First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit Information – Truckee Real Estate
• The tax credit is available for first-time home buyers only.
• The maximum credit amount is $7,500.
• The credit is available for homes purchased on or after April 9, 2008 and before July 1, 2009.
• Single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit.
• The tax credit works like an interest-free loan and must be repaid over a 15-year period.
• When would I get the money from the credit?
• You get the money only after you claim the credit on either your 2008 or 2009 tax return, NOT when escrow closes on the home.
• However, you can speed up the process if you buy a home in 2009, prior to July 1. Instead of waiting until you file your taxes in 2010, you can (after Dec. 31, 2008) treat the purchase as if it were completed in 2008. That means you can amend your 2008 return and get the credit in 2009.
How do I repay the credit?
You start repaying the credit in the second year after the tax year that the home was purchased.

So if you took the credit on your 2008 tax return, you begin repayment when you file your 2010 tax return. Your payments are set at $500 per year for 15 years.

They are “paid” as part of your tax liability. Depending on your tax situation, you either get $500 less on your refund each year, or you owe $500 more in taxes.

You might need to increase your withholding or make quarterly estimated payments to cover for the repayment and ensure that you don’t get penalized for under-withholding.

What if circumstances change?
If you sell the house before the end of 15 years, you will have to pay the balance remaining on the credit on the tax return for the year the house was sold.
If you no longer use the home as your principal residence (say you rent it out), you pay the remaining balance on the tax return for the year the use changed.
If you die before the 15 years, the balance does not need to be repaid.
If you get a divorce and the home is transferred to your spouse, your spouse will be responsible for future payments.

This program is a positive incentive for first time home buyers. Call me with additional questions!. Thank You, Bonnie Jessee
530 412 3984 www.welcomehometruckee.com bjessee@dicksonrealty.com

TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE

SECOND HOME OWNERSHIP OR

WHEN WILL THE ROLLER COASTER STOP?

Is now the time to buy that perfect second home in Truckee/Tahoe?  The streets and shops are busy with locals and tourists, however, are most of the people visiting here contemplating that home purchase or waiting for some sign that pricing has reached bottom?

What have the ‘trends’ been in the Truckee/Tahoe area?  It all depends on what angle you are viewing this situation from.  A full time homeowner needing to move for a new job or personal reasons have felt some pain as their equity position has weakened during the past year or so.  Those second homeowners with no need to sell have placed their homes on the market and tempted by buyers, have sold for slightly less than they wished or held out for a better price.

Attractive interest rates seem to come and go so quickly that buyers are not certain what move to make!

In actuality, as a buyer, consider this your smorgasbord time.  Truckee/Tahoe has an excellent selection of properties available, some priced well below market, while others are priced incorrectly and may remain on the market for an extended period of time.

Right now buyers should recognize that it is time to step up to the plate and take advantage of the entire market situation!  While no one knows or can predict the exact timing to purchase your home - where do you want to me when the roller coaster stops?  My recommendation is to be on the track and be one that has already become a winner in this market and not the one who waited too long to buy!

Respectfully

Bonnie Jessee, Realtor

530 412 3984

www.welcomehometruckee.com

YOUR INSIDER’S GUIDE TO OUR GREAT SKI AREAS~TRUCKEE AND TAHOE

By the mid-1950s, Sugar Bowl was developing at a fast pace. Financed by affluent San Francisco Bay area families and notables such as Walt Disney, the Donner Summit resort had opened in 1939 featuring California’s first aerial chair lift and a Bavarian-style lodge designed by William Wurster.

By 1957, thirty homes had been completed in the forests surrounding the lodge – more than enough for some stockholders who fancied the resort their private playground. Under pressure, Sugar Bowl directors refused to grant permission to 12 families who wanted to build chalets. A revolutionary alternative was proposed: joint ownership of 12 individually owned apartments on one large lot. Thus were condominiums introduced into the ski industry. The attraction of Sugar Bowl’s Snow White co-op apartments paved the way for the village concept at ski resorts throughout North America.

Today, the Grand Dame of Sierra Nevada ski resorts continues to sweeten its historic property by building modern-day base facilities and condominiums as well as town homes and slope-side lots that start at $850,000.

They aren’t alone.

Around Lake Tahoe, resorts are shelling out with conviction huge dollars into long-term real estate and mountain development projects. It could be titled “The Changing Nature of The Ski Industry: A musical” because it has a familiar tune: over a billion dollars have been spent for new villages at Kirkwood, Heavenly, Squaw Valley, and Northstar. Developing resort real estate is no longer a question of balance, but a matter of survival.

“When I’m asked what’s new for the California ski industry, there are only two answers: the challenge of climate change and the price of real estate,” says Bob Roberts, Executive Director of the California Ski Industry. “Winter sports have become an amenity to real estate projects and instant villages. Clearly at the higher end of the market, resorts have to supply a more upscale product. The changes at Lake Tahoe and Mammoth are in keeping with the competition in Colorado, the Wasatch and the East.”

If one could ever pinpoint another theme to this snow season it would be the commitment by Lake Tahoe resorts to keep winter sports affordable. From the mighty to the mini, cheaper daily lift pricing, an array of family programs, weekday specials, and cheaper season passes have become the norm as Tahoe resorts battle other parts of the country for customers. Even notoriously non-bending Squaw Valley now offers discount ticketing in the form of frequent-skier cards.

Alpine Meadows
2,000 skiable acres

In the cold war among hot skiers and riders, competitive rivalry never runs out of fuel at Alpine Meadows. Early-morning speed junkies thrill down virgin corduroy-groomed trails, flashing from the top of Alpine’s Summit Six chair and its 8,637-foot crest into wide trails and tall transitions. Some carvers lay down tight, free-fall turns in the mogul gardens of Waterfall, The Face, and the forgiving gradients of Kangaroo Ridge. Others challenge one another plunging through the rowdy timber of Peril Ridge and Three Sisters.

More than 400 inches of snow blanket the resort annually, lasting well into spring. Even better than the snow is the ground it covers. With a high base elevation of 6,837 feet, over 2,000 acres of terrain, and a variety of exposures, Alpine Meadows has offered some of North America’s toughest to tamest slopes for over 40 years.

