Imagine purchasing your new "Green" home and getting a free, 2008 Toyota Prius to go with it. That's what the developer of the new "Fishing Cottages" at Cotton Ranch is offering to do - go "Green" all the way.

    The first five contracts for homes will include the award winning 2008 Toyota Prius Hybrid. Look at the money you will save on fuel (45-50 mpg) and you will be minus a car payment.

    These 1800 plus square foot homes being built around the lake off of the 5th fairway of Cotton Ranch will be about as "Green" as you can get. Homes will start at just $515,000 and will offer the following "Green" specifications:

1. High efficiency energy star appliances

2. Low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints and finishes

3. Engineered and renewable wood products

4. High efficiency energy star furnace and hot water heater.

5. Duct Mastic: prevents air leakage

6. Brown cellulose insulation

7. James Hardie Fiber cement siding

8. Energy star, double pane, Low E Vinyl windows

9. Xeri-Scape Landscaping

10. Timber Tech Composite decking

11. Textured fiberglass entry door

12. Innovative storage solutions

13. Toyota Prius

There it is! If you're looking for a home priced to sell and built to save not only you money, but also help protect the environment - then think "Fishing Cottages". No matter where you live and work in the Vail Valley, this is the best, innovative "Green" home concept in Eagle County!

For more information and to get your reservation for one of the "Green " homes and a 2008 Toyota Prius call or email: Keith Thompson, broker associate with Gateway Land & Development at 970-331-5805, 970-926-6777 or keith@gatewayland.com.

As a followup to Teri Lester's article, the Vail Daily announced today that ground had actually been broken on the Stratton Flats Affordable Housing complex just East of Eagle County/Vail Airport. That means 47 acres of prime land will be dedicated for 226 affordable housing units. One third of the units will fall under tht town of Gypsum's policy guidelines will not be price-capped. However, deed restrictions will specify an income cap for Buyers. One third of the units  will fall under Eagle County's regulations, and will be price capped base on the Wage Index, just as the West End project which Gateway Land is selling in Edwards. The final one third of the units will be priced at Market Rate. There will be condos, townhomes and single family homes, and the project should have units available by this Fall. With our expertise in this market, we can find the right fit for your needs.

For more information, please call Judd Babcock at 970-376-3230, your source for more reports on housing in the Vail Valley.

Bel Lago is Avon's newest luxury residences on Nottingham Lake with spectacular views of Beaver Creek. These world class residences feature gourmet kitchens with Wolf and Subzero appliances, custom knotty alder cabinetry, hand hewn hickory wood flooring, private garages, air conditioning and much more! 

There are 10 large, open floor plans in Bel Lago ranging in size from 1 bedroom to 4 bedrooms, with some featuring lofts.

Enjoy all that Avon has to offer from ice skating, world class skiing, fishing, mountain biking and the best views of the Fourth of July Celebration.  For a tour of Bel Lago please give Betsy Randall a call at (970) 401-3011 or email: betsy@gatewayland.com.

Not every property in Vail costs a million dollars, 10 are available under $400,000

These one bedroom condominiums in Vail range in price from $359,000 to $379,500 for about 600 square feet of living space.

Several properties offer tennis, exercise facilities and pool with two outdoor hot tubs.  They all have easy access to Vail mountain on the free Town of Vail bus. 

Some of the properties are updated with new kitchen and baths.  Wood firepalces and decks with views are some of the benefits of owning a property in Vail.

Yes, Vail has many million dollar properties, however, if you think you want a small mountain home, I encourage you to view one of these 10 properties under $400,000

For more information on these or other condominiums in Vail, contact Teri Lester, Eco-Broker 970-376-0779 or tlester@gatewayland.com

Clubhouse Condominium Duplex Home on One Level

Arrowhead Golf Community

 It is rare to find a one level, 3 bedroom, 3 bath, duplex condominium on the Arrowhead golf course.  The home has expansive views of the 10th fairway of the Country Club of the Rockies Golf Course.  The open and flowing floor plan makes the 1,970 square foot home with vaulted ceilings feel so much bigger.  You can cozy up to a good book in the study, or put your feet up in front of the wood-burning fireplace.  An attached one car garage will allow for storage of toys we all have when we live in the mountains. 

