It looks like we have hit the bottom and are now trending back upwards in the Real Estate Market. Check out the latest Market update from our friends at Land Title Company: 

Land Title Guarantee Company March 2011 March Analysis 

Sales volume and transactions increased from 2010 and our year to date totals are steadily climbing upwards. Looking for deals? Now is the time as the prices have dropped substantially and we still have a large amount of inventory for you to choose from. Now is the time to take advantage of the fantastic Summit County Real Estate Market. Please call or e-mail for more information: http://www.yoursummitrealestate.com or 970-368-7000.

Easter Sunday and Closing Day April 24th, 2011

Colorado's largest Easter Egg Hunt starts at 10 AM for the 7-11 year olds at 11AM; for the kids 6 and under, while the biggest kids, (12 and up) will be hunting around the village from 10-2PM.  If trinkets and jelly beans aren't enough, prizes include lift tickets, Woodward at Copper sessions, gift cards, t-shirts and a grand prize of a 2011-2012 Copper Season Pass...in addition, get ready for gold season with the all new Egg Putt Putt-9 holes of "greens" on the snow with Easter eggs for golf balls...sounds like fun!   Come and enjoy Copper's last weekend! 

CBS Alt Games - Saturday, April 16th, 2011; In conjunction with Sunsation, teams of outrageous skiers channeling their inner 70's groove and retro ski stills will unite at Copper for the Red Bull 1976 Games.  Competitions include Snowblade Cross & Old School Air, plus an award for the most outrageous costume and team mojo!  So grow, or stick on, those mustaches, squeeze into your one-piece lime green suit and get ready to party like its in 1976, with headlining musical act Quiet Riot...for more information please go to www.RedBullUSA.com/1976Games. 

The prosperity in Vail and Aspen will be spreading to other areas like Breckenridge, Frisco and Leadville. Get in now before the millionaires push you out, or if you are a millionaire; before the billionaires push you out.

THE BOOM TIMES ARE BACK?
“Best show ever.” “I’ve never seen it this positive.” Those are just some of the comments from manufacturers at this year’s SnowSports Industries America Show that wrapped up Sunday in Denver. The show, by all accounts, was a return to the boom times and the snow sports retail market is expected to hit $3.1 billion for the first time.

X GAMES: SMASHES RECORDS
An estimated total of 114,200 people attended ESPN’s Winter X Games 15 during its four games at Buttermilk this year, topping the previous record of 85,100 for the 2001 games at Mt. Snow, Vt. by 40%. At least three of the four days of the X Games this year set marks for highest attendance in Aspen for that respective day.

HOME IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVING                                                         Home Depot Inc. will hire more than 60,000 seasonal workers — including more than 800 in the Denver area — to help with its busy spring season. In December, Home Depot boosted its 2010 earnings and revenue outlooks on stronger sales. The chain also said it plans to open 10 new stores in 2011, including seven in Mexico.

FRISCO ADVENTURE PARK A HIT!                                                             The Frisco Adventure Park opened to the public on Dec. 11 and has proven very successful, generating $228,214 in revenue. The Frisco Town Council held a work session Tuesday to consider future plans for the park, including options of adding an ice rink, a Nordic center building, maintenance facility, rock/ice climbing wall, zip line and others.

So therefore, the question of the day is, what are you waiting for??  Prices aren't going to drop significantly any longer, in fact, some are going up a bit and interest rates are headed up too. 

I know each of you have specific reasons for not purchasing earlier but if you really love Summit County, Colorado, now is the time to buy.   Don't wait any longer!!

Give us a call at 970.368.7000 or check out our website at www.YourSummitRealEstate.com for more information.   Thanks!

Call today, scarcity is increasing.

 The new lift will provide improved service to all levels of skiing and riding ability. The lift, manufactured by Doppelmayr USA, will have a new alignment to help improve skier and rider circulation in and out of Union Creek. In conjunction with the new lift, the addition of a new trail connection from the east will make the circulation from the Catalyst Terrain Park and the tremendous beginner and intermediate terrain in the area, much easier. 

