Season’s Greetings! I hope everyone is enjoying the final days of 2011.

I want to invite you all to this new event at the Stagecoach State Park/Reservoir next weekend, Jan 7-8. It is a new event, with dog sledding teams, free ski bike demonstrations, snowmobile test drives, bake sales, etc. The park also rents free snowshoes, and there’s a great sledding hill too. A flyer is attached with more details.  It should be a lot of fun! Please come join us for a festive event to start of 2012!

Moving can be stressful. Moving with children can be more stressful. Moving with children over the holidays…is there even a word that accurately describes what that feels like? It happens of course. There are just some things that you can’t plan for, even when you have been planning for months. We asked some of our top van line partner’s to provide tips that they had for making a holiday move easier on everyone. Here is what they said:

• One: Remember monkey see, monkey do. If you act disappointed about moving over the holidays, or are moping because you won’t be celebrating with the extended family, your children will pick up on that and follow your lead. Be positive and excited. Tell them about their cool new room that they can paint whatever color they choose, or all about the park and mall nearby. Show your excitement and your children’s excitement will follow.
   
• Two: Don’t forget the decorations. Whether you decide to decorate at the old house and once again at the new house or at the new house only; bring the decorations in the car with you so you can set them up the minute you arrive, or buy all news ones when you get there. However you choose to do it, decorate.
   
• Three: Start a new tradition. We all have time honored family traditions at the holidays. Since you are starting a new beginning, why not add a new tradition? For example: if you plan on a driving long distance to the new location, open one present each day in the car. Or maybe buy a new decoration at each place you stop for the night. Each year when you are putting up the decorations you will remember your journey to your new home.
   
• Four: Listen to holiday music. You’re driving, so what else are you going to do? Stock up on CD’s or tune satellite radio to a station where holiday cheer can be found. It is a great way to feel connected to the familiar holiday spirit when things are feeling anything but familiar.
   
• Five: Make the trip memorable. We all remember those “fun” family vacations in the car. Why not give your children some of those memories? If you can plan your route around fun attractions, cities family members live in, historical sites, and famous landmarks. Consider staying the night in a nice hotel and make sure it has an indoor pool for the kids!

A: In Colorado, if a buyer agrees to a counterproposal, signs the counter and delivers it to the seller or the seller’s Realtor, then generally speaking the owner can not change his mind and sell to someone else. I say “generally” because sometimes short sale scenarios can change the game on this (that’s a whole other topic.) Also, occasionally a seller will withdraw the counter before it has been accepted by the buyer.

If you’re not talking about a short sale or some other issue involving a bank, or some other unique situation, then the seller has to honor the counter offer accepted by the buyer and proceed to closing.

However, after the counter is accepted by both parties, the seller can accept a back-up offer (to be in full force and effect if the first contract terminates for any reason). In this case, if the first buyer wants to ask the seller to fix an inspection item, the seller can refuse to fix the item and the buyer can terminate because of this, and then the seller is free to work with the next contract, which is in back up position.

If you are still confused, give us a call and we can talk about it in more detail. Thank you!

To see a video of the Trick or Treat event, click here.

Here at Prudential, we celebrated with some Pumpkin Carving, seed baking, and candy eating!

As for the expected storm that didn't happen on Halloween, it is finally here! While it snowed all night long, accumulations were only 1-2 inches in town and the roads were icy this morning. Hopefully Mt. Werner enjoyed a little bit more! Check out our web cam to see for yourself! 

In almost all cases, it is better to attempt a successful Short Sale than to Foreclose on your home. The Steamboat Heritage Title Office gave us some great information to share with you about what effects foreclosures and short sales will have on future loans, credit score and even your current and future employment. It is really amazing how much can be affected by a foreclosure. To discuss with the Heritage Title Office directly, phone them at (970) 879-1611 and let them know the Boyd Team provided you with their Homeowner Consequences pamphlet, or call Cam at (970) 846-8100 if you have specific questions about needing to sell your home before it forecloses.

