She wouldn’t be my daughter if she weren’t undergoing a major home remodel in her third trimester of pregnancy. But here we were.
I still remember being pregnant with her and standing in my torn-up kitchen in the California home I was remodeling — surrounded by hammers pounding, drills grinding and no working appliances — when my water broke.
History repeats.
Now a very pregnant Paige was calling me daily with construction updates. The cabinets were in, but they still needed counters and appliances. Tick-tock.
When Paige and her husband Adam bought their rst home together in the Denver area two years ago, the kitchen and primary bathroom needed work. The bathroom shower was not t for a prison camp and the 15-year-old kitchen felt cramped and dated. The backsplash was busy. Old appliances were not energy e cient. Temperature markers had worn o the stove dials. The refrigerator stuck out too far. Cabinets were unremarkable and the builder-grade xtures were ho-hum. Because they both love to cook and entertain, Paige wanted an eat-in kitchen with room at the island for a couple counter stools. Adam wanted a gas (rather
Construction has started and
Each of us has an obligation to improve our community’s environment. That doesn’t require membership in Greenpeace or the Sierra Club. There are hundreds of worthy organizations where Americans volunteer their time or donate their money. According to the Charity Aid Foundation, Americans last year donated about $500 billion to charities and 80 million adults volunteered more than 1.6 billion hours of their time.
U.S. — about 32% of our population. According to Pew Research, two-thirds of rental occupants are younger than 35 and renters generally have lower income and wealth compared to property owners. However, over the last few years many millennials older than 40 have given up on the idea of buying a home and an increasing number of seniors older than 60 are selling their homes and choosing to rent.
One organization I belong to has been updating its bylaws. Although a periodic review of an organization’s bylaws is necessary, most of them are pretty standard and I wouldn’t normally take a keen interest. However, while dutifully reading, I came across a provision that got my attention. Under the heading “Quali cations for Board of Directors” was the provision that a member had to own property in El Dorado County.
For much of my adult life I have sold the bene ts of ownership. Be it ever so humble, every family should have the opportunity to own a home. That’s why I o en point out obstacles to a ordable housing. Despite my advocacy for ownership, I was uncomfortable with “ownership” as a requirement for a leadership position in a civic or charitable organization. If property ownership is a requirement, what’s next? Perhaps requiring a minimum net worth or credit score.
There may have been some past rationale for requiring elected board members to own property. Generally, property owners take more interest in their community. They pay taxes and their property values are a ected by local government decisions. If I were voting for a board member or an elected o cial, I would favor a homeowner over a tenant. However, excluding renters from the opportunity to be considered for membership was troubling.
There are 102 million renters in the
The initial cost of a home purchase has been the obstacle to homeownership. More recently, the increasing ongoing nancial obligations — including property taxes, insurance, utilities and major component replacement costs — have become additional obstacles to keeping the home, o en exceeding mortgage expense.
Buying a home has been embedded into the American identity. Everyone who could a ord a home was expected to buy one and own a home forever.
Renting was considered a short-term option or for lower-income families. That outdated assumption that only lowerincome families are renting is changing.
Real estate investor GID, which owns and manages 50,000 apartments in 30 markets, states a quarter of its residents earn more than $200,000. “That’s not an income you typically would have associated with a renter versus a homeowner, but that is increasingly the case today,” said GID Chief Executive Greg Bates.
According to the census data, the number of renters earning $200,000-plus a year is up fourfold since 2010 and the number of renter households earning more than $1 million hit a record high in 2022.
The in ux of higher-income renters into apartments and the cost of building has led to a decline in the number of lower-income rentals. What’s being built today are luxury units with full amenities.
5360 ROBERT ROAD, POLLOCK PINES, CA
2 BED | 2 BATH | 1,728 SQFT
This home has been lovingly renovated with custom handcrafted reclaimed wood features throughout the entire property. Starting with the beautiful timber entry leading to the custom front door and the wood floors. It continues to the upstairs with touches everywhere like the kitchenette, the expansive decking, the unique 220sqft Workshop with loft, 220V wiring and carport. This is truly an entertainers house with the large kitchen/dining area leading to the almost 800sqft redwood deck and multiple entertaining areas on the property. There is plenty of parking for all your guests and an RV space as well. Enjoy your morning coffee or glass of wine on the deck with an unobstructed view of the pond and lush perennial garden with decomposed granite pathways. This home has a history as an short term rental with a separate entrance upstairs. The den could be used as 3rd bedroom. The home also boasts a brand new roof and Split Air system installed in 2018 for energy efficient heating and cooling. There is plenty of room for an ADU as well for multi generational living or extra income.
