Snow and Resort Real Estate

I woke up this morning to a beautiful 6 or 7 inches of fresh snow.  My dogs were thrilled with the prospect of running outside to race through the untracked field of white.  It continued to snow all morning with a huge accumulation by the time the sun peaked through around 2:30 p.m.

Because I grew up in Colorado and was born in the dead of winter, I have ALWAYS LOVED winter, or so I believe.  So, it is not difficult for me to want snow all winter long.  But, more importantly, for those of us who live and work in a resort market, we understand that we need cooperation from Mother Nature, to make the business wheels go round....and round...and round.  I sell resort real estate in one of North America's BEST ski resorts, Vail and Beaver Creek Mountains.  Yes, I love to snowboard and look forward to the winters because it affords me the wonders of slipping down a mountain on a snowboard.

However, I also am in the real estate industry.  I sell real estate.  So, unless you have been living in a cave for the past two or three years, you realize that the real estate market and industry have been brutalized by economic events, the press, and the public.  As one of my Clients recently told me, YOU,  the real estate "people" caused this economic downturn.  While I know many people throughout the Country bought homes they could not afford, I do know that most to all of the people I have sold real estate aka homes to in the past several years could more than afford them.  And, because we have the beautiful "white gold" and incredible mountain and Valley, we attract the obsessed skiers and snowboarders as well as the wealthy/affluent families who seek beauty, relaxation, and fun. 

Snow is what attracts the vast majority of our resort guests and homeowners.  They come for our incredibly fun and beautiful winters of snow, sunshine, and crisp, dry, air....we live at the top of the world.  And our Valley is finite as it is mostly public land which is part of the Forestry Service or Bureau of Land Management.  And, so with anything that has precious few acres, miles, or square footage, the prices escalate.  And, while our real estate prices aka market still seems quite high, many will tell you that we have some of the best values in our market that we have had in the past 20 years.  And for the Buyer pondering a purchase this feels like the year, rates are great, the snow is sensational, and we are feeling that many of the Buyers are ready to buy.  Winters tend to be our best selling seasons in the ski resorts.  Our summers are outstanding...we ALL LOVE them.  But, this winter is feeling different from the past few, it just seems like the mood and temperaments have changed.  And, you can only keep people down for a period of time.  My thoughts are this is going to be a fabulous ski season and year.  Snow makes this Resort Market go round....and round...and round.  Happy Holidays!  Amy