Truckee, CA

Lake Tahoe Truckee Real Estate News-Bottom Fishing?

BJessee — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:22:36 +0000

LAKE TAHOE TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE NEWS
WAITING FOR THE BOTTOM TO DROP OUT on HOME PRICES?

Bonnie Jessee 530 412 3984

Whenever the market slows and prices decline as they sometimes do in certain areas, I have noticed some buyers are extremely tempted to wait on the bench to find that incredible bargain in terms of price, location and whatever other amenities you are searching for.

My professional advice is to not let yourself be tempted for too long! Keep these things in mind - when prices turn, interest rates usually follow the upswing. A home that appeared to have a bargain price and great financing can lose both those advantages as quickly as overnight. Remember also, once the market has truly turned upward, history tells us it is likely not to descend again and if so that time period could be decades.

Also, there are considerations other than money when making that very important decision to purchase. If you have found the home for your own future and the future of your family, risking the potential loss over a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars just isn’t worth it.

Purchasing your vacation or second home isn’t all about financial issues of course; it means living your dreams and those of your family. Waiting for the bottom might find you buying on the upswing.

Please call me anytime and allow me to share our current market information with you.

Bonnie Jessee 530 412 3984
www.welcomehometruckee.com

CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE NEWS TRUCKEE-NORTH LAKE TAHOE

BJessee — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:48:22 +0000

CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE NEWS

Will The Home I Buy Will Appreciate In Value?
Bonnie Jessee, Realtor
Truckee, California 530 412 3984

As a buyer’s representative my buyer’s best option is to connect with me, your Realtor and together study the area you desire to live in and do the homework to learn as much about that particular area as possible. As your local Realtor I can provide you with an overwhelming amount of information – because I know the territory!

In some areas, homes closer to town centers and recreation areas are valued higher and appraise at a more rapid rate because of the desire of the public to shorten their commute to and from work and play (I can run a report showing the sales, listing times, properties on the market for the past several months ~ or however rapidly the local market might be changing). It is also possible you may get a nicer and larger home for the same price, if willing to consider a longer drive to work or play and the chosen home may grow over time to become a great property buy. Studying the town future land use map, which can be obtained at the Town of Truckee website www.TownofTruckee.com will provide useful information on Nevada and Placer County plans for the future.

The most often quoted rule is that location, location, location. Typically, you will want to make sure the house does not back to busy streets or front them for that matter. Avoid corners and intersections. Choose mid block or a cul-de-sac. My suggestions are always to stay away from homes which are considered “unique” (or really means ‘strange’) unless of course they appeal to a wide range of people.

You’ll want to be sure the home has at least two bathrooms, unless you plan to remodel. Obviously if you are buying as a second/vacation home this will be necessary for privacy! Also, buying a smaller home in a fabulous neighborhood might provide for appreciation. You probably already know about the schools and shopping convenience, as well as potentials which might detract from the property value. Having me as your professional Realtor to advise you is the best bet for you the buyer. Remember, that I really want your repeat business (it’s a small town)! And as a true professional I would ever tell an untruth to you, my client and future friend.

Sometimes it is just timing that works out to provide you appreciation gains; for instance buying that home before a major surge in local market prices. This would be related to the need to be informed about the area before purchasing the home: Your Realtor, Bonnie Jessee 530 412 3984~CALL ME.

Truckee Real Estate and Donald Trump

BJessee — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:47:26 +0000

WHY BUY NOW? LET’S CHECK IT OUT!
What’s Donald Trump Up To These Days?
Bonnie Jessee, Realtor 530 412 3984
Have you been feeling frustrated about making that decision to purchase your primary or secondary home? At the beginning you feel very interested in buying, and you have contacted a Realtor. Then you see some homes and may begin listening to the negative news about today’s marketplace, and you might start to get cold feet, not realizing ‘today’s marketplace’ is a generalized viewpoint and is not localized within the Truckee~North Tahoe area where prices have stabilized and just might be rising.
Then you think, “I’m not sure this is the best time to buy. I’ve heard prices may get lower.” Again, this is a general statement.
Think of this as a simple three step process to contemplate:
Let me inform you that Donald Trump is buying up as much real estate as he can right now. Donald Trump is a very smart businessman, don’t you think? What he knows that other people don’t know is that this is the best time in history to buy. Prices are at an all-time low and so are interest rates. It doesn’t get any better than this. So he is getting great deals all over the place. After this revelation you might think, wow I didn’t know that. Therefore you consider that this may be the best time to buy in our lifetimes!
So now you might consider how quickly you start taking action. As a buyer you have done your job to learn the facts. You’ve backed that up with the knowledge and the financing in place so that you are going to be making money in the same way that Donald Trump is making money.
My professional associates and myself are thoroughly convinced now is the time to buy ~ especially in our area.