$509,000 • MLS# 224062634
6725 ONYX TRAIL, POLLOCK PINES, CA
3 BED | 2 BATH | 2,064 SQFT
This spacious well maintained home boasts a new roof, gutters, gutter guards and whole house fan. Pest, Septic, and Defensible Space inspections were done and cleared. The home is move-in ready and an entertainers delight! Surrounded by nature yet only minutes from all amenities. Located in the desirable Gold Ridge Forest community with lower insurance rates. The pictures don’t do the spacious great room justice. It features a great room concept at entry level with vaulted ceilings, large windows for lots of natural light, cozy wood stove for cold winter evenings, a large kitchen and dining area leading straight to the expansive deck. The large family room downstairs is perfect for a game room with pellet stove for efficient zone heating in addition to the central heat and air. Retreat to the privacy of the master and all additional bedrooms located downstairs as well. Enjoy the hot tub in the fully fenced private backyard. You will be grateful for the flat and short driveway in the winter. The oversized garage has epoxy floor coating, custom cabinets and is large enough to store a boat. Enjoy the HOA amenities, Pools, Pickleball, disk golf, playground, BBQ areas and club house.
$465,000 • MLS# 224050844
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Continued from 2
than electric) stovetop. But the more they studied the space, the less they thought this would be possible, let alone a ordable. They lived with what was and pondered their options, which included the unappealing prospect of maybe eventually moving. Then Paige learned she was pregnant and the nesting instinct kicked in with the force of Dodge Charger Hellcat. Suddenly, resolving the question of whether they could get their dream kitchen became a top priority. “I needed to nd out if we could do this or if we needed to think about moving,” she said.
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They called interior designer Kate Clapp, owner of Kate Saige Interiors, who saw not just one but several ways they could get their dream eat-in kitchen and also a spa-like bathroom without knocking out walls or blowing their budget and, importantly, before the baby arrived.
Over the next few months, Clapp drew up plans and worked with the couple to select nishes and appliances. They would run a gas line for the new cooktop. To get more kitchen oor and counter space, they would knock out the walk-in pantry, which took up a large diagonal space in the corner, and they would replace the over-sized refrigerator with one that was counter depth. More cabinets and smart storage systems would compensate for the lack of pantry.
Demo began in early April, eight weeks before Paige’s due date. The pressure grew.
“I can’t tell you how many times I was on the phone with a contractor saying, ‘And you’ll get this done by this date, right?’” Clapp said.
Baby George arrived four days ahead of schedule. Miraculously, thanks to solid planning, careful timing and workers who knew the meaning of hustle, he came home to a beautiful new kitchen.
Here’s what Paige and Adam learned along the way:
• Best decision. We hired an established general contractor, Tim
Saul, owner of Saul Construction, who was neither the lowest nor the highest bidder. “This job was beyond the skillset of a talented handyman,” Adam said, “and we didn’t want the stress of nding tradespeople ourselves.” Saul assigned a project manager, who brought in good tradespeople. When something did go wrong, the GC was the heavy and got it xed. The GC also made sure they had all the proper permits, home association approvals and inspections.
• Guidance and choices. “In all the design decisions, we felt guided, not pressured,” Paige said. “No one said you have to do this.” For instance, when choosing whether to reface or replace kitchen cabinets, the couple had initially planned to reface to save money, but a er looking at the quotes, they saw it would only cost $2,000 more to have all new cabinets, which really made the kitchen. “If you’re taking out walls and changing the
footprint, you want all new cabinetry,” Clapp said. “But if the footprint is the same, refacing will cut costs.” That said, she only recommends refacing if the cabinet bases are good.
• The compromises. The designer and contractor both respected the fact that this was a rst-home project. “We didn’t expect the highestend nishes,” Paige said. Clapp recommended installing good knocko s of more expensive tile for the backsplash and using the same engineered quartz throughout the kitchen and primary bath because using the same material would save. They also chose mid-priced KitchenAid appliances.
• Hardest part. Having patience. Though the project only took eight weeks from demo to done, it took the couple two years to think through what they wanted, save up, nd a designer who could make it happen, get quotes and nd a contractor.
