Yesterday's post about a Sacramento Bee article discussed a house for sale in Arden Arcade's Sierra Oaks Vista neighborhood. It pointed to a real estate tactic: when selling expensive real estate in Arden Arcade, say the property is "in the city" or "in Sacramento". Don't let on that the property is in Arden Arcade. Arden Arcade is ghetto. Arden Arcade "sounds like a shooting gallery". You won't get your asking price.

Maybe that's just how realtors play the game. Maybe the writers and editors who work at our local media giants don't have time to check facts. OK, whatever. Then today the Fair Oaks- Carmichael Patch carried a similar real estate story about a house for sale in the Sierra Oaks neighborhood, across Fair Oaks Boulevard from yesterday's house for sale. Guess what? This other house is in Arden Arcade too. Yet the Patch story calls it a "stunning Sacramento home" -- an "incredible Sacramento property" -- and the local social media site played right along. Local media midgets can be as confused or oblivious as local media giants, big deal. Except, it really is helpful for residents and potential residents to know which governmental entity is responsible for their municipal services. Like when you come home and find your house has been trashed, for example. Do you tell the police or the Sheriff? Do you complain to the City Council or the Board of Supervisors?  It so happens there is a handy way to know if you are in the City of Sacramento or not.  Look at the street signs. The City of Sacramento's street signs are green with white lettering. White street signs with black lettering and fine print that says "Sacramento County" mean you are in the UnCity. You can see those white-with-black signs throughout Arden Arcade, but not in the City of Sacramento.