Property Care Guide
120 Old Cedars Pl, Tahoma, CA 96142
Tahoma, CA 96142 · Elevation 6225 ft
Tahoe Cedars Sub
Location & Property Details
- Elevation
- 6225 ft
- Fire Hazard Severity Zone
- Very High (CAL FIRE FHSZ)
- Fire District
- Meeks Bay Fire Protection District
- Water
- Tahoma Mutual Water
- Electric
- Liberty Utilities
- Gas
- Southwest Gas
TR Tahoe provides year-round property care across Tahoma and North Lake Tahoe.
Seasonal Maintenance Calendar for Tahoma
At 6225 ft in a Very High fire hazard zone, this property has specific seasonal maintenance requirements. Actual timing shifts 2–4 weeks in heavy snow years.
Spring
- Clear winter debris, pine needles, and broken branches from roof, gutters, and around foundation
- Inspect roof for damage from snow load; check flashing and shingles
- De-winterize exterior plumbing and irrigation systems
- Check deck boards and railings for rot or separation from frost heave
- Schedule HVAC filter change and sealed-combustion system inspection per manufacturer schedule - modern units require annual service to maintain efficiency and warranty coverage
Summer
- Create and maintain 100-ft defensible space (zones 0/1/2 per CAL FIRE)
- Stain or reseal decks during dry weather window
- Inspect and clean chimneys, stovepipes, and spark arrestors
- Test smoke and CO detectors; replace batteries
- Review smart home and monitoring systems: thermostat scheduling, camera battery backup, and leak-sensor alerts are especially valuable for unoccupied vacation properties
Fall
- Clear pine needles from roof, gutters, and within 5 ft of structures (Zone 0)
- Winterize exterior plumbing: drain hoses, shut-off exterior spigots, blow out irrigation
- Service heating system and replace furnace filters
- Check roof for loose shingles before snow season
- Test smoke/CO sensor connectivity and remote alert delivery before closing for the season - post-2000 systems integrate with monitoring apps that require annual re-verification
Winter
- Monitor snow load on roof
- Keep attic and crawlspace ventilation clear of snow to prevent ice dams
- Check for ice dam formation at eaves and roof valleys
- Ensure heat tape on exposed pipes is functioning
What This Means for an Owner Here
Properties inside CAL FIRE's Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zone - including this 120 Old Cedars Pl parcel at 6,225 ft - carry a maintenance burden that is non-negotiable: defensible space at zones 0, 1, and 2 must be maintained on a calendar schedule, not on an as-needed basis. The Meeks Bay Fire Protection District performs annual inspections, and the most common owner mistake is treating Zone 0 (the five-foot ember-resistant ring) as a landscaping decision when it is in fact a structural-protection decision.
Service Area & Utility Context
Communities like the Tahoe Cedars Sub area distribute maintenance across owner-paid and association-paid categories on a property-specific schedule. The association's reserve study tells the long-term story; the most recent budget tells the short-term one. Both should live in the property file.
Property Profile
Assessor data on this property: 2021 build, 2,646-sq-ft of living area, 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms , lot area of an unrecorded lot; the last recorded sale was in 2024 at a recorded price of $3,850,000; current assessed value sits at $3,850,000; the assessor lists 584 sq ft of garage area; classified by the county as single fam res half plex. Owners of a structure with this profile at 6,225 ft typically allocate maintenance budget across envelope (roof, deck, windows), mechanical (HVAC, plumbing, chimney), and exterior (defensible space, driveway, drainage).
Fire District Inspection: Meeks Bay Fire Protection District
For this parcel under Meeks Bay Fire Protection District jurisdiction, the May through July window structures the maintenance calendar. Meeks Bay Fire Protection District covers Tahoma, Homewood, Meeks Bay, and Rubicon Bay. Annual defensible space inspections are conducted in late spring. The Very High FHSZ designation applies throughout. The district is smaller than NTFPD or TPFD — inspection resources are limited, and owners should not wait for a formal inspection notice before maintaining clearances. A 2021-built home at 120 Old Cedars Pl that ties Zone-by-Zone maintenance to specific calendar weeks - rather than reacting to the inspection notice when it arrives - both clears inspection cleanly and reduces total annual hours spent on compliance work.