All involved agree, the
construction phase would have taken much longer if they didn’t have every detail planned and materials on site. Being pregnant helped.
• Happy surprises. “We were braced for disaster,” Paige said, “but because we picked good professionals and no one dropped the ball, we met our timeline and also came in slightly under budget.”
• Pride factor.
“Moving might have been the easy way out,” Adam added. “But you get so much more satisfaction when you put in the sweat equity and make what you have into what you want.”
Join me next week when a kitchen organizer adds order to the new kitchen.
Marni Jameson is the author of seven books including the newly released “Rightsize Today to Create Your Best Life Tomorrow,” “What to Do With Everything You Own to Leave the Legacy You Want” and “Downsizing the Family Home.” You may reach her at marnijameson.com.
According to Zillow, the average rent in El Dorado Hills is $3,700, in Folsom it’s $3,000 and in Fair Oaks it’s $2,300. Years of conditioning have resulted in the belief that everyone must own a home. Isn’t home ownership an integral part of the American Dream? Don’t we o en judge people by the size of their home and their neighborhood?
Sally is retired from teaching and enjoys being active in many community organizations. Her health would not allow her to maintain her Diamond Springs home. She sold it and is renting a senior village apartment.
Intel transferred Tim to its Folsom facility last year. He is single, has an income in excess of $200,000 and has been active in Rotary for several years. He nancially quali es for a home purchase but decided to rent in El Dorado Hills.
Ed and Sally sold their home to their kids and built a granny at on the property where they pay rent. Ed continues to be active in many civic organizations.
There are as many reasons why folks rent as there are why they buy. Most of us were renters at some time in our lives. Many of us will be renters again.
Homeownership builds equity and creates wealth. O en once wealth has been created folks may have other priorities than the responsibility of ownership. Owning a home is still the best economic and lifestyle investment for most families but not for everyone.
Everyone should, however, have the equal opportunity, regardless of property ownership status, to contribute to any organization. I suspect the PTA doesn’t require a volunteer to have a kid in school and you don’t need to own a business to belong to the Chamber of Commerce.
The economic and demographic composition of renters is changing. Their exclusion from civic organizations should also change.
Ken Calhoon is a real estate broker in El Dorado County. He can be reached for questions and comments at ken@kencalhoon. com.
I HAVE BEEN SELLING HOMES IN POLLOCK PINES FOR OVER 20 YEARS. EVERY SELLER AND BUYER HAVE DEFINITE PRIORITIES, AND I ENJOY DELIVERING WHAT YOU WANT, INCLIDING PRICE, LOCATION, & TYPE OF HOME. I ALSO HAVE A TEAM AROUND ME TO MAKE SURE YOUR EVERY NEED IS MET, THAT INCLUDES A TRUSTED LOAN OFFICER, CARPENTERS, PLUMBERS, ELECTRICIANS, ROOFERS, & SEPTIC EXPERTS. ALSO OFFERED IS MULTi-WEEKEND OPEN HOUSES, PLUS A CAMERA CREW SECOND TO NONE. CALL ME @ 530 903-4694 AND LET’S GET THINGS TAKEN CARE OF.
THE CONDITIONS OF THE SALE. CAN’T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT HIM, 10 OF 10!” THANK YOU SO MUCH BILL! ~ HANNAH PILLOW
$1,100,000 2030 Arroyo Vista Way 4 2 (2 0) 1965 5 224039345
$1,125,000 5180 Brentford Way 5 4 (4 0) 3474 0.26 224061864
$1,130,000 3085 Ridgeview Dr 5 5 (3 2) 3790 0.51 224050231