Happy Home Hunting! Bonnie 530 412 3984

Truckee Thursdays Downtown Unique Street Festival

BJessee — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:39:50 +0000

Truckee Thursdays Downtown Weekly Unique Street Festival
Join Us! Bonnie Jessee 530 412 3984

Summer heats up with activities and events for the whole family every Thursday Evening here in Truckee!
The streets of Truckee come alive every Thursday evening during the summer season. Kicking off in June, and running through August 28, from 4-8pm, Downtown Truckee is the epicenter of music, art, children’s entertainment, outdoor activities, shopping, and restaurant sampling.
All of Truckee downtown districts will be participating, including Brickelltown, Jibboom Street, Commercial Row, West River and Church Street. Parking is FREE and locals and visitors are encouraged to meander the Downtown District, checking out shops, sampling food and wine, and visiting with friends and neighbors.
The focus of Truckee Thursdays is to bring the community and visitors together; to interact, to shop, to socialize, to ease on into an early weekend. Weekly kid-friendly activities will include things like an outdoor climbing wall or the entertainment of a puppeteer. “Think Local. Be Local. Buy Local. Give Local,” the community is encouraging residents and businesses to get out and support and celebrate what is local, unique, and wonderful about Downtown Truckee. And very importantly Truckee Thursdays is to assist our visitors to understand our small town ‘feel’ and become one of us!
Truckee Thursdays will feature a variety of activities and events. Changing weekly, local musicians will rock the Train Depot parking lot next to local artisans and craftsmen. The Farmer’s market will feature regional and organic products. Outdoor activities will ignite the adventurous spirit, and fabulous food from local restaurants will soothe the palate. For those supporting “Pedal There Thursdays”, a bike valet will be located in Brickelltown, where riders can lock up their bikes and peruse downtown on foot. To encourage participation, there will be a raffle with a chance to win after logging six out of ten rides throughout the summer.
Look for local merchants to offer Thursday discounts and special promotions. With FREE parking, it’s the perfect time to shop local. Peruse local artist’s works in Brickelltown, stock up on cookware, or buy the perfect anniversary or graduate gift – all downtown.
Oh, and call me when you can join us and at we can enjoy one of the many wine and food tasting available in delightful Downtown Truckee! Thank you, Bonnie Jessee
530 412 3984.

Truckee Tahoe Lifestyle - Have It All

BJessee — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:54:54 +0000

THE TRUCKEE~TAHOE LIFESTYLE
WE HAVE IT ALL
Bonnie Jessee
530 412 3984
http://www.welcomehometruckee.com

Folks who haven’t been to Truckee lately are probably in for a big surprise. Our formerly ‘small’ mountain town is on the ‘map’ thanks to the beauty of the area and an incredible abundance of activities. While Truckee’s population hasn’t changed all that much and we still love our small town feel; we have new golf courses, improved ski hills, new town parks and recreation areas being built and the soon to be open, Ritz Carlton, in addition to numerous other new resorts, all for the pleasure of locals and guests alike.

In actuality Truckee survived after the railroad and lumber industries only because of the brainstorming of locals who loved it here and wanted to see the area grow and prosper. Hence, the ice palace was born; along with a skating rink, toboggan run, ski jump and music festivals. The idea of economic gain gleaned from winter sports was at the time, unheard of. And now ~ there are so many more incredible activities to choose from ~ including boating, rock climbing, hiking, and on and on!

Come and join us ~ let me assist you in finding that perfect ‘lifestyle’ home from which to enjoy the clean blue skies and never-ending vistas of beauty! Who knows? You might be one of the ones that just never leave again.
Bonnie Jessee 530 412 3984

BOATING AT LAKE TAHOE AND DONNER LAKE

BJessee — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:19:28 +0000

ON THE WATER AT LAKE TAHOE AND
DONNER LAKE
Bonnie Jessee, Realtor 530 412 3984

Yes, it is that awesome! Clear depths that take your breath away, clean clear views to the surrounding mountains at either lake and for me in any case, even after decades, an incredible respect for the beauty.

Boating on Lake Tahoe can be experienced in various fashions, depending on your preference. There is of course power boating, waterskiing and jetskiing. Starting in the 1800’s power boating became and has been a favorite of the visitors and residents alike! Wooden boats which are called ‘woodies’ became very popular and as sweet water boats and are still a part of the everyday scene. Sailing ~ well, if you have an affinity for sailing there doesn’t need to be much said! Get out there when the power boats are hampered by the winds and fly across crystal clear big blue…kayak or canoe, whatever your preference you will not be disappointed. At Lake Tahoe rentals of every kind are readily available as well as professional guides.

The result of your day on the lake will be a truly enhanced perspective of this spectacular area and it will become a memory of a lifetime.

