Carson Valley is a great place to live, with dynamic communities to meet a wide range of preferences, whether you are looking for a rural home, access to lots of outdoor recreation, or a suburban neighborhood. One of the perks of living in Carson Valley is the many signature events you can enjoy throughout the year. If you are looking for something fun to do in Carson Valley, add one of these annual events to your calendar.

Want to learn more about living in Carson Valley or finding your dream home in the area? We can help. Contact us any time to learn.

Eagles and Agriculture

Every January, Eagles and Agriculture is a weekend-long festival that celebrates the arrival of newborn calves, and birds of prey that migrate to the area as a result. Events included in the weekend showcase are diverse, including a wildlife photography exhibit, wetlands tours complete with wildlife sightings, guided hikes, special dinner, local ranch tours, and more. Learn more about the natural ecosystem and local culture of Carson Valley at any of the engaging events taking place this weekend.

Genoa Western Heritage Days

Genoa is Nevada's oldest settlement, and each spring they celebrate their fascinating history at Genoa Western Heritage Days. The three day festival is fun for the whole family and features live music, cowboy poetry, demonstrations, reenactments, cowboy art exhibits, tours, children’s activities, local craft and food vendors, and more

Carson Valley Days

Drawing visitors from around the area, Carson Valley Days is a four day event that has been taking place every summer for over 100 years. Each year the event kicks off with a parade in a different theme. Guests can then spend the festival checking out carnival midway games, rides, free live music, horseshoe tournaments, craft vendors, and much more. If you ask anyone who grew up in the area, chances are some of their core childhood memories were made at Carson Valley Days.

Douglas County Rodeo

Held at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, the Douglas County Rodeo is a perfect combination of the best parts of small town living and big city entertainment. Before rodeo events begin, guests enjoy food trucks, local vendors, and kids activities all day long. Next, rodeo events include mutton busting, trick riders, team roping, barrel racing, and of course bull and bronc riding. End the event with a party, dancing the night away to live music from various featured bands.

Genoa Candy Dance

For over 100 years in Genoa, the Genoa Candy Dance has been held as an annual arts and crafts fair with an emphasis on a love for candy. What kid (or kid at heart) wouldn't get excited about that? Enjoy plenty of live music and entertainment, in addition to over 300 vendors offering candy, arts and crafts, and more. The event takes place in September, and is a perfect kick off to fall and the holiday season. The two day event was historically held as a fundraiser for essential town projects, and continues to benefit the entire local economy each year.

To learn more about finding your home in Carson Plains or the Dayton Valley, contact us any time.

Carson Valley is a Nevada town filled with natural beauty, fascinating history, and beautiful real estate. It's a great place to call home, with plenty of outdoor recreation to enjoy, a variety of housing types available, and a strong school system to support young families. If you are considering a move to Carson Valley, reach out to us any time to learn more about homes for sale in the area.

To learn more about what it's like to live in Carson Valley, check out the information below.

Where is Carson Valley?

Carson Valley is located in the transition between the Sierra Nevada and the Great Basin, widely considered to be Northern Nevada's most scenic valley. While the valley has a long history as Nevada's oldest town, founded in 1851, there remain many wide open spaces that preserve the natural beauty of the area.

You can get into town through 3 main roads: U.S. Highway 395, State Route 88, or U.S. Highway 50. Traveling to nearby Lake Tahoe is easy, only about 30 minutes from anywhere in the valley to the beautiful lake, ski resorts, and everything else the area has to offer.

What is there to do in Carson Valley?

Carson Valley offers a little bit of everything, with a major emphasis on enjoying the great outdoors. Golfing, mountain biking, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, kayaking, fishing, and more can all be enjoyed within minutes from home. This location is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise.

The valley is made up of multiple towns, each offering their own amenities. Dining and shopping choices are plentiful in Carson Valley, including casinos, country clubs, and golf courses alongside every type of restaurant, grocery store, and shopping center.

Even residents of Carson Valley who choose a more rural location for the horse property, privacy, or river access can easily get to any shopping or entertainment they need within half an hour or less.

What is the climate like in Carson Valley?

Residents of Carson Valley enjoy all four seasons. Snow falls intermittently throughout the winter, summers offers temperatures in the 80s and 90s, and there are a true spring and fall in between. For more abundant snowfall and winter sports, head into the surrounding mountains or spend some time around Lake Tahoe. There are plenty of mild months throughout the year that are ideal for hiking, mountain biking, disc golfing, or enjoying any of the other many outdoor recreation opportunities in Carson Valley.

