Buena Vista Real Estate » Buena Vista

Summertime

admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:09:45 +0000

Summertime is here. Cool mornings, hot afternoons and occasional thunderstorms. Along with that come lots of vacationers. They are here to see the wonders of the Rocky Mountains, here in the heart of 14er-land; however, they are not looking at properties the way they have in the past.

This year, again, the numbers are way down and the trend line is flat. The good news is that the inventory is huge; the interest rates are way down; and on any particular property you might be able to fashion a great deal. I think by autumn, we’ll see the real estate activity start to pick up with 2011 supporting a come-back. It’s just a matter of waiting for buyers, because the beauty, vitality and value of our valley has not changed.

Share and Enjoy:

Springtime…where have you been?

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:14:08 +0000

What an up and down weather season it has been the last few months. Every time there is a warm-up, there has been a quick cool-down. After the coldest winter ever here in Buena Vista and the last four seasons averaging below normal, one wonders if there will be summer. But there are indications that nature is on track.
Yesterday started out on a bitter-sweet note. My friend and colleague, who helped raise Central Colorado Regional Airport from a low point to national recognition, left to become the Airport Manager at Hays, KS….good for them…not so much for us. After parting it was time for a hike and some fresh air. Just as I was getting to the top of Midland Hill, there they were…dozens of Pasque flowers. Every season they are the first to pop up in the mountains…a sure sign that all is well!

Share and Enjoy:

Spring not quite sprung

admin — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:29:45 +0000

May is here as it probably is everywhere, but this year I’m not sure that Spring came with it to Buena Vista. It seems as though it should be warmer and the grass greener. Where are the flowers…or is it too early for them? The real attention-getter is the bright, white mountains pasted on the so-Colorado blue sky. There is still a lot of snow sitting up there, which is good for Colorado’s water supply and those of us who like to snowshoe, so I guess this is really not so much a complaint about Spring as much as an observation of what seems different this year. Any way you look at it, Buena Vista is a beautiful site!

Share and Enjoy:

Smart leads

admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:02:48 +0000

I have long believed that continuing education in real estate will pay off in the long run. I used to teach and have always enjoyed taking classes and expanding my knowledge envelope. While I certainly don’t remember everything from every day of class that I have had, I do remember key items that are important and always know where I can get the details. In the past few years I have picked up a designation or certification just about every year, so I can have a raft of initials after my name, but rarely put them there because no one knows what they mean and it probably doesn’t matter anyway.

About a week ago I received a call, followed by an e-mail, from a member of a family who was looking for a second home with the idea of it being a extended-family get-a-way. Last night I met with them. It is a great family and I had a great time guiding them through a process to help them develop some direction. Now there are certainly a raft of brokers around here that could have done this…but I had been chosen because the family noticed that I had my Resort and Second-home Property Specialist certification…RSPS…and they were looking for a second home, so they called. I appreciate that.

Share and Enjoy:

Christmas Wonderland

admin — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:53:18 +0000

I was sitting here in the kitchen this morning looking out the window and the thought came to me that the view reminded me of Switzerland. Then I realized, this view that I see everyday, is really my Buena Vista view. The sky was clear Colorado blue; the air was a crisp 11 degrees; the new snow on Mt. Princeton just made that massif stand out as if it were pasted on the sky. One is just compelled to stare.

There are days when there is not enough hustle and bustle here in this town for me, but when I stop and look at the surroundings, I am always awed at the majesty of this valley. There are other impressive views that I have seen in my travels, but these are particularly so. I finally realized that views here are different because I have hiked the trails and climbed the peaks and know the back country. Elsewhere, a view is a view, but each one here has a memory or two for me.

If ever there was a little town, nestled in a valley, surrounded by snow covered peaks, that made you think of a Colorado Christmas, Buena Vista could be the one.

Share and Enjoy:

Eclectic Buena Vista housing

admin — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:16:51 +0000

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.

Share and Enjoy:

Spring snow

admin — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:16:17 +0000

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!

Share and Enjoy:

Home values holding in the Colorado mountains.

admin — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:03:52 +0000

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!

Share and Enjoy: