Pioneer Trail
May 12, 2011
The Pioneer Trail area is located off of Pioneer Trail in between Montgomery Estates and Country Club Estates in the county area of South Lake Tahoe. The Pioneer Trail area is centrally located and has quick access the ski resorts, beaches, and casinos.
The homes in the Pioneer Trail area are located on forested and gently sloping lots. Many of the homes back up to National Forest land or are located near Forest Service or Conservancy lots. The homes in the area range from older chalet style cabins, to newly constructed large custom homes. Home prices in the area are generally less than what they are in the neighboring Montgomery Estates area making it a great option for many buyers.
The Pioneer Trail area gives you the feeling of being in the mountains of Tahoe, yet it is just minutes from the lake. The mature pine trees, mountain views, and larger lots make this area a wonderful place to own real estate in South Lake Tahoe. Outdoor enthusiasts will love the access to many popular hiking, mountain biking, and snowshoeing trails. Make sure to include the Pioneer Trail area in your search for Real Estate in South Lake Tahoe if you are looking for a quiet place to escape that is not too far away from the action!
Gardner Mountain
February 17, 2009
If you are looking for a neighborhood with low to mid-priced homes in South Lake Tahoe, the Gardner Mountain area is a great place to buy. The majority of homes in the Gardner Mountain area are smaller homes and cabins priced in the $300,000 range. There are some houses available in the mid $200′s, and range all the way to new houses can be found up in the $800′s.
Gardner Mountain has a quiet mountain like setting and is still with-in the City limits of South Lake Tahoe. As the name implies, the area is located on a small and forested mountain. Gardner Mountain has easy access from HWY 89, and is less than a mile from HWY 50 and the Y. Gardner Mountain is one of the closest areas to Camp Richardson, Fallen Leaf Lake, and South Shores best beaches. There is a great bike trail that leads to Pope beach , Baldwin beach, Kiva beach, and all the way to Ski beach from the bottom of Gardner Mountain.
National Forest land boarders the west side of the Gardner Mountain area, and to the south is the South Tahoe High School. Gardner street, on the west side, is one of the best streets in the area to be located on because it boarders the National Forest land and offers both privacy and views.
Most of the lots in the Gardner Mountain area are 5,000 to 10,000 square feet in size. The 10,000 square foot lots are usually 50′ wide by 200′ deep, so many homes in the area have very large back yards. There are also a few big lots near the bottom of Gardner Mountain that are an entire acre in size.
Simple Home Staging Tips
February 17, 2008
Staging your home can be as simple as re-arranging, cleaning, and adding a few unique decorations. Staging can also be as extensive as hiring a professional home stager and spending thousands thousands on high-end furnishings. For those of you who want to make staging simple, I have put together some great tips to sell your Lake Tahoe homes.
LOOSE THE CLUTTER!
Today’s Lake Tahoe home buyers are looking for light, bright, and large open rooms. Clutter will make a room look small, non inviting, and ultimately make it hard to sell your home.
It’s time to to put away all of the trinkets, nick knacks, and miscellaneous “stuff” that you have accumulated over the years. Throw out the old magazines and catalogues that are spread out on the coffee table, and store those old books cluttering up the book shelves. Stand back and take a look at the room. Are there too many pictures cluttering up the walls? Is there too much furniture crammed into the room? Is the room lopsided with all of the furniture on one side? If so, you should correct any of those problems to create a more inviting, balanced and open feeling room.
Clean it up!
Cleaning your home is an often overlooked element of staging. If your carpet is stained or dirty, have it cleaned. Even if you think the new owners will be replacing the old carpet, your house will show and smell a lot better. If you have dirty or scuffed walls, break out the Spackle and paint. Make sure that you use lighter neutral colors instead of dark and bold ones. Your taste will probably not be the same as the prospective buyers, and dark colors will make the room look smaller.
Time for some elbow grease!
The kitchen and bathrooms are very important rooms for prospective buyers. Clean off the kitchen counters and put away any unused small appliances. Do not overlook the major appliances like the stove, cook-top, oven, microwave, or the infamous refrigerator. This is where the prospective buyer will be preparing his or her meals! Moving on to the bathrooms, scrub those toilets, showers, sinks and behind the faucets. Empty the waste baskets, and don’t forget to put the toilet seat down!
Time for the details!
Once your house is clean and free of clutter, it’s time for some flair. Add some fresh flowers (I would avoid the fake ones), a bowl of colorful fresh fruit in the kitchen, some towels wrapped in ribbons and scented soap in the bathrooms, be creative! Try to draw attention to the focal points. For example, put some unique candle holders on the mantle, and always try to display decorative items in groups of odd numbers. It doesn’t take much, we just got rid of the clutter!
Look outside!
The outside is just as important, and the most overlooked aspect of home staging. First impressions are key, and the outside is the first part of your home that prospective buyers will see. If the exterior is looking tired, think about a paint job. Sweep or even pressure wash the driveway and walk ways, cut the lawn, and dust the spider webs. Finally, add some colorful flower pots around the yard.
According to staged homes .com, most staging efforts have a 400% to 500% return on investment. Furthermore, staged homes spend 50% less time on the market and lead to an average of 6.9% higher sales price than unstaged homes. Staging might just be worth the effort, and the difference between a “For Sale” sign and a “Sold” sign on your South Lake Tahoe Real Estate!
