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Incline Village Real Estate Blog Daily Updates For the Incline Village MLS

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Daily Blog Update - January 31, 2009
It's another springlike day in the dead of winter at Lake Tahoe. So we are celebrating this beautiful weather with four price reductions and one new listing for today's Incline Village real estate update.

Even though our new listing is a repeat, it's with a new agent and at a much lower price. 194 Tramway came back on the market $200,000 shy of the old asking price and is now only a smidgen under $1.3 million. This remodeled five bedroom, three bath, 3299 ft.² home is a stone's throw from the old Ponderosa Ranch.

Those of you who have been waiting around for a great deal on a free standing condo at low elevation will want to get excited about 275 Deer Ct. For the first time in a very long time we are seeing one of these beautifully designed properties listed under $1.1 million. This place has arguably the best location and quite possibly the nicest interior of any of these units. Set just below Hwy. 28, it's a very short walk to the rec center and beach. The new asking price of $1,095,000 makes this a Best Buy in my opinion.

Wrapping things up today on the Incline Village real estate scene are two other price reductions for number #334 and #345 Burgundy Hill. Both of these are one bedroom, two bath, 1060 something square-foot condos, but #345 has a pretty nice Lakeview.

I don't expect too much action on the Incline Village real estate market on Super Bowl Sunday, but check back anyways you just never know...

Daily Blog Update - January 30, 2009
It was another crazy day of dealing with whacko, crazy people for this Incline Village real estate agent and if I have many more of these days, I'm going to be hiring my own full-time attorney to deal with some of the rascals out there in the marketplace.   It was a mildly busy day for the Incline Village MLS as we have two new listings, two price reductions and one property closing escrow to contemplate.

If you're one of those people who likes to go out often and get stinking drunk and then you want to be able to just stumble home across the street to your abode, I've got a great new listing for you. And if you like the Country Club Villas across from the Hyatt then you're going to love this place at 841 Tanager St which is almost exactly identical and $300,000 cheaper! Built in 1996, this freestanding condo features three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, just under 2100 ft.² of living space, and a two car attached garage, all at an asking price of just $769,000.  

Our other new listing today is in a fabulous location on the Mountain Golf Course at 807 Snead court. The asking price of $1,295,000 is rather puzzling to me since this four bedroom, four bath home only has 2494 ft.² of living space and the lot is only .265 of an acre. I don't think this property which was built in 1978 has been recently remodeled based on the interior pictures, but I'll be able to give you a better analysis when I see the place on the MLS tour.  For now, I am not overly excited about the asking price on this one.  But if you like the location, then what the heck, just write them an offer and see what they'll take.

If you have $599,000 to spend then maybe the price reductions on today's Incline Village real estate scene will be of interest to you. We've got the house at 590 North Dyer Cir which was reduced $50,000, or if you would rather have a condo near the beach, then #58 Village at Incline was whacked the same amount and is also 599K.  The condo boasts two bedrooms, 2.5 baths, just under 1600 ft.² and a two car detached garage. The house is in the Woods subdivision and comes with four bedrooms, two baths, over 2200 ft.² but no garage. Either way, you're getting a lot of bang for the buck with these two properties in Incline Village.

Our property closing escrow today is the stunning piece of new construction at 600 Tyner. I like to refer to this place as "The house that never should have been built", because it was the only piece of land separating a huge stretch of State of Nevada Conservation land from a chunk of Forest Service land further up the mountainside. Somehow, this place with a zero IPES score when I moved to Incline Village was reclassified and turned into a buildable lot.

The only real positive aspect of this entire transaction is that I happen to like the listing agent and her husband a lot and they are the folks who built this spec home on nearly three quarters of an acre of land. So, I'm happy they were able to sell the place and probably make a tidy profit. I can't fault them for trying to make a living, but I can take out my wrath on the TRPA for not taking any steps to use SNLPMA funds to purchase this parcel and set it aside permanently as public land, before it was bought by the developer.

Anyway, this five-bedroom, 6.5 bath, over 6100 square-foot panoramic Lakeview home with all the bells and whistles closed escrow at $3,600,000. The owner and builder is Jeff Miller of Advance Design and Construction.  He does super high quality work and I highly recommend him if you are looking for a trustworthy and reliable contractor to do some remodeling or new construction for you.

Daily Blog Update - January 29, 2009
It was a day of steady activity for the Incline Village real estate market as we had one new listing, one property going into escrow, one property closing escrow and two price alterations on a very springlike Thursday.  Next week I'll write a column about the code of ethics we're all supposed to adhere to, but for now let's deal with the business at hand.

The big headline of the day is the massive price reduction of $290,000 for the Lakeview home that's one of my favorites at 489 Fairview. Now priced at only $1,790,000 I consider this to be the absolute best value in a Lakeview home on the entire eastern slope. I also happen to like the seller one heckuva lot and he just happens to be one of the most successful and professional Incline Village real estate brokers I've ever had the pleasure to meet.

While we are on the subject of Lakeview homes, the beautiful property at 758 Tyner closed escrow at just a little bit over $2 million. Considering this property was priced originally at $2,895,000 over 2 years ago, it once again leads credence to my philosophy that you write an offer based on what you think a property is worth, not what a seller is asking. I'd like to offer my congratulations to the most recent listing agent for this place, as she did a wonderful job marketing the property at the new price point of $2,495,000.

