Is a Reno relocation in your future?
For people who live and breathe all that the Reno-Sparks Metropolitan Area has to offer, Nevada’s significant tax benefits for residents and businesses are simply icing on the cake. Couples, families, retirees and businesses relocate to Reno for much more than the absence of personal income taxes, corporate taxes or an inventory tax. Even the comparably lower property and sales taxes aren’t the primary reasons to love Reno. Instead, it’s the exceptional quality of life, culture, recreation and a vibrant, diverse economy that is attracting people of all ages and stages of life to Reno — or The Biggest Little City in the World.
Harnessing the power of pristine geography, happy people and a sense of community, Reno thrives as a shining example of well-planned development and quality of life. Key to the transformation was the efforts of the Reno-based Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN), a public-private partnership originally formed in 1983.
Mike Kazmierski, CEO of EDAWN, said that before 2011, the area was overly reliant on the visitor industry and gaming. “We needed to diversify our economy and move it in a direction that could sustain growth for the future.” The goal was to build a knowledgebased economy that could attract and retain employers in leading industries, create high-paying jobs, and support entrepreneurs and startups.
The big picture
Leveraging the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) along with the already low cost of doing business and a
robust workforce already in place, EDAWN led the way for Reno to become a hub for advanced manufacturing, logistics and ecommerce businesses. The long-term plan included much more than attracting and retaining quality employers, however.
Involving everything from housing, transportation and schools to arts, entertainment and recreation, the collective redevelopment effort resulted in beautification and livability that amazed the area’s greatest skeptics. “Once we could get a company to visit, they saw beyond the past reputation,” Kazmierski said. When much of the gaming moved to Vegas and major corporations and startups moved in, fresh opportunities arose.
Add in Tesla’s Gigafactory and Apple’s data center campus, plus companies like Germanowned metals packaging manufacturer Ardagh, and Reno has become a hotbed of great jobs with companies that are here to stay. Reno even has its own “Startup Row,” where tech startups and other entrepreneurs are prospering. And during the past five or six years the economic stimulation has ignited an about-face for UNR graduates. Now, said Kazmierski, at least three-quarters of UNR graduates are able to begin their careers in Reno or other parts of Nevada instead of relocating out of state.
Nature, culture, education
Just 30 minutes from Lake Tahoe in the shadow of the Sierra Nevada with the Truckee River running through it, Reno is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. Even after population growth, the area offers the ideal blend of city, suburban and mountain living with easy access to all points. Residents can get just about anywhere within a 15- to 20-minute drive, including skiing in the Sierra, river rafting through the city center, shopping, dining, theater, arts and excellent schools. “People hit the ski slopes after work or school and some even ski early in the morning and come into work a little later,” Kazmierski said.
In a temperate mountain climate, winter daytime temperatures rarely dip below 30 degrees; summer highs rarely top 93 degrees. Outdoors, therefore, is where locals gather to connect, innovate and play. Professionals, young couples, retirees and families stroll the bright, beautiful Riverwalk filled with public art, galleries and special events. And the “quirky” streets of the adjacent Midtown District offer up evenings and weekends exuding the happy vibe of revival. The welcoming district is filled with unique retail, dining, nightlife and services.
Meanwhile, residential developers are addressing the need for quality new homes while bearing in mind the area’s unique needs. In one regard, Reno and surrounding communities are fairly young. But builders know that retirees enjoy the area and that young families want long-term living arrangements that, in many cases, may eventually accommodate three generations under one roof.
Quality neighborhoods
Among those builders actively establishing themselves in the Reno area is Tim Lewis Communities (Nev) Inc. “We are thrilled to be able to bring Tim Lewis Communities to the Caughlin Ranch masterplanned community,” said Linda Schwartz, director of sales and marketing for Tim Lewis Communities. “Caughlin Ranch offers a lifestyle like no other in the Reno area.” She explained that the Tim Lewis neighborhood, Whispering Canyon, is an exclusive enclave of 44 homes with views of the valleys and the downtown areas from its surrounding bike trails. “The plush scenic setting, along with the Caughlin Club, where our buyers can enjoy tennis, swimming pools, fitness and other healthoriented activities, allows them to adjust quickly to the lifestyle of Caughlin Ranch.”
Schwartz is not surprised that Whispering Canyon is attracting a balanced mix of buyers. Buyers there include an equal assortment of established professional and early retiree buyers whose children are grown, plus
families who are focused on buying in the best school district to raise their children.
In addressing various household dynamics, Whispering Canyon at Caughlin Ranch has something for everyone in three large single-story floor plans that average 3,000 square feet of interior living space plus
a fourth two-story option with more than 4,000 square feet. “One of the floor plans has multigenerational living and the two-story is ideal for families or professionals who like to entertain,” Schwartz said. Additionally, extended outdoor living spaces at Whispering Canyon are dreamscapes for year-round
entertainment. “It is easy to see why buyers see our new homes as an easy transition into a new chapter in their lives.”
In the Reno-Sparks Metropolitan Area, well-planned communities, where families are involved in the schools and businesses are investing in the area’s future, the quality of life
is continually improving. Some newer residents choose Reno over other major cities as a way of slowing the pace of their day-to-day lives. Others, meanwhile, might choose Reno for its beauty and tranquility, but still commute occasionally to the Bay Area.
“We’re getting closer and closer to the Bay Area,” said Kazmierski, noting that a person can be at her morning meeting in the Bay Area for a $79 one-way flight on private carrier JetsuiteX, in about 90 minutes, including ground transportation time. She can be back in Reno for dinner. Presumably, a Reno dreamhouse hunter could do the same in reverse.