A question I hear from families all the time goes something like this: “Mom wants her own place and her own friends, but what happens if she needs more help later?” That question is where a life plan community comes into the conversation. And in Sacramento County, Eskaton Village Carmichael is the one most people ask me about first.
A life plan community works differently from a 55+ neighborhood where you buy a house. You pay to join, you pay a monthly fee, and you get a place to live plus access to more care on the same campus if you need it. It can feel like a lot of paper and a lot of money at once. So here’s a plain guide to how Eskaton Village Carmichael works, what it costs as far as I could confirm, and what’s around it.
Eskaton Village Carmichael at a glance
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| City and county | Carmichael, Sacramento County (3939 Walnut Avenue) |
| Operator | Eskaton, a nonprofit senior living organization |
| Opened | 1992, as Eskaton’s first campus-style retirement community |
| Campus | About 37 landscaped acres |
| Type of community | Life plan community (a continuing care retirement community, or CCRC). Eskaton calls it Sacramento County’s only life plan community. |
| Home types | Apartments (studio to three bedrooms) and cottages, with more than 22 floor plans |
| How you buy in | A membership under a continuing care contract, plus a monthly fee. You don’t receive a deed. |
| Monthly fee (approx.) | Third-party directories list independent living from about $3,956 to $4,000 a month, as of 2026 |
| Care on site | Independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing and rehab |
| Golf | A 9-hole putting course on campus |
| Pickleball | None listed on campus. Carmichael Park, about a mile away, has 6 public courts. |
| Pool | One heated indoor pool |
| Dining | Restaurant-style main dining room and the Village Bistro |
| Pets | Pet-friendly (small and medium dogs, cats, birds, per a senior living directory) |
How does buying into Eskaton Village Carmichael work?
You buy a membership, not a house. The membership is a continuing care contract. It gives you the right to live in a specific cottage or apartment and access to the higher levels of care on campus, in exchange for an entrance payment up front and a monthly fee for as long as you live there.
This is the part I slow down on with families. With a 55+ home, you get a deed, you own the property, and you or your heirs sell it later. Here, there’s no deed to real estate. What you own is the contract and whatever refund that contract promises. So the contract is the thing to read carefully, with your attorney if you can.
Eskaton also screens new members. Per its own FAQ, applicants need to be able to pay for the membership and keep up with the monthly fee, and they need to meet health requirements. A $2,500 deposit holds a spot on the waiting list during the financial review and health screening, and $2,000 of it applies toward the membership if you’re approved.
Continuing care communities in California are overseen by the California Department of Social Services, through its Continuing Care Contracts Branch. A provider needs a certificate of authority from the state before it can sign continuing care contracts. State law also gives new residents a 90-day window after they first move in to cancel the contract.
Entrance fees and monthly fees
Eskaton offers two kinds of membership agreements at Eskaton Village Carmichael, and the refunds work differently. Eskaton doesn’t post a price list online that I could confirm, so ask for current numbers in writing.
The 90% Repayable Agreement
These memberships are owned by current residents and tied to a specific cottage or apartment. When the membership is resold to the next person, you or your estate get back 90% of what you originally paid plus 50% of any appreciation. Monthly fees keep coming due until the membership transfers to a new buyer, so a slow resale costs money.
For a sense of scale only: an Eskaton Village Carmichael social media post advertised a two-bedroom cottage membership at $295,000. I couldn’t confirm the date of that post, so treat it as an example and not today’s price.
The Traditional 5-Year Amortized Plan
This plan is offered on units Eskaton owns. Per Eskaton, the entry fee runs about 40% lower than under the 90% plan. The refundable amount drops by 20% each year, and after five years nothing comes back.
So the tradeoff is simple to say and harder to decide. A bigger check now can protect what goes to your heirs. A smaller check now leaves more in savings but nothing in the contract after year five.
What the monthly fee covers
Third-party directories list independent living monthly fees starting around $3,956 to $4,000, as of 2026. Those aren’t Eskaton’s own published figures, and one resident review describes the fee rising over the years, so plan for increases. Per Eskaton, the independent living monthly fee includes:
- A flexible dining program
- 24-hour campus patrol
- Services of an advice nurse
- Scheduled transportation
- Weekly housekeeping and linen service
- Building and grounds maintenance
- Utilities, including water, heat, Wi-Fi, air conditioning, electricity and trash
- Use of common areas and the recreational, social and cultural programs
Directories quote assisted living at Eskaton Village Carmichael anywhere from about $5,400 to $7,905 a month, which suggests higher care is priced on its own. I couldn’t confirm that from Eskaton. Ask how your monthly fee changes if you move to assisted living, memory care or skilled nursing.
