Life in ARCN Magazine - August 2022 Issue

Life in ARCN Community Magazine

Published by the American River Canyon North Homeowners’ Association

MANAGING EDITOR

Catherine Trino

PRESIDENT Dave Weizer

VICE PRESIDENT Ed Brown

SECRETARY

Emily Tyler-Nowels

TREASURER Michelle Brock

CC&Rs Barb Weizer

SOCIAL & WELCOME

Katherine Wood

ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW

Dave Weizer

INFORMATION SERVICE & WEBSITE

Ed Brown

ADVERTISING Association Outsource Services Inc (916) 961-9999 www.aosinc.biz

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Wendy Maring Fardanesh

PRINTING

Sierra Printing 9950 Horn Road • Sacramento, CA 95827 (916) 369-0491

American River Canyon Homeowners’ Association P.O. Box 1941 • Folsom, CA 95630 ARCNHA@gmail.com ARCNHA.com

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MESSAGE FROM YOUR HOA PRESIDENT

During the many years that I have been associated with the ARCN Homeowners Association, I have made several attempts to communicate the history of the HOA and its relationship with the CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions). I’m going to give it one more try, so bear with me.

The consistent definition of CC&Rs is that they are “limits and rules placed on a group of homes or condominium complex by a builder, developer, neighborhood association, or homeowners’ association.”

In the case of ARCN, the CC&Rs were put in place on all our properties by Elliott Homes, who was the developer. Those of you who have read your CC&R’s will see that Elliott Homes has written into those for each unit that their Architectural Review Committee was the authority in place to enforce the CC&Rs. All of this took place before any homes were built on the properties. As the years went by and the development reached a total build out status, the enforcement activity was passed from Elliott Homes to the ARCN Homeowners Association, which had been formed during the passing years.

The HOA was initially formed by a group of residents to form a line of communications to, and provide social activities for, the residents of ARCN. They “inherited” the task of enforcing the CC&Rs. It should be noted that the “CC&Rs are legally binding documents so you can usually be fined or even sued in court if you break the rules.”

Having said all this, the responsibilities for enforcing the CC&Rs that were turned over to the ARCN HOA didn’t come with any authority to fine residents, etc. To make that a reality, the CC&Rs would have to be changed. The HOA made some attempts to facilitate necessary changes, but the efforts were unsuccessful. The volunteer Board Members continue to do their best to encourage cooperation from the residents to comply with the rules. We’re not always successful, but those situations are very low in number.

For those of you who may not have or have lost track of the CC&Rs for your particular property, you can view and print out a copy of them on our website www.arcnha.com. You will need to log-on to view them. If you do not have a log-on that you are aware of, please let us know at arcnha@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading and understanding what your HOA is trying to accomplish.

Regards, Dave Weizer, President

829-9667

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Katherine Wood (916) 716-4318

Marvel Esthetics (916) 706-4863

Nannette Jones, Legends Real Estate (916) 524-7026

Shuana Hogg (916) 521-4600

Advertising Opportunities

Life in ARCN offers a targeted marketing platform for local businesses serving American River Canyon North residents

Advertisers will receive a social media post the month after each issue is published

ARCN resident-owned businesses will receive a 25% discount

Editorial Contributions

Life in ARCN welcomes editorial contributions from our residents

Please contact Emily Tyler (emilyt@aosinc .biz or (916) 803-5002) for information on the submission guidelines for articles and events you wish to publish in the magazine

CC&Rs Do You Know Your

The American River Canyon North Community must abide by the CC&R’s. The reason we have CC&Rs is so we can maintain our lovely neighborhoods in a pleasing fashion and thereby keep our home prices and values up. We are fortunate to live in this wonderful neighborhood and it is up to everyone that lives here to do their part in maintaining it. We continue to send letters to homes that are not following the rules and regulations.

If you receive a letter from The Trust Management Company, please read it carefully. If you read the letter and it tells you that something on your property doesn’t meet the ARCN HOA CC&Rs, what do you then do about it? Hopefully, now that the problem has been brought to your attention, you handle it and correct said problem. On the other hand, if you open the letter and just ignore it thinking that you don’t have to abide by the CC&Rs for your unit, you are wrong. When you bought your house, there were many papers to sign and one of the items was the CC&Rs for your unit. Upon signing it, you agreed to abide by the CC&Rs that were established by Elliott Homes when this development was established.

