About Routt County, CO

Some people who buy Steamboat Springs real estate want a ski-in, ski-out location. Others want a home on a golf course. Steamboat Springs has both types of real estate, although there are only three luxury homes available on golf courses in Steamboat Springs.

Steamboat Springs is a great place to purchase luxury golf homes because we're located at 7000 feet--thousands of feet lower than most Colorado resorts. What that means to Steamboat Springs real estate buyers is the snow melts earlier in the spring and comes later in the fall so you can spend more time on the fairways.

Steamboat Springs has 3 public golf courses and one private course. Steamboat's public courses are Haymaker, Steamboat Golf Club, and Starwood (formerly the Sheraton Golf Club).

Haymaker is a beautiful course located east of town with beautiful views of the ski mountain and valley. It is fairly flat, so it's easy to walk--something locals like to do.

Steamboat Golf Club is a small 9-hole course west of town. It's a great place to practice your short game. Bring lots of balls, because the high grass and plentiful water hazards can make finding your ball down right impossible.

The Starwood course is framed by luxury golf homes. In fact, two of the three homes available on a golf course are located on the Starwood golf course in the upscale Sanctuary subdivision. Here are the highlights:

The first home is a single family with a caretaker on Steamboat Blvd. It has over 5600 square feet of living space with five bedrooms and is located on the 10th fairway. It's a perfect home for entertaining guests after a round of golf. Serve cocktails and appetizers on the large deck with views up Fish Creek Falls. It is listed at $2,845,900.

The second available home is also located in the Sanctuary on Inverness Way. It's a log home with over 5500 sq. ft. of living space and a spectacular stone fireplace. It's offered at $3,175,000.

Steamboat Springs also has the private Catamount Ranch Club. It has a Tom Weiskopf-designed golf course and a 530-acre private lake east of Steamboat Springs. The course is built on a hillside and has spectacular views in all directions. The course itself is spread out, making a cart a necessity, so you can enjoy the incredible scenery and varied terrain.

Catamount has 25 homesites of 6-8 acres. One home, the Covered Bridge House, is currently on the market for $7,350,000. It boasts over 11,000 square feet of space and has incredible custom finishes and features throughout.

To set up a showing at any of these golf course homes or other Steamboat Springs luxury homes, please call Eliese Pivarnik, Century 21 Ski Town, at 970.819.6372.

Visit SteamboatHomeSales.com for Steamboat Springs real estate and community information.

One thing Steamboat Springs, Colorado lacks is ski-in, ski-out property. Edgemont, or Bear Claw III as it was formerly known, is a new development coming to the slopes of Steamboat Ski Area to fill the need for luxury ski-in, ski-out properties.

It's a big project. It will have 110 condos and 14 duplexes (euphemistically called "paired ski homes" in the Edgemont literature), and they'll be releasing 44 units this season.

Here's the lowdown on Edgemont:

• Edgemont will be high-end, luxury ski-in, ski-out properties with killer views
• Edgemont will have 1,2,3, and 4 bedroom floorplans
• Edgemont will be priced from $800,000-$2,500,000+
• Edgemont will have plenty of amenities--a pool, hot tub,fitness area, game room and media room
• Edgemont will have underground parking
  

Reservation agreements are needed to get details such as floor plans and detailed pricing. When you make your reservation, you'll put down a deposit which will be refunded if you decide not to purchase at the VIP Selection Event.

For more information on Edgemont, or to reserve a time at the VIP Selection Event, please call Eliese Pivarnik at (970) 819-6372 or email me at eliesep@gmail.com.

For more information on Steamboat Springs real estate and the Steamboat Springs community, visit SteamboatHomeSales.com

Condotels are a form of ownership invented as a way for resorts to provide enough beds for visiting guests without owning a lot of real estate.

Basically, a condotel is a condominium where they allow nightly rentals. There is usually a front desk person to hand out keys and provide a personal contact for visitors. The owners can use their units as much as they'd like, and are encouraged to put them in the rental pool for visitors when they are not in town. The rental income is then split between the managment company and owner, usually around 50/50.

Because Condotels cater to resort visitors, they have plenty of amenities to make guests comfortable. There are usually fitness rooms and spas, pools, hot tubs, shuttle service, and housekeeping. Often, owners can use the facilities even when they are not staying at their unit.

One thing we'll see more of in Steamboat Springs is big-name companies like Starwood, Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons developing condotels. Look for announcements in the coming months/years for properties at Wildhorse Meadows and Ski Time Square. High-end properties are in short supply in Steamboat Springs, and we'll be getting more of them.

When investing in a Condotel, there are a few things to consider:

• Financing--Steamboat Springs condotels are financed differently than regular condos. Use a local Steamboat lender who has plenty of experience with condotels. Using your out-of-town lender who has never heard of them is a recipe for disaster.
• Location--condotels are the same as regular real estate--the three words to remember are location, location, location. Look for popular areas (like Steamboat Springs) with low inventory (like Steamboat Springs) with Ski-in, Ski-out or close to the slopes location. You'll have better rental income and better resale prices.
• Pre-Construction Pricing--try to purchase condotels before they are built. You'll get the best prices and see your unit rise in value before you ever spend the night there.

If you would like information on Steamboat Springs's latest developments and condotels, or to place a reservation on some of our hottest properties, please call Eliese Pivarnik at 970.819.6372.

Please visit SteamboatHomeSales.com for more information on Steamboat Springs Real Estate.

Across the Rocky Mountain region, resort real estate has not been affected by the nationwide housing slowdown. In fact, 2007 was a record year for real estate sales in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Steamboat Springs real estate dollar volume increased 48% in 2007 to $1.3 billion--an all time record real estate year.

Steamboat Springs real estate transactions increased 10%. (It would have been more, but Steamboat's inventory of available housing for sale was low.)

Here is the breakdown for different types of Steamboat Springs real estate:

The median price of a Steamboat Springs Single Family home rose 29% to $850,000.

The median price of a Steamboat Springs Condominium increased 23% to $349,000.

The median price of Steamboat Springs vacant land was $556,000. The number of transactions continues to decline as Steamboat Springs becomes more "built out" and vacant land becomes a rarity. Here is the breakdown:

• 2005--516 transactions for Steamboat Springs vacant land
• 2006--430 transactions for Steamboat Springs vacant land
• 2007--400 transactions for Steamboat Springs vacant land