Eskaton also runs a donor-funded Resident Assistance Fund through the Eskaton Foundation, meant to help long-time residents who run short of savings through no fault of their own. It’s described as a charitable fund, so ask to see what the contract itself says. Fees change, often once a year. Ask me for current figures and I’ll help you line them up against your budget.
Taxes and Mello-Roos
Because you buy a membership and not a deed, you don’t get a property tax bill as an owner the way you would with a house in a 55+ neighborhood. I didn’t find any source tying Mello-Roos to Eskaton Village Carmichael. Questions about how the entrance fee or monthly fee might affect your taxes belong with your CPA.
Homes and floor plans
Eskaton lists more than 22 floor plans, from studio apartments up to three-bedroom cottages. Here are the published plans I could confirm:
| Plan | Type | Bed and bath | Square feet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ash | Apartment | 1 bed, 1 bath | 649 |
| Juniper | Apartment | 1 bed, 1 bath | 781 |
| Cottonwood | Apartment | 1 bed, 1 bath | 809 |
| Palm | Cottage | 1 bed, 1 bath | 1,038 |
| Alder | Cottage | 2 bed, 2 bath | 1,283 |
| Elm | Cottage | 2 bed, 2 bath | 1,299 |
| Walnut | Cottage | 3 bed, 2 bath | 1,525 |
| Magnolia | Cottage | 3 bed, 2 bath | 1,569 |
The cottages tend to suit people coming from a full-size house who still want a little room for guests, hobbies or a second bedroom office. The apartments keep everything close to dining and the main buildings.
Amenities
Fitness and recreation
- Heated indoor pool
- Fitness center
- Bocce court, with tournaments
- 9-hole putting course
- Walking paths and gardening spaces
Indoor spaces
- Library and a TV and video lounge
- Art studio and wood shop
- Music room with two pianos
- Billiards room
- Chapel
- Salon services
Dining
The main dining room is restaurant style with chef-prepared meals and a salad bar. The Village Bistro is the casual option for coffee and grab-and-go meals.
Levels of care on site
Eskaton Village Carmichael has four levels of living and care on one campus:
- Independent living: your own apartment or cottage, with the services in the monthly fee.
- Assisted living: help with daily tasks like bathing, dressing and medications.
- Memory care: a separate, supportive setting for people living with dementia.
- Skilled nursing and rehab: Eskaton Village Care Center, on campus at 3847 Walnut Avenue, offers 24-hour skilled nursing plus short-term and long-term rehab therapy. Directories list it at about 35 beds and certified for Medicare and Medicaid.
Under the 90% Repayable Agreement, Eskaton says members are guaranteed a right of access to assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing and rehab on campus. What I’d ask before signing: who decides when a move to more care happens, how the monthly fee changes at each level, and what happens to your cottage or apartment if one spouse moves to more care and the other stays.
The care center also appears in Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s facility directory, and physicians see residents in an on-campus Wellness Office. If Kaiser is your plan, confirm coverage directly.
Clubs and social life
Eskaton lists more than 40 resident clubs and groups, and much of the calendar is run by residents. A sample from Eskaton’s own list:
- Book clubs, bridge, cribbage, pinochle, mah jongg and Scrabble
- Bocce, putting, cycling and table tennis
- Art classes and an arts committee
- Opera, musical events, a sing-along and a ukulele orchestra
- Garden and flower committees
- Tech Talks and a Parkinson’s support group
Third-party reviews also describe frequent off-campus outings, and scheduled transportation is part of the monthly fee.
Health care nearby
Beyond the care center on campus, two hospitals sit close by, per senior living directories:
- Mercy San Juan Medical Center, Carmichael, about 2.9 miles
- Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Sacramento, about 3 miles
The advice nurse in the monthly fee is a nice middle step for the “should I call someone about this?” moments.
Getting around
Eskaton’s scheduled transportation covers rides to doctor appointments, stores and planned outings. For trips on your own, Carmichael sits inside SacRT’s Arden-Carmichael Flex zone, an on-demand neighborhood shuttle for eligible riders, including seniors 62 and older (apply through SacRT). SacRT GO paratransit serves riders certified under the ADA, and SacRT offers senior fares on its regular routes.
