Real Estate Information

A great time was had by all Halloween night at the Keller Williams Top of the Rockies office.  Every year Frisco closes Main Street so the little ghosts and goblins will be safe.  We passed out hundreds of pieces of candy, balloons, coffee, hot chocolate, and spiced cider.  Connecting with the community is a lot of fun and fulfilling. 

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the largest shopping day of the year, in both sales and traffic, but this year analysts believe it could set a record for sales. Analysts say Americans have been saving more money than usual and more consumers are delaying spending until a retailer has a specific sale event. The next on the list is Black Friday. Is a home in the mountains on that list too?

Is real estate on a rebound? Looks like the uber rich are not afraid to buy now. The biggest home sale in Pitkin County closed Friday when a 7-bedroom, 9-bathroom, 12,432-square-foot mansion on 44 acres on Buttermilk Mountain sold for $31.5 million. The dollar volume of real estate sales in the county through August totaled $772 million, which is a 10.3% increase over the corresponding period in 2009.

There were 33 residential sales in the Dillon and Summit Cove area for the month of September.  The most expensive home sold for $1,600,000 at $464.00 a square foot. And the least expensive sale was $148,762.00 at $263.00 a square foot.  The days on the market range from 4 days to 401 days.  The average selling price per square foot was $328.00.  There was a garage space sold for $25,000.00.

In 2009 there were 13 residential sales in Frisco in September with the highest sale $1,500,000. at square foot price of $424.00 and the lowest priced sale of $150,000.00 with the price per square foot of $237.00.  The days on the market ranging from 0 to 449 with the average price per square foot $355.

Occasionally homeowners who are trying to sell their home are surprised to learn that their title is encumbered by a lien. There are several types of liens; the most common are mechanic's or contractor's liens.

The lien (or debt) must be paid off in order to be cleared. If the owner prefers to challenge the lien, he can release it by posting a bond, pending adjudication. In some types of liens, a title search may disclose claims against the property by an ex-spouse or long-ago heir of a former owner. A simple "quitclaim" deed may be used in these cases. By signing the deed, the person involved signs over whatever rights he or she might have, without laying any claim to the property.

Most real estate transactions involve at least some minor unresolved issues on the part of either the buyer or the seller. This is where an experienced real estate agent can provide solutions to resolve the issues and conclude the sale.

Let the snow fly its time to hit the slopes.  I attended the Summit County ski area COO breakfast that included the Chief Operating Officers from Loveland, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Arapahoe Basin and Keystone ski areas.  They each gave a quick update for the up coming season and promo videos.  Talk about getting ready to strap on the boards.  Loveland is putting in a new point of sales system for the entire area, this will not be “visible” to the visitor but should help their experience.  Breckenridge will be building a 22” ½ pipe to host the “Dew Tour” again this year and open it to the public after the tour.  Copper Mountain is working on updating its master plan so expansion may be in the future.  They are also adding a 22” ½ pipe.  Arapahoe Basin has finished the Exo lift replacement and is ready to move people up its mountain.  Keystone is focusing even more on small kids with improving the “kidtopia” experience.  Of course the big question is when will the ski season start.  Rob Goodell of Loveland and Allen Henceroth of Arapahoe Basin were not ready to commit to an opening day but it should be in the next few days.  The race is on.

There were 16 residential sales in the Dillon and the Summit Cove area for the month of September.  The most expensive home sold for $2,591,000 at $438.00 a square foot. And the least expensive sale was $109,900.00 at $104.00 a square foot.  The days on the market range from 2 days to 803 days.  The average selling price per square foot was $205.00. 

In 2009 there were 13 residential sales in Dillon and Summit Cove in September with the highest sale $849,000. with a square foot price of $423.00 and the lowest priced sale of $134,900.00 with the price per square foot of $171.00.  The days on the market ranging from 0 to 343 with the average price per square foot $244.

Conduct a thorough check for any safety hazards when you are getting your house ready to put on the market. You may be accustomed to the worn tread on the stairs, toys in the hallway, or closets that deposit their contents at your feet when the door is opened, but strangers won't be as intuitive as you are. They will be vulnerable to those little "hazards" as they walk through your home, turning on the faucets, opening closet doors, and going up and down the stairs.

The stairs are a good place to begin your safety check. Could someone tall accidentally bang their head on a beam, pipe or the ceiling as they go up or down? Is the carpeting on the stairs securely fastened? An area rug should have a non-slip mat underneath.

Safety is important because someone who is injured in your home could sue you for damages. This doesn't happen often, but if it does, it can be extremely unpleasant. "Better safe than sorry" applies to homes as well--especially when they are for sale and open to visits from potential buyers.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters are calling for a “big La Niña year” this winter, but how does that translates to snow fall this winter? The long-range forecast for December, January and February shows a 7.5% probability for record snowfalls, an 8.7% chance for record lows and 30%-to-36% chance for above normal, near normal or below normal.

In a report that hopefully is a state wide and industry wide trend the Aspen Skiing Co. reported 1.34 million skier visits last season, up 4.3% from the 2008-09 season. Summer occupancy at Aspen lodges was up 6.2% for 2010. The Skico is projecting a “single-digit” increase for skier visits this winter, ranging from 2% to 6% for the 2010-11 season.