It still isn't good-The El Dorado Irrigation District's upper management unveiled a reduced rate increase previously presented as "Plan B" in El Dorado Hills  a little over a week ago.  The new proposal lowers the first year hike from 35% to 18%, retains the 15% & 5% increases in years 2 and 3, and puts of the increase in years 4 and 5.  According to EID Gen. Mgr. Jim Ambercrombie, "Plan B is the result of outcry from prior workshops & an estimated 4000 protest letters"-well short of the 20,000 plus req'd to block the increase (Prop. 118 on majority vote).  Also a result of an improved power conract, restructured debt, further reductions in capital improvements, and anticipated employee wage and benefit concessions. in respones to the "why now", "why so much" questions, Ambercrombie sai... 02/09/2010

The El Dorado Hills Community Services District was created in 1962 with the following mission statement:Improve the quality of life for El Dorado Hills residents through responsible leadership and by providing superior services and facilities. And for the last 48 years they have done just that and are a huge reason El Dorado Hills is such a wonderful place to live.  The scope of the Community Services District includes managing and developing our beautiful parks, trails, ball fields, tennis courts and facilities that we all cherish.  Another huge service they provide to our El Dorado Hills residents are the recreation activities, programs, and classes that are put on throughout the year.  It is a benefit we tend to forget about but something we should definitely take time to enjoy!Thes... 01/31/2010

Happy New Year!  Turning the page on 2009 marks my 5th year as a Folsom resident and my 18th year as a real estate brokerage owner.  2010 will hold many opportunities for home buyers and sellers in the local real estate market.  Housing affordability continues to rise and the chance for the growing family to upsize in to a roomier home has never been better.  I wish you all a happy and prosperous 2010! Recent El Dorado Hills Housing Stastics:  We closed out December of 2009 with a total of 58 home sales in Folsom, CA.  Of the sales, 21 were foreclosure / bank owned, 13 were short sales and 24 were non-distressed home sales.  The average dollars per square foot was $165, the aveage home sales price was $473k, the number of available homes stood at 286 and there was a five month supply of... 01/31/2010

As I search through the MLS looking for properties that meet a buyer's specific needs, I come across some very interesting photos.  I am sure we all do. It amazes me how little attention some of our fellow practitioners pay to this critical aspect of marketing.  Don't well over eighty percent of buyers start looking for a property on the Internet? Isn't it our responsibility to emphasize the most attractive aspects of a property in an effort to get more showings, and hopefully offers?  Granted, we can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear but we should be able to do better than this!    Rule #1   If you put a greasy fingerprint on your lens WIPE IT OFF before you take the picture!         It's a LONG WAY to the wood stove!  But the hallway is narrow.  Maybe the cold air won't get down ... 01/28/2010

EID's proposed rate hikes-compound to 80%! You must know about EID's proposed rate increases-and get involved by attending one of their scheduled townhall meetings.  For one close to you-checkout HTTP://www.EID.ORG  They have already begun-there is no time to wait!   They are proposing a series of rate hikes, starting with 35% in 2010.  15% in 2011, and concluding with 5% over the following 3 years-2012-2014.  The notices began arriving the first week of this month.  Altogether it compounds to an 80% increase in 5 years.  The first rate hike is planned to go in to effect a week before Valentine's Day.  EID sent notices over the Holidays to kick-start a 45 day deadline for ratepayers to mail written protests to EID.  Protests must include the Assessor's Parcel Number of the property in w... 01/21/2010

El Dorado Hills, CA REO (BANK OWNED) SALES DATA FOR December 2009 This is a continuation of my two-plus year monthly report on Bank Owned home sales data for El Dorado Hills, CA.  This report covers REO homes sold in December of 2009. There were 20 REO homes sold in December, twice the number sold the previous month.  This despite the normal seasonal drop in activity and a reduction in the number of REO homes on the market. The average days-on-market doubled to 50.  There was on REO home that had been on the market for 381 days and a full 30% of the REO homes sold were on the market for more than 60 days.  Despite this fact, 45% of the REO homes sold in less two weeks or less.  The well priced homes are selling quickly as usual.  Those that were not well priced took much longer to sell-... 01/15/2010

