Sierra Wildflower: Snow Plant

Snow Plant

Sierra Wildflower

The snow plant (technically, Sarcodes Sanguinea Torr) is one of the Sierra’s most unique wild flowers and can only be found in California, Oregon and Nevada.  Spring is the best time to see these bright red plants. They pop out of the brown forest floor and grow to be about a foot in height.  The snow plant has no chlorophyll and gets nutrition from fungi underneath the soil.  For this reason they can not be transplanted. The snow plant is now protected from collection and destruction by California Law. 


Once seen, this plant is never forgotten!  You may start to spot them on your spring adventures hiking or biking around the area. Now you know more about these mysterious little forest gems and can really appreciate them when you see them. 


Katie Tyler

Realtor®

BRE 01442453

c 530 277 1012 

Memorial Weekend 2015

Memorial Weekend Activities

It’s Memorial weekend, the official start to summertime in Tahoe. Besides camping, boating and barbecues, there will be some fun activities around the Tahoe area to check out.  

Made in Tahoe Festival

Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24

11am – 7pm

Click here for more information

My favorite option is the Made in Tahoe Festival at Squaw Valley.  With a long line-up of bands both Saturday and Sunday, this will be a lively place to hang out.  Enjoy the Village as you explore a wide array of offerings that are made or inspired in the Lake Tahoe Basin and Truckee areas. You are sure to find some unique gifts, some good food,  and lots of talent as we celebrate Tahoe, the gorgeous place that we all love. 

Northsatar Bike/Hike Park Opening

Friday, May 22

10am – 5pm

Click here for more information

The bike/hike park opens at Northstar!  Come explore Northstar in the Summer.  If it’s a charilift ride to the top of Vista Express or a hike out to Sawmill Lake or a fast downhill bike ride, get out and enjoy every bit of this mountain.  On Sunday, venture up to the Boondocks trail for USA Cycling Downhill Regional Championships race, there is sure to be some action to watch. 

Truckee Home & Building Show

Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24

10am – 5pm 

Www.truckeehomeshow.com

Truckee Home & Building Show will highlight everything you need to build, remodel, landscape and decorate your mountain home.  The 23rd annual event  will bring together  150 exhibits, informational lectures, the local utility district with free light bulbs and Tahoe Forest Health System featuring a healthy living forum.  A great event to check out for anyone who owns a Tahoe home. 

Katie Tyler

Realtor®

BRE 01442453

c 530 277 1012 

Best of Tahoe Chefs 2015

Best of Tahoe Chefs 2015

One of our favorite fundraisers, Best of Tahoe Chefs, is coming up this weekend at the Ritz Carlton, Lake Tahoe.  Benefiting the Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center for patients, family and caregiver programs, this is a great event for a great cause. 

Each year some of the best chefs in the region come together to present a night full of mouth-watering food, course after course.  This year executive chef and the nights featured chef, Chad Shrewsbury of Zephyr Lodge at Northstar California will come together with 24 others including William Burns of Moody’s Bistro Bar & Beats, Robb Wyss of Sunnyside Resort and Brett Mosley of Martis Camp to present the evenings fare. 

The theme is "All Aboard"!  Come in your best shipboard evening attire.  The live and silent auction is packed with amazing personal chef experiences that you won't want to miss.  To top off the event, dance the night away with music from The Zins featuring high-energy, groove oriented music.  The dance floor will be rocking!

Sure to be a sell out event, get your tickets today!  If you can’t be here, consider donating a ticket for a cancer patient.  

BestOfTahoeChefs.com

Katie Tyler

Realtor®

BRE 01442453

c 530 277 1012 

Tahoe Truckee Market Update - May, 2015

Tahoe Truckee Market Update - May, 2015

At Tahoe Mountain Realty, we have long had a saying that market conditions override the season. Never has that been put to the test more than the first third of 2015. It is fascinating to observe the fight between economic conditions and seasonal considerations as the dominant driver of the Lake Tahoe real estate market.  There is a retail component to Tahoe real estate that requires consumers to make buying decisions while in the region. In the winter months, this is generally driven by spontaneous ski trips wrapped around holiday visits, however recent winter conditions have left us with less visitation over the past few winters, taking some number of would-be consumers out of the market. However,  with surging home prices in the San Francisco Bay Area and a percolating job market fueled by young families anxious for the health and well-being of time in the mountains, expressions of interest in resort real estate are robust. 