Especially deluxe are resort runs not directly lift-accessed. Described by resort management as “Adventure Zones,” these areas beyond the groomed contain terrain to make the quads quiver, egos soar, and dreams come true. In traversing the ridges north atop Beaver and Estelle Bowls, or hiking south past Alpine Bowl to the breath-stealing views of the Twin Peaks area (known as the High Traverse), there rests a delightful cache of big open drops, nifty noses, and daunting steeps, the likes of which provide backcountry-style experiences within ski-patrolled boundaries.

That’s not to say the whole family won’t be happy here. With a joint pass for parents who can trade off watching the tykes, families are bountiful. The Little Mountaineers program offers 4- to 6-year olds both ski and snowboard instruction, and Junior Mountaineers provides adventure for children ages 7 to 12. Alpine Meadows is also home to North America’s second largest adaptive ski school.

What’s New: The biggest news is new ownership. JMA Ventures LLC, a San Francisco-based Real Estate Firm, has taken over. Other changes include a new General Manager and new Director of Resort Services.

A Good Deal: Reserve a lift ticket and lodging in Tahoe for little more than the price of a single lift ticket with the Alpine Meadows Stay & Ski package. Guests may choose from more than 70 participating lodges, inns, hotels, and motels around Lake Tahoe.

Best Event: At the Mad Cow Downhill, a springtime cult classic at Alpine Meadows, skiers and snowboarders take the last chair of the day up Summit Six, strap on their helmets and pine planks, and careen from top to bottom in hopes of snatching a dangling season pass off the finish-line bamboo. The binocular-equipped sundeck crowd cheers while the announcer provides blow-by-blow details of each lead gainer and crash.

Don’t Miss: Located in the Tahoe Adaptive Ski School Lodge, the Gentian Café is a local’s secret, which offers delectible such as grilled-to-order sirloin burgers and homemade soups.

Best Place to Take A Screaming Pottie: Overlooked by most who opt for the obvious steeps of Keyhole slope or Estelle Bowl is Craig’s Gully, a chute that hides on the east wall of Scott Peak. A twisting, meandering skier-made traverse along the Scott Plateau dumps most people out in the gentle rolls of Scott Ridge. The lucky few who find themselves tucked into the hardened volcanic bubbles of Scott Peak stare down a chute that is no wider than the length of a slalom ski and as steep as a wall in a ski shop. The intrepid, technically perfect few who brave its first ten jump-turns are granted a front-door pass into the Promised Land, a sweeping treeless apron of powder ending at the Scott lift.

Insider Tip: For dog lovers, the best place to park is near the Subway chairlift adjacent to the Tahoe Adaptive Ski School. Sunny and quiet, with large open meadows, it’s a great place to throw the ball, play Frisbee, or just take a walk through nearby woods with the pooch.

530-583-4232, SnowPhone: 530-581-8374, skialpine.com

Boreal Mountain Resort
380 skiable acres

A snowball’s toss from the Interstate and only 80 highway miles from Sacramento, Boreal’s 7,200-foot base elevation has been a welcome sight to early-season boarders and riders since it opened in 1965.

Today the resort offers nine lifts over 380 acres on 41 trails. With a vertical drop of only 500 feet and a slope difficulty rating of 20 percent advanced, the resort has always catered to beginning skiers, families and laid-back fun. Several years ago, Boreal reconfigured the Discovery Chair – formerly the Gold Rush Chair – into a beginner chairlift to help ease lift lines and congestion in the beginner area. The resort also unveiled a redesigned third level in the base lodge with increased seating for diners and special events.

Boreal’s Kids Club was equipped with a state-of-the-art Starlift moving carpet, a fun introduction for children to get up their slope and eventually graduate to chairlift riding.

In mythology Boreas was the god of winter. He must have been a snowboarder. After nearly 40 years of operation, Boreal has grown into a bastion for serious riders. Last year, Boreal dished out the “urban snow” street scene: the latest terrain park movement influenced by skate parks. It also improved and redesigned eight terrain parks featuring hits for all snowboarding levels. With the help of high-priest terrain park manager Eric Rosenwald, the resort added new rails, fun boxes, and even two busses to complement their long list of huge wave hits and radical tabletops. The Night Terrain Park contains a double-barrel halfpipe for serious jamming and a lit superpipe and night terrain park.

What’s New: The resort has upgraded its snowmaking and night lighting, and added a new park-grooming cat. Boreal has also switched their sledding area into a tubing area with a tow and a tube carousel for kids under 42-inches tall for just $15.

Best Deal: On “Frickin’ Fridays,” college students ski/ride for just $10 (holiday blackouts). Not a starving college student? Then pick up a free Boreal iRIDE card online or at any ticket window; ride any 2 days with it, get your 3rd day free.

Best Event: Sponsored by Snowbomb, the Boreal Friday Night Expression Sessions are a hit with the youth jam crowd looking for great prizes and an always-changing venue. Every other Friday, January through March.

Don’t Miss: The sunset at Boreal is always spectacular from the top of the Accelerator lift. Nighttime at Boreal offer a mystique all its own with crisp temperatures and a freshly groomed superpipe.Best Place To Take A Screaming Pottie: The Lost Dutchman Boardercross run is a natural gully with dips and valleys and sharp corners to help air it out.

Insider Tip: In the realm of the blind search for powder stashes off the 49er lift and Kangaroo Cornice on skiers right from the Accelerator Lift.

530-426-3666, SnowPhone: 530-426-3666, rideboreal.com

Diamond Peak
655 skiable acres

The dream of pioneering ski-area designer Luggi Foeger, Ski Incline opened in 1966 with three chairlifts, stunning views, and the region’s first snowmaking equipment. Changing its name to Diamond Peak in 1987, the resort also doubled its terrain with the installation of the Crystal Quad chairlift, opening Golden Eagle Bowl – a series of four natural glades strung together down the canyon for advanced skiers and boarders – and Lightning, a black diamond run comparable in steepness to Squaw Valley’s Headwall.

Forty years after opening, Diamond Peak is one of Tahoe’s premier family resorts. Almost 50 percent of Diamond Peak’s terrain is intermediate. Crystal Ridge Run offers over a mile of smooth and wide cruising with magnificent views of Lake Tahoe. At the Bee Ferrato Child Ski Center, children ages 3 to 7 can choose from a variety of lesson programs.