Issue: Future Fannie Mai Loan, Primary Residence

Foreclosure: A homeowner who loses a home to foreclosure is ineligible for a Fannie Mae-backed mortgage for a period of 5 years.

Sucessful Short Sale: A homeowner who successfully negotiates and closes a short sale will be eligible for a Fannie Mae-backed mortgage after only 2 years.

Issue: Future Fannie Mae Loan, Non-Primary Residence

Foreclosure: An investor who allows a property to go to foreclosure is ineligible for a Fannie Mae-backed investment mortgage for a period of 7 years.

Sucessful Short Sale: An investor who successfully negotiates and closes a short sale will be eligible for a Fannie Mae-backed investment mortgage after only 2 years.

Issue: Future Loan with an Morgage Company

Foreclosure: On any future application, a prospective borrower will have to answer "YES" to question C in Section VIII of the standard 1003 form that asks, "Have you had property foreclosed upon or given title or deed in lieu thereof in the last 7 years?" This will affect future rates.

Successful Short Sales: There is no similar declaration or question regarding a short sale.

Issue: Credit Score

Foreclosure: Score may be lowered anywhere from 250 to more than 300 points. Typically will affect a credit score for over 3 years.

Successful Short Sale: Only late payments on mortgage will show, and after sale, mortgage is normally reported as "paid as agreed", "paid as negotiated", or "settled". This can lower teh score as little as 50 points if all other payments are being made. A short sale's effect can be as brief as 12-18 months.

Issue: Credit History

Foreclosure: Foreclosure will remain as a public record permanently, and on a person's credit history for 10 years.

Sucessful Short Sale: A short sale is not reported on a credit history. There is no specific reporting item for "short sale". the loan is typically reported "paid in full, settled."

Issue: Security Clearance

Foreclosure: Foreclosure is the most challenging issue against a security clearance outside a serious misdemeanor or felony conviction. If a client has a foreclosure, and is a police officer, in the military, in the CIA, security, or any other position that requires a security clearance, in almost all cases clearance will be revoked and position will be terminated.

Successful Short Sale: On its own, a short sale does not challenge most security clearances.

Issue: Current Employment

Foreclosure: Employers have the right and are actively checking on the credit of all employees who are in sensitive positions. In many cases, a foreclosure is reason for immediate reassignment or termination.

Successful Short Sale: A short sale is not reported on a credit report and is therefore not a challenge to employment.

Issue: Deficiency Judgment

Foreclosure: in 100% of foreclosures (except in those states where there is no deficiency), the bank has the right to pursue a deficiency judgement.

Successful Short Sale: In some successful short sales, it is possible to convince the lender to give up the right to pursue a deficiency judgement against the homeowner.

Issue: Deficiency Judgement (amount)

Foreclosure: in a foreclosure, the home will have to go through an REO process if it dose not sell at auction. in most cases this will result in a lower sales price and a longer time to sell in a declining market. this will result in a higher possible deficiency judgment.

Successful Short Sale: In a properly managed short sale, the home is sold at a price that should be close to market value, and in almost all cases will be better than an REO sale resulting in a lower deficiency.

What are "HUD homes," and are they a good deal?

Answer:

HUD stands for U.S. Housing and Urban Development. The homes that HUD sells come into HUD's possession as a result of defaults on FHA (HUD) insured mortgages, so they are like bank owned/REO homes but the bank in this case is a government entity.

