440 Mountain Lake Court in Incline Village Nevada is a new bank owned listings with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and 1864 square feet.  Previously listed for $975,000 now aggressively priced at $475,000.  What makes this home so desirable - besides the price - is the location.  Low elevation in excellent condition the kitchen has been rennovated and has stainless steel appliances.  Located off of Country Club Drive this is not listed in the Incline MLS.  If you are interested in seeing this or any other listings in Incline Village or the Lake Tahoe area please give me a call at 775-772-1630. 

Click Here to view the listing on Mountain Lake Court  

Incline Village is a planned community with two Golf Courses with beautiful Lake Views, 3 Beaches with boat launch, playgrounds, swimming pool, picnic areas and sandy beaches, Diamond Peak Ski Resort, and a state of the art recreation center.  The area has both private and public schools with excellent reputations. Incline has all the tax benefits that Nevada offers and a fantastic quality of life.

We have managed to avoid the major foreclosure crisis that hit Clark County and Reno.  Bank owned single family homes tend not to stay on the market for too long and I think this listing will be no exception. 

Clip art courtesy of clipartheaven.com

One of the things I love about living in Incline Village is the plethera of activities offered to our children.  Starting this week those of you with Toddlers may want to check out the following Foreign Language Class...

New Toddler's Spanish Class Starts Thursday January the 14th at 12:30pm.

*Spaces also available for our ongoing Tuesday, Thursday class at 10:00am.

*Custom classes available upon request.  Let us know your interests here by filling out one of our questioners.

Our Toddler's Spanish classes are for ages 2 to 4  run for 50 minutes and are limited to 6 students.  This session will run for 4 weeks and cost $20.00 per class.

Classes utilize an immersion approach, teachers use the target language to actively engage children in a variety of songs, games and other fun activities.

Our classes are limited in size in order to ensure the best results.  The class size directly impacts the amount of time that each student can spend using the language - especially with teacher feedback.  It can be explained very easily if there are few people in the class a teacher can approach each student individually.

You are also welcome to come to the first class with no obligation to join for the full 4 weeks.  You can try the first class for free, if your not satisfied than you don't have to pay!

Registration is required to guarantee your spot. 

Tahoe Foreign Language Center
775-636-7529
Many Languages, All Ages!
http://tahoeforeignlanguagecenter.com/

Have you ever had an experience that makes you want to shout from the roof tops - good or bad?  I recently had the opportunity to fly on Virgin America from San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale and I want to shout from the rooftops - or do the modern day version - BLOG! 

It was an amazing experience -considering that we were flying in an airplane over a holiday period with two kids, getting sent to another airport to sit on a tarmac for two hours until the rain stopped and we could proceed to our destination.

First, we drove 4 hours from our home in Incline Village to San Francisco stayed overnight at Larkspur Landing (they have a great park and fly program and it was a wonderful hotel for our needs).  Next morning we caught the shuttle to the International Terminal at SFO - a plus as the food options are much nicer and the staff seems to be more pleasant in the International Terminal.  You notice the difference with Virgin from the second you board the plane.  Each seat has a mini TV screen that shows free satellite TV (great for the kids who watch non-stop Disney Channel),  Virgin was running a free WIFI special sponsored by Google so I was able to work the entire flight and managed to even put a house in Escrow while on the airplane!  They really thought of the things that would make their passengers more comfortable and less antsy on a long flight.

They have brought innovation and technology to a new level in the airline industry.  Instead of having service carts clogging up the aisle and blocking the path to the bathroom you order food and drinks right from your TV screen and swipe a credit card to pay for those items that are not free.  The food options were excellent and arrived moments after you ordered.  You can Instant Message someone in another seat (they must accept your invitation) - for my husband and I who were sitting in different sections of the plane it was nice to see how the kids were doing.  The bathrooms are larger - now if they only had a way to let you know if they were occupied on screen that would be helpful. 

Virgin staff communicated well - when we were diverting to another airport they kept us informed as to why and how long. We could walk around while on the tarmac and the WIFI and TV kept working the entire time we were on the ground. 

