Defensible Space - An Ounce of Prevention…

Things We Can Do To Protect Our Truckee Real Estate

As we are all aware, fires have been raging all over California. While we have been safe in Truckee, we have certainly been aware of the fires with our smoky skies and warnings from health officials to stay indoors and limit our outdoor activities. Below are Defensible Space recommendations provided by the Tahoe Donner Forestry Department. If you don’t have time to do the work yourselves, there are many resources that you can hire to get the job done.

Check list of fire safety items around your home -

Residence:

• Pine needles must be removed from the roof of all structures
• Pine needles on the ground must be removed within 10 feet of all structures
• Limbs must be removed from within 10 feet of the chimney
• Chimney must have an approved spark arrestor
• Ten feet of clearance required around the propane tank
• Firewood and lumber must be stacked away from the residence
• The address of the residence must be clearly visible

100-feet or to Property Line:

• All dry, flammable vegetation and woody debris less than 12 inches in diameter must be removed
• Dead and/or beetle infested trees must be removed
• The areas of contiguous brush must be broken up
• Excessively dense tree cover must be thinned
• Remove the lower branches, six feet from the ground, on trees over 12 feet tall. On shorter trees remove the lower branches to 1/2 the height of the tree
• All dead plants or grasses must be cut to a height of six inches or less

If you would like help with your property concerning tree health or fire safety please call the Tahoe Donner Forestry Department at (530) 587-9432 or e-mail forestry@tahoedonner.com

Let’s all do what we can to keep our neighborhoods safe. Thank you!

Tahoe Donner Homes Sales on the Rise!

Tahoe Donner Homes Sales Doubled From May to June

MLS stats for Tahoe Donner shows us that 11 Single Family Residences sold in May 2008 while 22 Single Family Residences sold in June of 2008! Buyers, who have been sitting on the fence waiting for prices to drop, are taking advantage of their strong position to negotiate. Savvy buyers are making offers on the properties they’ve been eyeing and the skeptics are watching the properties they wanted get purchased by someone else. As a seller, if you can’t wait for the market to turn around, put your property on the market now. In this market, waiting simply eats away at your listing price. Consider how long it will take and how much prices will have to rise to offset the payments and cost of waiting. It is time to make a move. Whether selling or buying, we can help create a unique strategy for you.

Sellers - Pay Attention to All Offers!

Selling Your Truckee Real Estate

Whether you are selling real estate in Truckee or somewhere else, selling a home can be an emotional experience because most sellers have a lot more than money invested in their homes. So, it’s understandable that sellers might be reluctant to respond to an offer that is for less than the asking price.

Most sellers have a difficult time being objective about their homes. Detachment is something sellers should strive for, particularly when the market favors buyers. To be a successful seller in a buyer’s market, you need to be able to put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. Ask yourself, if you were a buyer, would you pay the price you are asking for your home?

In a soft market, like we are currently experiencing in Truckee, buyers are prone to making low offers. The exception is when a listing is priced so competitively that a buyer recognizes a good deal and buys the property before others have a chance.

Some sellers might be inclined to inflate their asking price so that they will have room to bargain with a buyer. This is a risky strategy for serious sellers. In a buyers’ market where there are a lot of homes for sale, the best listings at the best prices sell.

The listings that don’t sell usually need price reductions to get them to a marketable range. If the market is trending downwards, this could mean selling for a lower price than might have been possible if the listing had been priced competitively to begin with.

Sellers whose homes are not competitively priced are prime targets for low offers. Even if your home is not badly priced, you could receive a lower-than-asking-price offer if market conditions are uncertain. Rather than being insulted by a low offer, sellers should view it as the beginning of a dialogue that could result in a sale.

Pay close attention to the buyer’s financial capability. Gone are the days where buyers could buy a home with little or no cash down, and without verifiable income. Today’s buyers are subjected to far more financial scrutiny by lenders than they were a year ago. Ideally, buyers should be pre-approved for the financing they need before they make an offer. If they are not, make sure there is a clause in the purchase contract that requires the buyers to apply for financing within a several days of acceptance.

There is more to an offer than price. The terms and conditions of an offer are very important as well. For instance you will want to be aware of the length of the contract (close of escrow), is the offer All Cash or is the buyer going to obtain a loan?, who pays for what?, what is included? – is the buyer asking for all of the furnishings, the snow blower, etc., what are the contingency release time frames? These are all important parts of the negotiations. Buyers and sellers often don’t know in advance what price they’ll accept until they’re in the midst of a negotiation.

If you aren’t satisfied with an offer, you will enter into the counter offer phase. The counter offer process can happen quickly or it can be long and tedious. These days, sometimes, we see counter offers going back and forth a half a dozen times. Be prepared to explore all options before letting a negotiation fail.

Tahoe Donner

Tahoe Donner Real Estate is your passport to adventure!

Located at the West end of Truckee, Tahoe Donner offers the closest access and greatest selection of amenities of any development in the Truckee area. This 4,000 acre community is made up of 6,000 units and is divided into 11 different residential units. Just over 5,000 of these parcels have been developed into homes. With almost 70 miles of roadways and an elevation gain of 6,200 to over 8,000 feet, there is a wonderful diversity of towering firs and pines, serene meadows, crystal mountain streams, panoramic views and breathtaking snow capped mountains. The desirable mountain community of Tahoe Donner is entirely owned by the property owners and features a complete package of recreational amenities which include:

• Championship 18-Hole Golf Course
• The Lodge
• World Class Nordic Center
• Alpine Ski Area and Lodge
• Northwoods Clubhouse
• 11 Tennis Court Complex
• Trout Creek Recreation Center
• Equestrian Center
• Private Beach Club & Marina at the east end of Donner Lake
• Euer Valley
• Hiking, Running & Mountain Biking Trails
• Alder Creek Campground
• Snow Play Area
• Summer Camp Programs

Currently, Home Owner Association dues are $1152 per year. In addition, a recreation pass can be purchased for $242 (annual fee for a family of 4) and this allows unlimited access to Trout Creek Recreation Center, Northwoods Pool, Beach Club Marina and the Tennis Complex.

Robbie and Karen Huntoon live, work and play in Tahoe Donner. We are knowledgeable of the different units in Tahoe Donner and the varying terrain and snow loads. Let us help match you to the property that is right for you. Tahoe Donner may be the perfect recreational retreat or primary residential area for you and your family.

For more information about Tahoe Donner, call Robbie and Karen at 530-412-0583.

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