Archive for March 2013
Spring is upon us in the mountains (or what passes for spring here), which means this may be one of the last opportunities this year to go for a moonlight snowshoe. If you have never done this before, it is one of those beyond words experiences to remember! Should the sky be clear, the moon lights up the snow as if from a fairytale dream, negating the necessity of flashlights. (But bring one just in case).
If you prefer your athletic endeavors in the daylight, there are also many day snowshoe events as well.
Dress warm, pack a hot beverage of your choice, and keep your nose to the wind for the smell of ‘s’mores‘ wafting in the air. Always a good time.
Here are some local areas that are offering snowshoe tours this month.
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Moonlight on Squaw Valley. For more events at Squaw Valley, visit their website on the link below.
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http://www.squaw.com/things-to-do/events-calendar/guided-moonight-snowshoe-tours
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Guided Moonlight Snowshoe Tours – Squaw Valley
Explore Squaw Valley under a full winter moon. As the moon lights the way our experienced guides will lead you on a snowshoe tour along Siberia Ridge. Lake Tahoe glows under the winter moonlight and you feel like you are on top of the world. Fun for all ages, cost includes snowshoe rentals (you must supply your own poles if needed). Dress appropriately and wear sturdy winter boots.
For reservations – call 800-403-0206
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MARCH 22-23
Snowshoe Social & Race Series – Northstar at Tahoe
Join us for the Northstar Snowshoe Social & Race Series taking place December 22 (USSSA National Championships Qualifier), January 27 (Tahoe Rim Tour & Race), and March 23 (Truckee Tahoe Humane Society Fundraiser). The December and March races will feature a 5k, 10k and kid’s races while the January race, in conjunction with the Tahoe Rim Tour & Race, will be a point-to-point 21K snowshoe from the North Tahoe High School to the Northstar Cross Country, Telemark & Snowshoe Center. The third race will be a fundraiser for the Truckee Tahoe Humane Society and we will allow dogs on the cross country trails that day only. There will be fun for all ages at the finish of each race. During the December and March race dates we’ll have live music at the finish along with snacks, beers and sodas, 10k awards and a raffle for all. During the January race there will be a chili lunch, awards and a raffle. For more info:
http://www.northstarattahoe.com/info/ski/snowshoe_social_race_series.asp
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MARCH 23
Winter Wildlife snowshoe – Mount Rose Tahoe Rime Trail Association and Tahoe Institute for Natural Science host a Winter Wildlife Survival Snowshoe at Tahoe Meadows at 10am. Enjoy a snowshoe trek and learn about winter ecology and survival strategies of wildlife. For the entire family. Moderate, 2-3 miles. Bring equipment and dress appropriately.
Register at http://tahoerimtrail.org/
Sunset Snowshoe – Area Venue
Tahoe Adventure Company hosts a Sunset Snowshoe every Saturday through April featuring natural history discussions, hot drinks and snacks. No experience necessary. $65, includes equipment. Reservations (530) 913-9212
Full Moon Snowshoe – Tahoma
West Shore Sports hosts a Full Moon Snowshoe at Sugar Pine Point State Park. Benefits Sierra State Parks Foundation. $20, ($5 kids), includes snowshoes and parking. Reservations (530) 525-9920
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MARCH 24
Snowshoe Hike – East Shore
Tahoe Rim Trail Association hosts a snowshoe hike to Marlette Lake. 7-10 miles, difficult. Bring equipment, dress appropriately and bring water and food. Free. Register at http://tahoerimtrail.org/
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MARCH 26
55+ snowshoe – Incline Village
IVGID hosts a snowshoe and lunch for 55+ with a light to moderate hike to various locations at 10 a.m. After, enjoy a buffet lunch at Sierra Nevada College. $16, $13 with IVGID pass, includes transportation. Register at (775) 832-1310
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MARCH 27
Full Moon Snowshoe – Area Venue
Tahoe Adventure Company offers a full moon snowshoe trek from 6:30 to 9:30 pm featuring professional guides, natural history discussions,, hot drins, trail snacks and searching for animal tracks. $65 includes gear. Reservations (530) 913-9212 or tahoeadventurecompany.com
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MARCH 31
Family Snowshoe Tours – Northstar at Tahoe
Grab the kids and join us for our Family Afternoon Snowshoe Tours taking place at Northstar California this winter season. These tours are a wonderful way to introduce your little ones to the great outdoors in a fun, unintimidating, friendly atmosphere. The tours are open to all ages and will be an easy snowshoe for the whole family.
