Breckenridge Update

Lunch with The Devil?

 
This photo of Chris Neubecker, senior planner with the Town of Breckenridge, was taken yesterday when we had lunch at Fiesta Jalisco on Main St. in Breckenridge.  Be careful you too could look like the devil when seated in one of their booths.

Chris is far from being the devil, however, with Halloween today being both of us got a good laugh out of this photo.  Chris has been with the town for about 10 years now and you can tell he really cares about the future.  We had a great chat about different projects coming up and what the town will look like in a decade or two.

One of the most interesting things we talked about is the renovated train that will be located in the Wellington Parking lot (north end of Main St).  Click to see the Summit Daily New article about it

Download train_to_be_placed_in_wellington_lot_sdn_oct_30_2008.pdf
Love life,

Daniel Webster Johnson
The Breckenridge real estate blogger
RE/MAX Properties of the Summit/Breckenridge
Cell (970) 393-3300

'Joe the Engineer' Buys in Breckenridge

Well, I figure what the heck my clients and I might as well jump on the "Joe the unlicensed plumber" bandwagon... So I would like you to meet 'Joe the engineer' and his wife Nancy.  Joe is not any old engineer. He is not a civil engineer, like myself.  NO - Joe is an electrical engineer. His firm keeps the machines in the caning and bottling industry going.  No recession there.  Last time I looked around people are still drinking. You might remember a few weeks back I wrote about Joe and told you he was looking for a place to buy.

He bought one on Monday.  A great ski-in one bedroom condo with 'killer' views.  He is putting down 45% and borrowing the balance at a darn low interest rate.  He is my kind of client.  He said, "I am so glad I am getting my money out of the stock market.  We will get so much more enjoyment out of this condo that we ever did out of looking at our stock portfolio statements."

I can not tell a lie - this photo is NOT Joe and his real name is NOT Joe (it is Richard).  However in a future posting I will tell you about 'Joe the Landscaper' (his real name and profession) who made over $250,000 in a short time on Breckenridge real estate.

Love life,

Daniel Webster Johnson

(970) 393-3300
Daniel@YourMountainBroker.com
The Breckenridge real estate blogger

Kylee Says Showings are Sloooooooooooooooooooooooow!!!

Hi,

I want you to meet Kylee. She works in our RE/MAX office on Main St in Breckenridge 4 days a week (always over the weekends).  She is a charmer, very professional, extremely polite and superb with clients.

Weekends are usually busy however this weekend it has slowed right down.  The types of properties that are being show are ski in condos in prime locations. 

The good news is that properties are going under contract.  A studio ski in/out went under contract yesterday.

My personal experience is the same.  Yesterday I spent the day with a couple looking at top quality ski in condos.  We presented the seller a contract yesterday and we are in the negotiation phase now.

Property is selling and people are getting loans.

Love life, Daniel Webster Johnson (970) 393 3300
Your Mountain Broker
The Breckenridge real estate blogger.

Breckenridge Market is Very Consistent

My goal is to know the Breckenridge Colorado real estate market better than any other real estate broker.

As a result I track lots and lots of data.  Not all of it is a true representation of the market.  If the data doesn't agree with my gut feeling I will tell you loud and clear.  I owned a market research firm which I sold years ago.  I know the bs that goes on when it comes to the manipulation of numbers.

This illustration is how I feel sometimes.  I am the guy on the right when I am studying the market and  much more the one in the middle when out hiking Colorado's highest peaks. 

The newest data reinforces a point I made about a week ago.  Properties under $500,000 have made up about 35% of the market.  Have a look: 

Download aaa_detailed_analysis_3rd_quarter_07_to_08.pdf

One of the most important observations is that what is selling as a percent of the overall market is consistent between last year and this year.

Love life, Daniel Webster Johnson (970) 393-3300
Your Mountain Broker

The Breckenridge real estate blogger.

Winter in Breckenridge has arrived!

Snow started falling late Monday in Summit County and has been doing so ever sense. Over night the weather has shifted from an Indian Summer to streets covered in a fresh blanket of snow! It's beautiful up here.

The snow has come just in time as the Breckenridge Ski Area is set to open Friday November 7th and the rumor on the street is they are planning on opening Peak 8 first this year. For all Colorado Ski Resort opening days click here (list is on the right-hand side).

Love Life and Look Forward to a GREAT 08/09 ski season!

Your Mountain Broker

Breckenridge is in the 'Buy Zone'...

... but only if you believe in my style of real estate investing.  I buy and hold for the long term.  For example:

• My brother and I still own the first investment property we purchased together 31 years ago.
• This month my partners and I are selling an office building in the CBD of Melbourne Australia that my wife and I purchased into in 1988.

That is what I mean when I say "buy and hold".  So if that is your approach to Breckenridge real estate make sure to study the trend line I have drawn Download sales_volume_projection_till_2015_with_trend_line.pdf  What I have done is taken the 2015 projections provided by RE/MAX (previous posting) and added my own bit of analysis.
Sure makes sense to me.  Keep in mind that Summit County is projected to reach build-out by 2013.
Love life, Daniel Webster Johnson (970) 393-3300
Your Mountain Broker
Breckenridge real estate blogger

Sales Volume Projection Thru 2015

Yesterday we had a Summit County RE/MAX "State of the Nation" breakfast meeting.  Have a look at the "official guesstimate" as provide to us by Don Angell, the owner of the 4 RE/MAX offices here.  He has owned property in the County since 1982, has a depth of experience and he is very well regarded in the industry.  Download sales_volume_projection_till_2015.pdf
Love life, Daniel Webster Johnson (970) 393-3300
daniel@yourmountainbroker.com
Breckenridge real estate blog

Great Community: Part III

For those that have been following the story you know that in September our 13 year old son, Paris, broke his arm skateboarding and had surgery at the Frisco hospital.  He is healed up, the cast is off and I'd like to say a final thanks to Dr. Erik Dorf at Vail/Summit Orthopedics and all the friends we made at the hospital.

Erik's photo was in the Summit Daily News.  We laminated it for him and then Paris turned it into a very special thanks.  Have a look: Download unique_thanks_card_for_erik_dorf.pdf

Love life, Daniel Webster Johnson (970) 393-3300
Your Mountain Broker
Breckenridge real estate blog

Hike In the Moonlight

My favorite time of the day, hands down is early morning.  Just about every day of the week buddy and I go for a hike.  I love to hike in the moonlight. At this time of the year that means a 5.30am start so that we can fit in our entire hike before the moon sets behind the Ten Mile Range.  What a wonderful lifestyle.  This Breckenridge real estate blog is also about the lifestyle here (which is really what people are buying when they move here).

Love life, Daniel Webster Johnson (970) 393-3300
daniel@yourmountainbroker.com

Peak 6 Closings Skews Average Prices

In addition to my points below there have been a number of condos change hands recently from Vail Resorts Development Corp (VRCD) to the owners (which  purchased off the plans about 18 months ago for +/- $950/ft.).  These have pushed the average price higher which also skews the data. 

This point is explained well by my fellow Realtor, Chuck Leathers.  See his "real estate at a glance" here: Download oct_11_08_market_overview_sdn.pdf

This photo is of "the guy to know".  Clark is the on-site construction supervisor for VRCD.  He is the reason the owners that are taking possession of their Crystal Peak Lodge (Peak 6) condos are so happy.  The project is way ahead of schedule and the punch lists are short.  I know I just conducted a punch list tour of with one of our clients.  Congratulations Clark!!!!

Love life, Daniel Webster Johnson (970) 393-3300
daniel@yourmountainbroker.com