What is the Tahoe Donner Property Inspection Program?

June 15, 2017 By Laura Allen, Broker Associate, Tahoe Real Estate Agent, CA RE 01473598 | 530-414-1260

What is the Tahoe Donner Property Inspection Program?

If you are looking to buy a home, condo, or lot in Tahoe Donner, you might want to ask what is the Tahoe Donner Property Inspection Program? Does every property have to have one? Is it just for homes, or do condos have to complete the Tahoe Donner Property Inspection Program too?

What is the Tahoe Donner Property Inspection Program?

What is the Tahoe Donner Property Inspection Program? The Tahoe Donner neighborhood is a master planned community with all property located within its boundaries subject to the home owner association rules, regulations, convents, by-laws, and other governing documents.

As part of their home owner rules, all properties are expected to maintain their exterior appearance and should not be in violation of must comply with the Architectural Standards Office standards, which includes compliance activities to ensure all home owners continue to meet the HOA standards.

Since the Tahoe Donner Association was started in 1971, there are older properties in the development and there are new construction properties. All properties are expected to be maintained, and to follow the HOA rules. Currently there are:

5,791 single family lots (4,983 developed)
127 multiple family lots (condo developments of which 114 are developed)

The goal of the Homeowner Property Inspection Program is to preserve the appearance of Tahoe Donner homes so as to maintain home values in an aging community, but it is a large development, so how do your inspect on an on-going basis?

In 2012 the Tahoe Donner HOA established a program that would begin the annual review of approximately 250 homes in a unit. The subdivision has 11 units (sections) and the inspection program began in Section 7.

The exterior inspections began with 250 home in the identified section and then added inspecting the Tahoe Donner after a property transfer (sale).

Each year between the systematic review of homes in the identified section, combined with the inspection of homes being transferred/sold, they believed they would review between 250-500 annually, so over a period of time, all properties in the community would be inspected.

Just so there is no confusion, the Tahoe Donner Property Inspection is not in place of the Buyers’ Home Inspection, which is a separate type of inspection and will look at the exterior, as well as the interior condition of the home.

A Buyers’ home inspection is not in place of, but in addition to the Tahoe Donner Property Inspection program.

What does the Tahoe Donner Property Inspector look for on their exterior property inspection?

Does the structure have any damage?
- Is structure in need of staining, or painting?
Quality of roof
- Any maintenance needed; missing shingles?
- Does metal roof need repainting?
- Chimney cap, or flashing need maintenance?
Garbage Can Enclosure (GCE), or Animal Resistant Garbage Can Enclosure (ARGCE – also known as your bear box for your garbage)
- Is there an ARGCE or wooden enclosure?
- Maintenance issues?
- Does structure need painting or staining?
Is exterior lighting complaint?
- Are any fixtures broken, or in disrepair?
- Are flood lamps aimed downward?
Are all visible deck, or stair brackets painted?
Check for any illegal structures (additions, fencing, sheds, etc…)
Does gas meter have adequate protection from potential snow load? If meter already has a shed for protection, is it painted to blend in with the house?
Tahoe Donner Buyer Tip 1 – As part of your offer you can ask the seller to request the Tahoe Donner Property Inspection. You can also negotiate as to who pays for what, if items are noted for correction and when those corrects need to be completed.
Tahoe Donner Buyer Tip 2 – If you think you might be in a multiple offer situation, as a buyer you can waive the Tahoe Donner Property Inspection during the escrow period, knowing it will be done after the sale/transfer has been completed and as the new owner you’ll be responsible for any repairs needed.
- As a buyer you have contract options and it may be smart to take on any corrections items after the close of escrow, especially during a hot sellers’ market.
- Waiving the Tahoe Donner inspection during escrow may put your offer in a better position over other buyer offers that ask for the seller to complete the inspection and pay for corrections.

What happens after the Tahoe Donner Property Inspection has been completed?

If no work is needed, they will notify you that the property passed, and no additional action is needed.
If there are items to be corrected, those items will identified, and a time period to fix the items.

If you are looking to buy a condo in Tahoe Donner, the HOA, is responsible for the common areas and exteriors and they will deal with the inspection process on your behalf if required.

For more information on the Tahoe Donner Property Inspection, click here.

If you don’t want to be part of an HOA that enforces the rules, follows-up on potential violations, and tries to maintain their rules, along with enhancing property values, then the Tahoe Donner community may not be the right property option for you.

