David Gabris - Rancho Cordova, CA Real Estate

When asking my buyers what areas they are interested in, many have said, "Fair Oaks is good, Folsom would be nice, even Orangevale, but NOT Rancho Cordova."

Being a long time Rancho Cordova resident (over 16 years), I feel that Rancho Cordova is seriously underrated. Yes, it has its less desireable areas, but it also has some of the best real estate in Sacramento. Personally, I think it is a prime area for redevelopment in the future, and will see strong appreciation in value in the years ahead. Don't say that I didn't warn you!

In June of 2010, Rancho Cordova was chosen as one of 500 communities around the country to be voted as an "All-America City." (http://www.ranchocordovapost.com/2010/06/18/rancho-cordova-is-an-all-america-city/)

Here is a TOP 5 LIST of why I think Rancho Cordova is a great place to live:

1.) Central Location with Freeway Access to HWY 50

Rancho Cordova is an area that hundreds of thousands of Sacramento residents pass through daily. Many residents commuting from Fair Oaks, Citrus Heights, Folsom, Carmichael, and Orangevale pass through Rancho Cordova in order to get to Hwy50 and their place of work.

The distance from Rancho Cordova to Downtown Sacramento is 14 miles, 19 minutes of travel time by car. Compare this with the distance from Fair Oaks (18 miles, 24 minutes), Folsom (24 miles, 31 minutes), Carmichael (10 miles, 21 minutes), and Orangevale (19 miles, 30 minutes).

2.) Major Job Center

For many Rancho Cordova residents, their commute is quite short considering that 45,000 are employed within the city of Rancho Cordova. It is considered one of the largest employment subcenters in Northern California with over 3,000 businesses and is home to Fortune 500 and other large companies like: Aerojet, Franklin Templeton, Health Net, Electronic Data Systems, Vision Service Plan, Verizon Wireless, and Delta Dental.

3.) A Hot Spot for Recreation

Rancho Cordova has over 10 miles of American River Parkway Access. If you have never walked, ran, or biked along the bike trail that follows the river, you don't know what you are missing! It is absolutely beautiful. Rafting, Fishing, Kayaking, and Swimming are common along the American River and at the Nimbus Dam Recreation Area, and Lower Sunrise Recreation Area. Rancho Cordova is truly an outdoor lover's paradise.

4.) Home Affordability and Value

The average home in Rancho Cordova (95670) sold for about $190,000, and the average price per square foot was $120. Compare that with Fair Oaks homes sold at roughly $280,000 with a price per square foot of $150. Orangevale homes sold at $230,000 with a price per square foot of $135. And, Folsom homes sold at $350k with a price per square foot of $175. For being so close to those areas, Rancho Cordova is undervalued and I believe that this disparity will not last forever.

5.) Housing to Meet Every Need

A lot of Sacramento residents don't realize the wide variety of housing that is available in Rancho Cordova. Mature upper-end neighborhoods, brand new state-of-the-art housing, solid value family homes, modern condominium developments, rural areas, and cash-flowing rental units, Rancho Cordova has it.

There are many homes in neighborhoods that border the American River giving easy access to bike trails like Gold River, Sun River, and Northern Rancho Cordova. These mature, upper-end neighborhoods (like Gold River) are lush with trees and beautiful landscaping, and tend to hold their values well compared with other high end areas. Sun River is a great community that has many good-sized family homes in a solid neighborhood at an affordable price.

New Housing Developments in Rancho Cordova are springing up everywhere.

Anatolia and the other surrounding developments provide another great way to buy a brand new home at an affordable price - in many cases for tens of thousands less than comparable new housing areas in Sacramento. Many different home developers offer a variety of options for home buyers, and development will continue there for years to come.

Elliot's Stone Creek Development (Zinfandel, South of Hwy 50) boasts roughly 1,000 homes built in the last 7 years. Ranging from $200k to $350K, Stone Creek allows home buyers to get the features of a new home at an affordable price while drastically cutting down their commute times.

Gold Station is development of homes built about 10 years ago that borders Gold River, and offers many of the benefits Gold River has in terms of being close to the American River Bike Trails, excellent freeway access, and shopping at the Gold River Bel Air Shopping Center.

Capital Village is a brand new development by Beazer homes that offer a variety of new homes for those who like a more "urban" feel. These homes are loaded with many great energy saving features, and are close to shopping with great freeway access.

I hope you are now convinced as well as I am that Rancho Cordova has a lot going for it and is a great place to live now and in the future.

If you would like to receive more information about buying a home in Rancho Cordova, please give me a call: 916 284-8744. I look forward to serving you!

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David Gabris is a Realtor with Lyon Real Estate who specializes in the Rancho Cordova area. He has experience with buyers, sellers, short sales, and helping home owners who have fallen behind on their mortgage and need to consider their options. For more information, call David at 916 284-8744 or visit www.DavidGabris.com