Getting an accepted offer today is the very fairly priced condo at #115 Bitterbrush. This two bedroom, 2.5 bath, 1421 square-foot condo with a loft was reduced to $450,000 and that asking price clearly attracted a savvy buyer.

And our last tidbit of news before we wrap things up on today's Incline Village real estate update is the new listing at 929 Northwood - #10 - Tahoe Sierra Pines. This remodeled four-bedroom, four bath, 1468 square-foot condo is on the top floor of this three-story building so you don't have to worry about footsteps on top of your head.  The property is being offered furnished at the asking price of $465,000. Joe Bob says, "check it out."
(Those of you who used to read Joe Bob Briggs column in the Pink Section of the SF Chronicle will be familiar with that tag line)

Daily Blog Update - January 28, 2009
It's been an incredibly intense and stressful week for this Incline Village real estate agent as I try to keep two extremely difficult escrows together. Those of you in the audience who think real estate agents have an easy job just writing up a contract and collecting a fat commission check have no idea of the incredible level of detail and the amazing number of nuances that some of these transactions can contain. If you've been lucky enough in the past two have a simple, smooth and clean transaction, well that's how most of my deals generally go. But lately none of them have been simple, smooth or clean.

The Incline Village real estate market brings us two new listings (both of which are repeats), and five price adjustments on this gorgeous Wednesday. At least I had the good fortune to enjoy a couple of hours on the slopes at Mt. Rose while we still have some decent snow quality.  If you are planning to do any skiing around Lake Tahoe, I recommend that you come up as soon as possible.  Because of the warm weather, the snow will be melting rather quickly during the next week.

Leading off the price adjustments on today's Incline Village real estate review is a $40,000 increase for #6 Third Creek. Why the seller would raise the price $40,000 for a condo that has not sold in over 18 months is beyond me, but I guess they must have some reason. This property really has a great floor plan and a pretty good location in the complex.  So, anyone shopping for a two bedroom condo in Third Creek may wish to take a look at this condo and then take your best shot when you write an offer.

None of the other price changes really grabbed my attention today, but there is one major price reduction happening on Thursday that you Lakeview lovers will definitely want to check out.

The only other big news that I have for you today is that the Executive Director of the TRPA resigned effective February 28, 2009.   Here's a link to the news article

I've been trying for four years to get the TRPA Board of Directors to understand that John Singlaub is not the environmentalist that we need to lead the organization. The only way to save Lake Tahoe from death by a thousand cuts is to completely revamp the TRPA and make the agency accountable to the public. I will have more to say on this topic in a couple of days, but there's a reason that several years ago I registered the domain name ReplaceTRPA.com.   

Daily Blog Update - January 27, 2009
It looks like the last paragraph of yesterdays Incline Village real estate update was right on target as we had one closed escrow, two new listings and three price reductions on this gorgeous Tuesday.  The property at 88 Shoreline Circle closed escrow at $2,050,000 after originally coming on the market in June 2006 at $2,795,000 and had been reduced to an asking price of $2,695,000 at the time this offer was accepted. If you didn't have a chance to read yesterday's column, then just scroll down the page to find the cerebral stimulation for Monday.

Our two new listings today include one repeat and what appears to be a very aggressively priced two bedroom, two bath upper unit in McCloud. #195 is pegged at 525K and it's right up stairs from my listing which is the superduper remodel, #194 priced at $559,000. So I guess it's a question of whether you prefer an upper or a lower unit and do you want a place that has already been completely redone or a condo that's been partially updated.

If you have been looking at the higher elevation homes in Incline Village, then the $100,000 price reduction for the property at 951 Garen might interest you.   This is a mountain style home featuring four bedrooms, 3.5 baths, and 2822 ft.² of living space. Built in 1998 and offering nice mountain views, this property is on a quiet little street off of upper, upper Tyner.

Daily Blog Update - January 26, 2009
The Incline Village real estate market is off to a rousing start on this stormy Monday. After skiing a few runs in the powder early in the morning at Mt. Rose, the clouds descended, the snow fell harder and it was time to get back to work. So, I cranked up the wood stove, made a cup of tea and sat down to contemplate the two new listings, two price reductions, two properties going into escrow and one property closing escrow.

Our new listings on the Incline Village MLS are both repeats, so let's move ahead and check out the price alterations. I am normally not a huge fan of the Incline Manor complex, but I can't resist the $25,000 price reduction for #22.

Now offered at a smidgen under $200,000, this is a three bedroom, 1.5 bath, 1088 ft.² condo just a short walk from the Village Shopping Center. We haven't seen this kind of price in the complex in a very long time and that's likely due to the fact that this is a rare foreclosure in town. Once this one is gone, we'll be back to looking at properties in this complex where they normally reside, which is about $100,000 higher. You even get a carport, making this easily the lowest-priced property in Incline Village with covered parking in several years.

The beautiful three bedroom, 3.5 bath, 2466 ft.², panoramic Lakeview condo at #69 Bitterbrush was slashed $50,000 and is now much more palatable at $995,000. This has one of the nicest interiors in the complex and it's in my favorite row on the down slope with spectacular views of Lake Tahoe, the Diamond Peak Ski Area and the surrounding mountains.

It looks like the seller of the spacious and well maintained home at 999 Fairway would really like to see a buyer as he cut the price $250,000 yesterday. The new asking price of $1,995,000 is much more attractive for this four bedroom, 3.5 bath, 4686 ft.² home by the Championship Golf Course. The owner is a very nice gentleman who has been part of our local real estate community for quite some time. So, check this place out if the basic specs meet your criteria. Great master suite that is open, well designed and elegant.

