Y Area

March 24, 2009

The “Y Area” in South Lake Tahoe has some of the lowest priced homes for sale in South Lake Tahoe. Houses in the Y Area start at under $200,000 for a small 2 bedroom home, fixer, or a foreclosure. Most of the homes in the Y Area range from $200,000 to $400,000. The houses priced from $200,000 to $400,000 are most likely 2 or 3 bedroom homes in re-modled or original condition.

The Y Area is conveniently located where HWY 50 and HWY 89 intersect in South Lake Tahoe. This is a great location for either locals who want to be in town, or for second home owners who would like to be close to most of South Shores amenities. Camp Richardson is only about 5 minutes north on HWY 89, and between the Y and Camp Richardson are South Shores best beaches.

Most of the homes in the Y Area are on flat 5,000 square foot lots and have neighboring homes on all sides of the property. Due to all of the trees in the Y Area, mountain views are rare in this area. The  Tahoe Verde Estates Mobile Home park is also located in the Y Area.

For affordable Real Estate in South Lake Tahoe, the Y Area is an area that may have the house that you are looking for. Weather you are looking for a starter home or a vacation home in South Lake Tahoe, make sure to take a look in the Y Area.

Stateline

March 16, 2009

The Stateline area on the California side is one of the most convenient locations in South Lake Tahoe Real Estate. It is the location that draws most buyers to this area. The Stateline area is the closest area to the Casinos out of all of the areas on the South Lake Tahoe mls. Heavenly Valley Ski Resort can also be accessed from Stateline by the gondola at the Heavenly Village.

The houses in the Stateline area are very diverse. Most of the houses on the South side of Highway 50 are older and smaller cabins with some remodels. The prices for these cabins usually run from $250,000 to $400,000.  The houses on the North side of Highway 50 can vary from smaller cabins to multi-million dollar lake front homes. The area between the Lake Side Marina and Highway 50 is known as the Lakeside subdivision, and offers private beach access passes with home ownership. just West of the Lakeside subdivision is Tahoe Meadows. Tahoe Meadows is a private gated community with lake view and lake front homes. The Tahoe Meadows area is one of the most sought after areas in South Lake Tahoe.

The Stateline area makes an ideal location for a second home buyer, or an investor looking for  vacation rental property. If you are looking at homes in South Lake Tahoe, make sure to include the Stateline area.

Foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe Can Be Half Off!

March 12, 2009

Would you believe me if I said that some homes in South Lake Tahoe can be purchased for less than half of what they were worth in 2005/2006? If this were true, would you think that it is now a good time to buy real estate in South Lake Tahoe?  Your answers to both of my questions should be yes!

Not all homes in South Lake Tahoe are selling at half price, but some are, and here is a recent example:

My wife Jill recently sold a home located at 1035 Herbert for $208,000. This house had previously sold in October 2004 for $330,000 and again in July 2006 for $480,000! The recent sales price of $208,000 is 57% less than what this house had previously sold for in 2006! The buyers purchased this house for less than half of what someone else paid 3 years ago!

1035 Herbert was a 1394 square foot bank owned foreclosure. With four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a detached garage, this house has plenty of room and a great layout. The selling price per square foot was $149.21 which was well under the median price per square foot of other South Lake Tahoe foreclosures (which is $202 per square foot). The sales price of $208,000 was also well below the median sales price of other foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe (which is currently $272,000).

1035 Herbert

There are a lot of potential home buyers out there who do not think that they can get a loan to purchase a home like this one. That is not necessarily true. This house on Herbert was financed as a second home! As long as you have a solid credit score and proof of income, you have a good chance of obtaining financing. Most lenders are now requiring a minimum FICO score of 620 to obtain an FHA loan. In order to obtain an FHA loan, the house does need to be your primary residence. With Mortgage rates at historical lows, and home prices at up to half off, now is a great time to buy Real Estate in South Lake Tahoe!
 If you would like to find out if you can qualify for a loan, give Lee Nicchel at Associated Mortgage a call at (530) 544-5309. Lee should be able to let  you know if you can qualify for a loan in just a few minutes.
If you would like to know more about homes in South Lake Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe real estate, or questions regarding foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe, please contact Brent and Jill Johnson today!

