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"My Steamboat Connection" Real Estate Blog

Stonewood @ Eagleridge Update

The Stonewood development features 23 townhomes with a beautiful "Olde World" European mountain design.  Currently there is only one unit available that is ready for immediate occupancy and it is the Oakstone Model, Unit # 6, listed for $1,576,000.   This unit has 3,465 sq. ft. and is offered furnished at this price.  The Elmstone Model, Unit #8, was listed for $1,508,000 and it went under contract this past week.  That's it for Phase II, everything else has either sold or is currently under contract.

              

Phase III construction will begin soon with delivery on the first half of this phase being in early spring 2008 and the second half of the phase is scheduled to be delivered in the early spring of 2009.  There are 5 units in the first half of phase III and two of those are already under contract. the Elmstone plan, Unit # 20 is available for $1,699,000 and the Oakstone plan, Units # 21 & 22 are available for $1,732,500 (each).  Pricing for the second half of phase III has not been released yet, but you can bet they will be going up due to the demand at Stonewood and in Steamboat in general. 

Those who are lucky enough to call themselves owners at Stonewood have seen some nice appreciation.  The first units sold in September of 2005 for about $297/sq. ft.  That same month another unit closed at $338/sq. ft.  In May of 2006 a unit closed at $349/sq. ft. and in February of this year a unit closed at $425/sq. ft.  Currently, units that are sale pending are listed at $450/sq. ft. and one unit (#6) can be bought for $455 a sq. ft.  The rest of the units that are currently on the market are listed at $500/sq. ft. and one unit (a resale) is listed at $572/sq. ft.!!!!

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?  #6 is sounding like a sweetheart of a deal, huh?  Call me (970) 291-1046 and let's go see it.

5:07 PM - Mar. 25, 2007 - comments {0} - post comment
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One Steamboat Place Update

I ran into Todd Allsbery, Ownership Representative for One Steamboat Place, and got a quick update on what's going on over there.  They are seeing a tremendous response to both their full and 1/8th ownership packages.  Their full ownership units start at $2.7 Million and they have almost more than double the reservations for these units than the number of units they have to sell.  Fantastic!  In addition, their 1/8th ownerhip reservations are coming in at a steady pace as well- they are at about 40% with these reservations. Yes, they have ownerships availalbe, but the price is increasing as time goes by and reservations go up, so if you are thinking about investing in One Steamboat Place, do it now!  Contact me at Stacy@SoldOnSteamboat.com and I will email you the information and reservation form.  1/8th ownerships are now selling for $495,000 and they started at $415,000!!  As I mentioned, another price increase is just around the corner.  They've gone from $415K, to $435K, to $455K to $475K and now they are at $495K- can you guess what the next price point will be?

6:40 AM - Mar. 25, 2007 - comments {0} - post comment
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Daylight Savings Time (DST) Changes

Effective this spring, the start and end dates for daylight
saving time (DST) will change in the United States . This
change was enacted as part of the United States Energy
Policy Act of 2005:
Previously DST Started on:
Starting in 2007 DST will Start on:
Previous DST Ended on:
Starting in 2007 DST will End on:
First Sunday of April
Second Sunday of March
Last Sunday of October
First Sunday of November
Would have been: April 1, 2007
Will now be:
March 11, 2007
Would have been: October 28, 2007
Will now be: November 4, 2007
 


5:58 AM - Feb. 19, 2007 - comments {0} - post comment
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Marabou Update

Marabou features a total of 1,800 acres of productive ranchland along the revered Elk River and the development will have 62 homesteads for families who want to live on a working ranch.  Of the 1,800 acres, 1,300 acres of open lands will be held in easement.  The underlying foundation of Marabou is not building out the land but rather preserving the land and increasing wildlife capacity.

19 homesteads have been sold and closed so far and another 10 are pending.  Four of these are scheduled to close in February. Construction is moving along very well thanks to the hard work and dedication of their Construction team. The River House Lodge, Main Entry, Barn and Equestrian Center, and the River's Edge Fitness Center are scheduled to be the first buildings complete before June 2007.  Roads will begin to be paved in the spring.

Marabou homesteads range in price from $1.8 - $5 Million.

To learn more about this amazing community, visit http://www.MarabouRanch.com . To schedule a tour, call me at (970) 871-1157.

10:44 AM - Feb. 3, 2007 - comments {0} - post comment
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Routt Real Estate Market Hits $1.12 Billion

— The dollar volume of real estate transactions in Routt County shot up in uncharacteristic fashion during December 2006.

December typically ranks in the bottom 25 percent of the annual calendar in terms of sales, but that wasn’t the case last month when the local market grew 174 percent to $97.8 million.

The late surge pushed the total 2006 dollar volume to $1.21 billion, establishing a new record.

Mike Woolverton, president of the Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors, said area real estate agents and their clients, mindful that there was limited inventory available at the close of a record year, snapped up many properties.

“The market had hit that perfect storm level,” Woolverton said. “We had a little frenzy with agents and their clients. There is almost no land on the market and people realized it was time to buy up what real estate you could find.”

Woolverton believes the real estate community and clients in Steamboat came to understand late in the year that the clouds hanging over the national real estate market were not going to curtail the Routt County market. That sense of optimism was reflected in the flurry of late activity.

Real estate professionals here knew by Dec. 5 that the market had crested $1 billion for the first time. What remained to be seen during the final four weeks of the year was whether the market would respond to the news that the sale of the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. to Fortress Investments/Intrawest had been placed under contract.

December’s activity, which was achieved on significantly fewer transactions than took place the previous year, suggests buyers took note of the $265 million Ski Corp. deal, which could close as soon as the end of March.

However, Woolverton disputes that notion.

“That was just our natural market,” he said. “The Ski Corp. news had nothing to do with it.”

Woolverton pointed out Routt County’s dollar volume began putting up substantial year-over-year increases in August and the trend continued throughout the fall. The autumn business was attributable to contracts written in the spring, he said, long before American Skiing announced its intent to sell the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Similarly, the genesis of early winter transactions can be found in contracts written in late summer.

Woolverton said December’s numbers were affected by an anomaly — the rush to close sales of single-family lots at Wildhorse Meadows before the end of the calendar year.

A significant number of the 20-plus lots closed on Dec. 31, he noted. And their aggregate value, based on an average price of about $500,000, skewed December figures.

Bruce Carta of Land Title Guarantee Company in Steam-

boat Springs compiled figures maintained by Routt County this week that show the local market has nearly doubled since the end of 2004.

Routt County saw $637 million in sales in 2004. The number grew to $886 million in 2005 before eclipsing $1.1 billion in 2006.

The biggest single month in 2005 was July, when $99.46 million in transactions closed. July 2006 fell by the wayside despite hitting $102.8 million.

September 2006 hit $133 million, October notched $124.7 million (152 percent of the preceding year) and November topped $138 million.

12:05 PM - Jan. 28, 2007 - comments {0} - post comment
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Steamboat seems to be keeping up in this trend

Bruce Carta of Land Title Guarantee says:

"Attached is a copy of an article from the 12/26/06 Aspen Daily News.  I know we are no Aspen, but with my experience in that area and the fact that
real estate values have increased after Intrawest announced involvement in the base area re-development in Snowmass Village....could this be an indication of where we are heading in the next five years?"

