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Thinking about buying in Catta Verdera

jackies_petsitting 3 posts Apr 11, 2007 3:02 PM	My husband and I are thinking of puchasing a new home in Catta Verdera sometime this year. Can anyone tell me the pros and cons. We are also wondering about the water bills there. Thanks in advance to anyone who has some input.
RizzFam 161 posts Apr 11, 2007 3:06 PM	Uh oh...
jackies_petsitting 4 posts Apr 11, 2007 3:11 PM	May I ask...what that means?
RizzFam 162 posts Apr 11, 2007 4:51 PM	sorry, it means that I think you just ripped open a can of worms - but since I dont live in that part I'm no expert. But, there have been a lot of people unhappy with what was promised and what exactly showed up or didnt (ie fitness clubs)... seems to be a common thread here in Lincoln and rightfully so we are upset about things. Allow me to basically sum up the past year or so that pertains to CV and 12B in general (trying to add some humor here, but it is based loosely on reality) 1) No Country Club at CV - What gives? 2) WPUSD - Cant talk about how they lost $250 million or so a) So no promised high school, aquatics center or .. b) we got a neato library though! 3) We have great bike trails, but they are not allowed to be open all the way. Something about back yards and trails and ... 4) Dont dare put a basketball hoop in your driveway 5) Parents suddenly get kidnapped and are replaced by Green Plastic Parents w/ Red Flag Accessory 6) People here want to kill your cat 7) People here want to kill your dog 8) Your dog and cat probably want to kill rattlesnakes that sleep on bike paths that are not fully open (see #3) 9) People get upset about lawns, motorhomes, and poppies 10) People are mean. But appear nice in person. Its this darned computer screen we all hide behind. 11) People do like big garage sales though! Coming Soon! 12) Them folk who been livin here a while generally dont like us bridge folk - we are the root of all evil 13) We'd have nicer parks, but the city likes to close them off - and the school district does the same with school. 14) Habla Espanol? If so, this may be the reason why your test scores are poor. 15) Our test scores are poor, but not really, but if you read the facts and compare them to Idaho, kinda, but who is to say for sure and darn it all on LHS and...who came up with Zebras anyway..grrr 16) We do have a nifty new Catholic Church - but they put a single lane road into it and it takes 30 minutes to get out of the parking lot. God teaches patience - here is a crash course (no pun intended). 17) We have all kinds of neat new stores that you cannot find within the next 5 miles! 18) We will never have active citizens because we are all apathetic and care to much that we are this way that we tell you how apathetic we are, again and again. And no one has any time to do anything anyway, and gosh darn it, 40 hours a week they will write to you and tell you about it right here! 19) We did have a speeding issue near the Elementary school, but the presence of WMDs has calmed that down a bit (we found them in Iraq!) 20) And lastly, name another community around here that has its own Titan missle silo. (dont drink the ground water - and those trace elements are the County's fault) My point is - look around a bit. That is my friendly advice. Last Edited on 11-Apr-2007 5:10 PM
jgr7675 32 posts Apr 11, 2007 6:06 PM	This is a great community to live in... there are pros and cons to every neighborhood and I would be happy to discuss them with you if you would like. Call me anytime... Joanie 434-7034
time2ski 118 posts Apr 11, 2007 6:25 PM	I live in the CV neighborhood and would be happy to answer any questions you have about what it's like to live within this community. Please post your phone number and I will give you a call!
nativecal 12 posts Apr 11, 2007 9:49 PM	Our family has lived in Lincoln since 1998, and in 12 Bridges since 2003. We really like this community, including Twelve Bridges Elementary School where our child attends. It is a quiet, wonderful place to live with trails, etc....... We also have nice neighbors and feel safe living here. Water bills in Lincoln are a bit steep, though. We do have a very large backyard (3000 sq. feet of grass), so that could be part of the problem. I was born and raised in Roseville, and am happy to be living in Lincoln away from all of the traffic, congestion, noise, etc...... Hope this helps :) Last Edited on 11-Apr-2007 9:52 PM
coldcase 98 posts Apr 11, 2007 11:24 PM	Rizz - Hands down, the best reply in the 46-some-odd pages on this board. Bravo. I think you left out advertisements and flyers, but otherwise, I think you covered it. And when you said "uh oh" and "can of worms", I was thinking you'd mention the housing market. Silly, silly me. Jackie - It's never a bad time to buy a house, especially really expensive houses like those in Verdera. Real estate only goes up in value. There are tremendous tax advantages to owning. Interest rates are near their all-time low, and there are so many housing choices on the market. Don't worry about all the foreclosures, the ticking timebomb called 'sub-prime', the inverted yield curve, the negative savings rate, the double-digit earnings misses of nearly all home builders, the coming resets of ARM loans & Alt-A's, nor the messy details of a silly thing called a housing bubble. It's all tripe. Don't throw your money away on a rental house. Buy now, buy big, and max out or you'll regret not doing so when you are making more money a year from now. Be sure to tap that equity once you are in so you can improve the house with pergraniteel and a backyard oasis. A house is an investment, and you can't lose money when you upgrade. Best of luck to you!
