With 2007 behind us, now is the time to look at 2008, and South Shore-based intuitive and medium Dayle Schear agreed to help us out.

Here are Schear’s 10 predictions for 2008:

1. Politics

The run-up to the 2008 election will be close, but in the end, Schear predicts Barack Obama will win the Democratic nomination and the presidency. Here’s what she had to say:

“It will be an off-the-wall, close election, but I predict he will be the next president of the United States. If not now, this year, it will be in the next presidential election.”

2. Earthquakes

The San Francisco Bay Area will have a major earthquake, of a magnitude of at least 5.0 or 6.0, possibly more, and it will happen the first few months of this year, Schear says. Tuning into the energy around California, Schear says animal behavior is the best indicator for earthquakes. Lately, “the animals have been getting wild and weird. They can sense something coming.”

3. Global climate change

Earth changes will become more noticeable worldwide and at Lake Tahoe. There will be much stronger winds, heavy snow this winter and rain in the summer, she says.

“The weather in Tahoe will be erratic. One minute it will be warm, and the next cold. It’s coming to me like this: It will be cold, cold, cold, warm, cold, warm, warm, warm, cold, cold, cold,” she said. “This spring will turn to summer, and I predict it will be a hotter than usual summer at Tahoe.”

4. Home prices

Real estate will remain flat for much of 2008, but property values will jump again next year, Schear predicts. “What I want to say to anyone who is considering selling: Don’t. Hold on to it. We’re in the middle of a transition, and once the transition is over, the market will jump right back up again.”

5. Demographics

Staying with the real-estate theme to “hold on to what you’ve got,” Earth changes may affect employment in the Bay Area, bringing more people to Tahoe to live permanently, Schear said.

“The cities will be extremely erratic with weather and unpredictable things. A lot more people will move here, because it will be secure here,” she said. “You’re going to see these people moving here to work, but many of them will work out of their homes.”

6. Tahoe business

It’s going to be another up-and-down year for local businesses in Tahoe. Schear predicts a few small mom-and-pop businesses will close early in the year. For those who are on the cusp, her advice is to hold on, because with a change in demographics, more of these family-owned businesses will be needed.

“New businesses will come in, old business will go out. Some people may have to change their business plans to accommodate change. There will be some Bay Area people who will come here and open trendy businesses. I predict some of those will stick,” she said.

7. Economy

Overall, the Tahoe economy will be hit-and-miss early in the winter season. Skiing will be better than last year because of the snow. But there is a shift in the type of skier coming to Tahoe, she said.

“You’re going to see more weekend skiers than those coming up here to spend a week,” she said. “But come summer, it’s going to be a hit. It will be busy every day. People will be coming to Tahoe to cool off, because elsewhere it is going to be very, very hot.”

8. Forest fires

There will be some in the basin, but none that will be deliberately set, Schear says. Forest fires in the basin will be caused by lightning strikes. Schear said she doesn’t see a large fire on the horizon, but that could change, especially if there are more lightning strikes this summer.

9. Crime

Though she doesn’t see anything major happening with violent crime in Tahoe, Schear predicts a “major, major drug bust involving methamphetamine.”

10. Pop-star problem

Britney Spears will hit rock bottom sometime this year, Schear predicts. But it will come later in the year. As she explains: “The girl will continue on her downward spiral for a period of time. She needs to get rid of some bad influences in her life. Once she does, she will ‘get it’ and climb back up.”

— Dayle Schear is co-owner with Sherrie Winings of Aloha Dreamz, a Hawaii-themed boutique and metaphysical store at 2122 Lake Tahoe Blvd. Schear offers psychic readings and pet psychic readings at the store. Call (530) 542-3456 to make an appointment.