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Buena Vista is a great outdoor play area…anytime of year. I try to get out as much as I can, so yesterday I decided to do my 3-mile hike above the Arkansas River. As soon as I had climbed the first hill and was breathing heavily, my cell phone rang. Now, there are certainly many views about cell phones disturbing the quietness of the trail. I happen to consider the great open spaces out here my extended office. So I sat on a nearby rock and talked to the caller about mining claims and what she would be able to do with hers. With some follow-through, this conversation may lead to a listing or a sale. It was on this same hillside about six years ago that I negotiated a purchase of a house, and two years ago I had a contract-defining conversation with a client as I topped a 13,000 foot peak.
Certainly I “get” the idea about being quiet on the trail and I abide by trail etiquette. But, when you live in this part of the Colorado Rockies, it is an easy decision when deciding whether to spend even more time in the office.
If you want to discuss real estate with me, feel free to call anytime, but if I sound out of breath you will know why.
Buena Vista is certainly unique because of its climate, the stunning size and beauty of the Rockies on one side of town, the hum of the Arkansas River on the other side and the endless outdoor activities that are available.
One of the overlooked features of Buena Vista is the eclectic nature of the housing. There is a property for most tastes. We have always had the old in-town houses that are reminders of the old west. These houses on the west side of town are one-of-a-kind and make up very walkable, well treed neighborhoods. Also, there are the newer, more uniform neighborhoods on the east side of town that offer an easy walk to the schools and Main Street.
Outside of town there are subdivisions with larger, more elegant homes on two or more acres. Most subdivisions are a few miles from the town center and of course, there are the family ranches spreading along the highway to the south and north of Buena Vista.
The newest addition to Buena Vista real estate is South Main. This not everyone’s idea of Colorado living, but it is a unique offering in the real estate market. South Main is a very “green” and eco-friendly neighborhood. Perched along the side of the Arkansas River with its river-trails and in-river play holes, this neo-urbanistic development is a bright and cheery sight to see while walking the hill-side trails.
For the more adventurous, there are off-grid houses in the middle of nowhere with stunning views. For very basic living, there is always a mining claim with a yurt on it.
Whatever your living style, we can probably find you a house to your liking here…and when not in your house, there is plenty to do along the river or in the mountains.
The big spring snowstorm is cranking up and Colorado is going to get dumped on. Buena Vista…somewhat protected on all sides…may get a foot, but the higher mountains are looking for a good three feet.. In Colorado, these March and April storms can bring major amounts of water and Coloradans expect and love these storms. When this was mentioned to a relative back east, the response was why would you love a dump of snow after spring has gotten underway?
The reason is that Colorado depends on the mountain snow pack for its water. At our elevation everything flows away from us, not toward us. Without a big snow pack, we run low on water by summer and when severe, irrigation of crops can be stopped at great loss to growers! Another aspect of Colorado’s problem is that since out rivers run into other states, those states also rely on our water and by agreement we must deliver it…and we get what is left and often that is not enough.
So even though some of the ski areas have closed and spring here…snow delivery is always welcome!
One thing that property buyers have to get used to in Buena Vista is the lack of hustle and bustle. In fact, there are days when I could use a bit more…but it is a great place to live. Those who come from large cities…and I am one… occasionally feel a little isolated here on the east flank of the Continental Divide. After all it is about two hours to Colorado Springs and Denver…that is where we go when we need a fix of culture or city life.
While talking to bankers, brokers and other town folk this week, we all agreed that this mountain-town isolation has served us well over the last two years. We do not have a lot of foreclosures and mortgage problems. The housing market has not been flooded and while sales are way down, values are holding.
Actually, the main connections between Buena Vista and the Front Range cites are the roads. The housing market, the weather and the pace of life are largely independent.
Recent numbers indicate that home values are down and down a lot in some parts of the country. In Denver, the drop is about 5%, certainly not much when compared to some of the cities in the far Southwest where value drops are near 33%. Here in the mountains, it will be a while before we have hard numbers, but colleagues say, and I agree, that the number will not be large. In fact, we have seen no real evidence of value loss, but I suppose there will be some.
Certainly sales are down. Down about 35% in 2008, but of the houses that did sell, the average sale price was up a bit over the 2007 average sale price. This has been a trend in the Colorado mountains over the last couple of years. From north to south along the Rockies, in the high-country, as we call it, values if not soaring upward, seem not to be going down.
We are patiently watching as 2009 unfolds. There are many potential buyers looking at properties in Buena Vista, but most have been slow to make an offer. Meanwhile, the property values are holding and we here in the mountains are quite happy that we are here. Come live where you play!
I was in the weather business for 30 years. I love keeping track of the weather. Here in Colorado, water is always an issue since our water comes from the winter snow pack.
The has been a dry winter and we are behind in mountain snow all across the state. But now it is Spring and today Colorado is getting hammered with a major snow storm and everyone seems to be excited. The mountains will end up with a couple of feet of new snow and the valleys with perhaps a foot. March and April are the months when we do this and we all hope for it. And in a couple of days, snow at lower elevations will melt, the sky will be blue, the high peaks bright white and today a memory. I can not think of a better place to live.
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Welcome! Buena Vista, at 8,000 feet, sits in the Upper Arkansas Valley surrounded by 13,000 and 14,000 foot peaks in the heart of the Colorado Rockies. This area is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts and is a second-home or retirement community for those who love the beauty and high-country adventure. I invite you to pay us a visit.
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