Aspen Daily News

High-end sales pace big year for real estate
Tue 12/26/2006 09:00PM
 
That the local real estate market is on track to break yet another record in 2006 is no surprise, and judging by this year's trend, analysts predict real estate sales in Pitkin County will surpass the $2.5 billion mark. But taking a closer look, one glaring factor stands out: the number of properties sold for more than $5 million has increased dramatically this year. According to a survey of home sales in the upper Roaring Fork Valley conducted by Aspen Appraisal Group, 63 sales have eclipsed the $5 million mark as of Dec. 1. That's up from the 37 recorded in 2005 and 29 in 2004. Prior to that, there were fewer than 10 on average in the late 1990s and around 20 in the early 2000s. The upper echelon of those sales has made perhaps the greatest leap -- there have been at least one dozen sales of $10 million or more this year, three times as many as in 2005 (but just two more than in 2004). And if that's not enough to shake your head over, get this: as of Dec. 1, there have been seven closings over $15 million, plus two pending. The first week of December marked the second time this year a $20 million-plus sale was recorded in Pitkin County, and five home sales surpassed the $5 million mark in that one week. "The market is back stronger than ever with regard to high-end home sales," said Aspen Board of Realtors President Rod Woelfle, who is also a broker at Aspen Land & Homes Sotheby's International Realty. He was referring to the last major spike the local real estate saw in 2000, when Pitkin County sales surpassed the $1 billion mark for the first time, and the subsequent three-year dip spurred by the high-tech bust and 9/11.

This year shows, however, that every indicator of health in the high-end market is going through the roof, and local real estate observers credit everything from dwindling supply and increasing demand, to excessive liquidity in the world, to increasing expectations to the price of teardowns. The first $10 million plus sale in the upper Roaring Fork Valley was in 1997, according to the Aspen Appraisal Group's chart. With at least one every year since then, it took less than a decade to reach 12 (as of Dec. 1, 2006). In that same time period, the number of $7 million to $10 million home sales went from one to 20; and the number of $5 million to $7 million sales went from two to 31. But it's really in the last three years (with the exception of the year 2000) that it's looking like the sky's the limit for high-end homes. Dollar volume doubled between 2003 and 2005 in Pitkin County. And this year in particular, the definition of "high-end" continues to change as prices rise. Local realtors agree that the price per square foot of an Aspen home is increasing, so it's not unusual to see a sale for more than $1,500 per square foot, according to Woelfle. Bob Ritchie, a broker with Coates Reid & Waldron, predicts that within a few years the average price per square foot will be between $2,000-$3,000 per square foot -- within the realm of luxury Manhattan properties.
"If people are shocked at the prices now, wait three years," said Ritchie.

In part due to much more expensive materials going into homes, the price per square foot is also affected by the increased cost of construction and the fact that homes can't get much bigger (due to downzoning in the county and lot size constraints in the city).   Average single-family home prices in Aspen are also on the rise, from $3.69 million in 2004, to $4.3 million in 2005, to $5.38 year-to-date in 2006 (according to Woelfle's survey of the Multiple Listing Service for Aspen). So in less than a year, the average home price has risen more than $1 million.
 
Several factors are converging into a perfect storm of rising high-end property values in the Aspen area. One obvious factor is supply and demand. With its restrictive land-use codes that just this year got even stricter with the county's 15,000-square-foot home size cap, people aren't able to build the sprawling mega-mansions they once could. So existing monster homes become more valuable, and builders increase the level of luxury rather than the square footage.
The land squeeze also makes teardowns more valuable, said Ritchie, giving the example of a $6 million lot with a $1 million teardown on it, which immediately bumps the value of the lot up to $7 million. Anything under $5 million now, Ritchie added, is probably a teardown.
With higher real estate values also comes a higher-caliber buyer, which in turns feeds real estate values. "There is just an expectation for a certain level of luxury that we didn't have four years ago. There's no question expectation has gone up," said Brent Waldron, managing broker at Coates, Reid and Waldron. Waldron also pointed to the positive effect the building flurry of fractional ownerships units has had in the last few years. Since all the fractionals are luxury products, they bring a certain type of new clientele to the area, many whom then decide they like it and soon decide to buy high-end condos or, more often, luxury single-family homes.

"We have a whole new generation of buyers from the interval market," said Waldron.
Upgrading is another common phenomenon in the local second home market, noted more than one broker. Families who start with a small in-town condo decide they want a little more room, upgrading to larger townhomes or single-family homes -- and finding that they also make a good return on their investments. And very few of the local clientele are getting priced out by the rising real estate market. "Once you get into that certain level of clientele, it's more what they want to do with their money than do they have it," said Woelfle. "They go after the home they want." Several external factors also contribute to Aspen's attraction to the uber-wealthy. As the rich are getting richer, their wealth is also getting more liquid, said Ritchie.
"The world is awash in liquidity ... and that'll raise prices because (the wealthy) can do whatever they want with their money," he said. Gun shy from the stock market crash in 2000, more investors are putting their money in real estate, Ritchie said, and Aspen has proved to be a more than safe bet.   Add to that the depressed real estate market elsewhere in the country, and the increasing number of natural disasters in the world's coastal areas -- prime building areas for luxury second-home communities -- and mountain property looks even more desirable, said Woelfle. "Someone with something on the ocean in Florida or California gets tired of worrying about markets going up and down, so they end up putting some money here," he said. "It's like the Hamptons or Beverly Hills-type properties, but with less risk."
Meanwhile, other mountain resort towns with much more lenient land-use regulations are getting overbuilt and overcrowded, said Ritchie, decreasing their desirability to people who want everything exclusive and private. "They don't want to go to Vail or Breckenridge, those places aren't even on the radar anymore," said Ritchie. "They come here for the quaintness. The wealthiest, most successful people in the world come here because it's comfortable, it hasn't changed much, and you get all the services." But on top of all of these trends and theories, said Ritchie, the local real estate market is simply in the same 10-year cycle it has been in for the last four decades. The '70s, '80s and '90s have all seen the same pattern with a real estate peak at the end of each decade, and a flattening at the beginning of the next one.
The second half of the decade that we're in right now, said Ritchie, is a time of rapid appreciation and even more significant price increases can be expected in the next few years.
For example, in 2005 appreciation in Aspen was 15-20 percent, and 25 percent in Snowmass, according to Ritchie. This year Aspen appreciation is 27 percent and Snowmass is 31 percent.
"If prices again triple from the beginning to the end of the decade the market will experience a doubling of the current price structure by 2010," Ritchie wrote in his latest client newsletter.
"So       guess what -- it's going to get real expensive," he said.

Catherine Lutz - Aspen Daily News Staff Writer               lutz@aspendailynews.com
Printed From: http://www.aspendailynews.com/article_17428

5:18 AM - Jan. 4, 2007 - comments {0} - post comment
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Ski area sale produces winter heat

— Some of Steamboat’s most active Realtors and developers said the announcement that the Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. is under contract to Intrawest for $265 million will simply further enhance a burgeoning market.

“It will put petrol onto a large and already hot fire,” Michael Hurley said. “It was already burning. It’s just going to go quicker, faster and hotter.”

Fortress Investment Group is funding the ski area purchase to add Steamboat to the portfolio of Intrawest, which Fortress bought in October. The sale of the ski area is expected to close by the end of March.

Hurley has overseen multiple phases of the Trappeur’s Crossing condominium project at Village Drive and Medicine Springs Drive, less than half a mile from the Steamboat gondola.

Hurley is selling condominiums at an average of $800,000 each even as construction at Emerald Lodge continues. Of the 32 condos, seven are available. Just last week, he filed an application with the city of Steamboat Springs to build 32 more units in the sixth and final phase of the project.

His comments about the hot market aside, Hurley is convinced that sales of real estate in the Steamboat market would have continued at a brisk pace absent the ski area’s announcement.

