Episode 94, Brandon Walsh, $80 Million in Sales of Real Estate, Founding Team of Compass Lake Tahoe

Have you been to Tahoe?  Well, let me introduce you to my friend & colleague Brandon Walsh.  Brandon moved to North Lake Tahoe in 2009 to join the Squaw Valley Ski Patrol. He took his talents to real estate in 2014 and joined the family-owned Tahoe Real Estate Group, then in 2018 became part of the founding team of Compass.  Brandon has sold more than $80 million of real estate to date and continues to excel in his career as a real estate broker, servicing clients locally and from across the world.  

DID YOU KNOW? 

1.  Lake Tahoe is over 2-3 million years old. Tahoe is considered an ancient lake and is counted among the 20 oldest lakes in the world.

2.  Most of Nevada's side of Tahoe is a National Forest, thus housing supply on that side is limited.  

3.  The stored heat in the Lake's massive amount of water compared to its relative surface area prevents the Lake from reaching freezing temperature under the prevailing climatic conditions.

4.  Tahoe’s clarity has impressed visitors since the time of Mark Twain in the 1880s. Historical accounts indicate the water may have been as clear as 120 feet during that time. 

Please follow Brandon's life journey at @brandon.walsh_tahoe 

Locals Corner!

1. Favorite current Tahoe restaurant or establishment?  Old Range Steak House  IG: @oldrangesteakhouse 
2. The All Time go to Tahoe restaurant or establishment?  Moodys Bistro IG:  @Moodysbistrobarbeats

Guest Questions Corner 

Guest Question from Tim Rothman of Compass NYC:  Being that you work and sell in vacation areas, when would you say is your busy season and when you are not busy, what do you do to keep yourself busy aside from drinking, smoking and doing other fun stuff? 

Guest question from none other than Lane Johnson from Aspen Colorado: How does it feel to live and work at a place that, in comparison to Aspen, Colorado, is considered subpar?   I’ll rephrase… where Tahoe ranks among ski resorts in the continental United States???

Guest Question from Levi Meyer of Compass Miami: Brandon, I referred you a buyer for Lake Tahoe and you sold him a house in Nevada! I wasn’t expecting that. Can you elaborate for us on the crossover from Tahoe to Nevada and how that works for you as an agent?  

Deep Dive Questions: 

1. I’d like to think the 20s are a struggling time for young professionals.  (lots of videos on social media posted from Gen Z who are complaining about housing costs, income, buying groceries, etc.). How did you get into the business?  What hurdles did you have to overcome? When did things start to ‘click’ for you? 
2. Is there an affordable housing crisis in Tahoe? Meaning, are typical middle-class workers having a hard time getting into first-time home ownership? If so, what are your ideas of solutions that must be implemented to satisfy both consumers & and builders?  Can you get into home ownership if you’re working full time on the mountain? 
3. Construction Costs:  Describe the typical costs and processes, that buyers have to think through when purchasing non-new development. What about costs as a developer? (and this is a general question, but if you know specifics, please go deep!) 
4. interest rates are at an all-time high in our modern lives. What are your buyers saying? sellers? And please forecast what your market will look like at the end of 2024. 
5. What advice can you give to the following
   1. First-time home buyers 
   2. first-time sellers 
   3. Brand new real estate agents 
   4. veteran real estate agents