I just wrote what I thought to be a pretty good blog on investing in Real Estate and Investment properties in Breckenridge.  Now when I go to look for it I can't even find anymore.  I wrote it about 30 minutes ago.  It seems like the blogs move so fast sometimes they don't get the exposure they deserve.  Anyone else have this happen to the blogs?   Ski season is on it's way! 09/14/2007

When measuring risk we typically use the Risk = Reward Ratio. The more you risk, the more potential there is for reward.  Most investors understand this concept and use it to evaluate their investments.  This leads me to the big question "How do get more reward while reducing your risk?” Let me explain myself, and the market I work in.  I sell real estate in Breckenridge Colorado, which has been and continues to be a great Bull Market.  This is a highly desirable ski town market and I work with my fair share of investors. Back to my question "How do you get more reward while reducing your risk?”  From my experiences, you can receive more reward with less risk by eliminating the uncertainties.  Risk is often a result of uncertainty. Gambling is risky and there are no certainties. How do ... 09/14/2007

It is Still Summer in Breckenridge! Labor Day Weekend - September 1-3, 2007This is the perfect weekend to see everything Breckenridge has to offer! Beautiful weather, activities and events such as the Great Divide Arts and Crafts Fair, the Summit Foundation's Rubber Duck Race and Sidewalk Sale Days will keep your clients excited and entertained.Breckenridge Singletrack Festival - September 7-9, 2007 The Breckenridge Singletrack Festival is the first carbon-neutral mountain bike festival to take place in Colorado. The festival will bring mountain bike enthusiasts together at 9,600+ feet to enjoy mountains of riding on Breckenridge's numerous singletrack trails, fun games, cold beer, free clinics and green awareness. Octoberfest - September 14-16, 2007Grab your stein, put on your lederhos... 09/07/2007

This was the title of a post I did a couple of months ago on my outside  blog.  I was reminded recently, when I read a post by Esko Kiuru about the lack of affordable housing in Las Vegas, that not every resort area has good programs to help locals get affordable housing.  Summit County, Colorado has a great program that is funded both by a sales tax and a tax of about $1 per square foot on new construction.  I don't know that the method they used to fund it was such a good idea, but I guess the locals figured that the rich second home owners could afford to help them out! The funds are used to provide low interest down payment assistance, or even grants, for local workers.  In addition, builders are encouraged to add deed restricted units to their projects when they build.  A very popu... 08/13/2007

 For some reason, flowers in the Colorado mountains are always extraordinary.  I think the combination of the short growing season, which makes everything bloom at once, the cool temperatures and the proximity to the sun with the extra UV rays, gives us spectacular shows.  I was in Breckenridge last week with my camera, and found some homes and businesses with some beautiful displays.  We have flowers like this all over Summit County, but the Victorian homes in Breckenridge just add to the charm. What does it take to make flowers grow in Summit County?  Not much...just plant them in the ground or pot, get them water on a regular basis, a little Miracle Gro every so often, and watch them bloom like crazy.  I usually plant my pots right around Memorial Day.  Sometimes I get eager and plan... 07/31/2007

Great Investment Opportunities! Here in Breckenridge we are seeing some huge new developments taking place from Vail Resorts, especially with the Ski in Ski out condos.  Vail is the owner of the Breckenridge Mountain, and has been continually expanding the development of bases and the mountain in the past few years.  Last year they completed the construction of the new "Breck Connect" gondola.  This new feature will greatly improve skier transportation from the town to the ski hill.  The new gondola has three stops on its route.  The first is Shock Hill, where there is some very strong new development of single-family homes, townhouses, and The Lodge and Spa at Shock Hill.  Currently there are some completed projects on Shock Hill, which have turned out very impressive.  The second stop... 07/10/2007

I have some very strong and inexpensive land investment opportunities available in Park County. Many of these properties have private fishing rights to gold medal streams and private hunting rights in the middle of an elk migration path. These opportunities are selling fast. With less and less supply, and more and more demand, prices are rising rapidly. An outdoorsman’s paradise! I am so confident in these properties, that I have been purchasing many of them for my family and myself. There are also many other great investment / vacation properties available all throughout Summit County. Please contact me if you or someone you know would like to take advantage of these opportunities.Chris Gempelerhttp://www.MountainTopRealtor.com  07/06/2007