“Personally, I think the fundamentals of the real estate market are such that regardless of Intrawest coming here, the market was already positive, he said. “We would have seen great growth over the next 13 months, just based on supply and demand.”

Jim Cook of Colorado Group Realty concurred that real estate activity in Steamboat Springs and the Yampa Valley shapes its own course independent of ski area ownership. But the announced deal will help, he said.

“You can’t say this isn’t great news for the base area,” Cook said. “American Skiing Co. has a lot of good people here, but they had no money to spend. This is going to be encouragement for projects already on the board.”

Cook is actively involved in several major redevelopment projects in downtown Steamboat Springs.

“It isn’t skiing that is bringing people here to buy homes,” Cook said. “We live in a beautiful place. That’s what will drive it. The ski area is an amenity.”

Pam Vanatta of Prudential Steam­boat Realty disagreed.

“I think it validates how important the ski area is,” she said. “We’ve all known what a great ski mountain this is. With Intrawest’s reputation, now, the whole world is going to know it. I think it’s only going to bring a whole lot more people here who will feel the same way.”

Ken Gold of ReMax Steamboat believes Intrawest’s track record of designing and building the best terrain parks in the business at Copper Mountain, Whistler, B.C., and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in California, could boost tourism and interest in second homes here. If teenagers in a family influence the choice of vacation destinations, the quality of terrain parks rule and any Intrawest upgrades to Steamboat’s parks would be a benefit, he said.

Vanatta and Cook are closer in their view on how Intrawest can update the experience on Mount Werner.

“Everyone’s excited because there’s an expectation they’ll be bringing it up to 2007,” Vanatta said.

Cook said uncertainty about the financial condition of the current ownership is a remark that “rolls off the tongues of a lot of buyers.” A change to Intrawest ownership would defray that caution, he added.

Longtime Steamboat Realtor Steve Downs of Steamboat Village Brokers saw an instant response to news of the sale after forwarding newspaper

accounts to associates and clients in other states.

“I sent the stories from the Steamboat Today and Denver Post to 150 people in my address book,” Downs said. “Within three hours, I had 20 responses.”

Downs believes Intrawest’s reputation will elevate the prestige of Steamboat.

“Our resort will be brought into a higher status, and Intra­west will bring in a higher level of product. You couldn’t have a better (ski area) buyer than Intrawest in terms of their success and track record,” he said.

Downs has been active in real estate here for 32 years and said he just enjoyed his best third and fourth quarters of the year both in terms of numbers of transactions and sales volume.

Vanatta gave a similar report.

“Our company was up 30 percent in dollar volume this year, and this was my personal best year ever,” she said.

Is there a scenario that could see the arrival of Intra­west in Steamboat redefining opportunity in the Steam­boat market? Gold believes so. He said he is working with clients who have been looking at property in Breckenridge. They love Steam­boat’s laid-back style but are drawn to Breckenridge on another level.

“They like Breckenridge because there’s been so much reinvestment there,” Gold said. With major projects such as One Steamboat Place and Wildhorse Meadows just beginning to come on line, the prospect of reinvestment by Intrawest could help validate real estate prices of $800, $900 and $1,000 per square foot, he said.

“Because of Intrawest’s history with other resort areas, buyers could begin to see a new ground-floor opportunity.”

Gold is in the midst of developing Cimarron at Steamboat Townhomes, within walking distance of the ski slopes. They are still largely under construction, but already there have been re-sales with considerable appreciation realized. Of the 23 units, five are completed and closed at prices above $1 million, and there have been two re-sales in that group including one that was originally sold at $1 million and resold for $1.4 million. Among the 18 remaining units under construction, investors have resold four units at prices of $500 a square foot.

“If we had 20 more Cimarrons to sell, we’d probably bump the prices to $600 and $700 a square foot with the possibility of going to $800 a year further on,” Gold said.

Those kinds of increases in value translate to the entry level of Steamboat’s housing market, Gold said. Less than a mile from Cimarron, Gold is involved in Sunray Meadows condominiums, which represent entry-level product in today’s market. The price of those homes has recently escalated from $200 per square foot to $350 per square foot.

Downs has seen it all in Steamboat in 32 years. He can recall busing tables in restaurants and cleaning condos to augment his income. He urges longtime residents who are anxious about the pace of change in Steamboat to understand that failure to grow means stagnation or regression. Look at the remarkable community assets Steamboat is able to afford and carry on with life in a beautiful valley, he urged.

“The engine that runs every community is business,” Downs said. “We have an incredible medical facility, I was impressed with the community’s willingness to fund a new library. We have a vibrant arts community, look at the benefits (of the half-cent sales tax) for our schools.

“Growth always creates challenge and change. But if you stop change, then there’s a reversal. Would we all like to live in s sleepy little town with fabulous skiing? Probably. Life goes on.”

11:36 AM - Dec. 31, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment
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Diverse owners, diverse approaches

— Assuming the deal is closed, Intrawest would become the sixth owner of the Steamboat Ski Area in the ski area’s 43-year history.

Steamboat began as the dream of local cattle ranchers, was launched into international stature by a Texas aerospace company, underwent landmark expansion and augmented its champagne powder with man-made snow with a Kansan at the helm. It installed its first high-speed quad chairlifts with a privately held Japanese company in charge and opened a massive new hotel under current owner, American Skiing Company.

Changes in ownership often seemed to come at the eve of a new decade. And amid all of the changes in corporate culture, Steamboat’s ingrained commitment to Western hospitality and unpretentiousness was always preserved.

The genesis of the Steamboat Ski Area we know today actually began in the 1950s, the dream of a man named Jim Temple. “Storm Mountain” ski area, under the ownership of the Storm Mountain Ski Corp., opened for a season, offering only a 2,220-foot-long Poma lift named Bear Claw. Ski historian Sureva Towler records that gross receipts from lift tickets that winter of 1961-62 was $1,213, leaving operating profit of $267.47 after expenses were deducted.

The inability to get the first double chairlift open for that first tentative season hampered the fledgling corporation. A separate company, the Steamboat Partnership, was formed to infuse the struggling little ski area with cash.

Storm Mountain officially opened on Jan. 12, 1963. Towler reported that the temperature was 25 degrees below zero and the oil in the gearbox was so stiff that it was difficult to start the new chairlift. A dozen skiers rode the lift that first day; seven had passes and five paid cash. Receipts for the first day were $13.75.

The pioneer ski developers pushed on, John Fetcher, Hank Perry and Marv Crawford among them.

By the winter of 1965-66, the ski area was able to offer the new Thunderhead double chair and Storm Mountain came within a few skiers of 20,000 skier days. In the winter of 1968-69, with more terrain than ever to ski on, including the new Four Points Chairlift, Steamboat jumped up to 99,000 skier days, nearly doubling the numbers from the previous winter.

Steamboat caught the eye of Paul Thayer, an ex-fighter jock, who had become a top executive at Dallas aerospace giant LTV. The corporation added a recreation division and purchased the ski area. The company had big money to invest, and the $10 million it committed to Steamboat allowed the company to begin developing the Steamboat Village Resort, (now the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center).

LTV-RDI moved quickly and in 1970 installed the six-passenger Stagecoach gondola, which put Steamboat on the map of the world’s top ski areas.

The gondola took skiers to Thunderhead Peak in 13 minutes. The 3,330-foot span between towers one and two was hailed as the world’s longest. And the new gondola reached the dizzying height of 252 feet between towers two and three.