jeffnmaddi 9 posts Apr 12, 2007 8:58 AM	We love this community. We are in Sun City Lincoln Hills. There's always someone who has a negative attitude. Don't let that stop you. Your neighborhood is what you make of it. Good Luck with your home purchase. If you ever need closets check out our website www.accentonclosets.com
processinglady 72 posts Apr 12, 2007 10:09 AM	We live in Catta Verdera, and besides the broken promises of an Athletic Club that we never bought into and the highschool being put on hold, its a wonderful place to live. I have lived just about EVERYWHERE in California. About 6 different cities in the Bay Area, about 4 different cities in Orange County, and about 2 cities in the San Diego area. Now its hard to compare to the OC, but honestly in mine and my husbands opinion, living here makes us feel like we are back in the OC. We can live in a beautiful gated community next to a golf course in the hills, and have everything at out fingertips (shopping, resaurants, etc.) Only in Roseville, or 25 min away in Sac. As far as the water bill, I think that depends whether you buy in the Production side or the Custom Side. We live in the Custom side and the HOA does NOT control our water. We are in control of it. Although I have never had such high water bills since I have lived here in Lincoln, but I can control how much I want to water and I can control my bill. I do have a friend who lives in the Centex homes in the production side, and they complain all the time how much their lawns get watered and how high their bills are. But I will tell you one thing, their lawns over there look way better then ours do... But hands down, I think in all the cities I have lived in, I think we are finally home.
jackies_petsitting 5 posts Apr 12, 2007 11:41 AM	Thanks everyone for the input. We are considering buying a custom home in Catta Verdera, not one of the track homes, so maybe there is a difference in the water situation. I am just trying to get more info before we decide to buy here. Again, I thank everyone who responded. Last Edited on 12-Apr-2007 11:53 AM
time2ski 119 posts Apr 12, 2007 3:36 PM	The biggest issue I have seen specifically within the CV community is that most citizens want the gates to the community closed and a guard at the guard shack. The reason for the past two years has been that they should stay open because of construction, but now that it has tapered off, I am hoping that the wants and needs of the residents can take priority. Many of us want our kids to be able to ride their bikes around without worrying about getting hit by someone out looking at houses (a LOT of people do the "drive-around" here). The CV area has had virtually no problems with people following the rules of the HOA...that I know of. I don't know of anyone that leaves their cars/motorhome/boat on the street, as is common in other areas. Everyone seems to be very considerate of others. Some but not all residents belong to CV Country Club and can share their opinions of the place with you. I like some aspects of it but not others. There are many custom homes to choose from right now and the price range varies widely. I have seen the inside of most of them as we've gone through our own building process. Lots of variety in terms of quality and finish work. The neighborhood seems to have a pretty even split between empty-nesters and families with kids. Most of the families I know with kids have an age range from 3-11. Hope this helps. If you have any further questions, feel free to call...543-3001.
RizzFam 163 posts Apr 12, 2007 8:42 PM	ColdCase Yah, I also forgot the related support local businesses - which if you dare remove said garbage from your front lawn, you are a box store crazed idiot. I like Adam Corolla's idea of starting a business and calling it "Large Box Store" or "A Chain Store". And i had left out your stance on the market because I could not do it the justice that you did... well done my friend. Jackie - I sincerely hope you find what you want. I'd seriously give Whitney Ranch a look. The high school is paid for, the parks are being built. You may find bliss over there too. Who knows. Some people can never be happy...as one person said. Did I mention I dont sell anything. www.Idontsellanything.com Well that might not be true. havent decided on the garage sale yet. www.imightsellsomethingonapril21.com :-) (and some of us have a sense of humor, that is all)
Smitty 133 posts Apr 12, 2007 9:05 PM	CV is a great community to live! Overall, the neighborhood is very quiet and peaceful. The board and the new HOA are focused on keeping this a great community. I don't have to worry about my neighbors keeping their grass green, cutting their lawn or parking their motorhome in the street. The cameras and possible manned gates will be a big plus for the community. If and when the athletic club situation is resolved that will be another plus. Regarding the water...yes it is expensive (compared to Sacramento), however the previous HOA did not manage the water usage effectively for the front lawns last summer and many homeowners had very high water bills. Would I purchase a home in CV again? Absolutely!
