Real Estate Information

       Snow in downtown Truckee  boasts about 5 feet with several more feet promised in the next few days.  Temperatures are a tropical 0 degrees.  Skiers are rejoicing along with the ski resorts.  It's been a number of years since this much snow has accumulated in Truckee this early in a new year.  Skiing is superb on light fluffy stuff.  We almost thought we were in Colorado.

Don Schaller

Broker Owner

Schaller Family Realtors

alltruckeehomes.com

                     Earthquakes in Truckee?  You bet.  December 28^th, residents felt a 3.6 magnitude  earthquake centered 9 miles east of Truckee and 4 miles from Kings Beach.   Just a little shake.  People think that Truckee is sitting on the largest chunk of granite imaginable and therefore is immune to quakes.  Not so.  It turns out that there are several faults in the Truckee Lake Tahoe area.  They make themselves known about every 10 years or so, although meekly.

Don Schaller

Broker Owner

Schaller Family Realtors

Dickson Realty Truckee

truckeehomefinders.com

      Wells Fargo plans to modify home loans, many of which were acquired through loan companies purchased in 2008 such as Wachovia, World Savings Bank and Golden West Financial.  Most of these loans were adjustable rate mortgages that, when  matured, allowed mortgages to reach heights that could not be met by the home owner.  This condition was exacerbated by loss of jobs, diminished hours and a troubled economy.

        Wells has agreed to spend between $18 million and $32 million to restructure home loans in such a manner as to relieve the burden of over valued mortgages to home owners.  This move has the affect of correcting poor loan decisions by many originating lenders in the heyday of easy money loans popular in 2007 and 2008.

Don Schaller

Broker Owner

Schaller Faamily Realtors

Dickson Realty Truckee

alltruckeehomes.com

           Martis Creek Dam some 3 miles from Truckee, the home to large trout, has been found to be seeping water from its base.  The Army Corp. of Engineers has been doing a study on the dam to determine the severity of the problem.  The options are: repair the damage, remove the dam, build a new one. Interested parties are considering these options as we speak.

          The dam was originally built in1971 for flood control but has never been allowed to fill to its full capacity.

Don Schaller

Broker Owner

Schaller Family Realtors

Dickson Realty Truckee

Alltruckeehomes.com

The co owner of Bacchi’s restaurant in King Beach, William Hunter, found a 500 pound black bear sleeping in the dining room when he opened his restaurant in the morning.  He banged pans and shouted but the bear didn’t leave.  The bear became aggressive to Hunter and began to move towards him.  Fearing a further confrontation with 500 pounds of black bear Hunter shot the bear.  Under the circumstances, the Fish and Game Department cleared Hunter of killing the bear.  The bear had been known to have broken into the restaurant several times before. 

Don Schaller
Broker Owner
Schaller Family Realtors
Dickson Realty Truckee

Alltruckeehomes.com                                                                          

When humans find themselves in a housing crisis there are several things happening.  Being embarrassed is probably the first.  Not wanting to reveal this to anyone is probably second.  Not knowing what the options are is very common.   Most owners have never been in this situation before and their survival instincts shut down.  It has always been someone else who has had this happen to them.  There are hundreds of thousands of people in the same situation.

There are a number of things that should be done when the distressed property dilemma surfaces.  Calling the lender should be first and discussing the situation.   Lowering the monthly payments by changing the interest rates, refinancing at a lower rate by forgiving certain principal amounts are a few options now being looked at by lenders.  Lenders are now mandated by the government to try and seek ways to keep delinquent home owners in their homes.  But, the sooner a dialogue is started with the lender the more likely a solution can be reached.  Timing is a very important ingredient in these situations.

Don Schaller
Broker Owner
Schaller Family Realtors
Dickson Realty Truckee

Alltruckeehomes.com

          As described by 4 major vacation magazines, Truckee finds a home in skiers’ minds as one of the neatest places to ski and play.   While the Truckee/ Lake Tahoe area has its’ share of glitzy places such as the new Ritz Carlton and South Shore, it is described as being unritzified and  the most well-rounded of the many ski resorts. 

          Tahoe boasts at least 8 major ski areas as well as a number of smaller resorts.  Being only a 3 and a half hour drive from the San Francisco Bay area makes it one of the easiest  ski areas to access as opposed to many that require the better part of a day plus air fare to access.

           The 2011 ski season is promising to be a banner ski year since at this writing, the first part of December finds almost five feet of snow on the ground with night time temperatures between 0 and 20 with 8 days out of the next ten projecting snow. YEE HAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

 Don Schaller

Broker Owner

Schaller Family Realtors

Dickson Realty Truckee

Alltruckeehomes.com

          It’s easy for we Americans to open our newspapers in the morning, read the headlines, glancing  over the desperate inhumanities perpetrated  daily around the world, finish our coffee, fold up our paper and go to work.  But not Nick Sensley.   

          Nick Sensley, Chief of  Police for Truckee, California, population 16,500, has another job.   He is the point man for Leadership International Global.  As such, his focus is Southern Sudan where he is working with the leaders of that country for ways to combat corruption which is the major stumbling block to progress in emerging counties.  Southern Sudan is soon to be a country of its’ own and is now forming its’ government leaders who Nick Sensley is counseling with .

           Too few  times in our lives, do we have an opportunity to meet someone who has stepped out of the easy norm to support humanity for humanity’s sake.   Such a man is Nick Sensley.

           See more by going to:  sierrasun.com and read: A PLAN IN SUDAN. November 26, 2010

 Don Schaller

Broker Owner

Schaller Family Realtors

Dickson Realty Truckee

Alltruckeehomes.com

           If you’ve ever gone swimming in Lake Tahoe, most will have to admit that it’s a shocking experience.  Most swimming time, except for getting your tootsies wet, is about long enough to jump in and jump back out.  Well, times they are “achangin”. 

           NASA’s satellites are testing the surface temperatures of 176 of the worlds 364 largest lakes and have found that all surface temperatures are rising between 1 and 2 degrees a year.  These temperature changes are attributed, as you might have guessed, to global warming.

           I wouldn’t throw away your wetsuit just yet but, it’s kind of scary contemplating what these changes will foment.

 Don Schaller

Broker Owner

Schaller Family Realtors

Dickson Realty Truckee

Alltruckeehomes.com

          Squaw Valley, arguably California’s premier ski resort, changes hands after being owned by the Cushing family for over 60 years.  KSL Capital Partners of Denver, Colorado purchased Squaw, site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, for an undisclosed amount.  Noting that Squaw had lost some of its stature in the last several years, KSL is looking at this acquisition as an opportunity to bring Squaw back to its’ historic prominence and is planning to upgrade the facilities allotting $50 million to be spent over the next 3 to 5 years for this purpose.

          Squaw has always been the place of choice for those skiers looking for the most challenging runs in California.   I know how paralyzing Red Dog can be since  I brought my soon to be wife down Red Dog one snowy afternoon amid frequent stops and many tears.  She still married me, wonder of wonders.  It’s now 38 years.  I  recommend Red Dog for first time skiers as a marriage warm up experience.  Truckee thinking goes, if the run doesn’t scare you a little bit, it’s time to look for another run.

           The modernizing of Squaw Valley will be welcome for the whole Tahoe experience, skiers and nature lovers alike.  Lost on many are the great summer hikes with wild flowers, alpine lakes  and incredible views. It is said that people come to the mountains for the skiing  but stay for the summers.

 Don Schaller

Broker Owner

Schaller Family Realtors

Dickson Realty Truckee

Alltruckeehomes.com