Bike Riding in Lake Tahoe, California

May 2, 2012 By Laura Allen, Broker Associate, Tahoe Real Estate Agent, CA RE 01473598 | 530-414-1260

Bike Riding in Lake Tahoe, California

It’s time to get your bikes out of storage and plan a trip up here to Lake Tahoe. If you enjoy riding your bike here in Lake Tahoe you should know that there are signs that we may have an early summer and a long bike riding season ahead of us.

I’ve already been out riding on our West Lake Tahoe bike path trail and things are looking really good. This past week I’ve seen the Tahoe City Public Utility Department (TCPUD) out clearing off old snow on the bike path and then sweeping it.

It looks like North Lake Tahoe – Tahoe City to Dollar Point, Tahoe City to Squaw Valley, and West Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City to Homewood, California have been cleared and I’ve seen a number of people out riding their bikes and walking on the multi-use paved trails system. They are still working on the second half of the West Shore trails – Homewood to Tahoma, but I think they may have that cleared and ready shortly.

You may not know that the TCPUD maintains over 19 miles of paved bike paths/multi-use trails in-and-around the Tahoe City area, North Shore and West Shore, Lake Tahoe, California. While the bike path system does not official open until Memorial Day weekend, those that want to ride their bike on the path can do so at their own risk. If you click on the photos below they will enlarge and you can actually read the details, or TCPUD Bike Trail Map 2015

The multi-trail paved bike path system officially opens Memorial Day Weekend!

Now is the time to start making your plans to come up to Lake Tahoe and enjoy a day of bike riding!

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.
Buyers and Sellers should investigate and verify all information to their own satisfaction.

Bike Riding in Lake Tahoe, California

Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday, March 11, 2012

March 9, 2012 By Laura Allen, Broker Associate, Tahoe Real Estate Agent, CA RE 01473598 | 530-414-1260

Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday, March 11, 2012

It’s that time of year to “Spring Forward”! While I hate losing that hour of sleep, I do love the extra hour of daylight in the evening. It also means we’re one month closer to summer time in Lake Tahoe!

On Saturday night, March 10, 2012, before you go to sleep remember to set you clocks ahead one hour unless you’ll be you’ll be up on Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 2 a.m. when you can do it at the official time change.

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

Want to see what condos are for sale in Tahoe City? 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.

Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday, March 11, 2012

Short Sales in Lake Tahoe, California – Short Sale Buyer Tips

January 26, 2012 By Laura Allen, Broker Associate, Tahoe Real Estate Agent, CA RE 01473598 | 530-414-1260

Short Sales in Lake Tahoe, California – Short Sale Buyer Tips

Everyone wants a deal these days, and one way to do that is to buy a short sale, or bank foreclosure (REO – Real Estate Owned ) home, or condo in Lake Tahoe, California.

So here are some Quick Facts and Short Sale Buyer Tips for you.

North Shore, Tahoe City, West Shore, Lake Tahoe California (TSMLS Areas 1-5) Homes Sold in 2011:

Total Homes Sold – 257

Short Sales Homes – 34 (13%)

REO (Bank Foreclosures) Homes – 39 (15%)

Total Short Sale and REO Sales for Homes Sold in 2011 were 73, or 28% of the homes sold were distressed sales. That works out to 1 out of every 4 homes sold last year.

Short sale listings in the Lake Tahoe area (TSMLS Areas 1-5) that were listed in 2011 had a 67% closure rate with the first accepted offer.

Short Sale Buyer Tip #1: Be the First Accepted Offer. There is an advantage to being the first buyer that can work out a deal with the short sale seller. Working with a local Tahoe REALTOR® that has short sale experience can help you figure out the right negotiation strategy for you.

Short Sale Buyer Tip #2: Know the Fair Market Value (FMV) of the property. It doesn’t matter what the listed price is on a short sale home. The listed price may be too high, or too low. It’s all about Fair Market Value (FMV).

The short sale lender is all about their policies and procedures, which means the sales price needs to be close to the FMV. Contrary to popular opinion, this isn’t a game of negotiating with the lender on price, or playing the percentages based on a book you’ve read, or a seminar you’ve been to. Real estate is a local market, and you have to know where that market is at so you can present an offer that will appraise for that property.

An experienced short sale Buyers’ Agent understands how FMV is established in the Tahoe market and how the short sale process works. They can help you step-by-step. Knowing how a Broker Price Opinion (BPO), or how an appraiser will view comps in the area is important to understanding where the FMV will potentially be for a short sale property. The FMV is a critical step in getting a great deal, and getting the lender to agree to participate in the sale.

Short Sale Buyer Tip #3: Short Sale Listings with more than one loan – Talk to your REALTOR®. If there is more than one loan involved in the short sale, talk to your REALTOR® as to what to expect and what type of negotiation you will need to do. The pricing process can be different when there is more than one lender involved.

Short Sale Buyer Tip #4: Only focus on “Active” short sale listings – skip over “Active Contingent” listings. “Active Contingent” status means the short sale seller has already accepted another buyers offer, but the lender hasn’t given their approval to participate in the short sale. With only a 33% cancellation rate, your time will be better spent on short sale listings that are available.

Short Sale Buyer Tip #5: Be prepared to wait. Once you have an accepted offer, expect the short sale escrow process to take some time. Do check in every week with your agent, and make sure your agent is checking in with the listing agent.

