River, Gold River, Outdoor Activities, Rancho Cordova, Water Sports
The Ultimate Team Sport
Gold River is an appropriate name for this town along the Amerian River just south of Folsom. Home to the CSUS outdoor campus for water sports this microcosm of activity hosts lots of fun in a very small area. Lessons abound for sailing, rowing, & scuba diving and you can’t beat the excitement of Capital Crew during competition.
Known for it’s structured environment (read Homeowners Assoc.) Gold River has many villages with a variety of home sizes available all within 5 min of the freeway and less than 30 min from Sacramento. Well manicured lawns and picture perfect parks offer lots of walking trails and bike paths close to the river and the Gold River racket club with tennis (both indoor and out) and all the usual workout equipment.
Rancho Cordova is the adjacent community that Gold River seceded from but shares the same zip code and has a mixture of young families and retired military. This community began as an extension of Mather Air Field, which was decommissioned in the early 1990′s when the government decided to retire a number of Air Force bases in California. Aerojet is the primary generator of jobs and has been doing their part to take responsibility for the environmental cleanup due to some previous damage they caused the water table.
Peppered with small ranch style homes on either side of the freeway, the county is working on renovating shopping centers and community areas that have deteriorated as a result of people moving to the newer suburbs further down the freeway. Now is a great time to find starter homes that are older but well built and offer a great value for the dollar.
This is one of the last towns in the valley before you climb the foothills of the Sierra and offers the opportunity to purchase in Sacramento county at a reasonable price. Rancho Cordova just recently incorporated and is going through a growth period but seems to be doing well and hasn’t experienced any major shifts due to the change in government. There were a number of investor homes that are starting to be picked up by first time buyers which bodes well for the future.
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Granite Bay CA Is A Great Place to Play
October 14th, 2008 categories: Folsom Lake, Golf, Granite Bay, Outdoor Activities, Water Sports
New Recreation Association Started
Granite Bay is ideally located next to Folsom Lake and has two entrances for boats and campers. Since the lake is surrounded mostly by federal lands, private property that touches the lake is rare and Granite Bay is home to those lucky homeowners. There are also a few neighborhoods where you can walk to the lake or enjoy a bike ride along the shore. There are special events ranging from boat shows to art festivals and camping is available with reservations through the national park service.
The newly created Granite Bay Recreation Association has a new website to connect with other sports fans and is long overdue. This area was once a part of Roseville but the need to separate the paperwork has become crucial for continued growth and Granite Bay officially seceded in 1987. There is every sport a young athlete could hope to play and the parent participation is every soccer mom’s dream come true.
Golf is huge in this part of Placer County and the private course in Granite Bay has lots of challenge and participates in many charity events where you can catch a glimpse of some famous locals. Boaters and water sports abound when the lake is full and then there is the usual biking clubs who can be seen every weekend along Folsom-Auburn Rd.
Real estate is a bit pricey in this part of town but equally important is the impact Bayside Church has had on the local population. This congregation hosts up to 15,000 people each Sunday and has expanded out to various towns in the valley. This has been a positive for the community and many of the local businesses enthusiastically offer support. Overall Granite Bay is a very family friendly town with lots to offer.
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Cameron Park CA Home to Small Aircraft
October 14th, 2008 categories: Cameron Park, Golf, Outdoor Activities, Special Events
An airstrip in the middle of the country
Cameron Park is home to the Cameron Park Airport, a private airstrip with homes that offer airplane hangers for garages. It’s not unusual to see antique planes or private jets flying overhead and on the weekends you’ll hear and see a variety of different aircraft taking off & landing along Cameron Park Rd.
Located along Hwy 50 between El Dorado Hills and Placerville this small town has been renovating it’s image over the past few years. The old Sam’s Railroad Junction has expanded and a lot of new retail has gone in to replace the vacancies. Across the street is a new Applebee’s and Food 4 Less which makes it the 3rd grocery store in this town. As far as services go it has the essentials and major shopping is only 10 minutes down the road in Folsom. The small town feeling lingers but you know that suburbia is encroaching.
