Lake Tahoe - Truckee, CA Real Estate for Sale

Laura Allen, Broker Associate, Tahoe Real Estate Agent, CA RE 01473598 | 530-414-1260 » Page 38

Can I buy a home in Tahoma for under $500,000?

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Can I buy a home in Tahoma for under $500,000?

Can I buy a home in Tahoma for under $500,000?Tahoma Home Buyers are asking me:  Can I buy a home in Tahoma for under $500,000?

Our West Shore real estate market conditions have changed:  higher prices and low inventory levels.

Tahoma home Buyers are finding very few homes for ale at the lower price points and they are disappointed that they didn’t act sooner. 

Can they still find homes for sale in the Tahoma community for under $500,000 in price – the short answer is Yes!

Check out what is currently for sale under $500,000 in Tahoma here:

One of the best opportunities for West Shore Lake Tahoe second home buyers is in the Tahoma area.  Currently 33% of the Tahoma homes for sale are priced under $500,000 (as of 06-22-2017). In real numbers this represents 6 homes for sale in Tahoma.

As of Thursday, June 22, 2017 there were only 18 homes for sale in greater Tahoma community.  This inventory level is critically low for this time of year, and this area, but it does have one of the best lower priced selection of homes at available for sale at this time.

Need more Tahoma home buying options?  See all Tahoma Homes for Sale here:

Here is the breakdown of homes for sale in Tahoma as of Thursday, June 22, 2017:

Can I buy a home in Tahoma for under $500,000?Extremely low home inventory levels means any new home listing in the Tahoma area that is priced to sell, or priced at the lower end are sold in just a few days.

Currently there are 8 homes that are sale–pending in Tahoma.  That is 44% of the current 18 homes for sale that are on the market.

  • Year to date, as of this post (06-22-2017), 26 homes have sold in Tahoma with a list to sales price ratio of 100%. 

This shows that homes on average are selling at their full listed price.   The current Tahoma market conditions are favoring Sellers and Buyers have a lot of competition out there, so buyers need to be prepared to act quickly.

What does this means for home Buyers that are looking in the Tahoma market?  You need to do the following things to be a successful buyer in this market:

  • Commit and work with a Tahoe Buyers’ REALTOR®.  Select an agent and then work with them.  Stop bouncing from listing agent to listing agent hoping that they’ll help you get a deal, or favor your offer over the others because they wrote it up for you. 
    • The listing agents’ job is to get the Seller top dollar.
    • You need your own advocate/agent who will help you through the entire process and give you the advice you need to have to be successful.  That may mean writing an offer that is above the sellers’ asking price.
  • Have your agent set you up to receive “real-time listing alerts”.  Ask your agent if you’ll get listing alerts the same day a new listing hits the market.  Some services only send out alerts once a day, so if a new listing comes out after your deadline, you can lose valuable time.
  • See new listings immediately.  Drive up the same day to see it the same day it hits the market.
  • Make your buying decision quickly.
  • Write your offer that same day.
  • Give the seller a short window to respond to your offer.
  • Have your financing lined up and ready to go.
    • That means your loan pre-approval letter can be updated and sent to you in minutes, not in a few days.
    • It also means that if you are a cash buyer, you know what accounts you’re going to use for this purchase and you have your statement(s) ready to go.
  • Have your 3% good faith/initial deposit (liquid funds) ready to go.  It will pay to be prepared once you have an accepted offer.
  • Be open to the advice your Tahoe REALTOR® will give you.  This is a different market than your home market.  Your Tahoe agent works and represents you. They have valuable experience and know how to best position your offer and terms to make it the most attractive it can be to a Tahoma Seller.

Be positive.  Be prepared.  Be ready to write on several homes!

Lastly, don’t give up, or get discourage if your first attempts are not successful.  It may take several tries, and you may have to go through the stress and time demands of being in several multiple offer situations before you’re successful, but it will happen.

Thinking about making the the West Shore of Lake Tahoe your second home?  

For all of your Tahoe real estate needs –

Laura A. Allen | 530.414.1260  | Laura@TahoeLaura.com
BROKER ASSOCIATE, Tahoe Real Estate Agent
CalRE# 01473598
Coldwell Banker, Tahoe City, CA CalRE#01908304

All information is deemed reliable, but is subject to change, and/or correction without notice.