This whole experience got me to thinking...are we as Realtors doing the same for our clients?  Are we using technology to help our clients have a better experience? Are we really innovative in ways that are meaningful to our clients?  Let's face it we can all say one airline is the same as another...our clients can say one Realtor is the same as another...but is it?   I can't wait to fly Virgin America again and I am going to make sure my clients can't wait to use my services again too!

I read with sadness this morning an article on CNN.com that talked about a tenant who got evicted during a foreclosure process even though she had paid her landlord the rent on time.  I felt horrible for this mother who not only was responsible but who lost her deposit and her dream. 

Then I got angry ... why did the rental company she used not do a credit check on the owner of the home? 

I have put together a few tips for prospective renters.  

If you are renting through a rental company (they are getting paid a commission) make sure you demand that they check the credit of the landlord.  There may be a small charge for this - but this sad story shows that it's worth it. 

Next, see if you can pay directly to the mortgage company - at least you will know the some of the mortgage is being paid. 

Get a notarized letter from the owner of the home authorizing you to have contact with the Mortgage holder to make sure payments are being made. 

Always pay with a check never cash!  A check is trackable and will provide you with a history of positive payment. 

Do a google alerton the address of the property you are renting.  You will find pre-foreclosure notices usually published will come up. 

Unfortunately there is no fool proof way to insure that your landlord pays their mortgage but you can be proactive and try to lessen the risk. 

Hope this helps and Happy Renting!

Looking for some fun events for your preschool age kids to do in Lake Tahoe over spring break than check out Kids Kamp...

April 13^th 14^th and 16^th

Registration Monday April 6^th

775.832.6802

Fun adventure in a safe educational environment for pre-school children! 

Kids' Kamp is offered by Tahoe Timber's Preschool for children in early childhood programs in order to promote and support healthy and safe educational alternatives in our community.  Kid's' Kamp directly impacts families in North Tahoe communities by

 broadening choices for children's activities and learning experiences throughout the year. 

Created and developed by Sabrina Albrecht, a certified teacher with 15 years experience, Kids' Kamp acts as enrichment programs for children.  Camp programs utilize outdoor adventures and the practice of yoga to create salient learning experiences.  Children will be excited to explore various content areas during each session and nurture friendships with children and adults in a playful environment. 

The opportunity to offer healthy activities to children in the North Lake Tahoe community is Tahoe Timber's Preschool....Kids' Kamp!  "Our 2009 year is proving to be beneficial and fun for children and a huge success in our community," Albrecht states. 

Only only closing this week to report here in Incline Village and that was in the Single Family marekt.  1005 Apollo Way originally listed at $2,499,000 closed for $1,900,000.  This is a 5 bedroom/4 bath/2 car garage beautiful Lakeview Home.  I am sure the new buyers will enjoy thier bargin. 

I have seen a pickup in number of showings and have been extremely busy myself showing propery - working 10-12 hour days and loving every minute of it.

Check back next Friday for my weekly Incline Update.

Winter weather has arrived her in Lake Tahoe and as the post office says..."neither rain, nor snow or sleet or Hail shall keep us from our appointed rounds"  Those us in the Real Estate industry that means preparing for showings where the driveway is not plowed, the roads may be closed and your clients are dressed in street shoes.  So as I have said...I am packing it up!  I am preparing my Winter Showing Kit that will sit in the trunk of my car all winter.  Here is my Packing List...

•·         Shovel

•·         Gloves

•·         Snow Shoes                                                 

•·         Emergency Kit with Flares                               

•·         Flashlight (year-round)

•·         Tape Measure (year-round)

•·         Hand Warmers

•·         Snacks

•·         Water

•·         Extra Windshield Fluid

•·         Blanket or Sleeping Bag

•·         Umbrella (Keeps the Snow off your clients)

 This week I had to show clients around with two feet of snow on the ground and more still falling we were walking through knee deep snow as the agent neglected to tell me that they had not plowed the driveway in weeks and I just whipped out my snowshoes and plodded up the driveway like a pro - my clients were so impressed.  Of course your car should be in top condition with Snow Tires and a full tank of gas - did you know a gallon of gas weighs around 8 pounds !