We have a lot of different, neighborhoods, locations, and settings for Tahoe Buyers to consider. 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.

What is the Tahoe Donner Property Inspection Program?

How can a North Lake Tahoe buyer avoid multiple offers?

June 14, 2017 By Laura Allen, Broker Associate, Tahoe Real Estate Agent, CA RE 01473598 | 530-414-1260

How can a North Lake Tahoe buyer avoid multiple offers?

How can a North Lake Tahoe buyer avoid multiple offers? The North Lake Tahoe real estate market is favoring sellers today. The number of available homes and condos for sale in the area is extremely limited.

As of Wednesday, June 14, 2017 we had the following for Tahoe City, Carnelian Bay, Tahoe Vista, Kings Beach, Homewood, Tahoma, Meeks Bay and Rubicon Bay (TSMLS Areas 1-5):

North Lake Tahoe Homes for Sale: 132 Homes
North Lake Tahoe Condos for Sale: 47 Condos

At our lower price points inventory levels are even tighter.

For example: North Lake Tahoe condos for sale under $400,000 there are only 12 units, or only 25% of all condo listings on the North Shore, West Shore, and greater Tahoe City area (TSMLS Areas 1-5) are under $400,000 in price.
Another example of limited inventory in our lower price points, North Lake Tahoe homes for sale under $500,000 there are only 12 homes listed for sale, or only 9% of the homes on the market on the North Shore, West Shore, and greater Tahoe City area (TSMLS Areas 1-5) are under $500,000 in price.

Low inventory levels mean a North Lake Tahoe home, or condo buyer is likely to be in a multiple offer situation for new listings that are priced right, or are in our lower price points.

How can a North Lake Tahoe buyer avoid multiple offers?

1) See the property immediately – now, today, tonight. Do not wait until the weekend. Do not wait until after the holidays.
Time is your enemy during the first week to ten days of a new listing. Second home buyers are at a disadvantage and often can’t come up and see a property on the first few days it is listed. If you can, you’ll score a buyer advantage.
Look and make an offer on Holidays – Like most Tahoe second home buyers you have a busy life and a lot of plans. Often holidays can work against you, but if you can look and write your offer right on a major holiday, you can often score a buyer advantage.
- Last winter I had a buyer that made an offer on December 23, 2017, the first day the new listing hit the market. The timing was horrible for her, right before the holidays, but she knew it was a buying opportunity. By December 24, she had an accepted offer without being in multiple offers.

If you think the home was a dud, think again. Price at $399,000, her offer was above the listed price and was accepted. The entire process was less than 24 hours.

After the holidays were over, a back-up offer was accepted by the seller that was much higher in price. The back-up buyer had holiday plans and just wasn’t available to see, or write an offer when it first came on the market.

If you can take advantage of holiday periods when other buyers are distracted, or have put their searches on hold for a few days because they have holiday plans, you can use that to your benefit in the Tahoe market.

2) Write your offer immediately. You’ve seen the property, like it. Make the decision to buy it right away. Write your offer the same day. Do not worry about holidays. The sooner you present your written offer to the seller the better. Don’t forget, most agent use electronic signatures, so your offer can often be signed right on your phone, tablet, or laptop!
3) Write your offer for 3-5% above the asking price. Right now our market is hot, so you’ll need to be above the listed price. For example if the property is priced at $399,000, then write your offer for at least 3% above the asking price. In this example you’d offer $410,000.
- Now is not the time to discount your pricing. If the property has been on the market for less than two weeks, write at, or above the listed price.
4) Have your finances ready to go. If you need a loan, your offer goes with your loan pre-approval letter with your offered price on it. If you are cash, you have your verification of fund statements ready to go if the sellers’ agent asks for them.
4) Give the Seller a very short window to respond. If you can submit your written offer to the sellers’ agent by 6 p.m., then only give the Seller until 11 a.m. no later than 12 noon to respond. Do not give them all day. The more time to respond, the more time another buyer has to write their offer.
5) Quick Response to a Seller Counter Offer – Lastly, the seller may need to counter you on specific terms. It happens, so if you receive a Seller Counter Offer, review it, and make your decision right away on how to respond. Accept it, or counter it, but do it right away.
- The sellers may have given you several days to respond, but remember they have the right to withdraw their counter to you prior to your acceptance, not the response deadline time. That means if another offer comes in, even though you have been given so much time to respond, if you have not accepted the sellers counter offer, the seller can with draw their counter to you. If you countered the sellers’ counter offer, and another offer comes in, the seller does not have to respond to your offer. They will have options, and that is how you can still end up in a multiple offer situation, even though your offer had been the only one being considered.
- If you need to counter the seller again, make sure they have a small response time. I know this sounds like a broker record, but again, the longer the negotiation goes on, the more at risk a buyer becomes of another offer coming in and ending up in multiple offers.
- Until you have an accepted offer, either side can stop the negotiation process.