Getting accepted offers today are the big, beautiful four-bedroom, 4.5 bath, nearly 5000 ft.² home at 629 Village Blvd. and at the opposite end of the spectrum a cute little cabin in the upper nosebleed section at 954 Garen.  This is the second time in one week we've had two properties go into escrow in the same day, so as buyers start to realize that particular properties are priced attractively they're pulling the trigger.

The one piece of Incline Village real estate closing escrow today is a rather cute three bedroom, 2.5 bath, 1500 plus square foot condo at 680 Wilson Way. Located right next to the entrance of the Mountain Golf Course this propertyoriginally came on the market at $529,000 on July 26, 2008. I remember seeing this place on the MLS tour and making a note to myself that it would probably sell for around $400,000 to $425,000. Low and behold, the condo closed escrow at an even $400,000, once again pointing out that it's the sale price that matters, not the asking price.

Here's my philosophy on the Incline Village real estate market and vacation resort areas in general. When you find a property that you like, ignore the asking price, run the comparable sales to figure out what it is really worth and then write your offer. Sometimes a seller needs to see an offer on paper before they're willing to contemplate reducing their asking price significantly. If you can justify the numbers, then you've got a chance of striking a deal.

News Flash: January 26, 2009 - 5:10 p.m.
Washoe County just rolled back the assessed property values by 25% for all property owners in the county.  The value of Incline Village real estate just got a positive boost.  Click Here to Read the Article

Daily Blog Update - January 25, 2009
Some much needed snow is finally arriving in the Tahoe basin on Sunday and all of us powder hounds are looking forward to shredding some of the fine white stuff the next couple of days. But there is still plenty of work at hand for this Incline Village real estate agent so let's get right to the one new listing and one price reduction that we have for you.

Yours truly just put #259 Ski Way Ridge back on the market at a new lower price of only $319,000. This is a remodeled one bedroom, two bath, 1062 ft.² condo with an underground parking garage for easy access all year round. There is a sleeping alcove with a movable floor to ceiling partition off of the living room. These floorplans were designed to sleep up to six people; 2 in the master bedroom, two in the sleeping alcove and 2 on a hide-a-bed in the living room.

The most important remodeling done in this condo was opening up the kitchen to the living area by ripping out the cabinets over the stove, installing canned lights and recessing the refrigerator so that two or three people can work in the kitchen at the same time.  All the 1BR condos in Ski Way Ridge have a very narrow kitchen and the refrigerator sticks out making it virtually impossible for two people to share the kitchen. Taking out the cabinets above the stove brings a lot more light into the kitchen and having lived in this particular unit in the past, I can tell you that those cabinets over the stove are utterly useless.

In addition, the baths have been updated with new ceramic tile floors and new lighting, there is new tile in the entryway, a newer washer and dryer and some other little touches. The seller is very motivated and would love to see an offer on this property. Located just one half mile below the Diamond Peak Ski Area and approximately 1.25 miles to the beach, you can get anywhere in Incline quickly from this condo.

The one price reduction today is for a home that I like very much at 108 Steam Circle. The seller is one of the most well-liked and well-respected real estate brokers in the history of Incline Village. He and his wife have done a very nice job maintaining and updating this three bedroom, three bath, 2146 ft.² home on a lot slightly larger than one third of an acre.  The new asking price of $859,000 is actually getting down near lot value for this beautifully landscaped property in the Mill Creek subdivision.

Daily Blog Update - January 23 - 24, 2009
We have a little catching up to do on the Incline Village real estate updates for Friday and Saturday. Looking at the Incline Village MLS there are a total of two uninspiring new listings, three price reductions and one property closing escrow as the stormy weather at Lake Tahoe continues. I apologize for the delay in getting these updates on the website, I'm in the middle of two escrows that are redefining the phrase "time-consuming."  

The only price alteration worthy of electrons is the stunning $51,000 adjustment for the home I've always liked at 657 Tyner. Now down to $799,000, this is arguably the best value in the $800,000 price range anywhere in Incline Village. Inside 2000 ft.² of living space you'll find three bedrooms, three full baths, a remodeled kitchen, and sunroom. In addition, there is a huge storage space under the house, a nice workshop and more storage under the parking deck and above the garage. The sellers are a very nice couple and I guess they have reached a level of motivation that has them setting the new asking price under 800K.

I'm pleased to report that the beautifully remodeled home located at 687 Bridger Ct sold for $660,000. This property came on the market a few months ago at $685,000, got a lot of interest but no serious offers. I had a couple of different buyers look at the property, but they were not willing to write at anything close to the asking price. This is a lovely three bedroom, 2.5 bath, nearly 1600 ft.² home with a two car attached garage situated in a beautiful woodsy setting on a quiet cul-de-sac. The seller was smart to hold firm and stay close to the original asking price of $685,000. While lots of buyers may have attempted unsuccessfully to purchase this property cheap, it's a perfect sample of a quality property selling at fair market value. Even though this is a higher elevation home, it's in a great location that's quiet, relatively private and gives you that real Tahoe feel.

There are a lot of good values on the Incline Village real estate scene and savvy buyers are picking up the best deals. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but 95% or more of the property owners in Incline Village and Crystal Bay have the staying power to ride out the current economic downturn. From time to time we are finding a distressed property at a great price, but that is the exception rather than the rule. If you want a Lakeview home, a property within walking distance of the beach or something in a very quiet and private location, you will have to pay fair market value and not expect a gift from Santa.

