There are plenty of signs that the Incline Village market is on the upswing — some of them can be shown in charts and graphs, like the trends in real estate and construction, but some of them are more intuitive. These feelings can be traced back to increases in school population and the word on the street of the local businesses.
New Construction Incline Village certainly doesn’t appear to be a depressed market with all the construction underway or completed on Lakeshore Drive alone. At last count we saw 12 homes in the process of being built or completely renovated, including one lakefront, and three on Pine Cone Circle in the private homeowner’s association. Drive through town and count the carpenter’s trucks, carpet vans, and painter’s wagons, you will notice them in the areas away from Lakeshore, too. Dotted throughout the community people are improving property. Developers, sellers, owners, and landlords are spending money. They see the future is bright, we see the future is here already! Increased Sales Part of what shows us the bright future has arrived is the increase in the number of home sales. As our graphic shows, we have increased dramatically between last year and this year. People are purchasing homes again in Incline Village. Rates are still historically low and, in some cases, renting is less expensive than buying. The increase in sales means that inventory is shrinking; there is less of a selection. This will eventually drive prices up. So far prices are still reasonable — now is the time to get into the Incline Village market. New Residents Student populations are a great indication of new, full time residents moving to the community. These are usually younger families who come for work (which means there is work) and a better quality of life. The biggest change is at Incline Middle School where there has been a 9% increase in the student population — a significant sign of improvement. Sales are up The steady lowering of prices over the past two years is also encouraging this new growth. Homes are more affordable and people are making the decision to buy. Sales are up The steady lowering of prices over the past two years is also encouraging this new growth. Homes are more affordable and people are making the decision to buy. Word on the Street In speaking with local businesses, many of them claim to have had a banner year so far. Some of them met their year-end sales from last year by mid-September this year. Restaurants are busier and we have seen a few new businesses crop up, too. The mood in Incline Village is that the downturn is over and we can expect steady growth for a period of time to come. For more details, please see our Incline Village and Crystal Bay Real Estate Reports for the Third Quarter of 2012 |