folsom vs. el dorado hills (Fairfield, Cameron Park: house prices, neighborhood, purchase)

[michellebadu]

Originally Posted by Hrvatska

I did tons of research before I purchased a home in Folsom a couple of months ago.

EDH & Folsom the people are the same in both places... you have some rundown area's of EDH & Folsom. Though in EDH you can have some homes with large lots that have junk cars, junk RV's & trash and no one seems to get them to clean it up. In Folsom you can't do that or the city is giving cititations so it keeps most homes appearances looking fairly kept.

Traffic I feel is a bit worse in EDH because you have so few large roads(need more lanes) where during traffic in Folsom you still get around fairly easy...

Folsom has better/more shopping. Most people I know that live in EDH come down to shop in Folsom. I even know some moms that even like the Folsom Target better than the one in EDH. Don't understand that one.

The cost of all utilities in EDH is more expensive. Folsom you have PGE & SMUD. When I was searching for homes I called PG&E for average bills at homes I looked into buying... OH MY.. I never found one home with a PG&E bill less than $400 average. PG&E has EDH by the BALLS! I was talking to a woman the other day about our bills and she told me her bill in Dec was $600... I have another friend with a large home in EDH and her bill during winter & summer is around a $1000. THAT IS CRAZY! My home is a bit smaller then my friend but my bill was $250 in Dec and I ran a gas fireplace, a outdoor gas firepit & gas BBq, we baked like crazy for the holidays and still it was just $250.

Don't forget water... EDH rates were voted in to go up in the next couple of years and EDH water is already expensive.

The other thing that is horrible about EDH is that some of the homes there were not made correctly Serrano and... epecially on the otherside of Hwy 50 (off latrobe)... the homes are not built to withstand the wind... many of the homes in that area had lots of problem with mold and other things... I believe there was a lawsuit pending. There was a news report on it about 3 years ago... and now with many homes in foreclosure no one is going to disclose this to the new owners... very sad situtation.

School districts are about the same. Even the elementary theodore judah in the worst part of Folsom has very good marks.

Almost all my friends that moved to EDH regret it... they are always in Folsom and wish they just moved here.

Overall Folsom to me is just a better deal. How do some of those sayings go... location, location, location and you get what you pay for. You may pay more for Folsom but you will be happier.

Living & Loving Folsom.

We love EDH! Love the view, the hills, the parks.
We live here for more than 1 yr.
Trafic is not that bad.
I have a 3000 sqf home and my PG&E Bill for winter was the highest $220, water for 2 months is $160 (we don't have a pool).
William Brooks is a good school.

We do most of our shopping in Folsom but is only 5-10 min drive.

We like EDH over Folsom because is quiet, can have a house with view, no power lines, some homes has large backyards, good neighborhood.

We don't live in Serrano area, but I 've heard about their problems with mold...

[king90723]

i have lived in both citys...both have good schools...folsom is alot biger so it has alot more shoping, things to do, ect...they are very simalar when i lived in folsom i lived off of oak ave and blue ravine and in edh off of latrobe and white rock...based off of that i was in walking distance from edh's new down town witch is even better now(i lived there from 2001 to 2005)and liked it more than folsom...but thats just based off living in down town edh...they are really to simular to compare...

[bmw74]

Hi movingtocalifornia,

I just sent you a PM, I am contemplating a relo from Katy, TX to Folsom, CA, and wanted to see if you can share your experience about the change.

[Tex N Cal]

Wow. It's good to see some Texans out here in Cali. My family and I are currently in the Bay Area, but would like to get up to Sacramento within the next few years or less, if possible. SF is nice to visit, but it just ain't where I want to stay. We're from the "burbs" in Houston and I think Sacramento is more "us" than SF...

[NinaN]

What burbs in Houston? I grew up in The Woodlands.

[60sfemi]

Originally Posted by movintocalifornia

I will be moving to the area in the near future - have narrowed down the online search to EDH and Folsom (while still looking out for Gold River). Based on recent SALES....EDH seems significantly cheaper than Folsom. Is that accurate? Schools also seem to be rated higher...(I have grade school kids)....I would appreciate any advice or thoughts on these areas. And yes, I have read all the threads.....from my take, Folsom has a little more infrastructure and EDH is a bit newer, less amenities but more home for your $. PS....schools are my top priority, then home size given my fam of 5. Will be working in folsom area, so commute is no issue. Thanks for all the advice....I am moving from houston and it feels like a different country with all the differences!

