Crested Butte, CO

As I trying to figure out what sort of costume to wear to the Al Johnson Race ... no, I am not competing! I have not yet tried telemark skiing and don't think this is the most appropriate venue for my eventual experimentation with the sport. If I managed not to hurt myself, I would likely hurt someone esle, and that is just not cool! I am going to help out at the finish line and enjoy the show while I'm at it. Join us on the mountain and say hello - the finish line is the bottom of the Last Steep (the run, not the bar). There are probably 200 contestants. Jake helped with the registration this morning and he said it was busy! This year the race is raising funds for Adaptive Sports, an organization that helps people with disabilities learn about their abilities on skis.

No real estate for me today, but tomorrow I'm back at it. To find out about Crested Butte real estate or just check out some interesting links and things to do in Crested Butte, visit www.Homes-In-Crested-Butte.com.

By definition it may be easy to pin the buyer's market distinction on Crested Butte real estate. Days-on-market is high, inventories are flush with offerings, the number of transactions is low and now we are seeing asking prices drop. But, is all of this translating into real estate bargains?

If you are shopping ski area condos or vacant land you are going to get a deal. No doubt, it is a buyer's market. With big inventory levels and flat demand great deals are happening. In some cases, we've returned to pre-Mueller era pricing for Mt. Crested Butte condos and on home site parcels in places like Crested Butte South, Buckhorn Ranch and today a parcel on the 12th hole at the Crested Butte Country Club was lowered to $250,000!

But there may be reason to put an asterisk next to our buyer's market distinction. Single family homes, an important anchor segment of any real estate market, appear to be holding their value and demand is shifting for more expensive properties. Just last week, a 1721 sq. ft., single family home in the town of Crested Butte, sold for $900,000 (that's $523/sft)! And, if you review the last 4 years of home sales, some interesting facts stand out. A key metric, the median sales price for single family homes in Crested Butte, Mt Crested Butte and Crested Butte South reached a 48-month high by the end of 2008.

The median sales price is the middle price point where 50% of homes sold are above this mark and the other 50% sold fall below. This is a better metric to determine a market's overall condition versus the average sales price metric where a few multi-million home sales can skew the data.

The graph below demonstrates that in spite of decreasing transaction levels from 2005 to 2008, and increasing days on market, the median sales price of single family homes in our market rose almost $250,000 per sale!

BLACK DIAMOND LODGE

Mt. Crested Butte, Colorado

Exceptional new construction in Mt Crested Butte with exceptional views of the Butte from every home. An intimate complex with only 8 luxury homes within a few minutes of the lifts and base village.

Construction quality that will satisfy the most discriminating buyers with top-of-the-line appliances and finishes throughout. Each home offers view decks, underground parking, ski lockers, hot tub and ample storage.

Very competitively priced from $599,000. Call Trish at 970-596-8480 or email Trish.Giassa@SothebysRealty.com for more details.

To search all Crested Butte real estate listings and Crested Butte condos or Crested Butte homes for sale, free and without obligation, visit www.Homes-in-Crested-Butte.com

This small, not too well-known mountain town is not, nor should it be, on everyone's Places I Must Go To List.  It is a very special place that happens to be a little out of the way, so that only those who really want to come make it.  And, there are a bunch of reasons to come visit:

1.  Spring skiing - over 3000 vertical feet of powder with usually bluebird skies and sunshine that requires sunscreen with short lift lines - the longest ones take about 5 minutes and that's a great time to get to know some of your fellow skiers

2.  12th Annual US Telemark Extreme Championship on Friday, March 20 - Over 100 free-heelers take to the slopes to compete in this Telemark freeskiing event complete with welcome reception and awards party. The two-day big mountain event attracts the biggest names in the telemark industry and is unique to Crested Butte. Free telemark demos and specialty clinics also take place during this Telemark celebration culminating with the legendary Al Johnson Race.

3.  5th Annual SlushHuck Friday, March 27, from 9am to 4pm - The final Park and Pipe event of the season will be held in both “PipeDream” our DC Superpipe and the DC Terrain Park for a super-pipe and slopestyle event. These are open events for skiers and snowboarders, men and women. Pond skimming competition at the base area follows the pipe competition in true SlushHuck style! For information call 970.349.2217.

4.  The Snowcat Driving Experience. Learn the basics of driving snowcats, grooming, pushing snow, and experience one of the best ski resort jobs on a closed course. The Crested Butte Mountain Resort school incorporates initial classroom time for safety and operational instruction then students get out on the course to maximize the driving time.  It’s a totally different experience and exciting! The instructors are the real folks on the mountain doing real work, so it’s not a watered-down version - it's the real thing!  Very cool!

5.  Cross country ski or snowshoe to a mountain hut - spend a few hours working up an appetite to go into our backcountry and spend the night at one of the Gothic huts - from rustic and cozy with a wood burning stove and outdoor toilet that sleeps 6 to a 4 bedroom "house" with full kitchen, heat and hot water. 

6.  Spend the day walking around town, shopping in our interesting shops, eating some of the great food mentioned above, taking a yoga class at Yoga for the Peaceful.  Fell like a local and rent a bike and check out the charming homes and buildings surrounded by beautiful mountains.

7.  Snowmobile in West Elk Backcountry - exciting ventures into pristine territory, like nothing you've ever seen

A comprehensive summer and winter list is at http://www.homes-in-crested-butte.com/cb-calendar.asp

I have the privilige of living and enjoying many of the amazing offerings of this awesome community.  If you're interested in receiving a list of the best buys in Crested Butte real estate, Crested Butte condos and Crested Butte homes, call or email me.  There is no cost or obligation for this service.  Your privacy is assured and your referrals and questions are always welcome. 

Please visit Homes-In-Crested-Butte.com  to search our Gunnison County MLS system for your dream, free of charge. 

Good morning from Crested Butte,

Last Thursday, Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR), Mt Crested Butte town council, the Crested Butte Town Council and hundreds of locals, business leaders and ski resort employees gathered at the Mountaineer Square ball room to listen to CBMR's presentation of their Master Development Plan for the ski resort. The hottest topic and the reason 99% of us were at the meeting was Snodgrass and the progress the ski company is making toward getting its resort expansion plans approved.

CBMR wants to expand skiing onto Snodgrass because the main mountain consists of only 31% intermediate terrain, while over 50% of their overnight guests are intermediate skiers. The resort says the lack of quality and diversified intermediate terrain puts them at a competitive disadvantage with other destination ski resorts. Currently, the main mountain offers only 362 acres of intermediate terrain, less than half of most of its competitors, and among the lowest of destination resorts in the Rocky Mountain region.

Click To View Large Map

While most Crested Buttians want to see CBMR and their new owner, CNL, succeed with their expansion plans there are some groups in our valley that are adamantly opposed to resort expansion onto Snodgrass Mountain. Crested Butte's Town Council says "no on Snodgrass" and Mayor Alan Bernholtz and Town Council member Billy Rankin spoke up at the meeting and publicly denounced CBMR's plans stating flatly that CBMR has no business developing Snodgrass.

CBMR received recent "approval' by the US Forest Service to enter the crucial NEPA process after an important geology report was released last week, Crested Butte Mountain Resort officials had indicated that the Forest Service had told them the plan would be accepted into the NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act) review process if the resort avoided hazard areas pointed out in the report. The resort changed the trail plan to avoid these hazard areas and now they march on into NEPA. (See above graphic). More later on this hot topic.

Thanks for reading today,

Channing Boucher

Visit My Crested Butte Real Estate Guide