Real Estate - Breckenridge - Summit County - CO - Keith Kirchner

The Beetle Battle

keith — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:06:30 +0000

If you’ve been to Summit County or northern Colorado in the last 3 years, you probably couldn’t help but notice a few dead trees. Thousands of trees devastated by the Mountain Pine Beetle bring up many questions and concerns. One thing that would be nice to know is if they will ever stop their advance. The theories behind the beetle’s prosperity are based on how trees become more vulnerable during warm, dry winters. Sadly, we had 5 of these winters in a row and ended up with many dead trees. The beetle’s larvae are said to die off naturally during the winter when temperatures maintain -30°F or less for 5 at least days, not necessarily uncommon during a Colorado winter. The last two winters, particularly last year, Breckenridge and Keystone were cold and snowy once again and met the qualifications for larvae control. Has there been any news of a retreat in the beetle battle?

For detailed information on the Mountain Pine Beetle, visit http://www.summitpinebeetle.org/ OR http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/bark-beetle/

High Price For Paradise

keith — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 18:05:54 +0000

Whether you are a long time local or a once a year skier from St. Louis, almost everyone gets a little sticker shock from the real estate prices in Breckenridge and Summit County. Demand for the area is generally high, so the products and service providers can charge a little more. A dichotomy of living in a beautiful community like Summit County is that locals are not the only people that want to live here. The challenge for Summit County locals, or locals of any resort community, is that second homeowners enjoy the same benefits of the area as the locals. Much to a local buyer’s dismay, the high demand of people wanting second homes drives up prices for real estate for everyone. In our current times, even with the nation in financial turmoil, people still want to be in Summit and there are willing to pay heavily for it. At the most basic level, this shows us a very good thing… people like Summit County. Without this demand and drive, our community would not be the busy tourist-based community that it is.

One idea many Summit County buyers don’t often think about is the benefit of a high priced community. Many of the amenities enjoyed by locals, second homeowners and tourists alike are brought about by tax revenues from real estate transactions in Summit County. The higher the price of real estate, the greater the tax revenue to the towns and county are. Dozens of forest trail systems, 40+ miles of paved bike paths, the Breckenridge Riverwalk Center, the Silverthorne Pavilion, as well as maintenance and beatification for parks and public areas are just a few examples of expensive projects paid for by tax dollars. Taxes are an unfortunate truth for us all, but one thing is for sure, in the last 20 years, tax money has clearly been used to make Breckenridge and Summit County more enjoyable for everyone.

Natural Gas Being Delivered To Blue River

keith — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:26:18 +0000

The drive South of Breckenridge over Hoosier Pass is under construction this fall. Crews are repaving Colorado Highway 9 as well as installing a pipeline along that will deliver natural to hundreds of interested Blue River residents. Despite the brief delays during the drive, this is undoubtedly a big improvement to the Town of Blue River.

Community Blog

admin — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:09:02 +0000

1st post

Unbeatable Home Deal in Breckenridge

keith — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:47:57 +0000

Affordable home for sale in Breckenridge!
3 bed / 1.5 bath
1350 sq. ft.
0.35 acres
close to downtown
$489,900

Stunning Downtown Breckenridge!

keith — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:29:08 +0000

Location Location Location

Downtown & Ski In Breckenridge, Colorado

4 bedroom - 4 bathroom
1902 sq. ft.
South Facing
Huge Lake & Ski Resort Views
Unbeatable rental income
$1,799,000

Ski in/ski out condo with great views

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:38:44 +0000

The location with it all in downtown Breckenridge - Main Street Station Condos. Beautiful 2 bed/2 bath end unit with ski area views. Walk to ski slopes, shopping and restaurants, and everything in town.

Stunning 3 bed 3 bath

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:29:58 +0000

Fantastic views of the ski area & surrounding mountains from this spacious 3 bed/3 bath condo. Top floor, vaulted ceilings in excellent condition w/ gorgeous furnishings. 1 car garage, washer/dryer, Pioneer Club included in dues

Downtown Ski-In Breckenridge Studio

keith — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:32:54 +0000

Ski-in location and walk virtually anywhere in town. Numerous remodel upgrades and unobstructed views of Breckenridge ski resort. An incredible opportunity for investor or local.

Forested 40 acre lot with views

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:46:43 +0000

Some of Colorado’s finest! 40 forested acres with views, flat areas, hilled areas, aspens, pines, open grassy areas, wetlands, drylands, highlands, lowlands and a small running creek. 16 miles from Breckenridge, this slice of heaven is priced to sell.

Breckenridge & Summit County Real Estate Market Conditions and Sales Statistics

keith — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:27:23 +0000

The market has not changed much since the July 21 report, however there have been renewed signs of strength in the market in the late summer. Typically August and September are the busiest months for real estate in Summit County and we have seen evidence that pattern is consistent.

This the fourth year in a row with the trend of a dropping number of transactions and rising prices, however, prices have barely risen this year. This is the first year in four that we have seen a drop in the dollar volume of total transactions. Comparing 2008 to 2007 may look bleak, but keep in mind that 2007 provided record low inventory and huge buyer demand. The market is clearly softer than it has been in a long time, but currently represents only a weak buyer’s market and near average inventory.

Here are a few of the latest statistics on the Breckenridge and Summit County real estate markets.

Total # of Transactions Year To Date as of July 1, ‘08
Down 35% - Down 490 sales - 935 total sales YTD
Second quarter transactions up 7% over first quarter - up 30 sales

* Jan. ‘08 vs Jan. ‘07 - Down 11%
* Feb. 08 vs Feb. ‘07 - Down 27%
* Mar. ‘08 vs Mar. ‘07 - Up 3%
* Apr. ‘08 vs Apr. ‘07 - Down 30%
* May ‘08 vs May ‘07 - Down 40%
* June ‘08 vs June ‘07 - Down 35%

Total Dollar Volume Sold YTD as of July 1, 2008
Down 26% - Down $170 mil. - $527,467,000 sold YTD Second quarter dollar volume up 18% over first quarter

* Jan. ‘08 vs Jan. ‘07 - Down 11%
* Feb. 08 vs Feb. ‘07 - Down 23%
* Mar. ‘08 vs Mar. ‘07 - Down 21%
* Apr. ‘08 vs Apr. ‘07 - Down 38%
* May ‘08 vs May ‘07 - Down 50%
* June ‘08 vs June ‘07 - Down 45%

Summit County sales as of August 19, 2008

* 50 Single Family Homes from $1-2 mil. sold in 2008
* There are 11 currently pending sales

* 115 Single Family Homes from $500K - $1mil. sold in ‘08.
* The are 27 currently pending sales.

* 206 condo/tnhms from $400K - $1 mil. have sold.
* 91 condo/tnhms are from $400K - $1 mil. pending sales.

The biggest news this year: The highest priced transaction for a single family home in Summit County closed this July for $5,550,000!

Larry Mallory - Hutchinson, Kansas

keith — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 22:43:42 +0000

“As a twenty year owner in the mountains you learn that finding someone to trust in your business dealings is not always possible. Too many people look at “flatlanders” as just a sheep to be shorn. Keith was a nice surprise and a pleasure to work with.”

Rita Payne

keith — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 19:38:45 +0000

Hello Keith,

I really enjoy reading your newsletter. Please keep me posted and let me know immediately if any ski in/ski out condos come on the market that you think are really well priced. Keep up the fine work.

Regards, Rita Payne