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INCLINE VILLAGE REAL ESTATE BLOG
Please e-mail Don with your questions or comments.
Incline Village Real Estate Blog Daily Updates For the Incline Village MLS
February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008
August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008
Daily Blog Update - December 31, 2008
While most of the world was taking the day off and making preparations for New Year's Eve, this Incline Village real estate agent was busy showing property with two different buyers, working on another listing agreement and getting an accepted offer for one of my buyers.
Now that the negotiations have been concluded, I can reveal that I had three buyers for the house at 580 Sugarpine who all wrote offers at the same time. I wrote an offer for one buyer and handed the other 2 buyers off to other agents in my office to write their offers. (I think it's a conflict of interest for an agent to write offers for 2 or more buyers on the same property at the same time). It's going to be interesting working on this transaction since it is a bank owned property and they have thrown several pages of conditions at the deal.
The Incline Village real estate market brings us one new listing (the Super Deal Alert at the top of this page), three price changes and one property going into escrow on the last day of 2008. Congratulations to my compatriot in the real estate business, KJ, who is the listing agent for the stunning Lakeview home at 600 Tyner Way. This gorgeous piece of new construction finally got an accepted offer after a few massive price reductions and a significant amount of time on the market. Priced at just under $4 million, this five-bedroom, 6.5 bath, 6118 ft.² showplace features high end everything along with smart home technology.
Checking out the price reductions on the Incline Village MLS, we've got a $300,000 hatchet being taken to the asking price for the beautifully remodeled home at 748 Lakeshore. With four bedrooms, 4.5 baths and over 4000 ft.² which to roam this property has been given a major facelift from top to bottom. Low elevation shoppers seeking room to park a boat or recreational vehicle will love this property and its proximity to everything in Incline. The asking price is now $3,699,000, making it one of the better values within walking distance of the beach.
Daily Blog Update - December 30, 2008
With only one day left in 2008, the Incline Village real estate market still has a smattering of activity for your viewing pleasure. The MLS brings us two new listings, two price alterations, one property going into escrow and one property closing escrow on this beautiful winter day at Lake Tahoe. I'm not exactly anticipating a stampede over the two new listings, so let's scoot along and take a look at the other activity on today's menu.
Getting an accepted offer today is the stunning piece of new construction at 460 Tuscarora in Crystal Bay. This panoramic Lakeview home features five bedrooms, 5.5 baths, over 6000 ft.² of living space and a generous use of stone and timbers that provide a true mountain feel. The asking price of $2,950,000 works out to less than $500 per square foot which is pretty darn reasonable for a high end, panoramic Lakeview home in our market.
The nicely remodeled chalet at 1354 Zürich, which was touted as a good value here several weeks ago, closed escrow at $378,000. This darling two bedroom, two bath, free standing condo is just under 1400 ft.² and affords nice mountain views along with a tastefully landscaped front yard. I know the listing agent worked very hard to market this property and I would like to offer my congratulations for her efforts.
The beautifully remodeled home at 561 McDonald got a nice big price reduction today and is now much more palatable at the new asking price of $1,799,000. This property boasts five bedrooms, four full baths, over 4300 ft.² in which to roam and a nearly level lot of just under one half acre in the Woods subdivision. I nearly keeled over when this property first came on the market due to the original asking price of just under $2.4 million. Now, it's very close to the target price that I originally thought it would sell for and I think it will draw some interest with the latest price reduction which was nearly $100,000.
My week as an Incline Village real estate agent continues to be extraordinarily busy. I was out with two different buyers today and I will be out showing property again on Wednesday with two more clients. It looks like I will be putting in some fairly long days until the next big snowstorm gives me a chance to catch a break and shred some powder at Mt. Rose.
I would like to wish everyone a very happy and healthy New Year. Enjoy the festivities on Wednesday evening wherever you may be!
Daily Blog Update - December 29, 2008
With the recent snowstorms helping to fill the ski resorts around Lake Tahoe to capacity, this Incline Village real estate agent has been working more like its midsummer than midwinter. Just today I showed property to two different buyers, got a new listing agreement signed, wrote a proposal for another listing agreement and lined up appointments for my buyers on Tuesday and Wednesday.
