The new plaza in front of One Steamboat Place will house the new Steamboat Ski School ticket office, a high-end ski shop, and a small market. The small pulse gondola connecting Wildhorse Meadows will terminate here, too.
Dining at the Truffle Pig, One Steamboat Place’s high-end restaurant, will have to wait as it is not scheduled to open this ski season. (So book your reservations for Cafe Diva now.)
USA Today published an article about Steamboat Springs recently entitled, “Still a ski town, but with so much more”.
Anyone who has spent time here in Steamboat knows it’s a great place to visit. It’s an even better place to live–even if you can only manage part time.
Some of the reasons people love living here are, of course, the snow and the less-crowded ski mountain, although locals will tell you it’s the true sense of community, the real town, the off-the-beaten-path location (Steamboat isn’t an exit off an interstate highway–you have to want to be here), and the people from every corner of the world.
The people are laid-back and non-pretentious, and are just as likely to wear jeans made by Carhartt than True Religion.
The Yampa River Botanic Park is a must-see if you are in Steamboat during the spring, summer, or fall. It’s located between downtown Steamboat and the Steamboat Ski Area and can be accessed from the Core Trail or Pamela Lane (turn by Freshies and Mt. View Car Wash, then turn left on Pamela Lane).
The Botanic Park is the ever-changing display of perennials that always look good.
The Steamboat Springs growing season is short–56 days–because we live in a valley where cold air can settle. In fact, Leadville (at 10,430 feet) has a longer growing season than we do.
There is no better place to enjoy the ponds, birds, and fragrant flowers. During the summer, you’ll find Strings in the Mountains performers playing at noon on Thursdays. Hundreds of people gather on the grass overlooking the pond and eat their lunch while enjoying the free concerts.
If you are riding bikes on the Core Trail, stop for a quick trip through the Botanic Garden to see what’s blooming or to spot a hummingbird darting around in the honeysuckle blossoms. Town volunteers meet weekly to keep the gardens in top shape, and they post what plants are at their peak on a blackboard right inside the Core Trail entrance.
The old real estate adage “location, location, location” is important, but here are a few others you might want to consider:
A garage, ideally with inside access to the house, to keep your car snow free during Steamboat winters
Wood and tile flooring (again, it’s a snow and mud-season thing)
A newer kitchen and bathrooms, or ones that can be updated
A home located away from busy streets with double yellow lines
A neutral color scheme and updated lighting fixtures.
Good natural light from plenty of windows and a good site plan.
Minimal levels and steps. Some older properties require going up or down a half a flight of stairs for each level.
Bathrooms on each level.
Plenty of storage for your kayaks, skis, bikes, and other toys.
If you would like more information about what Steamboat properties are the best values, contact us or call 970-819-6372. There are plenty of Steamboat properties on the market, and only a fraction of them are Steamboat Best Buys.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allows first-time Steamboat homebuyers to get up to an $8,000 tax credit if they purchase a home before Dec. 1, 2009. The tax credit does not have to be repaid as long as the property is not resold within three years.
$8000 is a lot of money–it can get you a brand-new kitchen and appliances in a Whistler Village Townhome or new furniture and accessories in a Sunray Meadow condo with garage.
When do I need to purchase my first Steamboat home to get the $8000 tax credit? You have to close before Dec. 1, which means you better get going if you want to buy a Steamboat home or
What is a Steamboat Springs “first-time homebuyer”? The law defines a “first-time homebuyer” as a buyer who has not owned a principal residence for 3 years.
What are other requirements to qualify? All U.S. citizens who file taxes can get the credit as long as your income is less than $75,000 a year for individuals and $150,000 a year for couples.
Can I use the tax credit toward my down payment or other closing costs? Yes. Buyers using an FHA-approved lender can sell their tax credit to the lender and use the proceeds to immediately apply the tax credit to any down payment above the minimum down payment of 3.5% required with FHA-insured mortgages.