What Cameron Park really offers is vast open spaces close to an urban environment. There are a couple of great places to eat but most people move here to get a little space around them. Most of the subdivisions have a minimum of 1/3 acre lots, some have valley views and the really nice properties have views of the Sierra. There are a couple of gated communities and a Cameron Pk. Country Club with homes but mostly regular homes on larger lots with plenty of space to have a garden.
Cameron Park Lake has a few community events during the year and the local 4H is very active supported by a thriving home schooling community. Occasionally this area will be referred to as Shingle Springs but that’s located south of Hwy 50 and is much more rural with larger ranches.
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Rocklin CA Rocks at Rock Climbing!
October 13th, 2008 categories: Folsom Lake, Golf, Outdoor Activities, Rocklin, Soccer
Great Lifestyle and Amenities
The name Rocklin translates to “rock pool” which is a very accurate term used to describe this area as granite outcroppings seem to dominate the landscape. Rocklin CA got it’s humble start as a quarry town and as is typical of small towns the local streets are named after the town fathers who settled here and got things rolling. Most of the city sits on the very land that George Whitney owned (Whitney Oaks Golf Course) and passed to his heirs. The Rocklin History Museum offers lots of interesting facts about this area and it’s worth the read especially if you are interested in Native American History and the Transcontinental Railroad.
Rocklin is home to Sierra College which is nestled in the Sierra foothills and has a solid reputation preparing students to continue at the university level offering three campus’ stretching from Rocklin to Lake Tahoe. On the weekends the college hosts a used car sales lot which I have found to be handy for selling and buying used vehicles, both land & water. There also is a private college, William Jessup University, that just opened and is located at Hwy 65 & Sunset.
Recreational activities in Rocklin range from baseball to rock climbing and the park & rec offers leagues for children and adults in addition to the local sports stores and athletic clubs. The hills prove an acceptable challenge for bicycle clubs and the Quarry Classic is a must see for soccer fans. Sunset Whitney County Club has been a fixture here since the 1964 and is a private country club offering golf, swimming and the usual amenities and currently open to the public for golf.
West Rocklin borders Hwy 65 and the hills are covered with homes as far as you can see offering the complete suburban lifestyle. East Rocklin borders Loomis and Granite Bay along Sierra College Blvd and is home to more rural living on larger acreages and close proximity to Folsom Lake. There are farm stands selling local produce and orchards growing everything from olives to persimmons. Variety in lifestyle is the constant in this community and Rocklin is ever changing to meet the needs of the community.
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El Dorado Hills CA New Town Center
October 11th, 2008 categories: El Dorado Hills, Folsom Lake, Outdoor Activities
Serious fun any day of the week
On a clear day you can see the Sierra from the hills of El Dorado Hills and when Folsom Lake is full the view is breathtaking. Sports abound and on any given day you’ll see bicycle riders along Green Valley Rd. or Para-sailors flying near the lake. The weekends bring out the various clubs:bicycles, motorcycles, soccer, lacrosse, tennis, golf, etc and the lines at the local coffee shops prove just how seriously people in this town take their sports.
Within the past 3 years the El Dorado Hills Town Center has developed into one of the best shopping and night life venues. The boutiques remind me of Europe with the designer labels beckoning you inside. There are movie theaters, real estate offices and car dealerships all within walking distance from each other and yet only 10 minutes away from rural acreages, Folsom Lake and a golf course.
There are a variety of gated communities that began with Serrano and the expansion of the industrial area has come about as small businesses moved here to enjoy the affordable housing and friendly atmosphere. Blue Cross built and moved their offices here in the early 2000′s and the local arts scene has expanded to accommodate the growing interests of the community. All this and a school district that rivals the best in the country and did I mention sports?
The neighborhoods vary as you have older subdivisions of smaller ranch style homes next to gated new ones with custom homes on larger lots. One of the best features is that you can still find homes where you can take a walk to the lake. There are large acreages where farm animals and horses graze and condominium complexes close to shopping. The overall feel is country with mature landscaping predominating throughout most of the area.
