Posts Tagged ‘Steamboat’s Winter Carnival’

Forecasting Steamboat’s Recovery, Part 1

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

Wednesday I attended a presentation hosted at the Strings Pavilion by the developers of the Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club here in Steamboat. They shared information pulled together by statistical experts from over thirty years of actual property sales history in mountain resort towns. In this blog I’ll share with you the notes I took.

Part 1: How is Steamboat Viewed in the Ski Industry?

Andy Daly made the Opening Remarks. He’s a Former President and CEO of Vail Resorts, and currently a co-developer of Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club. He addressed how Steamboat is viewed, why he personally chose to develop in Steamboat, and why he’s feeling bullish. He spoke about the four A’s that Steamboat has.

The four A’s:

1. Assets

In addition to Steamboat being a world class ski resort, Steamboat has an incredible sense of community with people really committed to it. The services are excellent and the altitude of 6700 feet is a much more comfortable altitude to live at than Vail at 8120 feet or Copper Mountain at 9700 feet.

2. Amenities

The western heritage of Steamboat is evident and thoroughly enjoyed via the genuine rodeo that goes on downtown every weekend through the summer. Unlike other resorts that are strictly resorts, Steamboat has a diverse community due to its agricultural and mining industries. Facilities with programs that promote cultural and intellectual stimulation. Great community activities like the Winter Carnival.

3. Academics

Steamboat has a stable work force to supply services. The Winter Sports Club is very family oriented and along with its location at the city-owned park Howelsen Hill provides opportunities for people of all ages.  

4. Access

There’s direct air service to and from numerous cities to Steamboat, and the International airport in Denver is just 3.5 hours’ drive away, with daily shuttle services available.

Andrew Daly wrapped up his opening comments by stating that the ski area’s owners Intrawest and Fortress just put together a four-year debt deal and had a great year despite a shortage of snow in early season. He went on to say that the average Steamboat sale is at $270 per square foot whereas Vail’s is $412 a square foot, and that Steamboat had 312 transactions in the first quarter which is relatively high compared to otherski resort areas.

Stay tuned for Part 2 when I share with you the researcher’s findings.

Location, Location, Location!

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

If purchasing real estate is all about location, location, location, there are few locations as nice as downtown Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Also known as Old Town, downtown Steamboat stretches from the Old Town Hot Springs located right before 3rd Street, and ends on 13th Street at the Bud Werner Library and Elk Springs Park. In the other direction, east to west, Steamboat’s downtown core area extends from Howelsen Hill with its own ski hill, rodeo grounds and ball fields, past the Yampa River and the commercial area of Yampa Street, Lincoln Avenue and Oak Street, eastward past residential neighborhoods and several schools: Colorado Mountain College (CMC) Alpine Campus, Steamboat Springs High School and Soda Creek Elementary.

 

The predominantly single family downtown homes are located, for the most part, on relatively small lots (.07 to .35 acre, with a very few up to 5 acres), and are an eclectic mix of architectural styles. You’ll find elegant Victorian-style homes, with wrought-iron fences, and log cabins, amongst an assortment of older miner’s cabins, some of which have been beautifully enlarged and remodeled, while others are still as they were when first built in the 1920s. Relatively new to Steamboat (since 2005), several high-end downtown lofts are perched above trendy retail spaces in the heart of downtown, most of which offer wonderful views and outdoor balconies.

 

You can walk from any of Steamboat’s downtown homes or lofts to say, The Shack for breakfast, and then on to The Epilogue Book Company for a book recommendation from Erica, or to the Meat and Seafood Company for deli goods, Lobster Pies and take-home gourmet dinners. You can perform your yoga asanas while overlooking the Yampa River at the Bear River Center, or participate in the Kayak festivals held right through town during the spring runoff in June. 

 

For dining, there’s the cave-like Double Z with its famous Z Burgers and Pork Ribs, or The Rio, where the margaritas are so smooth there’s a sign saying they’ll limit you to three – and they mean it! There’s the Friday Art Walks, the Chief Plaza Movie Theater, the bike path along the Yampa River, the hiking, biking, ski trails at Howelsen Hill, and the free bus service to the Mt. Werner Ski Area. Living and playing in Old Town, you can literally park your car and seldom have to start it up. (Which comes in handy over the winter, since so few downtown homes have garages!)

 

There are 35 Single Family homes currently on the market within the core of downtown Steamboat Springs. They range in price from $499,500 for a 3BR 2BA, 1430 square foot home on .12 acre built in 1924 to $1,995,000 for a 6 BR, 5 BA, 6590 square foot home on .35 acre built in 1965.

 

Convenience and community. Urban amenities and outdoor recreation, all within a block of each other. Downtown, Old Town, Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

 

We’d love to help you make this your home. For a customized search and/or unbiased assistance with property evaluation, please give us a call, shoot us an e-mail or stop on by (we’re located downtown too,  at 118 8th Street, between Lincoln and Oak Street.). Location. Location. Location.