The Sacramento real estate market has been hit hard over the past several years, and Plumas Lake has not escaped the damage either. Plumas Lake is a community located in Yuba County about 30 miles north of Sacramento and 10 miles south of Marysville. This neighborhood was built out over the past six years, with the bulk of houses being constructed between 2003-2005.
Plumas Lake is a suburban community, but it does have somewhat of a secluded feel because of the lack of commercial property and conveniences within the immediate neighborhood. The plan was to have developed many commercial parcels by now, but unfortunately little progress has been made beyond a Walgreens. By the way, kudos to Walgreens because they also built a store in the Anatolia area of Rancho Cordova, which faced a similar situation (a new neighborhood was built, but commercial construction lagged far behind residential construction due to the market bubble burst).
Anyway, let’s take a look at recent real estate market trends in the Plumas Lake neighborhood. The graphs below depict the past three years of sales, past one year of sales and current listings and pendings.
What do you see in the graphs above? Does anything stand out to you? If you are a home owner in Plumas Lake, what is it you enjoy about your community? If you are considering buying a property in Plumas Lake, what is it that draws you to the neighborhood?
Your comments are welcome below. Please also contact me if you have any questions or a need for more developed research or my appraisal services. 916-595-3735 or ryan@lundquistcompany.com.
NOTE: Plumas Lake is located in Yuba County and so data is interesting. Since both Sacramento MLS and Yuba/Sutter MLS carry data for the Plumas Lake area, it’s important to look at and compare both sets of data to make sure to analyze all market activity. With that being said, the graphs above are based on Sacramento MLS for ease of use. Maybe a future post will analyze and compare both systems.
www.SacramentoAppraisalBlog.com Taking a Dip in the Plumas Lake Real Estate Market
Ryan,
I have been a Plumas Lake resident since the end of 2005 and wanted to let you know what I like about the community. We moved here from Natomas because of the bigger lot and home size for lower cost. WE LOVE IT HERE! The location (while a little remote) is great. We can see the stars and are surrounded by agriculture. Shopping isn’t all that far and getting the Walgreens’s made a HUGE difference for quick trips to the store for a few items. The BEST part of the community is the people that live here. There is an amazing sense of community here and a lot of young families. People in the community know each other and do stuff together. There are regular community events. I think all of that is caused by our isolation. We have a community forum (forum.plumaslakelife.com) that also helps us stay connected.
Gary, thank you for the comment. It’s so nice to hear your perspective. I love it that you have a sense of community as well as an online forum for your neighborhood. I am making a guess that you were instrumental in starting the online forum.
Your focus on community is a tremendous asset to your neighborhood, and many households will be blessed because of that outlook. Keep up the great work!!! Way to go!!!
Gary, one more thing. I bet Walgreens is doing just fine at that location. Being the only store right now, they certainly have a monopoly. What a convenience for you and your neighbors, and I’m sure a sign of hope for more commercial properties too. Does Walgreens sell anything that a normal Walgreens would not? (so as to cater to the needs of local residents in the midst of not many commercial properties).
Yes, I am very involved in the community and initially launched the forum back in 2005 just after moving here. Before living here, I was never involved in my community like this. Plumas Lake and Yuba County just brought that part of me out.
As for Walgreens, they do have an expanded grocery section, which is great! They seem to always have multiple customers in the store but evidently the pharmacy isn’t doing that well, which is their prime income source. I’m not sure why the pharmacy isn’t used more, I know if we didn’t have Kaiser, I would use it. Maybe it has something to do with the demographic of the community.
I suppose a change in location can sometimes spur on vision and new directions. It’s great what you are doing. I share a passion for community building also. I started a neighborhood association where I live. My neighbors mean a great deal to me.
That’s interesting about the pharmacy. I sure hope the store thrives overall.
When I go to sleep at night, it’s quiet. Instead of cars screeching, helicopters hovering and herds of noisy kids roaming the streets past curfew, I hear the wind blow, the geese honking as they arrive for winter and my husband’s snoring. The commute to Sacramento may be long, but given we have newly paved roads and much less traffic, it is a pleasant and scenic way to start and end your day. If you like the small town feel, it’s here. We know our neighbors names and everyone waves and says “hi”. There are huge networking resources for everything from Babysitting & Mom’s Groups, to the extremely active Plumas Lake Life Forum that will give you everything from the local weather to who’s having a garage sale or community BBQ. If you hear or see something troublesome, our Sheriff’s Department is quick to respond and act. Pride in ownership is apparent and we were able to get a new home for far less than what we would have paid for a very old, much smaller house anywhere within 75 miles of Sacramento.
No noise? No helicopters? Geese? Truly your neighborhood is outside of Sacramento. 🙂 It’s great to hear how you experience the benefits of community. Sounds like a real fit for your household.
Thanks for the comment. Take care.
I have to concur with the comments by Jean & Gary. We moved here in Sept. ’04 from Santa Rosa and were mostly attracted by the home prices, at that time, compared to the metro Sacramento market.In the summer of ’04, when we purchased our home, we saved over $100K for a comparable home vs. what the same house would have cost in a ‘nicer’ section of Sacramento (or any of the other communities).
Additional items of importance were the lot sizes; I don’t wish to hear my neighbors toilets flush or hear them snore. The fact that it had new schools was also very important and the sense of “country” while still being somewhat urban was nice. The distance from Sacramento is minimal compare to the benefits gained by not living in Sacramento; still close yet worlds away. While home values have taken a beating, both here and elsewhere, I know that most people are here for the long haul and this shows in the quality and upkeep of some of the neighborhoods. I grew up in Fairfield (when it was a great place to live) and the Yuba City / Marysville area has a lot of the qualities that I remember from my teen years; small but not deserted with all the local amenities a family could need.
I highly recommend Plumas Lake as a great place to live for both young families and those with kids getting ready to leave the nest.
I think you said it well with “The distance from Sacramento is minimal compare to the benefits gained by not living in Sacramento; still close yet worlds away.” Potential buyers in your neighborhood probably share some of your same values – low pricing, larger lots, further away from Sac.
Thanks for the comment.
We bought in July 2009, We love our home.. its beautiful, theres no way I ever thought I would live in such a beautiful home. I love the community! All of my neighbors are friendly, and you actually see kids playing outside. Granted there is only a Walgreens within a 10 mile radius but we have learned to cope. Suzy has a hair salon in her garage and Monique teaches dance in her garage that she transformed into a studio, I take a pilates/ballet/jazz class with her as well! I sell Avon, all sorts of woman have home based buisness and we are able to help one another out. You dont find that anywhere else. Its a very special place to live and raise your family. Thanks,
It’s wonderful to hear how connected you are to others. It’s great also to hear of businesses springing up in the neighborhood. It sounds like a creative way to both supplement income and make due with less available commercial businesses right now too. Fun stuff.
Thanks for your comment.
Are there any new updates for plumas lake? I noticed it’s been 10 years since the last . How’s the growth there? Does it continue to grow? Any other stores beside Walgreens?
Hi Gabe. Thanks for reaching out. I guess it has been a while. I don’t report on the market in Plumas Lake any longer because I don’t cover the area for work. I cut back my territory years ago, so I’m more focused on the areas I do cover when it comes to reporting on the market. I would still likely do something for the right client in this area, but I really don’t focus on Plumas Lake. Sorry I could not be more insightful.