Free Sacramento Home Buying Seminar

December 6 & 11, 2007

Free!  For more information:

 http://www.CentralCityDigs.com/CustomContent.aspx?ID=11123&fp=2026

(Previous blog references family of clients- dad who's a doctor - who seek home with quality schools)

I can't help but wonder for this doctor who will be commuting to downtown Sac, what does quality of life mean?

I grew up in a small town in Northern New England; graduating with 37 other students. It was a school of opportunity where we got to be in every club and there were no cuts for sports.

It sounds ideal, but when people looked at one another, all they saw was people who looked like them. Sure, some were French Canadian and were then disliked because they'd come down over the border and English was a second language.

But there was little to no diversity of food, culture and little arts. Few drove the three hours to Boston to experience it and, even when they did, they didn't really internalize it. Impressions were made through short term exposure.

Living in Sacramento's Central City offers an education of its own. We may not have an inside ice skating rink, the latest chain restaurant, or the newest schools, but we can walk or take transit throughout the City. We can teach our children about the importance of differences between people, be it political (c'mon, we are the state's capital!), economic, racial, religious or beyond.

And we can take a quick trip to the zoo (www.saczoo.com) after work to hear music or watch a movie with our neighbors.

PLUS, if we're working in the Central City, we don't fight traffic to get home. We eat dinner together at a decent hour and swing under the trees.

I'm working with a relocating doctor and his family. They have a daughter the same age as mine and want the best schools in their neighborhood since she's got 12 years ahead of her. (Another 1st grader!)

In a previous career I wrote bond grants for the state's library funds. Because we were planning cooperative campuses wherein schools and libraries share resources, I researched schools in every which way possible. There are numerous websites to check out...

GreatSchools.net

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/  - the dept of ed's website has tremendous stats. I like DataQuest (http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/)  but EdData (http://www.ed-data.k12.ca.us/welcome.asp) is prettier.

Having lived in Sac for 17 years, I've pulled up those school districts that are spoken of as excellent: districts in Granite Bay, Roseville, Folsom and Davis. They are impressive; but how to compare when everyone's standards are so different?

 PONDER THIS: Do test scores mean a school is great or that the kids take tests well? Does having more kids eat a free/discounted hot lunch mean that the school is less great or that the school has a wide variety of income levels? Do demographics come into the mix?

Statistics can be twisted in every way possible. Consider using

We toured a property in The Rivers (West Sacramento) today. What a stunning contrast to new home communities in Natomas and Elk Grove. The planners of the community took great pains to maintain the towering trees that are (obviously) native to the area. As a result the community, while looking new, at least doesn't feel cookie-cutter, excessively flat (without vertical color) and repetitive as many communities appear at completion.

The convenience of The Rivers to downtown Sacramento is unmatched. Sure, a commute would involve a bridge, but anyone working in Midtown or Downtown could EASILY bike!  With central Sacramento's anticipated, continued growth, The Rivers seem like a great destination.

...More about W Sac schools to follow....

Every neighborhood has them... Neighborhood Haunts

Neighborhood haunts make a neighborhood great. They allow communities to come together and discuss the day's news, gossip and sports.  

In South Land Park, we have La Bou, Giovannis (soccer team central!), and the Sutterville Elementary School (for the parents!). 

Land Park has the all-time wonderful Vic's (for those 1-100), the Riverside Clubhouse (for those 21 and over), Marie's Donuts and, last but not least, Freeport Bakery.  BUT FOR HOW MUCH LONGER???? 

I heard a crazy rumor at a Land Park open house Sunday. Someone said that Freeport Bakery is moving to 18th & Broadway. I try to always be "in the know' about these things. I'm surprised I'm one of the last to hear.

If you know, lemme know!  Can't get enough of their tasty cakes!

When I bought my house, my realtor didn't give me a heads-up about the local school. I was so emotionally overwhelmed with delight that we'd found a big house, I likely wouldn't have paid it any attention. (Though I should have)

Four years later and that child who we carried through the front door now busts through it dropping a backpack and gabbing about her school friends. We're lucky; Sutterville Elementary (http://schools.scusd.edu/sutterville/index.htm)%20is considered one of the City of Sacramento Unified School District's gems in their somewhat tarnished crown.

Interestingly, I've met students whose parents are driving them from Rosemont and Downtown, attracted by the quality of education and great reputation. These folks either want to relocate to the vicinity of the school, or wish they could. And advertising these homes as "within walking distance to Sutterville Elementary" or referencing it as the "home school" is a tremendous plus for area sellers.

(Homes in Arden Park (near Mariemont Elem), Del Dayo (Del Dayo Elem) and Land Park (Crocker Riverside Elem) experience this kind of emotional response from homebuyers too.Naturally there are others too.)

So how did Sutterville become one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2006 Exemplary Schools awardee? Is it the neighborhood kids who come from a neighborhood of larger, more affluent households? Or did the student body come because the school was a success?

Plus, if the neighborhood of families created the quality of scores, how is it that much different from East Sacramento which has tremendous affluence but a less-than-stellar reputation in their home schools? Are they sending their kids to private school at that bigger of a ratio?

I don't yet have the answers. I'm going to work on it. But I do know this: If you want to support your home value, volunteer, donate or somehow contribute to your neighborhood school. Make it a success and get the word out. Sutterville is a classic example of how a good school can make a neighborhood more desirable and home interest expand to a greater population.

