I found a jewel at Lake Tahoe.  It has beautiful lake views and I’ll get to the amenities and luxuries in a moment but what makes this the spot is the privacy. It is an 11+ acre estate that is surrounded on three sides by over 1100 acres of Forest Service land.   A celeb looking for a private and secluded place to get away from all of the hullabaloo of the entertainment or sports or corporate world and needs to get there without spending 12 hours on a plane, this place is it.    The head of a Fortune 500 company would like this property too.  This place allows you to get away from it all but if you must, you still have access to the world outside.

They say location, location, location is key and this place not only has location, but it has privacy, privacy and privacy!

    

The estate is in Incline Village, Nevada, you know on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe.  The address is 456 Ponderosa.  To get to the residence, you first land your plane at Truckee Airport or Reno Airport.  Have your driver head towards Incline Village.  Then before you know it, you are in Incline and your driver has turned into the gated entry (that has a camera that is monitored from the residence) and onto an illuminated private drive.  As you ascend the drive the forest starts to surround you.  Now you begin to soak it all in.  The lake, the views, the forest and finally, the grand estate.

I mentioned I would get to the luxuries and amenities so here it goes. Over 13,000 square feet of luxurious living space is filled with 4 bedroom suites including 2 master suites, separate guest suite with a sitting area, fireplace and deck, a home theater with bar, a spa room, office area, wine room and a game room.  But that is not all, the kitchen rivals that found in most sophisticated restaurants, there are lake view decks, a 4 car garage to hold all the toys, security system and home management system.  And, best of all it is at a low elevation.

 The scale and openness of the stunning interior exudes luxury and coziness as it is softened by the warm earth tones found in the artisan finishes masterfully applied from room to room.

In the end, this estate is a must for anyone who desires extreme privacy while surrounded by complete and utter luxury.     $9,200,000. 

To schedule a private tour of this estate please contact Schwartz-Stanton Group, Dan Schwartz or Tawny Stanton, 800.520.7358  or  775.832.4626

 Click here to view a webcast  and click here to take a virtual tour.

As more homebuyers and real estate agents use the internet to research properties, first impressions are more important than ever. Before scheduling appointments or visiting open houses, homebuyers and their agents will often drive by homes for sale and make assessments based on the exterior. More often than not, if a homebuyer doesn’t like the outside of a home, they won’t care to see the inside. Yet, it is possible to dramatically alter the appearance of your home with a few simple tasks. As you prepare to list your home, consider implementing some of the tips mentioned here to maximize your property’s curb appeal.

Before you begin making repairs to the exterior of your home, you may want to analyze your home from a distance. Look at your home from across the street and try to pinpoint the best and worst qualities of the property. As you walk towards your home, try to make note of both your first impressions and any elements that stand out. When looking at your home from the exterior, you may also want to compare its appearance to other homes in the neighborhood. While you may feel as if you know the details of your home intimately, this step can help you think like a potential buyer and assist you in maximizing the curb appeal.

When it is time to get to work, you should approach the exterior of your home in the same way you would a bedroom or kitchen. Just as you wouldn’t want a prospective home buyer to see dirty dishes in your sink, you want to make sure the front of your home is as attractive as possible. While the chores associated with maximizing curb appeal will differ from home to home, the following are the most common and effective methods of enticing potential buyers indoors for a closer look:

Paint – Perhaps the most effective of all pre-sale repairs, a simple coat of paint to the exterior, doors and shutters can make your home appear well cared for and in good condition. When painting the exterior of the home, you may also want to consider if new door knobs and other hardware could boost the appearance of your home. If you don’t replace any of the metal on the exterior of your home, polishing brass hardware and cleaning or painting iron fences can also give your home a fresh look.

Lawn – There are a number of landscaping tricks that may improve the curb appeal of your home. First, the lawn should be mowed, raked and edged. Next, try to thoroughly weed all planter boxes, trim larger plants and include some extra flowers near the front of the house. If any large trees hang over your home or obscure the view from the street, you may want to cut away some large branches. You may also want to consider investing some extra money into landscaping by hiring professionals to make your front yard as attractive as possible.

