About Nevada County, CA

Homes listed in Tahoe Donner have been going down slightly lately. Sellers who have had their home on the market are not renewing their listing contracts and many are taking the properties off for the season or to ski lease. Just 1 new home came on the market last week in Tahoe Donner. There are now 124 active single family homes listed in Tahoe Donner (135 were listed last week). 7 homes went under contract this past week. There are now 25 Tahoe Donner homes in escrow! Just 1 home sold last week. It was originally listed for $765K, on the market for 73 days and sold for $760K. The original list to sales price was 99%. The current absorption rate around 20% and there is just under 5 months of inventory remaining. Click on the links for current listed Tahoe Donner Short Sales (16) and Tahoe Donner REOs (5). For more information about Tahoe Donner and Truckee Real Estate click here.

We are still seeing quite a bit of activity in Tahoe Donner. 5 homes went into escrow last week. These were listed in the $400K-$700K price range. There is now a total of 20 Tahoe Donner homes under contract. 4 homes sold in Tahoe Donner last week - 1 for $365K, 1 for $504K, 1 for $545K, and 1 for $864K. The average days on market was 166 days and the average original list to sales price was 85%. 5 new homes came on the market in Tahoe Donner last week. There are now 135 active single family homes listed. That makes the current absorption rate around 15% and there is just under 7 months of inventory remaining. Click on the links for current listed Tahoe Donner Short Sales (17) and Tahoe Donner REOs (7). For more information about Tahoe Donner and Truckee real estate click here.

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 and goals and decide if buying a vacation home or investment property will best achieve them.

What do you want and need in a second home? A place where you can retire? Write down everything and create a wish list for your second home. Use this as a framework for what houses to look at.

Ask yourself these questions:

How long will it take you get to your second home here in Truckee or Lake Tahoe? Will the location suit your family's future lifestyle?

How often will you go?

How will you get financing?

Will you need rental income to offset the monthly mortgage payment?

Can you afford the maintenance and insurance?

How will it affect your taxes?

How is the property appreciation rate in your desired location?

Choose a location that meets the criteria on your wish list, or you may decide to hold off on buying. For instance, if you want a vacation getaway but don't expect to use it for more than a week each year, it doesn't make financial sense to buy. Consider fractional ownership or a timeshare.

Consider sharing ownership of a second home. Consider researching co-ownership options, such as a joint tenancy or tenants in common as an ownership position. If you don't feel comfortable dealing with strangers, perhaps consider buying with family or friends.

Let me help you with the answers to many of these questions! As a local for many, many years and a full time professional Realtor, I know the market, understand the areas and I am here to assist you from point A to settling into that perfect second home your family deserves.

The Tahoe Donner market is continuing to see a ton of activity! 5 new homes came on the market last week. There are now 137 active single family homes and 28 condos listed in Tahoe Donner. 2 homes went pending last week - 1 for $750K, and 1 for $1,050,000. 19 Tahoe Donner homes are now under contract. 5 more homes sold last week! The sold prices were: $270K, $320K, $320K, $450K, and $1,080K. The average days on market for these sold homes was just 90 days and the average original list to sales price was 91%. 1 home sold for more than its original listed price. The current absorption rate around 14% and there is about 7 months supply of inventory remaining. Click on the links for current listed Tahoe Donner Short Sales (16) and Tahoe Donner REOs (7). For more information about Tahoe Donner and Truckee real estate click here.

November----the “thankful month.” My brain is full of seasonal musings and short stories of thankfulness. I worked in the yard most of the morning----Mother Nature blesses us with a riot of color this time of year, but all of this color brings closure to another year of gardening and with it comes the annual clean up. I was already thinking about gardening plans for next year as I cut, trimmed, raked and swept away months of gardening happiness and pride.

He entered our lives (and hearts) about three weeks ago. At first he was just a quick shadow of movement in the yard and then the visits became more frequent. Naturally, he possessed that sixth sense to know he just might be welcome here after a long quest to find a home. He was dirty, rather thin and wore a few battle scars of life on the road. After many attempts to charm both of us, he won the battle. I gave in first! I marched inside on a chilly Sunday morning and filled a bowl with fresh cat chow------he is now a permanent resident of the household. His tummy is quite round, he is very clean, his battle scars are just about gone and he is one happy cat. He passed his vet exam with flying colors. He tentatively comes into the house, but he is afraid of the resident black cat. He calls the garage and the yard his new home. He sits on Richard’s lap when Richard rides his recumbent bike and follows us all over the yard like a dog. We gave him a name that celebrates his physical being and his new address----Jasper the Friendly Ghost. Did you guess he is a white cat who lives on Jasper Agate Court? I know we are all very thankful for each other.

A few weeks ago,we returned to Mendocino for a four day stay at The Little River inn. It was such a blessing to arrive and feel, once again, at home with a very good friend. We were greeted warmly by Lyn as we checked in and the aroma of dinner being prepared at the talented hands of Chef Marc Dym filled the air. Alan, the Host for the eveing, welcomed us and made us feel like we were special guests in his home. Of course, having Maria for our waitress was the icing on the cake. She always makes dinner a special occasion for us. Thank you for another memorable getaway.

Many times I have written about my place of employment and the warm and wonderful people who own Prospector’s Nursery in Nevada City. This time, I want to call attention to a fellow employee who helps make the work day so enjoyable. He, too, is “retired” like I am, but we both find “reinventing” ourselves to be quite rewarding. His sense of humor, work ethic and integrity make Terry who he is. He has a favorite saying that I like to keep in mind----”it is all good!” Thanks Terry!

Life would not be complete without wonderful friends and family who make the days worth living. I wish we could all sit around an enormous Thanksgiving table and share the bounty of the season with each other. I am thankful for your love, your friendship, your support and the very fact that you are in my life. May your blessings be many this season.