What's in your winter kit?

People keep asking me how I am doing so well in this crappy market...I tell them I found the Silver Lining!  In every crisis there is opportunity, in this my case it is the ability to get teachers out of the rental market and into home ownership.

 Incline Village is known for high property values - even in this declining market Incline has been a bright spot.   It is a wonderful community with two private beaches, boat launch, great parks, a recreation center and tennis complex with an indoor pool, two golf courses - one a championship course with fantastic Lake Views and challenging terrain and a wonderful ski resort called Diamond Peak.  Due to the high cost of housing many of our teachers have had to rent, live with roommates or commute up from Reno a 45 minute drive up a Mountain Pass - not fun in a snowstorm or when the price of gas is $4.00 or more. 

We have had a few Foreclosures here in Incline in recent months - and although I feel for the folks who have lost their home I also feel great pride in getting these teachers into a place of their own - that will grow in equity, as they are buying at incredibly discounted prices.  I do an extensive counseling session with all of my first time homebuyers, we discuss finance, rent versus own (I do, after this session , guide some of my future clients to rent as with their financial situation owning would not be their best option). 

I discuss the dangers of home equity loans - I want them to be prepared when their home does increase in value - and the advantages of home equity loans.  We discuss where money should be spent on renovations and where they should not spend and why.  I show them websites to go to get educated on the buying process.  I give great service, both before and after the sale - hey these folks will be teaching my kids. 

When I hand those keys over to a teacher my heart swells with Joy for dreams can come true and I know when they live in the community where they work they are more committed to our students and their future.  This same opportunity goes for Police, Fire and Public Servants in all sectors of the market.  Where is your Silver Lining?

Ingenuity is what happens when you combine kids, imagination and nature. In this computer driven world it is nice to take time out with the family and enjoy the simple things.  This Thanksgiving I took time out from selling the amazing place I live - Lake Tahoe - to enjoy why I love living here, the outdoor adventures that can be found any time of the year.  We gathered up a few friends and their families and hiked through the forest down to Secret Beach on the shores of Lake Tahoe.  It is a pristine place with lots of boulders to climb, rocks to skip and beach to stroll.

It's a place that brings out the kid in all of us.  Imagine taking a plank of driftwood, a rock, and a sandy beach what would you have?  At Secret Beach you would have a seesaw the old fashioned kind, or perhaps a great plank for taking your family photo (that is if you have a friend with a camera).  Fido is more than welcome - just remember to clean up behind both the dog and the kids.  We brought a picnic; a football and a little bubbly to celebrate the unseasonably warm weather, and to give thanks that we get to live in this incredible place called Tahoe. 

Want to try Secret Beach ... From Incline Village head out towards Spooner summit on Hwy 28.  Go past Sand Harbor and past the Thunderbird Lodge about a mile.  You will see a trailhead parking area on your right (it is closed with a gate for the season we parked along the road.  Head down through the gate to your left if you are facing the water.  You will see trail signs; we cut down at the second trail sign to the beach. The hike down should take about 20 minutes. 

I am now an Active Rain "Secret Agent"

No, I am not here to spy on others - we have plenty of plagiarism patrols on duty it seems these days in the Rain...No I am not here to block spammer in the Rain...they seem to do a pretty good job of that without me. 

I am a true Secret Agent.  My job is to disseminate those tiny tidbits of information that only "locals" seem to know about.  You know that killer ski run or incredible restaurant, the amazing hike that is hard to find or the best place to get free Wi-Fi hookups.  This Secret Agent is on the job 24/7 making sure "my people" are in the know!

Want to be one of "my people" just subscribe to my blog, follow me on twitter or Facebook.  Have a great secret you don't mind sharing with everyone?  Let me know and you can be a Agent in training!  This week's Secret Agent Scoop...Secret Beach (no really that is the name of this sweet spot).  Check out the blog!