Is Carson Valley a good place to raise a family?

You will find a wide variety of housing in different parts of Carson Valley, like luxury golf community homes in Dayton, affordable condos and small homes throughout the area, and sprawling acreage with custom homes. The diverse housing styles and price points, coupled with good schools and plenty of outdoor recreation to be enjoyed, makes this a great place to move a family. It's also an easy place to enjoy learning about the history of the Western United States, with all kinds of fun and educational things to do with kids in the area.

Ready to begin the search for your home in Carson Valley? We can help. Contact us any time to get started.

Interest rate Buy Down What's it about?

Are you considering buying a new home but worried about the monthly mortgage payments? A solution you may want to consider is an interest rate buy-down.

In this video, we’ll explain what an interest rate buy-down is and how it can help you save money on your mortgage payments over time.

An interest rate buy-down is when the borrower pays an upfront fee to the lender in exchange for a lower interest rate on the mortgage. This lower interest rate results in lower monthly mortgage payments for a specified period, typically the first few years of the loan.

Stay tuned to learn more about interest rate buy-downs and how they could be a helpful tool for you as a homebuyer

How to Find out Your Property Tax Cap Rate in Nevada

Property Taxes in Carson City and Dayton Nevada

Dennis Lindsay from Berkshire Hathaway - Lyons and Ormsby County

Since 2005 homeowners in these counties have a 3% cap on personal and primary residences and 8% on others such as rental property.

Primary residences sometimes get taxed at the 8% instead of the 3%,  so what can you do?

Go to the county assessor's website and then go to assessor records under popular pages, then go into your property address and parcel number, search all records.  Then go to the tax cap rate, to make sure it's accurate. Enter your county and find your tax rate. If you're not at 3% for your primary home, contact your county assessor to correct this. Need more help? Call me! 530-318-2369

Hi this is Dennis Lindsay with Berkshire Hathaway home services with your February monthly market report we're recovering the areas of Dayton Carson Minden Gardnerville so let's go ahead and get started

So Dayton, the red area is January's numbers, the black ones are February so you can see that we are up by gosh 18 more solds in February than in January so that's a good number. New listings for February we're at 16 versus 10 in January under contract we have 15 versus 21. So a few less closed in February than in January the active listings are about the same 48 versus 46. The home pricing though has jumped dramatically jumped by twenty-seven thousand dollars the average sales price for from one month to the other so those are the numbers for January let's move on to Carson

Carson City, we have a plus 14 homes sold so we have a good amount of homes sold in February versus January for all of Carson The listings were about the same we have one better In January the under contract, that is down a lot for Carson City. We're down by 28 units that went under contract in January was 59 and now 31. so that's down by 28. Current active listings are pretty much the same 73 versus 69. but the average sales price is down by nine thousand dollars went from 546 to 537. on to Gardnerville a number of Home solds jumped quite a bit jumped by 10. that's good and so there's a bit better activity there, on the listings we have more listings jump by 10 there as well new listings versus January under contract pretty much the same way. increase of about five units went under contract an inventory current active inventory over there is 78 versus 81 this month and the average sales price really dropped dramatically had dropped by 59 000. Now let's go on to let you know what's going on with the interest rates about two weeks ago we were at about 5.9 . Today we are at the closing of business on Friday we're at 6.97 and it jumped to over seven percent so there's a little volatility in the interest rates right there. People are just kind of holding tight just to see what's going to happen with the interest rates hopefully we'll see them adjust down a bit and I want to thank you very much this is your February report if I can be of service to any of you or anybody you may know you can get me at

530-318-2369 and again my name is Dennis Lindsay with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services we'll see you next month

Dayton is a great place to live with kids, where many people enjoy the peaceful lifestyle of a historic town just outside of Carson City. With great schools and plenty of places to enjoy outdoor recreation, residents of Dayton can enjoy the small-town atmosphere while having access to bigger city amenities just a short drive from home.

Wondering if there might be homes for sale in Dayton Nevada that would fit your budget and criteria? We can help you find them! Contact us any time to learn more.

If you are looking for some fun things to do with kids in Dayton, check out these ideas.

