SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Eric Polk just retired from 24 years of law enforcement and is looking for a new home for him and his family.
"It was a little intimidating when we first came to tour Cyrene at Fiddyment in Roseville," Polk said.
At first glance, Cyrene at Fiddyment looks like a housing development. But these brand new homes are actually the newest living trend, single-family homes for rent in a community setting.
"They're always talking about the American dream and Roseville should be on the list to look for that dream," Polk said.
Polk's slice of the American dream comes with the perks usually afforded to home owners, a house with a backyard, but with the freedom renting. The house is complete with amenities like stainless-steel appliances, a full-size washer and dryer, smart home technology and is built next to a brand new school.
As a member of the Cyrene at Fiddyment community, he won't have to pay for lawn care and can rely on the landlords if something goes wrong with an appliance.
"A lot of people say, oh you're a renter, you're just throwing away money and people can get caught up in that," Polk said.
Financial advisor Lamar Simpson of Sacramento added his thoughts on the newest apartment trend.
"It's an opportunity to have some really nice amenities and a super nice place to live, that you may not get otherwise, but it's not an investment because you don't own it," Simpson said.
Nathan Pile, President of Curve Development says the down payments and closing costs stand in the way of a lot of people's dream of owning a home.
"I want to remove the stigma of renting," Pile said. "I think the barrier to entry for someone to buy a home is pretty large. You have to put down a pretty big chunk of change and if you do want to buy right now, the market is crazy and most people don't know about this option [single family home apartment communities]."
But if you ask Polk, the peace of mind renting his new home provides for him and his family is priceless.
"I've dealt with a lot over the years and being out here allows me to catch my breath and enjoy the scenery with my family," Polk said.
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