Musings from A Trailer Park in Baja

It is amazing how much we depend on electronic gear (I think that is still the word that one uses  for things like cameras and cell phones).  This trip south of the border has really pointed out this fact to me.  First  my cell phone went crazy and lost all of my notes (something I am going to have to deal with when I get home), then I lost the cables to the camera upon which I have stored all of my beautiful pictures which is why I am unable to post any of them here.  Actually I believe that I left the camera cables in Truckee, safely in my computer case.  So I will post lots of photos when I get home.

Seriously though, here I am at Los Barriles at a RV park that has wifi and  the first thing all of the vacationers do when they get up in the morning is walk over to the hotspot with their laptops.  Who could ever have imagined how easy it would be to stay in touch, AND most importantly, how easy it would be to get addicted to this mode of communication.

Jennifer has been taking care of business while I have been gone, but I am easily keeping up with the inventory back in the Tahoe MLS each morning when I am able to go on line.  What a life!!!

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Pat Sutton – In Memorian

Truckee lost a true public servant on Saturday night January 30, 2010.  Pat Sutton, Mother, Wife, Business Owner, and Public Servant in this wonderful mountain town of Truckee, California was and always will be for me a real stand up person.

Pat was a real role model for all of us citizens.  She was profoundly ethical and forever the representative of the people.  Always questioning to be sure that she was doing the best to represent her constituents.

Pat served in various capacities over the years here in Truckee but will best be remembered (at least by me) as a director on the Truckee Donner Public Utility District Board.  She also had a stint as a Supervisor with Nevada County from 1981 until 1985 and served on the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board from 1982 – 1986.

My memories of Pat mostly involve her tenacious review of PUD technical reports at board meetings.   Others in the audience would squirm with disinterest and impatience because they were forced to sit and wait until she was entirely satisfied with the explanation so that she could render an educated decision.  She seemed to revel in holding the room “hostage” while she asked many questions that had only long, arduous and, I might add — boring answers.  The district employee giving the report would, of course comply and the rest of the room would sleep while Pat sought satisfactory answers.

I will also miss the real and human side of Pat Sutton.  Great sense of humor, friendly and welcoming — always a great ambassador of Truckee.

Goodbye Pat, I will miss seeing you occasionally in the post office or talking to you once in a while when you answered the phone at Robert Sutton Paving.  Another Icon leaves this earth a better place.

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Sales of Non-Lakefront Homes Truckee-Lake Tahoe 2004-2009

After I published my graph yesterday on the statistics covering ALL single family residences sold between 2006 and 2009, I got a call from a fellow agent who asked me if I could eliminate the lakefronts on the graph. Since I knew he had a good point and their high costs tend to askew the stats, I did the homework today and the result is the following graph. I also expanded the year range to homes purchased between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2009 so we could get a really true picture of what just fell off the cliff over the past 2 years. So here it is David. Thanks for your question.

sales of nonlkfrnt 2004-2009 –

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New Snow in Truckee

Here is a video I took yesterday. This is kind of an experiment since I have not done too much of it, so bear with me.

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And the Short-Sale Drama Continues

Ok, so what are the chances.  We finally get another offer into the bank on a short sale (the same one I wrote about last week) and just when it looks like we are going to get a response from the bank, Pat, the Seller (who happens to be a fireman)  gets called with his battalion to Haiti for assistance to the earthquake victims.

This poor family has a little black cloud following them around.  It is always something.  Fortunately they all have their health but the rest of their lives read like a soap opera.  Angela is a hard working mother and owns her own business.  She needs people to work for her because she has so much work that she cannot physically do it herself.  Her employees keep leaving town so she has to fulfill contracts herself.  There are 2 young children to be taken care of.  The Family has lost their home to a short-sale (well, it may or may not complete itself).  The last time I saw them (and I do see them often because of this transaction), the husband had received notification that a previous ticket had not been paid off, even though he had paid it, and the state revoked his driver’s license so he could not work.  2 days prior to that, his truck was involved in a minor accident resulting in damage to his vehicle, and now this  . . .  will it never cease?

Frankly, I am not sure that the Haitians want this man to set foot on their soil.

Seriously, I am so proud of these people.  No matter what happens they seem to go on.  They never complain, always put their shoulders to the grindstone and push through whatever new challenge they receive.  They are an inspiration to all of us.  Whenever I feel frustrated and picked upon — I only have to look to them to see how good I have it.

By the way Pat, thanks for your service to your country and the people of Haiti!!  Be safe.

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