 

Can I buy a home in Tahoma for under $500,000?

Can I cut down a tree in North Lake Tahoe?

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Can I cut down a tree in North Lake Tahoe?

Can I cut down a tree in North Lake Tahoe?One of the frequent questions I get from my Tahoe Buyers is “Can I cut down a tree in North Lake Tahoe?”

Many of my North Lake Tahoe Buyers have been coming up to the Lake Tahoe – Truckee area for years, and they have heard stories of how hard it is to cut down trees, along with how difficult the process is to get approval.

  • Can you cut down trees in North Lake Tahoe?
  • Do you need a permit?
  • How hard is it to get a permit, or approval? 
  • The answer – it depends!

If the home is located in the Lake Tahoe Basin, then the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) rules apply when it comes to removing trees.  When in doubt, before cutting down any tree, call the TRPA for guidance, or talk to a local tree removal company for more help before taking any action.

  • Non-Lakeshore Homes: If the house is not along the lakeshore, a permit is required if the tree is greater than 14 inches in diameter at breast height (DBH).

What is breast height, or DBH?  Breast height is 4.5 feet off the ground measured on the uphill side of the tree.  Measure around the outside of the tree (cloth tape measure – I’d suggest a tape measure that you would use on a person as it is more flexible and easier to use).  Take that reading, which is the circumference of the tree and divide that number by 3.14 and that will give you the diameter of the tree.

A tree with a diameter of 14 inches has a circumference of 43.9 inches. 

  • Lakeshore House: If the house is along the lakeshore, a permit is required to remove trees greater than 6 inches in diameter at breast height between the house and the lake.
  • For trees that are not between the house and the lake, it is a 14 inches in diameter at breast height, or less, no permit is required.
  • SEZ: Trees of any size that were planted or retained as part of a permit, or that are in a Stream Environmental Zone (SEZ), or backshore area, require a permit for removal.  (The backshore area is the sensitive area adjacent to the lake)

What if the tree is dead?  A conifer is considered to be dead when it doesn’t have any green needles.  A deciduous tree must be determined to be dead by a qualified forester.

Removal of a dead tree that could fall on a house does not require a permit.

To remove a dead tree that isn’t near a house and is greater than 14 inches in diameter at breast height you will need to have a TRPA forester determine if a permit is required.

Rules and procedures can change over in time, and this was the information available when this post was written, June 21, 2017.  When in doubt talk to the TRPA before cutting down any tree.

  • How to get a tree removal permit? Fill out a TRPA Tree Removal Application and mail or deliver it, with the application fee to the TRPA office.
  • Check out TRPA.org, TRPA front desk, or call 775-588-4547 for more information or help.

Tree Removal for Defensible Space – Thinning trees in close proximity to structures can enhance the fire safety of your home.  Your local fire district is able to issue tree removal permits for defensible space permits.  For more information on defensible space see www.TahoeFireSafe.com

In the North Lake Tahoe area:

  • Tahoe Fire Protection District (CA) 530-546-2212
  • Meeks Bay Fire Protection District 530-525-7558

This is not a complete list of rules, but some helpful information on the tree removal process in the Lake Tahoe Basin.  When it doubt talk to someone at the TRPA!

For more information on tree removal in the Lake Tahoe Basin, check out the TRPA: A property Owner’s Guide to Tree Removal in the Lake Tahoe Basin flyer.   

The Lake Tahoe forest is beautiful, but sometimes trees may need to be cut down.  Depending on the size and location, a permit may, or may not be required.  There is a lot to learn about our area, so let me know how I can help you!

Thinking about making Lake Tahoe, California your second home? Check out the homes that are for sale here:

Want to see what condos are for sale in Lake Tahoe? Here are the current listings:

For all of your Tahoe real estate needs –

Laura A. Allen | 530.414.1260  | Laura@TahoeLaura.com
BROKER ASSOCIATE, Tahoe Real Estate Agent
CalRE# 01473598
Coldwell Banker, Tahoe City, CA CalRE#01908304

All information is deemed reliable, but is subject to change, and/or correction without notice.

Can I cut down a tree in North Lake Tahoe?

Homes for sale in Tahoe Donner with Air Conditioning

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Homes for sale in Tahoe Donner with Air Conditioning

Homes for sale in Tahoe Donner with Air ConditioningTemperatures are in the mid 80’s and as Tahoe Donner Second Home Buyers look at properties for sale, the question is coming up are there homes for sale in Tahoe Donner with Air Conditioning?