They can absolutely be good deals, but it depends on the condition of the house and how much money you have to spend to fix it. There are many HUD homes that have very low prices but that is usually because the previous owner did not maintain the home (probably because they didn’t have the money to spend on regular maintenance as well as fixing problems. It makes sense that if they stopped paying their mortgage and knew they would lose the house, they also stopped paying other house expenses.) So, a good inspection is key to knowing whether or not the price is a good deal. If the inspector discovers that there are structural issues and roofing issues (and you will probably hire a roofing contractor and a structural engineer to give you their opinion on the extend of the damage and an estimate to repair) that will cost $40,000 (for example) when the asking price is $150,000 then it is not a good deal when the other houses in the neighborhood are selling for $190,000. In many cases the homes will not have any appliances, so budget about $5,000 for a new stove, fridge, dishwasher, microwave and washer/dryer. (You could certainly pay more, but let’s assume you’ll be buying the basics.) In this example you buy the house for $150,000 and put $45,000 into it for a total of $195,000. Since the neighbor’s houses are selling for $190,000 then it’s not really a good deal even if the rest of the house is in mint condition, because you have to spend a lot of time and energy hiring the roofer and the engineer to do the work needed. However, if the neighbor’s houses are selling for $250,000 and you paid $195,000 for the house then YES this could be a good deal. The key to knowing the difference is teaming up with a Realtor. Realtors have been looking at houses every day and they know the neighborhoods, the school districts, the contractors to recommend, etc. Find a good one and stick with them. Tell them all your thoughts, questions, fears and desires relating to the home you want to find and they will be a priceless resource. They will save you so much time and energy…and hopefully make the process fun! As a Realtor, I know that navigating the real estate market can be intimidating, so I try to keep it fun and exciting. When you’re ready to start talking about homes for sale in or near Steamboat, CO give me a call and we’ll find the best match for you. 970-819-1131

Steph Fairchild

In addition to the mortgage payment, what other costs do I need to consider when buying a home?

Answer:

When you purchase a home, the majority of the costs are associated with your loan.  In addition to your loan fees (origination fee, appraisal, credit report, flood certification, tax service fee, pre-paid interest and any additional loan fees) you will be looking at a closing fee by the title company of $100-$200, lender’s title insurance policy fee of around $150-$500 (based on lender requirements), any fee for a survey that you ordered, a loan closing fee from the title company of $300-$400, any fees for your inspection if you decide to order one, (typically $250-$500), recording fees/transfer charges of $200-$400), homeowner’s insurance, prorated Homeowners Association dues and working capital contribution as well as any legal fees if you decide to hire an attorney to represent you.  

In reference to your carrying cost, as they say there are only 2 things in that you can count on in life, death and taxes.  So, included in your monthly mortgage payment will be an estimate of 1/12 of the taxes that will be owed that year.  Your lender will also want to make sure you have insurance in case something happens to the property since that is their collateral.  The lender will let you pick the insurer, but they will collect 1/12 of that amount in your payment as well.  The acronym for everything is PITI for principal, interest, taxes and insurance.

-Cam Boyd

The 3,814- square-foot home was sold for $405,000 out of foreclosure by Wells Fargo Bank. That’s $106 per square foot for a home on 3.3 acres.

The home was built in 1998 and sold for $865,000 in 2007.

The lot sold for $33,000 in 1993 and then again for $40,000 in 1994. Both of those numbers would have sounded unrealistically low as recently as 2005. During the middle of the past decade, it would not have been unreasonable to think the lot alone would have sold for $405,000. Ulrich Salzgeber, of Buyer’s Resource Real Estate, agreed.

Research by Stan Urban, of Land Title Guarantee Co., shows there were 11 home sales in August within the $300,000-to-$500,000 range. The year-to-date total for that price range as of the end of August was 64 sales, or 18 percent of dwelling sales.

Bump up the price to a range of $500,000 to $700,000, and there had been just 43 homes sold through the first eight months of 2011.

Realtor Scott Wither, of Colorado Group Realty, said traffic at his agency suggests a substantial number of prospective buyers appear to think the real estate values still will get better.

Wither said he surveyed his colleagues and found that his office did 150 showings in July and another 150 in August.

“I asked them, ‘Where are these people coming from?’ And the typical answer was, ‘I’ve been working with these people for a year.’”

Salzgeber confirmed that Elk River Estates (on Routt County Road 129 north of Steamboat Springs Airport) has been on a hot streak and that finding the right property can take a year or even longer.

He represented the buyers in the $454,000 sale of a home in Elk River Estates on Sept. 9 — after four years of looking.

“They were bound and determined to be downtown,” Salzgeber said. “They had no intention at all in looking anywhere (in the lower Elk River Valley). He wanted to be in biking range” of work and shopping.

