Adventures in Boulder Mountain Real Estate

I love the mountains. Being close to the mountains was one of the reasons I moved to Boulder. I definitely am in the flat lands more often, and wouldn't want to do all my business in the mountains, but I get excited when clients contact me to look at mountain properties. Gives me a chance to get out there and take in some wide open vistas.

Showing properties in the mountains does have its unique, um, "moments." Many of the roads higher up in Boulder County are not paved - they're well-graded and well-maintained, but unpaved nonetheless. That means you're occasionally in for a rough ride depending on where you're going, and you always have to be on the lookout for washboards in the road (for those not in the know, that's a phenomenon where the road gets rutted like a washboard, and, if you're going too fast, can cause for some interesting unintentional maneuvers). Mostly, though, you can't complain about the roads. I give a lot of credit to the powers in charge for that.

What I AM going to complain about, though, :) is the occasional unkept driveway. Once you get off those county-maintained roads, it's a whole different animal. Most homeowners recognize the importance of access and keep them up. Others, not so much. When you're touring a bunch of properties and see a driveway that is just a rutted drop-off on the side of the road, it can give one a bit of heart palpitations (especially when you're by yourself, as I was yesterday, and there's no cell coverage). I think it's worth getting out and checking out the situation first before taking the plunge.  The picture here is of a driveway that at first, from the road, looked treacherous, but turned out to be nothing. But I was still glad for all-wheel drive!

Another thing unique to the mountains is that while GPS works, it's not nearly so accurate as it is in the flat lands. So, as a Realtor showing properties you become highly dependent on your knowledge of the area and the directions given to you by the listing agent. Giving directions in miles is most helpful; directions such as drive on Generic Rd. and look for red bridge not so much. How long on Generic Rd.? What shade of red?? It can truly be an adventure. But once the buyer finds their dream home/retreat, it's all worth it. True serenity can't be located with a GPS!