8 DIY Projects To Add Value To Your Home By Labor Day

Be the first to the slopes on a powder day when you stay in these 1 bedroom Ski Trail Condos located directly under the gondola! When champagne powder accumulates on the Mt. Werner slopes after the sun sets, the next morning is guaranteed to be a frenzy of early risers seeking “first tracks.” Only steps away, you can skip warming your car or catching the bus and simply slide down the hill to Gondola Joe’s for some coffee before the crowds arrive.  Head home for lunch instead of waiting in lines for an expensive hamburger. Equipped with a gas fireplace to burn off the chills at the flip of a switch and a kitchen ready to heat up the hot chocolate for the kids, this cozy condo that can sleep 4 will have you rejuvenated to do it all again the next day. A personal storage locker for your skis saves you money at the slopes, and a common hot tub will melt away any snowflakes that still linger. In the summer, stretch your hikes until dusk knowing the safety of home is trail-side. Adjacent units can be joined to accommodate larger families. Owner financing available!

The lot is covered with  beautiful aspen trees and is on a hill/sloping topography. It’s up high in the subdivision so it has great views of Blacktail Mountain and even a direct view all the way to the Steamboat ski area. Located on a county maintained road (gravel) and has all of the utilities to the lot line.

This beautifully designed, 3 bedroom 3.5 bath townhouse will surprise you with its spacious rooms and affordable price. Located on Blue Sage Circle, this home enjoys a fantastic family neighborhood and the ideal proximity to town. A spacious kitchen with the distinguished accent of warm cabinets offset by dark rich counters in the heart of the home looks through a raised bar to the shared space of the dining room and living room. Dividing the two, a gas log fireplace both separates and warms these centerpiece living areas. Located on the main level, the master bedroom and an attached office space with patio exit accompany these luxurious rooms. Upstairs, 2 large bedrooms with sitting areas can be enhanced by their multi functional uses. Outfitted with wood blinds and beautiful finishes, detailed bathroom tile work, a 2-car garage, 3 outdoor porches to enjoy Steamboat’s beautiful summer weather and the space to find solitude or enjoy the company of your friends and family, this townhouse is a perfect find!

Three bedrooms, two bathrooms with one car heated garage and fenced back yard. Convenient location very close to the Yampa River Core Trail, Whistler Park, the free city bus stop and even the ski mountain base. Great floorplan with one bedroom and bathroom on the main level as well as the garage, laundry and the open kitchen/dining/living room area. Excellent updates include new wood and tile floors, all new stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, new front loading steam washer and dryer, new energy efficient lighting, and new wood blinds throughout. The backyard offers a deck that is the perfect spot for your BBQs, plus the fenced yard is ideal for the kids and pets. Take a closer look at this gem. No HOA fees!

Come live, rent out, or play in this spacious 3 bedroom townhome located minutes away from Mt. Werner! Whether you are planning to stay full time, keep this townhome as your mountain get-away, or rent it out, you will find it fully equipped for fun all year long. With a private grill, porch, and complex swimming pool to beat the heat in the summer, and a beautiful gas log fireplace and complex hot tub to burn off any chills in the winter, you’ll always feel pampered and at home. A beautiful open floor plan on the main floor and large windows to let in the morning sunlight guarantee you will never feel crowded no matter the number staying with you amidst the plush leather furniture centered around the stone hearth, the dining room table that seats 6, or the spacious kitchen with a center bar and island sink. Vaulted ceilings open the wide floor plan to a cheerful master bedroom upstairs, complete with walk-in closet and a master bathroom with a very inviting jet tub. Downstairs there is a laundry room and plenty of room for additional visitors; 2 bunk beds in one room can sleep 6 and a third bedroom could make for a private room or be shared. With an ideal mountain location and Mt. Werner views, a storage closet for skis, and easy access to bike paths, this could be your home away from home or your full time residence.

This unique 3,267 sq. ft. riverside live/work space is perfect for an artist in need of a studio, or a mechanic who needs a large garage. Quietly sitting at the end of the block, this property offers .23 acres, a detached garage, and the main work-space garage that is situated just underneath the 3-bedroom living space. The large work garage has a half bathroom, an office complete with a counter, and additional back rooms perfect for organizing your projects. Don’t expect a boring living space that just happens to be above a great, open work area, because this home has character! In the living room, extra space is gained with a special nook for the couch and wood burning stove, and the tall ceilings extend to the second floor where the master bedroom enjoys the open space of a large loft, complete with a wall of windows that let in beautiful natural lighting. Wood floors, a wood burning stove, and romantic red walls accent the platform that hosts the bed with 2 floor-to ceiling decorative columns. Downstairs are two more bedrooms and a cute kitchen, which leads to the best surprise yet out the sliding glass doors. Attached, a huge back deck overlooks the Yampa River and its plethora of relaxed tubers and peacefully grazing horses, and is also afforded a splendid view of Mt. Werner. Don’t forget the charming tree house with its appealing bridge from the porch to its front door; with its easy access, youngsters can enjoy a place of their own and hang out on their own tiny porch or enjoy the tire swing. Come live, work, and play at this great riverside location!

