Buying Real Estate in Steamboat Springs
Step 1 – Finding Your Dream House
Establish a Budget

You know what you want – Property in Steamboat. Now you need to think about what you can spend.

No matter whether you can afford $30,000 for a timeshare, $250,000 for a small condo near the mountain, $1,500,000 for a luxurious ski-in/ski-out condo, or $20,000,000 for the ultimate ranch on the valley floor, you need to establish a general range. And remember, you don’t have to spend the maximum.

When trying to decide your budget, consider a couple of factors:

• Are you paying cash?
• Do you need a loan? If so, stay tuned for an upcoming blog on local Mortgage bankers.
• Do you plan to rent out the property to generate some cash flow?
• In addition to the cost of the home, remember you will have ongoing maintenance fees.
• There may be a Home Owner Association with monthly fees that take care of maintenance of communal space.
• Other routine maintenance charges include lawn care, snow plowing, property taxes, insurance, cleaning, electricity and ranch manager among others.

Once you determine your price range, start looking. Stay within your budget and know that there is a property that’s what you’re looking for in your price range. It’s a buyer’s market in Steamboat and there are over 1,500 houses, condos, townhomes, timeshares, ranches and vacant parcels for you to choose from.

We play as hard as we work. Just another reason to buy real estate in Steamboat Springs.

Opening Day and Scholarship Day

November 25, 2009

Yay! Opening day is on the way!

And it’s Scholarship Day.  Revenues from the day’s specially priced lift tickets benefit the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Scholarship Fund.

Scholarship Day has raised over $525,000 since 1991/92. This fund provides financial support for deserving local children participating in Club programs.

The Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club is one of the oldest and most recognized ski clubs in the United States and has named,  three unprecedented times, the United States Ski & Snowboard Association’s Club of the Year (2007, 2004,1999).

For more info on the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, click here.

Buying Real Estate in Steamboat Springs
Step 1 – Finding your home
What is the MLS?

MLS stands for Multiple Listing Service.

One of the biggest differences between buying a home in the USA versus in most other countries is the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)

An MLS represents a cooperation of realtors in a given area. One of the major purposes of an MLS is to provide accurate data about properties for sale in the area. In our area, the Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors, regulates our MLS. Almost every realtor in the area is a member, and with few exceptions, all properties for sale in the area are listed on the MLS.

Two major benefits for you, a buyer are:

• I can represent you in your purchase of any property here. It doesn’t matter whether the home is my personal listing or that of any other member of the MLS. We cooperate with each other.

 

• When you search the properties on my website, you will see property listings of all the members of the Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors. You do not need to check every website for every realtor in town. You have the advantage of viewing all properties without having to visit multiple brokers to find a variety of properties.

The Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors regulates our MLS and all its members. The mission statement is:

• To enhance the ability and opportunity of members to conduct their business successfully, ethically and profitably.

 

• To promote and preserve the right to own, transfer and use real property.

 

• To increase REALTORS’ professionalism, skills, knowledge, and community involvement.

 

• To enhance the public’s awareness and confidence in REALTORS.

Life is great here. Just another reason to buy real estate in Steamboat Springs.

Buying Real Estate in Steamboat Springs

Step 1 – Finding your dream house

Right now there are plenty of properties to choose from in the greater Steamboat area.  There are over 1,000 homes, in all price ranges from under $200,000 up to $20,000,000 for the ultimate luxurious estate.  More than 700 parcels of residential land are available ranging from small in-town lots to ranches with over 5,000 acres. 

The internet has simplified the scouting process for finding a home. Type ‘Steamboat’ and ‘Homes for Sale’ into your search engine and no doubt you will be given pages and pages of results.  Almost all of the 400 Realtors in Steamboat have their own website with search options.  The one thing to keep in mind about these websites, is that virtually all of them search the local MLS, which is a database of properties listed by members of the Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors.  (See the next blog for details on the MLS)

If looking through all the results seems overwhelming, talk to a knowledgeable local Realtor, like me, about what you want in a house.

My website, www.steamboatexpert.com, offers all the latest listings through the Search option.