Tours will begin at the Cross Country, Telemark & Snowshoe Center at 1:00 p.m. and will last approximately 3 hours. Your guide will lead you on a snowshoe adventure through some of our easier trails to a historic red caboose set in an alpine meadow for hot chocolate, cookies, and snow play!
For more information:
http://www.northstarattahoe.com/info/ski/family_snowshoe_tours.asp
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For more events in the area, visit The Weekly website (featuring North Lake Tahoe and Truckee):
http://theweeklymagazineonline.com/
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And don’t forget to check out the websites of the other ski areas in town. They often offer more events than just skiing!
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A charming Tahoe cabin in the woods
2013 Weekly Real Estate Market Report
North Lake Tahoe-Truckee Region
Residential Properties – Single Family Homes and Condominiums
Week of: March 11th to 17th
Active Inventory Summary:
Active Listings: The current inventory of residential properties went up slightly from the previous report to 528 residential properties for sale; 336 single family homes and 192 condominiums for sale. Coldwell Banker has roughly 13% of the active listings in the market and continues to be the market leader for listings.
REO-Short Sale Active Listings: Of the active listings, there are only 8 properties listed as short sales, (1.5%) and 9 properties listed as REO sales, (1.7%).
Months of Inventory: Based on the current active inventory and sales for the previous 30-day period, the market has a little over 5-months of inventory available.
Sales Summary: Year-To-Date
Total Sales 2013 Vs. 2012:
Total Sales: For 2013, there have been 217 residential properties sold in the market which is slightly higher than the 210 properties sold in 2012 for the same period. Of the total sales in the market this year, 162 have been single family homes, while 55 or 25% of the sales are condominiums. In 2012 for the same period, condominiums represented a little over 20% of the sales.
REO & Short Sales: Distressed property sales are down for the year with 15 REO sales, (7%), and 35 Short Sales, (16%) which results in 23% of the properties sold being distressed properties. In 2012 for the same period, there were 50 REO sales and 47 short sales or 46% of the total sales.
Sales by Price Range: In 2013, there have been 136 residential properties sold priced below $500,000, 51 properties sold between $500,000 and $1,000,000 and 30 properties sold over $1,000,000.
Median and Average Sales Prices: The median sales price for properties sold year to date is $399,000 while the average sales price is $693,011. For the same period in 2012, the median sales price was $350,000 and the average sales price was $516,440 which is an increase of 14% in median sales price and an increase of 34% in average sales price.
Last Week’s Sales: For the week of March 11th a total of 29 properties sold which was up slightly from the prior week’s sales of 26 properties. Of the properties sold last week, 5 properties sold at a price above $1,000,000.
Pending Sales: Currently there are 221 pending residential sales in the market which is down from the previous week’s pending sales of 242. Of the pending properties, 32% are distressed properties with 58 being short sales and 12 being REO’s.
Storm brewing over Tahoe
Market Activity Summary:
Real estate activity for 2013 is mirroring that of 2012 in terms of total sales as there have been 217 residential properties sold year to date which is slightly higher than the 210 sales the same period last year. The month of March through the 17th saw 65 properties sell as compared to 63 in 2012 for the same period which is a 3% increase.
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage as was the case in 2012 continues to be #1 in the entire market in terms of both unit sides sold, (92 sales) and sales volume sold, ($39 million) on a year to date basis.
The median sales price for residential properties reached 399,000 which is up 14% from the median sales price of $350,000 in 2012. Similarly the average sales price has gone up a whopping 34% to $693,011 as compared to last year’s average sales price of $516,440 due in large part to the higher number of luxury sales in the market since the beginning of the new year.