Please keep in mind, some infractions cross over to the Folsom City Code infractions and if you don’t correct the problem, then the City can step in and cite you. The ARCN HOA isn’t trying to be heavy handed in their dealing with these situations, you are our neighbors. We are just trying to enforce our rules in a fair and equitable fashion. We sincerely thank you for cooperating with us and helping us keep our neighborhood a wonderful place to live!

With Much Appreciation, Barb Weizer ARCN HOA Director, CC&R Compliance

SECURITY PATROL SURVEY

by Your HOA Board

ARCN HOA engaged an independent security company, Committed Elite Response, to conduct a 6-month trial of their security patrol services. They have been providing random 1-hour patrols, 3 times per night, since the beginning of February. Board members have received daily reports from the company, and have had a number of calls and meetings with them during the trial to discuss progress, processes, and improvements. During the 6 month trial, they have addressed the following security issues:

• 2 unsecured vehicles

• 6 unsecured garage doors

• 1 open door to a home

• 1 suspicious vehicle

• 1 case of illegal dumping

• 1 case of vandalism

• 1 service call to a disturbance

• 1 contact made to law enforcement

During the trial period, only 2 incidents from our community were reported to Folsom PD. In previous years at this time, we typically see 5-6 incident reports. So indirectly, the security patrol may be acting as a deterrent. A decision needs to be made whether we continue patrolled security in ARCN. Existing HOA dues are insufficient to cover the cost and if the service is to continue, we would need residents to commit to a funding model for the next year. The annual amount per household can only be determined by the number of homes that agree to sign up and pay for this service. The larger the response for continuing with security patrols, the cheaper it will be for everyone. If 500 homes in ARCN sign up, the annual cost would only be $40/yr. In reality, the figure could be anything from $50-150/year per household depending on uptake. For those that do agree to fund this service, in addition to the nightly random patrols, they will get the added benefit of having a phone number to call if they need the security services 24/7, in addition to vacation or unoccupied home watch services.

We have issued an email survey and received approximately 179 responses. While the survey feedback is positive towards retaining a security patrol with more than 70% in favor, it unfortunately only represents 20% of our community. That response rate is too low for us to truly understand the mood of the total community and too low to cover the financial requirements to engage the security company. With that being said, the Board feels it is necessary to extend the survey timeline. The survey will be active until September 30, 2022 We will receive the responses at the November HOA meeting. At that point, we will review responses and communicate results and actions back to the community. Please scan the QR code above to be taken to the survey.

We take security of our community and residents seriously, but we acknowledge we don’t have all the answers and there will be differing opinions on the need and cost of additional security services. We want our policies and services to reflect the needs and wishes of all of the residents in our community. Please complete the survey to let us know what you think – good or bad, all feedback is welcome.

THE HASSON FAMILY Meet

John and Tuesdee Hasson have been residents of the North American River Canyon Community for over six years. They have lived in various states throughout the country, but John says nothing compares to living in California. We often forget to appreciate the true beauty of The Golden State. John, Tuesdee and their three children left Utah and headed for California in February 2015. They rented a house in ARCN and loved the community so much that they decided to buy a home just few doors down the street. When asked, Tuesdee explained that they ultimately chose North American River Canyon, she said It was between Folsom, El Dorado Hills and Roseville - but it was the schools that sold them!

John and Tuesdee spend a lot of time with their close friends and really enjoy entertaining. Which, might we add, they have the perfect home for such fun times. They did an incredible job remodeling their home to be an entertainer’s dream. They truly have one of the most spectacular bars we have ever seen. The bar is original and during their extensive remodel they decided to keep it that way. Which is one of the many things that make their home so unique.

John has a passion for fine whiskey and his collection is incredible. They both enjoy a smoked cocktail and love to try out new flavors. For those of you who don’t know, the idea with a smoke on a cocktail is to allow the flavors of the liquid and smoke to infuse one another - the longer you let them sit with each other the more their flavors get to “play”. So next time you’re in the mood for a good cocktail, I highly recommend giving them a call.

During my visit to the Hasson’s residence, I had the privilege to meet their two furry friends, Monroe and Thaddeus. These two wonderful cats are brothers and the Hasson’s adopted them after their owner passed away. During our interview, John said that they are the definition of a perfect cats. Though without fail, these two have chosen to lay claim to John’s favorite relaxation spot in the house! John concedes that cuteness and cuddles often come with a price!

John and Tuesdee enjoy going out and enjoying all the dining pleasures Folsom has to offer. They have found several hidden gems one of them being Suishin Sushi which is located on Blue Ravine. “Hands down, best Sushi,” says the both of them. Tuesdee also highly recommends Curry Club which is also located on Blue Ravine and of course the famous Sutter Street Steak House.

