Stay Safe in Steamboat Springs Area National Forests Spring is in the air and soon outdoor enthusiasts will be coming to the Steamboat Springs area to hike, bike and camp in the National Forest areas that surround Steamboat Springs. With limited snow left at lower elevations and the Steamboat Springs’ ski mountain closing on April 15th, the next round of visitors to Routt County will be those looking to enjoy the National Forest land and all the beauty it has to offer. Mount Zirkel Wildnerness Area Near Steamboat Springs While beautiful and very accessible from Steamboat Springs, the U.S. National Forest Service does want visitors reminded that dangers exist in our National Forest land, and for safety purposes as well as the protection of our natural forest resources, here are some guid... 03/21/2012

Steamboat Springs - Living the Dream in Your Hill Street Home A Steamboat Springs’ home that’s not too big, but not too small, close to downtown, but not right on or too close to Lincoln Avenue, a gourmet kitchen surrounded by an open floor plan full of warmth and character, and even with all this, you'd also love a yard with a water feature and perhaps an area for outside entertaining.    Hill street Home in Downtown Steamboat Springs Look no further than 197 Hill Street in Old Town Steamboat Springs . Only blocks away from downtown yet seemingly miles from anything urban, since it’s surrounded by aspens and evergreens. That water feature you’d love to have if possible, well that would be Butcherknife Creek running along the property. There’s nothing like the sound of a bubbling creek ... 03/20/2012

Steamboat Springs is a Summer Destination in the Making Good news travels fast. The word is spreading quickly that the Steamboat Springs ski mountain base area will soon be unveiling the new pedestrian promenade with Burgess Creek flowing through it. As reported in the Steamboat Today newspaper, Sheraton’s Director of Sales & Marketing is projecting the number of room nights driven by destination weddings will be up 22% this summer. In addition, revenues from convention groups are anticipated to increase around 18% as the nature of group bookings shifts from recreation oriented groups to corporations and professional associations holding multi-day meetings, trainings and conventions here. Steamboat Today Photo of Promenade Development Another potential positive is the news from Chris Di... 03/19/2012

Meadows at Eagleridge in Steamboat Springs, Colorado - Video & Pictures The best value for a Steamboat Springs 2 bedroom ski condo is right here. If you've ever thought about owning a Steamboat condo within walking distance to the slopes, this 2 + bedroom condo is priced at $206 per foot or $300,000.  Great views and natural light fill this Steamboat ski area condo. Walking distance to the ski mountain, upscale finishes and mountain views only begin to describe this beautiful 1,454 square foot, 2 master bedroom suites condominium. Each master bedroom is large and features a private fireplace, sitting area, spa-tub and steam shower, custom bathroom tile-work, owner’s closet, and access to the private balcony. The living/dining area offers custom wood finishes, wrap-around brick fireplace... 03/17/2012

I grew up ski racing. I believe that if you dedicate your life to something for a specified amount of time, be it a sport, music, studying, etc. you learn some great life lessons. So early on I was able to prioritize, focus and really learn what it means to try to be the best you can at something. I learned to be a good ski racer in my teens. I then went on to college and my careers.   Yet even though I never went on to be an Olympic Ski Racer, I knew what it meant to put my head down and achieve your goals. Seems it has paid off in my real estate business and, as a 48 year old telemark ski racer (very part time) I can still garner that focus and take the National Championship in telemark ski racing last week in New Hampshire. Yes, that's overall and at 48.   This is me on my way to vic... 03/14/2012

Go Green in Steamboat Springs for St. Patrick's Day Steamboat Springs’ St. Patrick’s Day celebration begins early with a St. Patrick’s themed concert featuring The Tartan Terrors, billed as “Riverdance meets Saturday Night Live” in its advertising. The Thursday, March 15th show starts at 7pm and is part of the Steamboat Springs’ Strings Music Festival Series. The Tartan Terrors - Steamboat Springs Strings' Event March 15th Steamboat Springs’ authentic Irish pub, the new McKnight’s in Wildhorse Plaza, is having a 3 day countdown to St. Patrick’s Day that began this morning with breakfast specials including a free pancake breakfast from 7am-8am. With morning, afternoon and evening specials through St. Patrick’s Day weekend, McKnight’s will be the place to wear your green and join the fest... 03/14/2012

  Steamboat Springs "Game On" for Downtown Revitalization Project! The urbanization of downtown Steamboat Springs is getting renewed traction. A weekend article in the Steamboat Pilot and Today focuses on the renewed attention to revitalizing a prime location –Yampa Street which lies between Steamboat Springs’ main street (Lincoln Avenue) and the Yampa River, home to world-class fly fishing, as well as summer tubing and kayaking. Already dotted with restaurants and a few retail stores, it could be so much more given its prime location between downtown Steamboat Springs and Howelsen Hill. Steamboat Springs Howelsen Hill Ski Area There are at least three meetings on the calendar between now and the end of March to discuss a game-plan for Yampa Street– 2 presentations are scheduled for the... 03/12/2012

