Forty one years in Tahoe
By Tim Hauserman
Trudi Lee was only eight years old when she and her mother made a harrowing escape from Communist China to move to Los Angeles to be with her father. She spent the next 15 years in Southern California, learning how to become an American while working in her father’s laundry. On April 1st, 1973, she moved to Tahoe with two young children and a desire to start a new life away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.
Lake Tahoe has changed a lot in the 41 years since Trudi found her home. Back in 73 everyone had long hair, and several dogs in the back of their beat up pick-up. Some of us were hippies, but the economy was booming. In fact, most of the condos you see around North Tahoe today were built in the 1970s. By the early 1980s, about the time Trudi got into the real estate business, the local and national economy were a mess, with 18% interest rates making selling homes a challenge. We attempted to make up for the sad economy by donning the most outlandishly bright colored ski clothing imaginable. The arrival of the internet as a force to be reckoned with in the early 90s brought the dot comers to Tahoe, and a new boom in the Tahoe real estate market, which lasted until the bubble burst in the late 2000s.
While much has changed in the economy over the last four decades, some things have remained the same at Tahoe. It is still an easy going and secure place to live. A mountain fantasy land. The kind of place you are more concerned about a bear breaking into your car then a human. While folks in the city are stuck in traffic on their way to work, we spend that hour getting in some skiing or taking a bike ride before heading to the office.
While it is the beauty and the recreational opportunities that might attract you to Tahoe, it is the spirit of community and the attitude of the people that keep you here for decades. Unlike most places, people move to Tahoe not for a job, but because of the incredible place that it is. Then, of course they have to figure out how to make a living here. Trudi’s natural enthusiasm and love for people enabled her to find her niche as a successful real estate agent. What’s your Tahoe niche?