I don't normally ski during the busy holiday weeks, so I guess it's just as well that I have plenty of real estate activity to keep me happily occupied. I don't have anything scheduled for this weekend yet, so if you'd like to look at some properties in Incline Village or Crystal Bay, just give me a call at 775-831-7000 or send me an e-mail.
Before we get into analyzing today's latest activity I have to tell you about the telephone conversation I had with Drew Myers of Zillow.com. I wrote to the chief executives of Zillow.com a few days ago and explained to them that it's not possible for their computer algorithm to realistically calculate the values of properties in Incline Village and Crystal Bay. So, they handed my e-mail off to Drew and we had a very pleasant conversation discussing the pros and cons of computerized home valuations.
I politely explained to him that every home in Incline Village is a custom home and while you might be able to develop an algorithm that works in cookie-cutter neighborhoods, it's not going to work accurately in Incline Village. After a relatively lengthy conversation he said to me, and I quote, "custom homes are something you can't put an algorithm to."
Also, if you look at the chart provided by Zillow.com you'll see that the median error for the estimated sale price of any given property in Washoe County is 12.3%. Since the median price of a home in Incline Village in 2008 is approximately $1,135,000, that means on average they are off by $139,605. Here's a link to the Zillow chart
I think this finally puts to rest any debate over the accuracy of computer-generated home valuations for Incline Village and Crystal Bay. Now if I could just get the buyers and sellers of the world to understand this, instead of them trying to use these computer-generated valuations as a basis for writing offers or pricing properties, it would sure make things easier.
The Incline Village MLS brings us two price reductions, two properties going into escrow and one new listing (which is a repeat), on this sunny Monday. Since neither of the price reductions does anything to quicken my pulse, let's take a look at the two properties closing escrow for some clues as to where our market is going.
The spacious 3300 plus square foot home with a partially updated interior at 600 Village Blvd. closed escrow at $760,000 today. If the MLS history is correct, then this property was on the market for approximately 545 days and it started out with an asking price of around $1.2 million. Not quite in the genre of "price 'em right and sell 'em fast, but the buyer sure got a lot of bang for their buck with this one.
The beautiful Tudor style home at 121 Rubicon Peak which was touted on this website as being a fabulous value sold at $1.4 million. This could go down as the best deal in the Lakeview subdivision in 2008. Featuring six bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 4,779 ft.² of living space on a .45 acre lot, I think the buyer will get many years of happiness at this superb location just a short walk from Lakeshore Drive. This is a perfect example of being patient and then acting decisively, if you want to be able to acquire the best values in the Incline Village real estate market.
Daily Blog Update - December 28, 2008
Just 1 new listing as we round out the week and it's a doozy, or so I thought. The listing agent messed up and entered 2BRs in the MLS, but the condo at 254 Ski Way Ridge is really a 1BR plus sleeping alcove, like the normal floor plan.
So, it's still a good value, but not the amazing deal it appeared to be when I first wrote Sunday's commentary. At 299K it's the lowest priced condo in the complex.
Daily Blog Update - December 23 - 27, 2008
Not a lot of activity to report on the Incline Village MLS for the past few days as most people were either digging out from the latest snow storms, struggling to drive over the mountain passes or just plain enjoying some time off for the Christmas holiday.
We've got 3 price changes in the past few days and one is a mammoth 700K reduction for the stunning home at 620 Martis Peak. This is now a short sale at the new price of $3,795,000. Anyone shopping for a low elevation, lake view home will want to visit this property to revel in the high end finishes, great architecture and nice views. It fell out of escrow just a couple of days after getting an accepted offer, so now the seller is likely super motivated.
Along with the price adjustments we had 1 property close escrow in the past few days. The 3BR, 2.5 BA, 1887 sq. ft. free standing condo at 824 Northwood sold for $675K. Congrats to the listing agent who handled both sides of the deal.
Daily Blog Update - December 22, 2008
The snow continues to pile up at the ski resorts, and also on the secondary roads around Lake Tahoe. But, if you live in Incline Village and work in real estate, having four-wheel-drive and the experience of growing up in New England helps out tremendously when you are showing property, like I did first thing this morning. Then it was up to Mt. Rose for a handful of runs on the ski slopes for the first time this season. I was actually pleasantly surprised at the quality of the snow and the amount of cover on the runs that I skied, although I did have to dodge a few rocks on a couple of the steeper pitches.
