About Amador County, CA

I'm new to blogging, so I thought I would start out with what I know best - Amador County real estate and living!

If I told some of you that I was raised in a small town of 5300 people, your reaction would be "poor thing!" But actually, I consider myself lucky! Amador County, California is a wonderful place to live, grow a family or retire and I'll tell you why - Friendly people, great real estate prices (compared to other parts of California), low crime, room to breathe, slower paced and centrally located.

Amador County is small, gold mining county, located 36 miles southeast of Sacramento, 35 minutes from Kirkwood Ski Resort, 2 hours from San Francisco and 1 1/2 hours from Tahoe. Jackson, the county seat, is infamous for being the last town in California to shut down it's gambling and "cat house" operations; We were one of the richest counties during the gold rush days, Jackson Rancheria is a well-known destination, and many people leave with a bottle of one of famous zinfandels under their arm. A recreational sports enthusiasts mecca - Amador County has 6 lakes, Kirkwood Ski Resort, horse-riding trails, Shenandoah Wine Country, camping, hiking and fishing. Wow! Why wouldn't anyone want to live here?! Well, if you are used to road rage, malls, smog and a Starbucks on every corner (though we do have 3 now), you probably won't like it here and that's fine.

But what about real estate? How reasonable is it? Well, our median sales price has dropped like everywhere else, but we had an article about us in the Sacramento Bee saying that we dropped the least of all the areas and we are still the best deal in the area. Just get on with it, what's the median sales price! Well...... can you believe..... $275,000? No, I didn't miss a "0" somwhere and yes, Amador County is in California! We aren't what people typically think of when they think of California. We aren't near Disneyland or on the ocean; movie stars arent' prevalent; Sushi and wheatgrass are not staples. Actually, we are a very beautiful part of Northern California and we have lots of open land, mountains, lakes, cattle ranches and vineyards. Our elevations range from 700 to over 4000 feet and our topography runs from flat to mountainous. We have something for everyone, I think. As a friend of mine who lived in Southern California once asked "where is all the cement"?

We have many events coming up: Dandelion Days (flea market and open house in Jackson) Daffodil Hill is opening (all sorts of beautiful daffodils in bloom) and the Jazz Festival. Come visit Amador County and remember me for your real estate needs if you decide that living here is perfect for you too!

LISTING OF THE MONTH: 5.15 flat to rolling, beautiful acres w/creek, spring-fed pond, small orchard, well, power and 20,000 gallon, spring-fed underground water storage. 5 minutes outside Plymouth, 5 minutes to Shenandoah Wine Country, 1/2 hr. to Sacramento. All this for $259,000. 80% financing available through US Bank.

THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN BY TANNA REYNOSO, PRUDENTIAL CALIFORNIA REALTY.

As you look at relocating to Amador County I know you will have questions. Everything from “How far is the closest hospital?” to “how hot does it get here?” With schools, houses of worship, parks, and local fun spots, all coming up as things you need to know about.

This post is a work in progress on these questions and many more. If you have any questions about Amador County that I have missed, Please, ask me and if I don’t know, I will gladly find out.

To hit on a few of the high spots:

Amador County area weather

Amador County Public Transportation

Amador County area Golf Courses

Amador County Public Schools

Property taxes in Amador County

Who wants to live in a town called Bedbug?

So you need a place to have some fun in Ione?

Amador County zoning district designations, What you can do or build where.

Amador County Farmers' Markets

Stockton, Check out this great new area arena.

Lake Camanche

Ione Area

Again, This is just a start, Please send me your thoughts and additional questions. I'm here to help!

Amador County's first gated community of homes for 55+ residents!

Jackson View is a new neighborhood specifically designed for people who are at least 55 years old. At completion, the subdivision will consist of 127 homes and a large recreation center. The first phase includes 25 homes and is now under construction.

The unique design of these quality-built homes does not compare to anything else in this area. Located in the beautiful Sierra Foothills, most of the lots have sweeping views of the peaceful surroundings.

All of the floor plans are single level and feature 2 or 3 bedrooms. The square footage ranges from 1822 to 2596, and include a separate utility room plus an oversized two-car garage (optional 3^rd car garage available on select lots).

