Greetings Fellow Life Travelers:

Glorious sunshine as I write on Saturday!  A little bit of snow this week at the 6200’ level, more at the resorts and now a little respite for a while.  Skiing must be amazing today, and I hate to think of what the traffic was like going to Palisades and Northstar this morning.  Good time to stay close to home!  Not sure much real estate will get done this weekend with all the attention on the Super Bowl.  This may end up being the most watched ever with all the hoopla over Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey adding to the festivities.  Will she get a parking spot at Las Vegas airport?  Have been reading about her extensive philanthropy, setting a great example for the younger generations!  Interest rates continue to flux a bit, responding to employment figures and inflation – those two things important to watch as we move further into the year.  So, how did that impact our week?

Residential Real Estate – week 2/3 – 2/9

• Tahoe Sierra MLS – North/West Shores & Truckee. New Listings – 17; Escrows – 16; Solds – 12
• Incline Village/Crystal Bay MLS.  New Listings – 0; Escrows – 4; Solds – 4
• East Shore, NV MLS.  New Listings – 3; Escrows – 8; Solds – 1
• Reno/Sparks MLS.  New Listings – 65; Escrows – 128; Solds – 58

Kind of a wimpy week for most areas.  One closed escrow in Incline was a nice estate on Lakeshore Drive with lake access (not a lakefront) that started over $19M, reduced to $14.5M and sold finally at $11M after over a year.  And, the East Shore had a little uptick in escrows with 8 for the week.  

Local/Real Estate/Luxe

• Happy Lunar New Year!  May the year bring good fortune for all.  Truckee has a huge history with the Chinese who created the 15 tunnels in 15 months needed to complete the Transcontinental Railroad.  This link is a 20-minute documentary of the story:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbeBYUFurnY  As an aside, on a ski trip to Sugar Bowl many moons ago, I had dinner at the Chinaman’s, a tiny hole-in-the-wall inside one of the tunnels.  I still remember some concern that a train might come through while we were in it! 
• Current popular U.S. Cities at the end of 2023:  Dallas, Austin (reviving again with price drops) and Milwaukee.  
• Wine cellars.  Many oenophiles are relocating the ‘wine cellar’ to main living areas for easier access and opportunity to showcase treasured collections.  Nice business for companies specializing in these custom installations.  (I’ve always wondered why someone wants to drink wine in a cellar when we have such beautiful vistas here at Lake Tahoe!) 
• Jackie and Shadow – resident bald eagles at Big Bear.  Jackie has just laid 3 eggs, the third in a big snowstorm.  Watch this fascinating couple nurture the eggs via live nest cam:   https://youtu.be/B4-L2nfGcuE
• Most expensive listing in the U.S. now:  Florida estate with three homes, 1600’ of beach frontage.  $295 Million.  http://tinyurl.com/2skhe7y9
• One third of Tahoe’s total snowfall for the season has fallen in February, so there’s hope for more!  Tahoe Fund
• Shadowbrook – Capitola restaurant with legendary ‘hillavator’ to 77-year-old restaurant.  Still going strong!

I’ve never been there, have you?    

Entertainment

• Fun clip of Elton John in his early days:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GuI4UUZrmw
• Mother in Law   (see attached) 

TidBits

• Love your enemies, for they tell you your faults.  Benjamine Franklin
• Just remember – if things look hopeless, maybe you’re facing the wrong direction!  Ziggy from “Ziggy”
• Most psychiatrists agree that sitting in a pumpkin patch is excellent therapy for a troubled mind.  Linus Van Pelt from “Peanuts”
• I find television very educating.  Every time someone turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.  Groucho Marx
• The difference between genius and stupidity is – genius has its limits.  Albert Eistein
• Be careful about reading health books.  You may die of a misprint.  Mark Twain
• When one wants to dance the hula, bashfulness should be left at home.
• A pun is the lowest form of humor, unless you thought of it yourself.  Doug Larson
• Baseball is like church.  Many attend, few understand.  Leo Durocher
• Vet Signs:  1) The only balls a dog needs are the ones it fetches. 2) Accidentally used the dog’s shampoo. Now I’m feeling like such a good girl.  3) Why aren’t mustaches called mouth brows?  4)  I think ghosts are just people who died trying to fold a fitted sheet. 5) When I eat healthy, a candy bar looks at me and snickers. 6)   No hump Wednesdays.  10% off spay and neuter.  7)  Mix a four-leaf clover with poison ivy and you get a rash of good luck   8)   Why do fish sing off key?  Because you can’t tuna fish.   9)   A dog’s head tilt is like kryptonite to humans.  We are powerless to it.  And they know it.  (German Shepherd specialty)
• Old age is the price we pay for survival.  OBR 2017
• There is a voice that doesn’t use words.  Listen.  Rumi
• Women have a much better time than men in this world: there are far more things forbidden them.  Oscar Wilde
• Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.  
• Earth laughs in flowers.  Ralph Waldo Emerson
• May all flowers of joy be in your heart!  Dr. Abey

So, here’s to the ‘49ers and a win!  Whatever the outcome, enjoy the show of this outrageously overpriced event that we can watch in the comfort of our homes.  And, happy Valentine’s Day with Dr. Abey’s wish for you every day. See you next time!

Best wishes, 

Trinkie