Two months ago we still had massive amounts of snow on the ground, and our Tahoe Buyer focus was on heated driveways and snow removal service.

Now that we’re into our summer season, questions about AC (air conditioning) are at the top of frequently asked questions.

So what is the answer?  Are there homes for sale in Tahoe Donner with Air Conditioning?  Answer – Yes, but not many!

Approximately 3.3% of the Tahoe Donner homes that are on the market have AC. In real numbers this represents only 3 homes for sale in Tahoe Donner.

As of Tuesday, June 20, 2017 there were only 61 homes for sale in Tahoe Donner.  This inventory level is critically low for this time of year, and this area and out of those 61 homes, 2 had air conditioning as a feature.  One was priced at $875,000 and one was priced at $1,399,000.

Here is the breakdown of homes for sale in Tahoe Donner as of Tuesday, June 20, 2017:

  • 0 Homes – Tahoe Donner Homes for Sale under $300,000
  • 1  Home – Tahoe Donner Homes for Sale under $400,000
  • 3 Homes – Tahoe Donner Homes for Sale under $500,000
  • 6 Homes – Tahoe Donner Homes for Sale under $600,000
  • 15 Homes – Tahoe Donner Homes for Sale under $700,000
  • 23 Homes – Tahoe Donner Homes for Sale under $800,000
  • 33 Homes – Tahoe Donner Homes for Sale under $900,000
  • 38 Homes – Tahoe Donner Homes for Sale under $1 million
  • 23 Homes – Tahoe Donner Homes for Sale over $1 million
  • 0 Homes – Tahoe Donner Homes for Sale over $2 million

You may be surprised that most of our restaurants in the Truckee – North Lake Tahoe area do not have air conditioning.

If you need to cool down, and own a home in Tahoe Donner, I’d check out one of the HOA pools, or head down to the Tahoe Donner Beach Area at the East End of Donner Lake!

So what do Tahoe Donner home owners do that do not have air conditioning?  They do the following:

  • Open windows to create a natural breeze.
  • Use Floor Fans in the rooms you are in. We have them in our bedrooms, and in the TV room.  I have a small desk fan that runs while I’m at work.
  • Close drapes and blinds.  If your Tahoe property receives a lot of sunshine all day long, pull the drapes, or blinds closed on those windows to keep temperatures down, and then open them back up in the early evening.
  • Sleep on the ground floor, which is always cooler that upstairs.

Homes for sale in Tahoe Donner with Air ConditioningSince our really hot weather tends to only last a few weeks, most home owners haven’t installed air conditioning units, neither window units, or central AC.  The use of floor fans is probably the easiest, cheapest, and fastest way to cool down while still enjoying your time here in North Lake Tahoe area.

Tahoe Donner Home Buyer Tip | Get an air conditioning installation bid during escrow.  If you think you’ll need AC, don’t limit your property to search to only homes that have AC (we have so few you won’t have many choices), but look at everything in your price range.

If the home you find doesn’t have AC, then you’ll want to have a heating/AC company come out and look at the home you are buying and have them give you a bid on installing air conditioning after the sale has closed.

The heating/air conditioning company may be able to add it to the existing heating system, or they may have to install a brand new heating and cooling system to add the AC unit.

As our Lake Tahoe temperatures rise, the topic of air conditioning always come up as home buyers look at properties.  I’ll admit, yesterday it was hot and as I was showing properties I secretly hoped that upon opening that front door that we would be greeted with a cold blast of air.  It didn’t happen.  Instead I savored the time in the car with my clients and enjoyed the car AC, which was on full blast mode!

Our hot summer days never last long enough and before we know it, we’ll be enjoying our fall and getting ready for another ski season!

There is a lot to learn about our area, like Tahoe homes not have air conditioning, so let me know how I can help you!

Ready to make the Tahoe Donner Resort Community your second home?  Check out what is for sale here:

For all of your Tahoe real estate needs –

Laura A. Allen | 530.414.1260  | Laura@TahoeLaura.com
BROKER ASSOCIATE, Tahoe Real Estate Agent
CalRE# 01473598
Coldwell Banker, Tahoe City, CA CalRE#01908304

All information is deemed reliable, but is subject to change, and/or correction without notice.