Go Fishing on the Carson River

There are plenty of ways to enjoy getting outside with the kids in Dayton. One of them is fishing on the Carson River. Trout are the most plentiful fish in this part of the river, and the kids are likely to have some success of their own in some of the gentle parts of the river. Kids under the age of 12 won't even need a fishing license in the state of Nevada.

Dayton State Park

Covering nearly 160 acres, Dayton State Park is a great place to bring the kids for a hike, a picnic, or even some overnight camping. Check out Rock Point Mill, built in 1861 during Dayton's Gold Rush days. It's a great place to catch some wildlife sightings or just enjoy the natural beauty of the area, with space for large gatherings or family picnics. If you are looking to plan an outdoor staycation, this state park is a great option.

Virginia & Truckee Railroad

With a nod to the history of the area, the Virginia & Truckee Railroad brings guests on a fascinating 35 minute ride to Gold Hill and back. Kids will love learning about the train tracks that were originally a part of the Gold Rush, which is what got Dayton started in the first place. The railroad hosts special seasonal events, as well as daily train rides 7 times per day.

J's Old Town Bistro

Enjoy an opportunity to dine at one of the oldest restaurants in the nation, J's Old Town Bistro. This tiny old restaurant has been a part of Dayton for over 160 years and is still in business, offering a menu of classic miner food as well as some modern updates. Try steak, burgers, pizza, or pasta in the authentic old-school dining room. The bistro is set on what was once Dayton's main street and still features some of the original design, including the original front doors.

Dayton Valley Days

Every September in Dayton, the kids will love celebrating Dayton Valley Days. The community comes together to enjoy a parade (a human one and a pet one), rodeo, car show, games, auctions, and more, drawing visitors from around the state. This charming and family-friendly event will allow you to meet other members of the community and take a moment to appreciate the small-town charm and rich history of Dayton.

To learn more about living in Dayton, contact us anytime.

If stories of competitive bidding wars among hopeful buyers in recent years have made you nervous about the process of buying a home, you are not alone. Many buyers in the piping hot real estate market of the past two years have found themselves outbid and needing to make multiple offers before being able to buy a house. This process can be stressful and emotional, and sometimes motivated buyers to make concessions they otherwise would not have made.

But there's good news. As the market cools a bit, buyers are finding themselves back in a position of negotiating strength, less likely to be outbid in a competitive multi-offer scenario.

If you are considering buying a home in the new year and looking for homes for sale in the Carson-Tahoe area, we can help. Contact us any time to learn more.

In the meantime, consider these reasons that now may be a better time to buy than last year.

Contingencies are Back

One of the best changes we are seeing in the real estate market right now is the return of contingencies for buyers. In recent years, buyers sometimes felt pressure to waive inspections and appraisals to avoid being outbid by another buyer willing to do the same.

Not all buyers are able, or willing, to do so. If you need to include a contingency in your offer, you no longer have to assume it will make yours less attractive than competing offers.

Contingencies you may want to include with your offer might be:

• A home inspection contingency, so you can find out what the condition of the home is and whether any major repairs are necessary or are likely to become necessary soon. This way, you can negotiate with the seller to cover the expense of any repairs that are discovered, or back out of the deal if you realize the condition of the home is worse that you are willing to handle.
• A home appraisal contingency is required by many lenders, and protects your investment. This allows you to be sure you are not paying more for the home than it is worth, ending up in an upside-down investment from day one.
• A home sale contingency, which is often necessary if you need to sell your current home in order to qualify for the new mortgage.

Sellers can Offer Help with Closing Costs

Because so many sellers have substantial equity in their homes, thanks to recent increases in home prices over the past two years, you may be able to negotiate for assistance with closing costs. Some of the concessions sellers are willing to make, which won't cost them a dime out of pocket when funded from their equity, include:

• Helping to cover closing costs
• Offering discount points or 2-1 buy downs to offset higher interest rates
• Credits towards new flooring or other home improvements that need to be done

Fewer Buyers Means Less Competition

Overall, now is simply a less competitive time to buy than last year. With fewer buyers on the market, you are more likely to find the home you want and get it for the price you want. Keep in mind that higher mortgage rates are only one piece of the puzzle, and do not have to eliminate your opportunity to buy this year.

Ready to begin looking for homes for sale in the Carson-Tahoe area? Contact us any time to get started.