$1,149,900 3060 Orbetello Way 4 4 (3 1) 3556 0.42 224061785
$1,175,000 4075 Windsor Point Pl 4 5 (3 2) 3767 0.43 224038527
$1,195,000 2154 Keystone Dr 4 4 (3 1) 2707 0.51 224067566
$1,200,000 1993 Keystone Dr 4 4 (3 1) 3108 0.29 224032163
$1,239,000 5089 Arlington Way 5 4 (4 0) 3458 0.23 224060328
$1,248,500 7260 Breaker Point Way 4 5 (4 1) 3545 0.5 224044451
$1,249,000 1553 Terracina Dr 4 3 (3 0) 3034 0.23 224064151
$1,250,000 7050 Via Barlogio #Lot 2 4 4 (4 0) 3132 0.47 224023421
$1,250,000 2111 Moonstone 5 5 (4 1) 3922 0.35 224041419
$1,265,000 329 Cobble Rock Ct 4 4 (3 1) 3402 0.31 224058550
$1,269,000 3588 Rocky Ridge Way 4 3 (3 0) 2438 0.3 224054273
$1,275,000 618 Encina Dr 3 3 (2 1) 3085 0.52 224029586
$1,280,000 1334 Souza Dr 7 5 (5 0) 4878 0.26 224055671
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$1,295,000 5200 Piazza Pl 4 5 (4 1) 4015 0.38 224038081
$1,298,000 2561 Orsay Way 4 5 (3 2) 4183 0.22 224044499
$1,299,000 4281 Marble Ridge Rd 5 3 (3 0) 4062 10.02 224008577
$1,299,000 1315 Cornerstone Dr 4 5 (4 1) 4592 0.62 224033107
$1,299,000 8177 Benevento Dr 4 4 (3 1) 3279 0.6 224042687
$1,299,000 4821 Screech Owl Creek Rd 5 4 (3 1) 3024 10.09 224050579
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$1,299,000 4188 Kilt Cir 5 3 (3 0) 4000 0.47 224061508
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$1,450,000 5326 Florentino Loop 5 5 (4 1) 3741 0.49 224043910
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$1,849,000 2510 Orsay Way 4 5 (4 1) 4059 0.33 224061563
$1,899,000 1272 Van Gogh Dr 5 6 (5 1) 4382 0.2 224010522
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$1,998,800 4101 Hawk View Rd 4 3 (3 0) 3512 9.36 224043058
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$2,850,000 5263 Da Vinci Drive 4 5 (4 1) 4561 0.62 224055931
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$3,099,000 5011 Greyson Creek Drive 4 6 (5 1) 4865 0.46 223105112
$3,200,000 4901 Greyson Creek Dr 4 5 (4 1) 4398 0.49 223094679
$3,229,000
$1,375,000 4410 Fremonts
$1,485,000 2180 Kelley Creek Ln
224058803
224036079
$620,000 3770 Tumbleweed Rd 3 3 (2 1) 2128 5.02 224055993
$719,500 7680 Crystal Blvd 3 3 (3 0) 2350 2.279 224057619
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$999,000 6827-6827 Monitor Ct 5 3 (3 0) 3616 5 224059945
$2,365,500 3055 Gold Country Dr 4 7 (6 1) 3854 10 224062673
$3,000,000 660 Sand Ridge Rd 3 2 (2 0) 1760 1843.68 224054017 PLACERVILLE
$399,000 6201 Bird Song Ln 3 1 (1 0) 1355 5.05 224042631
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$749,000 2274 Sand Ridge Rd 4 3 (3 0) 2494 15.01 223064060
$860,000 4220 Strickland Mine Ct 4 3 (3 0) 3000 3 224063798
$1,400,000 4420 El Dorado Rd 3 3 (2 1) 2006 5.41 224010941
$1,400,000 4420 El Dorado Rd 3 3 (2 1) 2006 5.41 224010941
$595,000 4564 Ringold
$582,000 3101 Bridgeport School Rd 2 2 (2 0) 1300 13.49 224064199 $695,000 3780 Bridgeport School Rd
$272,000 5709 Wildrose Dr 3 3 (2 1) 2070 1.42 224017022
$278,000 6836 Kings Row Dr 2 2 (1 1) 976 0.25 224047003
$299,000 10122 Grizzly Flat Rd 3 2 (2 0) 947 0.84 223042557
$299,000 5006 Meadow Glen Dr 3 2 (2 0) 1200 0.33 224015813
$329,900 5377 Blue Mountain 2 2 (2 0) 1116 0.34 224066008
$379,500 7418 Winding Way 2 2 (2 0) 1472 0.27 224009281
$395,000 5145 Golden Aspen 3 2 (2 0) 1554 0.31 224035849
$444,000 5408 Pine Ridge Dr 3 2 (2 0) 1602 0.8 224047331
$445,000 5180 Evergreen Dr 3 2 (2 0) 2070 0.5 224056150
$475,000 7028 Sugar Pine Dr 3 2 (2 0) 1756 1.2 224034280
$525,000 5689 Blue Mountain Dr 2 2 (2 0) 2356 1 224041087
$585,000 7003 Pioneer Dr 4 3 (2 1) 2381 0.25 224038209 MOUNT AUKUM
$1,695,000