Windows and Gutters – Much like the fresh paint applied to the exterior, taking time to clean the windows can certainly change the appearance of your home. Likewise, try to keep your rain gutters free of leaves and debris as you never know where a potential homebuyer might look.

Driveway – If you have an old, cracked driveway, hiring a professional to reseal the surface can add to your home’s curb appeal. If the driveway rests in direct sight in front of the home, this step can become even more important.

Lighting – As potential homebuyers could drive by your property at any time, you want to make sure your home is inviting at night. By installing a street lamp and a front porch light – both of which should match the style of your home – you will dramatically boost your home’s 24/7 curb appeal. If you anticipate potential homebuyers coming onto the property after dark, calm lighting that lines the driveway and path to the front door can put your visitors at ease.

Pressure Clean – This process can be applied to both the exterior of the home and the driveway. Just one treatment can eliminate years of dirt, mold and mildew from your property.

If you need to improve the curb appeal of your home before putting it up for sale, the best tool could be your ability to think like a buyer. By repairing or minimizing your property’s flaws and drawing attention to key selling points, you may be surprised by the responses you receive from potential homebuyers._{Courtesy of Coldwell Banker Real Estate, LLC} 

Courtesy of National Association of RealtorsSales of existing homes showed another gain in May, benefiting from favorable affordability conditions and a first-time buyer tax credit, according to the National Association of Realtors®. May’s increase was the first back-to-back monthly gain since September 2005.

Existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – rose 2.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate1 of 4.77 million units in May from a downwardly revised level of 4.66 million units in April, but remained 3.6 percent below the 4.95 million-unit pace in May 2008.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, expected an improvement. “Historically low mortgage interest rates clearly drew buyers into the market, and housing remains very affordable even with a recent uptick in rates,” he said. “First-time buyers also are being drawn off the sidelines by the $8,000 tax credit, which is helping to absorb inventory. However, the increase in sales is less than expected because poor appraisals are stalling transactions. Pending home sales indicated much stronger activity, but some contracts are falling through from faulty valuations that keep buyers from getting a loan.”

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage edged up to 4.86 percent in May from a record low 4.81 percent in April; the rate was 6.04 percent in May 2008. Last week, Freddie Mac reported the 30-year fixed at 5.38 percent; data collection began in 1971.

Total housing inventory at the end of May fell 3.5 percent to 3.80 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 9.6-month supply2 at the current sales pace, down from a 10.1-month supply in April.

Yun said the appraisal problem is serious. “Lenders are using appraisers who may not be familiar with a neighborhood, or who compare traditional homes with distressed and discounted sales,” he said. “In the past month, stories of appraisal problems have been snowballing from across the country with many contracts falling through at the last moment. There is danger of a delayed housing market recovery and a further rise in foreclosures if the appraisal problems are not quickly corrected.”

An NAR practitioner survey in May showed first-time buyers accounted for 29 percent of transactions, and that the number of buyers looking at homes is nearly 10 percentage points higher than a year ago. “This is the time of year when we see large increases in the number of repeat buyers, who are benefitting from sales to entry-level buyers,” Yun said. “Investors appear less active, but are more prevalent in areas with large price corrections.”

NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth, said appraisals and the tax credit are key issues. “To maximize the potential for a housing recovery and subsequent economic recovery, we need realistic appraisals that are based on proper comparisons and done by a local specialist,” he said. “In addition, the first-time buyer tax credit should be expanded to all buyers of primary homes regardless of income. Extending the credit into 2010 would allow more time for the market to catch up with underlying demand, in part because many families with children, who normally time their purchase based on school year considerations, do not have enough time to move before the start of school in late August.

“Freeing a pent-up demand in housing will absorb inventory at a faster pace, strengthen communities and stabilize home prices earlier,” McMillan said.

The national median existing-home price3 for all housing types was $173,000 in May, down 16.8 percent from a year earlier. Distressed properties, which declined to 33 percent of all sales in May from 45 percent in April, continue to downwardly distort the median price because they generally sell at a discount relative to traditional homes.

“The decline in the distressed sales share likely results from an increase of repeat buyers in May,” Yun said. “First-time buyers are concentrated in the lower price ranges, which include most of the distressed sales.”