Homes for sale in Tahoe Donner with Air Conditioning

Can I buy a home in Tahoe City for under $500,000?

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Can I buy a home in Tahoe City for under $500,000?

Tahoe City HomeCan I buy a home in Tahoe City for under $500,000? Buyers are asking me:  Can I buy a home in Tahoe City for under $500,000?

Our Tahoe City real estate market conditions have changed.

Recently I’ve had several Tahoe City home Buyers tell me how frustrated they are in not finding lower priced properties. 

Can they still find homes for sale in the Tahoe City community for under $500,000 in price – the short answer is maybe!

Currently only 2% of the Tahoe City homes for sale is priced under $500,000 (as of 06-19-2017). In real numbers this represents only 1 homes for sale in Tahoe City.

As of Monday, June 19, 2017 there were only 44 homes for sale in Tahoe City (North Shore and West Shore).  This inventory level is critically low for this time of year, and this area.

Homes for sale Tahoe City:

Here is the breakdown of homes for sale in Tahoe City as of Monday, June 19, 2017:

  • 0 Homes – Tahoe City Homes for Sale under $300,000
  • 0  Home – Tahoe City Homes for Sale under $400,000
  • 1 Homes – Tahoe City Homes for Sale under $500,000
  • 5 Homes – Tahoe City Homes for Sale under $600,000
  • 12 Homes – Tahoe City Homes for Sale under $700,000
  • 17 Homes – Tahoe City Homes for Sale under $800,000
  • 21 Homes – Tahoe City Homes for Sale under $900,000
  • 24 Homes – Tahoe City Homes for Sale under $1 million
  • 20 Homes – Tahoe City Homes for Sale over $1 million
  • 8 Homes – Tahoe City Homes for Sale over $2 million

Can I buy a home in Tahoe City for under $500,000?Extremely low home inventory levels means any new home listing in the Tahoe City area that is priced to sell, priced just right, or priced under  $600,000 are gone in the blink of an eye.

Currently there are 11 homes that are sale–pending in Tahoe City area.  That is 25% of the current 44 homes for sale that are on the market.

  • Year to date, as of this post (06-19-2017), 26 homes have sold with a list to sales price ratio of 101%. 

This shows that homes are selling on average above their full listed price.   The current market conditions are favoring Sellers and Buyers have a lot of competition out there, so buyers need to be prepared to act quickly.

What does this means for home Buyers that are looking in the Tahoe City market?  You need to do the following things to be a successful buyer in this market:

  • Commit and work with a Tahoe Buyers’ REALTOR.  Select an agent and then work with them.  Stop bouncing from listing agent to listing agent hoping that they’ll help you get a deal, or favor your offer over the others because they wrote it up for you. 
    • The listing agents’ job is to get the Seller top dollar.
    • You need your own advocate/agent who will help you through the entire process and give you the advice you need to have to be successful.  That may mean writing an offer that is above the sellers’ asking price.
  • Have your agent set you up to receive “real-time listing alerts”.  Ask your agent if you’ll get listing alerts the same day a new listing hits the market.  Some services only send out alerts once a day, so if a new listing comes out after your deadline, you can lose valuable time.
  • See new listings immediately.  Drive up the same day to see it the same day it hits the market.
  • Make your buying decision quickly.
  • Write your offer that same day.
  • Give the seller a short window to respond to your offer.
  • Have your financing lined up and ready to go.
    • That means your loan pre-approval letter can be updated and sent to you in minutes, not in a few days.
    • It also means that if you are a cash buyer, you know what accounts you’re going to use for this purchase and you have your statement(s) ready to go.
  • Have your 3% good faith/initial deposit (liquid funds) ready to go.  It will pay to be prepared once you have an accepted offer.
  • Be open to the advice your Tahoe REALTOR will give you.  This is a different market than your home market.  Your Tahoe agent works and represents you. They have valuable experience and know how to best position your offer and terms to make it the most attractive it can be to a Tahoe City Seller.

Be positive.  Be prepared.  Be ready to write on several homes!

Lastly, don’t give up, or get discourage if your first attempts are not successful.  It may take several tries, and you may have to go through the stress and time demands of being in several multiple offer situations before you’re successful, but it will happen.