 “I have been skiing at Copper since college and when Powdr purchased Copper, we did so with a goal of enhancing and improving the on-mountain experience,” says John Cumming, President and CEO of Powdr Corp. “I am very excited about taking this first step.”

 The new lift will have a capacity of 2,400 people per hour, a length of 4,937 vertical feet, with a vertical rise of 1,005 feet. The ride time will be 5 minutes, a fraction of the current lift ride from Union Creek to mid-mountain now. The top terminal will be realigned slightly uphill and to the east of the current High Point lift. The lower terminal will move to the East side of the Schoolhouse. Construction of the new lift is scheduled for June 1, 2011. 

 “After a year of significant infrastructure investments in snowmaking, parking and much more, we are excited to announce a more visible on-mountain improvement,” says Gary Rodgers, President and General Manager of Copper Mountain Resort. “We view the new lift as a critical step in improving the Union Creek skiing and riding experience for all ability levels.”

 Copper Mountain would like to recognize the US Forest Service, and specifically the White River National Forest team, for being a great partner throughout this entire process.

Real estate sales in 2010 in Eagle County showed signs of rebounding. Real estate transactions were up by one-third; total sales volume increased by two-thirds over 2009. Good chance this will spill over this year to surrounding areas like Summit and Lake Counties as it has in the past.  

Summit County sales volume was up about 3% and number of transactions was up about 6% over 2009. Currently we have 1325 active listings and 206 sold or under contract so far this year. That is a little more than a six month supply of homes on the market. Less than six months supply means a seller's market and potentially rising prices. That, coupled with interest rates rising the net cost to buyers appears to be rising. Sooner rather than later is the watchword now.

You can bet with snowfall about 1 1/2 times average so far that the rafting season this year will be one of the best ever. If you want thrills come mid May through mid June. It should be lots of fun most of the way through July though.

Get it while it's hot! Summit County Colorado Real Estate. Call us or inquire today.

Highlighting the Upside of the Economy in a Challenging Market presented by Land Title Guarantee Company...www.ltgc.com.

Denver Tops NYC, LA as Shopping Hot Spot: Denver is a hotter place to shop than New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco - at least according to a ranking by Forbes. Read more here

Trulia Intends to Hire 100 in Denver: Residential real estate website business Trulia Inc. on January 18th said it's expanding to Denver and plans to hire as many as 100 people here by year's end. Read more here

Fed's Beige Book Sees Continued Expansion in Colorado Region's Economy: The economy in Colorado and six neighboring states "continued to expand in late November and December, despite slower construction activity, "the U.S. Federal Reserve reported January 1z" in its latest "Beige Book" survey of the region's business executives. Read more here

Denver Tops List of Best Convention Spots: The Mile High City is tops in the world when it comes to places to hold a convention. Denver earned the designation from a panel of convention and meeting experts put together by Canada's largest newspaper, the Toronto Globe & Mail. Read more here

Colorado Ski Country USA Posts 10% Early-Season Skier-Visit Increase: Colorado Ski Country USA said Wednesday that its 22 member resorts saw a 10 percent increase in early-season daily skier visits from recession depressed levels of a year earlier. Read more here

CU Survey: Colorado Business Confidence Back to Pre-Recession Levels: The confidence level of Colorado business leaders has reached pre-recession levels for the second time in three quarters, according to the latest quarterly Leeds Business Confidence Index from the University of Colorado at Boulder's Leeds School of Business. Read more here

Optimism for the Winter Season in San Miguel: The Telluride Association of Realtors periodically reports on the latest real estate performance for our market. Most recently, we reported that the real estate market for San Miguel County has outperformed the previous year's quarter for four consecutive quarters in terms of sales volume and number of transactions. This data may well indicate that a bottom in the market was reached sometime early or in the middle of 2009. Read more here

Xiotech Corp. Moves Headquarters to Colorado Springs: A company that makes computer storage devices has moved its headquarters from Minnesota to Colorado Springs, where it has research operations. Read more here

Bridgepoint Education Close to Denver Lease: Bridgepoint Education Inc. of San Diego said it plans to open a new location in Denver and is expected to employ more than 500 people. Read more here