What’s New: This year Diamond Peak has joined up with Burton Snowboards to become a Burton Learn-To-Ride Center and offer demos of new-model Burton Snowboards. The Child Ski Center offers two new programs: the Frequent Private Lesson Program, which gives kids a sixth private lesson free after they take five, and the Mid-week All-Day Special: kids can take all-day group lessons on any two days out of a five-day period for $180. The package includes lunch.

A Good Deal: Buy three lesson packages up front, and get three free lift tickets upon completion of your third lesson.

Best Event: What better day than April 5 than to host the Eighth Annual Diamond Peak Dummy Downhill? Participants build a dummy on skis or snowboards that gets launched off a huge jump. Prizes are awarded in many different categories, including Most Creative Dummy and Best Crash.

Don’t Miss: Enjoy “Last Tracks,” an afternoon wine tasting every Saturday from February through April at the mid-mountain Snowflake Lodge with panoramic views of Lake Tahoe. While you relax and enjoy fine wine and appetizers, the mountain staff grooms a run for the last run of the day, just before sunset. A $200 Last Tracks Season Pass is good at every Last Tracks event this season.

Insider tip: Discover natural glades and wind-dwarfed pines in Solitude Canyon, 20 acres of advanced terrain reached from the top of the Crystal Quad.775-832-1177, SnowPhone: 775-831-3211, diamondpeak.com

Donner Ski Ranch
400 skiable acres

No other area in North America has averaged more snowfall over the last one hundred years than Donner Summit. According to the U.S. Forest Service’s Central Sierra Snow Lab in nearby Soda Springs, Donner Ski Ranch averages 34 feet of snowfall annually with an average maximum depth of nine and one-half feet. Although not a lot has changed over the years, this mighty little mountain continues to beckon visitors.

Situated atop the Summit, the ski resort opened in 1937 with one of the area’s first rope tows. There are no video games or other off-slope attractions to be found in the lodge. The resort remains more of a rarefied mountain outpost where people, bound by a collective independent spirit, happily rub shoulders and revel in the seductive vistas and beautiful wonders of nature. The mountain is less a place to see and more a place to ski. Today the area offers 45 runs and 400 acres of skiing that descend 360 degrees from the top of Signal Hill. Norm’s Run, off Chair 3, is a fall-line cruiser stretching for three-quarters of a mile. Donner Ski Ranch was the first Sierra resort to allow snowboarders, and riders still make up a large portion of the Ranch’s clientele, jumping into the resort’s well maintained half-pipe and Terrain Park and attending several snowboard competitions throughout the season.

What’s New: New ownership has helped revitalize this Donner Summit resort in need of much tender loving care. This summer saw extensive trail maintenance over most backside slopes. New grooming machines were added, and the lodge upgraded its food facilities.

Best Deal: On “Old School Thursdays” (every other Thursday) ticket prices are just $10 for adults.

Best Event: Each spring, the “Legends of Snowboarding Reunion” the pioneers of riding return to compete in a fun contest and festive atmosphere.

Don’t Miss: The $3 “Summit Slurpee” margaritas in the bar.

Best Place To Take A Screaming Pottie: Discover steep pitches on The Face and South Palisades.

Insider Tip: German Ridge is a burly backside line through the timber to the bottom of Chair 3.

530-426-3635; donnerskiranch.com

Granlibakken Ski Hill
30 skiable acres

The story of skiing at Granilibakken, which in Norwegian means “a hillside sheltered by fir trees,” dates back to 1928 when the resort became one of Tahoe’s first snowplay areas. One of the country’s best ski jumps was built here in 1930, hosting the National and Olympic Trial Jumping Championships the next two years. Granlibakken is a great choice for those who want to ski with their families and avoid crowds, offering ski lessons, rentals, and a snow play area, as well as one poma surface lift which has replaced the historic jump.

What’s New: Unwind with a warming beverage at the resort’s one-year-old Cedar House Pub, which also serves dinner on weekends and holidays during the ski season.

Best Deal: Stay overnight and receive lodging, a hot breakfast buffet, and one adult midweek lift ticket to Alpine Meadows, Homewood Mountain Resort, Mt. Rose, Northstar-at-Tahoe, Squaw Valley USA, and Sugar Bowl.

Insider Tip: Backcountry skiers can get buy a one-ride lift ticket to the top of the resort’s to access trails into Paige meadows.

Another Insider Tip: Granlibakken offers one of the better outdoor children’s play area for sledding and snowplay.

530-581-7533, 530-582-4242, granilibakken.com

Heavenly Lake Tahoe
4,800 skiable acres

In 1955, Heavenly’s original owner, Chris Kuraisa, and local ski professional Lutz Aynedter mapped out the steep slope that would run under the resort’s first chairlift. When Lutz looked down the fall-line and commented, “This is like looking down the barrel of a gun.” Kuraisa said, “You’ve just named the run.”

Gunbarrel remains as wild, wet and forbiddingly beautiful as the lake it surrenders to below. Bumps on the steep slope stay cold, hard and gullied into massive mounds. A non-stop down its 1,700-foot leg-thrashing fall line is a confrontation between the myth and reality of skiing and riding skill.

Although the resort giant has always drawn attention for upper boulevards of intermediate terrain and eye-popping views of America’s premier alpine lake, new owner Vail Resorts is helping redefine an emerging Heavenly that retains an air of adventure.

Twenty square miles of terrain straddle the California-Nevada border, where there are literally miles of gentle cruisers, like 2.2 Stagecoach Run. Mott and Killebrew Canyons, 1,600 vertical feet of 40-degree chutes, pump adrenaline like a triple-shot latte. Rolling shoulders, long boulevards, and unobstructed views of Lake Tahoe create most of the pleasure. Thanks to a multi-million dollar commitment made by Heavenly over the past two decades, the ski area now has the largest snowmaking system in North America blanketing almost 70 percent of the skiable trails.

Six years ago, Heavenly installed one of the world’s longest gondolas to transport skiers from a blossoming village center and casino core to a high ridge overlooking Lake Tahoe and Carson City, Nevada.

What’s New: Heavenly’s new detachable quad, the Olympic Express, provides access to both three new intermediate trails and to tree skiing in the Nevada Woods. The resort’s new features include four new low-emission snowcats and eateries serving organic beef, poultry, and organic dairy products.

