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Friday, July 31, 2020
Local Real Estate Market Snapshot
Thursday, July 30, 2020
Colorado Second-Home Owners Seek to Regain Access During Shutdown
Second-home owners in Gunnison County, Colo., are uniting after county officials barred part-time residents from their second homes during the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 3, Gunnison County issued an order that required nonresidents to leave the county. Officials said they were trying to slow the spread of the coronavirus to avoid overwhelming the county's health care facilities, saying nonresidents could face more complications from the coronavirus since they’re not as accustomed to the county’s high altitude.
One couple has sued the county over its ban, arguing it violated U.S. and state constitutions. The office of the Texas Attorney General, in a letter to the county’s department of health and human services, contended that the policy discriminates against nonresident homeowners.
A group of second-home owners in Gunnison County have since banded together to sway this fall’s county commission election, The Colorado Sun reports.
“We just want to be the voice that unifies and brings a little bit of fairness in governance within this county,” said Jim Moran, a resident from Texas who has a second home in Gunnison County. He has organized the Gunnison Valley Second Homeowners group. “One of the primary lessons we learned this spring was that you can’t really have an effective voice on issues unless you have an organization,” Moran says. “A goal of this organization is to put these two constituencies together—businesses and second-home owners—and work together toward more balance in our governance.”
Jonathan Houck, a lawmaker on the county commission up for reelection this fall, says the second-home group is more than an issue for Gunnison County but something that all counties should be aware of. “If this group is successful in using influence and money to buy an election and support people who have priorities above the priorities of local residents, what’s going to prevent them from spreading to [other counties]?” Houck told The Colorado Sun. “This is a litmus test for all resort communities.”
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Breckenridge/Summit County Real Estate News
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Saturday, July 25, 2020
Existing-Home Sales Surge to Record Pace in June
Existing-home sales rebounded at a record pace in June, following three consecutive months of sales declines, the National Association of REALTORS® reported on Wednesday. Each of the four major regions of the U.S. posted month-over-month increases in June, with the West posting the largest jump.
Total existing-home sales—completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condos, and co-ops—increased 20.7% from May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.72 million in June, NAR reports. Sales, however, are still down 11.3% from a year ago.
“The sales recovery is strong, as buyers were eager to purchase homes and properties that they had been eyeing during the shutdown,” says Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist. “This revitalization looks to be sustainable for many months ahead as long as mortgage rates remain low and job gains continue.”
Housing inventories, a big obstacle for buyers before the pandemic, have tightened further. Inventory levels in June fell 18.2% compared to a year ago, NAR reports. The low inventories continue to press on home prices. NAR pegs current inventory to be 4.0 months, down from 4.3 months one year ago.
“Home prices rose during the lockdown and could rise even further due to heavy buyer competition and a significant shortage of supply,” Yun says.
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Solidarity Talk, mural in Breckenridge work to break down stereotypes
As the paint dried on Denver-based artist Latasha Dunston’s solidarity mural, the second monthly Solidarity Talk run by Solidarity Nation brought together local residents, town officials, business owners and other leaders on the lawn of the Riverwalk Center on Sunday.
Spectators gathered at 11 a.m. at Washington Avenue near Main Street to hear Dunston speak about the context and inspiration behind the mural on the pavement there, which she finished painting Sunday morning. The center of the mural features the word “solidarity” painted among aspen trees with a fist placed at the top.
The grove’s foliage contains questions written in English and in Spanish, asking things like, “How am I practicing anti-racist principals in my daily life?” and “How can I support Black, Indigenous and people of color?”
Dunston said she hopes these questions will be used by people to self-reflect. She said that while she feels the town is overall supportive of her art, she did experience a racist encounter while creating her mural.
She recounted this experience during the Solidarity Talk and said that her goal with this mural is to break down the stereotypes that are present. Dunston said that the questions painted into the foliage can spark conversations among families and other passersby.
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Keystone Resort extends summer operating days
Keystone Resort has expanded summer operations to include Thursdays, according to Keystone spokesperson Loryn Roberson.
Scenic gondola rides now will operate from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Tickets are available at the ticket windows in River Run Village. The Summit House also will be open during these times, offering prepackaged food and drink options.
The Keystone River Course is open seven days per week with tee times available upon reservation.
The resort’s summer closing date is Sept. 7, according to Roberson
Monday, July 20, 2020
Summit County’s adoptable pets for the week of July 20, 2020
Call the shelter at 970-668-3230 with questions. The most recent list of animals available for adoption can be found via their website.