Tahoe Cedars — Community Profile
Tahoe Cedars sets the operating envelope for 120 Old Cedars Pl. Tahoe Cedars (also indexed as 'Tahoe Ced' variants in county records) is one of the West Shore's oldest established communities, with parcels from 1916. El Dorado County jurisdiction. No overarching HOA. The area has a mix of original cabins, mid-century homes, and recent rebuilds. West Shore TRPA rules are among the most restrictive in the Basin due to proximity to sensitive shoreline habitat — coverage percentages and setbacks are closely monitored. There is no overarching HOA - individual parcel restrictions and TRPA/county rules govern. A 2021-built parcel here lives inside the community's architectural review cadence, which means even modest exterior work routes through a documented process before any permit is filed.
El Dorado County — Permits, Taxes & Compliance
Permits
Portal: El Dorado County Development Services (edcgov.us)
For 120 Old Cedars Pl, structural and mechanical work routes through El Dorado County Development Services (edcgov.us). Permit applications for any major work go through El Dorado County Development Services, with concurrent TRPA review on Tahoe Basin parcels. Post-2020 updates to county fire-hardening and defensible-space rules now align with AB 38, which mandates hardening disclosure at sale. Owners of a 2021-built home at 6,225 ft should budget review time accordingly - TRPA overlap on Tahoe Basin parcels is the dominant timeline driver.
Short-Term Rental Rules
TOT Rate: 10%
Running this 2,646 sq ft property as a vacation rental falls under El Dorado County rules: TOT applies at 10%. El Dorado's STR regime - registration, 10% TOT, occupancy limits - is enforced more tightly than Placer County's framework. The lower STR density in West Shore communities (Tahoma, Meeks Bay) tracks back partly to this regulatory difference. Confirm current permit status with the county before underwriting a property as a vacation rental. For a 2021-built structure, registration and renewal cycles align with annual fire-district inspections - sequence them together.
Property Tax & Transfer
Tax and transfer rules in El Dorado County apply to this 2,646 sq ft property. Same Prop 19 framework applies here as across California: parent-to-child reassessment exclusion only for primary residences, capped exclusion amount, administered by the El Dorado County Assessor. Portions of the Tahoe Basin also carry the county's Measure E special tax overlay. The intersection of Prop 19, family transfers, and short-term-rental income reporting can compound quickly (current assessed value $3,850,000) - a documented plan beats reacting to notices.
Fire Compliance
Agency: El Dorado County Fire Protection District and CAL FIRE — El Dorado Unit
Under El Dorado County Fire Protection District and CAL FIRE — El Dorado Unit oversight, this parcel sits in a Very High FHSZ tier. Very High FHSZ designation applies to the El Dorado County Tahoe Basin parcels, with the El Dorado County FPD and CAL FIRE splitting inspection responsibility. The post-2021 regulatory layer requires fire-hardening documentation at sale - both compliance and non-compliance with defensible space must be disclosed. The maintenance cadence the agency expects is roughly: clear in spring, verify in summer, reconfirm before red-flag season - three touchpoints per year, not one.
Short-Term Rental Context: Tahoma / West Shore (96142)
Operating an STR at 120 Old Cedars Pl in the Tahoma / West Shore zip means competing inside a 6.3%-density market. Tahoma and the West Shore (96142) have the lowest STR density of the core North Tahoe zips at 6.3%, largely because El Dorado County has historically applied stricter STR regulations than Placer County. El Dorado County's TOT rate is 10%. West Shore properties appeal to buyers seeking seclusion over activity — a distinct buyer profile that supports premium pricing for lakefront and pier-access homes. The properties that consistently land in the upper half of $30,000–$48,000 are the ones whose owners reinvest 8-12% of gross back into the unit annually - appliances, soft goods, deferred maintenance - rather than skimming.
Income estimates are based on Placer/El Dorado County TOT filings and publicly reported AirDNA/VRBO North Lake Tahoe data, 2023–2024. Actual results vary by property type, condition, and operator.