For train travel, the nearest Amtrak station is Sacramento Valley Station at 401 I Street in downtown Sacramento.
What’s nearby
- Carmichael Park, about a mile away, with 6 public pickleball courts
- Ancil Hoffman Park, about 2.4 miles away, with an 85-acre nature study area and trails
- Shopping, medical offices and parks around Carmichael, per Eskaton
Who tends to love Eskaton Village Carmichael
It tends to fit people who want a plan for care decided ahead of time, so a health change later doesn’t force a rushed move. It suits someone who likes a resident-run club calendar, indoor swimming year round, art and woodworking space, and a putting green outside the door. And it suits people ready to hand off yard work, repairs and most cooking.
It’s a harder fit for someone who wants to own real estate, build home equity, or keep a large yard and garage. That’s what a 55+ neighborhood is for.
Frequently asked questions
Do I own my home at Eskaton Village Carmichael?
No. You buy a membership under a continuing care contract, which gives you the right to live in a specific unit and access to care on campus. You don’t get a deed to real estate.
Is the entrance fee refundable?
It depends on the agreement. The 90% Repayable Agreement returns 90% of your original payment plus 50% of any appreciation when the membership resells. The Traditional 5-Year Amortized Plan drops 20% a year and returns nothing after five years.
Do I keep paying monthly fees after I move out or pass away?
Under the 90% Repayable Agreement, yes, monthly fees continue until the membership transfers to a new buyer. Ask how this works under the amortized plan.
What does the monthly fee include?
Dining, housekeeping and linens, maintenance, utilities including Wi-Fi, 24-hour patrol, an advice nurse, scheduled transportation and the activity programs, per Eskaton.
Are pets allowed?
Yes. A senior living directory lists small and medium dogs, cats and birds as allowed. Confirm the current pet policy with Eskaton.
Is there skilled nursing on campus?
Yes. Eskaton Village Care Center provides 24-hour skilled nursing and short-term and long-term rehab on the same campus.
Do I have to qualify to move in?
Yes. Eskaton reviews your finances and does a health screening. A $2,500 deposit holds your place on the waiting list during that review.
Who regulates life plan communities in California?
The California Department of Social Services, through its Continuing Care Contracts Branch. New residents have 90 days after first moving in to cancel the contract under state law.
How far is the nearest hospital?
Mercy San Juan Medical Center is about 2.9 miles away, and Kaiser’s Sacramento hospital is about 3 miles away.
Is there pickleball or golf?
There’s a 9-hole putting course and a bocce court on campus. I didn’t find pickleball courts on campus, but Carmichael Park has 6 public courts about a mile away.
How I can help
Moving into a life plan community usually starts with selling the house you’re in now, and the timing of that sale matters when a membership is waiting. As a real estate and lending broker, I can help you plan the sale, the move and the money in one plan, and compare Eskaton Village Carmichael side by side with other options, including the Sacramento-area 55+ communities where you’d own your home. You can see Eskaton’s own information on the Eskaton Village Carmichael website. When you’re ready, reach out and we’ll go through it at your pace.
About Maggie B. Hopkins
Maggie is the Broker Owner of Surroundings, a real estate and mortgage brokerage here in Sacramento, with more than 20 years in real estate and lending. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration from Western Illinois University, with internship experience in a long-term care facility. She is a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) and a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), has completed the course training for RCFE (Residential Care Facility for the Elderly) certification, and is a Certified Probate & Trust Specialist. She specializes in reverse mortgage planning, helping homeowners understand how it may fit into their retirement goals. She also completed a week-long hospice volunteer training program. Because she handles both the real estate and the financing, families get one plan instead of two separate conversations. Every situation is different, so if you have questions about your own numbers, talk with Maggie.
Maggie B. Hopkins, Surroundings Real Estate & Lending
CA DRE Broker #01750680 | Office DRE #02220140 | NMLS #349517 | Company NMLS #2528307
500 Capitol Mall, Suite #2350, Sacramento, CA 95814. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Community details such as HOA dues, Mello-Roos, prices, and amenities come from public sources and change over time. Please confirm current figures with the HOA, the county, and a current title report before you buy. Age-restricted community rules come from each community’s CC&Rs. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.