A Good Deal: The PEAKS loyalty program allows the purchase of lift tickets online, with multiple-day ticket discounts giving direct-to-lift access to spare you the wait at ticket windows. Also, buy 10 tickets and get one free. Check out the awesome happy hour at the Lakeview Lodge with free chips and salsa, $1 off drinks, free ski caddy, and the best view on the South Shore.

Best Event: Heavenly Spring Loaded ‘08 offers the sweetest on-mountain spring break celebration in California. The festival lasts for two-and-a-half weeks. Events include the SouthShore Soldiers Ski & Snowboard Camp, the JackPot Rail Jam, the Gunbarrel 25, the World Championship Slush Pond event, and tons of nightly activities with the Heavenly Angels.

Don’t Miss: Guests looking for a fine dining experience will appreciate the newly remodeled, ski-in/ski-out Lakeview Lodge. When ordering the petit filet mignon, smile big and ask for Chef Roger Young’s rosemary Gorgonzola cream sauce with roasted pine nuts.

Best Place To Take A Screaming Pottie: The Hidden Chutes in Motts Canyon are a tree-lined menu of narrow steeps.

Insider Tip: Heavenly operates an advanced shuttle system to the resort from almost anywhere in town. Avoid parking all together and get a ride to the Gondola aboard one of Heavenly’s green shuttles.

775-586-7000, SnowPhone: 775-586-7000, skiheavenly.com

Homewood Mountain
1,260 skiable acres

Soothing slopes and homey atmosphere entertain both skiers and boarders at Homewood Mountain Resort. The West Shore, a former turn-of-the-century gold mining area, has eight lifts spread over 1,260 acres and 56 trails. Known primarily for spectacular lake views, Homewood also offers some of the best powder skiing in the Sierra Nevada. With Ellis Peak, 8,740 feet, standing sentinel against high winds, Homewood’s snow typically comes down loose rather than wind-blown. Much of the resort’s terrain is north to northeast exposure resulting in a crisp, sun-blocked carpet. Over half its terrain is tagged for intermediates, but particularly beefy steeps are discovered down Quail Face and the Hobbit Land. Riders are drawn to Homewood’s multiple terrain parks, one of which is The Shredwood Forest Terrain Park which has played host to World Cup and national competitions and is a testing ground for grommets burgerflipping its radical wave hits, spines, and tabletops. Homewood offers many options for children including the Snowstars Program ages 4 to 12 and the Sunday “Supersliders” for ages 5 to 12. Homewood now also offers free skiing and snowboarding to accompanied children who are 10 years and under. Adults can take advantage of inexpensive lift tickets through Homewood’s Frequent Flyer Membership.

Environmental issues make Homewood’s attempt to modernize and upgrade facilities a challenge. However, new owners purchased the resort over the past year with plans for major upgrades and new lodging possibilities.

What’s New: The resort has installed its first detachable high speed quad to replace the old fixed-grip quad on the north side and provide quicker access to fantastic powder in the timber. The resort has improved its food service and grooming fleet.

A Good Deal: The Homewood/ Alpine Adult midweek combo pass is a great deal at $649.

Don’t Miss: The Nose off The Face under the Madden Triple has a perfect pitch and spectacular views. Also, both cafeterias offer a big portioned dynamite macaroni cheese.

Best Place To Take A Screaming Pottie: Check out the 300 acres of steep, wide-open fall-lined terrain and 900 feet of descent on Quail Face. The avalanche-controlled area drops straight down to Quail Lake where a packed trail leads back to the Sunnyside trail.

Insider Tip: The less-crowded South Side base area offers lift tickets, parking, rental equipment, food, beverages, and a cozy lodge within steps of the Quail Lift.

530-525-2992, SnowPhone: 530-525-2900, skihomewood.com

Kirkwood Mountain
2,300 skiable acres

Kirkwood has offered abundant natural snow and richly varied terrain since opening in 1972. At 9,800 feet, the highest altitude in the Lake Tahoe area, Kirkwood invariably gets the coldest, driest, and most abundant snow. When Pacific coast low-pressure systems rampage throughout the Sierra Nevada it can snow for days, even weeks, at Kirkwood.

Under a new ownership group since1997 led by ex-Disney CEO Chuck Cobb, Kirkwood launched a $250 million 10year real estate-driven improvement project. A newly developed village includes a heated plaza full of retail shops, restaurants, an ice rink, and something new to Kirkwood: an energized nightlife. The Mountain Club condominium hotel provides guests with spa, gym, sauna, ski-check, and full concierge services. Hip, singular and with the self-contained feel of a remote mountain retreat, Kirkwood is a world unto itself: exciting, risky, and laid-back. Veterans enjoy the steeps tucked away in Thunder Saddle where four double-black runs sit side by side. Intermediates enjoy the rolling shoulders of Hole-n’-Wall, The Reut, and Caples. Yet with all the eye-popping pitches, and rugged pulchritude lurking within Kirkwood’s intestines, the mountain is friendly to all, cradling the novice and purring to families. Long, groomed runs such as Sentinel and Comet are confidence builders and make for ego-boosting turns, and the Timber Creek learning area is rated by USA Today as one of the Top Ten Places to Learn To Ski.

What’s New: The Timber Creek Learn-to-Ski Center and expanded Burton Learn-to-Ride Center have improved the experience for novice Kirkwood skiers and riders. A high-speed quad chairlift provides a quick trip to the top where skiers and riders have a plethora of trails and glades to choose from. A new day lodge at Timber Creek offers guests easier access to ski school and rentals while a new food court, Snowshoe Thompson’s, offers plenty of meal options. Kirkwood has also expanded its partnership with Burton Snowboards to offer a comfortable first-time experience at the Women’s Learn-to-Ride Center. Three expanded terrain parks offer new dedicated park cats to ensure every freestyler’s satisfaction.

Best Deal: For season passholders, there is a special $49 Cross Country & Snowshoe Center upgrade option, which provides a low-cost entry to Kirkwood’s extensive Nordic trail system. Pay with American Express and get your fifth night free with any consecutive four-night stay (offer excludes holidays and is subject to availability).

Best Event: Kirkwood celebrates its 35th anniversary with a major party that includes a special editor’s cut from the Tahoe film festival, plenty of drink and food specials, and the Marmot 6 Summit Peak Pursuit, a randonée rally race, part of the U.S. Ski Mountaineering Association (USSMA) series, in which athletes ascend and descend the six peaks that make up Kirkwood Mountain Resort. The race will have both a race class and a recreational class.

