Why I Chose Reno: A Luxury Real Estate Agent's Perspective on Northern Nevada

People ask me all the time why I live where I sell. The honest answer is that I did not choose Reno because it was convenient. I chose it because it is home, and I knew my sons deserved to grow up in the same mountains I did.

I Grew Up on Lake Tahoe's East Shore

The East Shore of Lake Tahoe is not the Tahoe most people picture. It is quieter. Less commercial. The kind of place where kids grew up outside and nobody thought twice about it.

My mom would drop us off at Kingsbury Middle School and a school bus would take us up to Boulder Lodge at Heavenly. Half the day was ski lessons. The other half we skied with our friends. She packed us a sack lunch. Some of my classmates were training for the junior Olympics. Most of us just loved being on the mountain.

In the summers we went to Roundhill Pines Beach. Back then it was a private club with a membership fee and a swimming pool across the parking lot. We would hang out in the pool, run barefoot across the hot asphalt, and jump straight into the lake. Today it is a public beach. The pool is gone. But the lake is exactly the same.

There were a lot more kids on the East Shore when I was growing up. It was a real community. I took all of it completely for granted.

I will never do that again.

Why I Left and Why I Came Back

After college I moved to the East Coast and eventually settled in Virginia. Life took me there. But I always knew I would come back.

In 2013 I was offered a job as a real estate assistant with a broker in Reno. I did not hesitate. I packed up and moved back because I wanted my sons to grow up the way I did. I wanted them to learn to love snowboarding, the mountains, Lake Tahoe, and all the beautiful lakes and wilderness surrounding Northern Nevada. I wanted them to have what I had.

Coming back from the East Coast, I noticed things I never would have appreciated as a kid. The dry air. Fewer bugs. Wider streets. Public lands stretching in every direction. People cycling everywhere. The wide open views. The fact that you can be outside every single month of the year and it never gets old.

I got my real estate license shortly after arriving and I have been serving buyers and sellers across Reno, Washoe County, and Northern Nevada ever since.

It Worked Out Better Than I Hoped

My sons grew up snowboarding at Heavenly and Northstar. They made friends quickly. We spent summers at Lake Tahoe, ate at restaurants on the water, paddled out on the lake. I still take them to restaurants on the water when we are together.

Both of my sons went to the University of Nevada, Reno and graduated with engineering degrees.

When I made that decision in Virginia to pack everything up and move back, I was betting on this place. That bet paid off in ways I could not have imagined.

What Reno Actually Feels Like to Live Here

I live in Southwest Reno and I love my weekends here. I go camping. I paddleboard on Lake Tahoe. I just went rafting down the Truckee River and spent an afternoon at Roundhill Pines Beach, the same beach I ran barefoot across as a kid.

In the summer there are concerts at Lake Tahoe, festivals in Reno, Aces games, great restaurants, and UNR sports. My sweetheart and I spend time in the backyard with the dogs when we are not out exploring.

There is always something happening. You will never be bored here. And if you love the outdoors, this area will speak to you in a way that is hard to describe until you experience it.

That is the thing I tell every buyer who calls me from California or out of state and asks what Reno is really like. You will never get bored. If you love being outside, this place will feel like it was made for you.

Why This Matters When You Are Buying or Selling

I am not an agent who relocated here for business opportunities. I grew up in this landscape. I came back here by choice. I raised my sons here. I know the difference between a home that backs up to a trail you will actually use and one that just looks good on paper. I know which neighborhoods feel like a community and which ones are just addresses.

As I cover in my book, Selling Your Washoe County Home: The Secrets to Maximum Success, the agent you choose should know this market the way a neighbor knows it, not the way a visitor does.

When luxury buyers from California, Texas, or the East Coast come to me, they are not just buying square footage. They are buying into a lifestyle. They want someone who can tell them what that lifestyle actually feels like on a Tuesday morning and a Saturday afternoon. I can do that because I live it.

You can learn more about the luxury communities I serve across Reno and Washoe County, including neighborhoods like Montreux, ArrowCreek, Galena Forest, Somersett, and the Newlands Historic District.

