Truckee Thursdays
June 18, 2010
Think local * Be local * Buy local * Give local * Live Music * Street Fair * Vendor Booths * Foothill Farmer’s Market
Truckee Thursdays run June 17- August 19, 2010. Every Thursday evening, from 5 – 9 pm, Downtown Truckee turns into an enormous street festival featuring local goods, local bands, local vendors, local artists a farmer’s market and a whole lot more!
Free parking, but walk or ride your bike! Every inch of Truckee is involved including Brickelltown, Jibboom Street, Commercial Row, West River and Church Street.
Live Music!
June 17th Music by Jo Mama
June 24th Music by Downbeat
July 1st Music by Maxell
July 8th Music by Ben Jammins’ All Stars
July 15th Music by Subjektochange
July 22nd Music by Drop Theory
July 29th Music by Dead Winter Carpenters
August 5th Music by Quartet Minus One Plus Some
August 12th Music by Crazy
August 19th Music by Jo Mama
Presented by Truckee Downtown Merchants Association
Truckee Music in the Park
June 18, 2010
Get out for some good ol’ Truckee fun!
Every Wednesday evening “Truckee-ites” gather at the Truckee Regional Park. Pack a picnic dinner, spread out a blanket, meet up with your friends and listen to some great music.
Presented by: Truckee Parks & Recreation
Location: Truckee Regional Park
When: Wednesdays 6:30 to 8:00 pm
| June 6 | The Deckheads; Country Alternative Rock |
| June 23 | The Chick Peas: 4 Chicks & 1 Guy |
| June 30 | Subjektochange; CosmiCaliFunk |
| July 7 | Montana; Santana Tribute |
| July 14 | Bourgeois Gypsies; Original Swamp Pop & Countrified Blues |
| July 21 | Blues Monsters; Contemporary Blues |
| July 28 | Momentum; High Elevation Blues Jam Band |
| August 4 | 1888; Acoustic Rock |
| August 11 | Jo Mamma; Latin/Swing/Funk |
| Augst 18 | Phoenix; Rock & Roll & Tribute to Dan Fogelberg |
| August 25 | Déjà Vu; Rock & Roll Oldies |
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Keller Williams Real Estate Update: June 2010
June 11, 2010
Each month, This Month in Real Estate provides expert opinion and analysis on real estate trends across the nation. The aim of the consumer-oriented segments is to provide real information on real estate.
Tahoe Donner – Look What’s Happening at The Lodge !
June 2, 2010
Deck Opening Party
Don’t miss the annual deck opening party at The Lodge on Friday, June 11. Enjoy a complementary drink with live music from 6 to 9 p.m. and Happy Hour from 4 to 9 p.m. throughout the entire restaurant.
Happy Hour
4 – 6 p.m., Sunday – Friday
25% off entire Pub Menu,
Plus drink specials.
(In Pub Only. Not valid during holiday periods.)
Wild Wednesdays
Enjoy Happy Hour in the Pub all night long, Wednesday nights from 5 p.m. ’till close.
(Last Wild Wednesday of the season is on June 9.)
Music in The Grotto
Free live music in The Grotto, every Wednesday night through August. Begins June 16.
No Corkage Tuesdays
Every Tuesday night The Lodge will waive the corkage fee when you bring in a bottle of wine.
(Not valid during holiday periods.)
Truckee Day
June 2, 2010
Truckee Day is a town-wide street clean up and civic-pride day, taking place on Saturday, June 5 2010. The Tahoe Donner check-in station will be at Snowtech (17356 Northwoods Blvd.) and will open at 8 a.m. Arrive early to pick up your materials and your volunteer tee shirt, and then you will be assigned a section of roadway to clean.
Following the cleanup, there will be a town-wide barbeque and block party starting at noon at the Truckee River Regional Park. This is a great way to spend time with your friends and neighbors while helping the community. For more information, visit www.truckeeday.org.
Buyers – Home Design Considerations !
