Sacramento Appraisal Blog

Market trends and real estate appraisals for divorce, estate settlement, loans, property tax appeal, pre-listing and more. We cover Sacramento, Placer and Yolo County. We're professional, courteous and timely.

Rancho Cordova Real Estate Market Trends in 2009 / Property Taxes in Rancho Cordova

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What’s been happening in the real estate market in the city of Rancho Cordova in 2009 so far? Below is a graph and some stats for you: 

rancho-cordova-real-estate-market-trends-2009

Rancho Cordova Real Estate Market Trends in 2009:

  • 179 total sales in MLS in 2009
  • 77 current Active listings
  • 129 current Short Sale listings
  • 104 current Pending listings
  • 99 of 179 sales were in the 95670 zip code
  • 80 of 179 sales were in the 95742 zip code (Anatolia)
  • Overall 2009 Median Sales Price for 95670:  $165,000
  • Overall 2009 Median Sales Price for 95742:  $290,000
  • Low Sales Price in 95670 in 2009:  $75,000
  • High Sales Price in 95670 in 2009:  $420,000
  • Low Sales Price in 95742 in 2009:  $220,000
  • High Sales Price in 95742 in 2009:  $510,000

Property Taxes in Rancho Cordova (and Surrounding Counties):

While on the subject of Rancho Cordova, I wanted to say a few words on property taxes. When looking at my blog stats and what keywords people are typing in to get here, it is clear that property taxes are on the minds of fellow Cordovans as well as many locals in surrounding counties. There are quite a few people finding this blog by searching for things like “How to Lower Property Taxes in Rancho Cordova”, “City Taxes in Rancho Cordova”, “Stockton Property Taxes”, or “Placer County Property Taxes” (etc…) 

I hope the following information proves to be helpful:

1.Our local cities (including Rancho Cordova) do not collect property taxes. Property taxes are handled through the local Assessor’s Office (for Rancho Cordova, that would be the Sacramento County Assessor’s Office).

2. The Sacramento County Assessor’s Office has not yet released their assessed values for 2009. Their assessed values will be based upon January 1, 2009. You should receive a letter in the mail if they determined that your property taxes have decreased based upon a decline in value last year.

3. When the Assessor’s Office releases their assessment of your property in hopefully May 2009, you can follow a specific set of steps to contest the level of your property taxes if you disagree with their opinion (this process is the same for anyone in Sacramento County or for that matter, anyone in surrounding counties. The exact dates for appealing taxes may differ, so you can check with your local Assessor with specific dates).

4. Read an article I wrote called “The Skinny on Lowering Property Taxes” that gives you the gist of what you need to do to contest your property taxes. I would be glad to help you with this process also. Please see www.SacramentoTaxAppeals.com for further information.

Local Assessor’s Offices in Surrounding Counties:

  • Sacramento County Assessor’s Website
  • Placer County Assessor’s Website
  • Yolo County Assessor’s Website
  • El Dorado County Assessor’s Website
  • San Joaquin County Assessor’s Website
  • Stanislaus County Assessor’s Website
  • Merced County Assessor’s Website
  • Sutter County Assessor’s Website
  • Yuba County Assessor’s Website
  • Solano County Assessor’s Website

    • Let me know if you have any questions. I am glad to talk you through the process of appealing your property taxes in Rancho Cordova (or elsewhere) and help you understand what you need to do. Even if you are in a surrounding county that I also serve (Placer, Yolo, El Dorado, San Joaquin….), feel free to give me a call at 916-595-3735. Just last week I spoke with two property owners who found me through this blog and I was able to shed light on what they need to do for 2009 property taxes and also what they could have done in 2008.

    Rio Linda Market Trends and Cow Landmarks in Sacramento

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    What is happening in the Rio Linda market area? Here is a glimpse of the past 36 months of sales? Like many other areas in the Greater Sacramento Region and beyond, Rio Linda has seen a steep decline over the past three years.

    rio-linda-market-trends

    Rio Linda is a Census Designated Place within Sacramento County North of the Del Paso area. It is a suburban community, but it does have a more “rural” feel to it since Rio Linda and neighboring Elverta are located a bit away from main commercial centers and typical conveniences. Rio Linda is located just West of Antelope and due East of I-5 and the Natomas area of Sacramento.

