Sorry I haven't gotten back into the rhythm of weekly Tahoe Donner updates.  Life with a baby still has me a bit out of rhythm!!!  Since I missed last week, this update shows activity from the last 2 weeks.

The Tahoe Donner real estate market continues to be very healthy.  12 more properties (homes and condos) went into contract in the last 2 weeks.  The focus continues to be on "lower end" properties with asking prices under $500,000, but there is some activity in the higher ranges as well.  A $1.2 million dollar spec home on Pinnacle Loop closed escrow, and a $1.05 million home backing to the golf course on Swiss Lane went into escrow within 24 hours of going on the market!  Showing activity at listings all over Truckee continues to be robust despite the lack of snow.

Here are photos and details of the activity from the last 2 weeks:

8 homes were listed for sale.

12 homes had their asking price reduced.

12 homes went into contract.

6 homes sold.

There's a lot to be excited about in the Truckee area right now!  We are finally receiving some snowfall, so there is a nice winter buzz around the area and things are looking up for skiing.  The real estate market continues to show strength regardless of the weather.  Another 7 homes went into contract this week in Tahoe Donner.  There's a lot of reason for optimism, and a lot of reason to visit Truckee and Lake Tahoe (bring your skis this time!).

Here are the pictures and details of the home and condo activity for Tahoe Donner from the last week:

3 homes were listed for sale.

6 homes had their asking price reduced.

7 homes went into escrow.

7 homes sold.

How are they doing it?  There are a lot of reasons, but the biggest one is commitment to families.  This isn't just another gated golf course community.  This is a true family recreation community with amenities like the Camp Lodge (spa, restaurants, opened in 2011), private access to Northstar Ski Area (with a private ski lodge opening in 2012), The Family Barn (movies, concerts, bowling, swimming), a Tennis Club (opening in 2012), stocked fishing pond, mountain biking and hiking trails, an 18 hole natural putting course (miniature golf on a totally naturally course), and . . . I almost forgot . . . a dazzling championship golf course designed by Tom Fazio.  Overall, the developer has invested $90 million into the amenities of the community.  Honestly, there's nothing like it in Tahoe, and I suspect very few things like it anywhere in the world.  Do something completely different, and do it right . . . that's how you achieve success regardless of the economy.

With all the uncertainty in the economy, there has been a lot of money "sitting on the sideline".  The developers of Martis Camp have found a way to convince a lot of families to invest their money in Truckee/Tahoe.

Sentiment is one thing, but actual money investment can be quite another.  There are some very positive things going on in the market place, including major investments like the developments highlighted in the video.  A lot of signs point to this being a great time to get into the 2nd home real estate market.

Sorry for the long delay in posting.  In case, you haven't heard, my son, Kellan, was born on January 6th and I have been enjoying some time away from the office and helping get my family settled in!

While I was gone, the Truckee real estate market has continued to show strong activity.  In particular, Tahoe Donner has had a strong start to the year with 9 homes or condos going into contract in the first 2 weeks.  Lack of snow has reduced the number of visitors to the area, but statistics for showings at homes on the market continues to trend high (as I've joked before," if you can't go skiing, why not buy a house?!)"

Here are pictures and details of last weeks Tahoe Donner home and condo activity:

10 homes were listed for sale.

13 homes had their asking price reduced.

9 homes went into contract.

8 homes sold.

If you're looking for positve signs in the real estate market, Truckee is a good place to look.  Tahoe Donner just had it's busies December in the last 10 years with 24 homes going into contract during the month.  December has traditionally been the slowest month of the year, oweing to the change in seasons and peoples focus on the holidays.  In 2011, however, December turned out to be one of the busiest months of the year.  The only negative to report is that We are down to just 111 listings actively for sale in Tahoe Donner (91 homes, 20 condos).  We need more inventory!!  We'll see if the strong demand continues as mother nature continues to refuse to give us any snow.

Following are pictures and details of the real estate activity in Tahoe Donner for the last month of the year:

2 homes were listed for sale.

5 homes had their asking price reduced.

5 homes went into escrow.

5 homes sold.

Happy Holidays everyone!

As expected, people were more focused on Christmas than they were on home buying last week.  The Tahoe Doner real estate market was quiet, but we're still on track to have a very strong month of December.  Despite the lack of snow, there are still a lot of people visiting Truckee and Lake Tahoe this week, so we're optimistic for a strong end of the year and an even stronger start to the new year.

Here are pictures and details of all the home and condo activity in Tahoe Donner from the past week:

1 home was listed for sale.

7 homes had their asking price reduced.

2 homes went into escrow.

3 homes sold.

What do people do when visiting Lake Tahoe in the winter if there's no snow on the ground?  Apparently the answer is . . . buy real estate!!  We had a very busy week in the Tahoe Donner real estate market, at a time of year when we don't expect it.  Usually strong home buying activity holds off until the beginning of a new year, but this year buyers are jumping at the opportunities they see.  8 more homes went into contract in Tahoe Donner last week, continuing what has been a very strong December (historically the slowest month of the year for home sales).  Also encouraging is that 2 of the homes had asking prices over $900k (a price range which has been quiet recently).