June 2, 2010
Design Considerations…
It is a big decision for anyone to buy a new home and there are many things to take into consideration, especially when purchasing a home in the mountains. While location and price are major determinants 
in the home buying process, many buyers often overlook other important elements. For example, a house that is great in the summer may not be so great when it’s buried with snow come winter. Following are some of the elements you should know about:
- Basic Home Design
- Lot Topography
- Location
- Materials and Design
In this article we will try to point out some of the features you should seriously consider when buying your mountain home. We want you to thoroughly enjoy your new place and we also want you to make a good investment.
Home Styles
Truckee has a wide range of home styles. We see homes ranging from ranch style homes to A-frames (and variations) to reverse floor plans to luxurious mountain lodges! Following are a few things to think about:
- Ranch Style: While ranch style homes (all one level) can be nice in most locales, in snow country they are not always the best choice. Depending on the snow load, a single level home can easily get
buried in the winter turning your bright and sunny summer chalet into an ice cave in the winter. If you do require a single level home, you should consider the snow load in the neighborhood and the roof angles and materials (see picture). - Reverse Floor Plan: A typical Truckee home or cabin is designed with what we call a reverse floor plan which describes a home with the main living area upstairs and the garage and bedrooms on the ground level. This gets the main living area of the house up out of
the snow and it is also more economical to build. This style home is a good way to accomplish a better view on a flat lot and also is quite common on an up slope lot. - Garages are another consideration for mountain homes. A garage serves many purposes. In the winter, especially, it is nice to park inside a garage and this also makes it easier when your snow removal service comes to remove snow. A garage protects your car from snow shedding from the roof and a garage also gives you a place to store skis, boats, lawn furniture, etc.
Lot Characteristics
Lots come in all shapes and sizes. You should consider all of the following
- Lot Topography
- Location
- Soil, rock, vegetation characteristics (trees and bushes)
- Orientation to the sun
- An up slope lot, which slopes upward from the street, will generally mean the house will have an up slope, sometimes steep, driveway and the view from the house will look out over the street. The entrance to the home will usually require stairs to get to the front door and main living area as the garage is often positioned below the living area. Depending on the steepness of the lot, the usable area to the rear of the house can be confined by the slope. A turn around area in an up slope or down slope driveway can be very helpful in icy conditions. Snow and ice on south facing driveways melts faster than the north facing driveway across the street! It makes a huge difference! Common sense will tell you if the driveway is too steep. Is it a driveway you will want to navigate in the winter when there is snow and ice?
- A down slope lot, which slopes downward from the street, usually allows
entry to the house through the main living area. The driveway can either be down sloping or if it is elevated or bridged, the driveway may actually be flat (see picture). If power lines are a concern for you, they generally have less impact with a down slope lot as most windows will look out to the rear, away from the street. - An advantage of a flat lot, if you build the right house, is that you have easy access to your yard. At our house, where the main living area is on the ground floor, in the summertime we use our deck as an extension of our house and in the winter we snowshoe just as easily. A flat driveway is always easiest for snow removal, and traction when icy.
- The location of your lot/home is also important. It is different for everyone, but the majority of our clients prefer homes on the more interior neighborhood streets vs. the main streets in a subdivision. Locations that get good sunshine are also preferable. Check out the orientation to the sun.
- Take a look at the soil, rocks and vegetation on your lot. Some people like lots of trees and other prefer more openness.
Materials / Design
The snow in Truckee should definitely be a consideration for the design of a home. Roof lines and type of roofing materials are a big factor in the effect the snow has around the house. Roofs that are angled
towards decks, garage and entry doors and even windows will shed snow in unwanted places. The roofing material is a factor in how much snow will actually slide off the roof. Metal roofs will not hold snow while a composition roof will. For example, a metal roof that angles towards your driveway will shed unwanted snow in front of your garage doors. Windows and doors are susceptible to the same thing (see picture).
Sophisticated roof designs add attractiveness to the home, however, complex roof designs that have valleys and areas where snow can accumulate can be problematic. We find with newer homes, that apply more modern architecture and building techniques, these problems are greatly minimized.
These are just a few things to keep in mind when considering a home in the Tahoe Donner and Truckee area. Remember, not every property will have everything just perfect, so be prepared to be flexible. That upslope or downslope driveway may just get you the view you have been looking for. As your Realtors, we try to point out issues about properties that you are interested in purchasing because, first and foremost, your satisfaction is our priority.
written by: Robbie and Karen Huntoon