Inside Real Estate~ News/com

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www.insidereaiestatenews.com

A special Yoga Retreat, happening this weekend, January 29/30th, 2010.  Stretch for the slopes this season with a yoga retreat for skiers and boarders at Copper Mountain.  This workshop will teach you key poses to warm you up in the morning and stretch you out in the evening.  You'll also learn how to avoid injuries on the slopes.  Sat/Sun wake up to salute the snow with an hour long morning yoga class meant to clear the mind and wake up your body for your next run.   Saturday evening brings apres-ski-yoga: a restorative class that will leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.  

Yoga classes + 3 healthy meals for only $150

Please register for the event by Friday, January 21st to ensure space for your yoga mat at ontheyogamat.com/copper or by calling (314) 680 6374.

For more information on condos/homes at Copper Mountain Resort, please visit www.YourSummitRealEstate.com.  Thanks...have a great weekend and ski safely!

1. Close your fireplace damper when the fireplace isn’t in use. By keeping your fireplace damper closed when not in use to prevent up to 5 percent heat loss. When using the fireplace, turn down your thermostat and open a window near the fireplace to prevent warm air from being pulled from other areas of your house.
2. Lower your thermostat setting during winter to 68 degrees. By reducing the indoor thermostat temperature from 72 to 68 degrees during the heating season you can save approximately 5 percent on heating costs.
3. Repair leaky faucets, especially those supplying hot water. One drop per second from a leaky faucet wastes up to 400 gallons of water a year. Not only is water being wasted, but so is the energy used to heat the water.
4. Caulk and weather strip around pipes, ducts and vents. Plug gaps around pipes, ducts and vents that go through walls to prevent losing heated air and having cold air drawn in to replace it. Caulk or seal plumbing and wiring holes at ceiling level. Add weather-stripping to doors and windows for
   the most cost-efficient way to protect your home.
5. Run the dishwasher only when it’s full. Get in the habit of running your dishwasher only when it’s full to maximize energy use.
6. Seal window leaks around your home. By sealing leaky ducts with mastic, metal-backed tape or aerosol sealant this will reduce heat loss when your furnace is on and may last longer than duct tape.
7. Install or add attic insulation if existing insulation is less
   than six inches thick. Poor or no insulation means losing up to 25 percent of your heating energy. Your attic needs at least six inches of insulation. Insulate crawl spaces, walls, floors and heating ducts to save money and increase your comfort.
8. Install a programmable thermostat to automatically
   adjust your home’s temperature with your daily routine. This device can save as much as 20 percent on
   heating costs by automatically turning your heating
   system up or down to coincide with your daily routine. For example, set your thermostat to 60 degrees for the night and while you are away.
9. Have your furnace regularly maintained by a professional. Regular furnace maintenance can reduce energy costs between $18 and $60 each winter with an 80 percent efficient furnace in a 1,600-squarefoot home.
10. Raise and lower window coverings to allow heat in during
    cold weather and keep heat out during hot weather. Open drapes on south-facing windows when it is sunny. At night, close drapes to retain heat. Close drapes to provide insulation where windows receive no direct sunlight. Up to 15 percent of your heat can escape through unprotected windows.

These few tips are brought to you by Xcel Energy...see this website for even more tips....http://www.xcelenergy.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/60_Ways.pdf

Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, said the latest figures suggest sales activity is close to a 5 million units annually which is a healthy level. Yun also noted, “Modest gains in the labor market and the improving economy are creating a more favorable backdrop for buyers.”  

Here in Summit County, Colorado as of today, we have 1442 listings for properties to be sold…out of this 130 are currently under contract.  That's almost 9% of our listings, a sure sign activity is picking up here in the county. 

Interested in resort property ownership so you can enjoy our playground year-round?  Please see our website...www.YourSummitRealEstate.com for additional information or give us a call at 970.368.7000.  

Statistics courtesy of                                                                                               Diane Beaumont
Branch Manager
Benchmark Mortgage
Phone: (719) 687-2112