LTV took a year off before installing the Priest Creek chairlift in 1972. The first chairlift to be installed by helicopter, it opened the gladed Aspen skiing that Steamboat is famous for today.

In a new economic climate, LTV began returning to its core businesses and Steamboat no longer made philosophical sense.

A group of eight investors formed the Northwest Colorado Ski Corp. and led by Martin Hart purchased the ski area from LTV and changed the name to the Steamboat Ski Corp.

Hart is an affable but intensely private businessman, and the ski area management never released a biography that detailed his background.

He has served on the board of directors of the Hardees fast food chain, and his name was associated with the Carney brothers who founded Pizza Hut. When PepsiCo acquired Pizza Hut in 1977, Hart emerged with a small stake in the giant soft drink company. Hart’s other business interests have included banks, an industrial park in Boulder, an Oklahoma City travel agency and a large ranch near Loveland. During Northwest Colorado Ski Corp.’s tenure as owner of the Steamboat Ski Area, Hart continued to oversee his business interests from his Denver home.

The new owners would invest $36 million in the ski area during their tenure, and they immediately installed three new triple chairs (Christie III, Arrowhead and Southface), cut a new trail on the lower mountain called Ted’s Ridge and added 10,000 square feet to the Thunderhead restaurant.

In 1981, Steamboat invested millions in a new form of insurance policy — snowmaking systems were installed on 160 acres serviced by nine lifts. Northwest Colorado Ski Corp. kept up its investment pace, installing important new triple chairs, Sundown and Storm Peak, in 1983, and completed the Sunshine Bowl expansion over 1984 and 1985.

The new eight-passenger Dopplemayr gondola was installed in 1986, the same year a gourmet restaurant named after Hazie Werner was installed at Thunderhead.

Northwest Colorado Ski Corp. retained a New York investment banking company to market Steamboat. Hart was closed-mouthed about the process and it was not known if some of the original investors wanted out or the company felt it would take a greater infusion of cash to move the ski area forward.

Hart’s group was tempted by an offer of more than $100 million and in 1989, a family-owned Japanese company called Kamori Kanko Co. Ltd, became the new owner of Steamboat. The patron of the company, Kimihito Kamori, owned the Rusutsu Kogen ski resort on the island of Hokkaido, along with a koala bear preserve in Australia and other recreation investments. He purchased Heavenly ski area in California at the same time he purchased Steamboat. He was largely an absentee owner, represented by Japanese executives based at the ski area.

Kamori immediately approved the expansion of the Rendezvous Saddle facility in 1990 and gave Steamboat skiers inbounds extreme terrain with the opening of Chutes Two, Three and Christmas Tree Bowl.

Kamori himself presided over the opening of the Storm Peak Express and Sundown Express high-speed quad chairlifts in 1992. Steamboat jumped into employee housing with the construction of Walton Pond apartments in 1995, but the dollar was slipping against the yen. In 1997 Kamori sold both Steamboat and Heavenly to American Skiing Company the same year Les Otten took the ambitious company public.

The anticipated Pioneer Ridge expansion with 260 acres and a dozen new trails debuted under Otten’s tenure.

Otten quickly introduced his model for a “grand hotel” to Steamboat, but the hotel took a year longer to build than expected, and cost overruns undermined profitability.

ASC’s debt quickly became a problem, but in December 2000 Otten offered the promise of new efficiencies with a merger to the MeriStar hotel management group. Wall Street did not respond favorably and when the merger fell apart in the first quarter of 2001, Otten’s departure from the company was not far behind.

B.J. Fair was named to succeed Otten at the company’s helm and began working with the company’s creditors to restructure its debt. Steamboat quickly revamped its marketing strategies in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, and salvaged a better season than anyone had dared pray for. In succeeding years, Steamboat has continued to perform well despite the struggles of its parent company. This summer, ASC made a significant investment in the ski area by replacing the Sunshine Express chairlift.

ASC announced in July that it had retained the New York firm of Bear Stearns to market the ski area to potential buyers.

5:17 AM - Dec. 23, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment
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Sale of Resort and Community Center Update

The following was taken from an article written in the Steamboat Pilot & Today by Alexis DeLaCruz on Wed., Dec. 20, 2006

The Steamboat Ski Area is being purchased by a veteran ski resort developer and operator with access to significant financial resources.

Intrawest announced Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to buy Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. and its related assets from American Skiing Co. for $265 million. The deal is expected to close in late March.

Intrawest president and chief operating officer Alex Wasilov said he was as drawn to the Steamboat community as he was to the ski area.

Wasilov said it is too early to say what sort of improvements or changes Intrawest might make at Steamboat. Those announcements will come once the sale has closed.

Visit steamboatpilot.com for extensive coverage of the sale announcement. Reporter Tom Ross examines how the ski area went from being worth $90 million five years ago to $265 million today. We also have local reaction to the sale as well as the history of the Steamboat Ski Area.

The new Steamboat Springs Community Center will be built adjacent to the Stock Bridge Transit Center west of downtown, and could be completed in late fall 2007.

After hearing 19 comments from members of the public in an overflowing Centennial Hall on Tuesday night, the Steamboat Springs City Council gave final approval to plans for the new community center with two 6-1 votes. Council member Towny Anderson twice voted ‘no,’ voting against one plan detailing the center’s site layout and another detailing its architecture. While nearly all of the public comments dealt with the 2.3-acre site bordering the Yampa River, praising or criticizing a site that has stirred debate throughout the center’s planning process, the pair of council votes affirmed that the 8,400-square-foot, nearly $3 million center will be built at Stock Bridge.

4:55 AM - Dec. 22, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment
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Article from Steamboat Pilot & Today

Fortress’ money matters

New York company owns Intrawest and is eyeing ski area

By Matt Stensland (Steamboat Pilot & Today, Thursday, December 21, 2006)

Steamboat Springs — The press release announcing the sale of the Steamboat Ski Area on Tuesday said Intrawest, but make no mistake, the new owner of the ski area will be Fortress Investment Group if the $265 million sale goes through as planned.Fortress, a private equity firm and hedge fund, entered the ski industry when it acquired Intrawest in October for $1.8 billion in cash and $1 billion in debt. On Tuesday, Intrawest announced it was acquiring the Steamboat Ski Area from American Skiing Co. The deal is expected to close by the end of March.It is Fortress’ money that will be used to acquire Steamboat, and it is Fortress that will expect a return on investments in the resort, analysts said.Based in New York, Fortress was formed in 1998 and has five principals — Chief Executive Officer Wesley Edens, Robert Kauffman, Randal Nardone, Peter Briger and Michael Novogratz. Today, the company manages about $26 billion in assets.No one with Fortress could be reached for comment Wednes­day. But analysts familiar with the company said it’s not a big surprise the company dove into the ski industry. Purchasing Intrawest made sense, said JMP Securities analyst Will Marks. Fortress “is a company that looks for assets that it can finance easily,” Marks said.Ski areas are unique because they can be purchased for about 10 times yearly earnings, while other investments such as warehouses or office space can cost as much as 20 times earnings, Marks said.The Wall Street Journal reported in an article on Dec. 2 that the acquisition of ski areas by private equity firms likely will continue at a brisk pace. The Journal reported that such firms have access to the large amounts of cash necessary to make improvements to ski resorts and raise their values for possible sale later.Intrawest has interests in 10 North American ski resorts including Copper Mountain and Winter Park. Intrawest will be part of a “huge company,” and as such, Fortress likely will be hands-off when it comes to managing the ski areas, Marks said.“They are using outside management,” Marks said. “They’re not going to try to run Steamboat from New York City.”Fortress started as a private equity firm and has since expanded into hedge funds, real estate and debt. The company has offices worldwide and 500 employees.The firm manages about $9.4 billion in hedge funds and a $13.6 billion private equity fund. The equity fund invests in North America and Western Europe and acquires asset-based businesses with significant cash flows. The firm collects a management fee based on the performance of its investments.Since March 2005 the company’s assets have doubled, according to Bloomberg. The firm’s assets have grown from about $1.2 billion in December 2001 to $26 billion as of September 2006, according to a Nov. 8 Securities and Exchange filing.The filing was made because the company plans to go public.When Fortress goes public, the five principals in the firm will retain 90 percent control and $750 million in stock would be sold that could be invested in new or existing Fortress assets.Investor analysts have noted that once Fortress becomes a publicly traded company, it will be subject to SEC disclosures that include information private equity firms would rather not disclose, like what the returns are on Fortress investments. No U.S. firms comparable to Fortress have gone public, but others might follow its lead, experts say.Fortress in the SEC filing stated it was going public to offer incentives to its employees through stock options and to allow the firm to “more efficiently access capital.”On the same day it bought Steamboat, Fortress made another major announcement. Nomura Group, a global financial services group, announced it was acquiring a 15 percent stake in Fortress so it would be easier for both companies to gain access to each other’s markets. It is an $888 million deal with the proceeds going to Fortress.

