Mix and Karen Beauvais have announced the sale of Coldwell Banker Silver Oak, the real estate brokerage they founded and have operated for 22 years in Steamboat Springs, to Todd Conklin, of Coldwell Banker Distin­ctive Properties in Ketchum/Sun Valley, Idaho.

The Beauvaises will remain active in the Steamboat office, where she will be the broker of record.

Conklin promised in a written news release to provide job growth in the Steam­boat area with the addition of associate brokers and support staff for training and marketing.
Conklin, who pursued a career in marketing consultation and sales training before entering the real estate business a decade ago, said he sees opportunities in the current resort real estate market.

“Clearly, the local and resort markets around the country have been impacted by the economy, but there are incredible opportunities for both buyers and sellers. The key to seizing these opportunities for buyers and sellers today is to have an edge that an international brand and a resort market specialist like Coldwell Banker Distinctive properties deliver. That edge was recently acknowledged by The Wall Street Journal/Real Trends Top 400 real estate professionals list, where there were more Coldwell Banker agents featured than any other firm.”

Coldwell Banker Silver Oak was founded in August 1988 and has participated in more than 4,500 real estate sales during the past 22 years. During that time, the Beauvaises were recognized with the Office Manager Award for Excellence, and many agents in the brokerage have earned the top honors of International President’s Elite Agents.
Conklin said he is a believer in the Coldwell Banker brand.

“I am thrilled to be the new owner of Coldwell Banker Silver Oak, now Distinctive Properties, and to have the opportunity to continue to work with Karen and Mix,” Conklin said. “Having spent many years working in real estate, and specifically within the luxury resort market, I have a unique understanding of the market and the ever-changing needs of today’s homebuyers, sellers and the brokers that serve them. When the opportunity arose to be part of one of the oldest and most successful real estate companies in the area, I jumped at the opportunity.”

One of my favorite events.  If you can’t be here in person, check out this video from 2008.  http://my.steamboat.com/video/2284251:Video:60 

It all began 36 years ago when Billy Kidd, Steamboat’s Director of Skiing, and Larry Mahan, six-time All-Around World Champion cowboy, decided to invite a few of the Pro-Rodeo stars to Steamboat for a day of skiing. The cowboys had such a great time that the Downhill has become the most popular event of the season with over 100 of the best professional rodeo cowboys competing in the most unique ski rodeo in the country. Sponsored by Bud Light, the Cowboy Downhill is always scheduled to coincide with the National Western Stock Show in Denver.

The Cowboy Downhill will a late afternoon event in 2010. Public Festivities run in Gondola square from 2:00 to 4:00pm in the Bud Light Tents and at the Bear River Bar & Grill, with live musical entertainment from Sundog. The Slalom will begin at 4:00pm with the Stampede to follow. The Cowboy autograph session begins at 5:30pm in the Steamboat Music Tent. We’ll wrap up the evening at 7:00pm with the Bud Light Cowboy Downhill Concert, also in the Steamboat Music Tent.

A visit to Steamboat. Having your realtor (more about realtors later) drive you around town will give you a feel for where your potential home is in relation to the rest of town. How close is the property to the ski mountain, to the downtown shops, to the airport, to the hiking trails. What is the neighborhood like?

Visit all the homes on your list. Don’t plan to do everything in one day. If you look at too many homes in one day, you will go crazy. Be sure to allow some time for enjoying Steamboat; after all the scenery, community and atmosphere will be playing as large a role in your life as your new home. Besides, you will want to have time to go back for second or even third viewings of your top choices.

Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask questions. If something seems too good to be true, ask why. If you like a certain area you hadn’t originally asked to see, find out if there are properties for sale.
Buying a home is a big decision to make, and I want to make sure you find what you want.

Hot air balloon rides over a frost covered landscape. Just another reason to buy real estate in Steamboat Springs.

Just type “real estate in Steamboat Springs” into your internet search engine and see how many results there are! And guess what, they all have the same listings. Some have more features than others, but the basic results will be the same. Feel free to browse the nationwide search engines listed below, or simply check out the search feature on my site at:

www.steamboatexpert.com/search_listings

There is a quick search option, an advanced search (which lets you choose a neighborhood or even a specific subdivision) and the map option. Either way, the results will be shown on an interactive map, so you can zoom in and out, to see exactly where the home is located.

Once you’ve found a property of interest, feel free to contact me with any questions. In addition to the search results, I can let you know lot size, how long the property has been on the market, annual property taxes, year built, last remodel, and whether or not furniture is included. If there are any other details you would like to know about, shoot me an email or give me a call and I’ll get you the information you’re looking for.

Nationwide Search Engines
www.realtor.com www.oodle.com
www.homebase.com www.trulia.com
www.zillow.com www.realestateyahoo.com
www.frontdoor.com www.cyberhomes.com.

Hills covered with golden aspens. Just another reason to buy real estate in Steamboat Springs.

No matter whether you can afford $30,000 for a timeshare, $250,000 for a small condo near the mountain, $1,500,000 for a luxurious ski-in/ski-out condo, or $20,000,000 for the ultimate ranch on the valley floor, you need to establish a general range. And remember, you don’t have to spend the maximum.