However, Salzgeber had toured the former home of longtime Steamboat residents Jim and Leslie Ryan and had a strong feeling it was right for his clients, despite their strong feelings about location.

“They were in the home for 10 minutes, and he said, ‘This is it,’” Salzgeber said.

They paid more on a per-square-foot basis than the buyers of the foreclosed home, but the gross prices weren’t far apart. To begin with, it sits on a larger 4.95-acre lot.

The 2,528-square-foot, three-bedroom house worked out to $179 per square foot, still well below replacement cost.

Although it was built in 1981, it had undergone a recent refurbishing that brought finish levels up to the standards of the second decade of the 21st century.

The wife is a location-neutral worker who got the large office she needed, and the home includes a large family room.

— To reach Tom Ross, call 970-871-4205 or email tross@SteamboatToday.com

This all depends on the specific zoning laws and building restrictions in your area. Generally speaking, there will be guidelines that may limit you more than you want. For example, are you allowed to have more than one water or sewer tap for the residential bathroom(s)? Will you be allowed to build a garage without having to call it “storage” or a warehouse? And don’t forget that when you are ready to sell it, there will be less buyers that want to live anywhere with zoning issues. Bottom line: call your local building department of your city or county and find out the nitty gritty of what is acceptable and you will save yourself some headaches.

If our mortgage falls through because of the appraisal, what happens to the down payment at the title company...it's about $20,000?We qualify for a 30 year loan, but the house appraisal came back with a 25 year lifetime according to the appraiser. We're first-time home buyers and are worried about losing the $20,000 down payment left with the title company if our financing falls through. Our loan officer and her boss tell us that with our credit and such, the only reason the underwriter would deny the loan is because of the appraisal. We are buying from a more than patient owner who is using a company who helps him with this. We love the location, and understand some upgrades are needed, but we're willing to make them over the years. It's so close, and taking so long. We just wonder how much of a hole we are in if this doesn't work because the appraisal won't meet the underwriter's requirements. any help will be appreciated. Thanks

I have some questions about your question. You say “the house appraisal came back with a 25 lifetime..” do you mean that the appraiser’s opinion is that the house will only last for another 25 years? If so, that doesn’t seem like a good investment, but I need some clarification on that point. My other question is “What does your contract say?” Are you past your appraisal objection deadline and your loan conditions deadline? If not, then your earnest money is not at risk. If these deadlines are already passed, then your earnest money could be at risk. It depends on what has been agreed to in the contract and any extensions. Your Realtor will be able to explain it to you in more detail, based on the terms in your purchase contract. Good luck!

Q: 

What is a buyers agent, what does this specifically do for a buyer and who usually pays this "buyers agent"?

A: 

A buyer’s agent is a Realtor working for the buyer. To be specific, a buyer’s agent works solely on behalf of the buyer to promote the interests of the buyer with the utmost good faith, loyalty and fidelity. The buyer’s agent negotiates on behalf of the buyer and acts as an advocate for the buyer. This is the opposite of a seller’s agent, which is a Realtor working for the seller.

Typically sellers pay the buyer’s Realtor, but in real estate, everything is negotiable. Sometimes a seller will offer a low commission and in that case, the buyer’s agent may request that the buyer pay the difference. For example, it is becoming common for sellers of short sales and REO’s (see previous post on the topic if you’re not sure what a short sale or REO property is) to offer a lower commission, say 2%, when the Realtor charges 3. In this case, the buyer’s agent may ask that the buyer pay the 1% that the seller is not offering. This fee is typically paid only at closing, so if the buyer doesn’t buy a property, the buyer’s agent doesn’t get paid. However, in some areas, Realtors are charging retainers or hourly fees especially if they are working on short sales, since they require so much extra work and they often don’t close. Short sales and their complications are a whole separate issue, and you asked about buyer’s agents so I’ll stick to the question at hand. In summary, the client of a buyer’s agent is the buyer, not the seller. Find one you want to work with, and together you’ll get answers to all the questions on what it takes to have a place to call your own.