Be the first to the slopes on a powder day when you stay in these 1 bedroom Ski Trail Condos located directly under the gondola! When champagne powder accumulates on the Mt. Werner slopes after the sun sets, the next morning is guaranteed to be a frenzy of early risers seeking “first tracks.” Only steps away, you can skip warming your car or catching the bus and simply slide down the hill to Gondola Joe’s for some coffee before the crowds arrive.  Head home for lunch instead of waiting in lines for an expensive hamburger. Equipped with a gas fireplace to burn off the chills at the flip of a switch and a kitchen ready to heat up the hot chocolate for the kids, this cozy condo that can sleep 4 will have you rejuvenated to do it all again the next day. A personal storage locker for your skis saves you money at the slopes, and a common hot tub will melt away any snowflakes that still linger. In the summer, stretch your hikes until dusk knowing the safety of home is trail-side. Adjacent units can be joined to accommodate larger families.Owner financing available!

            Timberline at Trappeur’s Crossing resort offers a peaceful escape from the hustle of everyday life with this 4 bedroom 4 bathroom condominium.  This furnished end unit has fantastic natural light that pours through the large windows and casts a warm glow on the vaulted ceilings.  The bedrooms are appointed with sleeping for 8 and the unit includes a stacked dryer and washer to keep even the busiest household tidy. The open floor plan allows for conversation between the kitchen and dining area, and a gas fireplace with 2 faces exposed and timber accents allows warmth to flow through the home. The resort offers premier amenities such as an indoor/outdoor heated pool, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, fitness center, tennis, guest lounge and private, on-call winter shuttles. From your spacious deck, enjoy overlooking your family frolicking poolside or the beautiful Mt. Werner that is only minutes away. The unit also includes a ski locker to keep wet skis and boots out of your home and ready for the slopes.  Venture down to the common area where you will be pampered with the outdoor/indoor pool and hot tubs and a beautiful grilling area with seating and lounge chairs. Whether you’re looking for rental income or a place to call home, you’ll absolutely love owning this magnificent unit at Timberline.

msnbc.com listed us at #6:

6. Over the Edge, Steamboat Springs, Colo.
For travelers looking for an elegant place to call home after a day out on the slopes, Over the Edge offers the perfect blend of fun and luxury. With fourteen foot high ceilings, a rooftop deck lookout, and three spacious living areas, travelers will have plenty of space to unwind. For nightly entertainment, the property also features a home theater with a 140-inch screen and an indoor recreation room equipped with a basketball court. Check out our listing for this home! http://www.visualtour.com/show.asp?t=2116357

Want to know who else made the list? Read the rest of this article at: 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38276921/ns/travel-luxury_travel/

A City Council that just 3 years ago placed a temporary moratorium on vacation home rentals in Steamboat is now poised to actually relax home rental fees and loosen parking regulations for vacation rentals in Steamboat. The City Council says it has no interest in taking up the more contentious issue of whether to allow or disallow rentals. They say they understand the importance of home rentals for the local Steamboat economy. The Council would like to support the nearly 75 vacation rentals by reducing the permit fees from $50 for each bedroom to a flat $50 annual fee. Qualified property managers could also be allocated up to 6 outdoor parking permits. The issue of vacation home rentals continues to be contentious. Many locals opposing the rentals showed up at the Council meeting asking for the City to again consider banning rentals in Steamboat. City staff will draft an ordinance for the Council to consider in the coming weeks.

April housing statistics are very strong, but will they last?

Housing statistics for April 2010 improved in many areas. Many of those improvements are directly related to the April 30 deadline to take advantage of the government’s home buyer tax credit. Now that the deadline has passed, we are all anxious to see what is in store for the housing market. Some experts believe that the seasonal increase that usually happens during the summer came early; that the tax credit didn’t necessarily bring more buyers, but instead prompted buyers who would have bought this summer to buy sooner. David M. Blitzer, Chariman of the Index Committe at Standard & Poor’s, predicts, “Now that the tax incentive ended on April 30th, we don’t expect to see a boost in relative demand” (www.standardandpoors.com).

