Greetings Fellow Life Travelers:

So, what happened to the big blast we were to get on Wednesday/Thursday?  Now that I’m finishing this up on Sunday morning, snow is falling steadily as predicted!  Yesterday was glorious with sun, ending for me at a lovely Toccata concert in a private home – one of their ‘soirees’ (as in fund-raiser) for this classical music organization.  Four beautiful public concerts on the docket for this month – check them out:  www.toccatatahoe.org.   Regarding snow, what we’ve had so far is still in the ‘normal’ range, and this next week is predicted to bring more, setting us up for a fantastic President’s weekend and ski-skate week starting February 17.  Now let’s see what took place in real estate last week.

Residential Real Estate – week 1/27 – 2/2 

• Tahoe Sierra MLS – North/West Shores & Truckee.  New Listings – 17; Escrows – 20; Solds – 14
• Incline Village/Crystal Bay MLS.  New Listings – 7; Escrows – 3; Solds – 5
• East Shore, NV MLS.  New Listings – 2; Escrows – 4; Solds – 2
• Reno/Sparks MLS.  New Listings – 100; Escrows – 144; Solds – 81

For Tahoe Sierra, a Brockway Springs condo that was on the market for 429 days, originally listed at $2.999M, sold at $2.3M.  Tenacity pays off!  The East Shore had a nice Chase escrow, a Beach Club condo listed at $5.995M.  For Reno, a new build in Montreux, listed at $2.17M sold at $3.3M+ with upgrades including full landscaping. 

Local/Real Estate/Luxe

• Uptick in luxury sales in 4^th Q 2023, with over 46.5% paying cash and prices up 9% from a year earlier, reflecting low inventory along with pent-up desire for attaining wanted lifestyles.  Inventory is expected to increase in 2024, with prices stabilizing, but supply will continue to be low.
• Mega sales:  Since 2020, at least 24 homes nationwide have sold for $100 million and up.  “Soon $100 million will be $200 million, that’s the way it’s going,”, per Drew Fenton of Carolwood Estates in Beverly Hills. The first $100 million sale was in 2007.  “There are more billionaires than oceanfront, sprawling estates,” per Chris Leavitt of Douglas Elliman in Palm Beach. 
• Eichler Homes.  Joseph Eichler built 11,000 homes in Northern and Southern CA in the ‘50s and ‘60s, and 8 of them (2 by A. Quincy Jones influenced by Eichler) are now on the market ranging from $1.449 million to $3.5 million, an early Eichler in Palo Alto that is already in escrow.  These mid-century homes are very popular and typically stay in families for years. 
• Surf Air:  This membership flight service between Truckee, San Carlos and Santa Barbara is now membership free!!  You can book individual flights as needed on their schedule.  www.surfair.com
• Alpenglow Gallery, Truckee, will donate 100% of its profits from sale of owner’s prints to the Tahoe Fund for the month of February.  For information:  thealpenglowgallery.com.
• Among the 5 most popular metro areas in the country is an unusual one because of its high price range!  Santa Maria-Santa Barbara made the cut in the latest Wall Street Hournal/Realtor.com Emerging Housing Markets Index. 
• Mooring Lottery Lake Tahoe:  entries for new moorings for buoys and boat lifts must be in before March 1.  Drawing is scheduled for March 29, 2024.
• Luxury rentals in Europe.  For amazing rental experiences in various locations, check out www.lecollectionist.com  When you fall in love, they’ll assist with a purchase too! 
• New Resort by Yosemite. Firefall Ranch, a new 55-cabin lodge on 300 acres, will open May 1 in Groveland and will include restaurant, bar, general store and other destination amenities. The stand-alone A-frame cabins include decks and indoor/outdoor fireplaces.  www.firefallranch.com
• La Candelaria, San Miguel de Allende.  A little late to book for this year’s two-week celebration – Feb 2 – 14 – but this is a fabulous, colorful celebration that incorporates a diverse range of cultural elements reflecting the dynamic nature of San Miguel.  Lots of entertainment along with an amazing marketplace focused on the presentation of seeds and plants native to the area.  Maybe on the calendar for next year?

Entertainment

• Transforming Bradley Cooper into Leonard Bernstein.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhLzYT1BpWQ

TidBits

• Is that sign correct?  1)  Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter   2) Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says   3) Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over   4) Miners Refuse to Work after Death   5) Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges   6) Typhoo Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
• Beware of little expenses:  A small leak will sink a great ship.  Benjamin Franklin
• Life is like a hot bath:  It feels good while you’re in it, but the longer you stay, the more wrinkled you get. Garfield the cat
• No man goes before his time – unless the boss leaves early.  Groucho Marx
• My mother always used to say, “The older you get, the better you get, unless you’re a banana.”  Rose (Betty White) Golden Girls
• There will always be someone who can’t see your worth.  Don’t let it be you.  Mel Robbins
• The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.  Terry Pratchet
• I can resist everything except temptation.  Oscar Wilde
• I have the simplest tastes.  I am always satisfied with the best.  Oscar Wilde
• Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get.  W.P. Kinsella
• Stop making excuses; you’re the only one stopping you.  Issa Rae
• Thankfully dreams can change.  If we’d all stuck with our first dream, the world would be overrun with cowboys and princesses.  Stephen Colbert
• An onion can make people cry, but there has never been a vegetable invented to make them laugh.  Will Rogers
• Hanging is too good for a man who makes puns; he should be drawn and quoted.  Fred Allen
• Keep smiling – it makes people wonder what you’ve been up to! 

Bundle up, stay warm and welcome the snow!  We’re in the middle of a ‘winter wonderland’, and it’s truly beautiful!  Have a happy week and see you next time.

Best wishes, 

Trinkie