It is that time of year again when we get our annual real estate statistics package out showing all that was sold, increases that occurred, decreases that occurred as well as average prices by area and property type. The number of sales certainly changed in 2008 and yet the average sale price mostly remained the same or increased with a few areas of decreased average sale prices.

How long will our market remain as it is? Denver is already showing signs of stabilizing and typically once the ‘Front Range’ of Colorado begins to rebound we (the mountain resorts) follow. The current market in Summit County has kept prices from soaring as they have in the past, yet the window for that opportunity to buy in our current real estate market may be short.

In fact, this may be a great time to start living that lifestyle you have always dreamed of and take advantage of this unique opportunity before the market goes back to a typical resort market and closes this opportunity forever. Of course, one cannot predict the future – but one can certainly grab life by the horns and start doing what you have always dreamed of and now may be just the right time to purchase a piece of that mountain lifestyle that so many desire.

If we can help you in your search for that lifestyle let us know and if you would like to receive our annual stats package simply send me an email with an address to mail the packet (my email is mail@jeffangell.com). We will be getting those out very soon. In the mean time, enjoy browsing the website and be sure to visit our other site at www.eColoradoHomes.com .

Have a terrific Colorado Ski Season.

Jeff Angell

Broker/Owner

RE/MAX Properties of the Summit/Frisco

P.S. Oh, by the way…don’t forget to refer anyone you know that may be interested in buying or selling real estate in my area to me. I like to work with referred clients and I am never too busy to take care of your referrals.

Email: mail@JeffAngell.com
Phone: (970) 668-5300
Toll Free: (800) 289-5305
Website: www.eColoradoHomes.com
Website: www.ColoradoMtnRealEstate.com

Currently the Peak 6 area is popular for backcountry skiers as it is easy to get to from either Breckenridge or Frisco for locals and is in a relatively gentle terrain area – very suitable for Summit County locals to enjoy the backcountry. The type of terrain coupled with its close proximity to the base area on Peak 7 and the newer mountain real estate development consisting of upscale condominiums could be one of the driving forces for the decision to expand into Peak 6. Although others may enjoy the new terrain due to it being close by and easy to access such as those with property and homes on Peak 8 in Breckenridge.

Even down valley in Frisco Colorado there are those that are very interested in the outcome of the Peak 6 expansion due to their usage of that area and their close proximity from their Frisco Homes and condos to Breckenridge. In fact, there is now a task force in place to meet and discuss the social and environmental issues of concern to Summit County citizens; even those as far away from Breckenridge as Frisco locals and Dillon town members too.

These plans are nothing new and have been in the works for some time and only recently have been brought up in detail. In fact, in 2002 the Peak 6 area was already allocated to become a lift-served resort for skiing! It is just now that the local population in Summit County (Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon and the rest) have become more interested due to a higher interest to expand into the Peak 6 area to help offer amenities to the new real estate base area on Peak 7.

Some of the plans for the expansion include a new lift as well as hike to skiing, a ski patrol hut and a base area warming hut/restaurant. All on Peak 6 and all encompassing about 450 acres that will contain about 6 trails with around 67 acres of clear cut below timberline to create the new trails with much of the expert skiing and hike to skiing being above timberline.

No matter what your interest are or questions are, we can help. I have been enjoying all the Summit County area has to offer for over 20 years now and active in local mountain real estate for over 14 of those 20 years - feel free to put my experience and knowledge to work for you. When you need anything I am a quick email away at Mail@JeffAngell.com or use our online contact form.

For those locals that live in their Frisco home or their Dillon Condo along the lake this view has become commonplace and goes virtually unnoticed today as it is now a very real part of our mountain vistas. For most of the locals and people that visit Summit County or have recently purchase real estate here often they have adapted and are no longer astonished when gazing out of their Frisco property or other Colorado Mountain Real Estate in Summit County – often it takes comparing an old photo of, say, Peak One towering over the Town of Frisco from the other side of the Lake in Dillon and comparing it to what the view is today. A few years ago that view was full of live green lodgepole pine trees and today, well it is something completely different.

Visitors that seldom make it to the mountains see the pine beetle kill as something all together different. It is the first thing that catches their eye and they are astonished as they gaze upon all the brown, rust and dried brittle looking dead lodgepole pine trees throughout Summit County.  It is hard to believe that this pine beetle epidemic could spread so fast and cover such a vast area of the Rocky Mountains. Originally it was thought that a deeply cold winter would stop the onslaught, but we just haven’t seen brutally cold winters where the temperatures sunk to negative 30 and stayed. Overall we have been relatively warmer over the winter in Frisco, Colorado.

One only needs to take hike up from Dillon on the Tenderfoot trail or up from Silverthorne on Ptarmigan Mountain to take advantage of the tremendous views towards Frisco, Colorado and Breckenridge. And while taking in those Summit County vistas one can clearly see the beetle kill. You can also see recent clear cut areas with young pines that have not been damaged by the beetle as they shine with a bright green!

On the other hand this is nothing new as in the 1980’s there was a pine beetle outbreak in Summit County and close to Breckenridge, Colorado. The only difference is that back then it was colder and a few severe winters with deep freezes took care of the pine beetle’s outbreak.  Besides warmer weather other things have contributed to this recent epidemic; such as most of the trees being around the same age due to massive logging and clear cutting in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s: creating vast stands of lodgepole pines of the same type and same age. Couple that with a century of fire suppression in our national forest and you have an older population of trees nearing their normal life cycle end that are very susceptible to the pine beetle.

What the future holds for the pine beetle remains to be seen. But, currently we are hearing that the spreading is continuing and even moving from these specific lodgepole pines to other trees throughout the state. Some are using the beetle kill pine to create art, building materials and even furniture. For example in my office on Frisco’s main street we had a custom desk made entirely from local beetle kill pine.

No matter what your interest are or questions are, we can help. I have been enjoying all the Summit County area has to offer for over 20 years now and active in local mountain real estate for over 14 of those 20 years - feel free to put my experience and knowledge to work for you. When you need anything I am a quick email away at Mail@JeffAngell.com or use our online contact form.

Through the end of August there were 790 residential sales in Summit County (not including land or partial ownership); which is about 43% less than what we had in 2007 (In 2007 we had 1384). The average sale price for the 1384 properties that sold last year was $539,779 and this year’s 790 properties came in at $587,061!

Analyzing in a little more detail and comparing each town’s sales and average prices of the sold properties this year through August as compared to last year coupled with the number of properties over 1mil that sold during that timeframe shows more interesting information. You will find this information on the below – I hope you enjoy it.

If you are thinking of getting involved, or have a referral to send our way, in Summit County real estate (Breckenridge, Frisco, Copper, Keystone, Silverthorne, Dillon) now may be a much better time than waiting until later this year as activity is picking up.

No matter what your interest are or questions are, we can help. I have been enjoying all the Summit County area has to offer for over 20 years now and active in local mountain real estate for over 14 of those 20 years - feel free to put my experience and knowledge to work for you. When you need anything I am a quick email away at Mail@JeffAngell.com or use our online contact form.

First Resort Lending is a joint venture between Firstbank of Colorado (Colorado’s largest locally owned banking organization) and RE/MAX Properties of the Summit (Summit County’s leading real estate firm). Firstbank has been providing full service banking for over 40 years and RE/MAX Properties of the Summit just celebrated their 20th anniversary in the spring of 2007!

This is a fantastic opportunity to provide a better service and true “One Stop Shopping” and who better to do that than RE/MAX (us) and First Bank: both extremely respected service oriented companies with above board business philosophies that have grown along with the community over the past 20 years! In fact, both RE/MAX and First Bank have had their positive presence in Summit County for about the same amount of time – since the 80’s.

With the backing of Firstbank in Colorado, First Resort Lending is capable of offering a variety of products to meet borrowers needs – a full service bank with local personnel, local decisions and outstanding service.

Some benefits to buyers include:

• Personal, timely, reputable, up-front counseling eliminating costly surprises.
• Experienced mortgage consultant capable of finding the right mortgage for a buyer’s specific needs.
• Fast, friendly, one-on-one local service, local decisions; giving you a faster response, direct feedback and a better understanding of the local overall mortgage process.
• Local knowledge and the ability to perform on loans and properties locally as well as the proven history of performance - no delays or not being able to lend at the last moment due to the property.
• Work with local appraisers that are aware of the local real estate values and the fact that they are on the rise; coupled with the knowledge of what added value location, views and amenities means in today resort real estate market. Not working with someone that has local knowledge can and has caused poor appraisals that in turn can cause delays or even contract termination.

Being comfortable in the fact First Resort Lending has the proven capability, local knowledge, is operated with integrity and performs at an outstanding business level; while at the same time has just about any loan program available as well as the ability to get the loan done that the buyer needs is extremely important. Be sure to ask about the opportunity to take advantage of this special and very unique service in Summit County.

With the majority of RE/MAX’s business coming from repeat and referral it is very important that the entire purchase process go as smoothly as possible and selecting the right lender that can complete the transaction with relative ease is a key element to a successful purchase.

Your successful purchase is important to us.

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