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Can I find an affordable home in Summit County Colorado?

By
Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Colorado Rockies Real Estate

Wildernest and Buffalo MountainIs there such a thing as affordable real estate in Summit County?  

One of the areas that is seen as a good value is Wildernest.   It is near Silverthorne, but not actually in the Town of Silverthorne.  Wildernest is a large subdivision that sits at the base of Buffalo Mountain.  (A great hike, by the way!)  There are a lot of condominium complexes on the hillside and it has more reasonably priced real estate in it than many other parts of Summit County.  The name is confusing as there is also a property management company named Wildernest, and they handle a lot of the properties there, but they are not exclusive to the Wildernest area.    You can see a list of properties they manage at http://www.wildernesthoa.com/.  There, they have all the Home Owner association documents online for the condo complexes and home owner associations managed by Wildernest Property Management. 

Salt Lick CondominiumsWhen people are looking to buy a condo as a short term rental, we suggest that they find one that has access to a hot tub, as many skiers like to soak in the hot tub at the end of the day and having it improves the rental income.  Some of the Wildernest complexes that fit that requirement are Timber Ridge, Buffalo Ridge, Buffalo Village, Treehouse, Snowscape, Gore Trail, Watch Hill, Salt Lick, Prospector Village and Forest Park.  Others that allow homeowners to have their own hot tubs are Miners Creek, Buffalo Mountain Townhomes, Saddle Ridge and most of the duplexes that are dotted over the mountain.  Condo complexes that don't have hot tubs are turning into local's housing, with second homes scattered among them.  Those are Aspen Shadows, Villamont, Silver Queen West, Silver Queen East, New Lamartine, Buffalo Woods, Snowbird, Woodworks and Summit Point.  A new townhome complex, Rolling Ridge, is now under construction at the base of Wildernest.  It will have roomy townhomes with garages that will be priced between $500,000 and $600,000. 

Summit Stage free bus serviceThe Summit Stage has a bus that services the area, connects with the Silverthorne busses, and from there enables people to access other parts of the county.  Wildernest is not far from I-70 and is central to the four ski areas in the county, being about 20 minutes from Keystone and Copper Mountain, and 25 minutes from Arapahoe Basin and Breckenridge.  Vail is only 30 minutes away in good weather. 

The names of subdivisions in Summit County are often similar to each other.  To make things even more confusing, nearby, in the National Forest, is the Eagles Nest Wilderness area, which people often call Wildernest.  There is also a subdivision named Wilderness (no T on the end)  in Breckenridge. 

If you are looking for a place has great space for the money, check out Wildernest.  In our MLS you would need to search the Silverthorne area, as the two areas are combined together.  Let us know if you have any questions.  We know the area well!

Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher
Joanne, Wonderful information about your beautiful area with those breathtaking views.  I'd bet many people would love a second home there they could afford.
Feb 10, 2008 10:32 AM
Thesa Chambers
West + Main - Bend, OR
Principal Broker - Licensed in Oregon
Joanne - great post and thank you - you as always inspire me - now I have a great idea for showing off the non resort areas of my area that make great vacation properties.... you rock
Feb 10, 2008 11:17 AM
Joanne Hanson
Coldwell Banker Colorado Rockies Real Estate - Frisco, CO
Summit County, Colorado Realtor
Hi Carole, it is wonderful living in this gorgeous place!  Second home owners get the best of both worlds with both their primary and second homes.
Feb 10, 2008 02:28 PM
Joanne Hanson
Coldwell Banker Colorado Rockies Real Estate - Frisco, CO
Summit County, Colorado Realtor
Thesa, you are very welcome!  I will have to go and take a look at your outside blog and see how you did it. 
Feb 10, 2008 02:29 PM
Steve Scheer
Realty Oasis - Metro Brokers - Highlands Ranch, CO
Highlands Ranch Real Estate - Denver Real Estate
Joanne, I have had more & more Denver folks ask me how on earth they can still afford a second home in the mountains.  I have suggested Wildernest as well.  We recently stayed in Timber Ridge and it was very nice.
Feb 11, 2008 12:48 AM
Joanne Hanson
Coldwell Banker Colorado Rockies Real Estate - Frisco, CO
Summit County, Colorado Realtor
Steve, Timber Ridge has some very nice condos, and two or three of their buildings have the best views in the county!  They are definitely more affordable than many other condos in the County.
Feb 11, 2008 01:01 AM
Joan Snodgrass
Midamerica Referral Network - Kimberling City, MO
Very interesting, Joanne.  I'm curious about prices on the 'affordable' Wildernest properties - under $500?
Feb 11, 2008 04:35 AM
Joanne Hanson
Coldwell Banker Colorado Rockies Real Estate - Frisco, CO
Summit County, Colorado Realtor
Actually, under $300,000 for some of them Joan...not bad for Summit County!
Feb 11, 2008 04:50 AM