realtors

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Local Realtors from South Lake Tahoe recently put on their bunny ears and delivered Easter baskets full of special treats for local youth.

The South Tahoe Association of REALTORS® (STAR) used funds from its Community Involvement Committee resources along with other donated funds to purchase 88 pre-made baskets from the South Lake Tahoe KMart. Volunteers shopped and delivered the baskets to the Family Resource Center and Live Violence Free Center in South Lake Tahoe.

STATELINE, Nev. - Vacation Home Rentals (VHRs) in Douglas County were on last Thursday's agenda for the Board of County Commissioners, leading them to seek additional representatives for their newly appointed VHR Task Force.

Douglas County uses the services of Host Compliance, the same company hired by the City of South Lake Tahoe to seek out unlicensed VHRs and under-reported Tourist Occupancy Tax (TOT). They charge the County $94,000 annually for their services.

Looking at the economic news is enough to give you pause with rising interest rates, stock market volatility and real estate experiencing declining sales numbers and the reduction of appreciation. Our market (Lake Tahoe) will see a small negative impact from interest rates as they affect affordability but the last item, equity growth, will impact our market the greatest. The public is staying in their homes for a longer period historically and supported through the increase in remodeling, appliance and flooring sales.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Six families in South Lake Tahoe don't know where they will be spending Christmas after receiving notice Wednesday that the apartment building they've been calling home was found to be unsafe, giving them until Monday, December 17 to find a place to live.

I am surprised that some people call Measure T “too extreme,” when the measure a) still allows fulltime residents to rent out their houses for 30 days per year, b) promotes the development and expansion of VHRs in areas properly zoned as commercial or part of the Tourist Core.

Do you know what is really “too extreme”?

• Local businesses struggling to fill open positions because their employees can’t find long-term housing in Tahoe.

Mayor Wendy David has stated that it is okay to have Vacation Home Rentals in residential neighborhoods as long as there is 'consistent' enforcement. Sorry Wendy but planning and zoning are not determined by enforcement. What has been ‘consistent' is the city's failure to deliver effective enforcement. When a neighbor calls in to complain about a problem with a VHR, a warning call goes out to the agent or owner of that VHR to warn them of the complaint. By the time the Enforcement Officer arrives the lights are out and the report reads: "Quiet on Arrival".

Mike Owen, candidate for El Dorado County Auditor-Controller, conceded the race to incumbent Joe Harn as the latest vote counts were released as of Friday June 15.

“I have to admit I am kind of surprised by the results” Owen said. “I had a great deal of community, grass-roots support and enthusiasm from both volunteers and donors along with some great endorsements.” he added.

Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless has announced they are hosting the Tahoe Beach Bash, featuring the 4th annual Homebrew for the Homeless on Saturday, July 28 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Tahoe Beach Retreat and Lodge in South Lake Tahoe.

This family-friendly event, presented by Tahoe Beach Retreat, features live music, homebrew beer competition, lakeside BBQ, bounce house, local vendors, child-friendly obstacle course, and other entertaining activities for people of all ages.

The El Dorado County Vacation Home Rental Ordinance was first created in 1997 and updated in 2004. At this time there are 900 permitted vacation home rentals (VHRs) in the County, 800 of which are in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

What started out with a “Good Neighbor Policy” has morphed into neighbors versus neighbors in El Dorado County and an ongoing VHR discussion as Supervisors work to create a new ordinance.

Twelve years of Vacation Home Rentals (VHRs), what a sad place So. Lake Tahoe residential neighborhoods have become. Thanks go to local Realtors, out of town owners, and VHR rental agencies, who care mostly about money, not about the peace and tranquility of the local residents. But they’re not alone, we also have City and County officials that don’t represent the locals that elect them, instead it’s all about the tourists and their friends in the VHR business, some of those friends are elected officials.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council voted Tuesday night to stop issuing permits for vacation home rentals (VHRs), at least temporarily.

For 26 years it was known as the "Tahoe Toy Drive" and motorcycles full of toys for local children would move through South Lake Tahoe in an effort to stock the toy shelves at Christmas Cheer.

The name has changed but the mission is the same.

Now known as the Community Toy Event, the local toy and food drive to benefit Christmas Cheer will take place on Saturday, October 7 at the American Legion Hall starting at noon.

The South Tahoe Association of Realtors is now sponsoring the event with the American Legion Post 795 and Ladies Auxiliary.