4:35 AM - Dec. 21, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment
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Press Release Sale of Steamboat Resort

American Skiing Company Announces Sale of Steamboat Resort for $265 Million

PARK CITY, UTAH – December 19, 2006 – American Skiing Company (OTCBB: AESK) announced today that it had entered into a definitive agreement to sell Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, to Steamboat Acquisition Corporation, an affiliate of Intrawest ULC, for $265 million. The announced sale follows the review of strategic options for the resort announced in July. Steamboat was the nation’s eighth most visited resort in 2006, with over one million skier visits. Known as Ski Town USA®, and renowned for its Champagne Powder®, Steamboat was recently named the “#1 Family Resort in the West” by SKI Magazine.Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Intrawest ULC is a privately held company that, together with its affiliates, has interests in ten North American mountain resorts. “In light of favorable market conditions and considerable interest from prospective buyers, ASC decided to pursue a sale of the resort. The proceeds of this transaction will reduce outstanding debt and allow us to focus on opportunities in our portfolio of resorts and their related real estate,” said ASC President and CEO B.J. Fair. “We look forward to working with the entire Intrawest team to ensure a smooth transition and a continued outstanding resort experience for our guests,” added Fair.Included in the sale are the resort and all resort-owned operations, all of Steamboat’s resort-owned real estate assets, the commercial core of the Steamboat Grand Hotel & Condominiums and the company’s interest in the Walton Pond Apartments complex. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust approval and consent of the United States Forest Service, and is expected to close on or before March 31, 2007.The purchase price of $265 million includes approximately $4 million in assumed debt, and is subject to working capital and seasonal earnings adjustments. After closing, it is anticipated that net proceeds from the sale will be used to repay all existing senior debt and outstanding revolver balances under ASC’s senior credit facility and certain other indebtedness. “Though it’s only December, Steamboat is off to a terrific start for the winter season with a number of new improvements, such as a new high-speed lift in the resort’s Sunshine area and renovations of the two main on-mountain dining facilities. As the resort makes the transition to new ownership, the Steamboat team will remain focused on the same qualities that make Steamboat the West’s favorite family resort: providing the best possible vacation experience for its guests,” said Steamboat’s President and Managing Director Chris Diamond.Bear Stearns and Main Street Advisors acted as financial advisors to American Skiing Company in connection with the transaction. Goodwin Procter LLP acted as legal advisor to American Skiing Company and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Jacobs Chase Frick Kleinkopf & Kelley LLC acted as legal advisors to Intrawest. About American Skiing CompanyHeadquartered in Park City, Utah, American Skiing Company is one of the largest operators of alpine ski, snowboard and golf resorts in the United States. Its resorts include Killington, Pico and Mount Snow in Vermont; Sunday River and Sugarloaf/USA in Maine; Attitash in New Hampshire; Steamboat in Colorado; and The Canyons in Utah. More information is available on the company’s web site, www.peaks.com.Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act). These forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts, but rather reflect our current expectations concerning future results and events. Similarly, statements that describe our objectives, plans or goals are or may be forward-looking statements. We have tried, wherever possible, to identify such statements by using words such as “anticipate”, “assume”, “believe”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, and words and terms of similar substance in connection with any discussion of operating or financial performance. Such forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. In addition to factors discussed above, other factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those projected include, but are not limited to, the following: the failure to satisfy any of the conditions to closing of the purchase agreement for the Steamboat resort, or the buyer’s refusal to close for any reason; and other factors listed from time to time in our documents we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution the reader that this list is not exhaustive. We operate in a changing business environment and new risks arise from time to time. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this document and under Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, we do not have or undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.###

4:21 AM - Dec. 21, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment
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Sale of Steamboat Resort

It's official!  It was announced on Tueday, December 19, 2006, by B.J. Fair, President and CEO of American Ski Corp, that an agreement to sell Steamboat to an affiliate of Intrawest for $265 million had been signed the night before.  The transaction is expected to close by the end of the current ski season, in March 2007. Prior to the close of the sale, Steamboat resort will continue to operate under the normal course of business without interruption.  This is great news for Steamboat Springs!  With new owners and an influx of cash, much needed improvements are expected to be made to the base area.  Local developers have started to increase prices on their unsold units on this news alone.  Investors are looking to secure properties.  Stay tuned...    Stacy Brown

4:00 AM - Dec. 21, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment
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Mortgage rates hit year's low point

 

After drifting downward for more than five months, mortgage rates have hit the lowest point all year, and that has ignited a refinancing boomlet.

The benchmark 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage fell for the sixth week in a row, this time by 9 basis points, to 6.08 percent, according to the Bankrate.com national survey of large lenders. A basis point is one-hundredth of 1 percentage point. The mortgages in this week's survey had an average total of 0.25 discount and origination points.

The 15-year, fixed-rate mortgage fell 8 basis points to 5.83 percent. The 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage tumbled 6 basis points to 5.95 percent.

That put the 30-year rate at its lowest level since Oct. 5, 2005, when it was 6.07 percent.

Mortgage rates have drifted generally downward for more than five months since they hit the year's high on June 28, when the 30-year fixed stood at 6.93 percent.

Weekly national mortgage survey
  30-year fixed 15-year fixed 5-year ARM
This week's rate: 6.08% 5.83% 5.95%
Change from last week: -0.09 -0.08 -0.06
Monthly payment: $997.76 $1,377.26 $983.96
Change from last week: -$9.60 -$7.09 -$6.36

The investors whose trades set mortgage rates have been pushing rates down, chiefly on the belief that the higher gas prices and the cooling of the housing market were slowing the economy down enough to keep inflation tame. That would, in turn, be enough to spark rate cuts from the Fed.

Consumers have noticed the lower rates -- not enough to re-ignite the sagging housing market, but enough to get those who wanted refinancing into their local mortgage broker's office.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's weekly survey of mortgage applications, released Wednesday, showed a seasonally adjusted increase of 8.1 percent. Its Refinance Index rose even more strongly: to 13.7 percent, up from the previous week.

11:11 AM - Dec. 8, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment
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Marcus Klein's Pearl Harbor Story- A Survivor's Perspective

Today is the 65th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.  I was fortunate enough to have a story from that day shared with me by Saul Klein, the son of Marcus Klein.  I would like to share his story with you...
PEARL HARBOR
 
Today is December 7, 1991. Fifty years ago today, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. I'm going to try and tell my story, the best that I can remember, of the events that occurred on that day to me.
 