Tahoma: Community Background
Development era: 1920s–1940s (West Shore)
Neighborhood-level context for due diligence: Tahoma and the West Shore were among the first areas of Lake Tahoe developed for summer recreation, served by steamboat access before roads were improved. The name 'Tahoma' is a corruption of the Washoe word for the lake. The area's 1920s–1940s cabin character is more intact on the West Shore than the North Shore, partly because the lower STR density has reduced the pressure to renovate for rental marketability. El Dorado County jurisdiction. A 2021-built structure at 120 Old Cedars Pl reads as a single data point inside the larger Tahoma inventory, and the 1920s–1940s (West Shore) cohort it belongs to is what sets resale comparables, lender appetite, and the depth of the local contractor bench that actually knows how to service it.
Tahoma / Homewood / West Shore: Local Events & Lifestyle
The West Shore — Tahoma, Homewood, Rubicon Bay, Meeks Bay — is the quietest and most privacy-oriented sector of the Tahoe Basin. Fewer commercial amenities mean buyers here are self-selecting for seclusion and natural access over convenience. STR density is low (6.3%); the buyer profile trends toward long-term owners and families. For an owner at 120 Old Cedars Pl, that character translates directly into property-level decisions: which weeks command rental premium, which seasons demand the highest maintenance attention, and which amenities matter to long-term resale.
Homewood Mountain Resort
December–April
A smaller, family-oriented ski resort on the West Shore with exceptional lake views from nearly every run. Homewood has been undergoing a redevelopment process that, if completed, would add lodging and village infrastructure. Currently operates as a classic Tahoe ski hill without resort amenities. A property at 6,225 ft in Tahoma sees this in the surrounding ecosystem of dining, lodging, and traffic patterns each year.
D.L. Bliss and Emerald Bay State Parks
June–September
Two of California's most iconic state parks, accessible from the West Shore. Rubicon Trail and Vikingsholm Castle are summer draws. West Shore properties near the park access command a premium among buyers who prioritize seclusion over amenities. A property at 6,225 ft in Tahoma sees this in the surrounding ecosystem of dining, lodging, and traffic patterns each year.
West Shore Café Summer Season
May–October
The West Shore Café and Bar is a lakefront institution in Homewood. Accessible by boat, it anchors the West Shore's social scene during summer and supports rental marketing for properties in the area. A property at 6,225 ft in Tahoma sees this in the surrounding ecosystem of dining, lodging, and traffic patterns each year.
Property Record
- Bedrooms
- 3.0
- Bathrooms
- 3.0
- Living Area
- 2646 sq ft
- Year Built
- 2021
- APN
- 098-360-006-000
Data from county assessor public records. May differ from current as-built condition.
Managing a Renovation or Remodel?
Out-of-area owner planning a project in Tahoe? TR Tahoe provides owner’s representative and construction oversight services — real-time photo documentation, invoice review with broker oversight, weekly progress reports, and budget tracking against your contractor’s estimate.
- Real-time photo documentation
- Invoice tracking with broker oversight
- Weekly progress reports
- Budget tracking against contractor estimate
Seasonal Care, Handyman & Maintenance
TR Tahoe has served North Lake Tahoe since 1997. Pine needle clearing, defensible space, snow load monitoring, pipe freeze prevention, deck staining, fire prep — the work that keeps a Tahoe property in good shape and your insurance in force.
Considering Buying 120 Old Cedars Pl, Tahoma, CA 96142?
I’m Tristan Roberts — a licensed Lake Tahoe Realtor (DRE #01259729, Coldwell Banker) and the founder of TR Tahoe Property Care. I represent buyers, and I bring both the brokerage and the property-care lens to every showing.
When you view this home with me, I’ll point out:
- What this property’s elevation (6225 ft) and Very High fire hazard zone mean for ongoing maintenance and insurance.
- How the Tahoma Mutual Water water source and Meeks Bay Fire Protection District district affect long-term costs.
- Issues common to 2021-era construction in Tahoma.
- STR (short-term rental) viability and county compliance for Tahoma.
Broker of Record: Coldwell Banker Realty — DRE #01259729 — 475 N Lake Blvd Unit 102, Tahoe City, CA 96145 (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §10140.6)
Equal Housing Opportunity. We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation.
Or text/call directly: (530) 448-1734 · tristan@cblaketahoe.com
Looking to buy, sell, or value this property?
Tristan Roberts is a licensed Coldwell Banker real estate broker with 27 years in North Lake Tahoe (DRE #01259729).
View sale history and market data at cblaketahoe.com →
This page is a property care and maintenance reference, not a real estate listing or appraisal.