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South Lake Tahoe, CA Real Estate News

By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
It's been more than a decade since a South Lake Tahoe home was this affordable. (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / August 10, 2011 / Richard Bolen) Lets look at interest rates first. MOrtgage interest rates after the big debt debate debacle! Online today a 30-year fixed loan w 20% down is being touted at 3.875%, which is unheard of (here). Digging deeper, most of these sensational online rates involve a point or two added into the mix, a loan over $200,000 and a huge FICO to boot. In other words, one is pretty much not going to get a South Lake Tahoe house today with a loan under 4%. One can get that South Lake Tahoe house today, however, at a mortgage interest rate of 4.125%, which is a lower rate than anything we have seen in decades, but this rate will likely involve a point in the mix t...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
Any U.S. Job Growth helps South Lake Tahoe, and everywhere else too! (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / August 5, 2011 / Richard Bolen) Lets not get too excited, the "good" news in South Lake Tahoe today is good because… well, it's not worse, and who knew that we would see an increase in the jobs market in July, and a tenth of a point down tic in the national unemployment rate from 9.2% to 9.1%? All of yesterday's forecasters certainly didn't see this coming, and any movement in a positive direction is big time better than not. The CNN headline read "Jobs Show Surprising Growth." We didn't use that… because a tenth of a point unemployment decline in a sea of national economic woe doesn't beg such sensationalism we think, but yes, it was a surprise. Welcomed it was.   Here's a few of the bul...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
 Interest rates and prices this low? It doesn't get any better for South Lake Tahoe home buyers than this! (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / August 3, 2011 / Richard Bolen) Trying to find a silver lining in the recent debt-fiasco cloud, perhaps plunging mortgage interest rates is it. That's what happened today, with mortgage interest rates hitting new lows in some cases. All we can say is good for South Lake Tahoe home buyers. Bravo! Today's report via CNNMoney.com states that the 30-year fixed rate, usually the most popular choice for home buyers, fell to 4.45% from 4.57% last week — its lowest point since last November, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Meanwhile, the rate on the less popular 15-year fixed plunged to a new record low of 3.52%, down from 3.67% a week earlier...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
Some things make a South Lake Tahoe short sale more successful quicker (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / August 2, 2011 / Richard Bolen) We're seeing success with some of our recent South Lake Tahoe, CA short sales. First let's look at some of the reasons why, then lets look at a few individual sales in general. Before we do that, though, let's make sure we all understand this as it relates to short sales: one does not ask a bank for permission first. there is nobody at your bank assigned to your file that can give you permission to do a short sale until an offer is submitted. only after an offer is submitted does your bank assign an asset manager to your file. it is only then that it becomes possible for a short sale to be approved. we are seeing a few short sales these days being approve...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
Putting Fact into South Lake Tahoe, CA listing agent cliche. (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / July 24, 2011 / Richard Bolen) How many times has a real estate agent ever said this to a home seller: "if you list  your house to high it will cost you time and money?" The answer is, of course, unknown, and the number of times a home owner has heard that is certainly a number too large to imagine (it's like counting the number of stars, or something like that). In fact, the statement, if you list your house too high it will cost you time and money is pretty much passe, another one of those meaningless cliche's that is pretty much overlooked by home owners… because there is never any evidence to quantify what it means. An agent says it, the owner looks at him or her incomplete, the agent feels g...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
Thus starts the process that ends with owning a South Lake Tahoe, CA home (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / July 22, 2011 / Richard Bolen) A retired teacher got in touch w us two days ago. The school teacher. being the most noble of all professions in our opinion — they are in charge of our children, we got to her questions immediately. She found us via an online search engine and had not seen this blog before. What was most interesting about this teacher was the pervasive real estate knowledge she has; it's spot on with one exception: South Lake Tahoe is a resort, and as such it's home values are generally higher than places that are, well… not a resort. What's different about the South Lake Tahoe, CA real estate climate today is there are houses on the market this teacher can afford on ...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
Information is King in The Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / July 19, 2011 / Richard Bolen) We like it when our local newspaper, The Tahoe Daily Tribune, uses us as a source for their real estate reporting. This is not to say necessarily that we like, or crave, the attention. What we do like is we know the public is nicely informed when we are cited as a resource. More than anything perhaps, this is the true goal of this blog: an better informed public about South Lake Tahoe real estate conditions is better for us all. Here's one of the things that was in the paper that we like best. It comes from articles we have done throughout the year about the South Lake Tahoe house then and now. First, here's what the Tribune reported: The South Lake Tahoe median sold pri...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
The wonder of South Lake Tahoe Weather attracts near and far! (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / July 14, 2011 / Richard Bolen) We launched this on December 10 last year, and since then, "Heaven on Earth: The Lake Tahoe Weather" has attracted more than 1,000 viewers. We kinda like that. Our goal in producing this video was to give folks a detailed understanding of one of the main reasons why we like living here so much: the stunning weather that drives the South Lake Tahoe lifestyle. If you have not seen this one, we hope you enjoy. Some of our other videos you may find fun and informative: Jul 5, 2011: Awesome Fireworks Finale: South Lake Tahoe, July 4, 2011 Dec 9, 2010: How to find and use our Bolero Button… and why you should. Oct 20, 2010: Bijou Neighborhood video Sep 28, 2010: A South ...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
South Lake Tahoe, CA Housing: Down in demand only slightly, down in value almost 10%. (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / July 6, 2011 / Richard Bolen) Well, it continues to be good news for South Lake Tahoe, CA home buyers. Home values are a $29,000 better deal in general for home buyers than they were six months ago. Half of all South Lake Tahoe, CA home buyers are purchasing a distressed property, and a little more than half of all buyers are making their purchase under $300,000. Rather than being influenced by demand, these two factors more than anything else evident are responsible for South Lake Tahoe home value decline. Housing demand continues at essentially the same pace as that of 2010, where South Lake Tahoe saw more homes sold than in any year since 2005. As of June 30, the end o...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
(Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / July 5th, 2011/ Richard Bolen) "Lights on the Lake" is big-time cacophonous South Lake Tahoe Summer Fun! This video is the 4th of July fireworks finale in South Lake Tahoe, CA. An important date, celebrating our Independence, but also commemorating the date of passing of it's "Voice", John Adams, and it's "Pen", Thomas Jefferson. It's called "Lights on the Lake", and this year the 4th of July South Lake Tahoe fireworks show is 24 minutes long, two more than last year. This fireworks show, the finale is shown here, consisted of some 5,000 professional pyrotechnic shells, most of which were large 10-inch mortar fired. Fireworks over Lake Tahoe's mirrored surface, well shows like this are hard to beat. More than 100,000 people watched from their favorite vant...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
The $250,000 – $300,000 South Lake Tahoe, CA house is different today than it was. (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / July 5, 2011 / Richard Bolen) The South Lake Tahoe median sold price is $270,400, which falls in the price range from $250,000 to $300,000. The key characteristics of this price range are different today than they were last year, and much different then they were years ago. Lets look at these characteristics in detail, but first here's…  The Bottom Line : Houses in this price range are 30% newer than they were 5 years ago. They are 99% bigger. They are 54% cheaper in price per square foot. Twice as many of them have sold in Q1 and Q2 this year than 5 years ago. Now for the details: Age: The chart below shows that the $250,000 – $300,000 South Lake Tahoe, CA house of today is...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
Talk about South Lake Tahoe multi-tasking, well this is in that ballpark. (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / June 30, 2011 / Richard Bolen) It's another beautiful day here in South Lake Tahoe, and we thought you might find today's business of the blog fun and interesting. Here's today's do list: Open escrow on a new listing. Get new escrow offer and list agreement to 3rd party short sale negotiator. Help client craft a hardship letter for her short sale. Work w programmer on new statistics modules for the blog (there are about 4-5 of these soon coming, and they will be something!). Prep financial analysis for SLT price range of $350 to $450K, in two different looks of $50,000 each to help a client make a short-sale decision. Prep complete Q2 SLT analysis of all real estate activity, and eme...
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By Drew Kondo
(Sierra Sotheby's International Realty)
The following are bank-owned properties in South Lake Tahoe, California, and nearby areas. Property details and pictures can be accessed by clicking on property addresses. If you’re interested in receiving Tahoe bank-owned property lists by e-mail, please let me know at drew@southtahoehouses.com. If you are interested in property on this list or any property in Lake Tahoe, e-mail me or call me at (530) 545-1831. Property Address - Price - Beds/Baths/Garage Spaces 1041 River Dr. - $69,500 - 3/1/0 1228 Heather Lake Rd. - $95,000 - 3/1.5/0 (pending sale) 1482 Black Bart Ave. - $95,000 - 2/1.75/0 1666 Arapahoe St. - $102,800 - 3/2/0 (pending sale) 2649 Bertha Ave. - $102,800 - 1/1/0 (pending sale) 1147 Dedi Ave. - $112,900 - 2/2/2-carport duplex (pending sale) 3682 Alder Ave. - $119,900 - 2...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
(Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / June 25, 2011 / Richard Bolen) Discover the Natural Beauty of South Lake Tahoe! With the proliferation of the digital camera market, photography – and photographers – have blossomed around the world, with more and more people realizing that they, too, can take – if not award winning – still excellent photos, capturing for all time some of the breathtaking scenery our area affords. Sometimes, though, we all need to be pointed in the right direction.  Well, we're all in luck, locals and tourists alike, because Keith Price (he of HeliTahoe, a business we spotlighted in April) is offering guided photographic tours from the South Shore.  A Tahoe local for the past 30 years, Keith, an accomplished wildlife and nature photographer, knows all of the "hidden jewels...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
(Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / June 24, 2011 / Richard Bolen) The second episode in a 2-part series to help South Lake Tahoe home buyers recognize the housing deal they are looking for. Here's the second episode in our 2-part series to help home buyers find the South Lake Tahoe housing deal they are looking for that is currently running on Real Estate Central at Lake Tahoe Television (Cable channel 12). Following is the script used for the commercial. We hope you enjoy and find this helpful. FADE IN ON: Richard This is Real Estate Central from Lake Tahoe Television, Richard Bolen re-porting on South Lake Tahoe housing prices. This is the 2nd in a two-part series. Insert: Logo South Lake Tahoe Home value report. We are looking at the South Lake Tahoe house that sells between $200,000 and...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
(Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / June 23, 2011 / Richard Bolen) The first episode in a 2-part series to help South Lake Tahoe home buyers recognize the housing deal they are looking for. Here's the first episode in our 2-part series to help home buyers find the South Lake Tahoe housing deal they are looking for that is currently running on Real Estate Central at Lake Tahoe Television (Cable channel 12). Following is the script used for the commercial. We hope you enjoy and find this helpful. FADE IN ON: Opening: Richard Bolen w microphone in hand. Behind him is a visual of South Lake Tahoe. Richard This is Real Estate Central from Lake Tahoe Television, Richard Bolen re-porting on South Lake Tahoe housing prices. This is part one in a two-part series. Insert: Lake Tahoe Television Logo Ri...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
(Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / June 21, 2011 / Richard Bolen) Real Estate Conditions are always different in South Lake Tahoe than they are nationally. The report today from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) via CNNMoney.com says that sales of existing US homes fell in May. Lets compare the four main point in the NAR report and compare them to current South Lake Tahoe, CA real estate market conditions. 1. The NAR says that the number of US home sales dropped 3.8% compared to a month ago. Here in South Lake Tahoe, 38 homes sold in April and 35 homes sold in May. This is a difference of 3 home sales, or 8%, which is more than that cited in the NAR report nationally. 2. The NAR also says May US home sales were 15% off what they were last May. Here in South Lake Tahoe, 42 homes sol...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
The recent Case Schiller Home Index was actually good news for home buyers… and for South Lake Tahoe. (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / June 6, 2011 / Richard Bolen) The video above is about the Case Schiller Home Price Index report that came out a few days ago; how the real estate media reported it, and the effect the report and the news media had on South Lake Tahoe, if any. Part 1 in this series here. What follows is the actual shooting script to the video, which is a live television broadcast on Lake Tahoe Television (Cable Channel 12). FADE IN ON: Opening: Richard Bolen w microphone in hand. Behind him is a visual of South Lake Tahoe. Richard In part one, we showed that the Case Schiller report is covered nationwide in thousands of news articles, like a real estate landslide. Lets loo...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
(Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / June 4, 2011 / Richard Bolen) Sensation sells headlines, but what does the Case Schiller Home Index have to do with South Lake Tahoe? It's like a repetitive parrot… with tourettes syndrome,. the national news media is when they report about home value decline. The word's double-dip pour out unexpectedly… without thought. The media, it seems, just can't help it. The video above is about the Case Schiller Home Price Index report that came out a few days ago; how the real estate media reported it, and the effect the report and the news media had on South Lake Tahoe, if any. And on top of that, the media characterizes a home value decline as bad news, when it is actually terrific news for home buyers. We explore that in some detail in the video above too, and ...
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By Gary Bolen, CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
(McCall Realty)
(Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / May 31, 2011 / Richard Bolen) South Lake Tahoe neighborhood home values: The Y Area prices 16.3% lower this year than last year, and 53.8% off The Y Area market high of 2007. We though it would be interesting to track South Lake Tahoe, CA neighborhood home values over time with this visual. As the chart above indicates, here are the median sold prices for The Y Area neighborhood since 2003.  The Y Area Housing Values : Home values this year to date are 16.3% lower ($35,000 off) than they were for all of 2010. Even better news for home buyers who might be thinking in taking advantage of better prices, and historic low interest rates: The Y Area home values are $200,000, or 53.8% lower than they were at the market high for the The Y Area neighborhood in 2007...
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