Single-family home sales rose 1.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.25 million in May from a pace of 4.17 million in April, but are 3.0 percent below the 4.38 million-unit level in May 2008. The median existing single-family home price was $172,900 in May, down 16.1 percent from a year ago.

Existing condominium and co-op sales increased 6.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 520,000 units in May from 490,000 in April, but are 8.9 percent below the 571,000-unit level in May 2008. The median existing condo price4 was $173,800 in May, down 21.9 percent from a year earlier.

Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast rose 3.9 percent to an annual level of 800,000 in May, but are 10.1 percent below a year ago. The median price in the Northeast was $243,600, which is 12.5 percent below May 2008.

Existing-home sales in the Midwest jumped 9.0 percent in May to a pace of 1.09 million but are 4.4 percent below May 2008. The median price in the Midwest was $145,800, which is 10.4 percent lower than a year ago.

In the South, existing-home sales were unchanged at an annual pace of 1.74 million in May but are 8.9 percent below a year ago. The median price in the South was $157,400, down 9.9 percent from May 2008.

Existing-home sales in the West slipped 0.9 percent to an annual rate of 1.14 million in May, but are 11.8 percent higher than May 2008. The median price in the West was $197,700, down 30.6 percent from a year ago.

The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

# # #

NOTE: Any references to performance in states or metro areas are from unpublished raw data used to analyze regional trends; please contact your local association of Realtors® for more information.

1The annual rate for a particular month represents what the total number of actual sales for a year would be if the relative pace for that month were maintained for 12 consecutive months. Seasonally adjusted annual rates are used in reporting monthly data to factor out seasonal variations in resale activity. For example, home sales volume is normally higher in the summer than in the winter, primarily because of differences in the weather and family buying patterns. However, seasonal factors cannot compensate for abnormal weather patterns.

Existing-home sales, which include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, are based on transaction closings. This differs from the U.S. Census Bureau’s series on new single-family home sales, which are based on contracts or the acceptance of a deposit. Because of these differences, it is not uncommon for each series to move in different directions in the same month. In addition, existing-home sales, which generally account for 85 to 90 percent of total home sales, are based on a much larger sample – more than 40 percent of multiple listing service data each month – and typically are not subject to large prior-month revisions.

Single-family data collection began monthly in 1968, while condo data collection began quarterly in 1981; the series were combined in 1999 when monthly collection of condo data began. Prior to this period, single-family homes accounted for more than nine out of 10 purchases. Historic comparisons for total home sales prior to 1999 are based on monthly single-family sales, combined with the corresponding quarterly sales rate for condos.

2Total inventory and month’s supply data are available back through 1999, while single-family inventory and month’s supply are available back to 1982.

3The only valid comparisons for median prices are with the same period a year earlier due to the seasonality in buying patterns. Month-to-month comparisons do not compensate for seasonal changes, especially for the timing of family buying patterns. Changes in the composition of sales can distort median price data. Year-ago median and mean prices sometimes are revised in an automated process if more data is received than was originally reported.

4Because there is a concentration of condos in high-cost metro areas, the national median condo price generally is higher than the median single-family price. In a given market area, condos typically cost less than single-family homes.

Existing-home sales for June will be released July 23. The next Pending Home Sales Index & Forecast is scheduled for July 1; release times are 10 a.m. EDT.

Back in February, February 20, 2009 to be exact, a story was published in the Sacramento Bee titled California budget’s higher taxes ‘ugly’ but necessary, experts say”.   The main thrust of the news article had to do with the early morning vote by the California Legislature on a new state budget.   The new California budget includes a $0.01 increase in state sales tax, higher personal income tax and raises taxes by $12.8 billion.  How does this help Incline Village Real Estate?  Tawny Stanton, Broker-Salesperson and principal of the Schwartz-Stanton Group, luxury real estate specialist in Incline Village on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, was interviewed for the article to give her professional perspective.  According to Tawny,  “the new California budget is excellent for business.” She went on to say that “more than half her clients are Californians running away from a government that’s broke and the high state taxes.”  Schwartz-Stanton Group is affiliated with Coldwell Banker Incline Village Realty part of the Select Real Estate Group.  Click here to read the article

Courtesty of National Association of Realtors.
WASHINGTON, April 01, 2009

Pending home sales have edged up, hinting at a possible pickup of sales activity in coming months, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index,1 a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in February, rose 2.1 percent to 82.1 from a reading of 80.4 in January, but is 1.4 percent below February 2008 when it was 83.3.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the market is continuing to underperform. “Pending home sales have a way to go for there to be a meaningful increase, but recent increases in shopping activity are hopeful indicators that we’ll see additional sales gains,” he said. “More buyers are getting into the market to take advantage of stimulus incentives and much improved housing affordability conditions, but it will take a few months before we could see this turn up in measurable sales contract activity.”

