Moving to Reno/Tahoe?

[gaijin]

My wife and I think it's time to move to the Reno/Tahoe area. We have three kids: 3, 6, and 9.

Thoughts on nice areas for housing? Suburbanish... close to North Lake? Preferred schools?

Kind of want to live away from proper Reno. But am willing and eager to work there and commute. Interested in the Tesla/Panasonic partnership. Any other growth opportunities?

[kidwoo]

Not gonna work. Placer and Washoe county specifically prohibit offspring that are all within a multiple of 3. Come back next year.

Tesla can't make cars and the boss gets butthurt that they didn't want his little swimmy toy, to the point that he started bashing real life badasses, not just rich fucks in cute leather jackets who fly space cars for no reason. Prolly a dead end there.

Tesla is also not in reno anyway. Watch the first two mad max films and take note of the word 'Fernley'. That's where telsa is.

This is literally the worst time in history to look for housing in the area. No foolin on that one.

[Meadow Skipper]

This is literally the worst time in history to look for housing in the area. No foolin on that one.

But it's better now than it's gonna be later.

[kidwoo]

But it's better now than it's gonna be later.

There's that little thing in the back of all our heads now that's certainly a generational marker pointing to the possibility that it may genuinely come crashing to the ground again.

We've seen things man. Amazing things.

[Meadow Skipper]

It might go down, but it doesn't seem to stay down.
http://renorealtyblog.com/resources/...dian-sold-data

2011 would have been a good time to buy in Reno.

[4matic]

Reno probably means private school for you. I know teachers and parents in Tahoe City and their kids are doing great in those schools. Tahoe City area is solid for family and schools.

Growth? Weed? There are some businesses moving stuff to Reno. Schwab for example. Lots of tech companies co-locate servers in the area so there are data center jobs around.

[MTT]

I live in Verdi, we have a new housing development going in here. We all hate it, but it looks pretty nice.

If you have the bank to buy a new house, this is probably what your looking for.

If a bit lower in the income level? reach out let see what we can do.

Former Cali residents are bailing from Cali taxes and moving here.

And yea lots of tech that most don't talk about.

[TahoeJ]

The schools in and around Truckee are all really good. Since Measure A passed back in 99, the district has been flush with $$ compared to a lot of places in CA. They're just about to wrap up a major expansion on the high school, as well.

I don't live there (just a second homeowner) but almost moved full time a few years back and have three kids, so did my due diligence. The wife and I are still thinking about it.

[mcski]

Sparks is basically Reno, but seems nicer. I'd prefer closer to the Tahoe side, but our family friends that live there are teachers and say it and the school district is good. Not sure what you will be doing for work, but i would aim for truckee like TahoeJ suggests

[El Chupacabra]

Sparks is basically Reno, but seems nicer.

The nice parts of Sparks are basically boring suburbs. Spanish Springs etc. Depending on where you work, that can be a lengthy commute. I find it all pretty generic.

There are a lot of nicer areas of Reno than anywhere in Sparks. How nice depends on what you like and how much you want to spend. Peavine Mtn has lots of trails for biking, but no shade, so it's really hot in summer - lots of housing options within easy riding distance from those trails.

I like my neighborhood a lot - Galena Forest. Cooler in summer, close to trails and skiing. It has disadvantages too though - no walkable or easily bikable services (you're driving everywhere), it's expensive now, have to shovel a lot more snow than if you live lower down, and occasional bear visits.

OP, what's your housing budget? Renting or buying?

[skibrooklyn]

The idea that Sparks is generally nicer than Reno is a bit mystifying. Nicer than downtown/casino Reno, sure, but there are several neighborhoods in Reno (including the SW and NW areas that are closest to the lakes and/or resorts) that are just as nice or nicer than anything in Sparks (and have good schools). That said, Sparks is ideal for relative proximity to Tesla.

If you want to be near North Lake (meaning the actual lake) SW Reno is your best bet, and includes Galena Forest as mentioned above, along with other neighborhoods that are a bit closer to services/restaurants/malls/theaters off of Mt. Rose highway. SW Reno is also generally about 20-30 min from Mt. Rose, which is an underrated mountain, and around 30-45 min from the lake (Incline Village and east shore beaches).

