Tell Me Your Tahoe Home Wish List, and I’ll Tell You Where I’d Look

One of the first questions I would ask is whether you want the option to short-term rent the property.

If short-term rental potential isn't a priority, I think Tahoma can give you a lot for your money, especially if you find a property that qualifies for the optional McKinney Shores HOA.

McKinney Shores provides private beach access, but membership is only available to properties on select streets, so this is something you need to verify for each property. The tradeoff with this side of the lake is that short-term rental regulations are more restrictive, so buyers wanting rental flexibility need to understand that before falling in love with a house.

Another option I really like is Lake Tahoe Park Association in Tahoe City. It has a great private beach along with other amenities, and it's something I think adds real value for a vacation-home buyer.

If your budget has a little more room and you want a neighborhood where you could potentially walk or even golf cart down to your private HOA beach, I'd look at Dollar Point.

Your money generally isn't going to go quite as far there, but that's the tradeoff.

“We have kids and want amenities.”

Dollar Point is one of the first places that comes to mind.

There is a reason families really like this neighborhood. It's tucked farther off the main road, and the HOA amenities give families a lot to do without having to leave the neighborhood.

If the buyer is open to a condo, though, Brockway Springs is another really interesting option.

It's gated and tucked away from the main road, which can make it feel safer for kids to play, although the internal street is fairly narrow. What really makes Brockway Springs unique are the amenities.

There are tennis courts literally on the water and a hot-spring-fed pool overlooking Lake Tahoe. That's pretty hard to replicate somewhere else.

Of course, those amenities come at a cost, which brings me to something I see buyers change their minds about all the time: HOA dues.

“Maybe we should just buy a condo and rent it when we aren't there.”

A lot of my condo buyers start out thinking this.

On paper, it makes sense. A condo is easier to maintain, the HOA handles a lot of the exterior responsibilities, and it seems like it could make a great vacation rental.

Then we start looking at the numbers.

Once buyers see the HOA dues, potential assessments, and the fact that many HOA dues increase over time, the investment side doesn't always pencil out the way they expected.

That doesn't mean I don't like condos. I actually think they're a great option for the right Tahoe buyer.

If you want something easy to lock up and leave, they can make a ton of sense.

The HOA will generally take care of things like snow removal, landscaping, exterior cleanup, exterior painting, roofing and other common-area maintenance. For someone who doesn't want to spend their Tahoe weekends maintaining another house, that's valuable.

One development I really like is Carnelian Woods. In my experience, units farther up from Carnelian Woods Avenue tend to sell for a little more, and quite a few have lake views. The tradeoff is that you're a little farther away from restaurants and other amenities.

“I want to walk to restaurants, coffee and the lake.”

I'd probably start you in Kings Beach or Tahoe City, depending on your budget.

Tahoe City generally commands a little more money, while Kings Beach can give you a somewhat lower entry point. Lots in Kings Beach also tend to be smaller.

There are some differences buyers don't always realize until they physically spend time in these areas.

Some of the streets closer to the water and the main strip in Kings Beach have older properties and can feel a little more run-down. I don't mean unsafe—they can just feel more dated or somewhat dilapidated compared with what some buyers picture before arriving.

That's one of the reasons buyers are willing to pay more for certain parts of Tahoe City. You get the walkability and access to things to do, but generally with a different neighborhood feel.

“I don't care about walkability. Give me privacy.”

I'd look at higher parts of Tahoe Vista and certain areas of Carnelian Bay.

You can get a little more for your money higher up in Tahoe Vista, with more of that wooded, private Tahoe feeling.

But there's a tradeoff.

Be prepared for more snow in some of those areas. Streets such as Stratford Way and Kings Way can see a heavier snow load.

Carnelian Bay is another area I really like for buyers prioritizing privacy.

You're positioned between Kings Beach and Tahoe City, so you aren't far from either one, but Carnelian Bay generally feels less chaotic and has less traffic during Tahoe's busiest seasons.

Cedar Flat and Agate Bay are two areas I'd consider depending on what the buyer is looking for.

“A lake view is my #1 priority, but I can't afford lakefront.”

This is where buyers can sometimes be surprised.

You can find some incredible lake views in Kings Beach without getting anywhere near true lakefront pricing. Beaver Street and Park Lane are two places where I've seen some really impressive views.

You can also find lake views in Tahoma and Homewood at prices that may be lower than comparable views in other parts of the lake, particularly when you're not talking about true lakefront.

But again, there are reasons for the pricing differences.

That side of the lake is more heavily wooded, generally sees more snow, and snow can take longer to melt. There's also less going on compared with areas like Tahoe City or Kings Beach.

Rental regulations can matter here too. A lot of second-home buyers like having the option to rent their property when they aren't using it, even if they don't plan on turning it into a full-time rental. Current county restrictions can limit that flexibility depending on where you buy.