So, I have to apologize for the delay in getting Monday's Incline Village real estate update posted on the website. We have 1 rather unexciting new listing, one property going into escrow and two properties closing escrow for your viewing enjoyment as we approach the Christmas holiday.
Getting an accepted offer today is the gorgeous piece of new construction that I have been featuring on this site as a Best Buy. 620 Martis Peak (on the corner of Lakeshore Drive), was being offered at $4,495,000 and this six bedroom, 6.5 bath, over 7000 ft.² home is well worth every penny of the asking price. This means that both of the properties I have featured on my website for the past couple of months as best buys are now in escrow. You might wonder how multimillion dollar properties can be considered a Best Buy. But in the Incline Village real estate market it's not the general price range, rather the asking price of the individual property that matters.
521 Sugarpine is one of the two properties that closed escrow today and the $530,000 sale price is eminently fair for this three bedroom, three bath, 1880 ft.² home built originally in 1969. The property had some remodeling done, but I still consider it to be in the fixer upper/tear down category with the latter being more apropos in light of the gigantic lot that approaches three quarters of an acre. The street supports homes up to $3 million and the neighborhood has homes going up to $6 million, so there is very good upside potential for this property over the long-term. If it had a panoramic Lakeview you could've probably added another $500,000 or more to the final sale price.
The other property closing escrow today is #88 McCloud. The final sale price of $530,000 is a nice reward for the patient buyer who shopped around and negotiated a good deal. This property had been on the market for quite some time, but with all the competition in McCloud in 2008, most sellers have had to wait around a bit longer than in years past.
There might not be too much action on the Incline Village real estate scene between now and Thursday night, so I'd like to wish everyone out there a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah. Drive carefully over the holidays as it looks like a good chunk of the nation will be getting pummeled with winter storms and we will all have to be a little bit extra alert and cautious.
Daily Blog Update - December 20 - 21, 2008
Just one price change to report for Saturday's Incline Village real estate update and 1 repeat listing for Sunday. And it's a good thing, as I was busy showing property, working on a deal in escrow and catching up on some marketing projects. It looks like the town will fill up with vacationers now that ski season is in full swing and more snow is on the way. Looks like I won't be swimming in the lake again anytime soon...
Before we get into today's market info, I'd like to make a brief comment on the new Coldwell Banker ad that appeared in Friday's paper. They are making a nice claim about having 28% market share in Incline Village and Crystal Bay. But, when you divide the number of transaction sides by the number of agents at CB, it averages out to less than 2 transactions per agent in 2008. (There are a few agents at CB having a good year in 2008 and if you segregate their sales, it skews the numbers even further).
I've closed 8 transaction sides in 2008 and 20 sides total the past 2 years, that's more than 4 times the average CB agent. Myself and 1 other agent at Lakeshore Realty are the top 2 agents in Buyer representation for 2007 & 2008 combined. As a buyer or seller, it behooves you to work with an agent who is doing deals all the time, not once or twice a year. My suggestion, shop 3 or 4 different agents and pick the one that you feel most comfortable with and who will do the best job assisting you with the entire sales process.
The one sliver of new info from the Incline Village MLS on this sunny Saturday is the price reduction down to $256,500 for the 3BR, 2BA condo at Southwood Pines. This is a bank owned property that would appeal to anyone seeking 1200 sq. ft. and 3BRs for their $$ at low elevation. Walking distance to beach, post office and Village Shopping Center.
Daily Blog Update - December 19, 2008
I had one of my busiest days of the year as an Incline Village real estate agent. Yes, it's late December and the snow is flying, but I still had 3 buyers wanting to write offers on the same property and a new listing agreement to prepare.
The Incline Village MLS brings us 2 price reductions as the only other action to contemplate on this blustery Friday. Throwing a big break to the general public with an $855,000 price reduction is the lakefront home at 514 Gonowabie is now $3,995,000.
If you're looking to spend about half that much, then maybe the new asking price of $1,995,000 for the pano lake view home at 567 Eagle is more your style. A short, level driveway brings you to this 5BR, 3.5BA, 3,406 sq. ft. home on nearly a half acre of prime east slope terrain.
