In my blog last week Is affordable housing causing the surge in ski town home prices? I asked the question what was the impact on affordable housing in relation to ski prices . I was pretty surprised at the resounding answer regarding affordable housing What...
Vail hard money loans and the Vail market: Vail versus Vail lawsuits, income levels, short-term rental taxes and ski-season results.
Was this ski season really a disaster for Colorado, the numbers don’t lie
Colorado is having a tough year. Snowfall was down nearly 60% over the holidays, resulting in only about 11% of skiable terrain being opened in December and skier visits are down 20%. Vail resorts, the largest ski operator, is getting hit hard as seen in the stock...
Vail sues Vail, town of Vail has resounding win; what does this mean for real estate?
First, I had to share the joke above. For anyone that lives or spends time in the mountains it is unfortunately very relatable😊 It is a bit ironic (and confusing) as the company Vail resorts sues the city that its name originated from. The suit...
Median income soars in CO mountains, is 150k/year income affordable housing
It is likely no mystery that the Colorado ski towns are getting considerably more expensive, but the recent data released by HUD is eye opening. HUD releases income figures every year based on census data and other factors, such as the rate of inflation. What do the...
Big changes in mountain real estate, volumes drop, but there is one big surprise
Although March is typically not a big sales time in the mountains with mud season and the resorts closed, there are some interesting trends emerging. As suspected single family homes sales volumes have dropped dramatically along with median and average sales price. ...
Vail sues Vail, what does this mean for the resort and city
It is a bit ironic (and confusing) as the company Vail resorts sues the city that its name originated from. The suit highlights a not so happy marriage or relationship or breakup of the two Vails. In a nutshell Vail resorts and Vail are having a legal tango over the...
CO Short term rental elections 20% tax rates approved, what are the results and what does this mean to you and Colorado ski real estate?
Regardless of party affiliation, this has been a big voting season for Colorado real estate and there was a resounding message relayed at the polls. Voters in Steamboat Springs, Aspen, Dillon, Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, and Summit County all decided whether...
Will higher interest rates impact Colorado ski real estate? One market down 71%
Depending on the Colorado ski town, cash transactions make up between 30-75% of all closed transactions. With this many cash transactions, what do rising interest rates mean for sales in the various ski towns. Will there be a slow down in ski real...
What will cause Colorado ski real estate prices to fall
If you’ve been reading the news, it seems to be everywhere, complaints against vail resorts are plastered all over the media. With Vail the largest owner of resorts in Colorado and the United States will this derail the real estate party in ski towns or is there...
Which Colorado ski town is best investment: I rank each one
I’m constantly asked: “what is the best place to buy ski real estate in Colorado”. What are the key drivers of “value” for ski real estate? I think most people would agree that we are somewhere near a peak in real estate for this cycle, so it is important to answer...
Where does Colorado ski real estate go from here? One metric is painting a rosy picture
I’m constantly amazed at Colorado ski real estate. Many markets are up almost 40% in the last two years alone with sales continuing to exceed. On the other hand, Denver and the front range real estate markets are starting to feel a pronounced slow down. What...
2021 Colorado Election; big impacts on taxes ($260m) and property owners
First, happy belated Halloween. For all the parents out there that think they have the best costume, try topping this one that I saw while trick or treating. A real horse in costume cruising the streets 🙂 This will be tough to beat! On to the blog. What does...
Is there a gold standard in real estate? One Colorado town fits the definition
In times of economic uncertainty, high net worth individuals focus on safety. From Government securities like 10 year treasuries, to municipal bonds, and gold. There is another trend emerging that Colorado real estate is being placed in the “safe haven” category. ...
Are Colorado mountain towns “closing the doors” impact on tourism and real estate
Travel Crested Butte put up a social media post last weekend that messaged Crested Butte was not all sunshine and rainbows. “As beautiful and breathtaking as Crested Butte is, the community you love to visit is hurting,” This is not your typical warm and fuzzy...
Will new Fannie/Freddie rules put the brakes on Colorado ski real estate?
Do residential rental properties with one to four units and second-home mortgages carry more risk? Apparently so says the U.S. Treasury Department. Such loans underwritten by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will end up costing you more under restrictions quietly announced...
Breckenridge, Vail, Steamboat get much higher interest rates & locals hit hardest
With interest rates hitting historic lows, why will property owners in Colorado ski towns from Steamboat to Telluride get much higher interest rates than Denver? (Do you know where I took this pic?) Why will locals in the resort communities get hit hardest? What...
The great urban exodus, one Colorado ski town increases 18%
Do you know where I took this picture in Colorado? I wrote back in June about big changes coming to Colorado's resort communities. What has happened since June? Were the predictions accurate? Where does ski real estate go from here? The great urban exodus is...
Big changes in Colorado ski real estate from the virus
Happy summer to everyone, it sure doesn't feel that way in the mountains with a dusting of fresh snow on the peaks this week. Do you know what pass this is? There are some big changes coming down the pipe not just for the weather but in Colorado ski real estate. From...
Top 2 Colorado ski town investments 2020 & Coronavirus impact
2020 is shaping up to be an interesting year in the ski industry. The ski industry was abruptly cut short in April with Vail resorts losing 200m and Alterra getting sued for closing early. What does this mean for ski real estate? Where should you invest now based on...
Alterra sued (Ikon pass) for shortened ski season, impact on real estate
As we all know, the ski season was abruptly cut short on one of the busiest days of the year due to the Colorado Governors orders to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. It was bound to happen, a California skier filed suit against Alterra alleging breach of...
Ski industry loses 2 billion, Vail resorts stock drops 45%
We are still Lending! Do you know where I took this picture? It is amazing how quickly fortunes have changed, less than a month ago Vail resorts stock peaked, yet over the course of a few weeks
Can a city “condemn” open space to develop it? Breckenridge will answer this question
In Colorado, residents love open space and the quality of life it brings. On the flip side there is a brewing affordability crisis throughout the Denver metro and in every resort community in Colorado. This leads us to the question; can Breckenridge use eminent...
Vail resorts skier visits plummet
Vail resorts recently announced that skier visits through January 5th are down 7.8% across all its resort properties while lift ticket revenue was flat. With prices not increasing, how are visits down yet revenue still flat? What does this have to do with one ski...
Ikon beats Epic for top spots CO has 5 of 10 top ski resorts impact on real estate
Do you know where I took the picture above? (e-mail me if you know, the mountains should provide a hint :). Ski magazine came out with their annual list of top ski destinations. Colorado took the crown with 5 of the top 10 ski destinations which accounted for almost...






