• Think about how much you want to spend.
• Think about where you want to be located. Do you want a ski-in/ski-out condo? Or are you looking for a ranch setting 5 miles from the slopes? Maybe you prefer the ultimate in seclusion with 500 acres 30 miles from town?
• Think about your activities. Do you want to have horses? Are you an avid hiker looking for trails from your back yard? Do you want a garden? Do you want a condo where all maintenance is handled for you? Do you want a swimming pool? What about a hot-tub? Do you want to have horses and need a barn?
• Think about the size of home you want. Do you want 5 bedrooms so all your friends and family can visit? Do you have lots of kids, so you need room for them and their toys?

A realtor can help sort through the many options and email listings that match your wants. This will narrow down your search to a more manageable list.

Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask questions. If something seems too good to be true, ask why. If you like a certain area you hadn’t originally asked to see, find out if there are properties for sale. This is a big decision to make, and speaking for brokers, we want to make sure you find what you want.

Life is great here.  Just another reason to buy real estate in Steamboat Springs.

Pass the Bread – October 24

Pass the Bread weaves a stronger community fabric by encouraging people who might not know each other to share conversation and a meal together. Hosts from around Routt County invite 8-12 people to their homes, and conversation that celebrates our community is encouraged.

Pass the Bread is not a fundraising event, but rather an awareness raising event designed to bring people together at different gatherings on the same day.  Volunteer hosts use the sharing of meals as a catalyst for community building among the diverse residents of Routt County. 

The unusual aspect of Pass the Bread is that the invitation list of volunteer hosts includes both friends and community members the hosts have not yet met.

Imagine a get-together where you know one or two other people, but it’s your first chance to meet most of the folks there.  Maybe the get-together is a patio party and only singles have been invited.  Or perhaps it is a potluck where people representing every decade (in age) from the 20’s through the 70’s have been invited.  It might even be a brown-bag lunch in the park.

Most of us agree that what we have in Routt County is unique – a stronger sense of community and connectedness than other places we may have lived. 

For more info check out:  Pass the bread

Life is great here.  Just another reason to buy real estate in Steamboat Springs.

Halloween Stroll – October 31, 2009

Come downtown for the annual safe trick or treat event sponsored by the merchants of downtown Steamboat Springs. This is a true community event in every sense of the word. View ghouls and goblins of all ages as they stroll from 5th to 11th Streets on Lincoln Ave. The costumes are especially noteworthy.

Lincoln is closed to traffic from 4pm on with the trick or treating starting at 5pm. The event lasts until 7 pm or whenever the candy runs out. This is a FREE community event.

For more information, contact MainStreet Steamboat Springs, 970-8460-1800 or mainstreetsteamboat@comcast.net.

Life is great here.  Just another reason to buy real estate in Steamboat Springs.

Buying a house is as simple as 1,2,3!

1. Find a house
2. Buy a house
3. Move into your new house

Over the course of the next 26 blogs I’ll simplify and explain each step of the process for you. Whether this is your first house, or your first property in Steamboat, I’ll explain what to expect, what to get excited about and how to get you here.

1. Finding a house can seem an overwhelming task. With so many search engines and real estate brokers, I’ll help you clarify your wants, expectations and deal breakers so your search for a home or rental property turns up relevant finds. With personal discussions, I can help narrow that search and email you properties that I know will work for you.

2. Buying a house can be a painless process if you know how the system works. The first step is deciding a budget that you are comfortable with. Once that’s set, I’ll discuss how brokers work in Colorado; clarify what paperwork means and how to protect yourself during the offer/buying/closing process.

3. Moving in to your new house is what the effort is all about. Waking up to wildflowers, fresh powder mornings and the Steamboat sun shining. In this section I’ll help you find a mover, interior decorator and give you a feel for a few of the things the town has to offer.

Together, finding your dream property no matter whether it’s a home, second home or rental property, it really can be as easy as 1,2,3.

How Steamboat Springs Real Estate Works – 101

The process of buying real estate is different every where in the world. One unifying factor is that real estate is an investment not only of money but of time and emotion.

Understanding the process, whether you are purchasing internationally or are a first time buyer, makes finding the perfect place about your home and not about the paperwork.

The following series of blogs will break down each step, explaining terms and conditions. My goal is to enable you, the buyer, to feel comfortable making any real estate transaction in and around the Steamboat Springs area.