Fair Oaks, CA

See comment below for information about this great bridge

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

If you missed buying a Fair Oaks home back in '02, those prices are back! After a high of $250/sf (per square foot) in August of '06, Fair Oaks prices have dropped approximately 38% to a stunning $155/sf. That is lower than the cost to build a home, yet it includes the land! We have not seen such a buying opportunity for a long time.

How does that compare to the hit the entire county has taken? Has Fair Oaks done better or worse? Much better, thank you. During the same time period, Sacramento County price per foot dropped a whopping 54%! EEKKK! They went from a peak of $250/sf in August of '05 to the current level of $117/sf.

But here's the best news for buyers. Interest rates make this the most amazing time we have ever had to buy. If you get a $200K loan today, you will pay around 5% interest, or $1073/month, (principle and interest on a 30 year fixed rate loan). Look what happens if the interest rate were higher on the same $200,000 loan.

5% = $1,073 today's rate
6.25% = $1,231 (2002 rates)
8.5% = $1,537 (2000 rates)
9.25% = $1,645 (1994 rates)
15% = $2,528 (1984 rates - yeouch!)

An interesting side note, is that in '02, when Fair Oaks prices were at today's level, the ensuing 3 years saw prices jump an incredible $100/foot. That means if you owned a 2,000 sf home in '02, by '05 it was worth $200,000 more. That's pretty amazing! Will that happen again? No one really knows. And in my experience, it's not predictable... but it IS possible.

So what does all this mean? It means homes are dirt cheap, and that Fair Oaks has been a much better value than the county in general. And compared to the stock market, it's not so bad. there are those that say today is the best buyer's opportunity we will see in our lifetime.

flicker photo by fpsurgeon

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Check out my other posts that might be of interest.....

HOME BUYERS AND SELLERS..........Buying a Home, Selling a Home, Loans, What Happens if....

LOCAL INFO................................. Fair Oaks, Carmichael, Sacramento, Folsom, Citrus Heights

ABOUT SALLY DUNBAR.................. How I learned to...., Personal stuff, My Wordless Photos

OTHER STUFF............................... Inspiration, Attitude, Humorous Stuff, Charity, the Economy

TECHNOLOGY, BLOGGING ............. Active Rain, Technology

"What's this world coming to... kids today don't want to work, they want it handed to them."

Every generation says that... clear back to Plato's time. I bet the cave man said it too, as his cave boy "texted" his pals with smoke signals.


But the attitude is idiotic. And here's a case in point.

Every year Fair Oaks has a number of community service events, like an Easter Egg Roll, a Christmas Party, Senior Luau, Mother/Son Dance, Father/Daughter Dance, the famous Chicken Festival and others. And who puts the shindigs on?... a group of 24 teens from Del Campo and Bella Vista High Schools, called the Fair Oaks Youth Advisory Board (FOYAB). They work all year, for no pay, to benefit our community. How cool is that... these kids are my heroes!

Zoom back to '04/'05 when my daughter, Christy, was the President of FOYAB. I attended their Share the Spirit Christmas party for about 50 disadvantaged families. They hosted a huge turkey dinner, crafts, games, a raffle with a gazillion prizes, and a visit with Santa with many presents hand-selected for each child. I helped one Mom load her raffle prize - a fully decorated Christmas tree - into her car... "I'm so grateful. I didn't think my kids would have a tree this year. It's been rough."

But thanks to those 24 Fair Oaks teens who worked their tails off, these 50 families had a Christmas. And they each went home with enough food to feed an army... turkey, dressing, canned goods, ham... wow! All donated and cooked by the kids. Don't tell me they're lazy...

"them's fightin' words!"

Trust me, we will be in good hands with these kids at the helm.

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Check out my other posts that might be of interest.....

HOME BUYERS AND SELLERS..........Buying a Home, Selling a Home, Loans, What Happens if....

LOCAL INFO................................. Fair Oaks, Carmichael, Sacramento, Folsom, Citrus Heights

ABOUT SALLY DUNBAR.................. How I learned to...., Personal stuff, My Wordless Photos

OTHER STUFF............................... Inspiration, Attitude, Humorous Stuff, Charity, the Economy

TECHNOLOGY, BLOGGING ............. Active Rain, Technology

Come on down to Fair Oaks Park on Saturday, April 11 for the 26^th annual Fair Oaks Community Easter Eggstravaganza & Pancake Breakfast! Food and fun for the entire family. Of course there will be a great Easter egg hunt, FREE for kids, but that's not all!

Beginning at 8:00 there will be an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast hosted by the Fair Oaks Lions Clubs. Adults $4.00, children $3.00. But don't lost track of time, because the egg hunt starts at 10:00 sharp!

There will be photos with Bunny ($3), choo choo rides ($3), carnival games ($.50 each), a jump house ($.50), and for the adults, a special egg hunt in which you can win dinners, gift cards and more! This one costs $3.00 to enter, but all proceeds go to the Fair Oaks Youth Advisory Board, so have fun and support a good cause at the same time. Remember, though, that the kids' hunt is free.

Another fun and exciting (or eggsiting!) event will be the Egg Drop Competition. Ten names will be chosen for the chance to package a raw egg and drop it from the top of a ladder to see if your egg will survive unbroken. Be sure to register for the egg drop no later than 11:00. If your egg survives, you will win a prize.

Fair Oaks Park is at Madison Avenue and Fair Oaks Blvd, behind the library. If you have any questions, you can call the Fair Oaks Recreation and Parks District at 966-1036.

I'll see you there!

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

Sacramento Bar is the area just West of the Sunrise Bridge in Fair Oaks, filled with acres and acres of rock cobble left over from gold mining that ended in the 60's. It's one of my favorite places to walk, right near my home in Fair Oaks. You're in the middle of town, yet within minutes, you are deep in nature. Join me as we stroll the American River at Sacramento Bar on a recent winter Saturday...

And just for the record, Lewis and Clark DID NOT raft this river... I just imagine that I'm back in time to when they COULD have!  But if I ever hear an arrow go wizzing by, I'll start wondering...

For bluff or view homes in Fair Oaks, call me!