The average claim for water freezing and damaging a home is a little over $5,000. Taking a little time to prepare your home for snow, cold, and winter conditions in general can be a huge money-saver later on. Your plumbing, electrical, and security systems are three of the hardest hit areas when the cold sets in.

Plumbing: If your Steamboat home is a summer-only vacation home, be sure to shut off the water for extended periods of absence. Leave the faucets open so excess water can drain, and drain the toilets as well. You can put a small amount of non-toxic marine antifreeze into toilet bowls and drains to prevent frost  breaks. This will greatly reduce the risk  of pipes freezing and breaking. If you live in your home full time or plan to vacation in Steamboat in the winter, be sure you keep the heat on at least to 50 degrees to be sure your pipes are taken care of.

Electrical System: This is the scariest system to leave behind; while you are away, fires can develop in electrical circuits from appliances, even if they are not turned on. We usually take electricity for granted, but don't forget about it if you don't live in your home full time.  Turn off circuit breakers for any non-essentials (anything other than heat, security, and outdoor lighting) and unplug appliances as well.

Security System: Not everyone in Steamboat has a security system (some have a barking dog...), but if you do, you can have 'add-on's' to your system such as freeze alarms and leak alarms to notify you if the cold does harm something in your home. In fact, you can even get heat and moisture detectors to notify you if something as wrong inside the home. Security isn't just about keeping your home safe from the outside; if you don't live in it full time, problems can come from the inside too.

Remember, investing in your home before there is a problem could save you hundreds of thousands in the long run. Just as your car needs maintenance, so does your home, don't leave it uncared for!

Q: 

 What are the first steps I should go through to buying a home? Do I find a home first and through contacting the realtor do I figure out the mortgage and payments? Do I go to a bank and get a loan first? I have been renting for the past 10 years, I lead a simple life and my credit is ok. I've never had a loan for anything and I never owned a credit card. I know that makes it tough to gain credit without more than paying utilities/car payments etc. I noticed most homes ask for a certain percentage down, does that come out of the mortgage/loan, or would I need to have that from my own pocket? It's hard to make that jump from paying rent to saving 10's of thousands of dollars. I've heard of pre-qualifying, but I'm not sure where I go to for that either[as in a bank a mortgage company, etc.] I'm sorry for so many questions and examples, but like I said I am absolutely clueless.

A: 

Great questions. You can either contact a local Realtor and establish a relationship with them first – ask for referrals from people you know and trust, or search for one in your area on the internet and see who has good testimonials on their website. You can usually tell a little about their personality from their website. Don’t be shy about emailing or calling. Realtors love to talk to new potential clients, as well as past clients! The other option is to contact a lender first. In your case, since you don’t have much credit, you might be better to get in touch with a lender first so they can help you determine how much loan (house payment) you qualify for. Be prepared to give copies of bank statements, your past 2 years of tax returns, etc. so your lender can determine how much debt you have and how much income you make each year, etc. (your debt to income ratio). Once you have gone through these nitty gritty details, your lender will determine how much house you can afford. (This is what we mean when we say you are “pre-qualified” to purchase a home for $X amount.”) You don’t want to go looking at houses in the $250,000 range when you can only afford $150,000. The lender will also be able to tell you right away if you need to improve your credit score. A lack of credit will impact your score, so a good lender will pull your credit report and tell you how to improve it. While you’re improving your credit score and once you know how much you can afford (now or in the near future) you can start looking at houses online. Contact a Realtor as soon as you feel ready, and they’ll answer all your questions about homes in your area, making offers, earnest money, getting inspections, etc. As far as the down payment, you might be able to finance the entire purchase, but you have to have good credit to qualify for the right loans. Usually you need at least 3.5% down payment for the loan (for example, 3.5% of $100,000 is $3,500) up front, but everything really depends on the type of loan you get and the standard of practice for the area you live in. So call your local lender &/or mortgage company (can’t hurt to call more than one and find the right fit for your personality) and then find a Realtor you are comfortable with. Don’t  worry, you really can’t ask a stupid question. Ask all the questions you need until you have a good understanding of the process. Knowledge is power! And even though you may feel overwhelmed at the beginning, it’s worth it when you find a place to call your own.

-Stephanie Fairchild

We're here to answer your questions!

Q: What is an REO? What is a short sale? How are they different?

A: A REO is an acronym for real estate owned. It means that a lender has acquired a property through a foreclosure. A foreclosure happens when the homeowner stops making their payments and the bank takes the house back. Another name for a REO or foreclosed home is a bank owned home. While it does not take long to buy a  REO property, it usually needs repair (since the homeowner didn’t have the money to make the payments, they probably haven’t been maintaining it well either) and the bank provides no warranties whatsoever. When you purchase any home, you want to do a thorough inspection, and this is especially true when purchasing bank owned properties. You will save a lot of money on the initial purchase price, but you could also spend quite a bit on repairs. In some cases, you get lucky and find a REO that is in pretty good shape and doesn’t require too money on repairs.

A short sale is when a homeowner owes more on the mortgage than the property is worth. For example, a homeowner bought a house for $400,000. In this example let’s say they put a 20% down payment on the house, equal to $80,000, so the loan amount is $320,000. When this homeowner is ready to sell the house, they realize that all of their neighbors homes (all recent comparable sales) have sold around $300,000. In this example, the home owner is “short” $20,000 on the mortgage. If they don’t have this money available to pay off the mortgage, then they need to get the approval of the mortgage holder to approve the sale price and the $20,000 loss (deficiency.) The approval process from the bank can take a very long time…sometimes up to 6 months. So if the buyers are hoping to be moved in within 90 days, they shouldn’t be looking at short sales. In our local real estate market, when a buyer and seller have agreed to terms of the contract but are waiting on approval from the bank, we change the status in the MLS from “Active” (for sale) to “Kick Out.” If and when the bank approves the short sale, the status will change from “Kick Out” to “Pending.” A pending sale means that the property is under contract to purchase. Once the purchase is complete, the status changes one last time from “Pending” to “Sold.”

The other way that the “Kick Out” status is used is when a buyer wants to purchase a property but they need to sell their own home first. If the seller agrees to this arrangement, they can continue to market the property under the “Kick Out” status. In this case, it’s not the bank that can kick out the contract, it is the seller that can kick out the 1^st buyer if another buyer comes along that wants to buy the property right away. In this case, there is usually a short time period where the 1^st buyer can move forward with the purchase, if they have the funds or if they can qualify for the larger mortgage to do so.

What are your questions? Post them, we'll answer!

Outside:Curb appeal is huge. If you are a condo owner, you can't do a whole lot in this area, but try to make sure your outside lights have working bulbs, replace the entry mat, and keep your walkway swept (or shoveled.) As a homeowner, try to keep unsightly trash bins out of the way, children's toys picked up, and the lawn mowed. Sometimes, fresh stain or paint can perk a home up and create an inviting environment. Check that the doors all open and close smoothly, and all the locks are in working order. Do you have more than one car? Find somewhere else (the garage, work) to park for the day of the showing.

Inside: If the buyer accepts the outside of the home, you want to be sure they love the inside. It's tricky, especially if you are still living in your home. Try to keep the home orderly; no dirty dishes, children's toys put away, beds made, closets closed. This is important because if they buyer sees your home in complete shambles, they may think, "how has this person cared for the rest of the home? Have they ignored nagging problems like leaky roofs or moldy floor tiles?"

It is also important to keep your place neutral. Brightly colored walls may suit your tastes, but a neutral color is going to appeal to a wide range of buyers. Try replacing the carpeting or flooring that is worn out and dated.

Appeal to the senses! I know one woman that baked cookies in the morning if she knew there was a showing that day, just to make sure the home had an inviting smell. Watch out for pets; when you live with them, you usually can't smell them, but folks who maybe don't own a dog or cat often find the smell offensive. Make sure the blinds are in working condition for a  bright, open atmosphere, and the floors are vacuumed so the buyer does not have the unfortunate experience of feeling yesterday's cheerios or the dog's food underfoot.