Here are the pictures and details of last weeks Tahoe Donner real estate activity:

3 homes were listed for sale.

5 homes had their asking price reduced.

8 homes went into escrow.

3 homes sold.

Despite the lack of snow, the Tahoe Donner real estate market continues to show strong activity to start December (a traditionally slow month). This is a great sign as Truckee heads into the holiday season and the start of a new year. 

Here are pictures and descriptions of this weeks activity:

5 homes were listed for sale.

6 homes had their asking price reduced.

5 homes went into escrow.

6 homes sold.

Last week I mentioned that there was strong showing activity over the Thanksgiving Holiday, and it turned out to be productive activity.  6 Tahoe Donner homes went into contract last week, which is a very strong start to December.

There were also a lot of home listings which expired.  This is very common in Truckee at this time of year, as people who weren't successful selling their home during the summer will turn to the rental market to see if they can ski lease the property or turn it into a vacation rental for the winter.  Many of these homes will be relisted for sale in the spring. 

There are now just 112 single family homes for sale in Tahoe Donner, and 26 condos.

Here are the pictures and details of the real estate activity from the last week:

1 home was listed for sale.

9 homes had their asking price reduced.

6 homes went into escrow.

6 homes sold.

Thanksgiving week featured a lot of turkey eating and a little bit of real estate activity in Truckee.  The Tahoe Donner real estate market saw 4 more homes go into escrow during the week.  The showing activity seemed pretty strong for a holiday which is usually more focused on family time than real estate searching.  I am aware of quite a few offers being negotiated on homes which were viewed during the weekend.  All in all, I'd say it was a good week for a time when not much activity was expected.

Here are the pictures and details of all the real estate activity:

1 home was listed for sale.

14 homes had their asking price reduced.

4 homes went into escrow.

4 homes sold.

The Tahoe Donner real estate markets seems to be firmly in the early winter/holiday slow period.  Most every year, even the busiest ones, we see a slow down around the holidays.  There's a few reasons for it, but the most obvious are that:

1) People are focusing on the Holidays

2) There aren't many outdoor recreational activities going on in Truckee, compared to the rest of the year, so not many people are visiting.  There's just enough snow on the ground to prevent "summer" type activities, and not enough snow to get ski season into full gear.

The good news is things will pick back up.  For the next month, homes will still sell, as long as they appear to be particularly "good deals".  We are also likely to see a significant number of homes taken off the market, as sellers who didn't find success during the summer frequently choose to ski lease their homes in the winter.  The next flurry of activity is likely to be triggered by some rereshing new listings hitting the market late in the year, and a typical shot in the arm by demand caused by the optimism each year begins with.

Here are the pictures and details of last weeks activity in Tahoe Donner:

5 homes were listed for sale.

14 homes had their asking price reduced.

3 homes went into escrow.

8 homes sold.

The Tahoe Donner real estate market keeps chugging along with reasonable activity for this time of year.  I certainly can't say it's busy, but I've certainly seen much slower periods when we're in the post -summer/pre -ski -season section of the calendar.  The only unexpected number this week was the 10 homes listed for sale, which is pretty high for the time of year.  Even this, however, shows some homeowners have enough confidence to list their homes for sale rather than leasing them for the ski season and waiting for the busier summer season.  There's snow in the forecast and ski season is very close at hand, so there's definitely reason for optimism.

Here are pictures and details of the real estate activity in Tahoe Donner for last week:

10 homes were listed for sale.

10 homes had their asking price reduced.

4 homes went into escrow.

5 homes sold.

Winter is in the air, and along with it the Tahoe Donner real estate market seems to be cooling slightly.  4 homes went into escrow this week, which isn't bad, but also isn't quite the 5+ homes we like to see.  The other side of the ledger was also slow, with just 3 new listings and 8 price reductions.  Now that there is a some snow on the ground, but not yet enough to open the ski areas (except a little patch of snow at Boreal), the number of visitors to the Truckee area has slowed a bit.  These are all "normal" things for this time of year, so there's no need to be concerned.

Here are pictures and details of the real estate activity for the week:

3 homes were listed for sale.

8 homes had their asking price reduced.

4 homes went into escrow.

3 homes sold.

Just 2 homes went into contract in the Tahoe Donner real estate market last week.  This is the first time we've been below 5 new escrows since early September.  The number of showings was still strong, so I'm optimistic this is just a blip on the radar.  We will have to pay attention to things as the Truckee weather appears to be making significant change this coming week, with snow in the forecast for the weekend.  Will it be enough snow to get the ski areas open for an early start to the season?  We'll just have to wait and see.

Here are the pictures and details from this weeks real estate and home sale activity:

6 homes were listed for sale.

9 homes had their asking price reduced.

2 homes went into escrow.

7 homes sold.