South Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog (530-318-5665)

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The numbers for November continue to amaze me.    With closed sales down from the previous month at 46 and a remaining inventory of 255, that makes the absorption rate 5.54 months for single family homes in the City and County areas.  The really amazing factor is the continuing decline in prices.  Even with low inventory, low interest rates there is still a lack of consumer confidence.  I say again, if you are thinking of investing in Tahoe Real Estate, this is the time to buy. 

Image by RenoTahoe via Flickr

On mostly man made snow Heavenly Valley Ski Area is scheduled to be open this week, November 18.  Their hours and terrain are sure to be limited, but they will be open nonetheless.  Sierra-at-Tahoe is waiting for natural snow to open their resort and Kirkwood, which has 35-39 inches, has no opening date scheduled.   Here comes another winter, I wonder if it will be unending, bottomless powder skiing like last year.  I’ll let you know in the Spring.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The listing inventory of single family homes is 291 (City and County areas).  That means if escrows keep closing at 60 per month like the last 30 day period, we will be out of listings in less than five months if no new listings come on the market. An absorption rate like that takes me back to the market of 2004.  The difference now is that prices are on the  way down.  If you were ever considering a purchase in Tahoe, it is a great time to buy. 

I was invited to go to Nicaragua on a Medical/Dental Mission trip by a longtime Tahoe friend and I said “Yes”. Way back when, I was a dental assistant and they needed one on this trip. We had no dental instruments or supplies built up in reserve as this was a first mission of this type for my friend who generally does construction projects in Central American countries. I made a few phone calls and was amazed at the generosity of all my old dental contacts so we had more than enough to do the job.

We went to a very poor area in the north western part of Nicaragua called San Ramon and Bonete #7 (which is a word similar to borough) to serve the people, some of them had walked 6 hours to get there. I was told it would be hot, but it was HOT. The work was hard in hard in dirty, smelly places. We were able to provide basic medical services and the Tahoe dentist and I helped approximately two hundred people with pain relief (extractions) over four and a half days of clinics. It was a stretch for everyone and nerves were frayed at the end but I just had to think that I would be cool, comfy (with enough food to eat) at home soon but the Nicaraguans would still be right where we left them. I hope I don’t forget them and their conditions as I see how rich we are here. I am glad I had something to give to these people who gave me so much more than they know.

Radon is an odorless, colorless, radioactive case that arises from the decay of naturally occurring minerals in the soil. The gas is linked to 21,000 lung cancer deaths a year, second only to cigarette smoking, according to the EPA.  A report from the California Geological Survey in June 2009 estimated that 23,400 people in the Lake Tahoe area live in buildings where radon is likely to equal or exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended action level of 4 picocuries per liter.  The report was based on geological data, as well as results from a survey of 443 homes in South Lake Tahoe between 2006 and 2007.

According to the survey, about 40 percent of homes in the Lake Tahoe area are at or above the EPA’s recommended action level, while approximately 55 percent of homes in the El Dorado County portion of the basin who participated in the survey are at or above the recommended action level.

Winter is a good time to test a home for radon, Huber said.

“It’s the best time to test because your house is closed up,” she said.

I had a recent conversation with Ginger Huber who is in charge of Environmental Health in El Dorado County, and she wanted me to make sure and let you know that she is almost out of the “free” testing kits, but you can get them from the State of California for a nominal fee.  I found this article in a past issue of the Tahoe Daily Tribune and thought you might find the information on radon gas helpful.

Hot news for people 55 or over who are selling a house in another county of California and want to keep their low property taxes.  This is  a big deal.   Until recently this strategy was not available to residents outside of El Dorado County.  With this change you can transfer from any county within California to El Dorado County. 

My husband and I just were successful in utilizing Prop 90 within El Dorado County.  We sold a home and were able to keep the old property tax base on our new home.  It was a bit tricky because we sold our house and were in the process of building the replacement home and would not know the value until later.  The new house needed to be valued by the assessor at an equal or lower value in order to qualify.   We just heard from the County that we were successful.  It is generally not that much of a gamble.  If you sell a house and buy a new one, it is much easier to know that you qualify.  I am including the link to the El Dorado  County’s website http://www.co.el-dorado.ca.us/assessor/prop90info.htm.

On December 10th, 2009, the Board of Supervisors approved the introduction and 1st reading of the Proposed Prop 90 ordinance. On December 15th, 2009 the Board adopted the ordinance after its second reading. The proposed ordinance will have an estimated effective date of February 12th 2010, which is 60 days after the adoption.