Lastly, Depersonalize. This is often the hardest thing to do; we all love having family photos and cute nick knacks around the home.  However, having these objects around may stop a buyer from visualizing themselves in the home. Try to create a bright, open environment. It may feel bare to you, but it will allow the buyer to visualize their own belongings in the space.

Purchase price: $125,000

20% down payment: $25,000

$100,000 loan at 4.5% interest, 30 year amortization: $507/month

Taxes: $795/yr or $66/month

HOA fees: $330/month

Total Cost per Month:  $903

The next door unit is rented long term at $1,100/month.  So, with a $25,000 down payment, they will net about $2,400 per year, which is a 9.4% return on their investment, not counting any appreciation of the asset or tax benefits of depreciation.

The secret to this investment isn’t just that the prices have come down, but also that the interest rates are so low.  For every 1% increase in interest rate, the monthly payment increases more than 10%.  For instance, if interest rates rise to 6.5%, the monthly carrying cost increases to $1,028 and it’s not nearly as good of an investment.

Call Cam today if you are interested in looking at some good real estate investments.

The U.S. Pro Cycling Challenge is in Colorado! Today they are biking over Independence Pass near Aspen and tomorrow they bike from Avon (near Vail) to Steamboat Spring for Stage 5 of the bike race. The bikers, which include the top 3 finishers from the Tour de France, are expected to arrive in downtown Steamboat Springs between 3:30-4:00 tomorrow afternoon.

Prudential Steamboat Realty is one of the local sponsors of the event, and our own Stephanie Fairchild will be at the tent downtown. So stop by to say hello, chat about real estate, and enter to win a free cruiser bike. That's right, enter to win a 3 speed cruiser bike tomorrow! Ski Haus will also be at our tent giving away free ski demo vouchers. Tents will be lining the streets of downtown from the courthouse on 5th Street to about 10th Street. It should be a huge thrill to see these professional bike racers speed through town, and then watch the winner step onto the podium!

Steamboat Springs is the only town with an overnight stop, so the bikers will stay in town for the night and depart Saturday morning. You can watch them leave from the Meadows parking lot, or stake your claim on Rabbit Ears Pass (HWY 40) to see them climb up this pass on their way to Breckenridge for Stage 6. The last day is Sunday, when they bike from Golden to Denver.

 WIN THIS FREE BIKE!

You may be wondering why I am suddenly relating Steamboat to water. I wanted to share it because it occurred to me this morning that the "currents" of Steamboat are all slowing down. It's no longer a record winter with incredible powder, and it's also no longer one of the best high water river seasons I have ever seen in Steamboat (I can't even explain to  you how amazing the rafting has  been this year). So what is it? It's the lazy eddy days. It's time to float down the Yampa on our tubes, feel the sun on our bellies, and lazily wait for the trees to turn yellow and the snow to start falling. Right now, it is time to breathe. The mornings are crisp and cool, the evenings are producing amazing sunsets, and the days are still hot.

Some of you may not want to think about the upcomming winter, and some of you may be tubing in the Yampa with your Goggles on, working on the perfect pre-ski season goggle tan. If you're the latter, a little tip about today:

It's the last day to buy your pre-season (cheaper!!!!) season pass, DON'T MISS OUT!

Sadly, tomorrow prices will go up an additional $210.

See you tubing in the river....

First time ever……..

FREE CONCERT AT

STAGECOACH STATE PARK BEACH

WHEN:           WEDNESDAY, JULY 27

TIME:              6:45PM TO 8:45PM

WHERE:          STAGECOACH STATE PARK BEACH

THE OLD RIVER ROAD BLUEGRASS BAND!!!

Sample their music at:

facebook.com/pages/Old-River-Road/207569835939050

Donations to “FRIENDS OF STAGECOACH” via pass the hat to benefit Stagecoach State Park. Thank you in advance!

• Must have park pass to enter
• Only 3.2% alcohol allowed in the park
• Please no dogs at our first concert
• Bring your chairs, kids, parents, beach toys, blankets and dancing sandals. 
• S’Mores provided!!  Feel free to bring snacks.
• Play beach volleyball while listening to music
• Enjoy an evening of music in the sand overlooking the beautiful lake