Ken Cash

Americans have always given thanks-just not always in November.
Giving thanks is a longstanding American tradition. However, few people
realize that Thanksgiving hasn't always been celebrated in November. Here
are some interesting facts about the holiday that I recently found out:

· During the American Revolution-long before Thanksgiving became a

national holiday-the Continental Congress would recommend that states
observe one or two days of Thanksgiving each year.

· Beginning with George Washington, presidents would declare Thanksgiving

days each year. They were not usually held in the Fall.

· President Abraham Lincoln was responsible for making Thanksgiving a

national holiday. He set the date as the last Thursday in November.

· During the depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the date

of Thanksgiving so that it fell earlier in November. He wanted to give
retailers more time to sell before the holidays-and advertising before
Thanksgiving was considered to be crass!

· Thanksgiving Day, as we know it, was signed into law in 1941.

During Thanksgiving, and throughout the year, we are thankful for your
business and your friendship. Please let us know whenever there is
something we can do to help you. Thank you for your kindness and
consideration.

Over the past 18 months or so the Boulder Bay Redevelopment team has been meeting with hundreds of community members, business owners, TRPA aka Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Washoe County officials to gather input on the project. As a result, numerous changes have been made to the original plan. We all hope the changes are for the better but with so many opinions, it is hard to tell. In the area of Architecture and Design changes, proposed are floor removed from buildings or a maximum height of 75 feet. Currently as an example, the Tahoe Biltmore is 76 feet.

An entire wing has been removed from the two main buildings to increase the set backs and open spaces. A complete re-design of the architecture to reflect a Tahoe Alpine style. Also the building setback from the main highway, highway 28 is increased to 43 feet to 66 feet. The current Biltmore is 15-20 feet.

In building program change, all the timeshare units eliminated from the project. It's a density issue. The total building spuare footage is reduced by 20%. In addition the total retail ad commercial square footage has been reduced by 25%.

Environmentally along with Community Enhancement changes, the proposed park space in Crystal Bay has been increased to over 4 acres. A water quality program designed to infiltrate the 100 year/1 hour storm and removal of fine sediment has been improved. A comprehensive guest, local and employee transportation program has been developed. Also of great importance, Green Building programs have been established for energy, water and carbon footprint reductions.

As a comparison, the Hyatt Resort in Incline Village has 422 rooms. The boulder Bay resort will have 300. No timeshares but rather 59 condominium units. Affordable units are 14 (38 bedrooms). Retail and dining will be 20,715 square feet compared to the Hyatt at 15,652 square feet. The casino will be smaller than the Hyatt, just 10,000 squared feet. The building cannot exceed 75 feet compared to the Hyatt at 124 feet. The Hyatt is on 25.2 acres while the Boulder Bay will be 22.1

Most feel it is long overdue for Crystal Bay to be redeveloped. The plans show it will greatly improve the local economy and reduce the impact on the environment.

If you would like more information, go to www.BoulderBayResort.com.

The post recovery high last week ended rather abruptly with the market heading south. I guess that was the assessment of the impact the Federal Reserves latest economic data. Who do you listen too? On Wednesday last week the Feds said 'economic conditions are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels of federal funds rate for an extended period of time .' I guess that means interest rates would remain low for the foreseeable future? Sounds healthy for the economy and stock securities, right? The Feds also said 'it was slowing the pace of its purchase of mortgage-backed securities I am not clear I saw that purchasing from the beginning. So how much more can they slow it down? And so what, has this really helped the housing market? The wording is difficult. Sounds like the punch bowl stimulus will go away a little sooner than expected. Can't drink much more of the cool-aid.

Then late last week the housing reports came out which were weaker than expected, but there was also good news as Reuter and University of Michigan surveys of consumers said its index of sentiment for September rose which I guess was the highest since January 2008. So instead of neat and tidy explanations for everything, its a bit irrational. Between conservative and liberal, financial and macroeconomics, this crisis was missed. Human nature, right?

Well, we have had enough theory of everything to last a life time. My wife and I are now living by cash. I mean we dumped all the credit cards, all of them. It's cash or debit card only. Wasn't always that way. From a practical standpoint, it's been OK paying cash. But we have not considered any major purchases either. We are trying to be rational here and not tip the scale again in the other direction. Knowing this today hopefully helps us tomorrow. We want to be on guard for extreme market movements. Being in real estate for the past 3 years has not been a lot of fun. We have managed, but our goals today don't mean we will always be on the 'right' side of extreme market shifts, but be confident, we will sure try.

