There was definitely more to be thankful for in November than family, friends, football and turkey. What we lacked in snow fall, we made up for in real estate sales in November. November real estate sales were great. And looking at the recent absorption rate, I'd say the Steamboat Springs Real Estate Market is looking much better. ( Please note: I recently blogged about the attributes of "knowing the market." The stats came out today with a rather large error. I caught it and researched it. There was not a $11 million dollar transaction in Steamboat. So I re-calculated the numbers with a more accurate sales price. The graph below is with the corrected amount - see *) Steamboat Ski Mountain Gondola 125 transactions netted just under $44M * in gross sales volume which equals a 64% increas... 12/22/2011

From 15 to 9 month of inventory in one year. That's improvement.  Real estate absorption rate is the rate at which properties are sold in a given area. The numbers below shows how many months of available inventory we have here in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. As you see, the tend is good. That is a very healthy sign that the real estate market is improving in Steamboat Springs. Only condos sales did not improve. Normal real estate market = 5 - 6 months of inventory Seller's Market = 1-4 months of inventory Buyer's Market = More than 7 months of inventory ------------------------------- Single Family Homes inventory= 136• December 2011= 9.71 months• January 2011 = 15.9 months• December 2010 = 13.4 months Townhomes / inventory = 134• December 2011 = 10.3 months• December 2010 = 18.0 month... 12/21/2011

Steamboat Springs’ High School is now a 4 time winner and Steamboat Springs’ Middle School is now a 5 consecutive year winner of the John Irwin Schools of Excellence award for academic performance for the 2010-2011 school year. The Colorado Department of Education issued 150 schools this prestigious award which signifies that Steamboat Springs’ secondary schools met or exceeded the requirements established for last school year’s Colorado Student Assessment Program. High schools have an additional “college readiness” requirement that is based on attaining higher levels of graduation rates and ACT scores in order to receive the award. Student at Computer Station Given that quality of schools ranks high in any family’s decision to relocate to a town or city, Steamboat’s solid and consisten... 12/15/2011

Edgemont ski-in, ski-out condos in Steamboat Springs has lowered prices and announced the second phase of four townhomes for the 2012 ski season. Edgemont has 39 luxury residences--25 have sold and one is under contract.  The largest condos have sold although there are a nice selection of 2- and 3-bedroom condos still available. See the remaining Edgemont condos for sale here. Buyers looking for a 4-5 bedroom luxury residence can pre-purchase a new Edgemont Townhome.  The new Edgemont townhomes will have the same features and finishes you'll see in the condos.   Edgemont Townhomes Now on Sale   For investors, Edgemont has some of the best rental revenues for ski-in, ski-out properties.  Contact us for rental information. Edgemont has long-term financing for qualified buyers, so you won'... 12/15/2011

“Now is the time to buy Steamboat real estate.” How many times have you heard a Realtor say that?  Everyone's situation is different, so you won't hear that blanket statement from me even though it is true that many Steamboat properties are priced at too-good-to-pass up prices and we’ve seen the bottom of the market in several neighborhoods. According to Tobin’s Q, a theory James Tobin wrote in the late 1960’s,it really is time to buy.  James Tobin’s theory says:  Market value of company / replacement value = Tobin’s Q  So how does that relate to Steamboat real estate?  When the price of Steamboat real estate is below replacement cost, stop procrastinating and buy.  When real estate prices were rising, developers could build a property then resell it immediately for more than it cost to... 12/15/2011

All the great marketing in the world won't sell an overpriced house, or get your seller to accept a fair offer if they don't understand the business analytics. A friend of mine reminded me of a great business practice when she told me about her experience listing her town home in a down market with lots of town home inventory in a suburb of Atlanta back on 2004. In her development alone there were 200 town homes all under 3 years old, and 72 were for sale at the time she was looking to sell. That’s 36% (more than one out of 3 for sale), and many newer developments already built (but unsold) with developer incentive deals in the competitive mix as well. Town Home in Atlanta The fairly daunting scenario was not lost on my friend as she had been around the home selling/buying block more th... 12/13/2011

Ski all day and then join in the holiday fun at the base of the Steamboat Springs’ ski mountain at the new stage in Gondola Square where the ultimate holiday après ski celebration will take place on Saturday, December 17th from 3:00pm – 5:00pm. Celebration activities will include: * Live holiday music * Visit from Santa Clause and his reindeer * Free hot cocoa and candy canes * Cowboys and horses * Lighting of the Mountain Village Tree * Umbrella Bar serving special Christmas cocktails * Holiday photo opportunities with Sharpshooter Imaging * Special holiday Torchlight Parade at 5:00pm Holiday Time at Steamboat Ski Mountain Help make this a special Christmas for those in need by bringing a non-perishable food item to benefit the Lift-Up Food Bank. ---For more information on buying real ... 12/12/2011

