Eliese Pivarnik, Colorado Group Realty, RSPS, CDPE Steamboat Real Estate

Steamboat #1 in Ski Magazines for Families

Steamboat Ski Resort

Steamboat ranked #1 for the best Family Resort in the West by Ski Magazine, #1 for Best Trees and #2 for Best Snow in Skiing Magazine

Other Steamboat resort rankings in Ski Magazine are (click here for the full list) :

• Snow– #8
• Lodging — #9
• On Mountain Dining — #10
• Terrain Parks — #10

Come to Steamboat and see why our world-class resort is the best.

Visit Steamboat's #1 Real Estate Blog.

The Yampa River Botanic Park is a must-see if you are in Steamboat during the spring, summer, or fall. It’s located between downtown Steamboat and the Steamboat Ski Area and can be accessed from the Core Trail or Pamela Lane (turn by Freshies and Mt. View Car Wash, then turn left on Pamela Lane).

The Botanic Park is the ever-changing display of perennials that always look good.

The Steamboat Springs growing season is short–56 days–because we live in a valley where cold air can settle. In fact, Leadville (at 10,430 feet) has a longer growing season than we do.

There is no better place to enjoy the ponds, birds, and fragrant flowers. During the summer, you’ll find Strings in the Mountains performers playing at noon on Thursdays. Hundreds of people gather on the grass overlooking the pond and eat their lunch while enjoying the free concerts.

If you are riding bikes on the Core Trail, stop for a quick trip through the Botanic Garden to see what’s blooming or to spot a hummingbird darting around in the honeysuckle blossoms. Town volunteers meet weekly to keep the gardens in top shape, and they post what plants are at their peak on a blackboard right inside the Core Trail entrance.

As a Steamboat Realtor trying to stay ahead of the trends, I recently completed my Certified Distressed Property Expert certification to have a better knowledge of Steamboat area short sales and how to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.

If you are a Steamboat property owner who is behind on your payments and searching for options, selling your home in a short sale may be what you need to get out of debt and move forward.

Certified Distressed Property Experts (CDPEs) have reported a 49 percent decrease in the average time to complete a short sale after achieving the CDPE Designation, according to a new survey from the Distressed Property Institute. Before becoming a CDPE, the average time for these agents to close a short sale was 53.01 days, compared to 27.26 days after becoming a CDPE.

“No other real estate designation in the country can claim these results,” said Alex Charfen, co-founder and CEO of the Institute. “CDPEs are making a clear and definable difference in the real estate market by assisting distressed homeowners to stay in their homes or, when this is not possible, by helping them sell through a short sale.”

Many people behind on their mortgage (and nationwide it is 1 in 10 households) think foreclosure is their only option. Very few talk to a Realtor who has been trained in short sales about their options to save their credit while selling their house.

A successful Short Sale can impact a credit score by as little as 50 points if all other payments are made. The effect of a short sale on credit can be as brief as 12-18 months vs. at least 10 years for a foreclosure. Foreclosures also affect credit by lowering a score by 250-300 points.

The qualifications for a short sale include any or all of the following:

• Financial Hardship – There is a situation causing you to have trouble affording your mortgage.
• Monthly Income Shortfall – “You have more month than money.” A lender will want to see that you cannot afford, or soon will not be able to afford your mortgage.
• Insolvency – The lender will want to see that you do not have significant liquid assets that would allow you to pay down your mortgage.

Steamboat saw a huge price increase and a record real estate year during the last year of free lending. Those mortgages are now being re-set and more people are falling behind.

The short sale process requires a lot more work than a straight sale, but having people able to get out from under the burden of debt while maintaining their credit score makes it worth it.

Please call Eliese at (970) 819-6372 to discuss listing your Steamboat home as a short sale.

North Routt is beautiful any time of year although most visitors come in the summer to boat, fish, camp, and hike.

On your way up CR 129, stop at the Clark Store to pick up a sandwich or extra marshmallows for the camp fire before heading up to Steamboat Lake State Park or Pearl Lake State Park.

You’ll find camp sites and some cabins at Steamboat Lake or yurts at Pearl Lake (be sure to call ahead as the campgrounds may be closed due to the removal of dead lodgepole pines), or you can pass the quirky little town of Hahn’s Peak and explore the Routt National Forest.

Here is a sampling of photos I've taken in North Routt County, Colorado in each of the seasons.

More Steamboat real estate posts:

North Routt is beautiful any time of year although most visitors come in the summer to boat, fish, camp, and hike.

On your way up CR 129, stop at the Clark Store to pick up a sandwich or extra marshmallows for the camp fire before heading up to Steamboat Lake State Park or Pearl Lake State Park.

You’ll find camp sites and some cabins at Steamboat Lake or yurts at Pearl Lake (be sure to call ahead as the campgrounds may be closed due to the removal of dead lodgepole pines), or you can pass the quirky little town of Hahn’s Peak and explore the Routt National Forest.

Here is a sampling of photos I've taken in North Routt County, Colorado in each of the seasons.

More Steamboat real estate posts: