Tahoe Donner is at it again.  More fun for your trip to the snow!!! On Valentine's Day/Evening, there will be a Sunset Snowshoe Tour from 4:30 - 7 p.m. Snowshoe out by day, enjoy the sunset and trek back to the start under hopefully starry skies! Cost: $7.50.  Register at Trout Creek Recreation Center or by calling (530) 587-9437. If you need snowshoes, be sure to call early to reserve (additional fees apply). You can now tube at the Snowplay Area. Hours:Fridays: 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.Saturdays and Sundays: 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. There is a height requirement for tubing of 36".  Click here for more rules. Parents can bring your under 13 year old skier to Tahoe Donner Downhill for a day of skiing and receive a complimentary all-day lift ticket. And don't forget Website Wednesdays: For February ... 02/09/2010

When I look at the current Truckee real estate market the first thing I notice is that inventory levels are low, very low in specific neighborhoods and activity levels for well priced properties are through the roof, creating competition in the market and leading to multiple offers on the best priced homes. If you were to look at the overall Truckee market you would see that in the last 12 months there have been 502 sales of single family homes but currently there are only 259 listings.  502 home sales represents an absorption rate of 41.8 homes per month and at that rate the current inventory shows a 6 month housing supply!  This is great news for the market, finally we have come to a point where inventory levels are in line with demand, actually inventory levels are lower than demand... 02/03/2010

People buy things for their use and the pleasure or service received from a product or service -house cleaning, a car, a television, a computer, a hair cut, or their vacation home. I might tell you from first hand experience that when I show potential homebuyers a home, I don't hear that buyers are typically looking to the day they sell the home or see it primarily as an investment. They are looking at a home for its potential use and family lifestyle they are seeking. This does not signify the homebuyer should not be prudent with their money. Most people should eventually buy a home, but not everyone and not at every point in their lives are ready for a second home lifestyle. There are those that argue that a home's future appreciation is extremely important in making a purchasing deci... 01/25/2010

There are some good signs for the Truckee real estate markets going into 2010 and there is a possibility that we are closer to recovery than previously thought.  There are still concerns and questions but most indicators are pointing to a brighter 2010.  The theme over the last 12 months has been savy buyers taking advantage of 6 year low pricing and historically low interest rates.  This has resulted in a 20% increase in sales year over year! I have analyzed the Truckee markets on a year over year basis and this is what I found: Average Price: $639,000 which is Down 14.7% year over year Median Price: $519,875 which is Down 14.7% year over year Number of Sales: 492 which is Up 20% year over year  Days on Market: 117 which is Up 1% year over year It is no surprise that the average and me... 01/11/2010

If you live in the Truckee/Tahoe area and are a customer of Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal, they will pick up your Christmas Tree for free with your regular trash and blue bag recycling January 11-15th (depending on your trash day).  Just cut it into 3 foot segments and make sure there are no decos or tinsel left on it.  You can still take them to the Eastern Regional Landfill other times, but fees may apply.  They are open Mon-Sat. 8-4pm. Tamara Perlman Coldwell Banker Northern Marin, CA.  Tamara represents buyers and sellers in Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and Napa CA.  Please call: 530-550-1299 or email Tamara at tperlman@coldwellbanker.com for more information on either market or general real estate inquiries.  Search listings at www.TamaraPerlman.com 01/04/2010

While there are always active buyers in the real-estate market in Truckee and Lake Tahoe it seems many of them seem to be looking to buy a foreclosure or a short sale property. The basic foreclosure is a fairly well-understood process and as "short-sale" signs pop up on occasion your buyer may wonder what it really means. When a lender agrees to accept a mortgage payoff amount less than what is owed in order to facilitate a sale of the property by a financially distressed owner, it's called a short sale. Most often the lender forgives the remaining balance of the loan owned by the homeowner. Who Really Wins? Short sales are a combination of good and bad for the buyer, the seller and the lender. As the seller a short sale is likely to damage your credit but not as roughly as a foreclosur... 01/04/2010

The Market Monitor   December 4, 2009   Re: Truckee Area Real Estate Market   Dear Client;   Market Overview   Holy mackerel Batman can you say hot chili. This market just continues to roll. This could be the biggest November since we started keeping monthly market stats in 1992. Multiple offers, all price ranges, lots of cash deals and in multiple areas. The buyer snowball is rolling and the great deals are disappearing.   Tahoe Donner   There were 44 home sales holy wow! No lot sales, sellers are still keeping their asking prices up.   Lahontan/Martis Camp/Timilick   There were two home sales in Lahontan and 2 in Timilick. There was 1 lot sale in Lahontan, 2 in Martis and 1 in Timilick   Old Greenwood/Grays Crossing   There was one home sale in Grays and several fractional sales in O... 12/23/2009

Santa needs a break after all that flying around the world and dropping off presents... He will spend the afternoon skiing at Tahoe Donner Ski Hill on the 25th.  Ski Hill opens at 12:00 on Friday.  Come out and join the fun! In keeping with tradition, the Torchlight Parade will happen on New Year's Eve at 6p.m.  Skiers and boarders over 10 are invited to join (must be able to ski/ride unassisted in the dark--on the Race Course Run. They will have music and snacks in the bar area before the parade.  Signup time 4:30-5:45.  You can call the Downhill Ski Area at (530)587-9444 for more info or check www.skitahoedonner.com The snow is very good right now, so enjoy!  Tamara Perlman Coldwell Banker Northern Marin, CA.  Tamara represents buyers and sellers in Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and Napa CA.  ... 12/23/2009

Mountain Cabin for Rent in Truckee CA.  For more information call my cell 530-545-3458 or visit my website.                                                                     This is a beautiful cabin sitting on private acreage in Truckee CA. Truckee has been ranked as one of the best places to live in many publications such as Sunset, Skiing, Outside magazines. This mountain cabin for rent is completely furnished with cherry hardwood floor throughout. The cabin has 4 bedrooms: king bed in master bedroom, 2 queen beds in the second and third bedroom, the fourth bedroom has a bunk bed with twin bed on top bunk and double bed on bottom bunk. There is also a large 2 car garage with extra parking outside on a level driveway. The cabin has an open floor plan with vaulted ceiling and rock gr... 12/08/2009

Original photo copyright: Tamara Perlman.  Any duplication without express written consent is prohibited.  Tamara Perlman Coldwell Banker Northern Marin, CA.  Tamara represents buyers and sellers in Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and Napa CA.  Please call: 530-550-1299 or email Tamara at tperlman@coldwellbanker.com for more information on either market or general real estate inquiries.  Search listings at www.TamaraPerlman.com   11/21/2009

Buying an REO is similar to buying a short sale except the property is already owned by the lender. The property has already gone thru the foreclosure process and the bank typically lists the property with a qualified real estate agent.  Hopefully the agent and the lender have open lines of communication to enhance a smooth sales and purchase Sometimes the lenders will sell foreclosure homes for less than the past loan balance. Most lenders have ‘guidelines' for the amount they will accept.  In our Truckee and Lake Tahoe areas most lenders are looking for a number within 5% to 8% of the amount currently owed. Bank owned properties (land or homes or apartments) are called REOs, meaning real estate owned by the lender. Banks might end up owning the property when no offers come in at the p... 11/21/2009

You are already settled into the perfect primary home. Your family vacations in Truckee and Lake Tahoe at least three times a year and you are tired of leasing or staying at hotels. You have been ‘watching' the local market...Whatever the reason, you want to buy that second home and obtain the family lifestyle you so desire. Similarly as to when you bought your primary home it is time evaluate your situation and run the calculations to see if it's the right time and place for you to purchase. Merely ‘wanting' a second home in Truckee or Lake Tahoe doesn't mean it makes sense for you to buy now.   Decide What Your Goals Are If you're considering a second home, you must have disposable income. Do you really want to invest your extra money in real estate? Take a good hard look at your life... 11/06/2009

One of our fellow RAINERS gave this tip on how to imbed google maps into our website or blogs or emails so I thought I'd give it a try.  Went to Google Maps, found the link and will experiment now...  View Larger Map Testing 1,2 testing! OK! It works but needs some fine tuning. Thanks for the tip Leilani! Truckee, Lake Tahoe and Napa CA real estate in Green. Call Tamara Perlman 530-550-1299 10/17/2009