And here's something else I have personally watched happen:

I had a listing off Park Lane with sweeping lake views. The views generated a ton of interest and I had buyers calling about that property constantly.

But once buyers actually came inside, some ultimately decided against it because of the road noise. The house was older and didn't have great insulation, so you could hear more traffic inside than buyers expected.

That's a perfect example of why I don't think buyers should choose a Tahoe property from listing photos alone.

An incredible lake view can get someone through the door. It doesn't necessarily mean they'll want to live there.

“I don't want to deal with crazy winter access.”

This is something I think buyers need to take much more seriously than they do.

There are certain streets in Carnelian Bay, such as Woodchuck Drive and Ridgewood Road, that I would be cautious about for someone who specifically wants easy winter access. They're narrow and steep, and winter conditions can make getting around much more difficult.

I've actually had situations where a neighborhood wasn't fully plowed and there was essentially only one usable access point. I've had to park and walk to a house before.

That's very different from looking at the house on Zillow in July and thinking, “Oh, this driveway doesn't look that bad.”

Interestingly, although Old County Road in Carnelian Bay is somewhat steep at the beginning, I actually like a number of the roads that branch off of it, including areas around La Crosse, Dinah and Forest.

You can find more level lots in this area, and certain surrounding streets such as Nightingale and Dinah can even have lake views.

Those tiny location differences matter a lot more in Tahoe than people realize.

“I want to use the house myself but Airbnb it when I'm gone.”

Right now, I would generally start that buyer in Placer County, because it's currently one of the easier areas on the North Shore for obtaining a short-term rental permit compared with some neighboring jurisdictions.

I would still look at the entire financial picture.

For example, I wouldn't automatically put an investment-focused buyer into a condo development with very high HOA dues simply because short-term rentals are possible there. Brockway Springs is a great example of a property with amazing amenities, but the HOA costs have to make sense for the individual buyer.

Tahoe City is an area I see rental buyers gravitate toward because there is more to do and you're still relatively close to ski resorts.

I always tell buyers that short-term rental regulations can change, though. I wouldn't recommend purchasing a Tahoe property solely because today's rules allow you to rent it.

“I want it to feel like Tahoe.”

If your vision is older cabins, quieter streets, trees and more of that classic Tahoe character, I'd probably take you toward Tahoma or Homewood.

Those areas tend to have more of the older, classic-style homes and a quieter feel.

Not every buyer wants a completely remodeled modern mountain house. I've actually found that a lot of vacation-home buyers like some of the older Tahoe character because they want their second home to feel different from their primary residence.

Sometimes the house checks every box—and buyers still choose the neighborhood.

I had buyers come through an open house I was holding in Tahoe Vista and they loved the property.

They liked it enough that they scheduled another showing a few days later and brought the whole family. They walked around the property for over an hour.

It checked their boxes.

And they still decided against it.

They had been staying in a vacation rental in Dollar Point, and after experiencing that neighborhood and its amenities, they realized those amenities weren't something they were willing to give up.

Now they're only looking in Dollar Point.

I think that's such a good example of something that happens when buying in Tahoe. Sometimes buyers start by searching for the perfect house, but eventually realize they're actually searching for the right Tahoe lifestyle.

And yes, you're probably going to compromise somewhere.

Every once in a while, I'll get a wish list that sounds something like this:

“I want to spend around $1 million. I want a great lake view, a flat driveway, a decent-sized lot, walkability, STR potential, good sun, minimal road noise and maybe private beach access.”

That's when we have to start prioritizing.

At that price point, if the lake view is non-negotiable, you're probably going to compromise on the size of the house.

So one of the first things I'd ask is:

Do you really need the lake view?

Because if the answer is yes, that's completely fine—but we may need to look at a much smaller home or start considering condos.

That's the part of buying in Tahoe that an online home search can't really do for you.

There isn't one “best” North Lake Tahoe neighborhood.

There is a best neighborhood for what you actually want out of owning a home here.

A family who wants private beaches and neighborhood amenities may end up somewhere completely different from a buyer who wants privacy and trees. Someone prioritizing STR flexibility may need to look in a different area than someone who wants the most house for their money. And someone who absolutely has to wake up to a lake view may need to compromise on something they originally thought was equally important.

My job isn't just to send buyers listings that fit their bedroom count and price range. It's helping them figure out which compromises they'll actually be happy making once they're spending real time in Tahoe.

Sometimes that means showing you the neighborhood you originally asked for.

And sometimes it means telling you, “Based on what you're describing, I actually think you should be looking over here.”

Rebecca Smith
North Lake Tahoe & Truckee Real Estate
Century 21 Tahoe North Realtors
CA DRE #02196418