The bottom-line is, when you offer above asking, combined with having your funding ready to go, along with a short response time, the seller has to seriously consider what you have proposed to do.

A seller is going to want to wait to see if they will get more offers. Their knee jerk reaction is, “we priced it too low”, or “what about the other buyers”?

Yes, the greed factor will come in, but since your offer has a short window to respond, until another written offer comes in, which need to be before your offer expires, it’s hard to not negotiate with the buyer that has acted immediately and presented an above asking offer.

A good sellers’ agent is going to explain to their sellers the “bird-in-hand theory” and do they want to lose you as a buyer by waiting and letting your offer expire, on the chance that maybe a better offer comes in?

It’s always a tough choice for a seller. Take the offer in front of them right now, negotiate terms with that buyer, or gamble for something better.

Will this buying strategy always work? Not always, but it is a good Tahoe buyer strategy to try in a hot market. Worst case, another buyer comes in and your attempt to try to avoid multiple offers has failed, but at least you tried.

Depending on how quickly you can act and present your written offer, you have about a 50/50 chance of negotiating without being in a multiple offer situation.

If you want to know more about our Tahoe market, or other strategies, call me, I can help you too!

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.

How can a North Lake Tahoe buyer avoid multiple offers?

When should I open my foundation vents in Tahoe City?

June 7, 2017 By Laura Allen, Broker Associate, Tahoe Real Estate Agent, CA RE 01473598 | 530-414-1260

When should I open my foundation vents in Tahoe City?

If you live in a mild climate, where the temperatures do not drop below the freezing point, then your foundation vents are probably open all year-long.

When should I open my foundation vents in Tahoe City? If you have a property in the greater Tahoe City, North Lake Tahoe, or Truckee area, where our temperatures will drop below freezing for months at a time, it is highly recommended that you close your foundation vents in the fall, which means you will also need to re-open your foundation vents during the warmer months.

As a local Tahoe REALTOR® I am often asked by buyers when should they open and close their foundation vents in the greater Tahoe City area? It’s a great question, and here is what I suggest:

My general rule of thumb to open and close your Tahoe home/condo foundation vents:

Open Foundation Vents – Any time beginning from late May – Memorial Day Weekend through early June, no later than Fathers’ Day.
Close Foundation Vents – Early October, but no later than Halloween.

Why is it important to open and close your foundation vents each year in the Tahoe area as a home, or condo owner?

The Tahoe area receives on average about 400 inches of snow each year. That means our area has high levels of snow/water exposure around our buildings. As the snow melts, the ground becomes wet and that can include the area under your home, or condo.

Opening the foundation vents in the early summer lets warmer air flow through the space under your ground level floor and the ground. This area may be referred to as a “crawl space”, or it may be much larger and you can walk into this area. Either way, this dirt area under your floor needs to be dry to prevent problems, or damage to the structure.

When you open the foundation vents around the base of your home/condo, this allows for that ground area to “dry out” if it has become wet.
Dry dirt is what we need to avoid the formation and growth of organic materials like fungus and other nasty items that can cause significant problems for home owners down the road.

If you are a Tahoe condo owner, your local home owner association (HOA) may open the foundation vents in your building, but that responsibility may fall-back to you.

In early June look around the foundation for vent opening and if they are still closed, call the HOA and find out who needs to do this important task.

While it may seem that just 3-5 months of open air flow is not enough time to do the job, given our dry, low humidity climate, it is more than enough time to “dry” things out and avoid future problems if you do this task every year.

What if you forget to do this in May/June? Even opening the vents up for just a few weeks in August/September is better than not at all, so do it as soon as you remember.

How will you know if the foundation vents are open, or closed when you are buying a home/condo? When a local pest company does their inspection of the property you are buying, or just a regular check-up, they will note if the foundation vents are closed.

