Pines & Salt

Perched among the pines of Kings Beach, this house puts Lake Tahoe's shoreline less than half a mile away and Northstar Ski Resort an eleven-minute drive up the road – which means the saltwater hot tub in the fenced backyard earns its keep after a day on the slopes. Tall windows and vaulted ceilings draw the forest inside, and a fireplace makes the living room the natural gathering point on cooler evenings. Two wraparound deck levels give you fresh mountain air at any hour, with towering pines as the view in every direction.

Home truths:
* Two of the bedrooms have single-over-double bunk beds that can sleep up to three people – we think they might be best suited to children.
* For those with reduced mobility, there's a ground floor bedroom and bathroom here.
* There's no air conditioning here, so summer stays can get warm during the day. Opening the windows and using the ceiling fans will help, and the mountain evenings tend to cool down naturally.
* The barbecue is only available during summer months, so if you're visiting outside that window you won't be able to cook outdoors.
* You'll have five parking spaces on site – two in the garage and two or three in the driveway depending on the size of your vehicles.