Prices start at only $395,000 and there is still time to select your preferred upgrades! We have 14 different floor plans throughout the project, so chances are there is something that will suit you.

Please stop by and see us today, and be sure to ask about the great incentives to buy now!

Sales Office open every Friday - Sunday (by appointment during the week)

Here in Amador County you can find quite a spread of climate zones. From Camanche area of Ione, in the lower, warmer, edge of the valley through the hills communities like Sutter Greek and Jackson with more trees and a bit cooler weather, on up to the mountains above Pioneer, covered in majestic pines. Here is some of the dry numbers; they don’t do that good of a job of showing the different areas. You should come out to visit to get a real feel for the differences.

Jackson/US

Rainfall (in) 28.6 / 36.6
Snowfall (in) 1 / 25.2
Precipitation days 63 / 101
Sunny days 262 / 205
Avg. July high 97.2 / 86.5
Avg. January Low 34 / 20.8
Elevation 1586 ft. / 1062ft.

Ione / US

Rainfall (in) 21.4 / 36.6
Snowfall (in) 0 / 25.2
Precipitation days 49 / 101
Sunny days 262 / 205
Avg. July high 95.6 / 86.5
Avg. January Low 38.1 / 20.8
Elevation 279 ft. / 1062ft.

Sutter Creek / US

Rainfall (in) 28.6 / 36.6
Snowfall (in) 1 / 25.2
Precipitation days 63 / 101
Sunny days 263 / 205
Avg. July high 97.2 / 86.5
Avg. January Low 34 / 20.8
Elevation 1586 ft. / 1062ft.

Plymouth / US

Rainfall (in) 27.2 / 36.6
Snowfall (in) 0.6 / 25.2
Precipitation days 45 / 101
Sunny days 264 / 205
Avg. July high 97.2 / 86.5
Avg. January Low 34 / 20.8
Elevation 1102 ft. / 1062ft.

Pine Grove / US

Rainfall (in) 38.5 / 36.6
Snowfall (in) 15.5 / 25.2
Precipitation days 70 / 101
Sunny days 262 / 205
Avg. July high 97.2 / 86.5
Avg. January Low 34 / 20.8
Elevation 2372 ft. / 1062 ft.

Pioneer / US

Rainfall (in) 46.6 / 36.6
Snowfall (in) 27.2 / 25.2
Precipitation days 74 / 101
Sunny days 252 / 205
Avg. July high 91.3 / 86.5
Avg. January Low 32.6 / 20.8
Elevation 2358 ft. / 1062ft.

Fiddletown / US

Rainfall (in) 36.5 / 36.6
Snowfall (in) 5 / 25.2
Precipitation days 65 / 101
Sunny days 263 / 205
Avg. July high 97.2 / 86.5
Avg. January Low 34 / 20.8
Elevation 2160 ft. / 1062ft.

Amador County doesn’t have all that many options in the way of public transport, but what it has it does very well. Being a rural country area with just a few small towns, public transport is tough. In large metropolitan areas the shear number of people make it economical to have buses, light rail, even subways. But out here in the country, the numbers are much lower and that is a challenge to the community, who wants to help people get around easily, inexpensively, and if done right in an environmentally healthy way.

In Amador County the answer that has come up is A.R.T.S. Amador Regional Transit System, If you need to get down to Sacramento for work in an office downtown, or you just want to go to the city to shop at a big mall, you can catch the bus from Sutter Hill Westbound twice in the morning and once in the afternoon. Maybe you want to make a run up to Kirkwood to hit the slopes for a Saturday and don’t want to deal with the driving hassles, chains and all that. The prices are great, the busses are nice, more like airplane seating than most R.T. busses. The service is about the best I’ve seen. Heck if you call ahead they will make a detour out to pick you up, some distance from the rout even. Bike holders and wheelchair lifts are on some of the busses. And the routs although necessarily limited do a good job of filling the local needs. Connections to Sacramento R.T. and Calaveras Transit are also available.

Check out the A.R.T.S. website for more details. The service changes more often than in larger metro areas, to serve the changing needs of the community.

Try A.R.T.S. save money, gas, and hassle. Make your commute a friendly relaxing time.

Now, if we could just get that bullet train down to LA, I could make a run to Philippe’s for a double dip roast beef sandwich…