395 North Lake LLC reveals hidden housing potential
TAHOE CITY, Calif. – What was once an office and retail building now houses Palisades employees and a family on a separate accessory dwelling unit (ADU) at 395 North Lake Boulevard. Samir Tuma, known for his real estate work around the basin, acknowledged the high demand for housing in the area. “I was pleased with Placer County and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s approach to getting housing projects like these approved.”

Tuma bought the property in 2018 and utilized it for office and retail space. But after COVID hit, spaces like that were not in demand. However, Tuma recognized that the space could be converted into housing, which was an allowed use.
In addition to the original space, Tuma said he was interested in trying more ready-made builds. He sought out a company that provided kits for A-frame housing to make a caretaker unit on the property.
Though there were challenges in construction, as there always are in the Basin, Tuma stated that the process was relatively fast. “We just had to gut the inside and reconfigure them into living spaces—it was the smoothest, fastest process I’ve had in Tahoe.”
Tuma noted that the key was that it was an allowed use of the space and commended Placer County and TRPA for being pro-housing, which he said helped them to move efficiently through the lengthy applications and permitting needed for building in the area.
Now, the building serves as single-room occupancies (SROs), which are similar to dormitory-style living situations. The building was master leased for Palisades, though the family that now occupies the caretaker unit is not affiliated with Palisades. The SROs, though, provide housing for Palisades employees—28 tenants in 14 rooms, with access to bike paths and public transit.
Tuma pointed out that similarly underutilized buildings are around Tahoe and would be easier to convert to housing than constructing new buildings. “It’s like a house remodel rather than building an entire house.”
“If the right opportunity came along, I definitely would do a project like this again,” said Tuma. He expressed his interest in getting the word out to people regarding housing projects, saying that he was interested in giving guidance or buying and converting appropriate properties into housing. Tuma encouraged others to also look at alternative construction methods like kits, prefabricated buildings, or modular building to address housing needs in the area.
Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley.
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