The median sales price for single family homes in Elk Grove is up 30% from June 1, 2020-June 30, 2021.  Remarkable!  Yes, homeowners are still happy and it is still difficult for home buyers.  On average, buyers are paying 7.6% above list price.  Month over month, the median price and average prices are essentially the same (see May Report).  One month does not make a trend, but maybe our market is leveling off a bit.  It will be interesting to see how prices move over the second half of the year.  View Homes in Elk Grove      This month I thought it would be interesting to see how the pricing is for Elk Grove's three main zip codes versus all of Elk Grove.   95758 has the highest price per square foot, but the houses sold are smaller than the other two zip codes, on average.  Co... 07/10/2021

     A California builder I know was negotiating with his painter when the painter said, "You need me more than I need you!"  This same builder sent me  an itemized list of over 22 items that they could not get at all, were difficult to get or were subject to hyperinflation.  I recently had to paint a rental and had to visit several Sherwin William's paint stores to get the paint I needed.  The sales clerk told me they did not expect to get back to full production until September AT THE EARLIEST.  In PebbleCreek, a 55+, resort style community, if you purchase a new home today, it will be delivered in 30 months.  It seems like the story is the same wherever you go.  There is not much supply and/or prices are rising.      What does it all mean for the housing market?  I am not much for pr... 06/16/2021

     April was much like March in the Elk Grove market so I am tempted to just say, "ditto," but I will do my best to add something new and intriguing.  Home prices are up 20% year over year.  Homes are going pending very quickly and there is not much supply.  The only difference from March is that prices are up in Elk Grove just over $10,000.  What does it take for buyers to get into contract?  Offers above listing price, cash or conventional loan offers, great terms and possibly a free month or two rent back period for the seller.      Is it possible to get an offer with an FHA or VA loan accepted?  It is a challenge, but my eXp Realty colleague, Marquita Ward-White, recently had two offers with VA loans accepted.  Her secret, all of the items above and great communications with the l... 05/11/2021

Elk Grove is a wonderful community just South of Sacramento.  It is a diverse area with distinctive neighborhoods ranging from older neighborhoods to newer neighborhoods, including some new construction.  There are also plenty of parks and walking paths to enjoy.  Its proximity to two major highways makes it a desirable area for those who work in Sacramento or the surrounding areas.  We are close to the Wine Country, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, the Sierras, waterways and so much more.  We have enjoyed making Elk Grove our home since 1999.  More about Elk GroveOur market is still characterized by a lack of inventory and rising prices.  There are 57 homes available to purchase and 159 home currently pending.  Home buyers are having a tough time getting their offers accepted and, those that... 04/11/2021

     Elk Grove is a wonderful community just South of Sacramento.  It is a diverse area with distinctive neighborhoods ranging from older neighborhoods to newer neighborhoods, including areas with new construction.  There are also plenty of parks and walking paths to enjoy.  Its proximity to two major highways makes it a desirable area for those who want to visit the Wine Country, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, lakes, rivers and so much more.We have enjoyed making Elk Grove our home since 1999.   View Homes in Elk GroveView Homes in 55+ Communities in Elk Grove (when available) Elk Grove     It has been a very good year for Elk Grove homeowners with prices rising about 17%.  There has been a scarcity of homes available in our area and with low interest rates, there have been plenty of deman... 03/09/2021

         How do I mark the start of spring?  Not with a cute little groundhog.  Spring starts when the daffodils are in bloom.  My preference is for King Alfred Daffodils with their bright yellow, happy faces, but daffodils start out beautiful  and just get better. I can't wait for our gladiolus to come up next!  You can see one holdover from last summer.  I wonder who the gardener is.  He seems a little lazy.A quick story about the concrete bench.  It used to sit in front of our favorite nursery, Capital Nursery.  It went out of business a number of years ago and we visited it near their last day of business.  As we walked out of the story, my wife looked at the bench and asked, "I wonder if it is for sale."  We turned around and asked.  A few minutes later, it was ours.  It has travel... 03/07/2021

Elk Grove, January 2021Buyers     The market in Elk Grove is very difficult for home buyers.  You get a hint of how hard it is when you look at the numbers.  Prices are way up year over year.  Few homes are on the market and, when the few houses available hit the market, they are in contract very quickly.  Here is what we are facing day to day.  A house comes on the market.  My very well qualified client puts an offer in way over the highest recent sales and offers to pay all costs in the contract (traditionally, the seller pays most of the fees with a split of escrow and title costs).  My client also offers to shorten every contingency period.  If the appraisal would have come in low, my client agrees, in writing, to pay a hefty amount over appraised value.  And yes, in writing, I agre... 02/15/2021

