Breckenridge Homes & Summit County Real Estate Blog

Breckenridge Ski Area celebrated its 50th anniversary on December 16, 2011. In 1960, three friends who met in Aspen – Bill Rounds and Norwegian friends Sigurd Rockne and Trygve Berge – set out to build summer cabins in the valley where exclusive Breckenridge Colorado mountain real estate is now located.  The irony is that because the ski area was created, Breckenridge developed way beyond summer cabins there are now a full range of second homes in Breckenridge with prices ranging from modest to very expensive.

In the beginning Breckenridge was mostly old piles of river rock left over from gold dredging in the gold boom.  The idea of summer cabins led to wondering what people would do in the winter.  Familiar with the skiing in Aspen the trio tossed around the idea of putting in some ski runs in Breckenridge.  They scouted out and marked the first runs in the spring and early summer of 1961 and that winter they were open for skiing.

In the beginning, locals left over from the mining era thought a ski area was a crazy idea that would never work.  It wasn’t long before the vision and enthusiasm of the ski area brought out the adventurous and entrepreneurial alike.

Breckenridge Ski Area weathered many peaks and valleys but ultimately has become one of the top ski resorts in North America.  The historic Victorian mining town of Breckenridge and the characters who have called her home over the past 50 years can take the credit for the success of the ski area.

The Rounds family went on to purchase many prime parcels of land around Breckenridge, which over the years have been developed into some of the most prime second home subdivisions in Summit County and Colorado.  Trygve and Sigurd started the first ski school.  Soon after, Sigurd sold his half to Trygve and went on to build custom vacation homes around Breckenridge.  Both raised families in Breckenridge.  Sigurd still lives in Breckenridge with his wife, children and grand children.  Trygve lives in Denver and at 80 years old still gets in more days on the runs than most locals.

For information about buying real estate in the scenic mountain villages, call Barrie Stimson, Breckenridge Realtor with RE/MAX Properties of the Summit at (970) 390-2560.

Breckenridge Ski Properties for Sale

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For information about Breckenridge Colorado real estate and other Summit County properties for sale including Keystone CO real estate and homes in Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne, or Copper Mountain, call Barrie Stimson at 970-390-2560.   

From the desk of Barrie Stimson

PULSE ON THE MARKET

* I believe the most relevant statistic today is the number of transactions that take place.  These are actual sales.  I believe prices follow, or lag.  Even though transactions started to decline in 2006 prices didn’t peak until 2007.  So, now you can get a sense of why I think we may be at least leveling out.

I am not fooling myself.  I do believe that this is going to be a very slow recovery.  In past recessions lowering interest rates was helpful in stimulating the market.  Unfortunately, interest rates are about as low as they are going to get.

Number of Transactions Year-to-Year in Breckenridge (excluding vacant land)

2002 – 628
2003 – 762 (+21%)
2004 – 863 (+13%)
2005 – 983 (+14%)
2006 – 941 (-4%) ← transactions started to decline here
2007 – 793 (-16%) ← prices peaked here
2008 – 482 (-39%)
2009 – 364 (-24%)
2010 – 410 (+12%)
2011 – 495 (+20%)

As a general statement the price you pay today is about what you would have paid in 2005.

** NEW CONSTRUCTION BUILDING PERMITS ARE UP!

We all hear various updates on the construction market across the country, but our clients are always asking us, “What’s happening in Summit County?” Over the past year permits have increased, and our local market for new custom homes is certainly looking stronger! In 2011, custom home construction permits increased by 50% over 2010, signaling that the market is definitely getting better, and we are currently working with more prospective clients right now than in the past three years.

Here’s the year-to-date info for 2011:

• Breckenridge increased to 18 custom home permits in 2011 from 10 in 2010 (80%)
• Summit Co increased to 45 custom home permits in 2011 from 30 in 2010 (50%)

*** Foreclosures

2011     2010     2009     2008
145       104       47         33

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Gather the family together this week to search for a vacation home in Breckenridge.  A fascinating drama unfolds while watching some of the world top snow/ice sculpting teams in action at the Riverwalk Center.  And the market for Breckenridge Colorado real estate is hot!  We kid you not.

The historic Victorian village of Breckenridge nestles into the pristine properties of Summit County in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.  As it intertwines the charming town with the world-class Breckenridge Ski Resort, the vibrant Breckenridge community has drawn exciting new talent to the 2012 Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships Presented by Cadillac.  This is 22nd annual competition held in Breckenridge.

