Doug Flynn – Truckee Tahoe MLS Realtor
Since moving to Tahoe in 1992 I have loved living in the mountains and now more specifically in Truckee. I like the changing seasons, all the different activities they bring and the energy of the people that live here. I met my wife Erin in Squaw Valley in 1994, bought our first house in Truckee in 1998 and have never looked back. We both grew up in beach towns – Sarasota, FL for me and Palos Verdes for Erin – which is probably why we appreciate the seasons in Tahoe so much. Truckee is really the dream town for me to live and to raise my kids.
I entered the real estate business in 2008 after a rewarding career in the golf business. It was not only a change in careers but a commitment to living in Truckee and becoming grounded in Truckee-Tahoe. The real estate business does not transfer if you move geographically, so when you make real estate your career you had better be committed to the area. We are committed. Erin earned her license in 2012 and is now part of the family business.
Since Erin earned her real estate license she has been working very actively in a support role managing escrows and the extensive paperwork involved. Her background as as a conference planner and her passion for details have come in very handy. She also loves houses, building and finish design. Clients love her work. With her support I am able to spend more time with clients, researching the market and enhancing my expertise of the Truckee Tahoe real estate market.
Before real estate I was the head golf professional at the Resort at Squaw Creek and Whitehawk Ranch Golf Club. I enjoyed the golf business but decided it was not what I wanted to do forever. I like the involvement in the economy and business world that being a realtor allows. Being able to help and know our clients at a deeper level is rewarding for me.
I have been a Top 50 producer for overall real estate sales production for over 10 years in the Truckee/Tahoe MLS. My goal is to end the every year in the 30-50th total volume sold range. Having a manageable active client base so that I can be hands on with all of my transactions and relationships is important to me. Doing business levels in the Top 20 sales volume level does not allow for good service, one on one personal management of transactions and to realistically have a life. My business model focuses on a boutique level centered around personal attention, one on one service and accessibility that has served me and my clients well. I really just want to work with people that want to work with me and that I want to work with.
My passion for living in Tahoe was driven initially by my love for skiing. I have been a season pass holder at Squaw Valley since 1992. That is where I skied for the first time and taught myself with the help of some great friends with great nicknames – Burdie, Pony, Alzi, PC, Bortie. Never thought my best ski buddy would become my daughter, awesome, even if sometimes I think twice before I follow her, like above! It has been awesome to raise my kids here skiing. They are now 15 and 17 and skiing with all four of us is the best.
I still bend over backwards to get in an hour or so on the mountain at any opportunity. The laps reward me with a fresh perspective every time I go out. Some days it is long groomers on the backside at Northstar and others it is the steeps at Squaw that do it. Skiing with family and friends is about as good as it gets but I don’t mind skiing by myself either. The Tahoe League and local ski race programs for the development of young skiers are highly recommended by me. I am especially fond of the Truckee Ski Team. My daughter has “retired” from ski racing and I do miss it, but she loves her basketball in the winter. So does her brother.
It’s pretty obvious that being actively involved in my son Ethan and daughter Ryan’s activities and the community in general is very important to me. I have coached basketball and baseball teams and have experienced first hand the positive effects one can have on youth and the community. A sign of a great community are local activity programs. Truckee has so many – Parks & Rec, little league, soccer, bike teams, Excellence in Education, EJ Tegner Junior Golf Foundation and middle school and high school sports thrive in our community and of course culture with theater, music Sierra Nevada Dance – Ballet which was fantastic for Ryan.
One endeavor I am most proud of is the junior golf tour I started 9 years ago. The Truckee Tahoe Junior Golf Tour, www.ttjgt.com, is a series of competitive junior events at some of the finest golf courses in the area. The non-profit all volunteer driven events are thriving and most importantly the kids are learning life lessons with positive values and getting better at the game. The high school teams are even starting to win state championships, cool. Annika Sorenstam has become a fan as well and was nice enough to do a private clinic, that is her below. This has been very rewarding for me and I think the community and kids as well.
I was a strong enough junior golfer to receive a scholarship to Florida State University and I still love my Seminoles although I ended up graduating from the University of Central Florida with a business degree. I never expected to enter the golf business after my playing days were over but that is what resulted when I moved to Tahoe. I am still a PGA (Professional Golf Association) of America member. While I was actively in the golf business I served as the President of the golf marketing coop Golf the High Sierra and sat on the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association marketing board.
I was a board member for Excellence in Education for ten years serving as the Golfing for Schools Chair. Erin now holds that position and is carrying it forward with even greater strength. Golfing for Schools raises on average $80,000 a year that is invested in the future of our community children through the schools in the form of grants. Teachers within the school district ask for grants for areas most in need. I have also been involved with Tahoe Mountain Resorts Scholarship Foundation. It is truly a blessing to be involved with groups that have such impact on the community.
The last 5 years I have been a Board Member on the EJ Tegner “Lets Bet on Youth” Junior Golf Foundation. With the leadership of Marilyn Tegner we have almost reached our goal of a $300,000 endowment to benefit youth involved in junior golf in the area.
The JDRF also has a big space in our lives. Since Ethan was diagnosed in 2008 as a Type 1 Diabetic the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation has been very important to us. Erin has led the charge. In 2009 The Flynn Family served as the Family Chair for Reno’s Chapter with JDRF’s largest fundraiser the JDRF Walk. Since our first JDRF Walk we have raised $30,000 in aggregate over the years of walking. If you don’t know what it is like to have a child with a non-functioning pancreas, we could enlighten you. Erin could now get a doctorate in blood sugars. We never even knew what the pancreas did before Ethan’s diagnosis. If this challenge ever strikes you or a family member, we are available to help you become more informed with the lifelong disease. There were people there for us we will never forget.
We are always here for your real estate needs and those of your friends, even if it is just for general questions.
Hope to see you around town,
Doug Flynn
