Snowfest comes to Lake Tahoe!

Snowfest 2008, beginning tomorrow February 29 and continuing through the following weekend, is here, and many new events have been added to the schedule this year. Every day is packed with activities for the whole family and for the party hardy, so check it out! Here are a few events to get you warmed up:

Friday February 29:
Fireworks, D.J.s and live music from the Space Cowboys, and the Opening Night Party are being held at Squaw Valley USA, and begin at 7 pm at the base of KT 22...little ones welcome!

Saturday March 1:
The remarkable Jimmie Huega Mountain Challenge runs through the weekend at Squaw Valley, challenge you and your team members to ski/snowboard GS races and a poker run, or just come out and watch the fun!
SnowBomb Sick and Twisted Big Air Contest is being held all day at Homewood ski resort on the west shore.
The annual SnowFest Parade begins at 11:30 am in Tahoe City, this is a great event for your children to check out after stuffing themselves with pancakes at the T.C. Fire Station!

Sunday March 2:
The notorious Dog Pull is held this year at the Tahoe City golf course, and begins at 12 sharp.
Sunnyside hosts once again it's famous Luau, with an all you can eat buffet and drink specials beginning at 5:30...bring an empty stomach!

2+ Feet of Snow, Now We're Talkin'!

Yesterday, February 25, was quite a scene at Squaw Valley. After nearly 4 days of snow, the mountain was a blanket of white, and the sky was the bluest blue. Temps rose to nearly 50 degrees, and the vibe was sheer joy and elation. You could feel the energy wherever you went, whether it was sitting on a chair, flying through chutes that were unpassable last week, or hanging out at one of the many haunts apres ski. My hang-out choice was Le Chamois, at the base, where the average age of patrons appeared to be 26...hmmm, maybe a little out of my league, with 4 year old in tow, but it was great none the less! It was my daughter's second true powder day, and she finished strong by skiing the 3 mile long Mountain Run at 2pm-a great day, indeed! This week we're expected to have beautiful skies and warm temps throughout, so until the next storm, I guess it's California sun!

Economy Contributes to Non-Traditional Sales Types

It has been some time since the real estate industry, on a large-scale basis, has had to deal with foreclosures, deeds in lieu of foreclosure, short sales and the like. Unfortunately, distress sales of real property, resulting from a convergence of tightening credit, falling property values, and the consequences of prior lending practices, are all too common, and Lake Tahoe/Truckee is not immune. Whether the property falls under the above scenarios, or is REO (Real Estate Owned), certain tax surprises may lurk for the homeowner/seller/defaulter. Here is a comprehensive

Q and A that the California Association of Realtors has published to help de-mystify some tax implications and definitions behind these predicaments. And as always, a quick phone call to your trusted Real Estate Agent, Tax Accountant or Loan Broker can help clear the fog. Use these professionals, they are here to help!

North Lake Tahoe PUD rescinds sewer ordinance

North Tahoe sewer lateral ownership overturned
North Tahoe utility responds to outcry

By Julie Brown, Sierra Sun

The North Tahoe Public Utility District board of directors surrendered to public complaints and criticisms at their meeting Tuesday and rescinded Ordinance 371, which would have given district property owners full responsibility over their entire sewer lateral. Board member Sue Daniels made the motion to take back the ordinance, which was originally adopted in December 2007. “That is the heart and soul of what we are,” Daniels said. “The public utility district is supposed to take on the tasks to take sewage out of the Basin.” The ordinance, which would have held individual property owners responsible for the entire pipeline that connects their residence to the sewer main, was drafted in reaction to the state’s Waste Discharge Requirements. The state legislation calls for stricter reporting of wastewater overflows where the district must report any spill caused by a blockage in a publicly owned sewer pipe. The ordinance was intended to protect the district from any increased liability that would be affected by the number and frequency of reported sewer spills. “This comes from legislation and having to report these spills,” said board President Lane Lewis, who was the sole member of the board to vote against Daniels’ motion. But the district’s property owners said they felt the ordinance was a way for the district to avoid responsibility.“From the public side, it just seems the [pud] is trying to shirk it’s responsibility,” said Peter Morris at the meeting. “It appears that in order to avoid reporting, you’re trying to hand it over to the private sector.” Jennifer Merchant of the Placer County’s executive office said the county was concerned the ordinance would place too much of a burden on property owners, especially if a lateral needs repair beyond the private property line and in the public’s right of way, which would require extensive permitting.“We would prefer that you rescind the ordinance,” Merchant said. “We respectfully request that that would occur.” After listening to the public at Tuesday's meeting, several board members agreed that the ordinance was implemented without thinking it through. “I think we made a hasty decision,” said board director Frank Mooney. Board Director John Bergmann said the district never implemented the ordinance to avoid responsibility. However, he felt the way the ordinance was drafted was not suitable for the North Tahoe district.

Statewide MLS approved by California Association of Realtors

BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVES ESTABLISHMENT OF STATEWIDE MLS!

C.A.R.'s board of directors has approved a plan to establish a statewide hybrid multiple listing service for California (the "California MLS"), which will be owned and operated by C.A.R. This effort is focused on providing the most innovative and cost effective MLS services delivered to members through their local association or regional MLS. Its goal is to provide statewide coverage of listing data to all those who choose to participate. The next step is to determine which local associations and regional MLSs are ready to move forward in this groundbreaking effort.
This is promising news that our industry and reigning entity C.A.R. is stepping up to take back control of real estate information that has been so loosely and incorrectly thrown around by other information meccas like Google and Zillow. With so much information on the internet, and no one governing the validity and current correctness of any of it, consumers are being misled on issues such as home prices, comparison studies, values, and number of homes sold or on market. A statewide MLS will harness the most accurate sales data, and current market stats to provide our clients and consumers the best information possible and enable accurate home-buying desicions. Way to go, C.A.R.!!

48 Straight comes to Squaw Valley!

Called "The Loudest Show on Snow", this montage of ski racing, big names, fashion shows and live music comes to Squaw Valley on February 8-11. A re-make of last years' Honda Ski Tour, Jeep King of the Mountain has picked up extra "cool" points by climbing on board the ski/snow culture celebration not to be missed. Squaw receives a major face-lift as enormous tents are placed in the middle of parking lots, every venue is packed with live music or D.J.'s, and persons like Daron Rahlves and Sarah Burke wander the village when they're not killing it on the snow. If there was ever a time to come up and experience an energy that is simply uncontainable, it is this weekend. So check it out; tickets are available through local shops like New Moon Natural Foods in Truckee, Alice's market in Squaw (next to Post Office), or online at TicketWeb. I'll be there, will you?