Weather Vane Brad Returns... Big Winter Ahead??

You may have been wondering what ever happened to Weather Vane Brad (WVB)?

Well, fear not. He has been having a lot of fun sailing, surfing, mountain biking, hiking, and playing golf. I haven't put him to work in his usual weather forecasting position because the weather is pretty fabulous and predictable all summer.

However, WVB has a new favorite thing to talk about... how we are going to have a BIG winter this year. So I thought I would share what he has to say. Enjoy the very detailed speculation!

"LETS HYPE IT UP! The word of the year is... EL NINO! For those of you that don’t “hable the espanole” that means… THE NINO!! Just kidding. You may have all heard we are currently experiencing a weak El Nino out in the Pacific Ocean right now. So as follows the real definition of El Nino...

So what does it all mean Basil? El Nino’s typically have large effects on the California winter weather patterns. Weak El Nino’s such as the one that is occurring right now typically only affect weather in Southern California- Causing winter weather to be warmer and much wetter than the average. They have however (on some years) changed weather for Northern California as well. We can say that with a weak El Nino the weather in Southern California will most certainly be affected and that our weather here in Northern CA has a 50/50 shot at a wetter than average winter. (Don’t get caught up in all the HYPE!!) That being said, how 'bout this tidbit: The sun is experiencing an unusually low period of activity or lack of sun spots. This is typically associated with periods of global cooling. The only time period in our history of keeping weather records in which we have had both a weak El Nino along with a period of low solar activity was the winter of 1950-51. That winter the Lake Tahoe basin recorded 800 inches of snow, almost twice as much as last season. (Don’t you love it! Don’t get excited! Don’t hype it up! Don’t start rumors! But look it could snow 800 inches!!!)

Just look at the facts just the facts. A strong El Nino (which is still possible)... will most certainly mean our weather pattern will change for the wetter. We will keep you updated. Lastly, El Nino winters almost always come early. So get your boards waxed! You don’t want to miss this one! (But don’t get caught up in all the hype! Unless of course you are lucky enough to own that crystal ball I look for every day on craigslist)!"

Wow. So there you have it. Enough said.

Tour de Truckee - Shop local!

I had some friends in town recently that were absolutely charmed by downtown Truckee. They thought I must spend so much time and money there because it is just so darn cute. The architecture is kind of western/old style quirky, there is a train that runs right through town, there are funny dark bars and cute boutique shops, what more could you want?

I am embarrassed to say that I really spend very little (non dining) time in downtown Truckee. I should, I know. I technically live in Truckee. But the reality is, I just don't have a ton of spare time. Except for when my shop-happy sisters and mom come into town, we definitely peruse the main drag. Shop local, they say. So, I am going to commit to buying at least 5 of my next 10 purchases on the main street of Truckee. I will let you know what goodies I find and any tidbits of helpful info to share.

I saw this great article recently and am going to consider some of the authors advice as I embark on this self-imposed shopping challenge. Check out the link below:

> Find those perfect gifts in Truckee's shops

Just like the good old days

Last week at Northstar there was so much activity in the real estate market that I thought maybe I had gone back in time. Back to a place where real estate was hot and people were excited to contemplate a second home in a resort area.

No joke in our office alone we had about 7-10 offers on condos and 5 offers on Village Walk Townhomes. This week left the developer of the Village at Northstar with only 1 two bedroom condo and 4 or 5 one bedroom condos left. All the Village Walk Townhomes are sold. Just like that!

Buying frenzy? What does it mean?

Maybe nothing but I spoke with a local builder friend of mine yesterday and he is swamped with bidding on new construction projects, both residential and commercial. He said that people are recognizing that they had better take advantage of these low building costs in combination with the ability to get great deals on land. He also said that contractors in general are still "hungry" but new jobs are lining up for them quickly.

I also spoke with several clients of mine who are entrenched in the financial world on both coasts. They are saying it is time to invest in real estate again...they are seeing more confidence.

I saw this article in the Wall Street Journal the other day, and I am hoping it ties in. I would rather be on the "recovery" side of the recession, I think.

Well, maybe we don't want the "good old days" because that is what got us into this mess. But we will take "better days", right??

Wake Surfing in Tahoe

A friend took some video this weekend of us wake surfing.

Check out the links below....

1. My husband Brad surfing

2. Me surfing. (I think he has much better form...)