My favorite was Strawberry Marble. Do I get that or Mint Chocolate Chip? My mom’s favorite was Butter Brickle. I haven’t thought about those flavors in years. This is the hot weather season for ice cream and frozen yogurt. Memories are made through these frozen treats. When I was young, my mom and I would go visit her mom and afterwards, we’d make our way to Merritt Bakery in Oakland. They had the best cakes and cookies but I so remember standing in line on a hot summer day waiting to get our ice cream cones. It’s been decades since those days, but truly a fond memory for me. 

Closer to home, there’s so many ways that families can make their own memories and rituals. 

Ice cream memories are generational. 

I remember when Coldstone Creamery came to El Dorado Hills and Folsom. There we were, turning back the clock to Merritt Bakery, except it was me paying at the register, and my two daughters with their noses pressed against the glass, peering in to choose a flavor. As I recall, Chocolate Devotion was a frequent winner. I miss visiting Coldstone with my little girls. 

And any trip to Maui includes mandatory visits to Ululani’s shave ice. I can picture my family, the four of us waiting somewhat patiently in line, excited and discussing which combination of flavors we’d try this time. Would it be the old standby, or would this be the time to be daring, and try a new set of flavors and toppings (which became a thing in my kids’ childhood)? Then we’d get our treasure, and go sit somewhere, like at the benches at the Lahaina ocean wall and just enjoy the casualness of the simple pleasure of the day. 

My daughters are grown now. So now when we get ice cream, we reminisce about the old days more than making new memories. Maybe Marianne’s Ice Cream in Santa Cruz is the exception. For us, it’s ageless. It’s just fun whenever we go. 

There are so many delightful ways to make similar memories in this area. The newly opened Leatherby’s in Folsom is a full sit-down restaurant with sundaes that overflow and make that sticky mess that is so wonderful to experience, especially if your loved one’s spoons are digging in too. My wife’s sisters love coming to visit and Handel’s is always on their itinerary. Their super wide list of flavors is mind-boggling and its fun being confused on what flavor to choose on that visit. The list goes on and on. Gelato at the Nugget. Menchie’s in Folsom always reminds me of being at the campus in Berkeley. I gotta go try Alice’s Ice Cream shop on Sutter Street in Folsom. I know that I’m overlooking the handful of other wonderful small businesses in the area that offer their own special frozen treats so visitors, local and from afar, can make their own simple memories. I hope that my friends and clients in the neighborhood are making a new little memory along with me as each summer, just before school starts, I invite Pinkberry out to a local park in El Dorado Hills where they give away frozen yogurt with their awesome toppings. Friends and families come and enjoy the weather, the playground in the park and just have a chance to get away and enjoy the simple pleasures of this amazing area where we live. 

As always, my column includes information about the state of our local residential real estate. This business is unique in that it is based on a similar foundation as the ice cream experience. Our homes are special to us. When we think about our homes, we think about the memories that we hope to create or have created. It can be about anything. My daughter and I planted a little tree together. Fifteen years later, it’s a giant tree; the most special tree. It can be a silly memory like when I’d barbecue in the backyard and while the food was cooking, my daughters and I would play baseball on the lawn. Yes, to us, that lawn was a full-size baseball diamond with fans and everything. Memories come in all shapes and sizes and they are yours forever. And memories help us dream. Dream of maybe hosting a loved one’s wedding in the backyard. Or the family reunion where everyone is enjoying the pool area that you enjoy sharing. Or when that little baby arrives, they’ll fit perfectly in this bedroom with the colorful décor. I love this career and who knew it started with a simple ice cream cone with my mom at a family bakery in Oakland.

Our local real estate market is creating its own memories. In El Dorado Hills (EDH) and Folsom, low inventory is still the rule of the day. But interestingly, at the date of this writing, Folsom has around 1.3 homes on the market for every one home that is pending in contract between buyer and seller. But EDH has closer to three homes on the market for every one home pending. That’s a significant difference and an indicator that either in EDH, more homes are coming on the market faster than they are getting offers accepted and / or Folsom homes are just selling more quickly as they come on market. With Days On Market up in both markets, homes are taking longer to sell. Average price of homes sold are down in both EDH and Folsom. In EDH, average home sold through first half of 2023 was over $1,070,000 while over $761,000 in Folsom. Buyer activity remains strong as a high percentage of homes still receive multiple offers. But a majority of those homes receive two or three offers with far fewer instances of homes receiving a much larger number of offers. As interest rates hover in the six percent range, it’s considered to be a significant factor in keeping inventory low.  

I love where I live. I’m excited to continue to help more families in 2023 with their real estate needs. With proper planning and a good Realtor (Luckily, I know a really good one….), you can smoothly get to your next stage in life. 

For more tips on how to successfully navigate the real estate purchase or sale, or suggestions on Folsom topics, please contact me at Coldwell Banker, 916.812.4341, pquan@cbnorcal.com, www.PatQuan.com. CA DRE #01918240