Daily Blog Update - December 18, 2008
Just one price reduction to report on the Incline Village MLS today and then you can get back to whatever you were doing. The Lake view home at 578 Valley Drive was reduced $25,000 down to $1,275,000.
The really big news is that I have a couple of buyers interested in the same property and that always poses a dilemma. I can't write an offer at the same time for two different people on the same property, so I have to hand one of them off to another agent in my office. This has happened to me three times in the past two years and it is never a fun situation. But when you have such a large pool of buyer clients, it's bound to happen now and then.
Daily Blog Update - December 17, 2008
The plodding pace of winter activity on the Incline Village real estate market continues with one fairly exciting new listing and 2 price adjustments today.
I'm anticipating a lot of interest in the very nicely remodeled and well situated little house at 580 Sugarpine. This is a rare bank owned property in Incline Village and the asking price just under $440,000 is a veritable bargain considering this property sold for around $700,000 a few years ago.
This 2BR, 3BA, 1100+ sq. ft. property was remodeled about 3 to 4 years ago. I can't show you a 2BR house anywhere near this quality and location within 200K of this price. Best value in an REO property at low elevation in Incline and Crystal Bay. This will not last, every small home buyer and condo shopper will be all over this one.
The gorgeous place at #50 Lakeshore Terrace, which is really two condos smashed into one giant five-bedroom property dropped over $600,000 of excess baggage and is now much more delectable at $2,999,000. You'll enjoy panoramic Lake views and amenities like a buoy and pier at this lakefront condo.
Daily Blog Update - December 16, 2008
As the latest snowstorm temporarily clears out of the area we are left with a couple of price reductions and two properties going into escrow on today's Incline Village real estate update. Congratulations to Peg in my office at Lakeshore Realty for putting the cute house at 928 Dorcey Dr. into escrow today. The new asking price of only $595,000 made this much more attractive to prospective buyers.
The big news of the day on the price reduction front is the $475,000 downward adjustment for the new construction at 847 Freel's Peak. Just one block from Lakeshore Drive, this gorgeous 5,300 ft.² home features five bedrooms, four full baths, one half bath and a setting next to a stream. The new asking price of $3,500,000 makes this very competitive with the other newly constructed properties in the Lakeview subdivision.
Daily Blog Update - December 15, 2008
All of the action on the Incline Village real estate market was on the mid-to high-end, so low-end shoppers can take today off or get out on the slopes and enjoy some of the fresh powder that has fallen. It looks like winter has finally arrived in the Lake Tahoe basin and everyone connected with the ski industry is probably rejoicing, which is far better than standing in the unemployment line.
The Incline Village MLS brings us three new listings (one of which is a repeat) and 2 price reductions for your viewing pleasure. Leading off with the price adjustments, we've got a $100,000 slide on the downside for the home located at 327 Winding Way. The new asking price of $850,000 brings this spacious three bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2600 plus square foot home on a nearly half acre lot much closer to my target range. You won't have any problems moving furniture in and out of this house as one of the great features is the extremely wide staircase.
Lakeview shoppers will be happy to see the new asking price of $1,750,000 for the lovely new construction at 920 Tyner Way. The $49,000 price alteration will leave you additional money to furnish this very nice property which features high-end finishes throughout. With four bedrooms, 3.5 baths, a two car attached garage and 2656 ft.² situated on just under one quarter acre, this is one of the more attractive high elevation properties for sale in Incline Village.
If you would rather be a little further down the hill and still want a Lakeview, then maybe the new listing at 794 Tyner will appeal to you. This Lakeview home gives you more than twice the square footage of 920 Tyner, coming in at over 5500 ft.² of living space that is divided into five bedrooms, five full baths and two half baths. You will also find a family room, game room, den, three car attached garage and a quality of construction that is second to none since this home was built by Ira Rodman. The asking price for this beautiful property is $3,295,000.
If you would rather have a lakefront condo with all the amenities and don't mind spending $200,000 more, then you may wish to take a peek at #4 Crystal Towers. Featuring four bedrooms, three full baths, 2840 ft.² and a panoramic Lakeview that will knock your socks off, this remodeled condo is one of the more exceptional properties in Incline Village. Anyone shopping for a lakefront condo who has a boat will appreciate the pier and buoy that go along with this wonderful location on the water.
