Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Demographics

The population of RM is about 4700:.
19% under the age of 18,
3% from 18 to 24,
21% from 25 to 44,
35.% from 45 to 64,
22% 65 years of age or older.

Schools

Schools serving Rancho Murieta are some of the best in Northern California:

- Cosumnes River Elementary School, at 13580 Jackson Road, Sloughhouse, is among the few public elementary schools in California to receive a distinguished Great Schools Rating of 10 out of 10. The State Rank: 10, the API Score 902. Built in 1948 is now under construction for the new buildings.
- Katherine L. Albiani Middle School, at 9140 Bradshaw Road, Elk Grove, The State Rank: 9, the API Score: 845
- Pleasant Grove High School, at 9531 Bond Road, Elk Grove, The State Rank: 9, the API Score: 819.

Politics

Rancho Murieta is located on Cosumnes Unincorporated Area of Sacramento County. The community is governed and serviced by several elected bodies.
The Community Services District provides water, sewer and garbage collection.
The RMA provides landscape and street maintenance, and enforcement of the CC&R's.
The community fills its own reservoirs with water from Cosumnes River. In 1971 The State Water Resources Control Board grants the Murieta development 6,368 acre-feet of water annually. In the state legislature Rancho Murieta is located in the 1st Senate District. and in the 10th Assembly District.
Federally, Rancho Murieta is located in California's 3rd congressional district, which has a Cook Part. Voting Index of R +7
(Daniel Lungren is the current Congressmen).

CC&R

Rancho Murieta CC&R’s are generally about preserving this beautiful area and keeping the community beautiful and safe.
The speed in the community is 25m/hr. There are no motorcycles allowed inside the community: RMA provides special parking for those vehicles. The popular transportation here are electric carts.
The community guard patrols the area 24/7/365 and responds quickly in any event.

Recreation

Rancho Murieta provides many opportunities for recreation and for leisure for members of all ages.
Two 18-hole golf courses are part of Rancho Murieta Country Club, which offers some of the best golf to be found in Northern California.
The 18-hole "North" course, which was open in 1971 and was later redesigned in 1986 by Arnold Palmer, features 6,839 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72 . The course rating is 72.6 and it has a slope rating of 136 on Bermuda grass.
The 18-hole "South" course features 6,894 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72 . The course rating is 72.9 and it has a slope rating of 129 on Bermuda grass. Designed by Ted Robinson, ASGCA, the South golf course opened in 1979.
For more information go to:
http://www.ranchomurietacc.com/


RM also offers six lighted tennis courts, 3 baseball field, a basketball court, playgrounds for children, 6 lakes and ponds, the beach on Lake Clementia, two fishing lakes with boat ramps (only electric engines are allowed) and tens miles of biking and running trails.

To see trails go to:
http://www.murietaonline.com/resident-guide/rancho-murieta-map/trails

History

In the “gold era “ the land along the Cosumners River was called Bridge House. There was even the post office Bridge House form 1901 until 1918.

One of the first settlers here was Elitha Donner, daughter of Donner Party leader. Rescued in 1847 from the mountains, she married Perry Mc Cook and they live in his adobe cabin in north bank of Cosumnes River, what today is the part of RM.

In 1848, days after the signing the Treaty of Guadalupe - Hidalgo that ended the Mexican war, gold was discovered and triggered a large migration to Sacramento area.
Looking for gold John Driscoll from Ireland came to California in 1853.
His daughter Mary married Robert Granlees , who came to Bridge House in 1871, where he purchased ranch.
Mary Granlees bought then land from Emanuel Pratt , another miner who lived in the house, where today is the parking area.
In 1915 Mary Granlees deeded her land to her 3 sons and about 50 years later in 1970 the brothers sold 2,200 acres for a million and a quarter to the Pension Trust Fund of Operating Engineers Union Local 3 .
The heavy equipment operators chose this site along the Cosumnes River as a training school.
"We ripped out the streets . We did the excavation for the pipe -- everything here is underground, as it should be -- and we built the six lakes. ... We did it with trainees, and they were learning to build things. They weren't just pushing dirt around”.
“We have a saying in the Engineers -- 'They'll never build a monument to the Engineers. We build our own.' "
With their work, the land became Rancho Murieta.
The first homes appeared in the mid-1970s, and development of the community continues.