What does having a home mean to you?

When my mom and I left beloved Cape Cod in 1977, I never realized how important having a permanent home meant to me. Pursuing her dream to get her Master's degree, my mom quit her job, sold our comfortable two-bedroom house and headed to Hartford.

Our first residence was a single bedroom, second story apartment owned by UConn.  With big trees that Spot Cat could climb to our kitchen window and lots of kids nearby, I was delighted. Kickball in the empty lot nearby, the Muppet Show at friends' houses, and a walk to a historic, inner-city school were a blast.  Good times.

After a year and a half, the university sold and was demolishing our apartment complex. My struggling student mom and I moved when the electricity was scheduled to be canceled. Once out, we began a nomadic trek (with and then without Spot Cat) that lasted for three years of friends' apartments, house-sitting opportunities, and seminary dorms. That was followed by three cities 3,000 miles apart, two country towns, and a quick return to Cape Cod before settling down in my father's current residence in Easton, New Hampshire. at the age of 12.

My experiences shape my goals for raising our daughter Jessica, now 6 yrs old and entering First Grade in the fall. While I want her to be flexible and open to new experiences, I want her address stable. Whether our family lives in an apartment, condominium or our current house, it's important that she realize that it's safe and consistent.  

I believe these are the values for which all families want for their children.  It is with this in mind that I commit 5% of my annual commissions to agencies advocating for, developing and maintaining affordable housing.  I'm delighted to say that at the end of each year I'm writing a check that will help other parents house their kids.

Helping others find homes is an honor, whether it is clients or those whom I support. And, not to be overly dramatic, I find my contribution a privileged, and almost sacred, role. 

Do you have a life experience that has shaped your charitable giving? Email me at Stephanie.Baker@yahoo.com.

One of the joys of Sacramento life is our tremendous tree population. Our trees cool our homes in summer, provide recreation for climbers and swingers, and provide homes for birds and other wildlife. Additionally, they improve our home values and air quality, and even have a role in preventing flooding!

Driving around this winter, I noticed that many large deciduous trees are remaining leafy in winter - a telling sign of mistletoe infestation (see picture for an example of mistletoe).  It's a common problem and an important one to resolve - mistletoe strangles a tree's ability to acquire its necessary lifesaving nutrients and makes it more susceptible to other diseases.

 The best time to remove mistletoe is between November and March. To remove the mistletoe properly, here are some great options:

•1.       Contact a certified arborist.  After multiple interviews for our large trees, I hired Tree Care Inc. (916-852-9500) and they were outstanding. For a guide to finding a tree specialist, visit http://www.sactree.com/aboutUs/how_to_hirearborist.pdf

•2.     Borrow a free pole saw from the City of Sacramento by calling 916.808.6355 and cut it yourself. The staff at the Sacramento Tree Foundation is very supportive and will surely assist you.

•3.     The City of Sacramento, partnered with the Sacramento Tree Foundation, will help City residents with a low-cost professional pruning service for front yard street trees.  It runs November through March, so calendar it. To reserve your service, call 916.808.6355. More information is available at http://www.cityofsacramento.org/parksandrecreation/urbanforest/mistletoe.htm, enter the keyword mistletoe for a quick link.

When we're hit with sky-high temperatures once again, you'll be thrilled that winter maintenance has assured your trees' health for years to come.

I recently met someone who asked me what I do. When I explained I was a local real estate consultant, I was asked if I avoided working in certain "bad" neighborhoods. Shocked by such a comment, I responded that there weren't "bad neighborhoods" because there's a buyer for every property.

I stewed for a while wishing I'd responded more thoroughly. I'm alarmed that anyone would think that I would overlook a client who needs me. To me, no house is bad. A buyer or seller's circumstances can be less than ideal. However, I believe it's my job to provide them supportive real estate resources that can help them meet their goals.

A few weeks later, I realize this person didn't understand my business or me. I'm not a real estate salesperson who wants to churn and burn properties - or the clients who buy them. Unlike some agents I've met, I don't have a "minimum price point" for clients I serve. My goal is helping people, individuals and families, with my caring, comprehensive consulting service.

I want to share the foundations of my business with you so you know what I do. That way, you can feel comfortable referring people you care about to me...no matter whether they live in a castle or a cottage in Sacramento or across the country.  

The foundations of my business are:

1. I work for people. From Sacramento to tiny towns in New Hampshire, the people I work for live in condos, homes, apartments, lofts and even an occasional hotel.  Locals, returning natives, relocating people, move-up people, growing families, downsizing families, and singles. Everyone is welcome.  
2. My business is built on service before, during and after a real estate transition. Not on the image of a neighborhood they move to or from. As their personal real estate consultant for life, I offer resources and information - from dentists to painters, community web resources to gardeners.
3. I listen to people's needs and assist in a professional manner. So, if I'm out of my league, I openly admit it and I make referrals. I try to find qualified individuals who can assist and do a pre-interview. Then, I follow up and make sure my client is given the service they deserve.
4. My ultimate success is the trust and respect of clients and referrals to their friends and family who deserve my service.   I want to work with people who understand that their goals are my mission. My greatest payment is a recommendation and a referral to others in need.

And finally,

1. I support under-served PEOPLE (in Sacramento County) with a 5% donation from every home sale. I believe all people deserve a safe, clean, and affordable home. I believe that my business' support will make a difference.