Also in February, NAR’s Housing Affordability Index2 rose to a new high.

The PHSI in the Northeast rose 10.6 percent to 63.9 in February but is 11.2 percent below a year ago. In the Midwest the index jumped 14.5 percent to 83.1 and is 3.4 percent higher than February 2008. The index in the South rose 4.4 percent to 85.8 in February but is 0.1 percent below a year ago. In the West the index fell 13.5 percent to 89.6 and is 1.7 percent below February 2008.

NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth, said home buyers are in an excellent position. “The drop in mortgage interest rates and home prices mean the buying power of a typical family has never been better,” he said. “If you have a good job and long-term plans, it’s unlikely that you’ll find a much better time to buy a home. This is especially true for first-time buyers who can qualify for an $8,000 tax credit this year, have a great selection of homes to choose from, and are in a favorable negotiating position.”

NAR’s Housing Affordability Index rose 0.9 percentage points to a record high of 173.5 in February from an upwardly revised index of 172.6 in January, and is 36.3 percentage points higher than a year ago. The HAI, a broad measure of housing affordability using consistent values and assumptions over time, shows that the relationship between home prices, mortgage interest rates and family income is the most favorable since tracking began in 1970.

A median-income family, earning $59,700, could afford a home costing $285,600 in February with a 20 percent downpayment, assuming 25 percent of gross income is devoted to mortgage principal and interest. Affordability conditions for first-time buyers with the same income and small downpayments are roughly 80 percent of that amount. The affordable price is considerably higher the median existing single-family home price in February, which was only $164,600.

“Obviously, potential home buyers need to be managing their existing debt effectively,” McMillan said. “A Realtor® can counsel you on what you may be able to afford given your personal financial situation. In some cases, buyers who want to build their future through homeownership may need to start reducing their debt and improving their credit score before entering the housing market.”

Last year at this time, the typical family could afford a home costing $265,600, which is $20,000 less than the current affordable price. “Homes in many areas are now selling for less than replacement construction costs – clearly this is an abnormal situation which will change once inventory is drawn down and supply and demand come closer into balance,” McMillan said.

Yun said he expects housing inventories to rise through early summer from a normal seasonal pattern of more sellers appearing in the spring. “But with the positive housing stimulus incentives now in place, we expect home sales to gain momentum in the second half of the year with first-time buyers absorbing a lot of the excess inventory,” he said. “Under these conditions, we should see price stabilization in most markets by the end of the year.”

# # # 1The Pending Home Sales Index is a leading indicator for the housing sector, based on pending sales of existing homes. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not closed, though the sale usually is finalized within one or two months of signing.

The index is based on a large national sample, typically representing about 20 percent of transactions for existing-home sales. In developing the model for the index, it was demonstrated that the level of monthly sales-contract activity from 2001 through 2004 parallels the level of closed existing-home sales in the following two months. There is a closer relationship between annual index changes (from the same month a year earlier) and year-ago changes in sales performance than with month-to-month comparisons.

An index of 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity during 2001, which was the first year to be examined as well as the first of five consecutive record years for existing-home sales.

Each March, NAR Research conducts a review of PHSI seasonal adjustment factors and fine-tunes data for the past three years.

2The Housing Affordability Index is a relative index where a value of 100 means that a family with the median income has exactly enough income to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced existing single-family home, taking into account the relationship between median home price, average effective interest rate for loans closed on existing homes, and median family income. The higher the index, the better housing affordability is for buyers.

The calculation assumes a downpayment of 20 percent and a qualifying ratio of 25 percent of gross income for mortgage principle and interest payments. The index is a general gauge with conditions varying widely around the country. Affordability conditions are lower for first-time buyers with smaller downpayments and less income.

