Can I Buy a Lake Tahoe Home Without Being There?

Most of the people I help buy a Lake Tahoe home live three or four hours away, usually in the Bay Area. They know the lake from years of visiting. What they don't want is to spend every trip up here looking at houses instead of using one.

You can buy a Tahoe home without being here for most of the search. I'm Angela Roberts with Tahoe Homes by Angela, and I do the on-the-ground work for my buyers: I go to the homes, I film them, I look at the street and the neighborhood, and I send you what you need to decide which homes are worth the drive. Here is how that works, step by step.

When you live out of town, I do everything at the house for you. That means walking each home in person and looking at the details a listing leaves out: the property research, the TRPA and BMP checks, the permit history, and the things photos don't show.

I also give you an information packet about the neighborhood itself, so you're not judging the area from a map. You see the home, and you also see what's around it.

You can read more about buying a Lake Tahoe second home from a distance and how I help you buy.

I video every home I tour for you. You watch the walkthrough, read the information I put together, and decide for yourself whether a home deserves a trip up the hill.

One buyer I worked with had me look at somewhere between 20 and 30 homes. I videoed every one of them. Based on the videos and my information, they decided which ones they wanted to come up and see in person, and which ones to skip. That's the whole point: your weekends go to the few homes that really fit, not to every listing in your price range.

I never recommend that a buyer buy a home sight unseen. When a house really resonates with you after the video walkthrough and the information packets, I always recommend you come see it in person before you write an offer.

Sometimes the timing doesn't allow it. A home you love may not wait for your next trip. In that case, I'm willing to write an offer with a contingency that you see the home in person within a set amount of time. The exact terms go in your contract, and I'll walk you through them before you sign.

Either way, you're making the decision with real information, not hoping to get lucky.

Signing is easy. Almost everything is done digitally, so you can review and sign from home. For anything that needs a wet signature, a notary is sent to your home.

That means you don't need to plan a trip around paperwork. Your trips up can be for seeing homes and, at the end, picking up your keys.

If you're starting to look for a Lake Tahoe home from the Bay Area, start by telling me what life you're after up here: how you want to use the home, which seasons, and what matters most to you. Then I'll match you to the neighborhoods that fit, not only the homes that happen to be available. You can see the towns I work in around the lake and read about buying a home in Lake Tahoe.

When you're ready, tell me what you're looking for or call or text me at 530-208-7081. You can also read more about me.

This post describes my general process. It isn't legal, tax or lending advice. Every purchase is different, and your contract, lender and escrow officer set the specific terms and timelines.

Angela Roberts of Tahoe Homes by Angela (Mountain Luxury Properties) is a Lake Tahoe real estate agent serving both the California and Nevada sides, helping Bay Area second-home buyers find the right home and neighborhood with in-person research, video walkthroughs and neighborhood information packets. 530-208-7081. tahoehomesbyangela.com. CA 01950736. NV S.0179450.