El Dorado Hills is still growing and south of Hwy 50 there are new neighborhoods springing up from family friendly to adult only subdivisions. Once the new Connector highway from Elk Grove to the El Dorado County border is complete traffic congestion along the freeway should ease during the peak hours. This will add to the population and certainly bring about a change of character for this bedroom community which I hope manages to keep its small town charm.
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Orangevale CA Still Has Farmstands
October 9th, 2008 categories: Orangevale CA, Outdoor Activities
Country Living With City Amenities
Orangevale is an odd mixture of new development (such as the Tim Lewis’ subdivision across from the new shopping center on Hazel and Pecan) and old rural farms and acreages. When we first came to town we loved driving down Oak Ave. to watch the mini horses and lamas graze in the pastures. This is one of those quaint towns still in existence in the Sacramentovalley with that rural feeling coupled with upscale animal husbandry like Orangevale and reminds me of the bay area without the pretension.
Just the name Orangevale conjures up images of orange groves but in reality there are few orchards of any kind left in town. Next door to Orangevale is Citrus Heights, again another name that brings to mind lemonade stands with baskets of the yellow fruit in abundance but if you go to Tom Tomich’s produce stand and preview his farm what you see is primarily peach, plum, apple and nut trees. Tom is a great man who loves history and always has a good story from his days in the second world war…I especially like the story of his meeting Gen. Patton for the first time.
Another area of interest is Indian Stone Corral where the Maidu Indians used to camp and was later used by outlaws to hide out after robbing the stage coaches of their money. This park has yet to be developed but the intent is to create two entrances to this area and allow the public to see the granite outcroppings and how it was used to corral horses without fences. Unfortunately this will probably be a long time coming due to the extensive work needed to preserve the history of this area.
When we first arrived in the valley we didn’t know much about POW WOW Days or the local 4H but soon found that these community events and activities brought us closer to feeling a part of the neighborhood. Orangevale Park hosts numerous events from Easter egg hunts to equestrian competitions and since it’s across from Casa Roble High Schoolhas lots of traffic from the local students. It also happens to be the only competitive Frisbee disc golf course on 50 acres in the area.
The community’s biggest fear during the past real estate boon was a tearing apart of their rural lifestyle by newcomers cashing in with big money from the bay area and beyond. What happened instead was an embracing of the quiet lifestyle Orangevale is famous for and the town has flourished ever so slowly and that’s just fine with the locals.
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Homes Tours in Folsom CA via Bicycle
October 8th, 2008 categories: Biking, Outdoor Activities
Trails that connect the community
Folsom is known for it’s bike paths and jogging trails and last week I decided to do my real estate tour via bicycle and discovered some interesting paths under construction. Starting out at the Folsom Community Center it was an easy jaunt to the Historic District where there is a new home that has received the SMUD Platinum rating for it’s energy efficiency. This home had everything from recycled glass counters to solar hot water and heating…it even sells energy back to SMUD!
Next I went across the Rainbow Bridge to American River Canyon and checked out a bank owned property that is on a cul-de-sac and is priced at $152.00 per sqft. It’s amazing to see the housing prices so affordable in that part of town. Heading back towards Natoma Station along the river I jumped off at the Natoma Factory Outlets to check out a cute little house in the Bungalows that is a short sale. This one is a 3/2 just under 1500sf for $319,000. Down Turn Pike Drive to another listing that is selling short but has a lot of house for the price 5bed/3bath for $399,000.
Following the main drag Blue Ravine over to Prairie City to preview a home close to Folsom High School that backs up to open space. This property has a pool with slide and cave, mature landscaping and a deck for entertaining. The cherry cabinets and huge floorplan (5 or 6 bedrooms) is located on a cul-de-sac…priced at $197.00 sf. This is where I discovered a new bridge under construction which I think will connect to the bike trail just off Blue Ravine between Riley and Prairie City Rd.
