Lake Tahoe Bike Event. America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride

Lake Tahoe Bike Event

Attracting more than 3,000 cyclists~ This year's ride should be one to beat!

Good news for those who have just decided they want to participate in America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride: Registration for the 2009 event will be available in January.

Registration for the 17th annual ride Sunday is sold out and closed, and it's probably not a good idea to enter America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride on a whim, anyway: The shortest option is 35 miles.

The 3,300 riders who have registered for the 100-mile century, 72-mile tour or 35-mile fun ride/boat cruise will start out from Horizon Casino Resort early Sunday morning. In the interest of safety, they'll be the only ones who may proceed past the traffic-control point near Camp Richardson between 6:30 and 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Cyclists must present three forms of identification at traffic control - a wristband, helmet sticker and number.

The event begins with a check-in and bike-safety check for registered riders from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday at Tahoe Sports Limited at the Village Center. Another check-in is at 5:30 a.m. Sunday at Horizon.

Century riders have a window of four to 15 minutes between 6 and 7 a.m. to start, and 72-mile riders have a two- to 15-minute start window from 7 to 7:30 a.m. Cyclists participating in the 35-mile fun ride and boat cruise must start from 6:45 to 7 a.m. From there, they ride a mile to the Ski Run Marina and board the Tahoe Queen for an 8 a.m. trip across the lake.

The rest of the riders pedal clockwise around Lake Tahoe, with an 800-foot climb to a rest stop overlooking Emerald Bay and a 1,000-foot climb to Spooner Junction. The elevation ranges between 6,300 and 7,100 feet, and cyclists will gain more than 2,600 vertical feet.

More than 1,800 of the riders are participating with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of America's Team in Training, and many of those are riding the century, which adds an out-and-back to Truckee on Highway 89 and the bike trail.

Volunteers will staff rest stops at Emerald Bay, Homewood, Truckee (for century riders), Kings Beach (with lunch) and Spooner Junction. All rest stops have first-aid and technical support available, and the first three will have drop bags for cyclists to discard clothing. There will be a sag wagon, and organizers will ask riders who come in behind cutoff times to use it to catch up.

The 35-mile cyclists will rejoin the ride for the final stretch back to the Horizon.

Emerald Bay Road will be closed to all traffic from 6:15 to 8:45 a.m. Sunday. Motorists should be ready to share the road with cyclists on the whole route.

A few spots might be open for riders to register on the day of the event at Horizon. Late fees apply, and organizers are asking unregistered cyclists not to participate to ensure safety and allow America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride to continue in the future.

Looking for a home in the Lake Tahoe area. Search the Lake Tahoe homes for sale at http://www.livinglaketahoe.com

Fishing the Sierra at Lake Tahoe

Fishing the Sierra at Lake Tahoe

While there are countless spots to fish in The Sierras a true angler knows some spots are better than others! Fishing always gives you a reason to be outdoors. You can take a lunch or picnic as you fish; and camping at the lake is always an enjoyable experience. In the Sierras you can hike, take a canoe or boat to your fishing spot in most instances. Many people shape their vacations around fishing and why not make it the Sierras that you visit?

Be sure to take your family or your friends along, for there is no more sociable activity; especially at Lake Tahoe. http://www.tahoebest.com/fishing/ offers up some great spots for fishing the Sierras; and they also give information on fishing licenses in the area, as well as local maps, tips and reports of this beautiful region. If you’re knowledgeable about the locale and you know where you would be partial to fishing most http://www.fishingworld.com/ offers great deals and information on upcoming products in the fishing industry, to keep you on top of your game!

South Lake Tahoe also offers many great fishing areas http://www.fishinglaketahoe.com/ presents maps and testimonials of local fishermen and there fruitful fishing escapades. Tis the season to get outside, cast your line and reel in a big one on some of the Sierra's and Lake Tahoe’s finest bodies of water.