I have to tell you that there is a dead spot for cellphone reception on Serrano Parkway.  And sometimes, you'll get a little winter fog in the hills in early morning. As I drove up to my new short sale listing in El Dorado Hills yesterday, fog hugged the trees and homes, but the valley was completely clear. It reminded me of a French village in Provence. This short sale is a Warmington home that was a former model home. Buying a model home from a builder means that generally you get all the extra upgrades, because builders decorate and accessorize model homes. The short sale seller of this home has left behind even the artwork provided by the builder, including all the custom-made window coverings. Some of the rooms have color-coordinated wallpaper or wainscoting. You'll mostly find cro... 01/11/2010

Something I read recently-just really "rang home"-I hope you feel the same, after reading this- "Mr. Rogers was right-we can all benefit from having and being Neighbors.  A study by Harvard University found that about 1/3 of Americans no longer participate in social activities, such as inviting people in to their homes or visiting friends and relatives.  Sociologists refer to this as a loss of "social capitol," connections between people built on shared concern and trust.  The loss of social capital increases feelings of isolation and decreases our civic engagement and our ability to face community challenges contructively. The good news is that rebuilding social capital doesn't have to be that hard.  Take a batch of homemade cookies to a neighbor and say hello.  Join a group or take a ... 01/08/2010

Looking for something to do?  Grab a great sandwich, cup of coffee, or maybe go for a little workout?  Or do a little window shopping?  THese are just a few of the things you can do at El Dorado Hills Town Center.  THe architects wanted to mimmick the Center after the older towns, like what you would see if you were in Palo Alto or Los Altos in the North Bay Area.  So much charm in the architecture, and surroundings.     For a list of the shops, and entertainment available at the Town Center, or anywhere in El Dorado Hills-give our Neighborhood specialist a call!  Wendi-Mae Davis, Broker Associate with Connect Realty, Real Estate Counselor.  Toll Free 866-333-6333 or wendimae@wendimae.com.  Her personal website can be viewed at URL:  HTTP://www.wendimae.com  She is the resource for all ... 12/30/2009

FHA Loans - Higher Costs & Tougher Standards are Coming Soon:  An FHA Loan is insured by the federal government, guaranteeing its payment in case of default by the borrower.   FHA Loans, due to their low down payment requirements and other relaxed guidelines have become popular the past couple of years.  It was recently discovered that the Federal Housing Authority's reserves had dropped below their required limits and their solvency may be in jeopardy.  In response to this peril, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan made it clear last week that buyers using FHA backed loans will be facing increased costs and tougher credit standards in early 2010.  How will this affect you?  Although the changes have not taken place yet, here is what's coming soon:  1)  An increase in the minimum down payment. ... 12/19/2009

I love lights!  City lights, night lights, candle lights, Christmas lights.....  In fact, I would have to say that one of my favorite things about this time of year is seeing the Christmas lights!  When I drove through my Highland View neighborhood tonight all lit up, (and which has some great displays and is worth a drive through yourself) I wondered what stories could be told about each home I passed and the lights illuminating them.   At our previous home our two boys were just in Junior High when we moved there from Washington State in 1996.  They were always there to help my husband put up our Christmas lights each year.  They slowly moved from assistants to the ones in charge.  The years they were old enough to drive but still young enough to have my credit card for gas and emerge... 12/19/2009

How responsible are we, as Realtors, for our client's property security?  The answer seems obvious, right?  When we provide access to a property we should ensure that it is secure when we depart that property.   However, it man not be as simple as it seems.  Most of us are fairly trusting of our buyer clients.  We do not expect them to cause damage to a listing that we show them.  The problem is that some of them may have another agenda all together. This is a true story about a short sale listing on which my buyer has the accepted offer.  We are waiting to hear from the lien holder to see if they are gong to accept our offer or not.  Many of you are probably in the same position right now. The seller is out of the area and the home is vacant.  With a few minor exceptions the home was i... 12/18/2009

El Dorado Hills, CA REO (BANK OWNED) SALES DATA FOR November 2009 This is a continuation of my two plus year monthly report on Bank Owned home sales data for El Dorado Hills, CA.  This report covers REO homes sold in November of 2009. There were 10 REO homes sold in November, down from 22 in October.  This reflects the seasonal drop in activity and a reduction in the number of REO homes on the market. The average days-on-market dropped to 25, down from 43 in October.  REO homes are still selling quickly.  Of the REO homes sold, 40% were on the market for less than two weeks, up from 31.0% last month. The 10 REO homes that sold represent only 23/3% of all homes sold in El Dorado Hills in November, down from 40% last month.  REO inventory is declining.  The cost per square foot of REO hom... 12/18/2009