Steamboat Springs Free Concerts at Ski Area Start Saturday For the next 6 weeks Steamboat Springs ski mountain is the FREE concert destination compliments of the 2012 Bud Light Rocks the Boat Free Concert Series. With the new concert stage venue at the base of the slopes in Ski Town U.S.A.® the sound is fantastic, the viewing area is ample and the atmosphere is fun. Gondola Square will be rocking with high energy on-stage performances that start at 3pm each Saturday unless otherwise noted. Steamboat Springs Ski Area Bud Light Rocks The Boat Free Concert Series  “This is an amazing line-up of talented artists as we head into the 13th season of free music in Steamboat,” said Rob Perlman, senior vice president of sales & marketing for Steamboat Ski Corp. “There isn't a better way to enjoy ... 03/08/2012

I'd Like to Meet You Face-to-Face in Steamboat Springs As an off-the-beaten-path (in a great way!) resort town, Steamboat Springs gets lots of initial inquiries via phone and email, but the sooner I can meet in person with someone the better. I understand the importance of knowing how clients prefer to communicate, and I posted a blog on just that topic on SteamboatsMyHome.com. Face-to-Face Meetings from Sure To Meet Here’s what caught my eye this morning, that strengthened my belief in face-to-face meetings sooner rather than later with potential clients, and periodically with current clients: Proof Point #1: A featured post on the real estate site, Active Rain, by Judi Barrett titled: “Are You Pricing Your Home to Sell or Pricing it to Keep?” This is the perfect question to ask someon... 03/07/2012

Steamboat & Other Colorado Mountain Resorts - Yes or No to Optimistic? A Denver Post March 4th Business Section article  reported that real estate dollar sales in Colorado’s 6 mountain resort counties fell more than 10% in 2011. A strong January ’11 start, fell off track by year’s end. High end markets such as Aspen, Snowmass and Beaver Creek did enjoy a good 2011, while the remainder of the ski mountain resort areas didn’t have quite as stellar results. I posted the Steamboat Springs and Mountain Resort results based on Land Title’s Colorado Mountain Resort Real Estate Trends Report at the end of  January. This report indeed showed the same data with disappointing news overall, as well as for Steamboat Springs’ real estate activity in 2011.   Denver Post, Land Title Guarantee Co. Chart... 03/05/2012

If you are looking to sell your home and you don't have a real estate agent, how does one choose? There are so many. Here's a video with helpful tips on how to narrow down your selection for choosing a real estate agent. At least this will get you in the right direction by narrowing down from the endless list of real estate agents.  Selecting the right real estate to sell your home very important. There are many qualities to look for and I will go into details below. But if you're just beginning the search, this video has helpful tips on what to look for in a good real estate agent to sell your home.  Selecting a real estate agent or local Realtor can be tough. In Steamboat Springs, Colorado there are over 300 real estate agents to choose from. How do you decide? Selling or buying real ... 02/29/2012

Bleak December Case-Shiller, But Reasons to be Optimistic in 2012 From the Wall Street Journal to Bloomberg, David Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Indices, didn’t have positive news to report upon publishing the December S&P Case-Shiller report. “In terms of prices, the housing market ended 2011 on a very disappointing note.” “With this month’s report we saw all three composites hit new record lows.”  “If anything, it looks like we might have re-entered a period of decline as we begin 2012.” Housing Market Ups & Downs So just how bad were the December Case-Shiller Home Price Indices numbers? The U.S. National Index and the 20-City Composite were down 4% December 2011 vs. December 2010 The 10-City Composite was down 3.9% December 2011 vs. December 2010 Atlanta, Las Vegas,... 02/29/2012

15 East Spruce Street in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. A collaboration of many, the design of this house has a layout that works with contemporary life while incorporating details from the heritage of the west. It is a mix of contemporary and rustic materials: soaring glass windows, heated stone and modern finishes alongside reclaimed oak flooring and Wyoming snow-fencing, this home is masterfully placed upon one of the largest canvases in Old Town Steamboat Springs. This magnificent Mountain Contemporary home, situated on 1.3 acres in the heart of Steamboat, with Butherknife creek meandering the grounds, makes this a truly unique home in a sublimely private setting. The journey continues inside with walnut cabinetry, marble counter tops, large timber beams and floor to ceiling glass all... 02/24/2012