Laguna West, Lakeside and Stonelake, Dec. 2020 I include the neighborhoods of Laguna West, Lakeside and Stonelake together because they are very similar in style.  Pricing was very strong over the last year, while inventory was way down.  Currently, there are only 4 homes available with an average listing price of $586,947.  It is a very good market for homeowners that would like to sell, but a very difficult market for home buyers. Laguna West, Lakeside and Stonelake, 4th Quarter 2020I like to look at the last month versus the last quarter to see if the trends are similar in such a small area.  The December numbers do fall in line with 2020's last quarter.With interest rates remaining so low and a lack of inventory, I do not see anything changing very soon.  If vaccines are effective, ... 01/10/2021

     We have some great new Pickleball courts here in Elk Grove at the new Oasis Park.  It is located at 8015 Poppy Ridge Rd., East of Bruceville road, just off Whitelock parkway.  There are six courts available and the courts do have lights.  We have played there several times.  The players are friendly, welcoming and competitive.            There are also two new, well lit tennis courts to enjoy as well ( Brian England, if you ever make it to Elk Grove ).  The dog park is also open, but the main park is still closed.  The rest of the park should open soon and it looks like it will be a great park for the whole family to enjoy.     Another fun park for daytime pickleball is Horseshoe Park.  There are two pickleball courts marked on one of the tennis courts.  You do need to bring your o... 01/06/2021

     We moved to South Sacramento in 1987 and soon found an awesome restaurant with an outstanding breakfast selection, the Stagecoach in Sacramento.  When we moved to Elk Gove ten years later, we were happy to discover that there was a Stagecoach in Elk Grove.  We love both locations, but we usually visit the Elk Grove location.      What is good?  Chicken Fried Steak is our family's favorite, but the large portions make it best for those special occasions when you are really hungry.  Today, we enjoyed Pigs in a blanket and Corned Beef hash and eggs.  The pancakes where light and airy with tasty syrup and plenty of butter.  The hash was very crispy and well seasoned.      One thing you cannot pass up are the large, pillow like biscuits!                                                Yo... 12/15/2020

      The Fabulous Forties neighborhood is one of Sacramento's most iconic neighborhoods.  It is a stately mix of Tudor, Colonial Revival, Arts and Crafts and California Bungalow style homes.  The homes have some of the largest lots in East Sacramento and many feature cedar trees that are over 100 years old.  The Fabulous Forties was home to California's most famous governor and his wife, Ronald and Nancy Reagan.         It is THE perfect neighborhood for the holiday season.         We voted these Candy Canes as the most creative decorations of the night.                                                  The homeowner wrapped corrugated irrigation pipe with red and green lights to create 10-foot-high candy canes.  It was both creative and very effective.  There is a solid chance candy ca... 12/13/2020

Get your pumpkins ready for our 2020 Elk Grove Pumpkin Carving Contest! 👻 It's that time of the year Elk Grove to bust out your tools and get to work on your pumpkin!We love love love pumpkins! So much so we wanted to hand out some prizes! Once your carved creation is ready take a picture with it and upload that bad boy 🎃 for a chance to win! 💰Enter to win --> www.ElkGrovePumpkinContest.comWe have FOUR Prizes to giveaway! We wil be awarding three other winners for the categories of MOST CREATIVE , MOST ARTISTIC 🖌, and FUNNIEST PUMPKIN 😂 ! You have a chance to WIN a $50 Visa Gift Card! Upload a photo of you and your cool carved pumpkin and be entered to win in our 2020 Elk Grove Pumpkin Carving Contest!There are some rules. You must:* Be in the picture with the pumpkin! * Live within 15... 10/26/2020

9449 Ivydale Circle, Elk Grove, CA 95758Fantastic opportunity in Laguna Creek! Come see this beautiful and charming 3 bed 2 bath home situated in the heart of Elk Grove. This amazing home features a great layout which includes a spacious living room, a formal dining area, a large kitchen with newer appliances and plenty of counter space, a dining bar, and a luxurious master suite complete with built-in vanity and storage space. You will also enjoy the vaulted ceilings in the main living area as well as the new laminate flooring throughout the house. This home also includes a low maintenance backyard complete with a brick courtyard and newer fencing. With easy access to the freeway as well as several shopping centers and restaurants, you are just minutes from Downtown Sacramento as well ... 10/13/2020