Don’t Miss: The short hike up Thimble Peak in early spring rewards the visitor with incredible views and choice corn snow.

Best Place To Take A Screaming Pottie: Ginvitis Face in Thunder Saddle is not on the map, but remains a popular name amongst the patrollers on the mountain. The name came about in 1988 when long-time patroller, Bob Beaudoux, who was notorious for his bad teeth, was almost completely buried by an avalanche in this area. Luckily he was saved and has since had his bad teeth fixed.

Insider Tip: On a powder day, bee-line directly to Chair 11 if patrol is still doing snow control on Chair 6 and get freshies down Conestoga.

209-258-6000, SnowPhone: 877- KIRKWOOD, kirkwood.com

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe
1,300 skiable acres

With all the ways to save at Mt. Rose, it’s nearly impossible to pay full price at this understated Nevada gold nugget, located just 22 miles from the bright casino lights and dirt-cheap lodging of Reno. While the resort’s 1,200 acres and eight (six aerial, two surface) lifts may not at first glance be as impressive as some nearby Tahoe Basin mega- resorts, Mt. Rose contains enough dandies and primal rushes to make for the most dolce of vitas. What sets Mt. Rose apart is its base elevation: at 8260 feet, the base lodge is the highest in the Tahoe Basin.

The steep runs under the Northwest Magnum 6 detachable drop 1,400 vertical feet and will slap the hardest of chargers upside the head. Over on the East Slopes the epic glades of the Slide Bowl provide some of the best tree skiing and riding anywhere. And Rose’s excellent beginner and novice area has been improved with two Wonder Carpets conveyor lifts. If there is a predominant geological statement to Mt. Rose that immediately captures the eye it’s the Chutes.

Towering over the Mount Rose Highway, the Chutes reign supreme among all the left hooks that drop on the point of Rose’s jaw. With a vertical drop of 1500 feet – half of it facing northwest, the other half northeast – they offer every variety of snow: stormy pillow-mounded chutes to mid-season shadowed slopes and springtime corn that funnels into sparsely timbered benches. The 200-acre fantasia features 17 designated runs, several of which offer over 50-degree grades. Of its 17 chutes, nine are designated double diamond (experts only), and eight are single black diamond (advanced). There are other wild shots and playful pitches to be discovered in the trees.

What’s New: Snowmaking and selective slope re-contouring down Silver Dollar trail now ensures early-season access to the Slide Lodge. Selective glading of the Wild Card Bowl removed snags and stumps, creating much improved lines in this epic bowl. Log Flume, renamed Zephyr Return Trail, also underwent an overhaul resulting in substantial improvements for early-season use.

Best Deal: No other resort at Tahoe offers as many daily discounts such as $19 Ladies Day Thursdays, Two ‘fer Tuesdays, and $29 Student Wednesdays; but the best bargain is the $124 “Runs and Roses” Weekend X-tender: two adult lift tickets and two children (no void dates).

Best Event: If you still think that “New School” means rear-entry boots, old skinny skis, and stretch pants that leave nothing to the imagination, mark your calendar for Mt. Rose’s Slide Back Retro Ski Party in February and break all of the ski fashion laws – on this one-day only – at the always-chic Slide Lodge at the bottom of East Bowl.

Don’t Miss: One of the first runs cut on historic Slide Mountain, the Northwest Passage trail, is a pure “top to bottom” slope stretching from the 9700-foot summit all the way to the base lodge. Northwest, one of several “groomed blacks,” is manicured nightly by one of the winch-equipped snowcats which “create corduroy” on several of the steeper slopes at Mt. Rose.

Best Place To Take A Screaming Pottie: Between the top of El Cap and Jackpot is an unmarked trail called “The Nose.” Hold on for the ride of your life.

Insider Tip: A small hike takes advanced skiers and riders to the only “earned turns” at Mt. Rose in the Wildcard Bowl for epic back-county-style terrain. Not only is this area home to fresh tracks sometimes even days after a big storm, the once out-of-bounds bowl is home to some of the grandest views of spectacular Lake Tahoe.

775-849-0704, SnowPhone: 800-SKI-ROSE, skirose.com

Northstar-At-Tahoe
2,480 skiable acres

Little did George Schaeffer realize 140 years ago that the site of his logging camp would become home to some of the Sierra Nevada’s best skiing. Today, boarders and skiers rocket down eight-mile-long runs from the backside of Northstar’s Mount Pluto or carve off-piste turns through stands of lodgepole from the top of Sawtooth Ridge. The backside of Mount Pluto offers everything from ridgeline cruising to narrow bump trails and steep crankers, while the resort’s front side combines lightly forested glades and wide-boulevard groomers that stretch to an expanding base area. Northstar’s family programs are some of the best in North America, but it is the resort’s billion-dollar expansion that is creating the most attention.

At buildout, the Village at Northstar will include an array of new buildings, with 213 luxury condominiums. The first phase of construction has produced Iron Horse North and South – 72 condominiums with commercial space on the ground floor – and Great Bear Lodge with 28 condominiums, shops, restaurants, and an ice skating rink. The Village is nearing completion of Phase Two, which includes 92 condominiums in the Catamount, #1 Village Place and Big Horn buildings, and 40,000 square feet of additional retail space on the lower level of those buildings. Construction continues for a 172-room mid-mountain Ritz Carlton hotel. “The Village Walk” phase includes 101 town homes and condos. In conjunction, the expansion of Lookout Mountain calls for a lift expansion to Martis Camp and additional trails, adding 46 acres of ski trails and 35 acres of snowmaking.

What’s New: New features have been added in its terrain parks as well as new rental equipment and improved snowmaking. The Village at Northstar offers new restaurants and shopping options with an expanded mass-transit program and more parking at its entrance.

Best Deal: Northstar offers free clinics for riders and skiers Monday through Friday for intermediates and advanced 13 years and older.Best Event: The 4th Annual Vans Tahoe Cup on March 1 and 2 brings over $200,000 in cash prizes and the world’s best riders.

Don’t Miss: Iceskating in the Northstar Village is a fun date, especially since it’s free access; skate rentals are only $5.