More than a few people have asked me if I was frustrated by this last city council meeting and the 6.5 hour discussion regarding the revised VHR (Vacation Home Rental) ordinance. I thought the City Manager's introduction on why we were looking at a revised ordinance and the staff presentation on the revisions were excellent and on point. At first I was a little confused about some of the council questions of staff but reminded myself that the VHR sub-committee made up of Mayor Pro Tem David and myself have been living, sleeping and eating the VHR issue for over two years.

Choices for Children is hosting a Mother’s Day Diaper drive during the month of May. Please donate any size of diapers at the following locations between May 1-31, 2017:

• The South Lake Tahoe Library
• Jubilee Kids Academy
• Under the Magic Pine Tree
• The South Tahoe Association of REALTORS
• South Lake Tahoe Senior Center
• Bright Beginnings, Inc.
• The Tahoe Tot Spot
• SLT Recreation Center/Pool Complex
• The Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe
• Lake Tahoe Preschool
• LTCC Child Development Center
• Pequeños Rascals Learning Center
• Appleseeds Academy

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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Local Realtors recently donned rabbit ears and grabbed empty Easter baskets to fill with donations for 80 children in the South Lake Tahoe community.

The South Tahoe Association of Realtors (STAR) and their Community Service Committee combined their funds with donated money to shop for items to fill Easter baskets.

The committee was able to donate 80 baskets to the Family Resource Center and Live Violence Free Center in South Lake Tahoe. These organizations give the baskets to kids who otherwise would not receive anything this season.

Like many communities that are highly-desirable places to vacation and live, Lake Tahoe has affordable housing problems. Two recent studies commissioned by the Tahoe Prosperity Center and Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation clearly illustrate the housing challenges our region faces.

Median home prices of more than $500,000 on the North Shore and nearly $400,000 on the South Shore are simply too high for our region’s low wages, putting the cost of home ownership and even rent out of reach for many working people.

Need to clean out your yard, attic, or garage? Once you've reused or recycled all that you can, get rid of the rest at Clean Tahoe's annual Community Cleanup Day (aka $5 Dump Day) on Saturday, June 4, 2016. It's the one day of the year South Shore residents can bring unwanted items to South Tahoe Refuse at HUGE discounts.

Brooke Hernandez of Chase International’s Zephyr Cove office was recently honored as Realtor of the Year by the South Tahoe Association of Realtors. The award is based on a member’s community and industry involvement.

Hernandez, a South Shore native, has more than ten years experience in real estate and has been with Chase International for six years. She currently serves as the president of the association, in which she has been actively involved for several years.

Long time Los Angeles real estate broker Steve Davis has relocated to Lake Tahoe and joined the team at Coldwell Banker McKinney & Associates, as Broker Associate.

Shari Chase and Jennie Fairchild of Chase International were recently ranked among The Thousand – a comprehensive list of the nation’s top agents and sales teams. The Thousand is compiled and released by REAL Trends and The Wall Street Journal. With more than one million real estate professionals considered, Chase and Fairchild were the only two agents from the Lake Tahoe area to make the list.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council will be discussing changes to the Vacation Home Rental Ordinance on Tuesday that, if passed, will bring about changes to the permit review process, add criteria to be considered when a new permit is issued, and the addition of an annual renewal review.

There have been several packed council and community meetings on the topic of the proposed updated to the Vacation Home Rental (VHR) ordinance, and Tuesday's meeting should be no different.

The impact of vacation rentals, a popular option for tourist lodging, is a big, and controversial topic in South Lake Tahoe.

There are many sides to the South Lake Tahoe Vacation Home Rental (VHR) situation. On one side are the locals whose peaceful lives have been disturbed because they are the neighbors of vacation home rentals that are reportedly out of control with excess noise and trash that come from inconsiderate renters. On another side are the people wanting to enjoy South Lake Tahoe from the comfort of a private home. Yet another side are the second home owners who want to earn money from their vacation home.

Six real estate agents at Coldwell Banker McKinney & Associates have achieved international award designations.

Peggy Eichhorn has been honored as a member of the prestigious Coldwell Banker International President’s Circle. This membership is awarded to the top 4 percent of all Coldwell Banker sales associates worldwide.

Monique McIntyre was also honored as a member of the Coldwell Banker International Diamond Society. This membership is awarded to the top 8 percent of all Coldwell Banker sales associates worldwide.