House Hunting in the Vail Valley

I am sure many of you are going to wonder if I have been living on another planet, but last November I discovered HGTV.  I certainly had heard about it.  Many of the Buyers and Sellers I work with would reference it.  Numerous times I would have Buyers say they wanted a "fixer upper" like on HGTV.  During a Sellers' Market I would take them to a "fixer upper" and they would run screaming into the night.  They realized that they were not going to be able to buy a tired worn-out home at a lower cost.  However, in today's Buyers' Market that is different.  Many of my Clients discovered HGTV years ago.  It has been on the air since December 1, 1994, or at least that is what my Google Research tells me.

While I had flipped by the channel of HGTV and DIY Networks while channel surfing, numerous times, I had never spent any time watching the channel.  I couldn't imagine that I would find it interesting.  I am in the real estate business and why would I spend my off hours looking at homes, on television?  I LOVE looking at homes, and can never take a trip without looking at the real estate ads and prices in whatever area I am visiting. But, I just couldn't understand how people become so hooked on "those shows".   Does a home really "show well" on television?

My world changed last November...I walked into my hotel room mid-day, in early November last year, at the National Association of REALTORS Convention in Anaheim.  It was too early to pick up my registration packet at the Convention Hall, and I had been up since 4:00 a.m. Colorado time,  so I was tired.  I had a couple of hours before events started...I flipped on the television.  I thought I would watch one of the business/news shows...HGTV was one of the first channels I flipped to on my way through the channels.  I stopped as there was a charming little cottage being toured by the Buyer and Real Estate Agent.  Well, I couldn't move on until I knew what she was going to buy...then the next half hour there was a Property Virgin aka First Time Home Buyer...how could I miss that?  Then we went to Paris...oh my goodness, one of my FAVORITE cities in this world...I had to see what I could buy there for $2,000,000 and so it went...I spent two hours mesmerized...that evening after dinner, I hurried back to my room wondering what I was missing on HGTV...and that is how my HGTV obsession began...one year later, that is the channel I watch the most.  I don't care if I've seen the show a couple of times.  I love all the Bath, Kitchen, Home and Yard Crashers.  I always try to figure out will the Homeowner "Love It or List It" after a remodel and exhaustive home hunting.  I pride myself on figuring out what the Buyers will buy during the "hunt"...my records pretty good, I 'd say 7 out of 10 times I know what they will buy before they do. 

So what does this have to do with House Hunting in the Vail Valley, you are asking yourselves...well it has everything to do with buying and selling a vacation home in a Resort or your primary residence.  The vast majority of human beings, need their own space in the world, the haven, the hearth, which are both the heart of the family.  Why else would HGTV and other channels, exist?  Our homes show who we are, where we've been (often from the accessories and art-work) and where we are in life's many stages...the young married, new parents, parents of young adults, or grandparents.  Are you  building up to a large home from the initial condominium or downsizing to a small easy to care for condominium from the estate home?  Where ever you are in your stage of life, there is a perfect home for you, in this beautiful Valley.  We have ski-slope condominiums and homes or summer Villas on the golf course.  Whatever it is you are looking for, we can find it.  This is one of those remarkable areas which gives you not only a wonderful recreational experience , it is also mystical and spiritual.  The mountains exhibit the strength, beauty and intensity of nature, while giving us the freedom to relax and restore.  It's worth a visit to find out for yourself...if nothing else, you may just see us on HGTV...believe me, it is MUCH better being here.  Have a good week.