Conde’ Nast Traveler published, in the magazine’s September issue, the top gold award hotels in the Vail Valley.  Competition was tight for the presigious ranking, which includes hotels from all over the world.    Beaver Creek had three hotels and the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera edged out Sonnenalp Resort of Vail for top honors.  The top 5 hotels in the Vail Valley were: The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch, Lodge & Spa at Cordillera, Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, The Pines Lodge at Beaver Creek and the Sonnenalp Resort of Vail. The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch took top overall honors in Colorado because of its overall design for its unique ski lodge look at the base of the ski slopes.  The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera was No. 1 on the list for customer service and food, which was taken over by Dallas-based Behringer Harvard commercial real estate company on June 1.  The hotel has added new managers and made several upgrades.  The Sonnenalp Resort of Vail was No. 2 for customer service.  The staff always makes you feel special whether you are dressed to the nines or if you are wearing casual, comfortable clothes.  The hotel is located only 5 minutes from the ski lifts in Vail. 

There are a lot of great hotels in the Vail Valley.  A great source for information on hotels in the area is: www.concierge.com.

With the economy in turmoil and travel prices on the rise, hotel bookings are down in both Vail and Beaver Creek.  Advanced bookings are down almost 11 percent year to date in Vail and almost 5 percent in Beaver Creek, according to the Vail Valley Partnership.  Individuals may be taking longer to decide on their vacations this year and their stays may be shorter.   Hopefully, this will change when we start getting snow!  Another good snow year will bring the people back to enjoy doing what they love, skiing!  Right now, there are alot of choices for great places to stay while on your vacation in Vail and Beaver Creek.  Some hotels may even offer some specials on both lodging and ski rentals.  

For more information on what’s happening in the Vail Valley, please feel free to call Betsy Randall at (970) 401-3011.

Live where the Gold meets the Blue

 Pictures often do not tell the whole story, but we try. 

 Sometimes, you just have to walk the walk!

MOrtgage rates dropped sharply Monday morning as investors reacted to the governments takeover  of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  The average interest rate for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage dropped three tenths of a percentage point to 6%, and are expected to decline more in the coming weeks.

The governments takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac-mortgage titans that own half of all US mortgages- will help borrowers who had been nervously witing for the best time to get out of an adjustable rate mortgage they took out during the housing boom.

It will do little to stem the dramatic rise in foreclosures. That has consumer advocates calling on Fannie and Freddie to do more.

If yu are interested in investing in a second home or a ski condo in the Vail Valley , please contact: Gerlinde Debie ~ gerlinde@gatewayland.com

www.gerlindevail.com

another quality development by Summit Habitats

Summit habitat has incorporated eco friendly building practises on custom homes for over a decade.  At the Pointe they had the opportunity to pull them together, to make a conscious difference with the enclave of 11 homes.  We are proud to be certified ECOBUILD through meeting the criteria set by Eagle County in our building practise, construction materials and landscaping.  We are also working to attain prestigeous, national Built green certification.  We considered the environment from planning to completion, giving an eco focus to our ever present commitment to aesthetics, function and value.

In purchasing a home at the Pointe, you are choosing a home wich was designed ad built with the environment a s priority.  all this withina  quarter mile from public transportation and less than a 2 minute walk to all of the amenities in downtown Edwards.  The pointe is a lifestyle.

Nestled on a quiet bluff overlooking Riverwalk you find the Pointe.  Conceived in contemporary sophistication, Sub Zero, Wolf and 5 star Energy rated systems. Make a pointe to live green in style.  Call me Gerlinde Debie at 970.926.5579 or send me an email gerlinde@gatewayland.com

www.gerlindevail.com

Festival of Dance at the Ford Amphitheater

How lucky we are to live and enjoy the offerings of the Vail Valley. After the departure of three top notch orchestras in July, we are now presented the opportunity to see some of the best dancers in the world. The Vail Valley Foundation has hired Damian Woetzel from the New York City Ballet to create a two week blitz of dancers from all over the world. Last night at the Ford Amphitheater he presented us first with Ashley Bouder and Daniel Ulbricht from NY City Ballet, and then switched over to the Keigwin Company, which presented modern dance to the sounds of Neil Diamond, Nina Simone, and Aretha Franklin. This was all followed up by the Flamengo Dancing of Soledad Barrio and her Noche Flamcinco Company.

