folsom vs. el dorado hills

[Elliott_CA]

Originally Posted by NinaN

We have a pool. It does cost extra for water in summer and electric year round. Hard to tell the exact difference but it's probably close to $50 per month. If you hire someone to care for it, that could be another $50-100/month.

Wow, this is really low-balling the expense of pool ownership. As a long time pool owner, I've spent thousands upon thousands of dollars on: having the pool replastered (once every 15 years), pump replacements, filter replacements, having leaks fixed, replacing or rebuilding the pool sweep (typical life span is 3 to 5 years). And then every 7 years or so there's the expense and hassle of pumping out all of the water and replacing it due to mineral build-up. Not to mention higher electricity bills, the pool pump runs 3 hours a day.

Yes, it's a money and time pit. I would write more but I have to go outside and drain the pool. The rain has overfilled it.

[xenxes]

Pool pump isn't too bad, few hundred a year. Pool heating on the other hand, thousand+ easy unless you go solar.

Maintenance is never fun, I'm thinking of doing a natural pond but you do have to take extra care to keep up with the filtration and plant maintenance (water flow generally needs to be higher than a traditional pool), but you do save on the chemicals and lower maintenance if done right (chlorine also tends to shorten tubing/pump life).

[Nylene]

Thanks for your replies!

After more research, I have decided I want to buy a house in Folsom. The presence of naturally occurring asbestos in EDH has got me worried; I just don't want to risk my family's health.

Originally Posted by Elliott_CA

Wow, this is really low-balling the expense of pool ownership. As a long time pool owner, I've spent thousands upon thousands of dollars on: having the pool replastered (once every 15 years), pump replacements, filter replacements, having leaks fixed, replacing or rebuilding the pool sweep (typical life span is 3 to 5 years). And then every 7 years or so there's the expense and hassle of pumping out all of the water and replacing it due to mineral build-up. Not to mention higher electricity bills, the pool pump runs 3 hours a day.

Yes, it's a money and time pit. I would write more but I have to go outside and drain the pool. The rain has overfilled it.

Wow, I didn't realize that pools need that much maintenance. I was thinking that if we only spent about $50 a month to maintain a pool, that it'd be worth it. $50 isn't much for the sake of having a pool for my kids. But if it's going to cost us thousands of dollars in the long run, I think we'd be better off using a community pool (or visiting a friend's house to use their pool &#128521. But then my children really love to swim and the idea of having a pool in your own backyard is so tempting. Originally, I was thinking of buying a house in a housing development that includes a pool for residents. However, that would mean I'd have to pay HOA fees (and apparently Mello Roos for new houses). I have no idea how much the average HOA fees in Folsom but I thought that if maintaining a pool in a house with no HOA fee would be the same as living in a house with no pool in the backyard but with HOA fee (and perhaps with a community pool), then maybe we'd better consider a house with a pool in an area with no HOA fee.

Elliott, why did you purchase a house with a pool, if you don't mind me asking? Was it for your children?

[NinaN]

We bought a house with a pool because the rest of the house fit our criteria and we could go either way on the pool. Younger kids do tend to use the pool a lot! I've found as the kids hit their teen years, not so much. Honestly, for how much we use it, we'd prefer not to have one anymore but I'm not moving until the boy is in college.

You can google the asbestos stuff and you will get a thousand different answers and studies. I researched it when we moved here and didn't find it alarming for me and my family but each person has to make their own decisions.

HOA fees can run high and there aren't that many HOAs with pools. If you're open to the idea of a pool, I would focus on the rest of your criteria first and go with what works best for you. Folsom has a great community pool, though it tends to get really crowded.

[Elliott_CA]

Originally Posted by Nylene

After more research, I have decided I want to buy a house in Folsom. The presence of naturally occurring asbestos in EDH has got me worried; I just don't want to risk my family's health.

I believe the risk of asbestos is completely overblown; if it was a problem, it would show up in health stats as a disease cluster. It hasn't. Looking at the CDC's health status database, El Dorado Co. is the 9th healthiest county in California. The rate of premature death in ED Co. is less than the US and less than California as a whole.

http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/...017_1_2016.png

Originally Posted by Nylene

Wow, I didn't realize that pools need that much maintenance. ... Elliott, why did you purchase a house with a pool, if you don't mind me asking? Was it for your children?

Yes, don't regret it, the pool provided a lot of fun. Still enjoy it now, more for relaxing around it rather than swimming in it. Realistically it's more like $100/mo plus sock some away for repairs.

[Boghaunter]

Since Oroville one of my criteria will be "Will my house be under a dam?"

[NinaN]

Not in El Dorado Hills! But most of Sacramento county is in what's considered a Dam Innundation Zone.

[Bonbonk5]

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 see this post was originally from 2010, wonder what city this family chose. But it is funny, now El Dorado hills in 2017 is expensive and more so than Folsom. For elite and desired.

[NinaN]

Originally Posted by Bonbonk5

I see this post was originally from 2010, wonder what city this family chose. But it is funny, now El Dorado hills in 2017 is expensive and more so than Folsom. For elite and desired.

El Dorado Hills is cheaper than Folsom for similar sized homes. However, EDH has more large/luxury homes and fewer small homes so the average price is higher.