Keeping in mind that Real Estate is local and that these predictions will come true in some areas, not at all in others, and mildly in others, we all wonder if these numbers are the beginning or the end of a positive trend. Below are the highlights of what happened in Colorado Real Estate during March and April.

    •  Denver’s sold prices improved 4.1 percent from March 2009 to March 2010, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index.
    •  The average sold price for residential and condominium sales in the Denver Metro area increased 7.3 percent from April 2009 to April 2010. The average sold price increased slightly 0.7 percent from March 2010 to April 2010.
    •  The sales volume for residential and condominium sales in the Denver Metro area increased 23.5 percent from April 2009 to April 2010. It increased 16.3 percent from March 2010 to April 2010.
    •  The inventory of residential homes and condominiums for sale in the Denver Metro area at the end of April was 20,943 homes. This represents a 5.0 month-supply at the current sales pace.
    •  The number of residential homes and condominiums which were under contract increased 27.6 percent from April 2009 to April 2010.
    •  The average list price of residential homes and condominiums fell 12.5 percent from April 2009 to April 2010. In April 2009, the average list price was $477,255. In April 2010, it was $419,717.
    •  The percentage of listings sold increased 11.2 percent from March 2010 to April 2010.
    •  Average days on market during April 2010 was 80 days -- the lowest it’s been all year.

Source: Denver Metrolist. Based on Information from Metrolist, Inc. for the period 4-1-2009 through 4-30-2010. NOTE: This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by Metrolist, Inc. Metrolist, Inc does not guarantee nor is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by Metrolist, Inc. may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. More information can be found at: www.standardandpoors.com

New home sales jump up
National new home sales increased 14.8 percent in April to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 504,000 units, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Chief Economist David Crowe analyzes the jump in new home sales, “It stands to reason that this activity will level off over the next few months, as sales that would have occurred during that time were likely pulled forward to meet the April deadline. That said, today’s favorable home buying conditions, the recovering job market and reviving consumer confidence should help take the place of tax incentives to generate buyer demand.” (www.nahb.org). In the West, new home sales rose 21.7 percent during April 2010.

The chart below shows the national trend in new homes sales since June 2008, which illustrates the recent increase in new home sales.


Source: U.S. Census Bureau. More information can be found at: www.census.gov


Homes still sell in less than 30 days
Is it really possible for a home to sell in less than thirty days in this market?

Even though it may seem hard to believe, it is possible. Sellers and buyers must remember that the home that is priced right and shows well, from the very first day it is listed, is the one that sells right away. There is a small window of opportunity at the beginning of a listing, in which the home has the best chance of selling for the most amount of money. It is critical to have your home priced right during that time in order to make the most money possible on your home. This is true in every market.

The chart below illustrates the days on market for residential homes and condominiums that sold in the Metro Denver area between January 1, 2010 and April 30, 2010.
 
In our current market, thirty-eight percent of homes sold in thirty days or less.



Source: Denver Metrolist. Based on Information from Metrolist, Inc. for the period 1-1-2010 through 4-30-2010. NOTE: This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by Metrolist, Inc. Metrolist, Inc does not guarantee nor is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by Metrolist, Inc. may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.


By the numbers 

14.8% - The increase in new home sales throughout the nation between March 2010 and April 2010. Sales increased 47.8 percent from April 2009 to April 2010. - www.Census.gov

$250,605 - The average sold price of residential homes and condominiums in the Metro Denver area for April 2010, which is 7.3 percent above the April 2009 average when it was $233,482. - www.MyMLS. com 

23.5% - The increase in the number of Metro Denver area residential homes and condominiums sold from April 2009 to April 2010. During April 2010, there were 4,188 sold. - www.MyMLS. com

7.6% - The increase in existing-home sales, including single-family, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops in the nation between March 2010 and April 2010. The 5.77 million-unit level in April 2010 was 22.8 percent above the 4.70 million-unit level in April 2009. - www.Realtor.org


11.5% - The increase in the nation’s total housing inventory from March 2010 to April 2010. At the end of April 2010, there were 4.04 million existing homes available for sale. This represents an 8.4-month supply at the current sales pace. - www.Realtor.org

$173,100 - The national median existing-home price for all housing types in April 2010. The median price is up 4.0 percent from April 2009. - www.Realtor.org

$173,400 - The national median existing single-family home price in April 2010; 4.5 percent higher than it was in April 2009. - www.Realtor.org

7.4% - The increase in single-family home sales in the nation from March 2010 to April 2010. Sales rose to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 5.05 million - that’s 20.5 percent more than the 4.19 million-unit rate in April 2009. - www.Realtor.org

$171,000 - The national median existing condo price in April 2010, which was 0.6 percent lower than it was in April 2009. - www.Realtor.org

