Jim's Blog

Until March of this year vacation homes had a weird non-status ... they weren't investment property and they weren't personal use property in the eyes of the IRS.  To achieve a 1031 Exchange the property must be held for investment or used in a trade or business.  After a U.S. Tax Court disallowe...

Yes, lenders are still having an impact on real estate values and sales.  The numerous bank-owned properties throughout Carson Valley are continually driving down the neighborhood values because of the banks' lack of maintenance on their properties.  The dry lawns, weed forests, and other value-s...

There is no set rule in the industry.  In the Carson Valley where we live and work, some agents are so adamant that a Seller must leave the house that they will turn down showings if the Sellers can't leave.  We believe that any showing is better than no showing, but there are ways to maximize th...

It may be a bit late to do anything about the new development, but our concern is what you could have done when you bought your property.  Most of the Valley's developable land is a matter of public knowledge, or readily apparent for its potentiality by a bit of investigation.  If an open field b...

As markets change so does the nature of real estate transactions.  One type of transaction that comes and goes with market changes is the lease/option, a lease tied to an option to purchase.  The lease/option tool can be a good one for Buyers and Sellers if their circumstances warrant it.    Opti...