Daily Blog Update - January 22, 2009
As the heavens opened up and brought us some well needed precipitation, two new listings, three price reductions and two properties getting accepted offers fell from the sky, also.   Today's Incline Village real estate update is the first time in awhile that we've had two properties going into escrow on the same day, so, drumroll please!

The status of the property located at 580 Sugarpine changed from active to contingent, so that tells me the offer that was written several weeks ago was finally accepted by the lender for this bank owned property. It's a rather convoluted experience working on these short sales and bank owned properties and I hope I don't have to deal with too many of them in the future.   But at least I'm getting some good experience!

Also getting an accepted offer is the two bedroom condo at #33 - 999 Lakeshore. Priced at $974,000, even though this property has no view it shows you the intrinsic value of owning in a lakefront complex in Incline Village. This Condo has been tastefully remodeled and the interior quality along with the lakefront complex location make this an attractive property.

Two of the three price reductions offer you something to contemplate today if you've been scoping out the Incline Village real estate scene. Receiving a $40,000 alteration is the three bedroom, 2.5 bath, 1720 ft.² condo at #161 Mccloud. The new asking price of $737,000 will likely lure three bedroom shoppers looking for a low elevation property.

Since the home for sale at 701 Cristina is a repeat at the old asking price and just a change of agents, our only true new listing today is #113 Bitterbrush. Priced at $489,000, this inside unit features two bedrooms and 2.5 baths squashed into 1232 ft.² of living space in the traditional three-story floor plan.   The decent Lake view from the deck and a two car attached garage make this one worth a look for anyone shopping for a lake view condo in Incline Village or Crystal Bay.

Daily Blog Update - January 21, 2009
With all of the volatility in the stock market, Incline Village real estate looks like a relatively safe place to park your money and wait out the recession. Even though we have a lot of inventory compared to 2005 and 2006, prices continue to hold up remarkably well in most of our 12 market sectors.

The Incline Village MLS brings us just two pieces of real estate to contemplate on this cloudy and cooler Wednesday.   We've got one price reduction and one new listing for your mental stimulation.  With some much-needed precipitation on the way, it looks like Friday will be the nicest day for a while if you'd like to come up here and look at property.

Lakeview lovers will be happy to see the $51,000 adjustment for the new construction located at 920 Tyner. Situated in a development of four new homes as you gaze at the lake, this four bedroom, 3.5 baths, 2656 ft.² home is beautifully constructed with high quality materials throughout. The new asking price of $1,699,000 makes it one of the better lake view values if you don't mind the curvy climb to upper Tyner.

Daily Blog Update - January 20, 2009
Now that we are getting deeper into the off-season, these Incline Village real estate blog entries may be a little bit shorter than normal. The big headline for the day is the news flash below for the lakefront condo in Crystal Shores East.

The other tidbit for your enjoyment is the $20,000 alteration for #13 McCloud. Now listed at $559,000, this upper unit on the Village Boulevard side is now priced right in line with the competition. All told we had 4 price changes, but the other 2 were pretty minor.

NEWS FLASH - JANUARY 20, 2009 - 3:26 p.m.
The seller of the lakefront condo at #18 Crystal Shores East (it's a super vacation rental), just slashed the price down to $1,650,000. I was really surprised to see this move, especially since it was already the best value among the lakefront condos at the old asking price 200K higher.  

Contact me if you have any interest, this will likely sell in the near future at the new asking price.

Daily Blog Update - January 19, 2009
With just three price reductions to report on Monday's Incline Village real estate update and only one of them worthy of electrons, I had a little bit of time to squeeze in an hour of skiing up on Mt. Rose.   Having grown up in New England, we would consider the current ski conditions good to excellent, but by Western standards it was a marginal day with a little bit of loose snow over hard pack and the occasional patch of ice.

The big news on the Incline Village MLS price reduction scene is the gorgeous new custom home at 1555 Pine Cone Circle. This elegant 6BR, 6.5BA, 7,850 sq. ft. showplace has high end mountain style finishes throughout.  

A main feature of this property is that it's part of a tiny HOA that has their own private, sandy beach at the end of the street. The new asking price of $4,950,000 is $1,700,000 below the old offering number.  I'd say this is one serious seller, so anyone shopping in this price range will want to check this place out, pronto.

Daily Blog Update - January 18, 2009
It was another beautiful springlike day on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. With recreational activities abounding it was perfectly natural to see a relatively quiet time for the Incline Village real estate scene. We had just one new listing and one property going into escrow today.

The bank owned free standing condo at #4 Tahoe Palisades got an accepted offer. The bargain basement price of around $450,000 was certainly attractive, even if this property requires a trek down some exterior steps. I'm sure the new purchaser will do a bit of updating and have themselves a fine property at a fabulous price.

The new listing on the Incline Village MLS is a rare two-story, two bedroom, 2.5 bath condo in McCloud. #134 is priced at $665,000 and is being offered partially furnished. The current owner is a local real estate agent who paid $660,000 for the property in April 2007.  So, it's not like they bought it, fixed it up and are flipping it for a huge profit.  There must be some other reason behind the sale.   If you've been waiting around for one of these rare floor plans to come on the market, then this condo is definitely worth a look.