Best Place To Take A Screaming Pottie: Lookout Mountain has deceptive terrain transitions, especially while on its off-piste timbered romps.

Insider Tip: Sawtooth Ridge (out of bounds but accessed with patrol permission) offers serene backcountry experience type lines when conditions permit.

530-562-1010, SnowPhone: 530-562-1330, northstarattahoe.com

Soda Springs
200 skiable acres

Stories of Dick Buek still abound at Soda Springs. He was called the “Mad Dog” of Donner Summit. An enthusiast, some said mindless, slave of gravity, Buek, a two-time National Downhill champion and 1952 Olympian, thought nothing of tucking the steepest of slopes. It was at Soda Springs that Buek learned the joy, insouciance, and madness that stamped his life. “Mad Dog,” the run named in honor of Buek, remains one of the resort’s bare-boned delights.

Soda Springs was casting a spell over vacationers when its first customers herringboned up its flanks to make swooping turns over wide-open terrain in 1931. In 1935, rope tows were installed and Soda Springs became a popular destination for members of San Francisco society who traveled by train to enjoy Donner Summit’s record-breaking snowfalls.

While Soda’s 200 acres qualify it as a mere nugget-size resort by today’s Tahoe standards, its pitchy terrain and emphasis on families have transformed the resort’s small-area reputation to that of a skier’s mountain with great value. Cheek-by-jowl to adjacent Sugar Bowl’s Mount Lincoln, Soda’s ridgeline commands views of Lake Van Norden and the spine of the Northern Sierra. Its simplicity, convenience, and affordability hearken back to a former epoch of exuberant outdoorsmen.

Two double chairs and two surface lifts access wide-open slopes. As California’s largest tubing operation, Soda Springs boasts two tubing lifts and four tubing flumes, each designed with banked turns, rollers, and giant dips. Soda Springs offers the only “Rent A Resort” package in the Sierra: the entire area, including grooming, lift operators, ski patrol, lodge facilities, and sundeck may be rented for the day.

What’s New: The Soda Springs Planet Kids Snow Play program is geared for ages 1 to10. Pint-sized enthusiasts can enjoy a snow-tube carousel, miniature snowmobile rides, and a magic carpet surface lift, all adjacent to Soda’s family-focused one-stop base lodge. The snow play program offers those who are new to snow sports a value-priced “taste” of winter.

Best Deal: A $25 adult lift ticket includes lift-service snow tubing plus several more half-price hours of skiing after hours under the lights at nearby sister resort Boreal.

530-426-3901, SnowPhone: 583-426-3666 x1, skisodasprings.com, snowtubing.com

Sugar Bowl
1,500 skiable acres

Founded in 1939 by Austrian downhill champion Hannes Schroll, Sugar Bowl continues to undergo a sizeable expansion to complement some of the finest and most scenic pistes in the region. This summer Sugar Bowl completed a new addition to its 20,000-square-foot main lodge at the Mount Judah base area as well as expanded parking and 64 new rental condos.

Some things never change, however, and Sugar Bowl’s slopes remain a tasty selection of cruisers, rolling shoulders, steeps, and chutes. Its 1,500 acres of terrain and four mountain peaks are serviced by 13 lifts. If you’ve got the legs for unabashed fun, stick around Mount Lincoln. Even if you don’t, be sure to ride the Silver Belt chairlift to watch others zigzag down the Silver Belt, a natural gully-like halfpipe, once the hair-raising giant slalom course that tested the skills of Leo Lacroix, Billy Kidd, and Phil Mahre. From the top of Lincoln, it still makes even the best rippers act like a hot potato in a child’s palm.

Intermediates enjoy riding the high-speed Disney Quad to access the blue runs on Pony Express, Upper Mac, and Montgomery. Some of the best powder stashes lie below Crow’s Nest Peak in Strawberry Fields. No other area in North America has averaged more snowfall over the last one hundred years than Donner Summit and major dumpage makes Sugar Bowl become completely dipped in snow, like a Granny Smith covered in caramel.

What’s New: Sugar Bowl has hired one of the better terrain park designers in America, former K2 Team member J.P. Martin, who is re-vamping Sugar Bowl’s park to include more “incubator” elements. Also, the resort is continuing with their commitment to go with 100 percent green energy by this year.

Best Deal: Members of the Core Mountain Club receive $10 off their lift ticket everyday and accrue points that can be redeemed for rewards around the mountain like food & beverage coupons, retail discounts, and free rentals.

Best Event: Combine head-to-head downhill racing, motocross, and NASCAR and you’ve got the Winter X-Jam, which returns to Sugar Bowl on Martin Luther King weekend and this year will feature top international athletes competing for the last remaining slots in Skiercross and Boardercross at the X Games finals in Aspen. The “cross” races of speed and agility take place in a specially crafted downhill course with S-curves, table-tops, giant bumps, and rollers.

Don’t Miss: Weekends when the expanded Judah Lodge presents live music. The best bet is crowd favorite Eric E playing Christmas week.

Best Place To Take A Screaming Pottie: Made by Zaugg of Switzerland, the Pipe Monster’s 22-foot-high walls have the smoothest and largest transitions this side of Zurich. Its pipe location at the base of the Mt. Lincoln Express has perfect sun exposure (i.e., no melting or sagging walls) and the ideal 17-degree pitch for optimum speed.

Insider Tip: Crow’s Face, on the extreme west end of the resort, offers deep, drifted powder between dense stands of trees. A 20-minute hike up Roller Pass gets you to the summit of Mount Judah for some of the finest backcountry bowl skiing in Tahoe.

530-426-9000, SnowPhone: 530-426-1111, sugarbowl.com

Squaw Valley USA
4,000 skiable acres

Claims to fame are commonplace amongst Sierra Nevada resorts, but Squaw Valley arguably embodies the utmost in old-world alpine spirit. Carved from six peaks spread over 4,000 acres and served by 30 lifts, Squaw Valley’s allure has always been its imposing geography. “Have you skied Squaw Valley?” is the extreme equivalent to “Have you played St. Andrews” for golf fanatics, or “Have you surfed Mavericks?” for surfers.