The Hasson’s favorite family vacation was their trip to Europe. They celebrated their daughters’ graduation and made family memories that will last a lifetime. John is also looking forward to going to New York, which is the first family vacation for which they hired a travel planner. He highly recommends hiring a travel planner for all your future vacations. It takes the stress out of what should be a relaxing and memorable time.

The Hassons mentioned that they are looking forward to the return this year to Granite Bay Golf Club for the ARCN annual Christmas event. They enjoy getting to mingle with their neighbors at this and the other fun events that our community sponsors. When asked what other feedback they may have about the HOA, they had a few very compelling comments.

They are happy to see our new security company patrolling the neighborhood at night. With that in mind, if you feel the same way as the Hasson’s please reach out to your Board of Directors. They are actively trying to make your community a safe and secure place to live, and we are in the process of deciding if we can continue this service.

Another item that was mentioned during the interview were the community signs. Though the signs have been updated, they feel the red brick looks warn down and needs a facelift. This led to our discussion on the HOA voluntary dues. Tuesdee feels more people should be paying their dues. Our CC&R’s are not voluntary but paying the $100 a year is optional. If more people paid their dues, we would have money to update the brick monuments and continue with the security trial. Invoices for the 22-23 fiscal have been sent out, so please keep in mind that paying the $100 fee which comes out to $8 dollars a month makes a huge difference and helps raise your property value. Thanks to Hasson’s for their encouragement and commitment to keeping it our lovely, fun and safe home!

If your family is interested in being featured in a future issue of Life in ARCN, please contact Emily Tyler-Nowels at emilyt@aosinc.biz.

HART OF FOLSOM

Homeless Assistance Resource Team

HART of Folsom Homeless Assistance Resource Team HART meets with Folsom’s homeless residents where they live! A non-profit community-based volunteer organization, HART is helping those experiencing homelessness in Folsom move toward self-sufficiency and greater independence. Their vision is to provide a model that enables homeless men and women, especially those who have served our country, to attain safe, affordable housing, meaningful life activity, and a livable income so they may return to a productive and meaningful life.

The organization works closely with the City of Folsom’s Navigator and Psychiatrist to meet immediate needs and help create a managed plan of action to assist those in need. “We get to know them so we can identify those who want to work towards a better life.” states President, Judi Alexander. Our goal is not just basic assistance, but we strive to help them resolve the issues that brought them into homelessness.”

Judi experienced first-hand the devasting affects caused by homelessnes when she lost her son to the mental illness and addiction that led to his homelssness . From a young age, Judi was organizing food drives and working in Baltimore’s inner city day cares. As an adult she taught her family the joy of giving to others; working together to support PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) in Southern California, The problems of the homeless/mentally ill/ addicted became very personal when her son passed away because of these conditions.

In 2016, Judi retired as a Legal Assistant and became active as a representative of Oak Hills Church for the Folsom Faith and Homelessness Initiative, organized by the Folsom Police Dept. This program evolved into HART of Folsom in 2017. Judi organized the Folsom Winter Shelter and ran it for 4 years, turning it over this year to a new leader as she took on the duties of HART President. Judi also volunteers for the CAPS

program at the Folsom Police and Fire Departments

and at Harris Center for the Arts.

The seeds for HART of Folsom were planted in September 2016 when the Folsom Police Department reached out to the various faith communities of the area to propose a Folsom Faith and Homelessness Initiative. This new group would work under the supervision of the police department and working with a homeless specialist (a Navigator) paid for by the city of Folsom.

As the group got started, it became apparent that the loose affiliation of the groups was not advantageous to the sharing of information nor to the planning of new functions (e.g., a Winter Sanctuary). This was compounded by issues with the initial Navigators that were provided to the city of Folsom. The group decided that rather than work under the police department, a separate organization was needed which would also make it easier to fund raise. In July 2017, the HART of Folsom was started. The organization would be very similar to the existing HART organizations, and Ed Kelly volunteered to be the first president. Ed was instrumental in the start of the initial HART organization in Elk Grove. A board was selected, and the lovely governmental paperwork was created. Also during this period, the city of Folsom entered into a contract with Sacramento Self Help Housing to provide a new Navigator for the city. In November 2017, HART received our IRS 501(c)3 certification: 82-2259843

HART is a resource team for our homeless and transitioning clients who wish to connect to services or programs that will assist them on their path to a better life. To this end, HART partners with several organizations; each skilled in their own mission. Hart supports and encourages the client during these contacts.