A huge wrap-around patio offers western sunsets and views of Castle Peak mountain.  This home is just steps to Arrowhead Ski mountain, part of the Vail/Beaver Creek Ski Resort and has free transportation to the slopes.  You can Golf at the Country Club of the Rockies, sit around the Clubhouse Pool, or play Tennis on several courts within the community.  There are great restaurants nearby in Arrowhead and Edwards.  This is truly a great place to call your mountain retreat!

The Clubhouse Duplex Condominium is available for  $1,250,000.

For more information on this great mountain home, or other properties in Arrowhead or the surrounding Edwards community, contact Teri Lester, Eco-Broker  970-376-0779 or tlester@gatewayland.com

Why is it, grass often grows in the flower garden and not on the grass? 

 Perhaps the same reason buyers seem to be looking for property in a seller's market and not in a buyer's market? 

Interest rates are low, jumbo mortgage rate levels are up in the Vail area, and buyers seem to have gone away.  The off-season, between the end of ski season and the beginning of the summer concerts, is a great time to visit the Vail area and the surrounding Eagle valley and look for that mountain home.  The homes that did not sell during the winter and are still on the market are a great place to start. 

An example of a single family home in a quiet enclave of homes in the town of Vail is listed for $1,450,000 for 3 bedrooms with a 2 car garage, nestled in an aspen grove!

Currently there are 35 single family homes for sale in the Town of Vail.  So if you have always dreamed of owning a home in or near Vail, now is time to look around.  I encourage any buyers to seriously look for that bargain and not be in the right place at the wrong time.  Be proactive and be in the right place at the right time and visit Vail in off-season!

For more information on single family homes in Vail, condominiums, or lots available, contact Teri Lester, Eco-Broker 970-376-0779 or tlester@gatewayland.com

Celebrating the 10th anniversary season, the Vail Valley Foundation has once again booked many outstanding performers for the summer 2008 season at the Vilar Performing Arts Center.  Here are a few of the artists you don't want to miss.

Richard Marx & Matt Scannell    June 29   

Clint Black                             July 12

Emmy Lou Harris                     July 17

The Music of Abba                  July 23

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo         Aug 11

Al Green                                Sept 1

You can view all the concerts coming to the Beaver Creek Vilar Center at www.vilarcenter.org.

Many of the events sell out quickly, you tickets should be purchased soon.  You may order tickets on line at: www.vilarpac.org or call: (888) 920-ARTS (2787).

For information on what's coming up for the summer season in the Vail Valley, please call: Betsy Randall at (970) 401-3011 or email: betsy@gatewayland.com.

Has springtime hit the real estate market in the Vail Valley? That's a great question many sellers and even all of those timid buyers are asking themselves. A quick look at the activity in the Vail Real Estate Market will provide a little insight in answering this springtime question.

Vail Resorts closed the Vail Ski Mountain on April 13th even though many local skiers wished differently. Using April 13th as the start of spring for the Vail Valley, let's look at some interesting statistics on home sales in all of Eagle County since then.

$500,000 - $1,000,000 Range: In this price range, seventeen homes have sold in the Vail Valley. Eagle led the way with six homes selling, followed by Vail with five, Minturn with two, and Eagle-Vail, Singletree, Beaver Creek, and Gypsum all with just one home sold.

$1,000,000 - $1,500, 000 Range: Sells drop off significantly within this price range as only two homes were sold - one in Cordillera and one in Gypsum.

$1,500,000 - $2,000,000 Range: Not much better then the previous price range, this price range saw three homes being sold since April 13th and the closing of Vail and Beaver Creek. One home was sold in each of the following areas; Bachelor Gulch, Singletree and Lionshead.

For more information on the Real Estate Market in the Vail Valley call this author, Keith Thompson, at 970-331-5805 or email him at keith@gatewayland.com 

It has become so ironic that several years ago the Vail Valley had to draw a lot of its workers into town from outlying areas such as Glenwood Springs. Today we are seeing a reversal in that trend, and workers from here are being drawn to the Garfield County towns because oil and gas drilling, where salaries are much higher than the ski areas are willing to pay. Workers can expect to be paid $75,000.00 or more for jobs that require them to work 12 to 14 hour days, usually five or six days in a row. Based on license plate counts in Parachute, Silt and Rifle, many of the workers are coming from as far away as Texas and Louisiana and Oklahoma.