As the ordinance is currently written and based on Revenue and Taxation Code Section 69.5 (Prop 90), in order to qualify for a base year transfer:

• The replacement residence must be acquired after the effective date of the ordinance allowing base year value transfers from other counties.
• As of the date of transfer of the original property, the claimant or the claimant’s spouse is at least 55 years of age or severely and permanently disabled. There is no age requirement for persons who are severely and permanently disabled.
• The claimant and/or the claimant’s spouse has not previously been granted the property tax relief provided by section 69.5. The sole exception to this requirement is if relief was first granted for age, relief can be granted a second time if the claimant or claimant’s spouse subsequently becomes severely and permanently disabled, and has to move because of the disability.
• The original propertywas eligible for the homeowner’s exemption or the disabled veterans’ exemption either at the time it was sold or within two years of the purchase or new construction of the replacement dwelling.
• As a result of its transfer, the original property must (1) be subject to reappraisal at its current full cash value in accordance with sections 110.1 or 5803; or (2) receive a base year value determined in accordance with section 69 (intracounty disaster relief), section 69.3 (intercounty disaster relief), or section 69.5 because the original property qualified as a replacement property under one of those sections.
• The replacement dwelling is purchased or newly constructed within two years of (before or after) the sale of the original property.
• The replacement dwelling must be eligible for the homeowner’s exemption at the time the claim is filed.
• The replacement dwelling must be of equal or lesser value as compared to the original property. This means that the full cash value of the replacement dwelling on the date of purchase or completion of new construction must not exceed:

1. 100 percent of the full cash value of the original property as of the date of sale, if the replacement dwelling is purchased or newly constructed prior to the date of sale of the original property,
2. 105 percent of the full cash value of the original property as of the date of sale, if the replacement dwelling is purchased or newly constructed within the first year following the date of the sale of the original property, or
3. 110 percent of the full cash value of the original property as of the date of sale, if the replacement dwelling is purchased or newly constructed within the second year following the date of the sale of the original property.The “full cash value of the original property” includes any inflationary factoring that occurs between the sale of the original property and the purchase of the replacement dwelling. The “full cash value of the replacement dwelling” does not include any inflationary factoring.
   

• If the original property was substantially damaged or destroyed by misfortune or calamity and sold in its damaged state, the full cash value is determined immediately prior to the misfortune or calamity.
• The claimant must file a claim for property tax relief under this section within three years of the date the replacement dwelling was purchased or the new construction of the replacement dwelling was completed.

As I scan the Internet for information on the current Real Estate Market – I am seeing more encouraging policy changes and proposals that encourage home buyers.  This bit of news was gleaned from the California Association of Realtors.

“The Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced Friday, January 15, that it is instituting a one-year moratorium on the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) 90-day anti-flipping rule.

With certain exceptions, such as HUD-owned and bank-owned properties, FHA currently prohibits insuring a mortgage on a home owned by the seller for less than 90 days. However, beginning Feb. 1, buyers may use FHA-insured financing to purchase properties resold through private developers and investors, providing access to a broader array of recently foreclosed properties.

Under the temporary waiver, all transactions must be arm’s-length, and most properties will require additional documentation of improvements and justification of the price increase. Additional documentation may include a second appraisal and a property inspection ordered by the lender.

C.A.R. recently submitted a letter to FHA Commissioner David Stevens detailing the challenges facing many home buyers using FHA loans, such as the lack of housing inventory available to FHA buyers, and the need for this rule to be revised to reflect current market conditions. The reexamination of the 90-day anti-flipping rule was passed as an action item during C.A.R.’s board of directors meetings in October.”

Thank You C.A.R.

When I talk to people who live in Tahoe who are looking forward to moving away, I am amazed.  How can anyplace be better than Tahoe?  My whole family gets so excited when it snows and it is cold and travel is difficult and the snow builds up on the sides of the road and in the yard.  That means the skiing is good or even great.  I love living in Lake Tahoe, all year long.  From the winter skiing, springtime days warming up, long warm (not hot) days in summer and what about those spectacular autumn days.  That’s when  the bugs are dead  the trails aren’t dusty and certainly not crowded.   I took this photo on my phone on a wonderful ski day with my husband when other people were complaining about the hassle and mess of “all that snow”.

                                                    It was about 18 months ago that we  began offering property management services.  We were amazed at the amount of  positive feedback that addition generated.  In these times we are frequently asked by home owners  how they can hang on the their Lake Tahoe properties. Long term rentals are a good way to generate income that will supplement  the cost of ownership.  While it will not completely cover these costs, it sure helps.   For me personally, I only look for investment properties in an area that has a quality property manager because it makes all the difference in the ownership experience.  One of our clients puts it this way, “It seems like a dream come true to have someone else deal with the property”.

Because of this demand for local knowledge coupled with the need for quality, competent service we have expanded the property management division to include commercial and industrial properties.

What a great day here in South Lake Tahoe. We were just working away, happy to be inside the warm office when “What to our wondering eyes should appear?” No, not a reindeer, but a a big black bear right across the street from the office on Tahoe Keys Blvd. He (she?) was just lumbering along then decided to dash safely away from the oncoming cars (approaching slowly, as this is a BIG BEAR). After about ten minutes our Bear friend wandered off down Council Rock probably looking a a place to sleep for a few months.