Going west along Iron Point Rd. down to Broadstone I picked up a trail that led me to one of my favorite places to ride along the Parkway. This was one of the first bike and walking paths installed in Folsom. The area has lookouts and bridges and benches to sit and enjoy the view. I’ve seen people jogging and doing their tai chi exercises at various points along the path. John Laing continues to build and is offering some great incentives on their homes next to the new Raley’s center.
As I wind up my tour and head back home to Empire Ranch I cut through Humbug Creekto the trails at Ninesan Park. This was an area that was originally designated for a private golf course but was turned over to the city as open space. It’s a beautiful area with great blue herons and egrets and offers a peaceful ride through the various subdivisions towards the lake.
For more information on bike trails the city of Folsom offers a map online and of course if you’d like to see any of these homes please contact me and arrange a tour.
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Folsom Tennis Teams Growing as Population Ages
October 2nd, 2008 categories: Outdoor Activities, Tennis
Tennis Lessons with Love
Tennis is in full swing in Folsom, CA with lessons virtually every night of the week at Ed Mitchell Park. The resident tennis pro, Bryan Solem holds court most every night M-F and Sat. mornings and offers private lessons as well. I really enjoy the drill classes and when I’m not working on Sat mornings like to drop in and try to learn something new to improve my game.
This fall I managed to join both a SATA (Sacramento Area Tennis Assoc.) and a USTA (United States Tennis Assoc.) team and find I’m playing at least 2 nights a week for much less than what I was paying at Broadstone Racquet Club. Don’t get me wrong, I loved being a part of a private racket club but as you know we realtors are not flush with cash and I needed to trim my budget. The best part is that we play all the local club teams so I get to visit and play at the clubs without having to pay the monthly fees.
Folsom has almost 50 parks but the tennis courts are somewhat limited and even though there are 8 beautiful new courts at the new Vista Del Lago High School they are not for use by the general public. Folsom Lake College has courts but they are not in the best shape and are reserved for the student’s classes.
There is an online site to check for local tennis information started by Sue & Rob Vomund http://www.vomund.com/tennis/ which was most helpful when I first tried to get involved in the sport. They have managed to collect all the information and keep members posted about special events and local court information. What is amazing is the fact that Folsom did not have any league teams playing in 2002 but now has 11 leagues competing for court time which confirms my suspicion that as we age we find that playing keeps us young.
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Empire Ranch Golf Course in Folsom CA
October 2nd, 2008 categories: Folsom Lake, Golf, Outdoor Activities
The Club Corp Charity Classic Sept 26, 2008
Each year the owner of Emprie Ranch Golf Club (Club Corp) has a huge charity event at all their clubs nationwide (140 clubs), This year’s event was aiming to raise 5 million for a variety of charities. One of this year’s charities was Muscular Dystrophy Association’s (MDA) Augie’s Quest which is dedicated to finding a cure for Lou Gehrig’s disease. There are many charity events held at Empire Ranch Golf Club and I’ve been privileged to help at one of the events supporting the Cancer Society. There are various challenges hosted there to raise support for local schools, the local food bank and corporate sponsored events.
Empire Ranch Golf Club is the only golf course in the city of Folsom and is a par 71 for those who can appreciate that fact. A number of friends love this course for it’s undulating hillsides and challenging terrain but I have to say that although I’m not much of a golfer I do find the landscaping to be peaceful and the views relaxing. Unfortunately this course requires that you get a golf cart because it’s too long to walk which is a shame. The course winds through the Empire Ranch community and has a variety of homes with views at each tee as well as the usual putting green and driving range. I love walking in that area of Folsom because it’s so close to Nisenan Park which was originally going to be a private golf course for the community until the developer realized the cost both in construction and maintenance.
Folsom High School uses this course for their team and some of those talented students have managed to get golf scholarships to various colleges. I was told by a friend (golfer) that if you happen to be female and can consistently shoot 80 or under that you can be assured a full scholarship at many colleges.
The golf pros who coach and the staff are known for their friendly nature and of course you can’t beat the fact that you can play virtually year round in the Sacramento Valley. I just wonder how those homeowners manage to listen to all those excuses about why the ball landed outside the green and next to their fence.
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