If the inspection is done during our winter months, we would expect the foundation vents to be closed, and if they are, the pest inspector will recommend that the home owners opens them once the weather is warmer.

Why close the foundation vents in early October? Closing the foundation vents in the greater Tahoe City area is a way to prevent freezing water pipes.

During the late fall and early winter, our temperatures will start dropping below the freezing point. At some point during our winter season we will experience at least a few days/weeks of single digit temperatures during the winter season and that’s when having the foundation vents closed can help prevent water pipes from freezing.

These low temperatures can cause plumbing problems, so closing the foundation vents in October is a way to help prevent frozen water pipes. It is also a way to prevent animals from making a home under your home, and creating damage to duct work, or insulation.

Today, I removed our foundation vent covers. Our home was built in the 1930’s so our covers are on the outside of the home, so I’ve removed the insulation board pieces and stored them away for the season.

When should I open my foundation vents in Tahoe City? I’ve also made notes on my calendar to close our foundation vents back up during the first week in October.

You may need to open your foundation vents by going under your home, or you may be able to open them by using a lever on the vent (see first photo). How to open your foundation vents will depend on the style of vent that has been installed and how the previous owner decided to close them.

If you don’t know how to open your foundation vents, or close them, set up an appointment with your handyman to do this task for you. They can also show you how to do this work so you’ll be ready for the fall when it is time to close them, or you’ll know you need to have the handyman come back in the fall to close things up for you.

Home ownership in the greater Tahoe City – Truckee area is different than in other parts of Northern California. A little planning and a few reminders on your annual calendar can help you do some simple things that will really help you maintain your Tahoe property.

If you haven’t opened your Tahoe home foundation vents, now is the time to do it!

As a Tahoe second home Buyer, or Seller you are going to have a number of questions, 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.

When should I open my foundation vents in Tahoe City?

Are there Mello-Roos Fees in Lake Tahoe – Truckee

June 6, 2017 By Laura Allen, Broker Associate, Tahoe Real Estate Agent, CA RE 01473598 | 530-414-1260

Are there Mello-Roos Fees in Lake Tahoe – Truckee

When it comes to buying property

in the North Lake Tahoe – Truckee area, a common Tahoe Buyer question I am often asked about are about “Mello-Roos” fees and are there “Mello-Roos” Fees in Lake Tahoe – Truckee area.

The answer is – that depends on where the property is located at. Yes, I know a non-committal answer, but location is a big part on who does, or doesn’t have a “Mello-Roos” Fee in the North Lake Tahoe – Truckee area.

In the greater North Lake Tahoe – Truckee, California area, we do have properties that will have a “Mello-Roos” Fee that will be on your tax bill. We also have a number of areas that do not have a “Mello-Roos” fee as part of their tax bill.

The discussion on “Mello-Roos” fees as a Tahoe Buyers’ agent typically comes up when I’m asked “How much will property taxes be on my Tahoe second home?” Both are taxes, but they are handled differently and have different rules on if they can be increased and how they are calculated.

As a disclosure to anyone reading this blog post, I am not a tax professional, and this is not intended as tax advice, but is general information. When it comes to the nuts and bolts of property and “Mello-Roos” taxes I always recommend talking to a tax professional on any specific property.

You may not be from California, or from an area in the state that has a “Mello-Roos” fee, so

What is a Mello-Roos Fee (tax)?

Special taxes for infrastructure, or for public services is not a new concept, but when they are tied to real estate ownership in California as an extra fee to be attached to a real estate parcel, it may be done through the Community Facilities Act, commonly referred to as a “Mello-Roos” fee.

In 1978, Californians passed Proposition 13, which limited the property tax rate and the ability of the state to increase the assessed value of real property.

Unlike other states, real estate in California is not re-assessed annually at its current re-sale market value. Instead it follows a specific set of rules outlined in Prop 13, which is initially based upon the original sales price.

As a way to generate additional funds, in 1982 the Community Facilities Act was enacted by the California State Legislature. The nick-name “Mello-Roos” came from the last names of the two co-authors of the bill – Senator Henry J. Mello and Assemblyman Mike Roos.

The Community Facilities Act was designed to provide a way for additional revenue and a way to generate special property taxes in a Community Facilities District (CFD) that could be attached to a parcel in addition to the state property tax bill if two-thirds (2/3) of the voters approved the proposed “Mello-Roos” tax.