Saturday, November 5 • 8:00 am to 12:00 pm Cummings Family Skate and Dog Park 1775 Creekside Drive, Folsom

Join us as we lace up our shoes and leash up our pups to support the unhoused. Submit a pledge and join HART on a two mile walk from Cummings Park along the Willow Creek trail starting at Cummings Skate and Dog Park. By donating and walking, you can help our neighbors get back on their feet!

About HART of Folsom: We provide transitional housing for those in need, empowering the unhoused in our community to become independent and self-sustaining.

Sign up today at: hartoffolsomeventbrite.com or signupgenius.com

ocial

Please join us on our community Facebook page: Life in ARCN

If you have not yet paid your dues, please go online to

Katherine Wood (916)

Call (916) 952-7711

email

NAVIGATING A SHIFTING MARKET

It’s been a crazy ride … but it isn’t as scary as it seems.

Lately the media is a buzz with headlines about home prices, rising mortgage rates, and past housing bubbles. Naturally everyone is asking the same questions… Did we miss the peak of home values? Are we going to have a crash? Should I buy now or wait? While nobody has a crystal ball, let’s take a look at a few facts and some expert opinions.

Price growth is slowing. After a record run of wildly rising home prices, gains are slowing down. That’s not the same as house prices falling; the rate of increase in prices has slowed. Higher mortgage rates, inflation and economic pressures have all had an impact on buyer demand. You may have noticed there are more homes for sale, and remaining for sale, in the neighborhood. After 22 months in a row of less than one month of housing supply in the Sacramento region, we suddenly shot up to almost 2 months of inventory. (Keep in mind that a “seller’s market” is usually defined as anything less than 6 months of supply). It’s not just a bunch of people rushing to sell their homes. While there has been an increase in new listings, the slower pace of sales is leaving homes active on market for a longer time, especially for sellers who were pricing for the March market.

Mortgage rates remain in the “low” range. After a couple of years with record low mortgage rates, 2022 has seen some rapid increases, yet rates are still well below long-term averages. While the Federal Reserve Board may continue raising policy rates to cool inflation, according to many mortgage experts, mortgage rates have largely reflected the changes already. Even with the most recent Fed increases, home equity gains and other advantages continue to make owning a better deal than renting.

This article is opinion and any information should be independently verified. Thanks to Evangeline Scott, Reliance Home Loans, Ryan Lundquist at SacramentoAppraisalBlog.com and Altos Research for information and advice.

Great, but what does this mean for me? There are still more buyers than sellers – in fact California was recently cited as having the most severe housing deficit in the country. According to most experts, home prices in the area should continue to rise over the next year, just at a more reasonable pace. If you have owned your home more than a year, your home has most likely gained significant value. This provides equity to access for emergencies, home improvements or other expenditures. You’ve probably locked in a lower interest rate and are enjoying fixed housing costs.

I’m thinking of selling – what should I know? Price reasonably and see what the market gives you. Remember that what you are seeing as “sold” is yesterday’s news. You might need to set your list price lower than recent sales to generate excitement. Last year at this time, almost 75% of homes in the area sold over list price. While 40% of homes in the area still sold above list price last month, we are seeing fewer multiple offers and increasing price reductions – back to the normal levels we saw pre-pandemic. Buyers have become more sensitive about condition of a property too, so consider addressing minor cosmetic repairs before you hit the market.

And what about home buyers? For those looking to buy, market forces are tilting toward less competition, price moderation, and rate stabilization. This combination is bringing back some buyers who were exhausted by the frantic market of 2021. Moderated prices and less competition can help buyers actually achieve their dream of home ownership. With more homes staying on the market longer, many sellers are willing to negotiate and accept offers that have reasonable contingencies.

As the old saying goes, the only constant is change. The market continues to change rapidly and you need to stay informed to protect your assets or achieve your goal of home ownership. Whether you are thinking of selling, buying, or investing in real estate, always consult with a qualified mortgage specialist and a real estate professional.

Your Neighborhood Real Estate Agent, Katherine Wood

American River Canyon

A Community for Everyone!

Living in American River Canyon offers residents a sparse suburban feel. The community is diverse with homes of many different designs in a variety of price ranges. It's one of the most upscale and exclusive areas in greater Sacramento area. The way a neighborhood looks and feels when you walk or drive around it, can make all the difference and ARCN has it all!

Access to Outdoor Activities

Direct access to hundreds of miles of trails, if you like walking, hiking or biking. There's plenty of water activities such as boating or fishing at Folsom Lake or kayaking, paddle boarding or sailing at Lake Natoma!

