Charlie Dresen, 970-846-6435 Sotheby's in Steamboat Springs, CO e-Pro

Steamboat Springs’ High School is now a 4 time winner and Steamboat Springs’ Middle School is now a 5 consecutive year winner of the John Irwin Schools of Excellence award for academic performance for the 2010-2011 school year. The Colorado Department of Education issued 150 schools this prestigious award which signifies that Steamboat Springs’ secondary schools met or exceeded the requirements established for last school year’s Colorado Student Assessment Program. High schools have an additional “college readiness” requirement that is based on attaining higher levels of graduation rates and ACT scores in order to receive the award.

Student at Computer Station

Given that quality of schools ranks high in any family’s decision to relocate to a town or city, Steamboat’s solid and consistent history of academic excellence is a big advantage for anyone with school age children who has Steamboat Springs on their radar as a potential new community to call home. Among the factors it takes to create a highly accredited academic environment, community support and a staff dedicated to pushing excellence to the next level year after year are significant contributors to the excellence that’s been established in the Steamboat Springs’ school system.

Steamboat High School Skiing Marching Band

Students take pride in their schools’ accomplishments as well as understanding the benefits attending a school that receives such honors provides when applying to colleges. As with any winning team, the challenge to continue achieving academic accolades is welcomed by the teaching staff as well as the students. Resting on laurels is just not the Steamboat way, but a hearty congratulations and job well done is certainly deserved. As this school year nears its holiday break and half way mark to what will hopefully be another academic year of excellence, it’s a given that Steamboat Springs’ secondary schools’ staff and students have their goals in place to yet again rank among Colorado’s finest schools.

---For more information on buying real estate or questions regarding Steamboat Springs real estate or renting a home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, feel free to call Charlie at 970-846-6435 or write me an email at: charlie@steamboatsmyhome.com

Thanks,

Charlie

Charles Eames and Charlie Dresen. Okay, I know, a big difference. But wait. Am I a realtor, a filmmaker, a photographer, or a real estate agent that’s always pushing the envelope? Either way, I’m an agent that’s always looking for ways to get my listings noticed and sold. You can't just list a home and wait for a buyer. With over 90% of buyers looking online at properties, it’s my job to catch the eyes of the buyers while they browse. Studies have shown that using professional photographs and high quality video will net a seller more money and sell in a shorter amount of time. It’s my passion to create and sell real estate; to think outside the box of the traditional real estate model and give sellers what they deserve. Always pushing innovation.

The other day I saw a Youtube video of a documentary that just came out and made me think of my role as a real estate agent. The husband-and-wife team of Charles and Ray Eames are widely regarded as America’s most important designers. Charles Eames studies architecture and was an advocate of Frank Lloyd Wright. The team, perhaps best remembered for their mid-century plywood and fiberglass furniture, the Eames Office also created a mind-bending variety of other products. But their personal lives and influence on significant events in American life—from the development of modernism to the rise of the computer age—has been less widely understood. Always pushing innovation.

Regards,

Charlie

All the great marketing in the world won't sell an overpriced house, or get your seller to accept a fair offer if they don't understand the business analytics. A friend of mine reminded me of a great business practice when she told me about her experience listing her town home in a down market with lots of town home inventory in a suburb of Atlanta back on 2004. In her development alone there were 200 town homes all under 3 years old, and 72 were for sale at the time she was looking to sell. That’s 36% (more than one out of 3 for sale), and many newer developments already built (but unsold) with developer incentive deals in the competitive mix as well.

Town Home in Atlanta

The fairly daunting scenario was not lost on my friend as she had been around the home selling/buying block more than once before. Her real estate agent met with her, and after seeing some hesitancy in agreeing to a realistic price for the current market – not an outright “no”, but more an attitude of disbelief that she’d have to go ”that low”, her real estate agent outlined the perfect next step.

“Give me 2 hours this weekend to show you what you’re up against in your own development, and then if you want to see any more competition in a 1 mile radius, we can follow up with that,” requested her agent. Understanding that a home sale is an important financial decision, my friend agreed, and her agent proceeded to set up appointments to see 20 of the 72 town homes listed within the boundaries of her development the next Saturday.

Needless to say, it was time well spent. She realized not only what she was up against price wise, but also model layout wise. Her town home had been in Phase 2, and Phases 3 & 4 definitely incorporated improvements and upgrades. She didn’t need to go outside the confines of her development to get any more comps.

Strategy Meeting

Long story short, she did the following:

* priced her town home correctly

* got an offer under that price within 3 months

* considered the differential in mortgage payments vs. the lower than desired offer if she kept her place on the market

* determined that she might not get another offer within 3 months which was the break-even month, when selling now would start paying off assuming she got a full asking price offer 3 months from now, which was unlikely she knew

* accepted the offer

* closed the following month breaking even despite a really challenging market

What did it take to sell a very “standard” town home when so many factors were seemingly working against a sale, let alone a quick sale?

* a realistic real estate agent who was willing to take her time to go through an exercise to educate a client

* a real estate agent who took control of the situation before the pricing battle was lost, and the town home was listed at an inflated price

* a receptive seller who was willing to keep an open mind and do her due diligence

* a logical seller who took the emotion out of it and “ran the numbers” so to speak first in pricing her town home, and then in accepting an offer under her asking price

Do all these factors always exist and converge into a success story? Of course not, but as real estate agents we should take the proactive approach, communicate honestly from a position of confidence, set realistic expectations and guide our clients as best we can to the best possible outcome given the agreed upon desired result.

Closing the Home Sale

---For more information on buying real estate or questions regarding Steamboat Springs real estate or renting a home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, feel free to call Charlie at 970-846-6435 or write me an email at: charlie@steamboatsmyhome.com

Thanks,

Charlie

Ski all day and then join in the holiday fun at the base of the Steamboat Springs’ ski mountain at the new stage in Gondola Square where the ultimate holiday après ski celebration will take place on Saturday, December 17^th from 3:00pm – 5:00pm.

Celebration activities will include:

* Live holiday music

* Visit from Santa Clause and his reindeer

* Free hot cocoa and candy canes

* Cowboys and horses

* Lighting of the Mountain Village Tree

* Umbrella Bar serving special Christmas cocktails

* Holiday photo opportunities with Sharpshooter Imaging

* Special holiday Torchlight Parade at 5:00pm

Holiday Time at Steamboat Ski Mountain

Help make this a special Christmas for those in need by bringing a non-perishable food item to benefit the Lift-Up Food Bank.

---For more information on buying real estate or questions regarding Steamboat Springs real estate or renting a home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, feel free to call Charlie at 970-846-6435 or write me an email at: charlie@steamboatsmyhome.com

Thanks,

Charlie

Mark your calendar for this Saturday night, December 10^th – it’s the annual downtown holiday celebration for the entire Steamboat Springs community! Lincoln Avenue will be closed to traffic and all the stores and restaurants will be joining in the festivities.

Steamboat Springs Merry Mainstreet Events

Don’t miss the NEW attraction – the Great Caroling Contest – loosely based on the annual Figgy Pudding Caroling event in Seattle. A portion of the money raised will go to Lift-Up Services. Form a team and register with MainStreet Steamboat to join in the fun!

Merry Mainstreet 2010 Celebration

The 2011 Merry Mainstreet festivities also include:

* Holiday Parade

* Gingerbread House Exhibits

* Fruit Cake Toss Competition

* SantaCrawl Pub Crawl

---For more information on buying real estate or questions regarding Steamboat Springs real estate or renting a home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, feel free to call Charlie at 970-846-6435 or write me an email at: charlie@steamboatsmyhome.com

Thanks,

Charlie