Daily Blog Update - December 13 - 14, 2008
Just a smattering of activity to report on the Incline Village real estate market for the weekend. The really big news is that the Lake Tahoe basin is getting the first major snow storm of the season. With any luck the ski areas will be able to finally open up some decent terrain and we can all start acting like it's winter.
The Incline Village MLS brings us 2 price reductions and 1 new listing in the past 2 days. Low elevation shoppers looking in the under 400K price range will want to take a peek at 209 Robin Dr. #7. This is a 3BR, 2BA, 1300+ sq. ft. condo with a 1 car attached garage. Priced at only 299K, I'll need to scope this one out and see which of my buyers may be interested in this property.
I'm not overly enthusiastic about either of the 2 price reductions, so I'm going to get back to working on the deal I have in escrow. Lots of details to attend to on this one....
Daily Blog Update - December 11 - 12, 2008
The two new listings on the Incline Village real estate market are a real yawner, so let's take a look at the three price reductions and two properties closing escrow to generate a little bit of excitement.
Lakeview lovers will want to note that the fixer-upper at 573 Poco Ct close escrow Friday at $1,440,000. This is a five bedroom, 4.5 bath, 3500 plus square foot home situated in the upper reaches off of Saddlehorn Drive. At about half the price, there is a new owner of a four unit building located at 325 Alder Court. No lake view that's for sure, but good steady rental income from this four plex.
If you've been seeking a Lakeview property at a bargain price and don't mind the drive to upper Tyrolean Village, 1447 Berne Ct took a $50,000 hit and is now a virtual gift at only $749,000. The very livable fixer-upper at 418 Pat Ct was given a $70,000 shaving and presents itself is a good value at only $550,000. With three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1620 ft.² of living space, a two car attached garage and a fairly large nearly level lot, this centrally located property in Incline Village would make a great starter home or a nice little summer getaway if you want something bigger and better than a condo.
Daily Blog Update - December 10, 2008
As we await the theoretical onslaught of Winter this coming weekend, the Incline Village real estate market brought us a smattering of activity on Wednesday. The MLS provided us with two price reductions and two properties closing escrow on another gorgeous day at Lake Tahoe.
I'm glad to see that sanity is finally returning to the lower end condos along the Northwood Blvd. and the Southwood Blvd. corridors. The reason I say this, is because #4 Northwood Estates closed escrow at $250,000. I've always felt that the condos in this complex were on the high side when they were selling in the $400,000 plus price range. All you had to do was look closely at the ancient construction and high density configuration to appreciate that the prices for these properties rose dramatically due to a lack of supply during the feeding frenzy of 2004 and 2005. By any objective analysis, watching these condos appreciate 40% in two years reminded me of the dot com bubble in 2001.
The other property that closed escrow on Wednesday is the cute house at 223 Robin Drive which sold for $525,000. This single family home has almost the same square footage as the condo in Northwood Estates, so why did it sell for more than twice the price? First of all, it comes with nearly 2/10 of an acre of land and we all know that land is where the value lies for a significant percentage of the properties in Incline Village. This home had been very nicely updated and it has a large two car garage. So, even though it is located just off of Southwood Blvd. in a relatively high density neighborhood, buyers are willing to pay a premium for houses vs. condos. If you put this house in a more desirable neighborhood, it would have sold for at least $100,000 to $150,000 more. Location, location, location......
Checking out the price reductions on the Incline Village real estate scene, we've got a $255,000 adjustment for the remodeled lakefront home at 510 Gonowabie. This four bedroom, 4.5 bath, 2400 ft.² home features a panoramic Lakeview, steel pier, two buoys and a boat hoist. The new asking price of $4,495,000 will make this property much more attractive to Lakefront shoppers.
For those of you with about 1/10 of the budget of a lakefront home, there is a cabin up at 954 Garen St that might be in your price range. This is a four bedroom, two bath, 1,656 ft.², bank owned property that is now being offered at $440,000. If you don't mind the drive to the nosebleed section of upper Tyner, you'll find a property that is priced not much higher than the little cabins in Incline Crest.
I've got a busy day ahead of me on Thursday, working on the transaction I have an escrow and showing property in the afternoon. I'm hoping to put the December newsletter on this website later today.