For all of your Tahoe real estate needs – Laura Allen, 530.414.1260, Broker Associate, Tahoe Real Estate Agent, Tahoe REALTOR®, CRS,   Laura@TahoeLaura.com  CalBRE# 01473598

www.TahoeLauraLuxuryHomes.com,

www.TahoeLauraRealEstate.com

Coldwell Banker Cal BRE# 01908304, Tahoe City, California.

Can I buy a home in Tahoe City for under $500,000?

Homes for sale in Tahoe City with air conditioning

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Homes for sale in Tahoe City with air conditioning            

Homes for sale in Tahoe City with air conditioningLast Sunday, June 11, 2017, we had snow on the ground here in Tahoe City.  It didn’t last long, and less than a week later, temperatures are now in the 80’s, so it’s no surprise as I was showing homes today, the question came up, are there homes for sale in Tahoe City with air conditioning?

Lake Tahoe is at an elevation of 6,200+ feet above sea level, and our hot weather and temperatures tend to be short lived.  Yes, we will have 4-6 weeks of hot weather where having air conditioning would be a sweet treat, but the reality is very few homes, or condos have air conditioning in the greater Tahoe City – Truckee area.

As of today, Sunday, June 18, 2017 the day time high was expected to be 81 degrees and there were zero (0) homes for sale in Tahoe City with air conditioning.

Want to see all Tahoe City Homes for Sale – with and with out Air Conditioning?

Expanding our home search to include any home with air conditioning in the greater Tahoe City, North Shore, and West Shore areas , let’s call it the North Lake Tahoe area homes for sale with air conditioning, we have one (1) home for sale with AC!

You may be surprised that most of our restaurants do not have air conditioning.  If you need that cold blast of air, get into your car and turn the AC up as you take a scenic ride around in our area until you cool off, or check out our local super markets.  They have air conditioning, and who doesn’t enjoy a walk down the frozen food isle at this time of year!

Homes for sale in Tahoe City with air conditioningSo what do Tahoe City home owners do that do not have air conditioning?  They do the following:

  • Open windows to create a natural breeze.
  • Use Floor Fans in the rooms you are in. We have them in our bedrooms, and in the TV room.  I have a small desk fan that runs while I’m at work.
  • Close drapes and blinds.  If your Tahoe property receives a lot of sunshine all day long, pull the drapes, or blinds closed on those windows to keep temperatures down, and then open them back up in the early evening.
  • Sleep on the ground floor, which is always cooler that upstairs.

Since our really hot weather tends to only last a few weeks, most home owners haven’t installed air conditioning units, neither window, or central AC.  The use of floor fans is probably the easiest, cheapest, and fastest way to cool down while still enjoying your time here in North Lake Tahoe area.

Tahoe Home Buyer Tip | Get an air conditioning installation bid during escrow.  If you think you’ll need AC, don’t limit your property to search to only homes that have AC (we have so few you won’t have many choices), but look at everything in your price range.

If the home you find doesn’t have AC, then you’ll want to have a heating/AC company come in and look at the home you are buying and have them give you a bid on installing air conditioning after the sale has closed.

The heating/air conditioning company may be able to add it to the existing heating system, or they may have to install a brand new heating and cooling system to add the AC unit.

Learn about your cooling options and potential costs before the sale is final so you can plan, budget, and schedule the work accordingly.

As our Lake Tahoe temperatures rise, the topic of air conditioning always come up as home buyers look at properties, but you’ll learn how about your cooling options and ways to deal with not having AC.

Our hot summer days will be gone before you know it!  It never lasts long enough and in less than 100 days from now we’ll be into another season, and talking about how the first real snow storm of the season is right around the corner!

There is a lot to learn about our area, like homes not have air conditioning, so let me know how I can help you find the right North Lake Tahoe home to buy!

There may not be many more options, but check out all North Lake Tahoe homes that are for sale here with air conditioning:

Want more home buying options with, or without air conditioning?  Check out all North Lake Tahoe homes that are for sale:

Search by Community:

For all of your Tahoe real estate needs –

Laura A. Allen | 530.414.1260  | Laura@TahoeLaura.com
BROKER ASSOCIATE, Tahoe Real Estate Agent
CalRE# 01473598
Coldwell Banker, Tahoe City, CA CalRE#01908304

All information is deemed reliable, but is subject to change, and/or correction without notice.

Homes for sale in Tahoe City with air conditioning