I've lived in that area a long time (not at the moment) but Folsom and El Dorado hills are almost now a single community. both expensive. They are next to each other and one melts into the other. Hard to tell unless you know where the line is, that you've left one town and are in the other. They are both bedroom communities with typical malls/chain resturants and other stores, mostly on the El Dorado Hills area. Folsom has the "original old town" and a few older stores. Its the oldest town. They are both middle to upper class with very small amounts of lower class families.. mostly in Folsom....but those are ones that owned those homes for 40 years and never left or sold out or are rentng. Folsom IS close to the prison, and has many prisoner/guard families living in it, often in those older areas and older schools if that could be an issue for you. But El Dorado Hills is the newest areas, newer homes, schools and I think they are rated a bit better as well. If you are lucky enough to work in Folsom, you will do fine in either place. Both low crime areas for the most part. A very nice foothill area. You are literall about 35 mnutes to Placerville (an old gold mining town), 45 min to Apple Hill-for fntastic fall apple picking fun, and a gorgeous drive up the hill farther to the Sierras and South Lake Tahoe. You wil LOVE the area. Its beyond gorgeous, although quite crowded and "Round Rock Texas looking in Folsom/El Dorado Hills but more upscale.

[hydro]

[quote=NinaN;18108111]Theodore Judah is ranked a 4 out of ten. I would hardly call that very good marks. I would agree that the rest of the schools in Folsom are highly rated. See for yourself

School Rankings for the City of Folsom, CA



I disagree with this. I thought Theodore Judah was a magnet school. I hear of people commuting to that school from the more expensive neighborhoods, from a different schools that have higher ratings, because of the changes Theodore Judah is making and it's "magnet" qualities. KCRA just did a report on a progressive pre-k program, too, that was a hybrid for kids not quite ready for kindergarten. http://www.kcra.com/video/29713584/detail.html

[NinaN]

The school districs in Folsom and EDH (and Cameron Park, Rescue, Shingle Springs, etc). offer Jr. Kindergarden now. It's for kids legally old enough to start kindergarden (at age 4) but not quite ready socially or academically. It's a great program but certainly not limited to Judah.

I don't know about Judah becoming a magnet school, but the ratings speak for themselves. While there are other factors to consider when evaluating a school, a rating that much lower than surrounding schools probably has some validity. That's not to say a motivated student could not get a good education there, but fewer kids at that school are performing to the standards expected of them than at other local schools.

*** I see that Judah has moved up to a rating of 6 out of 10. A great improvement. Good for them, it does look like they are on the right track.

[delys]

Hello
I l be moving in Ca as soon as My house in ct is Sold .
I was wondering if Hs in folsom or El Dorado Hills have a SKI program?
I m from Fairfield county in connecticut, we are close enough to the mountain, ( 37 minutes)
and I appreciate the short drive to go skiing.

I can't pick a town
Folsom or El dorado hills?

I need good school
I know Folsom scores 9 FOR High school
El dorado Hills scores 10
it doesn t make a difference for us
between great or super great, it doesn;t matter, so I think both are good.
We need a good gymnastics academy for our 2 girls
there is one in Folsom, the other is is Cameron Park. less convenient if you live in ELD.
I am a doula so I can work every where, but I m intrested working at the birth center in shingle springs.

my kids are pre teen and teens. so shopping and restaurants are importants
we are French we like laid back people, outdoors activities, and FUN.
EDL sounds beautiful, and I really need to know if people are friendly?
they can't be more snobe than people in connecticut.
lol
ct is a disaster
the state where nothing happens????
you become depressed here I have to leave, before thet catch me lol.

no allergies in the family
looking for old houses
Need a 4 beedrooms
large yard

thank you
Caroline

[NinaN]

Folsom has more shopping and is more convenient to other activities.

EDH is more likely to have large yards. Oak Ridge High School has a ski/snowboard team. Not sure about Folsom.

Both places have old houses, good schools, outdoor activities.

Look for homes in both cities and go with what you like the best. Not sure if you are buying or renting, but there are few rentals available so your options might be limited.

Good luck with your move.