Looking to buy a home on the lake. Contact your Lake Tahoe Real Estate professional Alvin Steinberg, Coldwell Banker Incline Village Realty .
Phone: (775) 832-1888, Toll Free (800) 666-4718/ Search the Lake Tahoe MLS Free to see all available homes for sale

Email: alvins@cbivr.com

North Lake Tahoe. Incline Village in Washoe County

North Lake Tahoe at it's finest. Incline Village Living

White sandy beaches and beautiful estates make Incline Village in Washoe County, one of the North Shore’s most sought after areas for both tourists and residents to experience. Its charm and character will attract your attention, too. Want culture? Incline Village is an eclectic community sprinkled with accomplished artists of all venues. Its community feel is rounded out by a private 4-year-college, excellent schools, parks and shopping centers.

Incline Village homeowners take pride in the shared ownership of their own ski area (Diamond Peak), two golf courses (Championship and Mountain), beaches (Ski Beach and Burnt Cedar), tennis courts and phenomenal recreation center. The north shore’s most famous hot spot is the Cal Neva Hotel and Casino, a place of fun and frolic of 1950’s owner Frank Sinatra and his celebrity Rat Pack. Also, located in the heart of Incline Village, is the Hyatt Hotel and Casino, always a wonderful diversion with entertainment, gaming and restaurants.

Incline Village boasts a mix of family homes, condominiums, and estates covering nine square miles, including acres of spectacular lakefront properties…most gracing the illustrious Lakeshore Drive. Crystal Bay’s hillside homes feature panoramic lake view and lakefront properties, exceptional cabins and condominiums.

Looking to buy a home in Lake Tahoe Incline Village . Contact your Lake Tahoe Real Estate professional Alvin Steinberg, Coldwell Banker Incline Village Realty .
Phone: (775) 832-1888, Toll Free (800) 666-4718/
Search the Lake Tahoe Incline Villiage MLS Free to see all available homes for sale

Lake Tahoe NV Surge in Real Estate Sales

The Tahoe-Reno real estate market is experiencing a shift towards mid to lower range home sales (under $1 million) and away from multi-million dollar homes, according to first quarter stats released by Lake Tahoe-based real estate company Chase International.The average price of a home throughout all of Lake Tahoe dropped under $1 million for the first time since 2004. The average price is now $909,919 (down38 percent). The median price of a home in Lake Tahoe is down 25 percent to $662,172. Homes sold for more than $1 million were down 57 percent while homes sold for less than a million were down only five percent.

“We’re seeing a considerable pick up in the lower end of the market, while high-end homes sales aren’t moving as vigorously as they were last year, first quarter,” Sue Lowe, vice president of Chase International, said.

Tahoe City experienced a 25 percent surge in the sale of single-family homes under $1 million, while sales of homes over a million dropped 33 percent.

Overall sales volume in Tahoe City is down 25 percent, however total units sold is up nine percent. The average price of a home in Tahoe City is $856,152, down 33 percent from $1.2 million this time last year. The median price is down 22 percent to $575,000 (the median price is the point where half the homes sold for less than the median figure and half sold for more).
Lake Tahoe’s East Shore also saw a significant increase (63 percent) in homes sold for less than $1 million and homes above $1 million were down 40 percent. And though overall sales volume was down 48 percent, units sold were up six percent. The average price of an East Shore home fell 51 percent to $1,183,363 and the median dropped 34 percent to $775,000.

“The market is currently filled with opportunity,” Lowe said. “People who are really looking to invest in real estate are buying right now and there are fantastic opportunities for first-time homeowners as there are some great deals out there.”

South Lake Tahoe remains the least expensive area to buy a home on the lake, averaging $479,894, a 14 percent drop from first quarter 2007. The median price dropped 17 percent to $400,000. Overall South Shore volume was down 27 percent and units sold were down 15 percent. Homes sold for under $1 million fell only ten percent, while homes over a million were down 63 percent.

