Every year it happens. Sometime around August, summer stops feeling endless and starts feeling short. The same people who spent June saying, “We’ve got all summer,” are suddenly looking at calendars, checking school schedules, and wondering where the last ten weeks went.
Apparently, I am one of those people. Back in June, I published my Summer Bucket List. In July, I provided a progress report noting that the garage remained undefeated. Now it’s time for the final installment; my progress report.
The outdoor concert happened. The New York Creek Trail got another visit. Pickleball remained a regular activity, although I don’t think anyone was surprised by that. And of course, golf. Empire Ranch is a summer staple for me.
I also made it back to Historic Folsom. It’s like a good book. You visit once, enjoy it, and still leave feeling like there’s more to discover. Every visit seems to be a new adventure.
The Johnny Cash Trail also made the list. I had been there before, but this time I paid more attention to the artwork and birds! One unexpected bonus from the Johnny Cash Trail was a newly discovered interest in bird-watching, a hobby my daughter introduced me to last winter.
As for finishing the library book…uh, hmmm. Need I say more?
One thing I learned this summer is that bucket lists have a way of changing. New items appear. Priorities shift. Opportunities come along that weren’t part of the original plan. And that’s okay. The biggest surprise wasn’t how many items I completed. It was how much more I appreciated the experiences simply because I was intentional about them.
The A’s games weren’t just baseball games. They were opportunities to spend time with my daughter and friends. The hikes weren’t just exercise. They were a chance to disconnect from emails, phone calls, and to-do lists for a little while. The concerts, trails, restaurants, and local attractions weren’t things I discovered for the first time. They were things I realized I really enjoy.
As a Realtor, people often ask why families choose to move to Folsom and El Dorado Hills. Schools, neighborhoods, commute patterns, and housing options are certainly part of the answer. But lifestyle is a big part of it too. People move here because trails, parks, lakes, community events and restaurants are all part of everyday life.
While summer may be winding down, the local real estate market continues to move forward, although at a slower and more measured pace.
Through July, home sales are up in both communities—429 in El Dorado Hills compared with 369 last year, and 496 in Folsom compared with 442. Yet from where I sit, buyer activity doesn’t feel particularly strong. Open house traffic seems lighter, price reductions are more common, and homes are taking longer to sell—51 days on average in El Dorado Hills and 40 in Folsom.Prices are mixed, with El Dorado Hills’ average sales price down about 4% from last year while Folsom is essentially flat. To me, it feels like a market where buyers are more patient and selective, while sellers are having to be more thoughtful about pricing and preparation.
As we move toward fall, September often brings some of our best weather of the year. Around here, summer doesn’t always end when the calendar says it does. We usually get a bonus month of warm days, outdoor activities, and what many of us still call Indian Summer. In other words, there’s still time to keep living the bucket-list dream.
And now, the moment many of you have been waiting for. The garage. The garage remains undefeated. To be fair, some progress was made. I located several items I had forgotten I owned, rediscovered projects I intended to finish sometime around 2022, and confirmed that boxes have an uncanny ability to reproduce when left unsupervised. But if we’re being honest, the garage won. Again. Fortunately, summer was never really about the garage.
When I wrote my Summer Bucket List back in June, I thought the goal was to complete a list. It turns out the goal was to pay attention. Although next year, I’m definitely going to clean the garage. Probably.
I’m Pat Quan. I live and work in the area and enjoy helping people make thoughtful real estate decisions when the time comes.
And with a little planning—and a good Realtor (I happen to know one)—the next move can go smoothly. 916.812.4341 | www.PatQuan.com | pquan@cbnorcal.com CA DRE #01918240