Reese 7 posts Apr 13, 2007 7:48 AM	RizzFam, you rock! Your sense of humor continually keeps me smiling. :-) As for living here....I love my house and location within the neighborhood; I like the majority of my immediate neighbors; I'm disappointed in the lack of maintenance of the adjacent neighborhood's yards and homes; I'm concerned about the public schools here, so we'll probably be sending our daughter to a private school in Roseville; etc. Basically, it all depends on what you want to get out of where you live. That being said, if we had our daughter back in 2003 when we moved from Rocklin to 12b, I'm not so sure that we would have made the same decision. But, at the time we were DINKs and weren't thinking about things like schools.
jackies_petsitting 6 posts Apr 13, 2007 8:24 AM	Thanks again for the responses. We are empty-nesters..... Living closer to my husband's work will make life better. We are looking forward to cable or DSL as we both are computer nerds. My husband is salivating to having a pizza delivered. Lets hope they deliver to CV. Actually my name is Linda. I came to this message board as Jackie, because my Mother has Jackie's_Petsitting in Sun City Lincoln and I got her business started and created a website for her. I probably should have started my own log-in name. I apologize for that blunder. Living in CV would definitely be closer to my parents, with the addition of being near shopping and restaurants. I am sure as some of you have stated, there are always problems in every neighborhood. I felt some feedback regarding water pricing and how living in CV would feel, would be highly beneficial. It is always a good thing to check out neighborhoods before you buy. We are coming off 20 acres in Auburn, so there will be an adjustment. Time will tell. I must say, the postings are very interesting.
lucky 53 posts Apr 13, 2007 10:35 AM	Welcome Linda! Your mum puppysits my 2 dogs and you know who I am from my log on name: Lucky (same as one of my dogs!). I did talk to Jackie yesterday as I knew it can't be her wanting to move to CV. They've got it made in Sun City with all their friends, beautiful home and their $101 a month HOA fee! I can understand how your water bill for 20+ acres can be very pricey and for sure it will be a lot lower on a 1acre lot in CV. Plus you will have available to you all the services such as food outlets, financial institutions, medical/dental facilities, etc. Plus, a beautiful custom home to boot! Rizzfam is correct: He so comically listed out all our peeves right now with the Verdera community. Alas, the main problem with schools do not affect you. You won't get the kind of privacy that you get up in the Auburn hills but this is the closest to "civilization" you can get with some relative privacy. Just bare in mind one thing: Now you will be subject to an HOA that dictates a lot of what you can and cannot do. Still, the positive far outweighs the negatives, IMHO. Call me anytime. Jackie knows where I am.
jackies_petsitting 7 posts Apr 13, 2007 11:07 AM	Hello Lucky. Yes, I know who you are. We met at my Mom's house. Your dogs are adorable. I know HOA is another issue. We have one as well. In fact, My husband has been President of our board quite afew years in the past. I know they will be different than CV. More stipulations........ It is a big change for us! Going from 20 acres down to 1 is a big change, plus privacy. Thanks again.
lucky 54 posts Apr 13, 2007 1:43 PM	Yes we did meet once a couple of years ago at your mum's house. Would love to be "neighbours" with you although we live in the JTS community just up the hill. Hey, maybe your hubby would like to be active in the HOA here too. That would be great! Perhaps he would like to join our little committee on trying to get the Athletic club built. There's been no news about it lately. In fact, there's never any news about it except what Smitty posts here. This is a sore subject with my husband and I. The sheer secretness of the whole thing. We paid for it so we have every right to know what is going on yet we cannot find info anywhere nor from anyone. I am sure you and your hubby can appreciate a semi-private health facility so close to home. Smitty, any news lately?? Let me know what you ultimately decide to do!
sk68 36 posts Apr 13, 2007 1:57 PM	We live in the JTS homes and love it here! We love our home, most of our neighbors and the community in general. Yes, there is no athletic club and most of all no new high school, but the Catta Verdera community is great.
jackies_petsitting 8 posts Apr 13, 2007 3:18 PM	So Cv...Is it the same HOA in the production homes site and the custom homes?
lucky 55 posts Apr 13, 2007 9:56 PM	Yes. Same HOA, same property management company: Riverside and same roaming security company.
trackerdan 22 posts Apr 13, 2007 10:24 PM	I live out by CFW and have had the pleasure of taking my son over to Lincoln Hills 4X a week for the golf team. The area is beautiful and never ceases to amaze me. You folks have really got something special over there. TD
lucky 56 posts Apr 14, 2007 10:55 AM	Just think TD - in another 20+ years you may just quality to live there! Jackie (or shall I say Linda) is referring to Catta Verdera Golf course custom homes. There you don't need to be 55 years or older to buy a home. You just need lots of $$$!