Daily Blog Update - December 9, 2008
Curious About the SF Bay Area Market? Click Here to See the REO and Short Sale Stats for parts of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. We don't have anywhere near the percentage of REOs or Short Sales in Incline Village that you'll find in California.
It's going to be a quick update for the Incline Village real estate market on Tuesday as I have a deal in escrow and buyers coming into town that I need to stay focused on. The MLS activity brings us 2 listings and three price changes, none of which are nearly as exciting as the news reported in Monday's update.
First up on the new listings is a bank owned property in upper Tyrolean Village at 1336 Tirol Dr. With three bedrooms, two baths, 1554 ft.², mountain views, steps a mountain goat would love and an asking price of $459,900, I don't see people beating down the door to get into this one.
If you would like something quite a bit more luxurious and don't mind the $1,659,000 price tag, then there is a lot to like about #14 The Pointe. This is considered a most elegant complex in all of Incline Village. Boasting 3 very large bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2,871 ft.² and a very high-quality interior, you'll also find a swimming pool, spa and tennis courts where you can recreate to your heart's content. Located just a short walk from the Championship Golf Course and the Raley's Shopping Center.
Only one of the price reductions catches my eye today, but it's a big one and very worthwhile. #115 Bitterbrush just dropped down to $450,000 making it the best value in the complex. It's hard for me to say this is the best value in Bitterbrush since I have the listing at #111, but at this price #115 is definitely worth a look.
Daily Blog Update - December 8, 2008
The calendar might say December 8, 2008, but this Incline Village real estate agent is working like it's the middle of summer. It's been a string of 12 to 14 hour days during the past week with no end in sight. But I have to tell you, I'm rather ecstatic to have this much sales activity at this time of year.
The Incline Village real estate market brings us six new listings, one price reduction and one property going into escrow on another gorgeous late autumn day at Lake Tahoe. The big headline today is the Super Deal Alert above this paragraph for the beautiful mountain style home located at 615 Country Club Dr..
Our second piece of major news today, is that the home at 88 Shoreline Circle priced at $2,695,000 got an accepted offer. This property is in a great location near the corner of Lakeshore Drive and it features four bedrooms, 3.5 baths, a three car attached garage and a bit of a Lake view from the second story.
Our one price reduction doesn't do anything for me, so let's take a little closer look at a couple of the new listings. Lakeview shoppers in the $2 million price range will want to take a close look at 489 Fairview. Owned by one of the long time and most well respected real estate brokers in Incline Village, this 4661 ft.² home boasts five bedrooms, 5.5 baths, an oversized three car garage with a short level driveway, street to street lot and solar panels that will dramatically cut your utility bills. Priced at $2,087,000 I think this is one of the best values I've seen on the east slope in a very long time.
If you would rather own a Lakefront condo in this price range, then #32 Crystal Bay Cove might be right up your alley. With 2100 ft.² of living space to go along with three bedrooms and three full baths, what you sacrifice in square footage you more than make up for with the incredible views and fabulous location. Okay, so it's priced the same as the house on Fairview, but you will be treated to spectacular panoramic views of Lake Tahoe and you will have access to a pier and buoy. This is an end unit and it is being offered furnished, so Lakefront shoppers will want to check out this property before a savvy buyer snaps it up.
Daily Blog Update - December 6 - 7, 2008
Just a little bit of action to report for the weekend Incline Village real estate update as we saw #25 McCloud get an accepted offer. Priced at only 489K, this is by far the lowest price for a 2BR, 2BA condo in the complex in the past 4 years. The seller was very motivated and although the updating inside is very nice, the location is a bit challenging being next to both the entrance driveway and Village Blvd. Buyers should not expect to find any other McCloud condos priced this low, the mid 500s is where we are seeing most of the sales in 2008.
Sunday brought us 2 new listings, a repeat but at a new lower price for the property at 648 Martis Peak and a good value at only 489K for a 2BR, 2.5BA lakeview condo in Bitterbrush.
On a personal note, December 6th is the 4th anniversary of the head injury I suffered while showing property here in Incline. We had a lot of snow early in the season in 2004 and when I went to open the front door of a house on Sand Iron Dr, a block of ice slid off the roof and split my head open.
Fortunately, my buyers rushed me to the local ER where I had my scalp stapled back together by the wonderful medical staff. Kudos to the doctors and all the staff who assisted me that day. If you've ever wondered if we have good medical care in Incline, rest assured that our local hospital has a very competent staff.