Community Events

A true community with events for everyone! Concerts, theater festivals, car shows, yard sales and holiday events. If you attend an event you are sure to run into many people you know!

Small Businesses

Many local businesses, restaurants and coffee shops where people greet you with such happy smiles you feel like you stepped into "Cheers" when you walk in!

Schools & Team Sports

Highly rated schools that service ARCN and plenty of organized sports such as soccer, football, softball and baseball.

I'm sure you've seen me walking around the neighborhood dropping off my market updates or I may have stopped you to say hi to your dog! I've lived in Folsom a great deal of my life and American River Canyon has always been my favorite neighborhood. I absolutely love the area, which is why I focus my business here. If you are thinking of buying or selling, I'd be honored to have the opportunity to work with you. I am CLHMS certified, which means that I have both training and experience in the luxury market. Listing your home with me will allow your home to have a unique competitive advantage and marketing differentiation in the luxury market!

A BIT OF HISTORY IN THE CANYON

by Dave Weizer

I was going through some of my archives recently and came across an article that I wrote for one of our ARCN Newsletters years ago. I dusted it off and made a couple of revisions for this issue of Life in ARCN because it highlights a bit of area history that may be of interest to some of our newer residents and forgotten by others.

How many of you have noticed the area off to the right side as you come in the Cascade Falls entrance, where a small monument stands? If you venture up to look at it, you will see that a makeshift paper notice is currently in place. This apparently was placed there recently by the folks responsible for the Railroad Museum in Historic Folsom. The original plaque was made of bronze, and you guessed it, it was stolen quite a few years back by persons unknown when sneaky metal recyclers were out in force to steal all kinds of things to fuel their greed.

REPRODUCTION OF ORIGINAL PLAQUE MESSAGE

HERE YOU SEE THE RIGHT OF WAY OF THE SACRAMENTO, PLACER & NEVADA RAILROAD. IT WAS DESIGNED BY THEODORE DEHONE JUDAH (MARCH 4, 1826 – November 2, 1863) AS CHIEF ENGINEER, CONCEIVED IN 1854 AND CONSTRUCTED IN 1861. IT RAN ABOUT THIRTEEN MILES FROM FOLSOM TO WILDWOOD, STARTING IN SEPTEMBER 1862, IT CEASED OPERATING IN LATE 1864.

IT WAS NEVER LONG ENOUGH TO FULFILL JUDAH’S DREAM OF A CONTINENTAL PACIFIC RAILWAY AND ITS GUAGE WAS THREE AND ONE HALF INCHES TOO WIDE.

NEW HELVETIA CHAPTER NO.5 E CLAMPUS VITUS

AUGUST 2, 1975

So, you say, who or what the heck is E Clampus Vitus? Well, for your enlightenment, their website provides in part, the following: The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV) is a fraternal organization dedicated to the study and preservation of Western heritage, especially the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area. The fraternity is not sure if it is a “historical drinking society” or “drinking historical society”. The members are known as “Clampers” and there are chapters in California, Nevada and other western states. Some of the chapters have faded in and out over the years but one of their programs was/is placing bronze plaques at historical sites. Apparently the New Helvetia Chapter No. 5 was reformed in 2010 and is still active.

It would be great if we could resurrect the monument. Talking to the people at the Railroad Museum to see if they would be interested in having a more permanent notice put in place would make for a good HOA project. They may even have a contact for the ECV folks as well. Utilizing a material that would be less attractive to metal recyclers would be the best. The current paper notice has some of the same content as the original plaque, but some agreement on final wording would be needed. Let me know if any of you might be interested in working on this little project.

Brendan McGagin Franchise Owner

Your ARC North Realtors

Manny & Dawn are the ultimate choice when selling real estate in Folsom. Call us today to find out how the recent sales in the area affect the value of your home. Let us show you how we can sell your home and net you the most money.

“If you are looking for the best real estate agents, look no further. From our initial consultation, and through out the entire sales process, we were constantly informed on every aspect of our home sale. Manny and Dawn were amazing. We cannot thank them enough for helping us through the process in selling our home.”

Debbie Kossic

“Dawn and Manny have been helping our family through multiple purchas es/sells and have been absolutely a pleasure to work with. They are always available, and extremely supportive. We are not local and they have been incredibly helpful with vir tual viewings, going out of their way to help us buy our new home.”

Hemant Sikaria

“They provided quality brochures featuring professional photography, marketed our home locally and in the Bay Area and Northern Califor nia. Their wealth of knowledge, and contacts within the industry made all of the difference. With their help we not only sold our home, we were able to get the price we wanted.”

Phil and Donna H.

Baltar

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