Smitty 134 posts Apr 14, 2007 11:42 AM	Lucky, Thank you for your interest and follow up regarding the Athletic Club. I would highly recommend that any JTS owners who are concerend about the Athletic Club to contact the JTS attorney, IAN CRAIG (916-487-3434) to express your concerns and get an update on the situation. Apparently, only a COUPLE of people have consistently called to voice their concerns. The PERCEPTION is that people don't care if it's built nor care about the $5K they paid. Regarding the CAl FIt rumor...nothing has been agreed upon. They may be talking, but it certainly is not a done deal from what I was told. Thus, I would not put all your hopes on CAl-Fit comming to the rescue. If and when a committee is formed I'm sure you will definitely be notified. Thanks!!! Last Edited on 14-Apr-2007 11:48 AM
lucky 57 posts Apr 14, 2007 1:47 PM	Smitty: It's sad that there is so few who care. It's not so much the money but we were really looking forward to a semi-private health club. At this point I just want what was promised us and not a scaled down version nor one that is run by a franchise company. Why can't more people see and understand this? It's just so disappointing that not many people care or perhaps they're just sitting on the fence waiting for people like you and I to do all the work for them! Do I sound angry and sarcastic? You betcha! Actually, it's not any more different with the school issue. It's always the same people who show up at the school board meetings. I guess everyone else must not have kids and don't work out either! Last Edited on 14-Apr-2007 1:49 PM
Smitty 135 posts Apr 14, 2007 11:12 PM	Lucky, That is probably one of the cons of living in CV (& 12B) is that there is a lot of APATHY in the community. Whether it is related to the Athletic Club or the school district, in GENERAL people just don't care...at least that is the perception and reality. Until more people get involved and participate in the community, change for the better will be slow. Whether its related to great schools or the promised athletic club...its not going to happen with a magic wand.
lucky 58 posts Apr 15, 2007 12:48 AM	Sigh - Smitty my friend - sadly you are correct.
jackies_petsitting 9 posts Apr 17, 2007 9:42 AM	People getting involved seems to be a major problem for many HOA. There are always a few who want to step up and take action in their communities. If more people banded together, more things would get accomplished. Doing this applies to almost anything in life. We are all stronger unified than a few individuals trying to maintain order and achieve our goals. Most people have yet to learn this or choose to ignore the situation and hope someone else will take care of the problems. I guess I have opened up a can or worms...(so to speak). We have the same scenario in our own HOA...no matter where you go, there are always issues. Thanks again for addressing my concerns.
lucky 60 posts Apr 17, 2007 9:48 AM	Not to worry Linda - you didn't open a can of worms. These have been our main complaints for a long time now. Just go back and read some of threads from a few months ago. You're absolutely right! It is the same everywhere you go be it HOA, at work or any other aspect of life in general. People are people and human nature is human nature. Majority of the people are lazy and want others to do all the work for them. This I don't mind but a little bit of acknowledgement and support every now and then would be nice.
DC64 32 posts Apr 17, 2007 10:42 AM	I feel that I must respond to the "people are lazy" comment. I moved here with my small children to enjoy the good life and spend time with my family. I am tired of explaining to my kids why I attend so many meetings (school board, Verdera HOA, etc.) I did not move here to become an activist to fight for what I thought I was getting when I paid a premium price for my home in 12 Bridges and my lot in Verdera. I can understand why fewer and fewer parents are attending school board meetings. They are probably researching private schools or homes in Granite Bay instead. I am so tired of hearing the board defend Lincoln High School. Students taking tests on clipboards is unacceptable! I have lost hope that our school situation can be fixed when the board takes no responsiblilty for its actions and is in denial that there are major issues. Therefore, perhaps what you think is "lazy" is actually "indifference" and "defeat".
Townie 281 posts Apr 17, 2007 12:39 PM	It's disheartening to see that people are getting tired of fighting for their rights. We should not have to fight so hard to get that which is rightly ours! Once again, why has the Grand Jury not investigated this school board? The only way you can get $190 million in debt is by some sort of wanton mismanagement. I'm sick and tired of reading about this school board and the lame excuses they come up with meeting after meeting. Let's investigate them and if there's any wrongdoing, throw the bums in prison.
lucky 61 posts Apr 17, 2007 6:01 PM	Oops, maybe "lazy" should be replaced by "disinterest", "insensitive" , "unconcerned" or ???