Incline Village experienced some of the biggest decreases, with sales volume down 73 percent and units sold down 61 percent. The average home price dropped 31 percent, to $1,120,266, while the median fell 21 percent to $898,688. Homes under a million decreased 50 percent and homes over a million were down 71 percent. However, an Incline lakefront sold in the first quarter that was on the market for $32,500,000 and is not included in any of the MLS data due to the sales price being confidential. If this number had been included in Incline’s statistics, Incline’s numbers would have faired much stronger.

Overall sales volume around Lake Tahoe was down 48 percent with a 20 percent decrease in homes sold. While Lowe believes the market is beginning to level, she notes that theses percentages are affected by a handful of ultra high-end sales this time last year (six homes were sold for more than $5 million during first quarter 2007). This year there have been only two sales over $5 million, one of which was not included in this MLS report.

Except for a four percent increase in units sold for less than $500,000, the sale of condos was also down around Lake Tahoe, with volume and units sold down 50 and 32 percent respectively. Units over $500,000 dropped 71 percent. The average price fell 18 percent to $437,174.
Despite a national slow down and the decrease of multi-million-dollar home sales around the lake, Truckee’s luxury market continues to grow. Volume and units sold were down 19 and 23 percent respectively, but homes over a million jumped 56 percent and the average home price rose ten percent to $912,013. The median price rose three percent to $690,000. Homes sold for less than a million were down 37 percent. The sale of condos over $500,000 was also up in Truckee (43 percent), pushing the overall volume for condos in that area up 86 percent.

Reno/Sparks, Nevada checked in with decreases across the board. The average and median home prices both fell eleven percent to $344,408 and $270,000 respectively. Homes under a million dropped 31 percent and homes over a million saw a 52 percent decline. Overall sales volume was down 39 percent and units sold down 32 percent. Lowe attributes the Reno/Sparks market slow down to the national decline in real estate, emphasizing that Reno and Carson City are permanent home markets, unlike Lake Tahoe’s second/vacation home market.

Carson Valley, Nevada saw a 200 percent jump in homes sold for more than $1 million, however the units sold in that category increased from only one to three. Homes sold for under a million were down 34 percent, with overall volume and units sold in Carson Valley down 38 and 32 percent respectively.

The average home price is down nine percent to $377,840 and the median is $289,950.
Headquartered in Lake Tahoe, Nevada since 1986, Chase International has seven offices in the region (Zephyr Cove, Glenbrook, Incline Village, Tahoe City, Truckee, South Lake Tahoe and Reno) and one in London. Chase and its exclusive affiliations handle a large share of the nation’s property. Currently Chase International has one of the top five most expensive properties ever listed in the nation – Tranquility located at Lake Tahoe, for $100 million.

If you have any questions or if you'd like any additional information please feel free to contact Alvin directly.

Alvin Steinberg
Coldwell Banker Incline Village Realty
917 Tahoe Blvd., Suite 103
Incline Village, Nevada 89451Phone:
Phone: (775) 832-1888
Toll Free (800) 666-4718
Email: alvins@cbivr.com

North Lake Tahoe Business & Community

North Lake Tahoe Business & Community

The success of North Lake Tahoe requires various businesses and tourism organizations working together to guarantee the health and continued growth of the community. Fortunately, the North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce and the North Lake Tahoe Visitors’ Bureaus are two organizations that have combined their talents, resources, and energies for the greater good of the region. And it’s making a difference.Serving its members for more than 50 years, the North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce promotes business, tourism and the economic, cultural and civic welfare of the community. Their mission complements the North Lake Tahoe Visitors’ Bureaus specific goals of promoting tourism, meetings & conventions, and securing North Lake Tahoe as one of the world’s greatest vacation destinations. Combining forces has allowed both organizations to become a driving force behind North Lake Tahoe’s economic and cultural success!

If you have any questions or if you'd like any additional information please feel free to contact Alvin directly.

Search the North Lake Tahoe homes for sale. Alvin SteinbergColdwell Banker Incline Village Realty917 Tahoe Blvd., Suite 103 Incline Village, Nevada 89451Phone: Phone: (775) 832-1888 Toll Free (800) 666-4718Email: alvins@cbivr.com