Daily Blog Update - January 17, 2009
With most folks preoccupied with either the Martin Luther King holiday, presidential inauguration or the upcoming NFL playoffs, there is not a lot of action to report on the Incline Village real estate market today. Just two price reductions at opposite ends of the spectrum for you to contemplate.

First up is the remodeled home located at 581 Sugarpine which saw the price trimmed $74,000 down to $925,000. It's a tossup now as to whether this home or the creek front property located at 318 Second Creek is the better choice in this neighborhood under $1 million.

Those of you shopping at a higher price point may find the $300,000 price redeployment for the elegant home at 1138 Lakeshore to your liking. Now offered at only $3,695,000, this five-bedroom, five bath, 4869 ft.² lodge style home is every bit as impressive inside as it looks from the outside.

Daily Blog Update - January 16, 2009
It was another springlike day in the dead of winter and this Incline Village real estate agent kept busy pondering the three new listings, four price reductions and one property going into escrow.   One of the best values among the small group of bank owned properties in Incline Village, the spacious five-bedroom, 4000 ft.² plus home at 615 Country Club Dr. got an accepted offer.  

There are a couple of new listings that may be of interest to midrange shoppers. Starting things off with an asking price of $950,000 is the four bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2500 plus square foot home at 896 Donna Drive. Boasting a three car garage and a large, mostly level lot of over .4 acre, you'll also find the master suite on the entry level for easy living all year round.

If you have a little more change in your wallet, then I highly recommend taking a close look at the spacious and well built home at 986 Dorcey Drive.  Designed and occupied by a structural engineer, this is my first choice of any home to reside in around here if we have a major earthquake. Beautiful architecture, a great floor plan that offers some excellent flexibility, and wonderful views of the mountains, Diamond Peak Ski Area plus a little view of the Lake.   The asking price of $1,425,000 is very reasonable for this 4,396 sq. ft.² home surrounded by forest service land, which provides a very quiet and private location.

Those of you looking at Lakeview homes may wish to take a peek at 1000 Apollo, especially with the latest $100,000 price reduction bringing the new number down to $1,495,000. This is a beautifully remodeled three bedroom, 3.5 bath, 2247 ft.² home surrounded by endless Forest Service land.  An elegantTahoe feel along with very nice views of the mountains and lake make this a good value at the new asking price.  Very easy access to the Mt. Rose Hwy, not the long journey to the far reaches of upper Tyner like the house on Dorcey.

Daily Blog Update - January 15, 2009
It was a very interesting day on the Incline Village real estate scene, not so much for the activity on the MLS but more for the local gossip surrounding the Notices of Default.  The properties that went into default this week are owned by people from all types of occupations. These folks were all doing well until the pace of activity in the Incline Village real estate market slowed down and impacted their individual businesses.

This is the first time I have seen more than one notice of default in any particular week where the properties were owned by people who live and work locally.  Even so, the beautiful home at 527 Sugarpine closed escrow at a little bit over $2.6 million today, showing that there are still affluent folks out there looking for high-quality vacation homes.

Checking out the rest of the action on the Incline Village MLS on this sunny Thursday, we have four new listings and four price reductions for your viewing enjoyment.

The unique architecture at 907 Tyner that reminds me a little bit of the Winchester Mystery House, got a nice $150,000 redeployment and is now priced at $1,375,000.  Another big mover is the stunning mansion at 790 Fairview Blvd. which lost $250,000 from the asking price and can be acquired for a tad bit under $8 million.

On a percentage basis, the property receiving the most substantial price alteration today is the cute cabin at 938 Jennifer St.   Slashed from $575,000 down to $515,000 (that's over 10% in one fell swoop), this three bedroom, two bath, 1576 ft.² home now falls into the affordable range by Incline Village real estate standards.

Daily Blog Update - January 14, 2009
On paper it was a relatively busy day for the Incline Village real estate market with five new listings (2 of which are repeats) and seven price adjustments.  Before we dive into the MLS updates, I first have to report on a rare ski and swimming date in January.  Normally, the only times you go skiing in the morning and swimming in the afternoon are late-season, spring skiing days.  Those times when the sun is high in the sky in April or May and you'll find folks at the ski resorts in shorts or bathing suits. 

Well, I had my first January ski and swim day on Wednesday.  After a couple of hours carving turns down the slopes of Mount Rose, I was pretty heated up and in need of a dip in the lake.  The picture at the end of today's commentary was taken by my broker, who I commandeered to join me for the trip across the street to Incline Beach.  (And for you skeptics in the crowd, yes, I did a real swim about the length of a regular pool, not just a quick dunk in the lake).

The only new listing today that catches my eye is the beautiful mountain style home at 936 Lakeshore Drive.  Boasting five bedrooms, 5.5 baths, over 5100 ft.² of living space and having been remodeled in 1999, the asking price of $3,040,000 entices me to take a look.  This property supposedly has peeks of the Lake and filtered peeks, which would be a nice attribute, since most of the homes on Lakeshore that are not on the water don't have any view at all.

The fixer upper/teardown at 119 Pine Cone Road leads off the price reduction activity.  Dropping $139,000 down to my original guesstimate target price of $750,000, this is a low elevation home on a large level lot that offers interesting development possibilities. 

