Good places in Sacramento for a single person to buy and live in? (Arden-Arcade: for sale, real estate)

[allamerican02]

Hi everyone,

I am in my thirties, single. I am currently renting, and I am in the market to buy a property in Sacramento.

I am looking for something under 200k, that's nice and in a safe neighborhood and close to downtown. I am not sure if I want a house or a condo - if it's a condo, I would prefer having a low HOA fee with no pool or rec room, which I would never use. I work in Natomas and I'd like to have a short commute.

Do you know of any places in Sacramento that are good places for a single person to buy and live in that sort of meet those criteria? I've lived here to three years and I am still not sure where that might be. Thanks for any advice!!

[wburg]

There are some older condos downtown (with relatively cheap HOA as they aren't very upscale) that are for sale in the $150-200K range, Somerset Parkside at 10th and P Street and another at 2nd and Q. They aren't very new or fancy but the neighborhood is quiet (mostly state offices) and within walking distance of city amenities (farmer's market, museums, nightclubs, restaurants, parks) and close to Interstate 5 for your commute.

[wburg]

Here are links to the MLS pages:

Somerset Parkside:
Homes - MLS - sacbee.com

220 P Street:
Homes - MLS - sacbee.com

Other than that, the only places under $250K close to downtown are fixers, or in parts of Oak Park that don't meet the criterion of "safe neighborhood" yet. But a short commute will save you a lot of money in the long run--and having a central city property will let you leverage into a nicer/bigger place later should you decide you need it. Keep an eye on Metrolist, though, as a lot of properties are being dumped right now and it's the slowest time of the year, thus a good time for buyers who keep their eyes open.

[marland]

In your price range I would skip downtown. I would look more at West Sac, or Natomas if you are looking for something new or maybe older neighborhoods like Tahoe Park, Hollywood Park, College Greens or Del Paso Manor or Cottage Park in Arden Arcade. All of these areas are pretty close to downtown, reasonably safe and in your price range.

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[allamerican02]

Originally Posted by wburg

Here are links to the MLS pages:

Somerset Parkside:
Homes - MLS - sacbee.com

220 P Street:
Homes - MLS - sacbee.com

Other than that, the only places under $250K close to downtown are fixers, or in parts of Oak Park that don't meet the criterion of "safe neighborhood" yet. But a short commute will save you a lot of money in the long run--and having a central city property will let you leverage into a nicer/bigger place later should you decide you need it. Keep an eye on Metrolist, though, as a lot of properties are being dumped right now and it's the slowest time of the year, thus a good time for buyers who keep their eyes open.

I hope you are right about there being more inventory during the winter. I am concerned that I missed out on one of the best buying periods in Sacramento history, and there might not be much left.

I am not that into the Somerset Parkside condos...they have a really high HOA fee and they are small units.

Does anyone know of any complexes that have a low HOA fee which are near Downtown? For instance, this one in the Arden Arcade area was pretty nice and I put an offer on it, but someone else got it
1049 Bell Street #9, Sacramento CA - Trulia

What do you guys think of the Arden Arcade area?

[wburg]

There are only a few condo places in downtown/midtown Sacramento, so there just isn't a lot to choose from, and $250K and under is absolutely bargain-basement these days. Arden Arcade isn't near downtown, it isn't even in the Sacramento city limits, and recently it has become a less safe place to live, especially in the inexpensive parts.

Another place opened up at 200 P Street for $220K, bigger than Somerset Parkside:

Homes - MLS - sacbee.com

[caligirlz]

Originally Posted by allamerican02

Does anyone know of any complexes that have a low HOA fee which are near Downtown? For instance, this one in the Arden Arcade area was pretty nice and I put an offer on it, but someone else got it
1049 Bell Street #9, Sacramento CA - Trulia

What do you guys think of the Arden Arcade area?

The area near Bell St is full of Sac State students. is that ok with you? If so, there are other condo complexes in that area, such as Timberlake.

If you can't find anything downtown or in midtown, you may want to consider south Natomas, the Del Paso Blvd area or West Sac. Actually, West Sac may be one of your better options.

[allamerican02]

Originally Posted by caligirlz

The area near Bell St is full of Sac State students. is that ok with you? If so, there are other condo complexes in that area, such as Timberlake.

If you can't find anything downtown or in midtown, you may want to consider south Natomas, the Del Paso Blvd area or West Sac. Actually, West Sac may be one of your better options.

I am considering anything that is within about 10 miles of downtown Sac. So that includes Arden Arcade. I have noticed the crime issue there...I think I am only considering condos in that area since they are fenced off.

I heard (and saw from driving around) that West Sac is ghetto. Isn't that true? The Del Paso Area seems to be a little ghetto too.

What do you guys think of North Natomas, like where Village 7 is? It seems that North Natomas is the only area where you can find affordable, clean neighborhoods. The only inconvenience is that it is far away and kind of isolated. I guess this is all about compromises.

[wburg]

West Sacramento is a more working-class city in general; factories, trucking, the port, closer proximity to farmland still used for farms. There are some rather nice condos/skinny houses near the Sacramento River near the I Street bridge, but they might be above your top price threshold, while farther south, the Southport area is brand-new residential suburbs, but I don't know if there are condos for sale. I'd pick West Sacramento over Del Paso Boulevard in terms of safety, proximity to downtown and amenities.

[caligirlz]

Originally Posted by allamerican02

I heard (and saw from driving around) that West Sac is ghetto. Isn't that true? The Del Paso Area seems to be a little ghetto too.

What do you guys think of North Natomas, like where Village 7 is? It seems that North Natomas is the only area where you can find affordable, clean neighborhoods. The only inconvenience is that it is far away and kind of isolated. I guess this is all about compromises.

I'm not familiar with Village 7 in No Natomas. It looks ok on the map. I personally wouldn't want to live out there, as it is a flood plan. There is lots of info out there on this subject. Angelique Ashby: Sacramento City Council » Natomas Levee Improvement Project – Updates & Information

I'm not sure what you mean by ghetto. Everyone has a different definition. What's yours?

I think it's going to be hard to meet your criteria - < 200k, nice, a safe neighborhood and close to downtown - Many of the neighborhoods with that criteria will be on the older, rundown, & possibly ghetto-ish side. You will definitately have to make some compromises. Have you considered Elk Grove? It meets all your requirements except close to downtown.

Another idea, although I don't know of any condos there (yet, there are some being built) would be Oak Park (there's patio homes on 34th just off Hwy 50 but I'm sure they are >200k), or Tahoe Park....most of these neighborhoods are single family homes.