Why dream when you can live it?  Weather you choose Breckenridge, Copper, Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne, or Keystone, you will still be in the heart of "Colorado's playground", Summit County. The real estate market in this area is stronger than ever, and now is the time to guarantee a piece of this prime investment/vacation property.  We are rapidly following the path of similar market such as Vail and Aspen, but if you were to visit you would see that Summit County boasts a unique quaint charm that does not compare to any of the other ski town markets.  While the prices are rising fast, there are still some very affordable properties available.  These opportunities will not last long. Contact me today Chris Gempelerhttp://www.MountainTopRealtor.com  07/06/2007

The construction activity in Breckenridge is moving quickly these days. The new "Breck Connect" gondola that opened last January and runs from downtown Breckenridge to the bottom of Peaks 7 and 8, has brought new energy to the interaction between the Town of Breckenridge and the Breckenridge Ski Resort.   The local newspaper, The Summit Daily, recently wrote an article  talking about the three possible plans for the Gondola Plaza.  The town and the resort envision it as a lively commercial space with restaurants, shops and maybe even condos.  They are listening to public input and want it to be a place that will draw people from the gondola into the downtown area.  The new development will cause a loss of about 700-800 parking spaces, and they will have to be replaced, perhaps with a pa... 06/23/2007

 Today we did our weekly Wednesday hike.  We were south of Breckenridge in an area called Mohawk Lakes, a round trip distance of about 7 miles.  The trail starts near Spruce Creek Road and follows Spruce Creek itself about 3 1/2 miles up hill, gaining 1700 feet of elevation in the 3 1/2 miles.The last mile or so is a stiff climb at about 11,500 feet, so it is a lung popping hike.  Coming down the same hillside that you are going up is a spectacular waterfall  called the Continental Falls.  It gives you good reason to stop and enjoy looking at it while you catch your breath. Even though it is June, we had to hike over patches of snow and all the creeks were running fast, carrying the snowmelt down to the lakes.  In another couple of weeks the wildflowers will be blooming and it will be e... 06/20/2007

Today, June 3, 2007, with a total of 93 lots for sale in Breckenridge, only 12 are priced under $250,000.  Of those, 3 are in RV parks and 5 are at an elevation of about 11,000' where summers are very short.  Looking at the other end of the price range, 16 lots are priced over $1,000,000 with the highest priced lot being a ski-in/ski-out acre at the base of the Peak 8 base area, priced at $2,500,000.   If you don't need as much land you can find a half acre lot for a mere $1,800,000.  These numbers don't really reflect the true state of the market however, at least in the last year.  In Breckenridge, since June 1, 2006, 207 lots sold.  That could mean that if no new lots come on the market, (which they will), we may only have enough lots available to last less than six months.  However,... 06/03/2007

Summit county has many gold medal fishing waters, almost all in the Blue River, which means that they are some of the best places to fish.  But don't plan on having your catch for dinner, as you must throw it back if you are in a gold medal area.  I am a fly fisherman when I am not working as a Buyer Specialist for the Mountain Living Team, and actually used to work as  a guide for a local outfitter.  I know all the good spots to fish and what equipment to use to catch the big ones.  The headwaters of the Blue River, which feeds into the Colorado River, are in Breckenridge.  Following the Blue River downstream out of the mountains, there is a short stop in Goose Pasture Tarn, south of Breckenridge, where the owners of property in Spruce Valley get to enjoy the view of the Tarn.  The riv... 05/28/2007

No one has proclaimed a king, at least not since Ullr Fest in January, but he is King of the week long party that is the  tribute to the Norse god of snow, not the Town.  We do have a town fool competition at the end of ski season each year, but I have yet to see a king of Breckenridge crowned.  Kingdom days are coming up mid-June, and it got me wondering how the term the "Kingdom" of Breckenridge came about.  I found a couple of interesting facts.  Breckenridge was founded in 1859, and was named after the then Vice-President Breckinridge, who, flattered at having a town named after him, gave the town a Post Office in 1860.  The town was called Breckinridge in those days, but when the civil war started and the former VP Breckinridge became a Brigadier General in the Confederate Army, th... 05/18/2007

The real estate market may be cooling off nationally.  The Denver Metro area may still be flat.  But, none of that has affected sales in Summit County, Colorado.  Our sales are hot, our inventory is down, and prices are climbing.  Difficult to control.  Everyone wants a piece of this affluence.  Even deed-restricted homes designed for locals have reached over $230,000 for those who qualify at median income or less.  Look at some statistics.  Sales volume just for June this year were up more than 45 percent over the June of 2005.  Incredible!  But, the number of transactions were up only 11 percent.  So, more high end homes are being sold, and the price of similar homes has climbed.  The top three communities in sales were Breckenridge, Keystone and Silverthorne, a bit of a surprise, sin... 08/04/2006