    Rio Linda Real Estate Market Data:

    • 73 current Active listings
    • 15 current Short Sale listings
    • 48 current Pending listings
    • 15.7% current unemployment rate per February 2009 stats from the Employment Develompent Department.
    • 10% decline in median price level when considering sales in  February 2008 and sales in February 2009 per Data Quick News

    While on a recent inspection in Rio Linda I snapped the following image of a cow on top of a gas station. This cow can be found off of Elkhorn Blvd. & Rio Linda Blvd on the Northwest corner. Everytime I appraise in Rio Linda, it makes me smile to see this cow.

    rio-linda-cow

    And speaking of cows, if you live in the Sacramento area, you may be aware of a very famous cow named Ruofs (pronounced “Rufus”). This cow is located on 16th Street near North B Street in front of Ruland’s Office Furniture. RUOFS actually stands for “Ruland’s Used Office Furniture Store” and you can read all about the cow on the Ruland’s website. The great thing about this cow is that it gets painted different colors every now and then and even has various sayings painted on its side from time to time.

    bigrufus1

    If you have any questions about Rio Linda, the data above or if you happen to have any knowledge of other local cow landmarks, make sure to comment above.

    Unemployment Rates in the Sacramento Area: What Effect Does Unemployment Have on the Housing Market?

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    How are unemployment levels doing in Sacramento County right now? How is your city or area doing? Have a look at the data below to check out your area or places nearby to where you live. Do you think there is any impact on property values when unemployment rises? Might this lead to more foreclosures? Do you think the large decline in price levels over the past year in many areas below might be related in part to the large percentages of unemployment which have increased sharply? Does it seem like some of the hardest hit areas are also struggling with higher unemployment rates?

    Unemployment Rates are based upon information provided from the Employment Development Department from February 2009.

    State of California      10.1%     

    State of California One Year Ago   6.2%

    Sacramento County    10.7%

    Arden Arcade CDP      10.4%

    Carmichael CDP          7.9%

    Citrus Heights city      7.5%

    Elk Grove CDP            8.7%

    Fair Oaks CDP            5.9%

    Florin CDP                 16.0%

    Folsom city               4.8%

    Foothill Farms CDP      13.7%

    Galt city                   16.2%

    Gold River CDP           1.8%

    Isleton city               11.5%

    La Riviera CDP            5.8%

    Laguna CDP               5.5%

    Laguna West Lakeside CDP   7.2%

    North Highlands CDP    15.8%

    Orangevale CDP          7.6%

    Parkway South Sacramento CDP   18.0%

    Rancho Cordova City   12.3%

    Rancho Murieta CDP    3.3%

    Rio Linda CDP             15.7%

    Rosemont CDP            8.4%

    Sacramento city         12.5%

    Vineyard CDP             4.9%

    Walnut Grove CDP       23.6%

    Wilton CDP                 6.5%

    For further reference and to look up unemployment information and rates on any county or city in California, see the following links:

    If you have any questions about the data above or any other appraisal-related issues or thoughts, contact me at 916-595-3735 or www.lundquistcompany.com

    Gated Communities: What are they worth to Sacramento Area Buyers?

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    Does a gate around a community add value? Can you sell a property for more if it is located inside a gated-community as opposed to outside of the community? Do you think that buyers consider a gate as a feature worth paying a monthly HOA fee for? Does an enclosed community attract some people while turning others off? And a sociological question to ponder just for fun, why is there a gate? 

    The best way to determine if there is a premium for the gate is to analyze recent and past sales, run data, talk with Realtors, investigate properties within and outside the community and interview home owners among other things. This is part of the normative appraisal process. It would be nice if there was a simple formula to apply to determine the value or lack thereof for a gate, but that just isn’t the case.

    No Recent Sales in a Gated Community?  Sometimes recent sales within the gated community are not available – maybe because of the small size of the community or other factors which may also be important. One must always ask why there are no new sales. Is there litigation preventing new sales? Is there a reason why buyers in the market are turned off by the community? Is there some sort of environmental concern? 

    In today’s market, some HOAs are actually suffering because of the vacant houses due to foreclosure and/or residents not having the extra cash to pay their monthly HOA fees. There are even some reports of HOAs going bankrupt. Could this impact value or be the reason why there are no recent sales within a planned HOA community? Could it be worth investigating how the HOA is doing if you are a buyer?  

    This is a photo of the gated ”Whitney Oaks” neighborhood in Rocklin, CA. There are a series of gated communities throughout this area.

    1237925236060

    There are many questions to ask when it comes to something simple like a gate. This is part of the job of an appraiser – to ask questions throughout the appraisal process and get answers. So with all this being said, do gates really matter in terms of value? Sometimes. Sometimes not. It’s really not a black and white issue. 

    If you have any questions or potential appraisal needs in the Sacramento area (or Whitney Oaks in Rocklin), feel free to contact me at 916-595-3735 or www.lundquistcompany.com

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