Sliding $180,000 is the stunning piece of new construction at 538 Dale Drive.  Now priced at $2,495,000, this Lakeview property features four bedrooms, four full baths, two half baths, an elevator, slab granite everywhere and what is now most likely, a very motivated seller.  This property originally came on the market in August 2007 at $3,600,000.  I'd say that most of the builder's profit has been squeezed out at the new asking price.   Lakeview shoppers who don't mind being on the upslope will want to take a look at this one.

Daily Blog Update - January 13, 2009
You're looking at a very quick Incline Village real estate column today, with just 2 new listings and 1 property closing escrow for your consumption.   At 465K, #25 McCloud is the lowest price sale we've seen in the complex in ages for a 2BR, 2BA on the Village Blvd side.   The location that's on both the street and the driveway may have something to with it, since the seller did a very nice job upgrading the interior.  McCloud buyers should not anticipate this type of pricing for other 2BR condos in the complex, the better locations command a premium.

Taking a quick glance at the new listings, you may need a magnifying glass to see the photo for the Pinebrook Repo.  #8 is under $120K, for a 1BR, 1BA, 600 sq. ft. box which makes it either a great deal or just a cheap condo, and I'm not sure which...

Third Creek shoppers will want to compare the new listing at #107 with mine at #174 and decide for yourselves which is the better value, since both are priced at $859K.   Here's the link to the virtual tour for my listing #174 , the link to the MLS info for #107 is above.

News Flash: January 13, 2009 - 3:00 P.M. - It's official, all 4 of the offers I wrote in the past week got rejected.  Once again showing that the vast majority of sellers on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe don't need to give their properties away.  So, buyers have to be aware that shopping for Incline Village real estate shopping is not like shopping at Ross.   You're not going to find houses and condos at 25% to 40% off on a regular basis.  And on the rare occasion that you do, you need to write an offer that the seller will be willing to negotiate with, as opposed to one they simply want to shred.

Daily Blog Update - January 12, 2009
Sometimes my daily blog entry appears a little bit late because I've been burning the midnight oil or otherwise occupied. But every now and then, I have a chance to see the properties on the Tuesday morning MLS tour that were listed the previous day. So, it was a nice treat to be able to see both #31 Country Club Villas and the lovely remodeled home at 240 Pine Cone Rd today.

Both properties have a lot to offer, so depending on the price range you are shopping in either one of these may be worth a closer look. Priced at $1,170,000 is the nicely updated freestanding condo in the Country Club Villas. This highly desirable property is just a short walk from the beach and virtually across the street from the Hyatt Hotel and Casino. Featuring three bedrooms, and 2.5 baths, low elevation shoppers will appreciate the location and the attention to detail.

The remodeled home at 240 Pine Cone Road contains almost 1000 ft.² more than to property described above and is divided into four bedrooms and 3.5 baths. The upper level is effectively split into two wings with one side being the master suite and the other side the guest bedrooms and baths. The asking price of $1,777,000 sits pretty nicely with the mountain architecture and fabulous location just a short walk from Lakeshore Drive.

I will have to do some research on the other new listing located at 860 Jeffrey St. On paper, this cute little cabin looks like it has a real Tahoe fee,l setback in the woods with a creek flowing by. With three bedrooms, 1.5 baths, no garage and a price tag of $599,000 I will have to to check it out before I give you my heartfelt opinion. ---

2PM - Tuesday - 1/13 - OK, I just got a chance to preview this property.  This is the ultimate Tahoe, mountain cabin with a creek along the entire left side of the property. Open beam, cathedral ceilings, very quiet and private, surrounded by forest and open space. Definitely worth a look for anyone shopping in this price range.

There are two price reductions that merit being put under the microscope today. #198 in Bitterbrush is down to $550,000. This tells me the seller really would like a solid offer for this condo. Bitterbrush shoppers will want to take a close look at this property which features two bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a nice big loft and good late views from the deck.

If you have about 10 times as much money to spend and want a home on the golf course, I would be hard-pressed to show you a finer property than 336 - 5th Green.   At $1.1 mil. per bedroom, this five bedroom, 9890 ft.² home is luxurious from top to bottom. The original asking price was $8,900,000 and you are now staring at a price tag of only $5.5 mil.

Daily Blog Update - January 9 - 11, 2009
It's been very hectic for this Incline Village real estate agent the past few days so I apologize for the time lag in getting this MLS update to you. We've had a total of seven price adjustments and five new listings since Friday, but no properties going into escrow or closing escrow.

I wrote several offers on properties here in Incline in the past week and all of them got shot down, so it's been a lot of work without any rewards.   I had a pretty involved series of negotiations with one of the deals.   But you can't always get both sides to agree and that's just part of life when you're in the real estate business.

Checking out the new listings on the Incline Village real estate scene this weekend, I don't often talk about repeats, but#25 Northwood Estates had a change of listing agents and a dramatic price reduction. The new asking price of $465,000 is 130K below the original asking price when this property came on the market in September 2006.

McCloud shoppers will want to take a look at #13 which is a remodeled two bedroom, two bath upper unit on the Village Boulevard side. Priced at $579,000, this condo is in one of the better locations in the complex and just a short walk downhill to the beach and uphill to the center of town.

Gazing at the price changes, the are a few big ones that catch my eye. Starting things off with a $159,000 adjustment on the downside is the free standing condo at #13 Incline Pines. The new asking price of only $599,000 makes this very attractive for anyone who's been looking in this complex off of Fairview Boulevard.