Yet compared to its extreme limits, negotiating the rest of the 1960 Olympic snowsport area is a snap. Intermediates warm up in the well-groomed and bump-free Gold Coast bowl above one of Squaw’s huge mid-mountain day lodges. When the legs are ready, it’s just up and over the ridge to the Shirley Lakes area where boulevards of sweet rolls and magical carpets, tilted just enough, allow for executive cruising. On the lower mountain, Red Dog lift at the base area transports guests to the top of Snow King Peak. East towards LakeTahoe, the Lakeview run winds its way down cakewalk cruisers to the four-star Resort at Squaw Creek hotel.

Snowboarders are drawn to Squaw’s three huge terrain parks and two super halfpipes on the upper mountain. Serpentine in design, the terrain gardens consist of wave hits, spines, radical rails, and tabletops.

Beginners enjoy the easy rolling shoulders and plateaus below High Camp, Squaw’s other mid-mountain lodge. Entry-level beginners travel to the top by way of the aerial cable car, drink in the same views as the more advanced, have fun, and feel like a participant. The result is that no matter what the ability, guests never feel relegated to a bunny slope next to the parking lot.

Squaw Valley’s comprehensive 12,000-square-foot day care center, Squaw Kids, might be the most complete children’s center in the country, offering a variety of programs for ages 3 to12, as well equipment rental and its own ski hill complete with a “Magic Carpet” conveyor.

Squaw’s lift system is quite possible the most technically advanced in the world, boasting North America’s only Funitel and largest aerial cable car, three six-passenger detachables, and numerous detachable quads.

What’s New: Squaw Valley has replaced the Shirley Lakes chairlift with a high-speed detachable six-pack. The Olympic resort also expanded its Riviera Superpipe. Squaw now offers full-moon snowshoe tours and exclusive backcountry tours.

Best Deal: Squaw’s frequent-skier and -rider program offers every fifth day free. Membership is only $5 when pre-registering online. The program includes weekly $62 bonus club days Tuesday through Thursday. Youths 12 and under ski for $10.

Best Event: The popular Squaw Valley eatery, Mamasake, located in the heart of the Village at Squaw Valley, gets rowdy each April when the hungriest sushi eaters and craziest wasabi warriors showcase their talents to vie for the title of “Raw at Squaw Samurai King or Queen.”

Don’t Miss: At elevation of 8,200 feet, the terminus for North America’s largest aerial cable car, the High Camp Bath & Tennis Club, offers lake views, dining, ice skating, spring swimming, and year-round entertainment and recreation.

Best Place To Take A Screaming Pottie: Dropping into some runs such as the Funnel’s “Elevator Shaft” is as abrupt as dropping a quarter into a pay phone. Lose it here and the rest of the ride is a stomach-churning yard sale, with the throngs riding up the Shirley Lake Express as audience.

Insider Tip: Each Friday the Squaw Valley Ski Patrol offers free backcountry awareness and avalanche beacon/transceiver classes to the public. Beginning at 5 p.m. at the Squaw Valley Fire Department, classes are limited to 15 people and last two hours. Pro patrollers teach search strategies, techniques, and familiarization with the beacon, as well as accessing risks and precaution in the backcountry. Beacons are provided to attendees.

530-583-6985, SnowPhone: 530-583-6955, squaw.com

Tahoe Donner
120 skiable acres

Since 1972 Tahoe Donner has offered family fun and instruction in a safe, uncrowded, and convenient environment. The small Truckee-based, four-lift resort guarantees a maximum of six
students per group lesson. Its 600 acres also offer powder stashes that last sometimes days after a storm.
What’s New: A new grooming machine will help insure a skiable surface for novices as will new user-friendly unloading ramps.

Best Event: The Glow Stick Carnival and Parade each February allows kids a fun evening of one nighttime run, prizes, and games.

Best Deal: First-timers can sign up for an instruction, rental and lift package starting at $45.

Don’t Miss: Each Thursday purchase a lift ticket for your child 12 and under, and ski for free.

530-587-9400, SnowPhone: 530-587-9444, tahoedonner.com

Truckee, California (wikpedia)

Truckee was named after the Paiute chief. The chief’s real name was not Truckee. His Paiute name was Tru-ki-zo. He was the father of Chief Winnemucca and grandfather of Sarah Winnemucca. The first people who came to cross the Sierra Nevada encountered his tribe. The friendly Chief rode toward them yelling "Tro-kay!," which is Paiute for "hello." The settlers assumed he was yelling his name. Chief Truckee later served as a guide for John C. Fremont.

Geography

Truckee is located along Interstate 80 at 39°20′32″N, 120°12′13″W (39.342163, -120.203568).^[1]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 33.8 square miles (87.7 km²), of which, 32.5 square miles (84.3 km²) of it is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²) of it (3.87%) is water, mostly the Truckee River, the only outlet of Lake Tahoe.

Climate

Trout Creek

The National Weather Service reports that Truckee’s warmest month is July with an average maximum temperature of 82.7° and an average minimum temperature of 42.4°. January is the coldest month with an average maximum temperature of 40.9° and an average minimum temperature of 16.3°. The record maximum temperature of 104° was on July 6, 2007. The record minimum temperature of -23° was on February 27, 1962. Annually, there are an average of 8.4 days with highs of 90° or higher; there an average of 228.4 days with lows of 32° or lower and 6.0 days with lows of 0° or lower. Freezing temperatures have been observed in every month of the year.

Normal annual precipitation in Truckee is 30.85 inches; measurable precipitation (.01 inch or more) occurs on an average of 87.0 days annually. The most precipitation in one month was 19.02 inches in February 1986. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 5.21 inches on February 1, 1963.

Truckee has an average of 198.3 inches of snow annually. The most snow in one month was 113.0 inches in December 1992. The maximum 24-hour snowfall was 34.0 inches on February 17, 1990.

COME AND ENJOY!

SECOND HOME OWNERSHIP IN TRUCKEE~TAHOE, CALIFORNIA

Second-home purchases in California dropped last year, the result of lower appreciation for many primary residences as well as continued interest in out of state properties, a real estate information service reported.

A total of 13,798 second homes were purchased in vacation markets in California in 2006. That was down 37.1 percent from 21,925 the year before, and the lowest number of sales in DataQuick’s second-home statistics, which go back to 1998. The peak was in 2004 when 24,916 vacation homes sold.

Sales of all homes statewide declined 24.9 percent last year, from 742,715 in 2005 to 557,782 in 2006.

