Rare 10-acre property listed for sale in Citrus Heights

By Sara Beth Williams–
A nearly 10-acre parcel on Van Maren Lane has been listed for sale at $1.95 million.

The residential plot of land, listed by Lyon Real Estate, has been on the market for a month, according to Zillow, and measures 9.87 acres. The land features plentiful trees, brush and natural walking paths.

Maps show Cripple Creek runs through the property, with no standing structures listed as part of the lot. A portion of the land borders the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

According to the listing, the property is zoned as RD-5, low-density residential, and “affords serene privacy yet is located conveniently close to services, schools, and recreation with easy commutes in all directions.”

Steve Carpenter, with Lyon Real Estate, said the land does not belong to the church or any other home located adjacent to the property, and the entire property boundary is fenced. He could neither confirm nor deny the existence of a flood plain on the land.

Regional residential appraiser and housing market analyst Ryan Lundquist told The Sentinel that large plots for sale like the one on Van Maren Lane are rare for Citrus Heights. According to Lundquist, ­the last sale of a lot larger than five acres was a 5.11-acre lot sold back in 2012 for $2 million. Lundquist also said it’s possible that other large lots have sold privately, but very few lots over five acres are listed for sale publicly.

“There is a limited pool of buyers for something like this, but there is a market for larger parcels,” Lundquist said, adding that larger parcels do take longer to sell, but can sell quickly if the right buyer takes notice.

An archived Sacramento County assessor’s map of Citrus Heights, from 1921, provided by Citrus Heights Historical Society President Larry Fritz shows that the plot of land for sale at one point may have belonged to the Van Maren family.

Carpenter confirmed there was a home on the property “many, many decades ago,” but the home is long gone.