Wed, November 19th, 2008

COLORADO
Keystone
Breckenridge
Copper Mountain
Dillon
Frisco
Silverthorne

Arapahoe Basin was first in the nation to open along with Loveland Ski Area. A-Basin opened the 2008-09 season with Exhibition Lift opening at 9 a.m. with an 18-inch base. An opening day lift ticket was $49 for adults. Officials at Arapahoe Basin estimated as many as 3,000 skiers and snowboarders came for opening day. Skier visits at A-Basin have set records over the past few years, and the country’s oldest ski area has expanded parking and a new pedestrian underpass beneath Highway 6 is due to be finished soon.

The Summit County Open Space and Trails Department held its fifth annual Volunteer Recognition Evening on Oct. 1, honoring volunteers who provided 3,375 hours of time, building more than 10,800 feet of new trails, maintained 6,000 feet of existing trails and helped monitor and maintain 26 miles of recreation paths and more than 5,000 acres of open space properties.

In spite of the turmoil in the financial markets, the Summit County real-estate market remains strong. Prices of properties are holding up and well priced properties are still selling quickly. Don't wait any longer, now is the time to put your property on the market. Contact our office for a Free Market Analysis of your property.

Colorado wildlife and conservation groups hosted the Colorado Conservation Summit in Keystone. The summit looked at population growth, development and gas and oil production and the loss of state farmland to develop short-term and long-term strategies for preserving wildlife. Information at: www.conservationsummit.org.

Vail Resorts has created a new program to help visitors offset baggage fees. The Baggage Bailout program will give a $50 credit to skiers/boarders at Vail Resorts’ mountains this year if they stay for four nights.

Would you like to experience and enjoy the year round activities that Summit County has to offer? Start making family memories now, while staying in your own mountain property. To look at ScenicWest's current listings, click here.

The complete Climate Change in Colorado: A Synthesis to Support Water Resources Management and Adaptation study is available online at the Colorado Water Conservation Board site: http://cwcb.state.co.us/

Vail Resorts will cut 5,000 to 7,000 lodgepole trees on Vail Mountain to reduce the danger of the gondola being hit by falling trees or a fire. The pine-beetle infestation is the cause of the tree-cutting west of the gondola and above the top of Chair 8.

Conforming loans are at 6.08% for 30-year fixed loans. If you are thinking about buying, do it now, and lock in at the current interest rate. Call our office for more information: 1-800-479-2040. Rates are available at ScenicWest's Rate Page.

The state of Colorado has received $53 million under the federal National Stabilization Program to buy and redevelop foreclosed and abandoned homes. The program ends Sept. 30, 2011. Nationwide, the program provides $3.9 billion in community block grants.

In the financial rescue plan approved by the Senate, lawmakers added the extension of the renewable energy production tax credit and the solar energy and fuel cell investment tax credit for 8 years. The bill also expands the residential energy-efficient property tax credit to include small wind equipment and geothermal heat pumps.

Our website offers FREE information. Go to our home page for information on Summit County resort activities, Colorado real estate offered by ScenicWest, tools for your real-estate needs, such as a mortgage calculator, and new projects.

Red, White and Blue Fire Rescue held an open house to teach students and parents about the importance of fire safety, as part of National Fire Prevention Week. In addition to the open house, Red, White and Blue will hold over 40 classes for kids from kindergarten through the fifth grade covering all aspects of fire safety. Complete information at: www.rwbfire.org.

Would you like to be able to enjoy mountain biking on numerous trails, walking to world class skiing, fly fishing in the rivers and golfing on one of the many championship courses? Don't hesitate! If you have ever considered purchasing a mountain property in beautiful Colorado, buy now, and start enjoying your new mountain home.

Elk hunters were in the field for Colorado’s big-game rifle seasons. This year is expected to bring some $2 billion in direct and secondary spending in Colorado.

The Copper Mountain Resort announced it will open a week earlier, on Nov. 7, and offer top-to-bottom skiing available on Main Vein, which will be covered with man-made snow in time for the opening. There are still a variety of activities planned for the weekend of Nov. 14-16. Keystone and Breckenridge are also planning Nov. 7 openings. Vail plans to open November 21st and Beaver Creek on November 26th.

If you have ever thought about marketing your property, contact our office. We will give you a Free Market Analysis of your property.

Ski, ride and rock out into the night as Keystone celebrates the return of winter in the Rocky Mountains. Kick off the season with a FREE concert series right next to their new state-of-the-art River Run Gondola! Take some turns and listen to music under the lights for a truly exceptional night skiing experience. The celebration continues off the mountain in the River Run Village with parties. The bands and dates are:
November 21 — Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
November 28 — DeVotchKa
December 5 — Girl Talk

The demand for world-class, four-season properties is great. The time to act is now. Keystone Resort has positioned itself to become one of North America's leading destination mountain resorts. It continues to evolve into a world-class, four-season, vacation destination. The area offers many opportunities to purchase a mountain retreat, from ski-in, ski-out condos to secluded mountain homes and homesites. Visit our web page for more information. ScenicWest Home Page

More than 225,000 wild horses and burros have been adopted since 1971 through the Wild Horse and Burro Program of the Bureau of Land Management. If you’re interested in adopting a wild horse, the BLM specifications are available here.

The ski season has just begun! If you have ever considered purchasing a mountain property in beautiful Summit County, Colorado, don't hesitate! These opportunities will not be around for long. Buy now before interest rates go higher, and the selection of properties on the market goes down.

The National Association of Realtors reported that sales of homes rose by 5.5% from August to September, the biggest percentage gain in more than five years. Although sales were up, the median sales price dropped to $191,000, down 9% from a year ago. Prices in Summit County continue to rise, as we have reported earlier.

Don't Miss Out! Own the Mountain Getaway you have always dreamed of, and benefit from the tremendous increase in property values that are just around the corner!
Please call for more information:
(800) 479-2040 or (970) 468-5600
Or E-mail info@scenicwest.com

The information provided herein is provided from various sources. These are tips which seem to be good ideas, products or services. ScenicWest Real Estate Company is providing this information as a matter of convenience. It has not verified the correctness of the information, or tested or used the services or products mentioned herein. Interested individuals should fully investigate products or services they may be interested in on their own.