Buying a house takes time, and first-time homeowners need to close by November 30th in order to get the $8000 home buyer incentive. And if you haven’t checked, November 30th happens to be a Monday. The Monday after Thanksgiving. (Did anyone in government even look at the calendar before picking that deadline???)
Counting back the weeks, here is what you need to consider if you are thinking of purchasing your first home:
With financing taking up to 45 days, you need to count backward on your calendar and leave a healthy 45-60 days to close on your home. You want to make sure you aren’t sweating on the 30th trying to transfer the deed due to one glitch or another. Because if you close on the 1st, you don’t get the $8000.
Also, you need to add a week or two in for negotiations with the seller. If you are buying a short sale property, add a couple of months.
Finally, you’ll want plenty of time to look at places and find the perfect one for you.
Add up the time and you can see that you better get moving (pun is intended) if you are going to buy your first home this year.
Call me at (970) 819-6372 or contact me to find out if purchasing a home is right for you.
As a Steamboat Realtor trying to stay ahead of the trends, I recently completed my Certified Distressed Property Expert certification to have a better knowledge of Steamboat area short sales and how to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.
If you are a Steamboat property owner who is behind on your payments and searching for options, selling your home in a short sale may be what you need to get out of debt and move forward.
Certified Distressed Property Experts (CDPEs) have reported a 49 percent decrease in the average time to complete a short sale after achieving the CDPE Designation, according to a new survey from the Distressed Property Institute. Before becoming a CDPE, the average time for these agents to close a short sale was 53.01 days, compared to 27.26 days after becoming a CDPE.
“No other real estate designation in the country can claim these results,” said Alex Charfen, co-founder and CEO of the Institute. “CDPEs are making a clear and definable difference in the real estate market by assisting distressed homeowners to stay in their homes or, when this is not possible, by helping them sell through a short sale.”
Many people behind on their mortgage (and nationwide it is 1 in 10 households) think foreclosure is their only option. Very few talk to a Realtor who has been trained in short sales about their options to save their credit while selling their house.
A successful Short Sale can impact a credit score by as little as 50 points if all other payments are made. The effect of a short sale on credit can be as brief as 12-18 months vs. at least 10 years for a foreclosure. Foreclosures also affect credit by lowering a score by 250-300 points.
The qualifications for a short sale include any or all of the following:
Financial Hardship – There is a situation causing you to have trouble affording your mortgage.
Monthly Income Shortfall – “You have more month than money.” A lender will want to see that you cannot afford, or soon will not be able to afford your mortgage.
Insolvency – The lender will want to see that you do not have significant liquid assets that would allow you to pay down your mortgage.
Steamboat saw a huge price increase and a record real estate year during the last year of free lending. Those mortgages are now being re-set and more people are falling behind.
The short sale process requires a lot more work than a straight sale, but having people able to get out from under the burden of debt while maintaining their credit score makes it worth it.
Please call Eliese at (970) 819-6372 to discuss listing your Steamboat home as a short sale.
Steamboat real estate activity has definitely picked up. I don’t know if interest is back because the papers are saying the recession is over or if people have regained their senses, but the buyers are back.
If you are thinking about purchasing a Steamboat condo or townhome as a second home, here are some things to consider:
Are you going to use it in the winter or do you want year-round local activities? What are those other activities (fly fishing, golf, hiking, biking, etc.) and how accessible are they to your location?
Will you use it enough and keep it long enough (at least 3-5 years) to justify the purchase compared to renting a condo?
How many amenities and on-site management do you want? Are you looking for shuttle service, pools, hot tubs, and tennis? Or are you okay with the bus route and a trip to the Old Town Hot Springs?
Do you want to be close to shopping, restaurants, and other amenities?
How close do you want to be to the ski slope? Are you okay hauling your gear on the shuttle or bus, or do you want to hand your skis to the ski concierge at a ski-in, ski-out location?
And the Biggie: How much do you want to spend? You’ll find huge differences in the available quality/locations in the marketplace.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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