We have a fairly significant alteration for the resale unit in Incline Creek Estates at 882 Rosewood Circle. This piece of relatively new construction took a $238,000 hit today and is now priced very aggressively at $1,050,000.

Getting a $100,000 shaving is the nicely remodeled home at 1079 Flume Rd. Located in the Mill Creek subdivision, this three bedroom, two bath, 1883 ft.² home with a two car attached garage and large level lot is worth a look for you low elevation property hunters.

The seller of the lovely home located at 605 Village Blvd. withdrew their property from the market today. I was very surprised to see this happen, but it just goes to show you that the longer I live the less I can predict human behavior.   The sellers are a very nice couple and if their property returns to active status on the Incline Village MLS you'll likely read about it here in one of my blog entries.

Daily Blog Update - January 8, 2009
If you read the Super Deal Alert at the top of this column, you've already seen most of what you need to know about the Incline Village real estate update for Thursday.  The other tidbit of exciting news is that the gorgeous Lakeview home located at 758 Tyner got an accepted offer today.  Priced at $2,495,000, this is one of my favorite properties in the Lakeview category.  Great architecture, a wonderful floor plan, and spectacular lake views from almost every part of the house.

We had a total of two listings on the Incline Village MLS, and the second one is right down the street from me.  591 Rockrose is now one of those rare bank owned properties in Incline Village.  Priced at  $899,900, only you can make a determination as to whether or not that's a good value.  The driveway is extraordinarily steep and on the down slope, so even though it is heated (that is when someone is paying the bill), it's really quite a challenge.  The interior of the home is quite lovely and the setting along Second Creek makes for a wonderful retreat. 

On the other hand, I have to question the integrity of the TRPA and Washoe County when it came to the original granting of permits to construct a home on this lot.  To me, this is a perfect example of the public trust being shirked in favor of development fees and ongoing property taxes.  The TRPA and the counties that make up the Lake Tahoe basin have historically been much more interested in collecting permit fees and property taxes than protecting the Lake and the quality of the environment.

Daily Blog Update - January 7, 2009
The Incline Village real estate market brings us one price reduction and one property going into escrow to contemplate on this unseasonably warm Wednesday in January. Concerned that I may have missed the best powder skiing in late December, I can only hope that my snow dance will result in copious quantities falling from the sky later this month. It looks like we've got nice sunny weather on the horizon for the next week or two, so this is a great opportunity for buyers to come up and look at the homes and condos for sale in Incline Village and Crystal Bay.

Our big price reduction on the MLS on Wednesday is $46,000 for the freestanding condo located at 275 Deer Court. This is a very nice three bedroom, 3.5 bath property just a hop and a skip from the Incline Recreation Center, and a three-minute walk to the beach. The new asking price of $1,149,000 puts this right in line with the most recent sales in the complex.

Getting an accepted offer today is the remodeled condo at #1 The Cedars. Located directly across the street from the Village Shopping Center, this is one of the older condo buildings in town. But, you would never know it looking at the interior of this nicely updated unit. This property is a very short walk to Burnt Cedar Beach, showing once again the desirability of low elevation condos that have been tastefully remodeled.

News Flash: January 6, 2009 - 10:30 a.m.
I just previewed the very livable property at 318 Second Creek and I think it is one of the best values I've seen in a house under $1 mil. in the past y  Enjoy as is or update as you wish, you won't find another home like this at low elevation in ear.  The property is surrounded by woods and located just above the Creek itself.  This is one of the most private and beautiful settings at low elevation I have ever encountered. Incline.

3 master suites plus 2 extra rooms that could be office, 4th BR, or nursery.  5 car garage, short level driveway for easy access.  

At only $925K I anticipate a lot of interest in this very special piece of Incline Village real estate.   It's very difficult to find a private, creekside setting anywhere near $1 million.

Daily Blog Update - January 6, 2009
Today's Incline Village real estate update is going to be relatively brief since if you made it this far you've already seen the big news for the day.  My new listing at 174 Third Creek is arguably in the best location of any condo for sale in the complex at the present time.  When you walk out the French doors onto the back patio and look at the mountains, trees and creek, you know you really are at Lake Tahoe.  If you have been searching for a three bedroom condo at low elevation, the asking price of $859,000 puts this right in line recent sales in the Third Creek development.

The great property that I saw on the MLS tour at 318 Second Creek was definitely the high point of my travels this morning.  I spent the afternoon showing property and it looks like I may be writing an offer on Wednesday morning.

There are some excellent values among the properties for sale in Incline Village and Crystal Bay.   Now that we are deep into the winter time, many sellers are becoming more motivated and willing to negotiate, especially since the summer crowds are a good six months away.   This is the time of year that you have a wide selection of inventory and your best bargaining power. My philosophy is to ignore the asking price and just write an offer at what you feel the property is worth and see how the seller will respond.  You just never know...

Daily Blog Update - January 5, 2009
It was another busy Monday on the Incline Village real estate market with two new listings, five price reductions and one property going into escrow today.  Those of you who like mountain views and a quality interior will want to  take a closer look at the remodeled freestanding condo at 1367 Tirol Drive.

Nicely updated throughout, this three bedroom, two bath, 1432 square-foot property sits on a little knoll affording some of the nicest views of the Diamond Peak Ski Area and surrounding mountains. The asking price of $559,000 puts this on my radar screen.

