April 2004 |
| Breckenridge
News Don’t believe the rumors, yes we have had an unusually warm spring and have watched the snow melt at an amazing rate but we are still open and the skiing ‘aint bad. Climatologic experts are saying that a dry March usually means a wet April so we could still get dumped on. Back during the 1984 April-May season we got fourteen feet in three weeks. Vail reopened after shutting down for the season! April is still a great time to be in town, probably the locals’ favorite. It’s warmer; we usually get big snowstorms and everything in cheaper. The lodging is about half the price, the lift tickets are the lowest of the season and the restaurants traditionally do two-for-one dinners. No guarantees on the free dinners or the snow but I do guarantee that a good time will be had by all. Back in February The Breckenridge Town Council voted 6-1 to impose a new ordinance banning smoking in all public buildings. The new ban follows the one the county commissioners passed in January and is consistent with the November vote in which voters favored a countywide ban on smoking in unincorporated areas by a 2-to-1 margin. For the X-generation the Mountain Dew Vertical Challenge ski and snowboard races will hold the finals at Breckenridge April 3 rd . The finals of the rail jam are that day too, so don’t miss it. It’s all part of the annual Spring Massive festival celebrating the best April skiing in the world at Breckenridge. |
| THE
LAST BASTION OF THE OLD WEST I published this story last summer but I am putting it up again to announce the debut of the most comprehensive Rocky Mountain rodeo guide online, go to: http://www.bestoftherockies.com/rodeo2004.html Driving across Colorado you marvel at the massive peaks, but after you have spent some time exploring you also marvel at the high plains and prairies. This is the land where the buffalo and the antelope still play. You can see real cowboys riding fences and doing round-ups. If you want to get a feel of the old west Colorado is home to an abundance of down home Rodeos that take you back in time. When you go to a small town rodeo like Buena Vista or the Chaffee County Fair you immediately get the sense that perhaps you have crashed someone else's family reunion. Everyone knows each other as well as most of the contestants who are local kids looking to score some points to make it to the next level. The good old vets from the local VFW will be working the snack stand so don't expect fast service because the social aspect is more important than the food. Instead of getting impatient thank the fine gentlemen for the sacrifice they made to preserve your freedom. Then be prepared for something you don't see enough of these days, which is the Benediction (oh no-public prayer) and The Star Spangled Banner where the crowd is proud to sing along. Don't be surprised by the patriotic speech about our great country and gratitude for those VFW guys. If it brings tears to your eyes to be proud that's OK, you probably won't be the only one. When the rodeo starts it's usually with mutton busting. If you are not familiar with this it is small kids, pre-kindergarten usually, trying to ride sheep. If they hang on for more than a few seconds they are sure to be a winner. If they don't they still get a trophy. It always provides some laughs and gets everyone in the mood. When the big kids ride you will quickly see that the animals are more experienced than the cowboys, but the crashes are the best part of rodeo. If someone makes it to eight seconds it is cause for a major ovation. Pay attention to the clowns who save uncounted lives every show while risking their personal safety by keeping the bulls away from the fallen riders. It takes lots of fortitude and savvy of bull intelligence to stay alive as a rodeo clown. Without them we would run out of bull riders pretty quick. After you’ve experienced the excitement of a few rodeos it gets in your blood. The sights, sounds and smells become a trigger for joy. Seeing the animals, hearing the cheers and catching the aroma of hot dogs and funnel cakes you know it has to be a rodeo...eventually you even learn to love the smell of the corrals. |
| SCHOOL
NEWS… First, the good news. The Summit High School speech and debate team went to the state tournament and took four individual honors as well as the state title. First place winners included: Kristen Voorhees for Value Debate, David Teot for humorous Interpretation, Evan Ratzen for Impromptu and Sandra DiBrito And Brittony Corneillier for Dramatic Duet. They move on now to the National Qualifiers. Coach Campbell says the team welcomes any individual who is willing to work hard, be accountable and be a productive member of a winning team. Also bringing home state championships were the boys and girls ski teams. This tallies up as the 27 th and 28 th for our ski teams. The boys’ Nordic team brought home first place and six of the top eleven spots. The girls’ slalom team took first as well as three of the top ten finishes. Depth is what won it for the Summit Tigers though; overall our skiers took seventeen of the top sixty spots the first day and thirteen the second day. Now on the not so bright side, on March 26 the school board terminated the contract of our first year superintendent. Coming in with excellent credentials things had not gone smoothly of late as the staff throughout the district put together a petition requesting her removal. The teacher’s union cited her as having an “uncollaborative managerial style”. According to their statement she was trying to bring too many changes without proper input from everyone involved. Assistant Superintendent Millie Hammer will take over as interim Super and long time employee Peggy Kastberg will be moved into the assistant’s position. Both of these ladies have been around the county, know the locals and will probably do an outstanding job. |
| SNOW