     I am always making lemonade.  Well, maybe not literally, but when things take an unexpected turn, I do look to change course and make the best of it.  You know that I like to cook so about three months ago I dedicated myself to cooking for the family more.  I cracked open a Middle Eastern Cookbook, Ottolenghi, by Yotan Ottolenghi and explored many new dishes.  My dad and I made homemade pasta for the first time.  To do it, we pulled out his circa 1999 pasta machine, STILL IN ITS ORIGINAL PACKING, and used it for the first time.  I also made my first grapefruit margaritas; a little tequila, a little Grand Marnier, fresh juice from grapefruits right off the tree, fresh lime juice, honey and cracked ice, all vigorously shaken.  Much better than lemonade!                               ... 06/22/2020

Elk Grove West of Highway 99     Elk Grove pricing has been holding up well year over year, but there has been  a general down trend over the last few months (See links below for past month information).  The median price for March and April, respectively, was $465,000 and $470,000.   Thirty five of the sold homes had two or more offers and homes did sell for 99.7% of their list price.  As long as you follow recommended practices, you can view homes in Elk Grove.  Call me if you would like to make an appointment.View homes in West Elk Grove     We have two really nice 55+ communities in Elk Grove; Heritage at Lakeside and Glenbrooke by Del Webb.View 55+ Commnities in West Elk Grove      Laguna Area Homes    Pricing in the Laguna area is similar to the West Elk Grove area.  It is up year... 06/09/2020

        Day tripping is one of the many benefits of living in Elk Grove, CA.  We have so many fun places to visit within two hours.  Today we visited Deer Creek Tribute Trail near Nevada City.  The trail head was less than one and a half hours from Elk Grove.  It is a gorgeous area, but the trails are a little convoluted.  There are two separate starting points.  One starting point is the Angkula Seo (Deer Creek) Suspension Bridge.               We enjoyed this section of the trail more than the second area.  Once you cross the bridge and travel a few hundred yards, there is a fork in the trail with three choices (too many choices!).  We chose the path to the right and a short ways down the path, we discovered the site of an old mining operation.  There is not much left of the operation... 05/17/2020

    Elk Grove West of Hwy 99     View Homes in West Elk GroveView Homes in Heritage Lakeside and Glenbrooke (55+ Communities)     We were off to a very strong start in Elk Grove this year prior to the Covid 19 pandemic.  April pricing held up in Elk Grove even considering that some of these sales occurred after the stay at home order was given.  April Median home prices were up 4.4% year over year and about $5,000 over March (See March Report 2020).  We could only show vacant homes over most of last month, but that order has lifted and it should be easier showing homes again. I am looking forward to a more normal market for home buyers and home sellers to operate in.  Lakeside, Laguna West and StonelakeView Homes in Lakeside, Laguna West and Stonelake     The Laguna area is part of West... 05/12/2020

Elk Grove March 2020 vs. March 2019  VIEW CURRENT HOMES FOR SALE IN ELK GROVEVIEW CURRENT HOMES FOR SALE IN LAGUNA WEST LAKESIDE AND STONELAKE Elk Grove     These charts show sold homes that went into contract early in the year, mostly January and February.  Doesn't that seem like a lifetime ago?  The stay at home order due to COVID 19 has created a lot of market uncertainty not reflected in these past numbers.  The pandemic has definitely affected our Elk Grove market; 11 homes were put on hold and 11 listing contracts were canceled since the middle of March.  The number of homes going pending has also gone down.  As of April 10th, Elk Grove has 96 homes for sale with a median price of $483,249.  It will be interesting to see how the current conditions will affect our Elk Grove pricing... 04/11/2020

8757 Fallbright Way, Elk Grove, CA 95624Gorgeous 4 Bed 4 Bath home nestled in the highly sought after Camden Passage of Elk Grove. This home features a full downstairs bedroom & bath, a fantastic floor plan & plenty of natural light. The updates include a newer HVAC system (2014), newer carpeting and paint installed in 2019, newer fixtures, & a PPA solar system for energy efficiency. This home sits on a premium oversized lot with possible RV storage. Enjoy the landscaping installed last year including new sprinklers, controls, & back fence. Finally talk about location, located in the award-winning Elk Grove School District, walking distance to parks, great dining and shopping options just minutes away, and easy freeway access makes this home an amazing opportunity for the next lucky fam... 04/03/2020

Too much news, too much work and too much stress so it was time for a little diversion from my normal road to the Cosumnes River Preserve.  Yes, I did play a little hooky this afternoon, but it was worth every single minute.        I love all the wildlife, but this stealthy hunter was fascinating.  He was relentless...focused. His prey did not have a chance. He did not even notice me. It was beautiful to watch.                                   I rarely get to enjoy our small oasis just outside Elk Grove. It is part of fifty thousand protected acres surrounding the Cosumnes River.  It was just what I needed, a quiet afternoon.  Definitely a great day for me.  For the bird's dinner, not so much.     It kind of puts it all in perspective.  Risk is everywhere.  The trick is to stay focused... 03/16/2020