OVER 55? CALIFORNIA PROPERTY TAX RELIEF Since its passage, Proposition 13 prohibits property tax increases until property ownership is changed. If either spouse is over age 55 (when the old home is sold), PROP 60 allows replacement of a primary residence with a new home of equal or lesser value (but see below) within the same county and transfer of the Prop 13 assessed valuation from the old home to the new property.  This is allowed once in your lifetime, and a spouse who has done it before 'taints' both spouses. PROP 90 allows counties to elect to accept transfers of Prop 13 values for moves from other counties when a primary residence is replaced with a less expensive (but see below) home. If you are over 55 and move into a county which accepts Prop 90, you may take your old, lower P... 12/11/2009

  OVER 55? CALIFORNIA PROPERTY TAX RELIEF Since its passage, Proposition 13 prohibits property tax increases until property ownership is changed. If either spouse is over age 55 (when the old home is sold), PROP 60 allows replacement of a primary residence with a new home of equal or lesser value (but see below) within the same county and transfer of the Prop 13 assessed valuation from the old home to the new property.  This is allowed once in your lifetime, and a spouse who has done it before 'taints' both spouses. PROP 90 allows counties to elect to accept transfers of Prop 13 values for moves from other counties when a primary residence is replaced with a less expensive (but see below) home. If you are over 55 and move into a county which accepts Prop 90, you may take your old, lower... 12/11/2009

Below are the newest market trends for El Dorado Hills based on current monthly statistics for closed sales. This service is made available to us through Trendgraphix. The graphs below will update each month when new information becomes available (around the 10th of the month) so bookmark this site or save it to your favorites and check back each month. If you have trouble viewing any of the graphs try refreshing your page.     ***Please email me for statistics from 2009 or look for posts with updated Market Trends.         These trends are also available on my web site at http://deedeeriley.com and are updated each month. Also on my website are statistics by county for the Sacramento region. If you would like to see these trends for a different zip code anywhere in the Sacramento Valle... 12/10/2009

Well, you didn't have to go to Tahoe this week to see the snow! El Dorado Hills and it's residents woke up to several inches of snow Monday morning, that lasted through Tuesday-check out these pics! Anything you wish to find out or need to know about El Dorado Hills-just give your neighborhood specialist a call.  Wendi-Mae Davis, CRS, GRI, Broker Associate, Real Estate Counselor.  Toll Free 866-333-6333 wendimae@wendimae.com HTTP://www.wendimae.com    12/08/2009

El Dorado Hills definitely experiences all four seasons as far as weather goes. This morning I woke to snow which we only see here every few years. Since I'm not a weather person, I'll try and explain in resident terminology what you can expect here.  In the spring we can count on rain and because of the Delta with its cool moist air, fog.  The temperatures can be in the 40’s and 50’s many of the days depending on the cloud cover.  Come summer our El Dorado Hills weather turns hot and dry throughout the days and except for a few nights cools in the evening.  During those days our temperatures can range from the high 80’s to around 106 degrees with the night time temperatures dropping to the 70’s, (a perfect temperature in my mind). Three or four nights per year our night time temperatu... 12/07/2009

(Click on the Newsletter to zoom in) 11/24/2009

This "San Francisco Style" eatery, is a "Premium" deli cafe'-and if I were to judge by the crowd at lunch time today, I'd have to say, that is definitely true! Located on the back side of The Town Center-next to Target.  4390 Town Center Blvd suite 140 Phone: 916-941-9150  This is one place, you just have to check out! The different fresh baked breads are to die for!  Another truth...If you haven't enjoyed a slice of san Francisco sourdough bread...you are really missing out. Stop by and visit us at Connect Realty, and we will give you a map for around town.  Resident Specialist-Wendi-Mae Davis, CRS, GRI, Broker Associate Connect Realty, Real Estate Counselor, Director of the California Association of Realtors.  Call us at Toll Free 866-333-6333 or 916-616-0874; email:  wendimae@wendima... 11/24/2009