Unlike California property taxes that are restricted by Prop 13, a “Mello-Roos” fee do not have those same Prop 13 restrictions and are not tied to the assessed value of the property.

A “Mello-Roos” fee is tied to a specific time period. They can last up to forty (40) years, but are typically set-up for a thirty (30) year period of time. A “Mello-Roos” fee can expire, or be extended with additional voter approval.

In newer communities, or a new real estate development it can be used as an alternative, or in addition to impact fees (fees imposed by local government on a new/proposed developments) paid by the real estate developer/owner for infrastructure and the cost of providing those public services into the new development. In this case, there may be a single owner, or developer voting to approve a “Mello-Roos” tax rather than the two-thirds (2/3) voter requirement.

In older communities, voters can extend an expiring “Mello-Roos” tax, or increase it, if two-thirds (2/3) of the tax payers approve it. This is often a way to cover revenue short-falls, or expand the number of properties covered by the tax.

A “Mello-Roos” District (also known as a Community Facilities District) is a specific geographic area (can be a city, county, a designated special district) where a special property tax on real property is imposed in addition to the regular property tax. In some areas of California it is referred to as a “CFD tax”.

Reasons for a “Mello-Roos”, or CFD taxes are for public services including streets, water, sewage and drainage, electricity, infrastructure, schools, parks, and police protection.

In the North Lake Tahoe – Truckee area we do have a few “Mello-Roos” areas with special taxes. Here are a couple of examples

On the North Shore of Lake Tahoe there is a small “Mello-Roos” fee that is attached to properties in the North Lake Tahoe Public Utilities District (NTPUD):
- The communities impacted are Carnelian Bay, Tahoe Vista and Kings Beach. The “Mello-Roos” fee was for the “Recreation Funds and Parks”, which included the North Lake Tahoe Conference Center located in downtown Kings Beach.
- It appears on the tax bill as: North Tahoe PUD CFD#94-1 MR (FundNo: 69900) and was started in 1995. It is on-going today.
In the Truckee area there is a “Mello-Roos” fee for the newer condos that have been built over the last ten years located in the new Northstar Village.
- Property impacted are the newer condos in the newer Northstar Village development.
- It appears on the tax bill as: Northstar CSD CFD #1 MR This is an example of a “Mello-Roos” fee being created from a developer.

Not every new real estate development will come with a “Mello-Roos” fee in addition to the regular tax bill, but when buying a second home/condo/lot in the greater North Lake Tahoe – Truckee area, it is always important to ask if the properties, or areas you like have a special “Mello-Roos” fee in addition to the traditional property tax before you make an offer.

After you’ve found a property, and have an accepted offer, California Civil Code does require a Seller to disclose to the Buyer the presence of a Mello-Roos tax. One way a seller may do this can be by purchasing a Natural Hazard Disclosure that includes this additional information.

Typically sellers will pay for a Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD) report and selecting a company that also includes natural hazard information, but also provides additional disclosures for sellers on their property like the Mello-Roos tax information is an easy way to meet this required disclosure.

I typically recommend to my buyers and seller to provide a NHD report from Property ID because they do include additional property disclosure information, including one on the Property Tax Records for the property.

In addition to the line-by-line break-down on taxes, they provide a contact name and phone number so you can ask questions and learn more about each tax item.

In addition to the special “Mello-Roos” fee there will be additional line tax items that have been approved by voters. Being aware that some of our areas do have a special “Mello-Roos” fee, and other additional tax line items is the first step to becoming prepared for the Tahoe second home buying process.

Want to check out a specific property to see what tax items are included? If you know the county the property is located in you can view the current property tax bill (public record) for that property, and see all of the individual line item charges:

As a Tahoe second home Buyer, or Seller you are going to have a number of questions on the buying or selling process, 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.

Are there Mello-Roos Fees in Lake Tahoe – Truckee

What does it mean Furnishings Negotiable in the Tahoe Market?

June 4, 2017 By Laura Allen, Broker Associate, Tahoe Real Estate Agent, CA RE 01473598 | 530-414-1260

What does it mean Furnishings Negotiable in the Tahoe Market?

Tahoe Buyers often asked me what does it mean Furnishings Negotiable in the Tahoe Market?

The greater Tahoe City, North Lake Tahoe, and Truckee area is dominated by second home owners. As a result you will often find our home and condo listings that are for sale as Negotiable, Partially, or Mostly Furnished.