The impact on the housing market has been substantial with single rooms renting for as much as $1,200 per month. The motel business is booming and owners are seeing occupancy rates close to 100%. On the other hand, there could be a limited amount of natural resources in the ground, so builders have to be cautious not to over build for the future. The number of new wells drilled in Gafield County may peak in 2015, but the population at that time could be as high as 120,000 people. Rio Blanco County to the north will see the next influx of drills after Garfield is exploited.

The Gateway Land Company is investigating many of these trends for customers who are looking into alternative avenues of investment, and Judd Babcock will be happy to send you more detailed information if you are considering a move into the real estate world. Call Judd at 970-376-3230 for more information.

Located along the banks of the Eagle River just 10 minutes southwest of Vail, the historic town of Minturn has kept its old west personality.  Signs of the town’s former mining and railroad identity abound amongst the shops, galleries and restaurants that line the quaint and personable Main Street.  During the winter Minturn is most known for the Minturn Mile, a backcountry ski run that takes you from Vail Mountain right past the Saloon where the chips and margaritas take the edge off sore ski legs.  In the summer, Minturn vibrates with activity from kayak races, the Minturn Jazz Festival and the Minturn Farmers Market (one of the biggest social scenes in the Valley).  The Turntable restaurant reminds us of what made Minturn a town over a century ago with a miniature train set that runs around the restaurant above the booths.

10 miles past Minturn, Red Cliff is tucked back in the surrounding rock.  With its sheltered location and higher altitude Red Cliff enjoys beautiful privacy and the quiet sounds of nature.  It also gets less sun so it stays colder and holds the snow longer.  On a scenic drive between Vail and Leadville, or to see Camp Hale (where the WWII 10th Mountain Division soldiers trained), stop in Red Cliff at Mangos for fish tacos. 

While Minturn and Red Cliff step slowly towards Vail’s modern day standards of homes, and you can find newer constructed homes, there are just as many older homes with more charm and character than the old trucks sitting in their front yards. 

With Ginn Development Company’s new efforts to build Battle Mountain Resort, a private ski and golf resort on the south side of Minturn, heading towards Red Cliff, more rapid change is in the towns’ futures.  The old houses are being bought up, remodeled or ripped down and re-built.  Whether Ginn Resorts has sped up the process, or if Vail’s New Dawn was bound to spread southwest, Minturn and Red Cliff are on the train to a facelift of their own.

For more information on Minturn, Red Cliff or other Vail Valley real estate contact please call or email me or visit my website below.  

Heading west from Vail Village the valley opens up, lending to West Vail’s greater size and number of pocket neighborhoods compared to East Vail and Vail Village.  Popular with locals and second homeowners alike, West Vail offers conveniences of groceries, dining and free transportation into town, along with world class outdoor activities of biking, fly-fishing and hiking. 

Separated by the interstate, the northern and southern sides of West Vail are quite unique.  The southern side (the Vail Mountain side) in an alpine setting amongst tall trees and fields of wildflowers (or snow).  The Matterhorn and Intermountain neighborhoods of south West Vail sit along the recreation path that runs along the creek from East Vail to Minturn.  Advanced skiers can ski home to these southern neighborhoods and everyone else can take the free Town of Vail bus.

The northern, exposed, side of West Vail boasts long days of sunshine and breathtaking views of the Gore Range Mountains and the Vail Valley.  With world class biking trails and hiking trails above, the shops and restaurants below and the post office down the street, this side of town is bustling with activity.

West Vail’s close-knit community attracts all types of residents.  Each neighborhood has a multitude of properties from condos to single family homes ranging from older & outdated to new & updated.  West Vail homes those who want to live and play in the mountains without paying the downtown Vail premium. 

For more information on West Vail or other Vail Valley real estate call or email me or visit my website below.

The first quarter of 2008 has come and gone, and the sales numbers are down across the board, except for the high-end market.  The high end market is seeing one of its best years ever.  There have been 25 residential transactions over $4 million through March 2008.  It would seem the segment of the population not affected by unstable financial markets are acquiring resort property in earnest.

The total sales volume of $228 million for March was 86% of last years March total.  The total number of transactions for the month, 145, is down 31% from last year and down over 50% from 2005.  The current trend is a decreasing numbers of transactions, with somewhat stable prices, leading to increasing average sales prices.  (this is somewhat misleasding, as individual homes are not seeing this price appreciation in the current market.)

Please contact me to recieve the March 2008 and the Year-To-Date sales statistics for Eagle County in PDF form, or to discuss the Vail Valley real estate market.