The rest of the week will be filled with The Wheeldon Company does Morphoses, and then in the streets of Vail will have ballroom dances giving free instruction  to anyone who wants to dance. The Finale will be World Champion Ballroom Dancers at the Amphitheater on Saturday night, an evening that has always been memorable to all that attend every summer.

Just in case we don’t leave .out Beaver Creek, the Vilar Center will feature Pat Benatar on Monday night, Aug. 11 and that will be followed by the Credence Clearwater Revival Revisited on Sunday, Aug. 17.

In between these incredible events, please stop by Gateway Land to learn more about how to find the perfect home for your needs in this super hot Buyers’ Market. Please call Judd Babcock at 970-376-3230 for more information

Local and National Artists Featured!

This weekend is the Beaver Creek Arts Festival in Beaver Creek Village.  Local and National Artists will feature artwork of every kind including sculpture, jewelry, handblown glass, and paintings.  There will also be culinary demonstrations, a childrens’ craft area, and live music.  The Beaver Creek Arts Festival is a prestigious, juried event with 170 artist showing their work.  The festival is from 10 am to 6 pm Saturday and Sunday throughout Beaver Creek Village.  The cost is Free!  The live music starts at 12:30 to 2:30 and 3 to 5 pm on Saturday and 12:30 to 5 pm on Sunday.  Food and beverage booths are open from 11 to 6 pm Saturday and Sunday.  For more information on the Beaver Creek Arts Festival please visit www.beavercreek.snow.com.

For information on what’s happening in the Vail Valley please feel free to contact:  Betsy Randall at (970) 401-3011 or email: betsy@gatewayland.com.

What's happening with the Beaver Creek Real Estate in 2008

The real estate market in Beaver Creek has had a respectable first half of the year. Respectable, that is, compared to the rest of the country and even to the real estate market in Vail, Colorado. Forty homes have sold in the first half of 2008 in Beaver Creek. Fifteen of the homes were under one million, while seventeen sold between one million and five million. In the five to ten million dollar range, eight homes have sold since January 1, 2008. The highest price home sold, so far this year, was at Wiltshire Court and it sold for $9,500,000.

Buyers are still getting decent deals and sellers are eagerly negotiating prices, especially, with one hundred twenty units on the market . Prices are between a low of $395,000 all the way up to a staggering $27, 250,000.  With so many to choose from, buyers can make respectable offers and perhaps get a great deal on a lovely home in the beautiful ski area of Beaver Creek, Colorado.

For more details on any of the one hundred twenty homes on the market or any homes for sale in the Vail Valley, contact this author, Keith Thompson at 970-331-5805 or at keith@gatewayland.com

A new contempory eco-friendly development

The Point at Edwards is a new gated enclave neighborhood located on the hillside of Edwards.  You will be minutes away from grocery shopping, restaurants and the Arrowhead Ski Resort.  Your views will be of the Red and White Mountain and the Eagle River Valley.  The Point at Edwards offers three Mountain Modern floor plans ranging from 3,800 to 5,050 square feet, 4 or 5 bedrooms with 2 and 3 car garages.  These homes are built green and are enery star certified.  These homes are priced from $1,795,000 to $2,375,000. 

For more information on The Point at Edwards or other real estate in the Vail Valley please feel free to call: Betsy Randall at (970) 401-3011 or email: betsy@gatewayland.com.

2195 Crest Court : THE Luxury Single Family Home!

2195 Cresta Court, or as it has been aptly named, Chateau de Mon Reve, is truly one of the finest homes you will ever see in the entire Vail Valley.

Situated on Arrowhead ski mountain, this well thought-out 13,700 square foot home provides the ultimate in a ski-in, ski-out mountain retreat!  The attention to detail and the “they thought of everything” design will rival most any home you’ve seen before.  (An example;  the cozy and opulent grotto,  See below!)

For those looking for a family legacy in the Rocky Mountains, Chateau de Mon Reve provides the opportunity for years of enjoyment in the lap of luxury!  All of your family members (only the ones you like of course) will flock to be with you at this fantastic on-mountain property.

For a private tour or to learn more about this magnificent home, please contact me anytime.