Viewing Homes for sale in South Lake Tahoe? Bring your snow boots!!

February 14, 2009

If you are planning on looking at homes for sale in South Lake Tahoe, make sure to bring your snow boots! Yesterday,  my wife and partner Jill was out showing houses in a snow storm and came home with wet and very cold feet. We have finally been getting some well needed Sierra snow, but it does not make things easy for house hunting!

After one of the driest January’s on record, sellers have forgotten how important it is to maintain access to their home through the snow. Many times buyers will pull up to a home that has not been plowed, and just drive away. That sure makes it hard to sell! There was one out of town agent who told Jill that she was just up her two weeks ago and shoveled a path to the front door. It has snowed a few feet since then, and there was a 4 foot berm from the snow plow!

Yesterday Jill had some very adventurous buyers willing to wade through the snow to get inside. It was a good thing,  because they wouldn’t have been able to see many homes if not!

Foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe are the most likely homes NOT have a plowed driveway after a snow storm. It is usually up to the listing agent to schedule the snow removal, pay for it, and hopefully be reimbursed from the bank. Don’t expect to warm up once you are inside either, most foreclosures for sale in South Lake Tahoe are winterized and have no heat!

A lot of homes in South Lake Tahoe are second homes. It is easy for a homeowner who lives out of town to forget that when it is raining in the valley, it is most likely snowing in Tahoe! If you have a second home in Tahoe for sale, and would like buyers to look at it, hire a snow removal company to plow the driveway!

When planning a trip to look at houses for sale in South Lake Tahoe, make sure to bring a good pair of waterproof boots, a jacket, and gloves. You may also want to bring a note pad and a pen to take notes, a digital camera, and a tape measure to make sure that your furniture will fit!

Happy house hunting!!!

 

If you would like to set up an appointment to tromp around in the snow and look at houses for sale in South Lake Tahoe, or would like more information about foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe or real estate in South Lake Tahoe, contact Brent and Jill Johnson today!

South Lake Tahoe Real estate blog posted by Brent Johnson on a snowy Tahoe day!

South Lake Tahoe Foreclosures for Sale, 3305 Treehaven Drive

February 10, 2009

Foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe are selling faster than any other houses, which is why I have been updating my “Current list of foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe” blog post daily. This list can be found on the left side of my website under the parent category “Foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe”.

Currently there are 36 foreclosures for sale on the South Lake Tahoe mls, and 17 are in escrow. The average days on the market for the for the 25 foreclosures that have sold has been 90 days. The 90 days on the market includes the escrow period, which is usually from 30 to 45 days. Many of the foreclosures have gone into escrow within a couple of days!

The latest foreclosure on the South Lake Tahoe mls is 3305 Treehaven Drive

3305 Treehaven Dr.

 3305 Treehaven Drive $199,900

Bank owned Foreclosure

Townhouse Style Condo with a Garage. This has a half bath downstairs an both bedrooms and full bath upstairs. Fenced in backyard with a deck. Laundry Hookups at Upstairs Hallway. The HOA pays the exterior insurance on a yearly basis. Bank Owned property is To be sold in “AS IS” condition.

  • 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, 1 car garage
  • 960 square feet
  • HOA dues are $700 per year
  • Townhouse Style Condo
  • Close to Lake Tahoe

                                                                                      

If you see any homes on my “Foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe” list that you would like to know more about, please do not hesitate to ask us.

This South Lake Tahoe Real Estate blog post was written by Brent Johnson. Contact Brent and Jill Johnson for any questions regarding Homes for sale in South Lake Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe foreclosures, or real estate in South Lake Tahoe!