The net result has been a steady number of real estate purchases when compared to the same period a year ago. Year-to-date, 351 homes have sold compared to 347 in the same period in 2014 and median price has dropped a bit from $537,000 to $515,600; both easily understood by the conditions detailed above. 

The 1% increase in total sales can be found entirely within the sub-$1 million band where nearly 11% more homes have traded than a year ago. More specifically, sales between $400,000 and $600,000 are up over 55%. 

2014 ytd		2015 ytd
117	< $400,000	105
80	$400,000 - $600,000	124
48	$600,000 - $800,000	45
29	$800,000 - $1,000,000	30
274		304

This can be attributed to a return to something near peak-value for most homes in the region after several years of solid appreciation. A return of equity has allowed many consumers, particularly those in primary home neighborhoods (generally > $1,000,000) to have some mobility after years of languishing in the downturn. 

Correspondingly, the number of sales within ski communities tells the rest of the story. Northstar and Squaw Valley have combined for 30 sales year-to-date versus 61 at the same time a year ago; a logical result of fewer consumers coming to ski in a disappointing winter. 

36	Northstar	21
17	> $1 million	4
25	Squaw Valley	9
6	> $1 million	0

However, these resort communities appear to be the anomaly within the market as other luxury classes have shown continued acceleration through the winter. Martis Camp has held steady with 8 total homes sales however the average price has jumped for $3,298,000 to $4,700,000 with focus shifting from the cabin product to premium estate homes. Similarly, lakefront homes, typically a summer-dominated product, have seen 11 sales compared to 8 a year ago at a steady median price of $4,200,000. 

In recent years as economic conditions have improved in inverse proportion to snowfall, sales volume typical of winter has not been eliminated; rather deferred until later in the year when visitation return. 

Summer in Lake Tahoe is predictably spectacular offering far fewer variables for consumers. Conversations with local property management firms as well as the Ritz-Carlton; Lake Tahoe forecast record crowds enjoying the region and predicting another busy second-half for real estate sales. 

We hope these patterns apply and that the beautiful season allows you to visit and enjoy the many wonders of the Tahoe-Truckee region. We will continue to keep you up-to-date of conditions as relate to our region and our relentless pursuit of its enjoyment. 

Katie Tyler

Realtor®

BRE 01442453

c 530 277 1012 

Mexican Restaurants: Truckee CA

Mexican Restaurants: Truckee CA 

 

Looking for some good Mexican dining tonight?  Share in the fun and excitement as today is a source of pride for the Mexican Americans and a celebration of their culture and heritage.  This day in 1862 the Mexican army took an unlikely victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla and has been celebrated in California since 1863.  Take your pick and have fun! 

Casa Baeza

Located in downtown Truckee, this has been a local favorite for over 30 years.  It’s all about the outstanding tequila bar.  Famous for their margaritas and  plomas or ‘clay pot’ but don’t be fooled, they are strong!  Find a spot at the bar and if Andres, the owner, is there, you will be sure to be friends by the end of the night. 

Taco's Jalisco

Located on the west side of town in the 7-Eleven shopping center.  This is the place for good authentic mexican food.  My favorite and the most unique is the Armadillo.  A thick stew of meat, shrimp and cactus and comes in a  sizzling hot rock bowl (molcajete) and eaten fajita style with tortillas.  They started out as a taco truck around town and now they have doubled the size of their original restaurant.  

Taco Station

Located on the far west side of town at the base of Tahoe Donner.  The owners, the Diaz family, have been in Truckee for a very long time.  Formerly located by the train tracks in downtown Truckee (how it got it’s name), they have been in their new location for about 4 years now serving up delicious tacos and burritos. 

Marg's Taco Bistro

Located in downtown Truckee.  Marg's is new to Truckee and hasn’t been open for a year yet.  They have a new spin on the authentic Mexican meal with options like the Caprese Taco and the Philly Steak Taco.  Tortillas are house made and you will start off with a few at your table when you are seated!  Try the Watermelon-Mint Margarita for something fun!  When the garage style door opens for an indoor/outdoor seating, it is a great hang out for the warm summer days and into the night.  

Los Tacos Bailando

The local taco truck.  If you see this white truck with black lettering, you have to stop.  Great street tacos and burritos.  If you can’t find them, you will be sure to find them this summer at Truckee Thursdays.  

Have a fun Cinco de Mayo! 



Katie Tyler

Realtor®

BRE 01442453

c 530 277 1012