Note: The animal shelter is now open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Please visit http://www.summitcountyco.gov/animalcontrol for physical distancing protocols.
Cats
ASPEN, 6 months, domestic shorthair, tortoiseshell, spayed female
BABY, 4 years, domestic shorthair, black and white, neutered male
BINX, 7 weeks, domestic shorthair, black, neutered male
EVIE, 9 weeks, domestic shorthair, gray tabby, spayed female
MILLICENT, 9 weeks, domestic shorthair, brown tabby, spayed female
MITTENS, 11 months, domestic mediumhair, black and white, spayed female
MULAN, 7 years, domestic mediumhair, brown, spayed female
PEACH, 9 weeks, domestic shorthair, black, spayed female
PENELOPE ANNE, 9 weeks, domestic shorthair, tortoiseshell, spayed female
PICKLES, 9 weeks, domestic shorthair, black and white, neutered male
SHELBY, 9 weeks, domestic shorthair, dilute tabby calico, spayed female
ZELDA, 7 years, domestic shorthair, gray tabby and white, spayed female
Dogs
ALEXANDRIA, 5 years, pit bull terrier, blonde and white, spayed female
BRUNO, 2 years, Rottweiler mix, black and tan, neutered male
CHEDDAR, 6 months, beagle mix, red and white, neutered male
DICE, 1 year 2 months, Siberian husky and Australian cattle dog mix, white and black, neutered male
FETA, 6 months, Chinese sharpei mix, red and white, spayed female
GECKO, 2 years, pit bull terrier mix, black and white, neutered male
GINGER, 1 year 7 months, German shepherd dog, black and tan, spayed female
GOUDA, 6 months, Chinese sharpei mix, red and white, spayed female
RED, 9 years, beagle mix, red and white, neutered male
SOFIA, 6 years, Mastiff mix, white and brown, spayed female
ZOSO, 2 years, Australian cattle dog mix, black, neutered male
Sunday, July 19, 2020
Properties maintain their value, as buyers take advantage of record low interest rates
Despite the economic uncertainty surrounding the novel coronavirus, the Summit County real estate market has stayed strong.
Although April and May showed almost no activity, real estate professionals saw booming business in June. While people thought the pandemic might be an opportunity to snag a less expensive home, the county’s property values have continued to stay at or above pre-pandemic levels.
There were four fewer real estate sales in June 2020 than there were in June 2019, but the total volume of sales was about $1.5 million higher this year than last year, according to Summit Realtors data.
Average sales price for all types of properties in June 2020 was $758,398, around $33,000 more than the average price in 2019, according to Summit Realtors data.
June Real Estate by the Numbers
Total real estate sales: 134
Total real estate sales in June 2019: 138
Total volume of sales: $101,625,391
Total volume of sales in June 2019: $100,102,553
Number of sales at or above $1 million: 26
Number of sales at or above $1 million in June 2019: 25
Source: Summit Realtors
Saturday, July 18, 2020
Breckenridge Grand Vacations presents transit area redevelopment options
Mike Dudick, chief executive officer of Breckenridge Grand Vacations, led a presentation to the Breckenridge Town Council on Tuesday regarding options for redevelopment of the North Gondola and Gold Rush lots and land.
The redevelopment of these parcels — which Breckenridge Grand Vacations is under contract to purchase from Vail Resorts — would be part of a reconfiguration of the Breckenridge Station transit area on Watson Avenue that is a hub for recreationists in the downtown area using the BreckConnect Gondola to get to Breckenridge Ski Resort. The company’s plans would be part of a greater redevelopment of land at the gondola’s base.
On Tuesday, Dudick presented to council multiple ideas for the redevelopment.
The difference between the options, he said, is the direction of bus traffic, number of lanes of bus traffic and ingress and egress from proposed roundabouts. Breckenridge Grand Vacations and the town would need to come to an agreement specific to the company’s redevelopment plans for the North Gondola Lot and Gold Rush land.
“I’m here to work together with the town to figure out what’s best for the community,” Dudick said. “… Option 1 is going to have the multidirection movement of the buses. Option 2 is going to have the two (bus) islands with one direction of movement of buses. Option 3 is going to have one movement of buses and one lane of bus traffic.”