NEWS…IS GOOD NEWS The National Brotherhood of Skiers, the largest ski club in the U.S. will hold its 2005 summit in Vail, beginning Feb. 5. The Brotherhood held a mini-summit in Copper Mountain this year and it is estimated that the annual summit of the group's 10,000 active members will spend as much as $4.7 million into the economy of the host community. Among the inventions and adaptations in use today developed by the 10th Mountain Division: -Dehydrated meats and vegetables -Down-filled sleeping bags -Insulated, pac-style boots with rubber bottoms and leather tops -Compact, portable stoves -Tubular steel frame packs -Lightweight nylon tents-Synthetic climbing ropes -Cable bindings for back-country skis -Snowmobiles and snow-track vehicles -Modern avalanche control and mountain rescue litters and techniques -Denver Post, 02.16.04 This is melted snow news, Colorado's rafting industry reported a 45% increase in user days in 2003, jumping from 319,562 user days in 2002 to 463,421 user days in 2003, the largest annual increase in 15 years. The Colorado River Outfitters Association estimated the economic impact of commercial rafting in Colorado in 2003 at $116 million. If you want to get the best out of your raft trip this year it is looking like mid-May is when the run-off is going to peak. This could change if we get an extended cold snap but right now the weather is unseasonably warm and the peak could come even sooner. Stay tuned. |
| TRAVEL
TIPS…TO TIMESHARE OR NOT TO TIMESHARE? Seems like every major resort town you travel to, you will be bombarded by offers to go to a timeshare presentation in exchange for a variety of perks and free gifts. From Breckenridge to Vegas, Mexico to Maui it is the common denominator today. When a timeshare salesman is spotted most people run like the plague is coming, but are they really so bad? Well first let’s consider the type of vacation you like to take. If you are into the activities like boat trips and para sailing then the time-share presentation might pay for itself. Say you’re spending $4000 for the week of a lifetime. If you figure you have twelve hours of activity time per day that works out to about $50/hour. So for the two hours of a presentation (the ninety-minute presentation is a crock) that is about $200 of your time. If you take full advantage and book multiple activities per day at their discounted rate you could save in the vicinity of $1000 or more. Not a bad deal if that is what you want to do. If you take the kind of vacations where most of your time is spent on the beach, the ski slopes or around the pool then it probably is a waste of your extremely valuable time to sit and listen for two hours. Now the question is: should you buy a week in a resort? Is it a good investment? This is something I can cover in more depth with you personally, but in a nutshell, perhaps. The biggest advantage and the one that sold us when we bought is that it will force you to at least take a week to someplace nice every year. After being serious adventurers my wife and I had got into a rut and had not been out of town for years. Breckenridge is an awesome place but everyone needs a change of scenery and buying a time-share was the best thing for us then. If you are not ready to pick a location for a second home commitment, or you want to supplement a second home with something you can trade to all over the world then it’s not a bad way to go. You will be staying in resorts that normally charge $200-400 per night. Additionally, you do have to consider the yearly maintenance fees which can make it more expensive to own a week than to rent one, as well as the cost of traveling to these far off and exotic places. With a large family obviously plane tickets can add up significantly, as well as meals and rental cars. If travel costs make you shirk than time-share is probably a bad bet, get a little cabin in the woods within driving distance of your home. I can help you with this, just give me a call. |
| INVESTMENT
OPPORTUNITIES The Rocky Mountain News reported this winter on a trend that will interest all investors. As more baby boomers buy second homes and retirement properties in Summit County there are going to be less properties to rent to the local worker force. Right now, with about a 20% down payment you should be able to rent out a two bedroom condo on a year-round lease for enough to pay your mortgage and association dues. Over time rents should rise and you would then see a positive cash flow. In contrast the Summit Daily News ran an article March 28 th lamenting how the short-term rental market has been diluted by all the new construction over the past few years. While visitor numbers have held steady, most management companies report nights per unit down 20-40%. These new properties are selling at prices that would prohibit renting on a long-term basis but, this area has an abundance of older properties from the boom in the late ‘70’s/early ‘80’s and they are profitably priced. Please call if this type of investment might interest you. And here's some more good investment you can make: Coloradoans can make voluntary contributions to 10 charitable funds by using the check-off on their state income tax forms: -Colorado Court Appointed Special Advocates Fund -Colorado Domestic Abuse Program Fund -Colorado Homeless Prevention Activities Fund -Colorado Non-game and Endangered Wildlife Fund -Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund -Colorado Watershed Protection Fund -Family Resource Centers Fund -Special Olympics Colorado Fund -U.S. Olympic Committee -Western Colorado State Veterans Cemetery Fund |
| MARKET
CONDITIONS REPORT Colorado exports grew 10.6% to $6.1 billion in 2003, more than twice the U.S. export growth average of 4.4%. Semiconductors, computers and peripherals led the state's exports. The rebound in real estate sales that started in the last half of 2003 in Eagle County continued into January, with residential real estate sales for the month totaling $119.1 million on 157 transactions. That compares with sales of $74.9 million in January 2003 and marks the sixth consecutive month that real estate sales in the county surpassed those posted in the last three years. The town of Vail issued a record $92.4 million in building permits in 2003, establishing a new record, surpassing the previous high in 2002 by 2.6%. The new record will likely be short-lived, however, with the $500 million Lionshead redevelopment due to come online in 2005-2006 and over the next five years there are 431 homes, hotels, condominiums and time shares slated for construction. Don’t wait ‘till prices start going up again, Contact Me Today! |