Mark your calendar for this Saturday night, December 10th – it’s the annual downtown holiday celebration for the entire Steamboat Springs community!  Lincoln Avenue will be closed to traffic and all the stores and restaurants will be joining in the festivities. Steamboat Springs Merry Mainstreet Events Don’t miss the NEW attraction – the Great Caroling Contest – loosely based on the annual Figgy Pudding Caroling event in Seattle. A portion of the money raised will go to Lift-Up Services. Form a team and register with MainStreet Steamboat to join in the fun! Merry Mainstreet 2010 Celebration The 2011 Merry Mainstreet festivities also include: * Holiday Parade * Gingerbread House Exhibits * Fruit Cake Toss Competition * SantaCrawl Pub Crawl ---For more information on buying real estate or... 12/08/2011

Good real estate agents realize that when people look for a home, they are looking for more than bedrooms and square footage, they are looking for a lifestyle to compliment their perfect home. From schools to shopping to annual, holiday and special events, a community is comprised of day to day opportunities that add to your overall quality of life and get you out of the home you and your realtor so carefully selected for you. Winter Carnival Steamboat Springs It’s my goal to inform potential clients (or remind current ones) of just how awesome it is to live in Steamboat Springs, CO. If someone is contemplating buying a primary or secondary residence in Steamboat Springs, I want them to know that Steamboat Springs is not just a fabulous, world-class ski resort, it’s a full-fledged commu... 12/07/2011

As 2011 winds down, it’s worth noting that one of Steamboat Springs’ most popular neighborhoods, Fish Creek Falls, has had a really good year real estate sales wise. Just in the last 2 month, 12 single family and townhomes have sold. Since January 1st, 28 Fish Creek Falls’ neighborhood homes have sold with an average sales price of $814,035. Even more encouraging, the average sales price was 97.8% of the average list price which strongly indicates that Steamboat Springs’ Fish Creek Falls neighborhood is a good buy in a very attractive neighborhood. Situated between Steamboat Springs’ downtown area and the ski mountain, Fish Creek Falls neighborhood is in close proximity to everything Steamboat Springs has to offer including schools. A trail system runs through Fish Creek Falls neighborh... 12/06/2011

    "I'm a Realtor, I know real estate. I know MY market." Really?   You're not a Realtor unless you know the market. Here's my list of things I pay attention to as a full-time Realtor.   •               Know the inventory. If you don't know every listing, at least know your area. In larger cities, become the expert in a particular location or neighborhood or specific area. And this includes FSBO's.   •               Know the past. You should know what homes, condos, and townhomes sold when and for about how much. This knowledge should go back several years. This will help value current properties and show you past trends.   •               Know price points and what you can get for your money. This way if someone asks you how much is a 3 bedroom, 1,500 sqft home sell for in area "X", ... 12/04/2011

Colorado Department of Education gave high marks to the Steamboat Springs School District. As a parent and Realtor in Steamboat Springs, schools are important to the community. So it's great to hear the recent news that the Steamboat Springs schools earned top marks again within the state. Steamboat is one of 18 school districts, out of 178 in Colorado, to be “accredited with distinction” for its academic performance in the 2010-11 school year, according to the Colorado Department of Education.  Steamboat is in the District of RE-2. Steamboat Springs Schools These measures that are determined by Colorado Student Assessment Program and ACT scores. And more importantly determine the students preparedness  for college. In the 2010-11 school year, every school and every grade level in the S... 11/30/2011

Working at a brick and mortar books store these days must be rough. Amazon, eBooks, dot-coms, Costco, all these places makes it sure easy to buy books and even get recommendations. But it's not the same. Zillow, Trulia, Redfin, county records, FSBO's, all these places makes if sure easy to shop and a get real estate advice. Again, not the same. But let's stand back and look what value-add a bookstore employees brings.  •    You can tell them what you like and they can recommend another great book. •             You can tell them what experience your seeking or what you want to learn about and they can hand you the perfect book. •          You can discuss books and authors and theories and have a great old time. •             You can sit and relax and browse book after book and drink gr... 11/26/2011