Boating on Donner Lake opens even more aspects for adventure! Of course not as large as Lake Tahoe, (but just as cold) boating on Donner Lake is a visitor and residents regular pastime. Any kind of boating, sailing, kayaking, canoeing can be thrilling at Donner Lake and there is a public launch available. Along the sunny side (north) of Donner Lake there are numerous public piers from which you can tie up your boat and swim near the shore (where the water is slightly warmer)!

Your concept of Donner Lake and Lake Tahoe will be dramatically changed when you check out these lakes from deck of the boat ~ and for you “fisher people’ ~ have a great time.

Oh, and call me after your fantastic day to search out that perfect vacation home so your friends and family can join you the next time. Bonnie Jessee, Realtor 530 412 3984

Hiking Lake Tahoe and Truckee

BJessee — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:47:29 +0000

hiking-tahoe.jpg
ON A CLEAR DAY…
HIKING LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE
Bonnie Jessee, Realtor
530 412~3984

Perhaps you are a little bit like me and don’t do marathon hikes! But when I do have an hour or two there are fabulous places to take short distance and family hikes. Here are just a few…

Paige Meadows in Tahoe City is a beautiful hike with a pathway connecting a series of meadows. Twin Peaks is visible and the trails are lined with wildflowers and beautiful aspen trees. Be certain to stay on pathways however, it has a reputation of being Tahoe’s Bermuda Triangle.

Martis Creek Wildlife Area in Truckee is a family friendly and dog friendly trail system which runs through a fabulous wetland area. There is lots of wonderful wildlife to view for novices and seasoned viewers. Take the long way or make it a lunch hour hike.

Eagle Rock in Tahoe Pines on the west shore of Lake Tahoe is one of my all time favorites. It can be pretty steep however the paths are well worn and it is a 15 minute hike to the incredible volcanic rock outcropping. Once you are there you will be amazed at the views!

Fallen Leaf Lake in South Lake Tahoe has numerous wandering trails around this neighbor lake and can be accessed thru Fallen Leaf Campground or the Angora Ridge Road. Take a long or short hike – family friendly!

Spooner Lake on the East Shore of Lake Tahoe will give you lush, flowing meadows, delightful aspen groves and wildflowers. It’s about a two mile hike all the way and you just might begin to believe in wood gnomes after taking this trail!

Happy Trails ~ contact me at any time for your real estate needs ~ Bonnie Jessee, 530 412 3984

What Your Realtor Can’t Tell You!

BJessee — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:06:30 +0000

What Your Realtor Can’t Tell You!
Bonnie Jessee, Realtor 530 412 3984
In the United States (and individual states) laws prevent Realtors from informing buyers about neighborhood demographics, and they typically do not want to discuss other details, such as sex offender presence. However, for you the buyer, the information can easily be found on line!

Truckee, California
THE NEW NEIGHBORHOOD: During a showing to new comers to our beautiful area my new friend and client wondered aloud whether there were any sex offenders living in the neighborhood. Since it is not my ‘place’ to comment, I picked up my cell phone during the showing of the home, connected to its Web browser and brought up Family Watchdog, a national sex-offender-registry Web site. A quick check on this outstanding site and we went about our business of finding that perfect home.
A Realtor can be a wealth of information about a home, neighborhood and town. And when a home buyer asks what crime is like in the neighborhood/town might be surprised when the Realtor refers client to the world wide web or local law enforcement instead. Your Realtor is your connection with your new town or neighborhood and most buyers expect a wealth of information to be freely provided to them. This is not always the case as you will see.
However, there is some information that an agent cannot discuss due to fair-housing laws, including demographic statistics. And they often prefer to leave additional information, such as the quality of the school district or crime stats, answered by other sources. The NAR National Association of Realtors forbids ‘steering’ of potential homeowners and over the years, there has been negative feedback regarding ‘steering’ by having Realtors directly respond to some of these types of inquiries. Some of this information can be decisive when buying. The quality of school systems, when there are children in the family is always of major importance to home-buying families. And most of this information can be found in many places on the world wide web
PUBLIC SCHOOL ISSUES: Unless your Realtor has hard data at his or her fingertips, the Realtor may decline to answer school-district questions. A prospective buyer might want to do additional fact-finding before deciding on a home or which neighborhoods to consider. A national database of school demographic information can be found on the National Center for Education Statistics Web site. Additionally, for a better understanding of academic performance and to compare schools, a prospective homeowner might browse the School Matters Web site, which is a service of Standard & Poor’s.
CRIME ISSUES: Family Watchdog Web site allows users to enter a street address and pull up a map of the area that plots out where sex offenders live. Click on one of the squares that indicate an offender’s home, and often an address and a photo are available to view.
Realtors know the value of the Family Watchdog Website and encourage clients to use this site when checking out new areas. Make trips past the home or neighborhood you are interested in at various times of the day and you will probably get your informed answer. Do call me to help you in finding that perfect HOME! Bonnie Jessee 530 412 3984 bjessee@dicksonrealty.com

What’s Happening With Real Estate in Truckee?

