This is going to be THE summer

Every June, I tell myself the same thing: "This is going to be THE summer." The summer I spend more time outdoors. The summer I finally tackle a few projects around the house. The summer I explore places I've driven past for years but never visited. The summer I read that stack of books that's been sitting on my nightstand since 2019. And every August, I find myself wondering how three months disappeared so quickly. Then again, I ask myself a similar question at the end of each week. One minute it's Memorial Day weekend – one of my favorite holidays – and we're celebrating the start of summer. The next thing you know, back-to-school displays have appeared at Target, football season is around the corner, and somebody is already talking about pumpkin spice. Living in El Dorado Hills for nearly 30 years has taught me we live in one of the best places imaginable for summer. We have Folsom Lake, miles of trails, farmers markets, outdoor concerts, community events, great restaurants and enough sunshine to make people from other states more than a little jealous. The problem isn't finding things to do. The problem is remembering to actually do them. So this year, I've decided to be intentional. We'll see how that goes. I've created a Summer Bucket List. Nothing too ambitious. Experience has taught me that putting "run a marathon" on a list usually turns into "watch other people run a marathon while enjoying breakfast." A few items that made the cut: • Tour the Assistance League Garden of the Hills. It's a wonderful local charity I support, but somehow I've never taken the tour. • Hike at Folsom Lake. It's five minutes – FIVE minutes – from my house, yet I don't spend nearly enough time enjoying one of the area's greatest assets. • Buy fresh produce at a local farmers market. Longtime readers may remember that growing vegetables was once a goal of mine. I've since concluded that supporting people who actually know how to grow them may be the smarter strategy. • Attend an outdoor concert. We have so many opportunities for free live music in El Dorado Hills and Folsom that there's really no excuse not to. • Check out a library book and actually read it. Borrowing the book isn't usually the problem. Reading it before it's due is where things get complicated. • Hike the New York Creek Trail again. In my opinion, it's the hiking crown jewel of El Dorado Hills. • Play pickleball at Lembi Park. I may be slightly addicted. Thankfully, I haven't quit my day job. • Clean out the garage. OK, maybe that last one was a moment of temporary optimism. The garage has appeared on my annual to-do list for so many years it may qualify for historic preservation status. The good news is most of the items on this list don't require airline reservations, hotel bookings or months of planning. They're right here in our backyard. That's one of the things I love most about living in Folsom and El Dorado Hills. As a Realtor, people often ask why families choose to move here. The answers usually include schools, neighborhoods, commute times and housing options. Those things certainly matter. But I think lifestyle plays a bigger role than many people realize. People move here because they can spend a Saturday morning at a farmers market, an afternoon at Folsom Lake and an evening listening to live music outdoors. They move here because trails, parks, community events and beautiful scenery aren't occasional attractions – they're part of everyday life. Sometimes, we get so busy living here we forget to enjoy what's around us. The easiest things to do are often the things we keep putting off until "someday." That's why I'm making my list public. Consider this my accountability column. Over the next two months, I'll report back on my progress. Some items will undoubtedly be completed. Others may remain stubbornly unfinished. And if history is any guide, the garage and I will still be negotiating terms sometime around Labor Day. 2027? While summer activities are picking up, the local real estate market is showing familiar seasonal patterns as well. Through May, El Dorado Hills and Folsom continue to exhibit healthy activity, although conditions have become a bit more balanced than we've seen in recent years. Buyers have more choices, as inventory has increased modestly, homes are taking slightly longer to sell, and sellers are still receiving very close to their asking prices on average. In other words, we're seeing more balance between buyers and sellers than during some of the highly competitive years of the recent past. Much like my Summer Bucket List, success in today's market often comes down to having a plan, staying realistic and being prepared to adapt along the way. In the meantime, I encourage you to create your own Summer Bucket List. Try something new. Revisit an old favorite. Support a local business. Attend a community event. Summer has a way of moving quickly. When I'm sipping that pumpkin spice latte a few months from now, I'd like to have plenty of memories to look back on. Let's see how much of this list survives the summer. 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.