Until November 1st, golf memberships are being offered at $60,000 and social memberships at $30,000.  November 1st on, golf memberships will be offered at $75,000 and social memberships at $37,500.  The annual dues will be collected January 1st, 2010 and the amounts have not changed ($13,400 for golf and $6,700 for social).  Currently, invitational memberships are available wherein the member does not have to own property.  This will not be indefinite and is at the Golf Club's Board of Directors' discretion.  There is no current prediction as to when invitational memberships will no longer be available. 10/06/2009

  The way it used to be:  Meet a new buyer client and when I asked them what they wanted in a home, they would say something like, "3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a 2 car garage". Things have assuredly changed. Most times these days my homebuyers say something like, "I want to buy a foreclosure."   These comments mean I need go the extra mile to determine the reasoning - and help them thru the process with as little aggravation as possible. The New Client ~ when a new client recently insisted that he absolutely only wanted to see bank-owned homes because he didn't want to pay what the current market was demanding in ‘standard sales'  I was anxious to expand his sphere of properties by dealing directly into this issue. While discussing the desire to buy a foreclosure or bank owned property, it... 09/09/2009

  The Market Monitor   August 3, 2009   Re: Truckee Area Real Estate Market   Dear Client;   Market Overview   We are in the midst of the summer selling season and July was off from the big numbers in June but in line or ahead of the same selling period the last 4 years. The number of sales is still significantly ahead of last year and numerous subdivisions are seeing lots of activity.   The market segment that is getting the most attention is the lower end, under $500,000. It was not very long ago that this market segment did not even exist. First time homebuyers are able to get into the market with lower prices, tax incentives and favorable loan rates.   The upper end especially over $1 million is very challenged. The sales numbers are down dramatically and inventory is up. There hav... 08/04/2009

Truckee Real Estate - Lake Tahoe Real Estate and The Tax Benefits of Home Ownership Bonnie Jessee, ABR 530 412 3984 Everyone knows that owning a home is the American dream, but did you know that borrowing to pay for one is a taxpayer's dream? Home mortgage interest is deductible on your income taxes if you itemize. You can deduct the interest on up to one million dollars of home mortgage debt, whether it is used to purchase a first or a second home. You can also deduct the interest on up to $100,000 of home equity debt, even if you don't use the money for home improvements. Real estate taxes are deductible as well. What could the home mortgage deduction mean to you? What follows are two examples of the potential tax savings. "Bob" rents a home at a cost of $1,200.00 per month. He is sin... 04/16/2009

Mortgage Rates Fall to Lowest Level on Record Bonnie Jessee, ABR 530 412 3984   Rates on 30-year mortgages fell to the lowest level on record for the second consecutive week after the Federal Reserve launched a new effort to assist the staggering U.S. housing market.   Mortgage finance giant Freddie Mac said Thursday that average rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages dropped to 4.78 percent this week, from 4.85 percent last week. It was the lowest in the history of Freddie Mac's survey, which dates back to 1971. Rates are down by more than a full percentage point from a year ago. Mortgage rates fell dramatically over the winter and have fallen further after the Federal Reserve said last month it would buy $1.2 trillion in mortgage-backed securities and $300 billion in long-term governme... 04/06/2009

The trees on this property with Donner Lake views caught my attention.  Not that the lake views didn't, but there's just something about this shade of green! I love the texture of the trees.  How they've survived the years and the "character" they express. I love this tree and the way it proudly wears the scars of the years...  Original photo copyright: Tamara Perlman.  Any duplication without express written consent is prohibited.  Tamara Perlman Coldwell Banker San Rafael, Marin County, CA.  Tamara represents buyers and sellers in Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and Napa CA.  Please call: 530-550-1299 or email Tamara at tperlman@coldwellbanker.com for more information on either market or general real estate inquiries.  Search listings at www.TamaraPerlman.com 03/11/2009

Tahoe Donner was originally offered to mountain buyers in the 1970's.  It is our largest subdivision, approx. 6000 home sites and there are still several hundred un-developed lots. Tahoe Donner has a multitude of amenities which make it a desirable location even through market shifts (marina at Donner Lake, downhill ski area, cross country skiing, golf, tennis, hiking, equestrian, workout/rec center with pools and hot tubs) . As you will see from the numbers, it hasn't suffered the way some markets have. This could be beneficial to buyers looking for a mountain getaway--and looking to the long term. Currently we have 136 active single family listings. 14 of those are bank owned or short sale. Of the 14, seven have seller acceptance and are waiting for bank approval. Since the first of ... 03/11/2009