They will appear in our Tahoe Sierra Multiple Listing Service (TSMLS) as one of the following:

Furnished | Mostly Furnished
Furnished | Partially Furnished
Furnished | Negotiable
Furnished | None

What does it mean Furnishings Negotiable in the Tahoe Market? What does this mean as a buyer? It means that you are more likely to find a Tahoe Seller that wants to include some, if not all furnishings in the sale of there property.

Last year in 2016 for the greater North Lake Tahoe – Truckee area we had over 56% (Mostly, Partially and Negotiable), or 1 out of every 2 homes sold in our area was offered with either furnishings, or the seller was negotiable on the item of furnishings! Here was the break-down in sales:

16% Mostly Furnished
5% Partially Furnished
35% Negotiable
44% None (Not Furnished)

If you are looking to buy a home in the greater Tahoe City area – North Shore (Carnelian Bay, Tahoe Vista, and Kings Beach), and the West Shore (Homewood, Tahoma, Meeks Bay and Rubicon Bay) and you want it to come with furnishing, your chances are even better.

Homes sold in this area in 2016 were over 65%! Here was the break-down of sales:

20% Mostly Furnished
11% Partially Furnished
34% Negotiable
35% None (Not Furnished)

Some Tahoe Sellers may go as far as to offer their property as “Turn-Key” ready because the property may have been on a vacation rental program and they have little to no attachment to any of the items on the property, or the just don’t want the additional items.

What does “Turn-Key” ready mean? It means that everything will be left behind for the new owner. Dishes, pots, pans, small appliances, large appliances, towels, bed linens, TV’s, furniture, deck furniture, even cleaning supplies, snow shovels, and toilet paper.

The seller will leave behind everything that was in/on the property for the next owner so the Buyer/new owner will literally turn the key in the door and walk-into a property that you can live in on your first night in your property without moving an item!

“Mostly Furnished” can mean “Turn-Key” ready, or it can mean just the furniture, or perhaps just a few items are excluded. Your Tahoe Agent will need to ask, what is intended by the Seller so you’ll know how to best position your offer.
“Partially Furnished” typically means just furniture and not a complete house-hold. The seller may have already moved the items they wanted leaving only a few items, or they may have a list of items they are willing to leave for the Buyer.
“Negotiable” now that can mean anything. Often local listing agents will list the property with furnishings as “Negotiable” knowing that the home may be “Turn-Key” ready, fully furnished with no exclusions, to only including just a few items to be agreed upon by the Buyer and Seller as staying.

The main reason for Sellers/Sellers’ Agent to note a property with Furnishings as “Negotiable” rather than using one of the other three options is to avoid potential problems with appraisers and/or a Buyer that may be getting a loan.

What does it mean Furnishings Negotiable in the Tahoe Market? It is also a way for the Sellers to have more control over how the inclusion of furnishings are handled – part of the contract, or in a separate Bill of Sale.

As a Tahoe City – Truckee real estate agent, when I prepare to show homes for my second home Buyers I contact each Sellers’ agent and ask them a number of questions about the property. One of those questions is to get as much information on how the Seller intends to handle furnishings as some second home buyers want them, while others don’t.

Buyer Tip: Furnishings are negotiable in our market so remember to:

Ask for the furnishing if you want them. You can use a separate bill of sale to address the items if you are getting a loan, or you can ask for them directly in the purchase contract if you are a cash buyer.
If you don’t want any furnishings, be sure to let your agent know so your offer doesn’t accidently include them.
Room-by-Room List: If you want to make sure there are no misunderstandings between you and the other side of the negotiation, you can prepare a room-by-room list of what you want and anything not on that list will be removed. The best time to do that is when you are looking at the home, take photos and make up your list at that time.
Allow the Seller to provide you with a written list of any personal/excluded items with in the first seven days after acceptance. It’s a nice way to make sure a piece of art, or an item that has sentimental value isn’t accidently included with the sale.

Buying a home with furnishing can be a big convenience for both Buyers and Sellers, so make sure you don’t over-look this important item when it comes time to buy in the greater Tahoe City – Truckee second home market!

If you have more Tahoe second home buyer questions, you can email me at Laura@TahoeLaura.com, or call me 530.414.1260, I can help you too!

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.

What does it mean Furnishings Negotiable in the Tahoe Market?