If you are relocating from California, I also put together a full guide on what luxury buyers moving to Reno from California need to know before they start their search.

The Outdoor Life That Comes With Living Here

Reno and Northern Nevada sit at the center of one of the most spectacular outdoor regions in the country. Within an hour you can be skiing or snowboarding at Heavenly or Northstar, paddleboarding on Lake Tahoe, hiking in the Sierra Nevada, rafting the Truckee River, or exploring one of dozens of lakes and wilderness areas that most people outside of Nevada have never heard of.

In the warmer months, the lakes around Reno fill up with paddleboarders, kayakers, and people who simply want to sit by the water. Summer concerts draw crowds to the shores of Lake Tahoe. Reno itself hosts festivals nearly every weekend from spring through fall.

In the winter, world class skiing and snowboarding is less than an hour away. Heavenly, Northstar, Mt. Rose, Diamond Peak. You do not have to pick one. You can ride all of them in the same season.

This is the lifestyle that high-net-worth buyers from California are trading into when they move here. They are not leaving something behind. They are gaining something they did not know they were missing.

If you want to understand why high-net-worth buyers are choosing Reno over Sacramento and the Bay Area, the outdoor access is a significant part of the answer.

This Is Home

I did not move here for a market opportunity. I moved here because this is where I belong.

I have watched Reno grow and evolve over the past twelve years. I have watched luxury neighborhoods develop and mature. I have watched California buyers discover what locals have always known. And I have watched my own sons grow up on these mountains, learn to snowboard at Heavenly and Northstar, and graduate from UNR with engineering degrees.

Reno, Washoe County, and Northern Nevada are not just my market. They are my home. That is the difference between an agent who works here and one who lives here.

If you are thinking about buying or selling a luxury home in Reno or anywhere in Northern Nevada, I would love to tell you more about what life here actually looks like.

Let's talk about what you are looking for. Or if you are ready to sell, learn what your home is worth in today's Washoe County market.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Shannon Comstock choose to live in Reno Nevada?
Shannon grew up on Lake Tahoe's East Shore and moved back to Reno in 2013 after living on the East Coast. She returned specifically to raise her sons in the mountains she grew up in and has called Southwest Reno home ever since.

What is it like living in Reno Nevada as a local?
Reno offers year-round outdoor access including skiing, snowboarding, paddleboarding, rafting the Truckee River, hiking, and lake access. The city also hosts festivals, Aces games, UNR sports, and a growing restaurant scene. Locals consistently say you will never get bored, especially if you love the outdoors.

How close is Reno to Lake Tahoe?
Lake Tahoe is approximately 45 minutes to an hour from most parts of Reno depending on your destination and the season. Ski and snowboard resorts including Heavenly, Northstar, and Mt. Rose are all within an hour of the city.

Why does it matter that a real estate agent lives in Reno?
An agent who lives in Reno understands the lifestyle, the neighborhoods, and the community in a way that an outside agent cannot replicate. Shannon Comstock has lived in Southwest Reno since 2013 and grew up on Lake Tahoe's East Shore, giving her firsthand knowledge of what daily life in Northern Nevada actually looks like.

What outdoor activities are available near Reno Nevada?
Residents have access to skiing and snowboarding at Heavenly, Northstar, Mt. Rose, and Diamond Peak, paddleboarding and swimming at Lake Tahoe and surrounding lakes, rafting on the Truckee River, hiking throughout the Sierra Nevada, and camping across vast areas of public land in Northern Nevada.

How do I contact Shannon Comstock about buying or selling a home in Reno?
You can reach Shannon at 775.842.2000, by email at [email protected], or through her website at shannoncomstock.com. Her office is at 1401 S Virginia Street, Suite 100, Reno, NV 89502.

Shannon Comstock is a Reno, Nevada real estate agent helping luxury buyers and sellers navigate life transitions with clarity, strategy, and a genuinely personalized approach.

📞 775.842.2000
📧 [email protected]
🌐 shannoncomstock.com
📍 1401 S Virginia Street, Suite 100, Reno, NV 89502

Shannon Comstock is a licensed REALTOR® in the state of Nevada, License S.175542, with RE/MAX Gold.