Monthly publication of the index began in 1981 with annual data calculated back to 1970.

Existing-home sales for March will be released April 23; the next Pending Home Sales Index will be on May 4.

All of us at Schwartz-Stanton Group recently said goodbye to two very special “members” of our team:  Chocolate Lab Morgan and Border Collie/Australian Shepherd Mix Einstein.  The loss has been great since both passed on within weeks of each other.

Einstein was the first to join the group and his name doesn’t do him justice.  Brilliant he was (we all think our pets are brilliant don’t we) but Einstein really was.  He selected Dan and Renee Schwartz to be his masters.  I used to say I want to come back in my next life as Dan and Renee’s pet.  Einstein got to swim all summer long in Lake Tahoe, go on hikes with his Dad on the Tahoe Rim Trail, play with the horses, visit his beloved Morgan, chase after rabbits and the like and spend his final years on the ranch in Minden.  He even allowed Dan and Renee to take in a border collie mix:  Jesse.   Now Einstein was really protective of his masters and his home but a little cajoling and Jesse taking notice that Einstein is Top Dog was all it took.  One can’t talk about Einstein without mentioning his favorite “bougies”.  What are bougies you ask?  Well, they are giant, almost life-sized stuff animals.  Einstein could spend hours and hours having you throw the bougies down the stairs so he could run after them and bring it back to you for more.  Sometimes he even took a head start in hopes of catching it before it landed.  He did the same with balls and pine cones but it was the bougies that really caught his eye.   Dan would tell the story that he and Renee would stand across the room in the morning and ask Einstein if he wanted to go to the office or go the ranch.  More times that not he picked the office because he was the VID (very important dog) and everyone showered him with attention.   Einstein, you are dearly missed but in all of our hearts forever.

Morgan was Tawny Stanton’s little princess but with a twist. . .she had a thing for eating. They say this is true for chocolate labs (anyone remember the aluminum foil commercial where they say it is Chocolate Lab proof) but Morgan took it a step further  As a puppy she got into everything from Christmas tree ornaments, string, ribbon, candies and rocks (I saw the rock eating first hand) to Dan’s power bars hidden in his coat pocket, Dan and Renee’s compost piles at the ranch to briefcases and invidually wrapped vitamins.  Of course as a girl, she made sure to unwrapped before eating (the plastic wrap just isn’t good for the digestion).  Morgan’s heart was huge and she loved everyone, every dog and everthing.  She spent a lot of time hiking, chasing after balls in the lake and traveling with Tawny.  Also, Morgan could clear a room out in seconds with her special “fluffs”.   If you loved Morgan (and we all did) you had to put up with her “fluffs”.   A good traveler and house guest she could be (even with the eating thing) and mindful she was. That doesn’t mean she didn’t have a bit of a stubborn streak but, what girl doesn’t.  She was a love and love she did especially to her Tawny.  They went everywhere together because Morgan just wanted to be with Tawny.  We say goodbye to Morgan and she too will be in our hearts forever.

I found this poem on the internet and thought it fit how we all feel:

No More Tears

_{^{The time has come for the tears to end
for you to be happy and cheerful again.
I am safe in God’s home above
cradled in His arms; covered with His love.}}

_{^{We run and play by the Bridge all day
waiting for the day when you’ll be here to stay.
You’ve been crying so much I feel bad
I want you to be happy and not so sad.}}

_{^{Remember the time when I was so small
I couldn’t even pickup the rubber ball.
I fought that ball from morning to night
it made you laugh, I was quite a sight.}}

_{^{Remember teaching me sit and stay
we had such fun since I didn’t really obey.
but you kept at it with test after test
so when I entered my first show I was the best.}}

_{^{Remember the great times we had in the past
like when we walked to the park we had a blast.
We’d run and play all through the park
until the sun went down and it got dark.}}

_{^{Remember the times we went for a ride
I was so excited I’d jump right inside.
Away we went to who knows where
but you and I we didn’t really care.}}

_{^{I’ll always love you, you’re my best friend
I’ll be right with you even to the end.
Always remember the great times we had
and there will be no reason to ever be sad.}}

_{^{Written by John Quealy}}