Greetings Fellow Life Travelers:

This week started off with a bang for me as the 5:45 alarm didn’t go off and I awoke at 6:45. I flew out of bed and was outta the house in 20 min on way to catch plane to Las Vegas to renew my Global Entry card.  Contrary to admonitions about the Reno Airport holdups with big remodel construction, parking was easy and I made my flight in plenty of time.  Getting from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 in LV was an adventure since it doesn’t have a direct train, so I finally discovered the ground shuttle.  Then to the second floor to find this obscure office at the east end of the terminal.  Now really – standing in the middle of the second floor, how is one to know which is east or west?  Fortunately, the second person I asked knew what I was talking about and I got to the appointment early, breezed through in 15 min, then retraced my steps back to the returning gate in Terminal 1.  Wish I had a pedometer as I had to have exceeded 10,000 steps that day!   As you probably know, we finally got new storms bringing another good blast of snow!   After last week’s wimpy real estate activity, let’s see what happened this week.

• Residential Real Estate – week  

• Tahoe Sierra MLS – North/West Shores & Truckee.  New Listings – 17; Escrows – 8; Solds – 21.
• Incline Village/Crystal Bay MLS.  New Listings – 3; Escrows – 3; Solds – 2
• East Shore, NV MLS.  New listings – 2; Escrows – 2; Solds – 0
• Reno/Sparks MLS.  New Listings – 75; Escrows – 98; Solds – 114

Eight of the 17 new listings in the TSMLS are Pacaso fractionals in Olympic Valley.  Big sale for the area was the west shore lakefront listed at $17.9M and sold for $15M.  In Incline, a new Lakeshore Blvd. listing on the ‘dry’ side came on at $13,777,888.  Trying to figure out the rationale for this, which totals #4 in numerology: “If a house number reduces to four, such as 5963, this house will appeal to very practical people.  They are honest, orderly, economical, and not afraid of manual labor.  Since they are excellent managers, they are respected and well liked in the community.”   As you can see, activity is pretty flat right now, not too unexpected given winter weather we’re having, uncertainty in the world and the holidays.  Inventory remains low and probably will be for some time.  Closings in the TSMLS this week reflected 90% of asking price, with a two at 100% and 105%.

• Local/Real Estate/Luxe

• Contrary to buyer hopes for big price cuts next year, the median home price nationwide is expected to tick up 5.4%.  Interest rates will stay high, so total sales will drop in most markets.  However, a slowly growing inventory will provide more selection for buyers as the market adjusts to new reality going forward. Realtor.com
• How about this for a parking spot in Vail, CO?  $239,500 for 42 sq ft in a big garage – and it’s in escrow!  San Francisco can probably top this.  Actually, some of the boat slips at Tahoe Marina are going for way more.
• December’s snowstorm record last year was 213 inches, recorded at the Snow Lab at Donner Pass. Prior record was 179 inches in 1970 for the month.  Tahoe Fund and Open Snow
• Truckee River Watershed Council accomplishes a LOT every year.  Amazing organization that restores the proper flow of the river and its adjoining watershed.  For a look at what it encompasses, check out www.truckeeriverwc.org
• Holiday photo reminder:  Be sure to put current boyfriends and girlfriends at the edge of family pictures so they can be cropped out later.
• A tiny cottage in London’s Chelsea neighborhood is packing a pretty big price tag. The Georgian-style home, which spans roughly 260 square feet, is on the market for $1.4 million. Wall Street Journal
• Titanic:  The Exhibition – Los Angeles.  Awe-inspiring Immersive, interactive journey into history and recreations of the ship’s interior and exterior.   Colleague Mark Hernandez
• Two new high-end oceanfront resort projects coming on line:  Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.  If interested in exploring, please let me know. 
• Messiah – beautiful abbreviated performance by Toccata’s orchestra and chorus that also includes lovely Christmas music.  Attended in Truckee; next performances in Incline, Reno and South Lake Tahoe.  www.toccatatahoe.org

• Entertainment

• Animal Love.  https://tinyurl.com/4w9vbs48
• Border Collie roundup.  Impressive!  https://tinyurl.com/8hdzzm7r
• Best restroom signs ever.   

• TidBits

• My Kid:  I feel like you’re always making up rules and stuff.  Me:  Like What?  My Kid: Like if I don’t clean my room a portal will open and take me to another dimension.  Me:  Well, that’s what happened to your older brother.  My Kid:  What older brother?  Me: Exactly.
• Is an argument between two vegans still called a Beef?
• First day of Medical School:  A patient cured is a customer lost.
• Felt uncomfortable driving into the cemetery.  The GPS said “you have reached your final destination.”
• If the grass is greener on the other side, you can bet the water bill is higher.
• 129% of people exaggerate.
• Silence is Golden; Duct tape is Silver.

So, enough chatter for this week.  Stay warm and dry and see you next time!  

  Best Restroom Signs Ever!

AND FINALLY PLEASE DO NOT ARGUE!!!…