Last week, residents of Breckenridge CO homes and their guests welcomed artists from several countries, including many medal winners.  Acclaimed Team China and Team Canada-Yukon are among them.  The ardently prepared 20-ton blocks of ice are ready to be transformed.

Sculpting begins at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 and continues throughSaturday, January 28, 2012.  Fifteen top-notch snow-sculpting teams will use hand tools “to uncover the beauty frozen within the blocks.”

On January 20, 2012, Kimberly Nicoletti quoted event cofounder Rob Neyland in the Summit Daily News describing the excitement on tap.  “A lot of these teams bring their charismatic color to the event….Snow sculpting is a performing art; it is a living art form that is performed on the public stage.”Neyland is describing the zest embodied in the living process of creating monumental ice sculptures.  And onlookers watch in awe.

The Breckenridge competition is one of the top 10 international snow/ice sculpting competitions.  Each year the caliber of teams, designs, and quality of sculpting has improved.  Only 15 of 32 entrants have been chosen to participate in the 2012 event.  Judges evaluated each team’s proposal and selected those that looked the most striking and practical.  They also took into consideration each team’s competitive standing and ability to make the trek to the United States.

Other participating teams include Team Breckenridge, Team Alaska, Team Wisconsin, Team Greece/USA-Idaho, Team Australia/USA, three teams from Canada and others from Spain, China, Finland, Germany, Baltic, Mexico, and Switzerland.

Anyone who misses the actual sculpture “performance” this week can still come out to the finished ice artwork through Sunday, February 5, 2012.  Next year’s Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships will be held January 22-26, 2013 with the viewing week January 27 through February 3, 2013.

For information about buying real estate in the scenic mountain villages, call Barrie Stimson, Breckenridge Realtor® with RE/MAX Properties of the Summit at (970) 390-2560.

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Beautiful Breckenridge is swaddled by the White River National Forest, Summit County mountain homes, and the popular Breckenridge Ski Resort.  Breckenridge Ski Resort extends over four adjacent peaks of the Ten Mile Mountain Range in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

In 2011, Breckenridge Ski Resort is celebrating 50 years of fabulous skiing and riding.  When it opened in 1961 as the Peak 8 Area, the ski operation rekindled real estate development in the historic gold-mining Town of Breckenridge and all of Summit County.  Today, Breckenridge real estate ranges from Victorian homes downtown to on-mountain luxury condominiums to homes on the Breckenridge Golf Course.Skiing families along the Front Range return to their Breckenridge homes for getaways and vacations all year round.

Historic Downtown and the Breckenridge Ski Resort merge into a rich and colorful blend of friendly activity that is a signature of the community.  It is a global destination.  Since opening on December 16, 1961, visitors have hailed from all 50 states and 60 countries.  In 1961, there were two lifts serving 17,000 skiers.  In 2010-2011, over 1.6 million skier visits were recorded, registering Breckenridge as one of two most visited ski resorts in North America.

Breckenridge Ski Resort features 2,358 acres of terrain and 155 trails.  From a base elevation at 9,600 feet to the summit at 12,998 feet, the resort includes a 3,398 foot vertical rise.  Breckenridge features 722 acres of bowls.

From Peak 7 to the north to Peak 10 on the south, the four mountains satisfy the abilities and skill sets of everyone.  Peak 8, the original ski area, offers intermediate and some advanced access as well as access to the Back Bowls and the cornices at Lake Chutes.  On Peak 7 are the northernmost and westernmost bowls with very difficult terrain and slopes up to 55 degrees.

Peak 9 is mostly intermediate terrain with beginner runs on the lower part.  It offers access to expert runs such as Devil’s Crotch and Windows.  Peak 10 on the south end features difficult and intermediate terrain at Crystal, Centennial, and Doublejack.

Pioneering in 1984, Breck was the first Colorado ski area to allow snowboarding.  Freestylers and experts agree that Breckenridge boasts the best pipes and terrain parks in the world.  There are currently five terrain parks and two half-pipes.  In mid-December, the Winter Dew Tour for winter sports draws athletes from around the world.

In less than ten minutes, the BreckConnect Gondola runs from downtown through Cucumber Gulch Preserve to a mid-station at Shock Hill, to a mid-station at the base of Peak 7, and on to the base at Peak 8.  The efficient lift system at Breckenridge is capable of moving 37,880 skiers per hour.  It includes the world’s highest quad chair lift and the continent’s first high-speed quad chairlift as well as its only double-loading lift.The Imperial Express lift glides up to 12,840 feet elevations where the magnificent Summit County vistas extend forever.

