[Bruce]

We are looking to buy a small home in North Lake Tahoe and are looking in Tahoe-Donner, Prosser Lake, and Winter Creek. We would like something close to town, close to mountain bike trails, and even close to backcountry or cross country skiing, and not too far from the resorts (Squaw, Northstar, Alpine).

We are not high end buyers, so if you suggest a place at the base of Squaw or on the lake, we won't be able to follow your advice. Also, this will be a second home (at least for a few years) so we will be commuting from the bay area. We would like to be in a community so we can get to know folks to make our stays in the area more social.

Although frequent visitors, we haven't lived in that area and so don't have a great feel for the characteristics of the various neighborhoods. So any suggestions, comments, and observations would be appreciated!

[deub]

The list of affordable amenities at Tahoe Donner is hard to beat. More true if you have kids. For this, most Bay Area folks choose Tahoe Donner. But it does get crowded on Holidays.

http://www.tahoedonner.com/

If you're really into XC skiing then get a place near the Tahoe Donner XC area (my fav XC area). It's an ideal place to avoid the resort holiday crowd. If you buy a day pass at the XC area you can find powder on it's North facing slopes into Euer valley. Or no pass needed Sun Bowl area north of Glacier point. Sucks to buy a pass for Euer Valley, but this means no lack of freshies.

Here a vidy a Euer Valley ski tour I did, mostly low angle safe stuff there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtdsaFMwOo8&feature=plcp

For mountain biking you can ride the Tahoe Donner rim trail all the way up to Hole in the Ground for a big loop or find smaller variations of that. Something more mellow? Take the Emigrant Trail from TD to the Reservoir at Prosser and back. There is a nice single track that parallels the highway to the north.

Prossor would be a more affordable alternative. It's only slightly farther away from the slopes and much more quiet (mostly locals).

What an ideal time to buy with both interest rates and home prices so low, good luck!

[Bruce]

Thanks Deub! Great video! Makes we want to get a place even more. I rode Emigrant earlier in the year and it is pretty sweet.

[Norman Clyde]

[soulskier]

Check out Olympic Heights, it's right off the freeway, very sunny, receives less snow that other neighborhoods, close to town, there is a golf course to X/C right behind and no homeowner's fees. It's a very middle class, blue collar hood.