NW Reno is best for Truckee and Squaw (probably still an hour to Squaw on weekends - i don't live there, so that's just a guess), but a bit further from the actual lake than SW Reno. There are nice suburban areas in NW Reno like Somersett that would still be easily doable for Tesla (10-15 min due west of Sparks). Both NW/SW Reno have a very suburban feeling. In any case, as stated above, really depends on your budget. Not surprisingly, NW and SW Reno tend to be on the more expensive side for Reno, but still pennies compared to Bay Area/LA/Seattle, etc.

[sierraskier]

The nice parts of Sparks are basically boring suburbs. Spanish Springs etc. Depending on where you work, that can be a lengthy commute. I find it all pretty generic.

There are a lot of nicer areas of Reno than anywhere in Sparks. How nice depends on what you like and how much you want to spend. Peavine Mtn has lots of trails for biking, but no shade, so it's really hot in summer - lots of housing options within easy riding distance from those trails.

I like my neighborhood a lot - Galena Forest. Cooler in summer, close to trails and skiing. It has disadvantages too though - no walkable or easily bikable services (you're driving everywhere), it's expensive now, have to shovel a lot more snow than if you live lower down, and occasional bear visits.

OP, what's your housing budget? Renting or buying?

Agreed with all said here. All depends on your list and rank of priorities - mountain town vs city, riding out the door, proximity to skiing, proximity to schools, proximity to families, CA vs NV, affordability, etc... Truckee checks a lot of boxes BUT it's California. Really hard to stomach a 12%+ pay cut when you can live ~25mi away without that and a bunch of the other California bullshit - and I grew up in CA and have lived there most of my life. Also, if your plan is to commute out to Tesla or anywhere in Reno from Truckee, the I-80 corridor between those locations seems to be getting worse and worse each year. Between Sparks and TRIC is seeing big rise in accidents correlating to increase in traffic associated with TRIC - especially trucks. Between Truckee and Reno, there are at lease 1 if not 2 big rig accidents a week in Hirschdale or Floriston and this section turns into a real shit show in the winter, often shutting down for extended periods due to idiot trucks or tourists getting pitted somewhere in the canyon. Is it Bay Area stop n go gridlock for 2hrs on either side of rush hour? No. But you'd be picking one of the longer commutes for up here, and it will likely get worse as Reno and TRIC continue to grow.

I have lived in Incline Village for the last 16yrs, just Declined to Galena Forest on the other side of Mt Rose. Our little pocket is still in the pines, 500yds from trails, ~12min from Mt Rose resort/summit, 25min to Tahoe, 15min to Reno. Flew in last night from work trip, looked at my phone... touched down at RNO at 8:50pm, de-planed, walked to my car, drove home and was in my house at 9:20pm.

El Chup - we need to connect sometime...

[kidwoo]

I have lived in Incline Village for the last 16yrs, just Declined to Galena Forest on the other side of Mt Rose..

did everybody catch that?

This dude's on it

[El Chupacabra]

I have lived in Incline Village for the last 16yrs, just Declined to Galena Forest on the other side of Mt Rose. Our little pocket is still in the pines, 500yds from trails, ~12min from Mt Rose resort/summit, 25min to Tahoe, 15min to Reno. Flew in last night from work trip, looked at my phone... touched down at RNO at 8:50pm, de-planed, walked to my car, drove home and was in my house at 9:20pm.

El Chup - we need to connect sometime...

We're neighbors!

[tony3]

The commute from Truckee to Tesla is 50 minutes in good conditions... Reno has small pockets of most types of neighborhoods. You will want to pay attention to the schools. The newspaper publishes a comprehensive yearly school ranking. We love it. We are up against Peavine...100 yards from decent single track. 45 minutes to Squaw or Rose, 12 minutes to a pretty good airport. 3 hours to Mammoth, 4 hours to Shasta, 4 hours to San Francisco. It is the desert... Where are you coming from?

[bigdude2468]

Sparks, get a job making skis at Moment or utilize their demo program to ski some fine boards.

[meter-man]

Recent Truckee arrival (summer '17). Wife teaches in Tahoe-Truckee School District at Kings Beach Elem (where my kids go too), which is a Spanish dual-immersion school. Public school options in Truckee have been a pleasant surprise -- quite solid and lots of choices. Also, what tahoeJ said. Plus good/cheap after-school care - I'll go on and on about KBE if you're serious - PM me.