For information about buying real estate in the scenic mountain village, call Barrie Stimson, Breckenridge Realtor® with RE/MAX Properties of the Summit at (970) 390-2560.

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Summit County Area Photo Slide Show

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Photos of Summit County Colorado – Click on a thumbnail for a larger view:

[View with PicLens]

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General George F. Spencer established the Town of Breckenridge in January 1860 during the rush to settle the West.  Through to the 1880s, Breckenridge real estate grew in the important gold mining town. The Great Depression and World War II, however, took their toll on real estate in Breckenridge, reducing the community to a small, hardy bunch after the gold-mining era.  Read more about History of Breckenridge CO real estate.

The Town of Breckenridge is located in Summit County at an elevation of 9,600 feet in the heart of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.  It offers much more than the average Colorado mountain town, including beautiful Colorado mountain homes in Breckenridge near the ski slopes and trails and the Continental Divide.

Breckenridge Town and Ski Mountain

The world-class Breckenridge Ski Resort and the Ten Mile Mountain Range match the magical charm of historical Breckenridge Main Street.   Awesome snow-capped majesty looms as the constant backdrop to this one-of-a-kind Colorado mountain town.  The Town has become one of the most popular ski destinations as well as a summer-vacation destination.

The ski area offers over 150 ski trails that are open to skiers and snowboards alike.  All levels of skiers are happy with the selection of terrain.  Beginners enjoy the entry-level green slopes.  More fun waits for the experienced skier on a wide range of intermediate blue runs and the more-challenging black and double-diamond trails.

Surrounded by open national forests with access to backcountry trails, the area is perfect for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing.  For a trail list, maps or any other information, please visit: breckenridgenordic.com

Summer Activities

Once the snow melts, the area turns into a gorgeous Summer Vacation Destination with breathtaking views of the Ten Mile Range in every direction.

Outdoor summer activities are abundant.  The Town of Breckenridge owns and operates a Jack Nicklaus-designed, 27-hole golf course.  The course opened in 1985 and has since been one of the town’s main attractions.  Many luxury homes mingle around the golf course offering panoramic views of the fairways and the snowcapped Ten Mile Range.

Fly-fishers are in heaven with access to a number of world-class fishing rivers and streams. For more information on fly-fishing, please visit the Breckenridge and Summit County Fishing Guide.  A diverse selection of backcountry trails encourage hiking and biking in the area.  One is the Colorado Trail through the state.  For a list of trails, please visit the Summit County Explorer.

We feature all active area listings on our website, accessible using the search module.  Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have about real estate in the area by calling Barrie Stimson at  970-390-2560.

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The Town of Breckenridge has an unsurpassed charm.  For the past two decades, real estate buyers have been attracted to beautiful Breckenridge Colorado homes and land for mountain vacations and investments.  Their interest is causing Breckenridge vacant land availability closer to an end.

Breckenridge Real Estate

The popularity of real estate in Breckenridge extends beyond the town limits. Buyers of Breckenridge homes look to Baldy Mountain to the east, the Town of Blue River located five miles to the south of town, and north to the Peak 7 subdivision and Breckenridge Golf Course and its Highlands subdivision.  In fact, Breckenridge’s popularity has constantly stimulated real estate sales throughout Summit County and neighboring Park County.

Breckenridge real estate sales typically account for over 40 percent of the annual real estate transactions in the Summit County area.    Strict laws and regulations of the Town limit the land used for development purposes to a very small area.  Similar restrictions are in place in all of Summit County.  Those restrictions are driving property prices upwards as Summit County reaches build-out.

The reason real estate here is a hot item is the popularity of the world-class ski resort with millions of annual visitors from all over the world who seek lodging options in the area.

A property investment in the resort can yield immediate income, when designated as a vacation rental property.  Rental monies usually offset all costs of annual ownership if no lending was involved in the purchase process.  For many, the yield can be pure profit.

The Town also offers a selection of properties including homes, condos and townhomes, sold as a fractional ownership with shares ranging from a week or two of ownership to a full-quarter ownership shares. View our featured partial ownership properties.

• Featured Breckenridge Real Estate
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• Breckenridge Condos
• Breckenridge Townhomes
• Breckenridge Land
• Breckenridge Duplexes

For more information about our community and real estate, feel free to contact us with any question you may have and our team of professional Realtors will guide you through every step of the way to accomplish your Colorado real estate investment goals.  Simply call Barrie Stimson at 970-390-2560.

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