I think it's pathetic that neither the listing agent, listing broker or seller made any effort to help with my medical bills. Normally, you have liability when you're selling a product that has a defect, but somehow the people involved didn't see it that way. During the first 3 months after the injury I slept at most 2 or 3 hours a night, ate less than 1 meal a day and dropped 14 lbs that I've never fully regained (when you're thin you can't afford that). To this day I still feel like my brain is going to explode out of the front of my skull when I do my morning exercises.
I think it's way past time that our local board of Realtors establish a Property Hazards Database (PHD). Every agent should be responsible when they take a new listing for walking around the property with the owner and identifying any potential hazards (loose steps, protruding objects, falling hazards, etc). The list of hazards should be sent to our board office where they would be entered in the PHD. Before showing a property, the showing agent could search the database to see if any hazards exist that they need to be aware of.
If the PHD had existed prior to my showing the house on Sand Iron Dr., I would never have attempted to enter via the front door and would probably have never suffered a serious head injury. I was lucky, if my head was not tilted down at an angle I would likely have died from a skull fracture. Fortunately, the block of ice (about the size of 2 bricks) hit me on an angle, my clients said if the ice had struck me flush I would have been killed.
Let's hope my injury will serve as a wake up call to all the agents, brokers and members of our local real estate board and we'll get the PHD up and running before 2008 comes to an end.
Daily Blog Update - December 5, 2008
All 3 new listings on the Incline Village real estate market are repeats today, so let's meander over to the 5 price changes and see what tidbits of interest await. The stunning home at 959 Fairview took a nearly 500K drop and is now a great value at the new asking price of only $2.2 mil. Owned by a well known MLB player, this high quality property features a full size indoor gym and finishes that high rollers can appreciate.
The mountain style home at 560 Ponderosa received a 100K adjustment and is now more palatable at the new asking price of $1,149,000. Losing $60K of weight, the 2BR condo at 25 Woodminster is now the lowest price we've seen in that complex in awhile at only 375K.
Keep an eye out for the December Newsletter early next week which will have my analysis of the market in 2008 and my predictions for what the future holds. I'm still putting on the finishing touches, as this was a super busy week for me.
Daily Blog Update - December 4, 2008
It was another gorgeous autumn day on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe and if I wasn't so busy working on the December newsletter, showing property, preparing my next big promotional piece and lining up the weekends business activities, I might've actually been able to enjoy the beautiful sunshine. But, I guess I really should not complain since I am having my best year ever while most Incline Village real estate agents and agents all over the country struggle to keep their heads above water.
I'm very pleased to announce that I am representing the buyers on the only property going into escrow today which is the elegantly remodeled Lakeview home at 1005 Apollo. This property has been featured as a Best Buy on my website and with good reason. In addition to the very nice Lake view there is a year-round Creek bordering the property, open space buffering you from the neighbors and a great floor plan.
The only other action to report on the Incline Village real estate market today are three price reductions and all of them merit at least a quick look. Leading things off with a $79,000 adjustment on the downside is the Lake view condo at #211 Bitterbrush. This two bedroom condo originally came on the market 18 months ago at $670,000 and the latest price reduction puts it right in the sweet spot of recent sales in the complex.
Getting a $51,000 shaving is the tastefully remodeled mountain style home at 538 Dale Drive. The interior was completely gutted and refinished with the generous use of wood and stone for a very natural Tahoe look. Skateboarders will love the driveway which makes one heck of an entrance ramp to Tyner Way, especially in the off-season. Considering that none of us will be skiing anytime soon, this might be the only place in town where you can get that downhill thrill before the white stuff falls from the sky in abundance.
Dropping $205,000 down to $3,295,000 is the stunning new construction at 383 - 2nd Tee Drive. Inside over 5200 ft.² of living space you will find five bedrooms, 4.5 baths,and a kitchen that is so nice you will never want to leave. The large downslope lot of just under two thirds of an acre, in a prime spot on the eastern slope, even affords you a few peeks of the Lake.
