Selling your Lake Tahoe home
Three pricing strategies, staging when your home needs it, and every vendor managed for you.
Selling your Lake Tahoe home to the buyer who's out there now
"Why does the seller want so much more than they paid for it?" Tahoe buyers ask me that. If you bought in 2020 or 2021, you're the seller they mean.
Buyers look up what you paid before they write an offer. The ones with a loan are facing much higher rates than you had, and the ones paying cash still want a real deal. None of that means your home won't sell well. It means the price has to come from what has sold lately, and the home has to show well enough that a careful buyer stretches for it.
Where to price, and what to do to the house before anyone sees it, are the two things I work on with every seller. I can't promise a profit on any home. No agent can. I can show you where yours stands and what would move the number.
Watch. Tap a video to play it, they have sound.
What's included when you list with me
"Full-service" is a phrase every agent uses, so here is the list.
- Three pricing strategies, not one number. I tell you which I'd pick and why, and you choose. The detail is in how I price a home.
- A walk-through and a written plan. You see what I'd fix, what I'd leave alone and the reason for each item before any work starts.
- Every vendor managed for you. I find, schedule and manage the contractors, inspectors and handymen, from the first inspection to the final walkthrough.
- Staging when your home needs it, at no cost to you. I own the staging company. Some homes are already decorated well and don't need it, and I'll tell you if yours is one.
- Media made for your home. 25 to 40 professional photos, drone footage, a cinematic video and a website for your home alone. More in how buyers see your home before they visit.
- A paid campaign. Targeted Facebook and Instagram ads scaled to your price point, retargeting, and an email to my database at launch and on any price change.
- A mass email to every agent in the area. It's standard on every listing.
- National advertising. Through my brokerage's partnership with Leverage Global Partners, your listing gets advertising and exposure through The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, MarketWatch, PropGoLuxury and Juwai.com. Homes priced at $750,000 and up add Robb Report, and homes at $1 million and up add Mansion Global, Barron's and PENTA. Your listing is also featured on LeverageRE.com and promoted to agents around the world through Leverage's agent newsletter and social feeds.
- A weekly update. Showing activity, the market and the next step, every week until we close.
One thing isn't on that list. Cleaning is your cost. I arrange the professional cleaning, the windows and the yard, and I'll push you to do all three, because nothing else changes how a home shows as much.
What to fix, and what to leave for the buyer
I've sold homes for more than a decade, and I managed properties, including apartment complexes, before that. Both taught me which repairs buyers notice and which ones only drain a budget.
My order is the same on almost every home. Safety and basic function come first: heat, hot water, leaks, smoke detectors. Then a spotless, cleared house. Then the first impression at the entry and the deck, because in Tahoe the outside is part of the house. Big cosmetic projects, like a remodeled bathroom or new flooring throughout, usually belong in the price instead of your budget.
I recommend a home inspection and a pest inspection on every home before it goes on the market. That way there are no surprises, and we can fix what needs fixing ahead of time. A home inspector looks at the deeper things, like the structure and the roof. I'm not qualified to judge those, and I won't guess. What I am qualified to tell you is which cosmetic fixes will pay off and which ones won't, and exactly what to do to make the home look its best. The inspections are a recommendation, not a requirement. They're your cost, and I arrange the inspectors for you.
Ask me before you approve any work. I've seen sellers spend thousands on an update no buyer mentioned and skip a small fix that came up at every showing. There's more on this in what to fix before selling your Lake Tahoe home.
What a Lake Tahoe buyer checks that a Bay Area buyer wouldn't
A mountain home comes with questions a house in the city doesn't. Between the inspections and my own walk-through, I want an answer on each of these before I recommend anything, because they vary from one lot to the next, even on the same street.
- Roof age and condition. Snow is hard on a roof, and it can hide one from an inspector in winter.
- Drainage, and where the snowmelt goes.
- Driveway grade and winter access.
- Defensible space. Buyers and their insurance companies ask about the clearing around the house.
- TRPA and BMP status, and the permit history.
Knowing where your home stands on each one tells us what to fix, what to price in and what's already fine. It's also what lets me negotiate from strength when a buyer's inspector raises something. Knowledge is power.
I'm licensed in California and Nevada and a member of three MLS systems, so your listing reaches agents on both sides of the lake.
If your situation is more specific
Some sales need more than the standard plan. If you live somewhere else and the house is up here, read selling a second home from out of town. For a higher-end home, see selling a luxury home. If your home is on the water, selling a lakefront home covers the pier and buoy research and the footage from the water. If you own income property, see selling an apartment building.
Thinking about selling your Lake Tahoe home?
If you're selling your Lake Tahoe home, you don't need to have it figured out before we talk. Tell me about your home, or call or text me at 530-208-7081. I'll walk through it and tell you where it stands, what I'd do first and which pricing strategy I'd pick. You can also start with the Lake Tahoe Seller Guide.
This page describes my general process. It isn't legal, tax or lending advice. Your contract and escrow officer set the specific terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does staging cost extra when I list with you?
No. When your home needs staging, it's included at no cost to you, because I own the staging company. Staging usually covers the rooms that move a buyer: the living room, dining area, kitchen, primary bedroom and primary bathroom.
Should I get inspections before I list my home?
Yes. I recommend a home inspection and a pest inspection on every home before it goes on the market. That way there are no surprises, and we can fix what needs fixing ahead of time instead of working it out with a buyer in escrow. A home inspector looks at the deeper things, like the structure and the roof. I'm not qualified to judge those, and I won't guess. What I am qualified to tell you is which cosmetic fixes will pay off and which ones won't, and exactly what to do to make the home look its best. You don't have to do the inspections, but I recommend them. The seller pays for both, and I arrange the inspectors.
Should I renovate before I sell my Lake Tahoe home?
Usually not. Fix safety and function, get the house professionally cleaned and cleared, and sharpen the first impression. A big cosmetic project rarely comes back to you in the price. Ask me before you approve any work.
How do you decide the list price?
I bring three pricing strategies based on recent comparable sales, tell you which one I recommend and why, and you choose. Your purchase price isn't part of a buyer's math, so it isn't part of mine.
Can I sell my home as it is?
Yes. Some owners choose to. The price will reflect it, and buyers will still inspect. Even then, a professional cleaning, clean windows and a cleaned-up yard are almost always worth doing.
Rooms staged by my own staging company.
Selling in Lake Tahoe by neighborhood
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