9.1% - The jump in existing condominium and co-op sales for the nation from March 2010 to April 2010. Sales in April 2010 were at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 720,000 units;  42.3 percent higher than the 506,000-unit sales pace in April 2009. - www.Realtor.org

5.2% - The increase in existing-home sales in the West from April 2009 to April 2010. Sales in April 2010 were at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 1.21 million; 6.2 percent lower than they were in March 2010. - www.Realtor.org

$212,400 - The median existing-home sales price in the West during April 2010, which was 3.8 percent higher than it was in April 2009. - www.Realtor.org

Vital signs




Sources: Denver Metrolist,  Freddie Mac, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment Based on Information from Metrolist, Inc. for the period 1-1-2009 through 4-30-2010. NOTE: This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by Metrolist, Inc. Metrolist, Inc. does not guarantee nor is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by Metrolist, Inc. may not reflect all real estate activity in the market."

This is positive news for markets like Steamboat Springs real estate.  We're seeing a similar increase in showings over the past few months and we are just starting to enter the busy summer selling season.

Read the full article here!

Digital photography and virtual tours allow us the ability to serve clients like never before. Our digital photos are used across multiple websites and print media and allow us to present a very realistic description (albeit a visual one) of the property.  Digital images can also be stitched to create panormic images that combine to make a virtual tour of the home, which buyers find helping when reviewing options online.

Here are some statistics that demonstrate how Realtors® are using digital cameras:

96% of all REALTORS® use a digital camera
56% of REALTORS® Web sites feature virtual tours
92% of homebuyers find virtual tours to be very or somewhat useful

Frequency of use of digital cameras:
Daily  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  27%
A few times per week . . .  29%
A few times per month . . . 32%
A few times per year . . . . 8%
Rarely or never . . . . . . . . 4%

Source: 2008 NAR Member Profile, (National Association of REALTORS®, 2008)

It is still early in the 2010 construction season, but indications from the Routt County Regional Building Department could portend silence where once nail guns and circular saws punctuated the air over Steamboat Springs.

Through February, building department statistics show that building permits issued in Routt County through the second month of the year had a combined valuation of more than $4 million.

“From 2000 to 2010, permits issued in January and February accounted for 6.l55 percent of the total (annual) valuation,” Building Department Official Carl Dunham said. “If it turns out that we did 6.155 percent in January and February this year, it would project to $61 million for the year, and that would be off $15 million from the year before,” when Routt County building permits had a valuation of $76 million in 2009.

It should be noted that valuation for building permit purposes is not the same as the retail value of a building or remodeling job.
Dunham said that through the first two months of the year, his office has conducted 22 plan reviews that could turn into building projects. The average number for January and February combined is 35 plan reviews.

The largest job on the horizon is the third phase of terminal improvements at Yampa Valley Regional Airport in Hayden, Dunham said. Hopefully, he said, some local construction workers will find employment with the out-of-town contractor preparing to reconstruction Lincoln Avenue/U.S. Highway 40 in downtown Steamboat.

When January/February numbers for building permits in the city of Steamboat Springs are broken out, the figures are less encouraging.
Through the end of February, the valuation of permits issued was $1.7 million, and that didn’t include any permits for a single-family home. Half of the total could be attributed to four permits for alterations or additions to buildings other than homes with an aggregate permit valuation of $775,000.

Another $702,000 was attributable to two home remodels permitted in January. There was also a permit issued for a retaining wall with a valuation of just more than $100,000 in January. And that’s been it.
The Steamboat totals for the first two months of 2010 stand in stark contrast to 2008, when the number stood at $12.5 million. It was $6.8 million for the first two months of 2009.

However, Dunham said the 2008 number was influenced by permits for the above-ground construction of the condominium tower at One Steamboat Place, which had spent much of 2007 building a massive foundation.

Dean Vogelaar, president of the Steamboat branch of Mountain Valley Bank, agreed with Dunham.

“Based on how things have gone, it’s something we would have considered to be predictable,” Vogelaar said. “People in finance and construction are not terribly surprised. In 2008, there were projects on the books with commitments for financing already in place. In 2009, there were still projects that were already in place.”
Routt County outside of Steamboat Springs saw permits issued for three single-family homes with a combined valuation of $1.9 million in January and February.

Those figures do not reflect activity in the town of Hayden, which has its own building department.

Give it a test drive and see what you think!  Just like flipping the pages of your favorite magazine but without the paper cuts.  ENJOY!

The best real estate deals are to be had when the inventory is highest (which it is now) and the competition amongst buyers is low.  These factors support the fact that this is a good time to buy.