I was attached to the USS Medusa AR‑1, which was a battle ship tender. Our duties were to repair battleships. I never was able to get back to my ship.   Being married, I lived outside the base, and rated overnight liberty. The first thing that happened to me' was the woman across the street whose husband was a Chief in the Navy came out and started screaming, "The Japs are attacking Pearl Harbor!”   I ran out of our house and looked up in the sky over Pearl. We weren't too far away. We were next to Hickam Field. I saw the bombs exploding in the air and the planes diving all over and I just couldn't believe what was happening. My first thought was they were having a mock battle, but I had the ­radio on and the announcer said all personnel return to your ships. As I ran down the street, I told Lani, "You run up to the hills and hide if the Japs land. You don't want to be caught by them. 
 
I got on the highway. We lived right near Dillingham Highway. An officer in his car stopped on his way back and picked me up. We headed towards the base and before we got there a planecame straight downthe highway, strafing, and we ran off the highway into the cane fields and bounced along until we finallystopped, got out, and ran the rest of the way to the base. As we went through the gate, the Marines were firing at the planes with their 45's. The only thing we could to do was throw stones at them. That's howclose they were
 
We headed toward Fleet Landing which was just a short distance away, When we got down there, there were lots of sailors coming back. The sailor on duty, said, "Report to any place on the base that you can be of help. There are no boats running, there's no possible way to get back to your own ship." My ship, the Medusa, was tied about as far away as it could be from the landing. We were on the other side of Ford Island. The battleship row was on this side. The Medusa was on the opposite side at a place called Middlelock, which was off of Pearl City. Next to the Medusa was the Curtis. a seaplane tender.
 
Along side the Medusa, on the other side, were destroyers.   I think there were 4 of them, old 4‑stack destroyers. In the mean time, near the landing, I ran towards a group of men. We all ran towards the Navy yard figuring that was the best place to help. We were almost at the Officers Club when a Jap plane came diving straight down towards us. several of the men in, the group were hit and killed but we kept on going until we got to the docks. I saw a whaleboat along side the dock, and I told one of the other fellows, "Let's take this thing out and see if we can help the men in the water." You could see the flames and all the water was on fire around the battleships, mainly the Arizona and the California. The Nevada was on her way towards the channel. We ran and got into the boat and I said, "I can run the engine if you can steer it.” So I started it up and got underway. We started out towards the Arizona. That's where most of the fire was. While heading that way, I looked up and saw we were going towards the channel., I turned around and yelled at the guy with me. He had been shot and was over the side in the water. I found I didn't know what to do. I turned the engine off and dove into the water. I couldn't do anything for the guy who was in the water, so I swam over to the Okalala, which was over by the drydock and I got out of the water. The Pennsylvania was in the drydock and the Casin and Downs was forward of it. I remember my dad telling me that, when there was fire you always put water on the building next to it to keep it cool so it doesn’t burn too. So we grabbed a hose. I got another guy to help me. The hose had a suicide nozzle on it and we started spraying down the bow of the Pennsylvania. It was then I could see that this fire was getting out of control. it was really bad on the Casin and Downs, so we started shooting out a stream of water on the Casin and Downs. It wasn't too long before the fire reached the magazines of one of the ships and she blew up. The concussion was so great, that the Pipe Shop, which is along side the dock on the other side of the cranes, the corrugated metal on the walls blew off., I noticed, at this time that I was bleeding from a head wound. The shrapnel from the Casini or the Downs must have hit me; or that of a plane; I have no idea. I don't know what happened. It didn't hurt too much. There were too many things going on. All of this was just hard to believe. Here our fleet, the greatest in the world, was destroyed, being destroyed, and no way of doing anything to fight back. This was a terrible feeling. So I kept thinking I better go and get under somebody's command. After all , the guy said "go wherever you can to help." I feel a lot of the ships men had been killed because some hadn't gotten back to their ships. I reported to the first ship I could. At least I would be under the jurisdiction of a command.   I ran down the docks and saw the St. Louis had gotten under way. She had been tied alongside the Honolulu. I figured the Honolulu would go next. I'll get on her. Well, unknown to me, she had been hit by a 250 pound bomb. It went through the dock and exploded under the water ripping the seams of the Honolulu's magazines.   Although she'd been casting off her lines, she came back and tied up again. I reported to the officer of the Deck and I guess It  looked pretty messy, bloody, and wet. He said,"You'd better go down to sick bay." I didn't know where it was so they sent a messenger to take me down and the corpsman put some sutures in my head. Then went back to the quarter deck and he said, “What ship were you on?" I told him I was a Fireman First on the Medusa as a metal smith. He said they'd assign me to the metal smith shop. They needed help because they had several oil tanks that were ruptured. They had splits in the seams from the concussion of the bomb that went off in the magazine.   So, I reported to the metal smith's shop and I went with a working party down into the magazine. I spent the rest of the day and all night in the magazine tearing off insulation so we could get to the seams that were torn open.
 
After I got out of there I became part of the crew on the Honolulu, so, actually, I was never on the Medusa on December 7th. I was on the Honolulu, a light square‑stern cruiser.   As I look back, I don't 'remember how I got clothes. I had no money and no clothes. I guess some of the sailors in the shop had given me clothes to wear and may be an old toothbrush. I asked if could go back to my ship and they said that eventually they'd get me back. It was ten days before I got back. There was no way I could send word to Lani about what happened. I asked one of the yard workers that was working in the yard if he would stop by my house and let my wife know I was okay.   This one yard worker finally told my wife and the family that I was still alive and aboard the Honolulu. After ten days, I was sent back to the Medusa with a letter stating that I came aboard and received a commendation on the work that I did while I was on the Honolulu. The first thing the kids aboard the Medusa wanted to show me was my battle station. It seems the destroyers alongside on the starboard side had destroyed the crows nest while firing at the Jap Kamikaza which dove into the Curtis. The destroyers were firing over the Medusa at the plane right through the crow's nest. If I hadn't been home, I would have been aboard the ship and would have been killed by my own bullets.
 
The events were terrible, even after the battle. Remembering December 7th and the things that went on when you look back seems like a lifetime ago. It's hard to believe that we lived through something like this.
 
I was in three Wars. I was on submarine war patrols. Nothing could compare with the sight of seeing the fleet destroyed.
 
I worked on and got my request approved for submarine duty. In June or July, I was transferred to the Naval station awaiting transportation back to the mainland. While there, we were sent on working parties, digging bodies out of the Arizona and some of the other ships. We were taking them up to Red Hill to be buried.
 
Looking back today, I hope no one has to go through this again. "This is a sorry day in our history,"as Roosevelt said, "a day of infamy." Only those who were there can really understand how dreadful, how horrible it all was. I think the wound I got from the ships or from the planes that day is a small thing to happen, compared to what could have happened.
 For a survivor's perspective  of what happened on December 7, 1941
(Dictated in 1991 by my Dad to my wife Janie)...go to:

http://MarcusAndLaniKlein.com and click on "Pearl Story."

