Project
Truckee and North Lake Tahoe second homes
Love the view?I'll read the house.
I'm Dave Gove, a Truckee agent with 30 years in construction. I help Bay Area buyers choose a second home here with an investor-grade read on value, construction and rental potential.
No rush and no pressure. We can simply talk it through.
- 30years in construction
- 8years as a licensed agent
- CA + NVlicensed in both states
Before you buy
I've been on the other side of these deals.
Alongside my work as an agent, I've worked on the development side: as a development advisor, a liaison between developers and general contractors, a joint-venture partner and the marketing lead on mixed-use and luxury residential projects in Truckee and Northern Nevada.
That means I understand land use, entitlements, construction and financing. I'm glad to talk through a home the way your financial advisor talks through your portfolio: plainly, with the numbers in front of us.
I've also sold homes to Bay Area and Silicon Valley buyers, so I know how buyers weigh a home up here and where they tend to get stuck. Now I'd like to put all of that to work for you, as your own agent.
30years in construction
8years licensed
Project
The Landing at the Truckee Railyard
- Development advisor
- Developer and contractor liaison
- Joint-venture partner
- Marketing lead
Roles across mixed-use and luxury residential projects in Truckee and Northern Nevada.
Value
What's a fair price up here?
It's the first thing almost everyone asks, and a fair question. Here's what I put in front of you before we ever talk about an offer.
Closed sales, not online estimates
TSMLS (Tahoe Sierra MLS) closed sales, with price per square foot by neighborhood and by product type.
New and resale, side by side
Attached and condo next to detached single-family, priced apart, plus my market brief series on Truckee's new-construction luxury homes.
A ten-year view
Hold models with bear, base and bull cases: a range to think with, never a promise.
Carrying costs and the rules
Realistic carrying costs, set next to what the town and HOA rules allow for short-term rentals.
Easy to share
A clean brief you can read on your phone and pass to your partner or financial advisor.
An illustration of a typical mountain home, not a specific property.
The live read
Here's how I read a house.
A beautiful house should stay a joy, not become a project. Tap a letter to see what I look at, and why it matters up here.
A
Roof and snow load
Snow load is real here. I look at the roof's structure, its pitch and how snow sheds, and I bring in an engineer when it needs a closer look.
1 of 9
New construction
Buying new? I'll be on site every week.
On new construction I act as your agent and your owner's rep. I visit the site every week, send you updates, and work with architects, engineers and the builder whenever something needs a closer look.
If you'd like the interior to feel like yours, I'll coordinate with your interior designer and the construction team before closing. Builder and developer relationships also give me private access to new-construction homes, including some before they reach the market.
How a new build goes, with me
- Plans, permits and entitlements read early
- Builder and build quality checked with the right experts
- A site visit every week
- Updates you can read on your phone
- The interior made yours before closing
Two homes I sold
Two homes, made personal.
Lahontan Golf Club
245 Laura Knight
Sold to a Silicon Valley buyer weighing a second home against an eventual primary. Build quality and community feel mattered most, so I worked with their interior designer and the construction team to customize the interior before closing.
Donner Crest
12001 Cavern Way
Sold to a tech executive moving up full-time for the recreation. I customized the interior with the buyer and the construction team.
Because I've been on the other side of these deals, I know how buyers weigh a home here.
Questions
Questions buyers ask me
"Prices up here seem crazy. Are we going to overpay?"
It's a fair worry, and a smart one to start with. I don't price from online estimates. We start from TSMLS closed sales, price per square foot by neighborhood and product type, so you know what comparable homes actually sold for before we talk about an offer.
"Can we actually rent it out when we're not using it?"
It's a reasonable hope, and it depends on the exact home. Town rules and HOA rules both matter, so I read them for any home you're serious about and set realistic carrying costs next to the rental picture. Data, never a promise.
"Can we even get fire insurance?"
It's a real question up here, and you're right to ask it early. Let's put it on the list for any home you're serious about, alongside carrying costs, before you're attached to the house.
"We don't have time to fly up every weekend to look."
You don't need to. I do the legwork here and send briefs you can read on your phone, so the weekends you do come up are for the homes worth seeing.
"Should we buy new construction or resale?"
It's a good question, and both can be right. I price them separately, side by side, and with thirty years in construction I can tell you what you're really getting with each.
"Lake or ski access? We can't agree."
That's a lovely problem to have. Let's talk through how you'd actually spend your time here, then compare the areas that fit each, with numbers for both. I live in Truckee and ski and mountain bike here, so I'm happy to share what each feels like.
"Is now the right time, or should we wait?"
There's no rush, and I won't push either way. I can show you where the market sits from closed sales and run a ten-year hold with bear, base and bull cases, so you can decide with clear eyes.
"Our Bay Area agent says they can handle it."
They may be a great agent at home. Up here, much of the work is local: TSMLS comps, HOA, ARC and rental rules, snow load and site conditions, and knowing the builders. That's the part I'd take off your plate.
A note from Dave
I live in Truckee. I ski, mountain bike and raise my family here, so the life you're picturing is the one I live every week.
My work sits where value, construction and the rules meet. I'd rather show you closed sales and a straight read on a house than make promises.
Behind me is a network I trust: real estate attorneys, architects, civil and structural engineers, general contractors and builders, jumbo and second-home lenders, and private investors. It makes diligence faster and flags entitlement, HOA, ARC and permit issues early.
I'm licensed in California and Nevada, so if you'd like to compare the California side of Tahoe with Reno and Northern Nevada, we can set them side by side.
Dave Gove
Licensed Real Estate Salesperson with Real Broker LLC · CA DRE #02046737 · NV S.201156
Whenever you're ready, let's talk.
Bring a listing, a neighborhood or just a question. We'll look at it together, calmly, so your weekends go to the mountain and the lake.
Or email dave@davegove.com
No rush and no pressure.