Are you ready to take a vacation to Steamboat Springs and stay in one of the best locations in Steamboat? If so, take a look at this true Ski-in/Ski-out condo that will let you sleep with your skis on.  Really?  Yes. The slopes are 8 feet from your bed. Finding a true Ski-in/Ski-out property can be hard in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Of the 74 ski properties listed todaywith agents saying they are Ski-in/Ski-out, roughly half are truthful and accurate. And of those real ski properties, there’s are even fewer that lets you walk out your door and put your skis on and ski to the gondola. And even less that you’ll be able to ski right up to your door, click out of your skis and step into your residence. Yep, location, location, location, for a true Ski-in/Ski-out property in Steamboat Spri... 11/25/2011

It's what the buyer's want. They want to see the good deals, bank owned, foreclosed properties and all the new listings of the past 24 hours. So I made some changes to my website and now everyone can view these properties from my Home Page.  Make it easy, make it fun, make it look good with larger pictures and maps and more detail. Give buyers what they want. Okay, I get it. SteamboatsMyHome.com is one of a few real estate websites in Steamboat Springs, Colorado that offers up-to-date and even up to the minute MLS feeds. This means that you really do see those new listings first. You will know about those foreclosed and bank owned homes before anyone else shopping on another real estate site. Why would you want to see new listing 2-3 days after they come on the market?  See them first a... 11/23/2011

The Steamboat Springs ski season is here and there's nothing better that taking a ski vacation to really connect with family and friends. And having a second home right near the base area is what it's all about. Whether you walk to the gondola or take a shuttle, there are many options of places to stay or invest in Steamboat real estate. The nice thing about a townhome is that it lives more like a single family home. Unlike a condo, a townhomes usually come with a private garage and you don't have neighbors under or on top of you. There's more of a sense of privacy with a townhome. In Steamboat Springs, townhomes are very popular because most of them have Home Owners Association (HOA) that maintain the grounds so you don't have to worry about all the maintenance of a single family home.... 11/19/2011

Living in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, there's something that takes place about this time each year. I call it the "ower transition." It's the day one puts away the lawn mower and pulls out the snow blower. Where most folks garden 12 months of the year, living in Ski Town USA we put away all gardening tools for 5 months. But I love living in Steamboats and my kid and dog don't mind the snow either. It seems things just get simpler this time of year. And the ski resort opens soon so plan your trip today.  11/13/2011

Mud Season: those fall and spring months in a ski resort town when the weather isn't great and the town is kind of empty. Mud season can muck up real estate sales, but there were some encouraging sales as some folks do like to get settled in to a new home before the winter weather sets in. Steamboat Ski Area   With 99 transactions logged in the 10th month of the year, October ranked 7th in transactions and 8th in total dollar volume with just over $31.6M in sales. Similar to September, dollar volume was down due to the large percentage of residential homes sold under $200,000 (35%) as well as 68% (more than two out of 3 homes) selling for $500,000 or less during the month of October.  The bright spots while analyzing this report, are that the snow making machines are going full blast on... 11/11/2011

We live in a country of great pride and privilege, and that’s in large part due to the military men and women who have fought and continue to fight for our right to live in a free country with opportunity for all. The Steamboat Springs community does a great job of honoring the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces. There’s a Memorial Day ceremony every year in May and every Veteran’s Day stores and restaurants around Steamboat Springs offer special discounts to those who have served in the military. Our local schools welcome veterans by hosting assemblies where they honor the veterans with patriotic songs as well as listen to the veterans describe what it meant to them to serve their country. Veteran's Day In this day and age where too many kids think a video game encompasses wha... 11/09/2011

Through the third quarter YTD, there’s a mixed bag among key metrics in Colorado ski resort counties. Focusing on Pitkin (Aspen, Snowmass), Eagle (Vail), Summit (Breckenridge, Copper Mtn.) and Routt  (Steamboat Springs) counties here are the key facts with the entire report located here. Gross $ Sales Transactions 1)      Pitkin $977,073,114 (+18.84% vs. same time period 2010) 2)      Eagle $803,246,756 ( -29.6% vs. same time period 2010) 3)      Summit $496,283,700 (+1.74% vs. same time period 2010) 4)      Routt $331,187,400 (-14.91% vs. same time period 2010) Number of Recorded Sales Transactions 1)      Routt = 1,039 2)      Summit = 1,005 3)      Eagle = 970 4)      Pitkin = 584 Number of Bank Sales Transactions 1)      Eagle = 225  (23.2% of total for the county) 2)      Routt = 1... 11/08/2011