7:09 AM - Dec. 7, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment
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3 1/2 Acres in Pismo Beach, CA for sale

Are you in the market for about 3 1/2 acres of land with 360 degree views of the Pacific ocean?  I am working with a couple who own this beautiful property in Pismo Beach, CA and they have decided to sell this property so they can buy in Steamboat Springs.  One of the neighbors of this property is baseball player, Robin Ventura.  The CC&R's allow for horses and the property next door recently sold for $2.9 million.  If you would like more info and pictures, contact me at stacy@stacy-brown.com

5:09 AM - Dec. 1, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment
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Sold Stats for the month of November 2006

Bubble?  What bubble?  With talks of slowing markets nationwide, it's good to be buying and selling real estate in Steamboat Springs right now.  The market here has not slowed down and we are still seeing double-digit appreciation in many areas!  Following are the sold stats for November.  If you would like more detailed information on a particular area, give me a call at (970) 871-1157 or email stacy@stacy-brown.com.

    No. of Listings Dollar Volume Average Price Median Price Average DOM
RESIDENTIAL
    CONVENTIONAL   71 $34,596,430 $487,274 $310,000 301
    FHA   1 $118,000 $118,000 $118,000 21
    CASH   16 $9,649,859 $603,116 $366,500 156
    OTHER   1 $598,000 $598,000 $598,000 139

Analysis by Area
1-DOWNTOWN AREA   8 $3,777,000 $472,125 $512,000 109
2-FISH CREEK AREA   6 $2,530,000 $421,667 $384,000 86
3-MOUNTAIN AREA   53 $26,713,589 $504,030 $335,000 291
GRSCK BLKTL HEN   1 $582,500 $582,500 $582,500 72
HAYDEN- TOWN OF   10 $2,091,000 $209,100 $213,500 175
JACKSON COUNTY   1 $116,000 $116,000 $116,000 326
MOFFAT COUNTY   1 $118,000 $118,000 $118,000 21
OTHER   1 $125,000 $125,000 $125,000 3,866
SOUTH OF HAYDEN   1 $300,000 $300,000 $300,000 271
SOUTH VALLEY   1 $6,530,200 $6,530,200 $6,530,200 153
STAGECOACH   2 $696,500 $348,250 $348,250 128
W 40 CORRIDOR   4 $1,382,500 $345,625 $387,500 117
 
  Totals 89 $44,962,289 $505,194 $312,000 270
LAND
    CONVENTIONAL   9 $3,141,400 $349,044 $350,000 189
    CASH   11 $4,208,000 $382,545 $375,000 295

Analysis by Area
1-DOWNTOWN AREA   1 $350,000 $350,000 $350,000 155
2-FISH CREEK AREA   1 $1,250,000 $1,250,000 $1,250,000 138
3-MOUNTAIN AREA   4 $1,784,000 $446,000 $417,000 595
ELK RIVER AREA   1 $992,900 $992,900 $992,900 594
MOFFAT COUNTY   1 $190,000 $190,000 $190,000 210
NORTH ROUTT   3 $579,500 $193,167 $58,000 75
SOUTH VALLEY   3 $1,925,000 $641,667 $685,000 243
STAGECOACH   6 $278,000 $46,333 $43,750 86
 
  Totals 20 $7,349,400 $367,470 $362,500 247
COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL
    CONVENTIONAL   1 $248,900 $248,900 $248,900 94
    CASH   1 $1,875,000 $1,875,000 $1,875,000 104

Analysis by Area
ELK RIVER AREA   1 $1,875,000 $1,875,000 $1,875,000 104
W 40 CORRIDOR   1 $248,900 $248,900 $248,900 94
 
  Totals 2 $2,123,900 $1,061,950 $1,061,950 99
Non Co-op Sales   31 $22,874,649 $737,892 $380,000 389
Co-op Sales   80 $31,560,940 $394,512 $311,000 214
All Sold Listings   111 $54,435,589 $490,411 $333,500 263


5:02 AM - Dec. 1, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment
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Thank YOU for YOUR Service to our Country!

HAPPY VETERANS DAY!

4:07 AM - Nov. 11, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment
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Skidboot the Amazing Dog

This is an amazing story of an amazing dog named Skidboot.  Dog lovers won't want to miss this...

Today is Saturday, November 11th.  I will be sitting at the model home at Stonewood @ Eagleridge (off Mt. Werner Circle) today and tomorrow from 12 - 5.  Stop by and see me - I'd love to give you a tour of the new "Pinestone" model, Stonewood's largest floorplan.  This unit has just been completed and beautifully furnished by Romick's Home Collection and can be yours in time for the holidays.   For more information on these homes, go to my website at http://www.Stacy-Brown.com and click on "Featured Properties".  Hope to see you this weekend!   
Stacy Brown
(970) 871-1157

3:43 AM - Nov. 11, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment
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Skiers: This is a must read!

Calendar for ski fanatics
By BETH J. HARPAZ, AP Travel Editor Mon Oct 30, 1:07 PM ET
For skiers, the best time of year is at hand.
 
Arapahoe Basin in Colorado opened on Oct. 13, becoming the first ski area in the country to do so this season, followed by Loveland, also in Colorado. Mammoth Mountain in California is scheduled to open Nov. 9; Alta, in Utah, is expected to follow Nov. 16. In the East, Killington in Vermont and Bretton Woods in New Hampshire both hope to have enough snow to open in early November. Most other major resorts try to open for Thanksgiving.
But dedication to skiing does not begin in November and end at Easter. Jet-setters will chase snow around the globe long after pond-skimming parties in April end the season here.
Even those who stay close to home have to-do lists all year, from staying in shape in the offseason, to getting a season pass in the summer, to looking for sales on gear and attending ski swaps.
Here is a calendar for the next 12 months, beginning in November, for all those ski fanatics who live for snow, but who must find ways to feed their habit year-round.
NOVEMBER: Who cares about turkey? At most resorts, Thanksgiving weekend is your first chance to ski since spring.
Look for airfare-lift ticket deals early in the month, like packages for families in which kids fly, stay and ski for free if accompanied by two paying adults. Holiday blackout dates are typical.
It's a rite of late autumn for skiers to catch the newest Warren Miller movie, an annual feature-length film showing entertaining snow sports moments from the previous year. Miller began making the movies more than 50 years ago. This year's movie, "Off the Grid," includes footage of a skier going over a 245-foot cliff, and the World Snowball Fighting Championships in Hokkaido, Japan. For a screening schedule, go to http://www.warrenmiller.com.
DECEMBER: All you want for Christmas is a chance to ski.
Unfortunately everyone else has the same idea. Get ready for lift lines, lodge lines, crowded slopes, lost reservations, overbooked flights ... or spend Christmas in Mexico, and come back to the slopes Jan. 2.
JANUARY: Worst month for ski injuries, according to physical therapist Carl Petersen, author of "Fit to Ski" and director of high performance training at City Sports & Physiotherapy Clinics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; http://www.citysportsphysio.com. Collisions on crowded slopes at Christmastime, icy conditions, falls and lack of conditioning all contribute. Knee injuries are the most common. "Keeping your knees healthy and a pre-ski workout can help," says Petersen. "Warm up to ski, don't ski to warm-up."
Take part in National Safety Awareness Week activities, Jan. 13-19, at your favorite ski resort.
FEBRUARY: This month, look for clearance sales in sporting goods stores;
Valentine's Day specials on the slopes; and women-only ski clinics. Beware of crowded conditions Presidents Week.
MARCH: Clearance sales in specialty ski shops start.
Many skiers consider the first half of March the best time to ski - good snow and good weather. And with peak snowpack, backcountry skiing beckons.
Plan spring break in the Alps, where food and wine is as important to the ski experience as the snow.
APRIL: Clearance sales on clothing and gear at resorts start this month.
Check out pond-skimming, in which skiers try to skim across a slushy puddle at the bottom of a run. World Pond-Skimming Championships are held in Vail, Colo., on April 14, but pond-skimming events are also held at other resorts, including Killington, Vt., and Heavenly in Tahoe, Calif.
Easter is last call for skiing at many resorts, with end-of-season budget deals and parties.
MAY: Start a fitness routine for the snowless months ahead. Lisa Densmore, who has won 36 national masters titles in alpine skiing since 1991, recommends inline skating, mountain biking or trail running. In the gym, she says, "the key is to make sure you balance your quads (muscles in the front of the thigh) and your hamstrings (muscles in the back of the thigh). If you have strong quads and weak hamstrings, you set yourself up for knee injury." Leg curls and squats can strengthen hamstrings, she adds. Densmore's book, "Ski Faster!" includes a chapter on ski conditioning.
JUNE: You can still hike to terrain skiing in parts of the West, or, for daredevils only, head to New Hampshire's Tuckerman Ravine, where windblown snow on the southeastern shoulder of Mount Washington often lasts well into the summer and can reach depths of 75 feet. The spectator sport here is watching skiers attempt the steep headwall, but the ravine can also be treacherous - more than 30 skiers and hikers have died here; http://tuckerman.org/.
JULY: Mammoth Mountain in California has had skiing July 4 each of the last two years, or try glacier skiing at Whistler-Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada.
It's winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Argentina has resorts near Bariloche and Las Lenas. In Chile, there's a famous nine-mile run from the Portillo resort to a local Christ of the Andes statue. But South American slopes can be crowded in July, as schools let out then for their winter breaks.
See what your favorite resort offers when there is no snow. Lots of ski towns have summer golfing, mountain biking and festivals. Lake Placid, N.Y., site of the 1932 and 1980