Congratulations to the listing agent who handled the sale of #99 Incline Crest.  When I saw this property on the MLS tour I complimented her on the reasonable asking price of $337,000. This is a three bedroom, two bath, 1120 ft.² cabin situated in the second or third-best location in the entire development. The final sale price of $312,000 reflects the fact that this property is quite livable but could use some remodeling to bring it into the 21st century.

We've got a couple of price reductions that are worth a look, first up is the condo at 391 Willow Ct. - #A.  Getting a $45,000 reduction down to $450,000, this three bedroom, condo just a stone's throw from the Village Ski Loft, has been tastefully updated.

Shoppers in Third Creek will like the price reduction down to $839,000 for #89. This is a beautifully remodeled three bedroom, 2.5 bath, 1596 ft.² end unit that backs up to the Creek.  Last up on our price alteration hit parade today is the $125,000 redeployment for the freestanding condo at 1401 Tirol Dr.  If you don't mind a few steps, this four bedroom, three bath, 2007 square-foot property was built in 2005, so you don't have a lot of wear and tear to deal with. The heated outdoor stairs mean this home is not as challenging in the winter time as the high elevation location would suggest.

Tuesday is shaping up as a very busy day for this Incline Village real estate agent.  I have the MLS tour in the morning, a buyer looking at property in the afternoon and I'm hoping to squeeze in a little bit of skiing in between. Now that the crowds have gone, I think I can take some runs at Mt. Rose with a much lower risk of utilizing my health insurance.

Daily Blog Update - January 4, 2009
The final day of the holiday weekend brings us one tasty little price reduction on the Incline Village real estate scene.  #53 McCloud was shaved $30,000 and is now quite a good value at the new asking price of $595,000. This is the larger of the two story, two bedroom, 2.5 bath floor plans at 1426 ft.².  The property has been nicely updated and has a good location, so I expect the new asking price under $600,000 will spark some interest.

Daily Blog Update - January 3, 2009
As the holiday week winds down, the Incline Village real estate market brings us three new listings (two of which are repeats), and one uninspiring price reduction.  The one actual new listing is a stunning property for you high rollers in the crowd.

721 Champagne Rd offers gorgeous panoramic Lake views to go along with just under 5000 ft.² of living space.  This remodeled four bedroom home features three full baths, two half baths, a three car garage and just over one acre of land in which to roam around.  The asking price of $3,999,000 is $1.5 million more than what this house sold for back in 2005.  But, maybe the remodeling work has something to do with that.  This particular street and the one next to it feature elaborate high-end homes that go all the way up to the $16 million price range.

I don't think we are going to have too much activity on the Incline Village real estate scene on Sunday since the last day of the holiday week tends to be fairly quiet while everyone makes the slow drive back down to Sacramento and the Bay Area.  So, for a little intellectual stimulation you may wish to take a closer look at the chart with the statistics for the 2008 sales totals at the top of this page.  Or, you could just enjoy the NFL playoffs on this Wild Card weekend.

It looks like the next two days will be quite busy for me with another buyer arriving and lots of properties for us to visit.  The latter part of the week is looking good, so if you would like to come up and take a gander at some of the homes and condos for sale in Incline Village and Crystal Bay, please contact me and we can line up some properties to view. 

Daily Blog Update - January 2, 2009
As another snowstorm descends on Lake Tahoe, the summertime pace of activity continues for this Incline Village real estate agent.  I was working with three different buyers today, lining up appointments for the weekend and preparing a new listing that will hit the MLS early next week.  And things would be a heck of a lot easier if the web host for our MLS had not arbitrarily decided recently to limit the sending of e-mails to a maximum of 20 recipients at a time.  Considering that I have several hundred people receiving my newsletter each month by e-mail so that I don't have to destroy a small forest each year, and several dozen buyers interested in particularly good values that come on the market, I'm hoping this problem will get resolved sooner rather than later.

Now back to the action for the day on the Incline Village real estate market where we find ourselves staring at two new listings, two underwhelming price reductions and one property closing escrow.  Congratulations to my friend Michelle who handled both sides of the sale of 1489 Tirol Drive.  This was a bank owned property consisting of a free standing condo with three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a two car attached garage and 2882 ft.² of living space.  The fabulous views of the Diamond Peak Ski Area and the surrounding mountains along with the bargain sale price of $625,000 should make for one happy buyer.

Gazing at the new listings on the Incline Village MLS we have what appear to be 2 nicely remodeled properties that are priced very reasonably.  #31 Country Club Villas is a remodeled three bedroom, 2.5 bath,  2130 ft.² freestanding condo with an asking price of $1,140,000.  Arguably in one of the better locations in the complex, low elevation shoppers will want to check out this property which is within walking distance of Country Club Mall, the Hyatt Hotel and Casino, and the beach.

If you're shopping at about half that price point, then you may wish to take a closer look at #49 Coeur-du-Lac.  Offered for only $510,000, this could very well be the best value in a three bedroom, two bath condo in this complex in quite some time.  Nicely remodeled, this well located end unit is in a complex that features a swimming pool, boat parking and you are just a hop and skip from Incline Beach.

Daily Blog Update - January 1, 2009
Just one new listing on the Incline Village real estate market to start the New Year, but it looks like a pretty interesting property with some good upside potential.   318 Second Creek is a 3BR, 3BA, 2214 sq. ft. home situated on a 1/2 acre lot and backing up to a year round stream.  This is a beautiful woodsy setting in a neighborhood that supports homes up to $6 mil.  With an asking price of only 925K it's sure to get a lot of looks very soon.

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