Steamboat Springs' 2012 Real Estate Gets Quick Boost from $17.6M+ January Sale  Steamboat Springs’ January 2012 real estate sales started off on a positive note coming in just ahead of January 2011 sales. A good start is always welcome, and with the snowfall finally taking Steamboat Springs literally by storm this week, things might just be looking up on all fronts! Larry Pierce Photo, Steamboat Today, 2/20/12 While local businesses were soft in January due to the minimal snowfall, the recent snowy weather has business owners across the resort market spectrum optimstic about stronger business through March. Reservations immediately picked up for the balance of the ski season as soon as news of our epic, record snowfall on Monday, February 20th  -  27 inches in one day - hit the news. Ph... 02/23/2012

Cookie Cutter Real Estate Pricing - Not in Steamboat Springs As a recent article in the Wall Street Journal  pointed out, “It’s not easy being a home builder these days.” That’s a logical conclusion to come by given that: Total home sales are at record lows Foreclosure prices are luring potential new-home buyers away People often can’t qualify for loans despite low mortgage rates Even Census Bureau data points to a ‘New Normal’ for new single-family home prices. WSJ Article by Matthew Strozier Rick Palacios, a senior analyst at John Burns Real Estate Consulting, pointed out that since new-home prices peaked in 2007, new single family sales of more than $500,000 have gone from 13% to 6% of the market. Sales of new homes priced under $300,000 now account for roughly 75% of all new single-... 02/21/2012

A Coffee Shop Doubling as Craigslist 2.0? Not in Steamboat Springs Yet! Steamboat Springs coffee shops offer a lot of great things, but "Coffee and Power" is not one of them. I heard about this new website, coffeeandpower.com, through 1000watt Consulting. They are great about keeping a pulse on what's up and coming, and this new site, is on their "watch" list. Coffeeandpower.com is a new online service ramping up to connect people offering their services with those who need help with small projects. Be ready to go beyond the online realm though as coffeeandpower.com takes it a step further to facilitate a face-to-face meeting with a person you might end up working with. The Urban Grind in Portland, a C&P Meeting Place Coffee and Power (great combination don’t you think?) sets up “workcl... 02/16/2012

Mardi Gras in Steamboat Springs, Colorado Snow has arrived in Steamboat Springs, it’s a long weekend for many thanks to President’s Day on Monday, February 20th and there’s a great Mardi Gras celebration beginning Friday, February 17th at Steamboat Springs’ Ski Mountain! Steamboat Springs Mardi Gras Celebration Come to Steamboat Springs over the long weekend and catch one or all 5 days of Mardi Gras celebrating! Free concerts, a parade, Cajun & Creole themed food  specials, you name it and the Steamboat Springs Ski Mountain will have it: Friday, February 17th:  Bourbon Street at the Bear (Bear River Bar and Grill at Steamboat’sSkiMountain base) Saturday, February 18th: Mardi Gras Parade from Ski Time Square into Gondola Square’s Beer Garden and Crawfish Broil Saturday, February 18th: FR... 02/15/2012

Eggs Made to Order to Go with Your Mortgage Made to Order? A recent New York Times article points out that "Loan Terms Made to Order" are more common than you'd think. You can get creative with mortgage loan terms if you know what to ask for and you have a length of time in mind. More borrowers are asking for and getting fixed rate loans with terms outside the standard 15 and 30 years; these custom mortgages are prevalent in refinancings. New York Times Mortgage Rate Chart In 2011, nearly 17% of all refinanced mortgages were comprised of “other length” fixed rate loans according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Most of these terms were for 20 years, but 10, 25 and 40 years were not unheard of and if you do your homework, you’ll even find lenders who will agree to “oddball” terms lik... 02/14/2012

Will it Last - Steamboat Springs Home Ownership for Under $100K Steamboat Springs' 2011 real estate market  was dominated by sales of transactions priced under $200,000. Condominiums made up most of these sales, and now that these bargains are off the Steamboat Springs market, there’s not much inventory at the lower price points as compared to last year. Here’s a Steamboat Springs real estate snapshot by the numbers: Homes priced below $200,000 comprised 36% of 2011 sales 26 condos sold in 2011 for less than $100,000 (of these, 16 were bank owned) 45 condos sold for prices between $100,000 and $200,000 in 2011 52% of 2011 Steamboat Springs' sales transactions were for less than $300K Currently only 9 condos are listed on the market priced less than $100K and only 39 condos on the market... 02/13/2012

The Bakery Opens in Steamboat Springs Now open in Steamboat Springs a real home-town bakery, “The Bakery”. For home-made breads, sweets, birthday cakes and more The Bakery is the place to go. It’s about time too – especially for many of us who grew up in a town where visiting the bakery with mom was a big deal. The Bakery will be a great addition to the west end of Steamboat’s downtown business district and is sure to be a favorite among locals and visitors alike. John F. Russell photo in Steamboat Today Doug Matthews, The Bakery’s new owner, offers four to five fresh baked breads, a variety of pastries and other baked goods daily. Lunch is available as well, and by March, dinner will be served too. “If it comes out of the oven, we’ll make it,” says Matthews. Nothing like a home-made sa... 02/09/2012