 Winter Olympics, has bobsledding on wheels instead of ice.

AUGUST: Last chance to buy discount season passes for the coming winter.

Everyone you know is at the beach this month, but you can ski in August at Mount Hood in Oregon.

Care to combine summer heat with winter chills? It may be 120 degrees in Dubai, but you can rent a parka and go skiing indoors there at the Emirates Mall; http://www.skidxb.com/. The air-conditioning will blast you so bad you'll be dying for a hot chocolate. If money is no object and you must be in Vail on Dec. 25, book now. "We've seen a notable increase the past few seasons in guest bookings made as early as August for the peak Christmas times to ensure they don't have to compromise on their favorite lodging, ski school dates and instructors, " said Vail Resorts spokeswoman Kelly Burgdorf. "The prices are higher, but they get exactly what they want."
SEPTEMBER: Newest gear and fashions available this month. Annual SNIAGRAB - that's bargains spelled backwards - sale of ski gear in Denver, at The Sports Authority, Labor Day weekend.
Ski fanatics on http://snowheads.com are buzzing this month about where to go this winter. Got a question about a ski destination somewhere in the world? Post a query. Chances are you'll hear back from folks who've been there, worked there or even lived there. Check the snowEvents section of the forum for some great mountain trips, especially to European resorts.
Autumn is at hand. Plan a ride on a New England gondola to see the colored leaves; imagine the landscape when all that red and gold turns white.
Start shopping for preseason offers, especially if you don't ski enough to make a season pass worthwhile, or if you want reservations for a peak holiday period. If, for example, you need childcare at a ski resort over Christmas, find out how soon you can make a reservation. Spots fill up fast once the lines open.
OCTOBER: This is a big month for ski swaps - organized exchanges of gear your kids outgrew or that you no longer need. Check with ski clubs and nearby resorts.
Finally, as the new ski season approaches, follow the news from Colorado to see where the first skiing can be done.
 
 

3:13 PM - Nov. 7, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment
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Sold Stats for the month of October 2006

The following information was gathered from the Steamboat Springs Multiple Listing Service.  If you have any questions or if you would like more detailed information on certain areas, give me a call at (970) 871-1157 or send an email to stacy@stacy-brown.com.  I would love to hear from you.  Over $85 Million Dollars worth of real estate was sold in the month of October through the local MLS!!

No. of Listings Dollar Volume Average Price Median Price Average DOM
RESIDENTIAL
    CONVENTIONAL   84 $38,829,258 $462,253 $362,400 175
    FHA   2 $393,000 $196,500 $196,500 68
    CASH   30 $31,014,562 $1,033,819 $597,500 219
    OTHER   2 $597,500 $298,750 $298,750 79

Analysis by Area
1-DOWNTOWN AREA   8 $6,033,137 $754,142 $646,819 236
2-FISH CREEK AREA   7 $4,604,900 $657,843 $469,900 83
3-MOUNTAIN AREA   69 $34,252,847 $496,418 $364,900 177
ELK RIVER AREA   2 $10,380,000 $5,190,000 $5,190,000 204
HAYDEN- TOWN OF   6 $1,158,336 $193,056 $190,000 120
JACKSON COUNTY   1 $55,000 $55,000 $55,000 245
MOFFAT COUNTY   2 $967,000 $483,500 $483,500 313
NORTH ROUTT   4 $2,305,000 $576,250 $536,000 130
OC PBURG YAMPA   2 $352,000 $176,000 $176,000 192
SO ROUTT RURAL   1 $1,261,700 $1,261,700 $1,261,700 654
SOUTH AND WEST   3 $1,681,500 $560,500 $607,500 353
SOUTH VALLEY   2 $4,025,000 $2,012,500 $2,012,500 323
STAGECOACH   1 $180,000 $180,000 $180,000 136
W 40 CORRIDOR   10 $3,577,900 $357,790 $354,450 150
 
  Totals 118 $70,834,320 $600,291 $374,900 183
LAND
    CONVENTIONAL   15 $5,445,400 $363,027 $270,000 230
    CASH   24 $7,695,900 $320,663 $86,000 345
    OWNER FINANCE   2 $445,000 $222,500 $222,500 186

Analysis by Area
1-DOWNTOWN AREA   1 $450,000 $450,000 $450,000 47
2-FISH CREEK AREA   1 $755,000 $755,000 $755,000 326
3-MOUNTAIN AREA   4 $2,000,000 $500,000 $515,000 463
ELK RIVER AREA   2 $3,570,000 $1,785,000 $1,785,000 143
HAYDEN- TOWN OF   4 $334,900 $83,725 $86,000 370
NORTH OF HAYDEN   1 $516,000 $516,000 $516,000 51
NORTH ROUTT   4 $267,000 $66,750 $71,500 226
OC PBURG YAMPA   2 $352,500 $176,250 $176,250 266
SOUTH AND WEST   3 $835,000 $278,333 $310,000 123
SOUTH VALLEY   4 $3,255,000 $813,750 $965,000 118
STAGECOACH   15 $1,250,900 $83,393 $27,000 386
 
  Totals 41 $13,586,300 $331,373 $150,000 295
COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL
    CONVENTIONAL   1 $240,000 $240,000 $240,000 577
    CASH   1 $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 45
    OWNER FINANCE   1 $675,000 $675,000 $675,000 257

Analysis by Area
3-MOUNTAIN AREA   1 $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 45
HAYDEN- TOWN OF   1 $675,000 $675,000 $675,000 257
W 40 CORRIDOR   1 $240,000 $240,000 $240,000 577
 
  Totals 3 $995,000 $331,667 $240,000 293
Non Co-op Sales   74 $43,005,630 $581,157 $308,000 258
Co-op Sales   88 $42,409,990 $481,932 $364,900 175
All Sold Listings   162 $85,415,620 $527,257 $352,500 213


5:17 AM - Nov. 4, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment
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