My long time friend Curtis McLachlan has been a part of the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, Reno and the Carson Valley Construction trades since 1979. I've watched Curtis with his 30 years in the profession successfully take on the challenges of a variety of construction projects; all of which have taken him in new directions. I have seen him take care of winter insurance damage repairs, construction of a golf course club house, as well as the B Street train station and out buildings in Sparks Nevada. He's built two AM/PM Mini-Marts. McLachlan Construction has kept busy indeed. I've seen him build a house over the top of another house while the owners lived in it, then combine the two into one and you would never know it was done that way. I've seen his homes with every gadget imaginable....amazing electronics, the latest in appliances.

Remodels and additions remain a vital part of his business. Undoubtedly the centerpiece of his business has been the designing and building of custom Lake Tahoe homes on the water. Curtis has also won four times the prestigious Washoe County Architectural Committee Award for Distinctive and Excellence in Design. Through all of this, he has gathered a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Since its inception "Quality and Responsibility" have been the cornerstone of McLachlan Construction. Curtis and his wife Nancy, have become a unique team by creating their own distinctive flare, designing and building Old Tahoe style custom homes. The kind with the mountain lodge feel. In addition to their signature lodge design they are experienced with remodeling projects from contemporary to traditional.

With both of them having a passion of creative design, the use of unusual materials and textures are always brought into play. I've never seen another designer/builder incorporate so many different mediums of wood, metal, glass, concrete into one exquisite and unique home. They always, in every project, bring these and many more materials into play. They are able to take basic styles and turn them into warm and inviting environments. Carefree living is what we are all looking for in our lives, no matter how small or large our homes may be. Check out their web site. www.Woodfitter.com See what you think.

By the way, he is quiet the hot rodder too. Ask him about his Rolls Royce Silver Spur with a big block Chev in it and his 55 Chev Rat Rod Pro-Street.

The importance of solid information for potential new homeowners in resorts is paramount. Clients want as much information as can be provided the before, during and after their visit. It means we must be well-informed and capable of answering a very broad range of questions. Some have nothing to do with the area or real estate, they are simply curiosity questions. As I said before, most buyers are very smart about using the Internet and have already spent considerable time looking into your area, check your inventory. They may not say too much but they probably know as much, maybe more than you so you will need to be very honest and forthright. No fudging! You will get caught. In some instances, they'll even know the recernt sales history and price comparisons. Their information likely will not be from those web sites that act as if their information is correct and valid. Buyers are very interested in taxes, both property and state. That is one reason Nevada is a strong destination, especially today for Californians. They'll have many questions about environmental matters and, depending on thier background, education and business experiences, they will know more than you.

Seldom will buyers make a purchase during their first visit to a resort area. It might take several months, several trips. It may take more than a year or two. Some come to visit without calling in advance. Some may call on the last day or two of thier trip, to look at property. This is especially true in ski season. They come to look at real estate, but only after a full day on the slopes and just until dark. They clearly will want to experience things, golf, river rafting, boating, hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, cross country hiking or skiing. We are all the same. Go on vacation, cram as much as we can into the trip, then go home to get rested. We have all had them come to the area, talk to other agents, maybe even look at property with that other agent. It happens to us all, so no point in getting all upset. If you have done your job well, done all the things to their expectations, you will hear from them again, and they will be honest with you, telling your that they came to town and did not call you. They didn't want to bother you. They weren't ready to buy so thought they would visit some open houses, look at some property, kind of under the radar. But often, being a small community, you will either see them, or one of your peers will call you and let you know. That of coarse, requires a high degree of ethical behavior and professionalism already established in the community as a whole and with your fellow REALTORS.

Sam Ewig said, "Hard work spotlights the character of people. Some turn up thier sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.

Earnig the buyers and sellers respect can be challenging but required to get information from potential buyers. But once you earn their respect, you may know things about them that even other family members don't know, especially financial things. You must be trust worth with this knowledge and be able to maintain your confidentiality. Most wealthy and influential people I work for expect privacy and security, so I had better deliver it.

Yet even when the opportunity arises, and I have done everything possible, there is no guarantee of being paid, earning a commission. We all have our mulitple-year buyers who never get to the table to write an offer. Still, they certainly look me up each time they visit. My longest buyer (and still yet to be sold) is an 14 year client. He is in the movie business. We have actually been in escrow, but never closed! He and his wife have become good friends. I also have several in the 2-5 year mark. But I have also had those who felt I was too ethical, that I should have said nothing. I've even been told, who do you work for? Needless to say it is not them any longer.