In all the options, the existing Breckenridge Station building would be removed and replaced by smaller structures that would provide a covered waiting area without the large indoor spaces that town engineer Shannon Smith and Public Works Director James Phelps wrote “are currently problematic.” Smith and Phelps added that restrooms and skier services displaced by the plan would “be fulfilled elsewhere in the development.”
Whatever option the board selects, Dudick said the company intends to build multiple pedestrian bridges, one from the Gold Rush parcel over Park Avenue to the North Gondola Lot parcel and two over the Blue River Recreation Path to the Main Street area. The developments also would include workforce housing, a public park in the parcel of wetlands south of the Gold Rush Lot and mixed-use buildings on the North Gondola site.
“There is a pretty strong assumption that (Dudick) will end up owning this land, but nobody in this town knows what is going to happen in November of this year right now,” Breckenridge Mayor Mamula said. “So to make any decisions on anything based on what little we know about the economy of our community into this winter, I got to tell you, I think is a little premature.”
Friday, July 17, 2020
Frisco promenade to stay through Labor Day; leaders strategize as winter approaches
There’s no question that the Frisco Main Street promenade has been a hit among visitors. Now town leaders are looking at ways to keep the street alive as winter looms.
At a virtual business meeting Wednesday, July 15, the Frisco Town Council and local business leaders discussed strategies to increase traffic for lodging business and ways in which the town could keep the promenade running into winter. Council member Dan Fallon confirmed the promenade will remain at least through Labor Day. However, council members are looking at ways to keep it in place as the pandemic continues.
“There’s always that hope, of course, that if the status quo stays at least the same, if not improves, then the promenade itself becomes a certain kind of an attraction,” Fallon said. “It will start to have its own weight of success and hopefully attract more people.”
At the beginning of June, the town of Frisco launched the Live Frisco, Shop Frisco campaign along with the promenade. As part of the campaign, people are able to purchase from the town e-gift cards for discounted prices at Main Street businesses. As of Tuesday, the gift cards have generated $130,000. Of that revenue, $70,000 has been put back into local businesses through the gift cards, according to the Town of Frisco website.
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Colorado Gov. Polis issues mask mandate across Colorado
Face coverings or masks will be required statewide after Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order, which goes into effect at midnight.
In a news conference Thursday, Polis announced the mandate, which requires masks for everyone over the age of 10 while inside buildings open to the public. The mandate doesn’t change anything for Summit County, which already requires masks whenever people are in a public building and outside when a 6-foot distance from others isn’t possible.
According to Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment survey results presented at the conference, counties in Colorado with no mask order have seen 49% of their population wearing masks and 80% maintaining a 6-foot distance from others. Counties with some sort of mask order have seen 57% wearing masks and 83% maintaining a 6-foot distance.
I want to make sure mask-wearing ordinances don’t make people think everything is safe, and they can forget about social distancing,” Polis said. “Mask-wearing complements social distancing.”
Polis also said areas of Colorado with mask ordinances have had a slower spread of the virus.
“We have a choice in Colorado: either more mask-wearing and more attention to social distancing, or more damage to our economy and loss of life,” he said.
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Breckenridge Sunday Market finds new footing amid COVID-19 restrictions
As with most events in the time of the novel coronavirus, the Breckenridge Sunday Market has had to adapt, making changes on location, market size and customer protocol.
The market, which used to be located at Main Street Station, has moved to the Village at Breckenridge resort plaza, allowing for the Main Street shops and restaurants to use the outdoor space for extra seating. Because of the new location, business has been relatively slow in the market’s first few weeks, Kristi Rashidi, owner of Rocky Mountain events, said. However, the number of visitors was starting to pick up Sunday morning, July 12.
“The village plaza is a little easier to control the traffic flow and maintain a constant live count of the number of people in the market, which is what we have to do to adhere to the guidelines from the health department,” Rashidi said.
The new location isn’t the only change. The market, which opened on June 28, had to cut its vendors down from 40 to 20 and increase the number of food and produce vendors because of public health restrictions.
“Things are definitely different this year, but we felt compelled to continue the tradition of the market and not be broken by COVID-19,” Rashidi said.
The market is doing everything it can to prevent the spread of the virus. Market employees have put down painter’s tape in the shape of arrows to direct the flow of traffic and everyone is required to wear a face covering or mask. The market also has an employee offering hand sanitizer to all customers as they enter.
“After everything that everyone had been through we felt strongly about giving the opportunity to the community for people to come,” Rashidi said. “We didn’t want to give up. We wanted to fight to do what we have to do to keep the market going.”
The market is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday.
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