Daily Blog Update - December 3, 2008
With ski season at Lake Tahoe nothing more than a distant fantasy at the moment, this Incline Village real estate agent has been busy writing offers, showing property and working on my December newsletter. Keep an eye on the home page of this website later this week for the 2008 Year in Review and market analysis. I'm sure the results are going to surprise many people. The only hint I will give you is that the Incline Village real estate market has held up a lot better than just about anywhere else in the entire United States.
The MLS update for Wednesday brings us two new listings and 2 price changes, and it should bring us one deal going into escrow as the offer I wrote for a Lakeview house appears to have been accepted. The reason I say appears, is that the property is a short sale and although the sellers have agreed to all the terms, we are still awaiting final word from the lenders involved in this situation.
Checking out the new listings, we've got a cute freestanding condo at #45 Incline Crest priced at $379,000 which looks to be in one of the better locations in the complex. Featuring two bedrooms, two baths, 1120 ft.² of living space, a mountain feel and a nice woodsy setting, this property is worth a look for anyone shopping in the under $400,000 price range.
Those of you seeking an investment opportunity among the lower priced properties in Incline Village may wish to take a gander at #6 Racquet Club. This is a three bedroom, two bath, two story condo that is a short sale and priced very aggressively at only $290,000. Condos in this complex are always in demand as rental units especially by newcomers to our community. So, the numbers may actually work if you are looking for a budget priced investment property to turn into a rental.
Both of the price reductions on the Incline Village real estate scene today are rather meaningful. First up is the hundred thousand dollar adjustment for the spacious seven bedroom home located at 564 Ponderosa. Today's price change drops this property down to $1,395,000 so I have to believe this is the least expensive seven bedroom property for sale in Incline Village.
Getting a $300,000 haircut is the stunning piece of new construction at 732 Lakeshore. The new asking price of $4,950,000 is much more palatable than the original offering number of $6.5 million. This is a spectacular home that features high end everything, wonderful architectural character and a terrific location just a short walk from Burnt Cedar Beach. Highrollers looking for properties at low elevation now have several excellent choices in the under $5 million price range.
Daily Blog Update - December 2, 2008
It's going to be a brief scan on the Incline Village real estate market as we had just 1 property going into escrow and 1 close escrow today as the only action to report. #90 Royal Pines, the nicely remodeled 4BR condo overlooking the green belt sold for???? The MLS info shows $52,750,000, so I'm guessing there are a few too many zeros.
Daily Blog Update - December 1, 2008
If I didn't know better, I would still think it was late summer with the gorgeous weather we are continuing to have here at Lake Tahoe. The lake is dropping close to its natural rim and this means outflows of water to the Truckee River are now down to about 12 cubic feet per second. As much as I love beautiful weather, this Incline Village real estate agent is hoping for some nice big snowstorms to help generate some snowmelt for the environment and also to jumpstart ski season.
Monday's Incline Village real estate update brings us two new listings (1 of which is a repeat), four price adjustments and 25 listings expiring. It's that time of year when sellers routinely pull their properties off the market and either rent them for ski season (like one of my sellers in McCloud), use them for the holidays or just give them a rest during the winter when buyers are few and far between.
Low-end bargain hunters looking for a centrally located condo may wish to check out #4 Incline Manor. This is a short sale priced at $275,000 for a remodeled two bedroom, 1.5 bath, 960 square-foot condo that's just a short walk from the Village Shopping Center. You even get a carport, making this quite possibly the lowest price property in town with covered parking.
Before I move along to the price reductions, I have to tell you about #348 Burgundy Hill which I had the opportunity to preview on Monday. At $599,000 this is far and away the best lake view from a 2BR, 2BA condo I've seen in the last 3 years. The photo in the MLS only shows part of the view, it's much more impressive in person and the view of Alpine Meadows and the west shore of Tahoe is really quite spectacular. (If I didn't love my own house so much, I'd sell it and buy this condo, that's how nice the view is!)
This property will be on the MLS tour on Tues. morning and all the other agents will be on the phone to their buyers as soon as they see it. If you have any interest in this condo please contact me promptly at 775-831-7000. Here's a link to the MLS info.
CON - Detail View
The house for sale at 816 O'Neill is the most notable of the price changes today, moving from 614K down to 575K. Bank approval needed on the sale, but we're pretty much around lot value making this a good long term opportunity for Incline Village real estate shoppers.
Ok, time for me to put on my bathing suit and head down to the lake for one last swim this season...
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