A Cabin at the Lake ~ Tips for Buyers

Who hasn't dreamed at some point about a cabin at the lake, especially Tahoe, with its grandeur and year-round recreation. As we round into the final dog days of summer, this week is possibly the best time of year for seeing those lakeside cabins. The days are hot, and the afternoons are often broken by thunderstorms that blanket the forest with cool rain and invite a welcome retreat to the shelter of a covered porch.

In the spirit of summer, I'd like to to offer you 7 of my personal picks for charming cabins at or near a lake in Tahoe (plus a few tips for buying one that will also serve you well throughout the winter).

537 Log Cabin Rd, Meeks Bay  $595,000 

Built in 1936, this cabin is a testament to a generation that looked to Tahoe for a…

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Home Sales Driven by ... Dogs?

Buy vs Rent?  For young couples, that has long been a decision motivated largely by the desire to grow a family. But millennials are bucking the trend. In a recent nationwide study, buyers aged 18 to 36  cite their dog's need for more space as the top reason for buying a home. In fact, dogs ranked higher for the reasons to buy than having children or getting married.

A third of the buyers polled said their #1 reason for buying a home was to have more space for their dogs. Maybe this is surprising for a national poll, like the sample surveyed for the SunTrust Mortgage study. But in Tahoe, dogs have long ruled the home front (and the roads, and the beach, and the list goes on).  

Many Tahoe hotels welcome dogs, and some gourmet restaurants like…

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Tips for Sellers ~ The little things count

First Impressions are Lasting

When it comes to selling your home, it's worth taking a hard look at the little things you have come to live with over time ... the lightbulbs that are out in those hard to reach places, scuff marks on the walls, or the toilet that's been running so long you don't notice it anymore. In my years of showing homes,  the value of first impressions has always sort of amazed me.

The Bold Colors You Love Could Shave Thousands off Your Sale Price

Take two houses with the same floor plan, same finishes, and close to the same location. One is so clean you could virtually eat off the floors. The windows sparkle, carpets smell fresh, and the seller took the time to touch up the paint and re-grout the bathroom floor. The other…

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Tahoe Donner XC - Ski through Spring

Tahoe Donner's Cross Country ski center expects to be open through at least mid-April this season, thanks to record snowfall. Season passes go on sale March 15, and for just $314 pass holders can also ski for free this spring. (Homeowners enjoy discounted rates.)  

With 38 miles of groomed trails, and access to one of the West's most pristine valleys, it's no wonder Tahoe Donner was recently voted one of North America's "best" for XC lovers. You have to experience Tahoe Donner's cross country center to appreciate its beauty. The trail network begins in an alpine meadow at the end of Alder Creek Road. Ambitious skiers (or hikers) can climb up to Hawk's Peak at 7,729 feet and skirt the saddle to Drifter Hut to catch unparalleled views of Donner Lake and…

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The Winter of 2017: Disaster relief for an epic winter

The Town of Truckee, in cooperation with Nevada County is applying for disaster relief funding to help businesses and homeowners impacted by the recent waves of storms that brought epic snowfall to the region. The state of emergency declaration in early January came amid a storm that knocked down power lines, leaving much of Truckee & West Shore without power for as long as several days. (Downed trees, like the one Liberty Utilities photographed across Highway 89, were the culprit behind much of the power outage.) With the Truckee River cresting, the town provided sandbags to residents impacted by the double whammy of rain and melting snow. Motorists were stranded, and some second homeowners were unable to access their residences due to the sheer volume…

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Tips for Buying a Home in Snow Country

If you are thinking of buying a home in Tahoe, maybe you have decided to wait for the snow to melt so you can get a better feel for the topography & landscaping. Makes sense, and many buyers take this approach of waiting till Spring or Summer to start their search. But one thing to consider when buying in snow country is that the winter offers a great opportunity to see aspects of a property that might not be obvious when the sun is shining and the garden's in full bloom. For example, roof design ...  Summer buyers will consider the quality and condition of a roof when buying a home, but not necessarily how it "sheds" snow. 

 In a snow year like we've had this season, with record depths in the space of a week, shedding patterns can make a big…

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Free Money for homebuyers

The state of Nevada is offering free downpayment grants to qualifying home buyers. If you earn less than $95,000 and are looking to buy a home of $400,000 or less, you might be able to receive grant money of up to 5% of your loan downpayment and closing costs. To put that in perspective, that's like being "given" up to $16,000 on a standard loan.  No joke.  The program is one of several grant and mortgage assistance programs offered through the Nevada Division of Rural Housing (and don't be fooled by "rural;" Reno buyers can also qualify.) Other grant programs are specifically aimed at helping K-12 teachers, veterans, and 1st time homebuyers. 

Call or contact me today for additional info on how you can qualify. 

Click here for a list of qualifying…

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Tahoe Donner ~ The Perks of Owning

With bluebird skies in Tahoe this past weekend, skiers flocked to the slopes to enjoy the amazing snowfall of the past few weeks. From Alpine to Squaw, to Tahoe Donner, parking lots filled up early in the day, so fast, in fact, that Tahoe Donner's downhill ski area sold out early in the morning! (But not for homeowners) One of the many perks of owning in Tahoe Donner is that members come first. The downhill ski area, for example, caps its sale of public tickets to ensure that homeowners and their guests are not turned away. (The Cross Country center, which has been voted one of the best in North America, offers similar perks to pass holders, with earlier opening times.) With HOA dues of just $1,900/year, Tahoe Donner remains an excellent bargain. From…

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Tahoe Ski Season off to a great start

Many parts of Tahoe have seen more than 15 feet of new snow in the past few weeks ~ a welcome relief to the drought and an epic start to the ski season. Check out this chart with snowfall from this week's storm and the year-to-date. Sugar Bowl, for example, has seen 34 feet of snow this season, with almost 22 feet this month! Great news for skiers, and a little intimidating to some homebuyers new to the Tahoe market who find themselves asking if you can have "too much of a good thing." Falling trees have led to power outages, and road closures have made it difficult for plows to keep driveways cleared. If you are thinking about a home in Tahoe, or have recently bought here, it's important to know this is *not* the norm. Local authorities say we have not…

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Winter Swimming in Tahoe

Something about this photo struck me as so incongruous, that I just had to share it ... Tahoe Donner is heating their oversized family pool for "winter" swimming through January 8. That's in addition to the 3-lane lap pool, which is open year-round at the member-only Trout Creek recreation center. With dues of just $1,900/year, Tahoe Donner remains one of the best investments for year-round vacation fun. (Click the Christmas sign on this link for a quick video overview of the community.) If you have been interested in exploring cross country skiing, check out the free demo day at the Tahoe Donner Cross Country center tomorrow (Dec. 28) starting at 11 a.m.  With more than 60 miles of groomed trails, it has been voted one of North America's "Best" cross…

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