The final neighborhood of the Truckee development, the Village, launched 24 new modern mountain ... [+]
When shopping for a mountain home site near Truckee, California, Liza and John Killen strapped on their snowshoes. “We trekked through the forest with our poles, rounded a corner and there it was: a straight-on view of Lookout Mountain,” Liza Killen recalls.
The couple were soon snug in their great room, its vaulted ceiling framing a snowy vista of the Sierra Nevada mountain range from their four-bedroom home built in the en vogue mountain modern style: glass-rich, with clean lines and rugged, rustic textures. Theirs was among the first constructions in Gray’s Crossing, a 750-acre planned community that launched in 2004 with around 400 home sites. The development, a 15-minute drive from Lake Tahoe, is wreathed by a dozen-plus ski resorts. One of them, Palisades Tahoe, hosted the 1960 Winter Olympic Games.
The 750-acre planned community launched in 2004 with around 400 home sites.
The Killens represent California’s new property gold rush: Silicon Valley tech workers who purchase primary and secondary homes in the Lake Tahoe region (John Killen works in process mining). Trading a cubicle for a home office with mountain views? A no-brainer.
“Gray’s Crossing homeowners are almost entirely from the San Francisco Bay Area,” says Jeff Brown, owner and general manager of Tahoe Mountain Realty. “It’s all tech and finance around tech. Truckee and Gray’s Crossing have become the archetype for remote work migration.”
Pricing ranges from $1.85 million and $2.365 million.
A Snowy Mountain Village
The Killens live in The Bluffs, one of five distinct Gray’s Crossing neighborhoods that collectively enjoy a mountain of amenities: 13 miles of trails through forests and meadows, cozy lodges, fitness centers, pools, a ski valet, tennis, golf and restaurants.
The development’s newest and final neighborhood is aptly called The Village. Picture a quaint hamlet hidden in a pine and fir forest with live/work spaces, park, shops, market, cafe and a boutique hotel. Lining the curved road: 24 turnkey duplex homes ranging from approximately 1,900 to 2,500 square feet. The first commercial buildings will break ground in a few months. Twelve properties will be ready for occupancy this year, priced between $1.85 million and $2.365 million.
The 2024 release offers a collection of brand new residences overlooking the fairways of the Golf ... [+]
The homes’ great rooms soar with glass, the glow from fireplaces burnishing walnut and white-oak cabinetry and flooring. The turnkey homes include furniture, area rugs, everything down to the throw pillows. Tahoe Modern provides homeowners with a vast catalog of decor selections, even art. But the real masterpiece is the snow-capped Sierra Nevada range that unspools just beyond walls of windows. That view includes the Peter Jacobsen/Jim Hardy championship golf course, a welcome reminder that winter isn’t the only season for mountain pursuits.
“The Village will anchor the entire Gray’s Crossing community,” Brown says. “It’s a place for neighbors to gather, sip a matcha and have a nice long chat.” Or maybe a nice short putt.
The Village home collection offers 4 unique floor plans.
Mountain Modern Styles: Urbane to Cozy
Home hunters (snowshoes not required) can choose from four styles: Manzanita, Ponderosa, Sage Brush or Aspen, which is now sold out. Sage Brush has three bedrooms and the other styles have four. The two-story homes with double garages are smartly clad in wood and metal, although glass predominates.
Looking for something a bit urban? Choose Ponderosa with its lengthy lines clad in charcoal-gray rib metal. Woodsy but decidedly elegant? The Manzanita’s cladding soars with cedar board siding. Cozy and chic? Sage Brush is built around basic box shapes with glass that ascends to the rafters.
Interiors are made bold by natural material accents.
Clare Walton, one of Lake Tahoe’s most renowned architects, designed the homes. ”Walton's structures look and feel organic,” writes a reviewer for Western Art & Architecture magazine. “As if they grew where they stand, shaped and weathered by the forces of nature.”
The home package includes all exterior maintenance “and fire insurance, which is a big deal in California,” Brown says. “It’s all bundled into the HOA [homeowners’ association fees]. The homeowner doesn’t have to deal with any of that.”
Owners also don’t have to contend with steep mountain roads slick with ice and snow—the development is sited on a level meadow. “Gray’s Crossing is very bright, very sunny,” Brown says. “That helps the snow melt a bit faster.”
Views from PJ's Restaurant encompasses Mt. Rose.
Tahoe Mountain Club
Amenity central for Gray’s Crossing residents is Tahoe Mountain Club, a members-only collection of lodges, restaurants and event and fitness facilities located within and without the community.
First up: the Alpine Club at the base of the Northstar California ski resort, about six miles from Gray’s Crossing. The club includes a ski valet with seasonal equipment storage (no need to lug skis, poles and boots back and forth to the resort). A restaurant and clubhouse with a roaring fire completes the high-altitude picture at 6,500 feet.
At the Gray’s Crossing development, PJ’s Restaurant is set against a vista of Mt. Rose. “The view, the setting, it almost defies words,” Brown says. “It overlooks a gorgeous mountain meadow crossed by a stream.” Circling above: red-tailed hawks. Brown’s favorite dish? Mahi Mahi tacos topped with chipotle crema and mango relish.
The Golf Club at Gray's Crossing features a Peter Jacobsen/Jim Hardy-designed championship golf ... [+]
Club members can also purchase passes for The Golf Club at Gray’s Crossing (development’s Peter Jacobsen/Jim Hardy course) or for Old Greenwood, a Jack Nicklaus-designed course in an adjacent community.
At Gray’s, community is central. The club holds 500+ events and activities every year: wine dinners, snow tubing, summer concerts, pool parties, kids’ scavenger hunts and beer and wine tastings, among others.
“Here, it’s really about the lifestyle, especially for families,” says Liza Killen, who has two teenage daughters. “Our family bikes and cross-country skis together, and the kids do lots of water sports. Last year, we planted sugar pine trees along the Sawtooth Trail. And every year we hike into the forest and cut down our own Christmas tree.”
Recreational facilities include fitness centers, pools and tennis courts.
A mere mile-and-a-half away from Gray’s: Truckee’s mountain-town vibe buzzes with shopping, nightlife and festivals.
“I love that I can shoot the kids down to the doctor or dentist, or get groceries right next door in Truckee,” Killen says. “At the same time, we’re surrounded by trees: 120 acres of open space right outside our backdoor.”
Liza Killen and Teddy Runge of Tahoe Mountain Realty hold the listing for the Village at Gray’s Crossing. Tahoe Mountain Realty is a member of Forbes Global Properties, a consortium of top-tier brokerages worldwide and the exclusive real estate partner of Forbes.