The segment of the market with the highest level of activity continues to be homes priced under $500,000 as 63% of the sales or 136 properties have sold in this price range which is similar on a percentage basis to 2012 where over 67% of sales or 142 properties sold in this price range.
Luxury home sales, homes priced above $1,000,000, are up 66% from 2012 with 30 luxury properties selling since the beginning of the year as compared to only 18 luxury properties sold for the same period in 2012. Luxury properties sold represents over 13% of sales thus far this year. The median sales price for luxury properties in 2013 is $1,616,250 as compared to a median price of $1,250,000 in 2012 which is up 29%. As dramatically, the average sales price of luxury homes in 2013 is $2,460,349 as compared to $1,969,166 in 2012 which is a 25% increase.
The mid range market sales, $500,000 to $1,000,000 are almost identical to last year with 51 properties sold in this segment or 23% of sales as compared to 50 properties sold or 24% of sale in this range in 2012.
Distressed properties, (REO’s and Short Sales), have really lagged 2012 thus far. For 2013, short sale properties closed have gone down 25% with 35 closed short sales in 2013 as compared to 47 closed short sales in 2012. Similarly, REO properties closed in 2013 have gone down (70%) with 15 properties closed in 2013 as compared to 50 properties closed in 2012. Overall, distressed property sales, (REO and Short Sales) represent 23% of the sales in 2013 which is less than the 46% in 2012.
The active inventory on a year over year basis is down roughly 35%. However, this past week we had a slight increase in inventory once again with a total of 528 residential properties on the market; 336 single family homes and 192 condominiums listed for sale. As is the case in many California markets, low inventory levels are the norm and the Tahoe-Truckee market is experiencing similar trends.
IT’S NOT TOO LATE! While inventory levels are lower than normal, there are still many quality properties to choose from throughout the north Lake Tahoe and Truckee area. When you compound the inventory available with homes still priced at 10-year lows and some of the lowest interest rates in history, savvy real estate investors are taking advantage of this market and acquiring homes in many of the Lake Tahoe and Truckee resort communities.
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This dessert is a little late in the day for your holiday feast, but these cupcake delights looked so luscious, I just had to post the recipe. Sure to please all your little Leprechauns.
Shamrock Milkshake Cupcakes
Serving size: 1 cupcake
Yield: 20-22 (2-1/2 inch) cupcakes
Prep 50 mins
Stand 30 mins
Bake 350°F 15 mins to 18 mins
Cool 45 mins
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For more great recipes from Better Homes and Gardens:
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Ingredients
- 4 egg whites
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
- 1/4 cup green creme de menthe**
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 recipe White Chocolate Frosting
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Green food coloring
Directions1. Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line twenty to twenty-two 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup combine the buttermilk and the creme de menthe. Set aside.2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to shortening mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until mixture is combined.3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups.4. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.5. Divide White Chocolate Frosting between two bowls. Tint one portion with green food coloring. Spoon each frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe white and green frostings onto tops of cupcakes to resemble four-leaf clovers. Makes 20 to 22 (2-1/2 inch) cupcakes.
From the Test Kitchen*Test Kitchen Tip:
- For each 1 cup sour milk, place 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1 cup total liquid; stir. Let stand for 5 minutes before using.
**Test Kitchen Tip:
- If you prefer not to use creme de menthe, substitute a mixture of 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon mint extract, and several drops green food coloring.
Yield: 3-1/2 cups
Cook 30 mins to 33 mins
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 6 ounces white baking chocolate with cocoa butter, chopped
- 1/3 cup whipping cream
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups powdered sugar
Directions1. Place white baking chocolate in a large mixing bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan heat whipping cream just until simmering. Pour over white baking chocolate; let stand, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth; let stand for 15 minutes. Gradually beat butter into melted white chocolate mixture with an electric mixer on medium to high speed, beating until combined. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until frosting reaches piping or spreading consistency. Makes 3-1/2 cups.
For Nutrition Facts (Shamrock Milkshake Cupcakes) – go to Better Homes and Gardens link above.
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YOUR FRIEND IN HIGH PLACES 