Short Sale Buyer Tip #6: Be prepared to act quickly. The short sale process is all about the seller and the sellers’ lender and accommodating their time schedule and their demands. It may be a buyers’ market, but a short sale is still all about the seller and that’s how you’ll get a great deal if you can play by their rules.

Ready to buy a short sale Lake Tahoe home? Want to know what short sale properties are currently for sale?

Short Sale Lake Tahoe Condos for Sale:

Short Sale Lake Tahoe Homes for Sale:

Not all area may have short sale listings. If none are available the search link will come back with zero results. If you’d like to be notified of new short sale listings in an area, let me know and I will set you up to be notified immediately.

Here is what is currently for sale (all property statuses, not just short sales):

If you’re thinking of selling and would like to get a current market valuation for your Tahoe property, click here.

If you’d like more Lake Tahoe – Truckee, California real estate information, read Tahoe Laura’s Luxury Homes most recent real estate newsletter.

Note: Year-to-date summaries are based on information from the Tahoe Sierra Board of Realtors (TSMLS). Due to TSMLS reporting methods and allowable reporting policy, this data is only informational and may not be completely accurate. Therefore, Laura Allen, or Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage does not guarantee the data’s accuracy. Data maintained by the TMLS’s may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. All information is deemed to be reliable, but is subject to change and/or correction without prior notice. Data Source – Tahoe Sierra Multiple Listing Service (TSMLS). If your property is currently listed for sale, or you have an active Buyer Representation Agreement, this is not intended as a solicitation.

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.

Short Sale in Lake Tahoe, California – Short Sale Buyer Tips

Snow in Lake Tahoe, January 22, 2012 Tahoe City, California

January 23, 2012 By Laura Allen, Broker Associate, Tahoe Real Estate Agent, CA RE 01473598 | 530-414-1260

Snow in Lake Tahoe, January 22, 2012 Tahoe City, California

The January snow drought is over! After weeks of thinking that we’d be getting our big winter storms and then getting nothing; the string of sunny, dry days came to an end.

On Thursday evening, we had a good snow storm, but that was short-lived, as Friday turned out to be a day of heavy rain. It’s hard to imagine just how hard it was raining up here in Tahoe, but our dogs (Irish Wolfhounds) wouldn’t go outside. I also wondered what would happen to our local ski resorts that had made snow. While it may have been snowing at the higher elevations, at the lower elevations, the rain had to be causing problems.On Saturday morning, to my surprise, the rain had turned to snow. On the West Shore of Lake Tahoe we have more than 6 inches of snow and as of Sunday evening, it was still snowing!Hopefully, this is not just another teaser storm, but rather the beginning of a number of winter storms that will hit our area and leave behind a lot of snow. This has to be good news for our local ski resorts and the greater Tahoe area.For those that have been following my blog, you’ll remember my post from earlier this week, where I shared the experience I had at the Olympic Heritage Closing Ceremony where the Eagle Wings Dance Group performed their sacred snow dance, last Sunday, January, 15, 2012. Is this snow a result of their dance? The timing of the two events seems more than just a coincidence. I’d like to think the two are connected, so for now I’m a believer, and I’m enjoying the new snow that’s just outside my front door!

So get out those snow boots, skis, snowshoes, sleds, and anything else that you can use to play in the snow and make your plans to get to Lake Tahoe.

Don’t forget the 31^st Annual Winter Carnival, in Lake Tahoe – SnowFest 2012 will start in just 42 days, so think snow!

Thinking about having your own place here in Tahoe? It’s never been a better time to buy a vacation second home, lakefront, or condo here in the Truckee – Tahoe City area. If you’d like to know what is for sale in the different neighborhoods, click on the links below and you can see and search what is currently available for sale.

Lake Tahoe, California Lakefronts homes for sale

North Shore, Lake Tahoe, California homes for sale

West Shore, Lake Tahoe, California homes for sale

Tahoe City, California homes for sale

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.

Snow in Lake Tahoe, January 22, 2012 Tahoe City, California

Seaplane takes off on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe in Homewood, California

January 11, 2012 By Laura Allen, Broker Associate, Tahoe Real Estate Agent, CA RE 01473598 | 530-414-1260

Seaplane takes off on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe in Homewood, California

Many people may not know that seaplanes do land and take-off from Lake Tahoe, California year-around. Seaplanes have been landing on Lake Tahoe for over 75 years. Currently Homewood, California on the West Shore is noted as a seaplane airport base and today I saw a seaplane take off from Lake Tahoe. If you haven’t seen a seaplane land, or take-off from Lake Tahoe it is an impressive sight.

Over the past few years the area has organized a kickoff to the summer season with different activities and events. One of those events for the Lake Tahoe Opening Weekend is the Annual Mike Brown Splash-In, which has been hosted at Obexer’s Marina in Homewood, California. Seaplanes come in and land on Lake Tahoe and event goers get a chance to have a lot of fun. Now is the time to get your calendars out and make a note to be in Lake Tahoe for Memorial Day weekend!

Just in case you don’t know where you’ll be at in May, you still can see the seaplane I saw today taking off on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe in Homewood, California! Take a look at this seaplane video on Lake Tahoe.

If you enjoy the Tahoe lifestyle there has never been a better time to come to Lake Tahoe! Come up and play in my back yard – Lake Tahoe / Truckee, California, it’s the place to be!

Thinking about making Homewood, California your second home? Check out the homes and condos that are for sale in Homewood 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.

Seaplane takes off on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe in Homewood, California