BJessee — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:16:49 +0000

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH REAL ESTATE IN TRUCKEE?

BONNIE JESSEE, Realtor®
530 412 3984
UPDATED JUNE 5, 2008

New Properties for Sale

Over the past few weeks, I have had several new friends from out of the immediate area calling to view and potentially purchase properties in Truckee, North Tahoe and the Soda Springs area. It has been quite a surprise to our out of town friends (or our part timers as I like to think of everyone) to see that low-ball offers are not typical and if placed are being rejected – on occasion even verbally.

While the number of listings has not significantly changed, we are seeing a rise in the median pricing of asking and sold. For instance, today 15 new listings were on the MLS – of those 15 new listings, 10 were single family residences, 6 were in Truckee and pricing ranged from $459,000 to $1,350,000. The remaining were shared ownerships, out of the immediate area properties and even 2 boat slips in Tahoe City listed for $375,000 and $385,000 (yes, $385,000 for a boat slip in Tahoe City)!

Bank Owned Properties

Despite the fact there are bank owned properties on the ‘market’ and there truly are some fabulous deals to be had, for the most part, these bank owned or pre-foreclosure properties sell almost immediately when displayed in the MLS. The down fall can be that the ‘bank’ or lender will typically provide no assistance with repairs and what you see (or don’t) is what you buy! In relation to what is for sale and what is selling, the number of these types of properties available is quite insignificant.

What is Truly Happening

On a very personal note, I have a buyer I am working with who owns a property (vacant land) that we are attempting to use as a trade/down payment. We made an above full price offer on a new property which I felt as a professional was a terrific offer. In any case, the following day, the seller received an additional three, yes three offer, on the same property and the result was a sale well above listing price. Not uncommon for this much localized area of Serene Lakes.

What Does Localized Indicate?

Although Truckee has a full time base population of around 17,000 individuals and approximately 12,000 properties (including Northstar and Squaw) it appears that each ‘neighborhood’ is currently rather independent of another when it comes to the sales price point being reached in negotiations. In other words, a property in Tahoe Donner may command a price of $750,000 (updated new pricing in TD is showing an increase of around $15,000), which in Serene Lakes that property would be close or higher in price, in Glenshire it may command $675,000, regardless of the fact they may be almost identical properties. And, of course, the North Shore of Lake Tahoe is another localized area.

What Now?

While most of you know I work almost exclusively with buyers, my goal has been to get the best deal for my buyers. I do see economic healing on the horizon; I also see with that an increase in the cost of owning in our beautiful Sierras! I truly believe, from what we see daily in this real estate industry/market (localized) now is the time to buy.
Give me a call today for professional services that you deserve.

Bonnie Jessee 530 412 3984

Are Homes the Best “Bargain” Since 2004?

BJessee — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:18:13 +0000

Are Homes the Best ‘Bargain’ Since 2004?

With prices slackening in many parts of the country, home affordability has improved dramatically for many. This includes the Truckee/North Tahoe area as well!
Since January of 2008, approximately 53% of all new and existing homes sold across the country were affordable to families earning the median (national) household income of $61,500, according to the latest Housing Opportunity Index released Tuesday by the National Association of Home Builders.
This constitutes an increase of 44% compared to the first three months of 2007 with home prices the most affordable they’ve been since the three month period that ended June 30, 2004.
Factors include mortgage funding at lower rates, a slackening in pricing and a raise in the median income for the average family.
Home prices dropped about 8% compared with a year ago, (with a proportionate percentage here at Truckee and North Tahoe) however, that doesn’t mean that buyers are rushing into our local market.
Items affecting these numbers include buyer expectations. Many buyers are reluctant to act in what they perceive as falling markets; and might be continuing to wait to see how ‘low’ pricing will continue to fall, if at all, in areas such as destination resorts similar to Truckee/North Tahoe.
The ‘American’ perception that the housing market is a good investment at any point in time; and affordability is a positive one is consistent with most buyers we are seeing in this here in Truckee. While a few have suffered the consequence of buying at a very high price, most owners are quite pleased with their comfort level, even in today’s market. A relative recession proof situation exists in destination type resorts and has consistently held over the declining markets in other parts of the country.
The increased tightening of lending doesn’t factor in to most of the types of buyers and sellers consistent with the Truckee/North Tahoe area and so the numbers are slightly off the national ‘average’ for our area.
So, considering these factors, we are been seeing a very near recession proof situation for our owners and buyers in the Truckee/North Tahoe arena! Give me a call and let me show you what is currently available in our beautiful Sierra Mountains!
Bonnie Jessee 530 412 3984