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Auburn California is a Great Place to Live!

Nicole Spencer • March 23, 2022

Here are seven reasons why Auburn is a great place to live:

Less traffic, friendlier people: When people aren’t stressed about getting through traffic and life is a bit slower, people tend to be more friendly. This is evident when driving and going to public places – Auburnites smile, exchange greetings and are generally far more pleasant than in more congested areas. Traffic is easy going (except during commute times, on Hwy 49 – which will move a little slower that other times of day)

Outdoor recreation: There is a multitude of recreational things to do: hiking, biking, horse back riding, water activities at the many lakes and rivers – all within minutes.

Community events: Auburn has many community gatherings, bringing people together to meet, dine and have fun. Some of the many events include a monthly car show in the summer with a live band, Cinco de mayo gathering and performances, a weekly farmers market behind the iconic courthouse and the extremely popular light parade with Santa. The fair grounds hosts a county fair, two home shows, the Rodeo, Fast Friday motorcycle racing and my favorite the Mandarin (orange) festival.

Custom homes: Unlike the valley where cookie cutter homes are prevalent, the foothills is abundant with custom built homes. You can find everything from historic Victorians, Mid Century Modern, Tuscan and everything in between. There is also a wide range of homes that have views: of the canyon, snow capped mountains, Sacramento Valley and fantastic sunrise and sunsets. If you are looking for acreage for privacy, animals, to have a shop or garden….you can find all of that variety in the greater Auburn area.

Craft beer and wineries: Beer and wine enthusiasts travel to Auburn to enjoy some of the best craft beers and family owned wineries. Local breweries like Knee Deep, MoonRaker, Crooked Lane and others have become popular hang out places for people and dogs alike. For those that like wine, there are beautiful wineries along the wine trail. Search Placer Wine Trail

Convenient location: while you can find a movie theatre, nice restaurants, shopping and a hospital in Auburn, Roseville is just 15 minutes down the highway and has the Galleria mall, Costco, large hospitals and more. For those that like to travel, Sac International Airport is only about a 40 minute drive.

Weather: The Auburn foothills are above the fog and below the snow. It is about the same temperature as the valley in the winter (but with sun) and an average of 6-10 degrees cooler than the valley in summer. 

Here are some pictures that I have taken from homes around Auburn, showing the diversity of this foothill area.

A large white house with the words the need for setting up a trust expert advice from auburn ca

The Importance of Setting Up a Trust: Expert Advice from Auburn, CA’s Top Realtor

By Nicole Spencer • February 14, 2025
Learn why setting up a trust is crucial for your real estate investments from Auburn, CA’s top realtor, Nicole Spencer.

Gated Communities in Greater Placer County

By Nicole Spencer • February 23, 2023
Gated communities offer a sense of community, safety and privacy and are hence very desirable. Communities often vary around hobbies such as golf, equestrian, age 55 and over and lake communities. If you are looking for a gated community in the Auburn, Roseville, Granite Bay, Lincoln and greater Placer county area, look no further. As your local real estate expert, I have included details and links below to a variety of gated communities in the area and am available to answer any of your questions.

Placer and Nevada County Horse Properties

By Nicole Spencer • January 17, 2023
Placer and Nevada County offers a plethora of horse properties for all horse riding disciplines. Located in the Sierra Foothills, between Sacramento and North Lake Tahoe the terrain varies between flat to gentle rolling hills with little to no trees to more sloped properties with more trees, at the higher elevations. There are many horse properties that come on the market, some with barns and arenas and others with just fencing and an open pallet to build what you desire. While there is enough rain to typically provide green grass 5-8 months of the year, it may be important to you that the property provides irrigation water. Irrigation water in Placer and Nevada Counties are provided by the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) or Placer County Water Agency (PCWA). Not all properties have access to this water, so if it is important to have year-round irrigated pastures, let your Realtor know. Prices range from approx. $550,000 to multi-millions. There are a few communities that offer riding trails, maintained by the HOA – like Sierra Foothill Estates and the Rancho’s in Auburn or Auburn Lake Trails in Cool. A savvy horse rider & Realtor can look for properties that back up to public horse riding trails so that you have easy access. These may include parks like Hidden Falls, Empire Mine, Folsom Lake or the Canyon or a private place that only a trail rider will know about.

What’s the Scoop on the Housing Market?

By Nicole Spencer • May 26, 2022
Have you been thinking about building an ADU on your property?

Available ADU Grant Money

By Nicole Spencer • April 14, 2022
Have you been thinking about building an ADU on your property?

Why Title Insurance

By Nicole Spencer • March 25, 2022
Title insurance is a safety net to protect your property after purchasing, from any financial claims that may be unknown at the time of closing escrow. Below are examples of some of the instances that title insurance will protect you.

Winchester Golf Course and Community

By Nicole Spencer • March 3, 2022
Winchester Country Club is a private course that was twice rated as one of America’s best residential golf courses by Golfweek. Co-designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and Jr. the challenging course takes approximately 4 hours to play. Winchester Country Club is a premier luxury home and golf community, offering the amenities and atmosphere of a scenic retreat for year-round resort-like living. The design and location of this community beautifully blend together an award-winning clubhouse and generously spaced luxury homes with views, pines and oaks – above the fog and below the snow. Located only 5 minutes off of highway 80, Auburn is approximately 5 minutes down the hill with high end shopping at the Galleria mall about 30 minutes from the community. Residents can enjoy a day trip to Lake Tahoe in about one hour, to San Francisco in about two hours, or simply enjoy all the social activities right at home in Winchester. Homeowner amenities include a junior Olympic swimming pool, tennis courts, bocce ball, pickleball and owner’s clubhouse, and over 4 miles of walking trails. Golf club amenities include bar, fine dining, and 2 fitness centers.

Darkhorse Golf Course and Community

By Nicole Spencer • March 3, 2022
The par 72 Darkhorse Golf course features magnificent elevation changes and was sculptured to fit the natural landscape of the area. Riding on the cart path is like riding through a nature preserve with the abundance of wildlife. It is rated in California’s top 10 by GolfWeek Magazine and recognized as an outstanding affordable golf experience. The community of Darkhorse is located 15 miles from I80, midway between the historic towns of Auburn and Grass Valley. Residents enjoy lots of great local shopping and dining or the Galleria mall for shopping, within 45 minutes. San Francisco in less than 2 ½ hours and Lake Tahoe is about 1 hour. If you like to golf, you will love living in Darkhorse.
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