"Many California homeowners were feeling pretty good in 2004 and 2005 when there was double-digit appreciation. It appears a lot of them felt that using built-up equity to buy a mountain cabin or a condo in the desert would be a good investment. As prices leveled off last year, interest in weekend retreats declined," said Marshall Prentice, DataQuick’s president.

The drop in second home sales was roughly the same in the three major markets: sales were off 38.4 percent in the greater Palm Springs area, 34.7 percent in Sierra mountain and foothill communities, and off 37.3 percent in the Lake Arrowhead/Big Bear area. Because most second-home communities are also primary-home communities, sales overall in these areas dropped at a more moderate pace.

Some communities stand out because virtually all home buying was for second homes. These include Tahoe Vista, Carnelian Bay, Kirkwood and Olympic Valley in the Tahoe area, as well as Fawnskin and Sugarloaf in the Big Bear area.

The median price paid for a second home in California was $400,000 last year, up 10.8 percent from $361,000 the year before, but well below the statewide median of $469,500 for all homes. Median prices ranged from under $150,000 in some remote desert communities to well above $1 million in Pebble Beach and Carmel.

Last year also saw a reversal of a 2004/2005 surge of out-of-state buying by California residents. Californians bought 8,409 Las Vegas area homes, down 32.4 percent from 12,440 in 2005. In 2001 there were 1,824 Las Vegas area purchases by Californians. The Las Vegas numbers include all purchases by California residents, including second homes, investment properties and primary residences where the property tax bill is sent to a California address.

Other areas favored by Californians include Phoenix, Lake Havasu, Tucson, Reno, Mesa, Scottsdale, Bullhead City and Incline Village, DataQuick reported.

It would appear that now is the time to purchase that second home you have been dreaming about!  Give me a call for up to the minute market information for Truckee~Tahoe, California.  BONNIE JESSEE.

RISMEDIA, Feb. 14, 2008-Despite all of the negative commentary about the housing and credit markets, 64% of Americans believe that for those with good credit and a down payment “this is an ideal time to buy a home,” according to a study commissioned by Beazer Homes, one of the country’s top-10 homebuilders. Perhaps with an eye toward the future, 24% of survey respondents-from Gen Y to Baby Boomers-say they plan to buy a new home in the next two years either as a primary residence or second/vacation home.

“We know the American consumer believes with great conviction that home ownership is a smart investment over the long term,” said Ian McCarthy, president and CEO of Beazer Homes. “Savvy consumers realize that housing is a cyclical industry and some appear to be waking up to the opportunities that do exist in today’s marketplace. Whether they act on this conviction remains to be seen, but the underlying sentiment bodes well for the industry.”

Indeed, 65% of survey respondents agree that given the current supply of homes for sale and special incentives this is “truly a buyer’s market.” And, 39% believe that tentative buyers who are waiting for home prices to go lower risk “missing out on one of the greatest home-buying markets in recent history.”

As in most areas, experience brings additional confidence. The survey found 70% of experienced home buyers-those who have purchased at least one home-urging renters to purchase a home as soon as he or she is financially able to do so.

The company says that this sentiment seems to resonate with prospective first-time buyers, with 30% citing they are “looking to make an investment” as their primary motivation for purchasing a new home. This is followed by the desire for a better location (22%) and the need for a bigger home (21%). Experienced buyers, on the other hand, ranked a ‘desire for less maintenance and up-keep’ (35%), better location (27%) and investment (14%) as the primary motivations for their next home purchase.

Across the board, consumers appear optimistic about the availability of home mortgage options. For experienced buyers, 75% believe there are plenty of mortgage options available for those with good credit compared with 53% of first-time buyers. When it comes to securing a home mortgage, 24% of total respondents report they are currently saving for a down payment.

“While this is clearly a challenging time for the homebuilding industry, for those who are financially grounded, we believe it is an ideal time to buy a home. It’s an even better time to buy a brand new home.” said McCarthy. “Now more than ever, a newly constructed home is likely to be a much better value for home buyers when compared with the purchase of a re-sale home.”

Benefits to purchasing a newly constructed home include more livable floor plans, better warranties, energy-efficient systems and options and, in many instances, the ability to personalize certain features such as flooring, cabinetry and paint colors. Additionally, a new home does not require the costly updates or remodeling that can accompany the purchase of a re-sale home.

Beazer Homes surveyed 548 adults nationwide, Jan. 4-7, 2008, between the ages of 25 to 72 with a minimum annual household income of $40,000.

The Advantages of Using a Local Truckee Agent

Hiring a Realtor who is familiar with Truckee/Tahoe as well as your budget doesn’t just make sense — it can save both time and money

Realtor VS. "For Sale By Owner"

"Why do we need a real estate agent? After all, an agent will charge thousands of dollars to sell even an average home, and that commission comes right off the top! Heck, with the Internet and all, we can do practically everything that an agent would do, so why should we pay out all that money?"
Many home sellers have similar thoughts, and because so much money is at stake, these questions deserve some serious thought.

• that buyers who look for "FSBOs" usually offer 6-10% below the price of comparable properties because they know you are not paying a commission?

• that there are substantial risks involved when a seller agrees to "carry back" a note from the buyer; risks that can cost you thousands of dollars?

• that your good credit rating can be ruined by your buyer’s default, many months, or even years, after that buyer "assumes" your loan?

• that a clever buyer can stay in possession of your property for many months after he defaults on the contract, and in effect "live for free" at your expense?

• that most buyer complaints involve alleged damages of less than $10,000, yet you could be forced to spend thousands in attorney’s fees to defend such a claim?

• that alleged failure to disclose such things as previous repairs, insects, exact lot lines, and the presence of certain types of mold/fungus in the property are the source of many lawsuits against sellers?

In short, a lawsuit can ruin your whole day! Even if you know that the buyer’s claims are completely bogus, it can take many months and many thousands of dollars to prove that you are "innocent." What’s worse, you have no "malpractice" insurance to pay these bills; you will have to write all the checks yourself. And, of course, you could lose … and losing a case like this can be disastrous. You and the buyer have a contractual relationship, and sellers who lose such suits can find themselves having to pay not only the amount of damages awarded to the buyer, as well as their own attorney, but they may also be ordered to pay the fees of the attorney who sued them!

By Robert N. Bass