RE in Truckee is expensive for the rest of the US, but (duh) way cheaper than coastal California. Although I think woo is right, and we're at/near the top of the RE market, there are some trends that suggest Truckee RE will hold up value better than the last recession--Reno has way more jobs than it used to, and way more telecommuting now means more folks are more insulated from the recessional dips that hit resort towns way harder than urban centers.

If commuting to Reno, Truckee is close...but 80 is damn sketchy from T to R. Fair amount of winter closures as mentioned. If commuting, Galena Forest seems ideal for skier/rider types. AKB commutes from Recline to Reno on the daily. NW Reno is pretty good too - lots of affordable solid neighborhoods and close to Peavine for MTB. Sounds like Tony is in the spot. Also, as Tony said, Reno is definitely the desert --- pretty different feel from Truckee/Tahoe.

Come up/down/in/out - we'll show you around.

[kidwoo]

Recent Truckee arrival (summer '17). Wife teaches in Tahoe-Truckee School District at Kings Beach Elem (where my kids go too), which is a Spanish dual-immersion school. Public school options in Truckee have been a pleasant surprise -- quite solid and lots of choices. Also, what tahoeJ said. Plus good/cheap after-school care - I'll go on and on about KBE if you're serious - PM me.

Dude, you are doing it ALL wrong. You're supposed to vote down taxes for public education, then get together with the other special parents with special kids and create your own private school, call it an "academy", teach "classes" that just involve spinning around in a circle and stacking up fire hazards in the woods, and generally make sure your special little ones aren't having to interact with those peoples' children. It's the north Tahoe way son!

[mcski]

meter man, didn't u live in sf? what took you to truckee?

[Meadow Skipper]

meter man, didn't u live in sf? what took you to truckee?

I-80?

[meter-man]

Dude, you are doing it ALL wrong. You're supposed to vote down taxes for public education, then get together with the other special parents with special kids and create your own private school, call it an "academy", teach "classes" that just involve spinning around in a circle and stacking up fire hazards in the woods, and generally make sure your special little ones aren't having to interact with those peoples' children. It's the north Tahoe way son!

woo I know I know - gotta try harder up here... I guess I'm just a little thick!

mcski - yep, 10 years in the same apt at GG and Scott. My twins wanted to move out of the closet, and I wanted to ski more and live in the Sierra again (lived in Mammoth in the '00s). And the Mrs. got the teaching job. Figured I'd make it work somehow, and it's working out so far. (But I sure miss my Sutro/Twin Peaks/LH/GGP laps and Ocean Beach!)

Gaijin, didn't you live here at some point? Where ya coming from?

[sierraskier]

did everybody catch that?

This dude's on it

[sierraskier]

Dude, you are doing it ALL wrong. You're supposed to vote down taxes for public education, then get together with the other special parents with special kids and create your own private school, call it an "academy", teach "classes" that just involve spinning around in a circle and stacking up fire hazards in the woods, and generally make sure your special little ones aren't having to interact with those peoples' children. It's the north Tahoe way son!

What are these "kids" "children" and "schools" you speak of?

[summit]

So the wife has a job in Reno and we are gonna do the distance dance. She needs to find a place there sometime between midSeptember and midDecember. Not sure how permanent this is, so uncertain about buying.

Was hoping to find a place in south of S McCarran (including Mt Rose Hwy (actually that would be preferable) even to include New Washoe). A quiet 2-3 bedroom apt/condo/house. Apparently my pricing scales are off and things are incredibly expensive and quite scarce! I'm really confused actually as I figured Reno was cheaper than Denver or CO mountain resorts.

Looking across the whole area it seems impossible to find a two bedroom apt that isn't in the $1550-1900 + utils price range and nearly every single one bills itself as "luxury" and is managed by some huge pm corporation. Market is about 33% higher priced than I had imagined glancing at it months ago. It just strikes me as odd that there is such low inventory and narrow price ranges. There is nothing up Mt Rose or in New Washoe.

Is this a bad time to be looking? Or has something fundamentally changed in the Reno market? Or were my expectations just off?

[Meadow Skipper]

^ I think there’s either: a) a hudge influx to Reno of people with $$ bailing on California, and I mean hudge, or b) many, many people in Reno expecting a) and pricing for it.