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December 17, 2023

Tahoe Update

Greetings Fellow Life Travelers:

Hard to believe we’re rolling into Christmas week….and then it’s New Year’s week…and – bingo – it’s 2024! Let’s hope our collective consciousness can uptick the health of our world going forward – physically, mentally and spiritually. We’re a hardy bunch, and we can do this! So far, the snow gods haven’t blessed us with a white Christmas, but predictions are dancing around the possibility, especially at the higher elevations. As we say, “wait 5 minutes and the weather can change”, so who knows what we’ll look like at Tahoe on Christmas day? Attended our Chase International holiday party at the new Margaritaville Resort at South Lake Tahoe on Thursday. It opened officially that day to a colorful reception and will be a new, fun spot for the community. I’m told the new owners put $85 Million into the renovation of the former Embassy Suites. Always great to see tired properties get updated. So, let’s see what updates we had in real estate this last week.

Residential Real Estate – week 12/9 – 12/15

  • Tahoe Sierra MLS – North/West Shores & Truckee. New Listings – 13; Escrows – 10; Solds – 14
  • Incline Village/Crystal Bay MLS. New Listings – 5; Escrows – 6; Solds – 3
  • East Shore, NV MLS. New Listings – 1; Escrows – 1; Solds – 2
  • Reno/Sparks MLS. New Listings – 70; Escrows – 95; Solds – 69

New lakefront in Incline Village came on at $49M, and there was a $4M escrow in Reno – a 15-acre ranch property in SW area. Markets are not dead – just a little quiet right now.

Local/Real Estate/Luxe

  • Chase International Foundation was created to support local philanthropy, focused on shelter, food, safety and well-being in the various Tahoe region communities we serve. The Holiday party this year had an auction for this benefit and raised $6500 from Chase Realtors® and staff. Started in 2022, the Foundation has raised over $40,000 and awarded over $12,000 to local charities. www.chaseinternationalfoundation.org
  • Tangerine, the new French Bistro in Truckee, is having a prix fix New Year’s Eve dinner. Check it out! https://www.tangerinetahoe.com/nye/
  • Villa Artemis – the famous Guest estate in Palm Beach where C.Z. Guest was photographed by Slim Aarons for Nice Pool – may be the subject of interest for Jeff Bezos. Whispered price is $350 Million should he purchase.
  • Luxury ain’t dead! Per Mansion Global, sales of properties over $1 Million were way up this November vs. last November in New York City, Los Angeles and Palm Beach. And, trophy home sales nearly tripled this year in London’s Mayfair neighborhood.
  • Need space to entertain up to 400 outdoors? Home in Mesa, AZ is on the market for $6M – 1.08 Acres, 14,322 sq. ft with 7 bedrooms, 8 full bathrooms, 2 powder rooms. Needless to say, lovely grounds.
  • More regs. Town of Truckee: Starting January 1, there will be a 25-cent cup and container fee for all single-use disposable cup and containers. Intention is to encourage customers to bring own reusable cup and food containers. You can sign up for the Reusable Green Box Program from restaurants. KeepTruckeeGreen.org/SingleUse. (This will be interesting.)
  • Visiting New York City? Check out The Fifth Avenue Hotel, the new incarnation of a Gilded Age mansion. www.thefifthavenuehotel.com
  • Truckee’s favorite Bottle Shop – Zanders, that closed earlier this year – has reopened in the Westgate Center. Nice grand opening Friday with ribbon cutting for this woman-owned popular store.
  • Overland Sheepskin Company, that had a store in Truckee years ago, just opened a new one in downtown Truckee on Friday.
  • Tahoe Oil and Spice in Truckee has just been purchased by Dorinda Vance, who owns the eponymous Dorinda’s Chocolates two doors away. She’s a powerhouse and has exciting plans! 
  • Brazen coyote just trotted through my yard. Dancer out on a play date so didn’t see it.
  • New Year’s resolution: Instead of picking one or more targets to accomplish in the New Year, with a good chance of failure, how about picking one word for yourself that you will focus on? Maybe there’s a new mindset or attitude you want to input into your life. What will your word of intention be? (I’m still noodling mine.) From Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper.

Entertainment

Christmas Game

  • Name that Tune! Can you identify the Carols on the game sheet? Friend sent this to me – I got a few right off the bat, but remembering names of tunes is not my strong suit. (see below)

TidBits

  • “Everyone says how easy it is to cook, but it is not any easier than not cooking.” Maria Bamford
  • “Everywhere is walking distance if you’ve got the time.” Steven Wright
  • “There’s really no secret about our approach. We keep moving forward – opening new doors and doing new things – because we’re curious. Curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. We’re always exploring and experimenting.” Walt Disney
  • If you think it’s expensive working with an expert, trying working with an amateur.
  • I told my wife she should embrace her mistakes. She gave me a hug.  
  • I’m reading a book on anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down.
  • Why don’t skeletons fight each other? They don’t have the guts.
  • Christmas is a magical time of year. I just watched all my money magically disappear.
  • Remember, as far as anyone needs to know, we’re a nice normal family. 
  • I’m a wooden spoon, lead paint, no car seat, no seat belt, no bike helmet, bed of pickup riding, garden hose drinking survivor. 
  • 23 years ago, the Nokia 3310 phone released and sold for $160. Battery life lasted for 3 days.
  • What if soy milk is just regular milk introducing itself in Spanish?
  • I child-proofed my house, but the kids still get in. 
  • January is the Monday of Months.
  • The first rule of 2024 is that no one talks about 2023. 
  • “It’s good to be open-minded, but not so much that your brains fall out.” Robert Schwab
  • “The door to freedom opens inward. OBR 1982
  • “Be a first-rate version of yourself, not a second-rate version of someone else.” Dolly Parton’s Dad
  •  “Letting go is not the end of the world. It is the beginning of a new life.” Zen proverb

So, end of the year is a great time to let go of the old and make room for the new! Enjoy the ensuing holiday weeks and I’ll be back in two! See my greeting below.

Best wishes,