When trying to decide your budget, consider a couple of factors:

• Are you paying cash?
• Do you need a loan? If so, stay tuned for an upcoming blog on local Mortgage bankers.
• Do you plan to rent out the property to generate some cash flow?
• In addition to the cost of the home, remember you will have ongoing maintenance fees.
• There may be a Home Owner Association with monthly fees that take care of maintenance of communal space.
• Other routine maintenance charges include lawn care, snow plowing, property taxes, insurance, cleaning, electricity and ranch manager among others.

Once you determine your price range, start looking. Stay within your budget and know that there is a property that’s what you’re looking for in your price range. It’s a buyer’s market in Steamboat and there are over 1,500 houses, condos, townhomes, timeshares, ranches and vacant parcels for you to choose from.

We play as hard as we work. Just another reason to buy real estate in Steamboat Springs.

Yay! Opening day is on the way!

And it’s Scholarship Day.  Revenues from the day’s specially priced lift tickets benefit the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Scholarship Fund.

Scholarship Day has raised over $525,000 since 1991/92. This fund provides financial support for deserving local children participating in Club programs.

The Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club is one of the oldest and most recognized ski clubs in the United States and has named,  three unprecedented times, the United States Ski & Snowboard Association’s Club of the Year (2007, 2004,1999).

For more info on the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, click here.

One of the biggest differences between buying a home in the USA versus in most other countries is the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)

An MLS represents a cooperation of realtors in a given area. One of the major purposes of an MLS is to provide accurate data about properties for sale in the area. In our area, the Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors, regulates our MLS. Almost every realtor in the area is a member, and with few exceptions, all properties for sale in the area are listed on the MLS.

Two major benefits for you, a buyer are:

• I can represent you in your purchase of any property here. It doesn’t matter whether the home is my personal listing or that of any other member of the MLS. We cooperate with each other.

 

• When you search the properties on my website, you will see property listings of all the members of the Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors. You do not need to check every website for every realtor in town. You have the advantage of viewing all properties without having to visit multiple brokers to find a variety of properties.

The Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors regulates our MLS and all its members. The mission statement is:

• To enhance the ability and opportunity of members to conduct their business successfully, ethically and profitably.

 

• To promote and preserve the right to own, transfer and use real property.

 

• To increase REALTORS’ professionalism, skills, knowledge, and community involvement.

 

• To enhance the public’s awareness and confidence in REALTORS.

Life is great here. Just another reason to buy real estate in Steamboat Springs.

The internet has simplified the scouting process for finding a home. Type ‘Steamboat’ and ‘Homes for Sale’ into your search engine and no doubt you will be given pages and pages of results.  Almost all of the 400 Realtors in Steamboat have their own website with search options.  The one thing to keep in mind about these websites, is that virtually all of them search the local MLS, which is a database of properties listed by members of the Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors.  (See the next blog for details on the MLS)

If looking through all the results seems overwhelming, talk to a knowledgeable local Realtor, like me, about what you want in a house.

My website, www.steamboatexpert.com, offers all the latest listings through the Search option.

• Think about how much you want to spend.
• Think about where you want to be located. Do you want a ski-in/ski-out condo? Or are you looking for a ranch setting 5 miles from the slopes? Maybe you prefer the ultimate in seclusion with 500 acres 30 miles from town?
• Think about your activities. Do you want to have horses? Are you an avid hiker looking for trails from your back yard? Do you want a garden? Do you want a condo where all maintenance is handled for you? Do you want a swimming pool? What about a hot-tub? Do you want to have horses and need a barn?
• Think about the size of home you want. Do you want 5 bedrooms so all your friends and family can visit? Do you have lots of kids, so you need room for them and their toys?

A realtor can help sort through the many options and email listings that match your wants. This will narrow down your search to a more manageable list.

Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask questions. If something seems too good to be true, ask why. If you like a certain area you hadn’t originally asked to see, find out if there are properties for sale. This is a big decision to make, and speaking for brokers, we want to make sure you find what you want.

Life is great here.  Just another reason to buy real estate in Steamboat Springs.

Pass the Bread is not a fundraising event, but rather an awareness raising event designed to bring people together at different gatherings on the same day.  Volunteer hosts use the sharing of meals as a catalyst for community building among the diverse residents of Routt County. 

The unusual aspect of Pass the Bread is that the invitation list of volunteer hosts includes both friends and community members the hosts have not yet met.

Imagine a get-together where you know one or two other people, but it’s your first chance to meet most of the folks there.  Maybe the get-together is a patio party and only singles have been invited.  Or perhaps it is a potluck where people representing every decade (in age) from the 20’s through the 70’s have been invited.  It might even be a brown-bag lunch in the park.

Most of us agree that what we have in Routt County is unique – a stronger sense of community and connectedness than other places we may have lived. 

For more info check out:  Pass the bread

Life is great here.  Just another reason to buy real estate in Steamboat Springs.

Lincoln is closed to traffic from 4pm on with the trick or treating starting at 5pm. The event lasts until 7 pm or whenever the candy runs out. This is a FREE community event.

For more information, contact MainStreet Steamboat Springs, 970-8460-1800 or mainstreetsteamboat@comcast.net.

Life is great here.  Just another reason to buy real estate in Steamboat Springs.