Future

Currently developers works in North RM are Robert J. Cassano of Murieta Holdings and Gerry N. Kamilos and South developer Reynen & Bardis.

The Rancho Murieta Planned Development (PD) Ordinance and Rancho Murieta Master Plan regulate land uses in Rancho Murieta, both of which have been amended several times since their original adoption in 1969. The County’s General Plan also guides development within Rancho Murieta, though to a more general level.
First RM Master plan was for 7,000 units, then in 1984 was changed to 5,000 units, but future residential build out is currently estimated at 4,183 dwelling units, according to the Rancho Murieta Community Service District.
What is interesting that under thr pressure of the community, developers divided planned part of the community for small communities under 100 houses , to avoid fulfilling requirements to build lower income housing there.
In 2000 developers were planning to build 1500 houses within 10 years in Rancho Murieta South. They build over 750 houses, then market went down and development stopped.
There is some issue with the land bought on auction, 57 acres for $ 2000.
To read the story, go to: http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2354634.html#mi_rss=Top%20Stories

There is also plan to build Murieta Gardens I and II in the south side of Highway 16 .

Chalenges

The biggest challenge in this community is to provide water to the planned future housing . The existing water and sewage treatment are good for the present population, however when remaining open space will be covered with 1100 new homes, developers will be required to expend these facilities. The problem is that thereyis the water, but there is no storage to keep this water for the community. One suggestion was to pump the water to the canal , using this canal as a storage, then pump it back. It didn’t work for some environmental issue.

RE market:

As for November 30, 2009, there are 53 homes for sale including 22 short sales, about 20 bank owned and 13 pending sales. Prices are from 150K for a townhouse to 880 K for single family, from 99/ sq ft to 238 / sq ft

Averages in August : $472,982, 3.3 beds, 2,523 sqft, $187 per sqft.

Sales this year: 85 properties including land, from 110 K to 875 K.

There are two very active RE offices, selling houses and lots from the beginning when Rancho Murieta was developed :

1/ Rancho Murieta Homes & Land with 7 RE licensees, small family brokerage owned by Karen Hoberg.
She came to Rancho Murieta in 1978 working as a real estate professional for Murieta Sales Corporation. In 1980, she moved to Rancho Murieta and in 1993 she established Rancho Murieta Homes & Land Inc. They listed about a half of all properties here.
Recently the office was involved in the controversial selling transaction: the house was sold by bank for much undervalued price to the son of person managing bank owned properties in this bank. All lives in Rancho Murieta.

2/ Town and Country with 14 RE licensees, owned by Ina Semrau. She also lives in Rancho Murieta and have an office at Rancho Murieta Plaza.
She is serving Rancho Murieta over 30 years.
There are other listing agents from smaller and bigger companies, but their listing are from 1 to 5 properties in this community.

RM in numbers

Monthly homeowners' dues/fees for Rancho Murieta Association, Community Services District and Country Club (as of January 2008)
RMA
Dues: $141.00*
CSD
Water (base rate): $27.36
Sewer: $41.57
Security tax: $23.89
Drainage tax: $4.20
Garbage (354-4154)
38-gallon: $15.05 a month
64-gallon: $17.04 a month
96-gallon: $24.54 a month
Country Club
Golfing membership (includes social and tennis): $369
Social membership (includes tennis, driving range and golf once a month): $63
Cart trail fees: $50
Townhouses
Murieta Townhouse Inc. dues: $209
RMA, CSD and Country Club costs same as above
Villas
Villas at Rancho Murieta Homeowners Association dues (includes community club house, pool, laundry room, exterior maintenance and fire insurance: $301
Country Club costs same as above
Lots (unimproved)
RMA dues: $141*
CSD (security): $23.89
Country Club costs same as above
* Homeowners dues include basic cable