Yes, it’s that awesome time of year again.   Vail’s Back Bowls are opening for the 2008-2009 ski season!  Sun Up Bowl and Sun Down Bowl, offering some of Vail’s best terrain and both serviced by Chair 5 will open tomorrow with feet of fresh powder to make the smiles go wide.  Game Creek Bowl opened today, so the western side of Vail’s backside will be primed for your turns.  Vail has already received 65″ of snow, and the mountain is in great shape.  Local’s favorite Chair 10 also opens tomorrow, so head over to Highline, Blue Ox and Roger’s to get some of the best turns on the mountain before it gets bumped up for the year.

The big dump we received yesterday cancelled the Birds of Prey World Cup ski races at Beaver Creek, but the best alpine skiers in the world tore it up today and will tomorrow as well.  If you don’t want to ski yourself, head to the Beav to check out the races; if you’ve never been, its pretty cool and worth a look.  (bundle up as it may be cold while standing around)

You can’t miss; head to Vail for some of the best turns you’ll find this year or head to the Beav to watch the world’s best male skiers.  Just be sure to head outside and enjoy winter in the Vail Valley!

To learn more about the Vail Valley, please contact me anytime.  Think Snow!

Click here to view the race results in the Vail Daily.

Click here to visit the FIS World Cup Ski Homepage.

 Own a part of history in Beaver Creek, Colorado

There is not another former President’s home on the market!

Beaver Creek - Former President Ford Home

The Former home of President and Mrs. Gerald R. Ford is now available in Beaver Creek, Colorado!

Extensive remodelling has brought this historic estate up to the highest standards of Beaver Creek mountain elegance.  This beautiful ski-in, ski-out, 9,850 square foot home is nestled among aspen and blue spruce trees, with Beaver Creek mountain views!

7 Bedrooms, 10 Baths, Wine Cellar, Indoor Lap Pool

$14,900,000

President Ford's former Lap Pool

Entertain in Former President's Home

 

Beaver Creek just got 8 inches of new powder on the ski slopes!

The Audi Birds of Prey Downhill races are this week!

Beaver Creek is the place to be!

 Beaver Creek Information 

Beaver Creek Events

For more details, photos or a private tour, contact Teri Lester, Luxury Home Specialist

970-376-0779 or tlester@gatewayland.com

Ski Home to a luxurious home with a private spa, exercise room, theater room, just steps to Beaver Creek Village, hiking trails, fishing, golf, ice-skating, shopping, restaurants, art galleries, and the Vilar center for performing arts.  Several ski-in, ski-out custom homes have seen recent price improvements since the economy has taken a downturn.  If you are visiting Beaver Creek this ski season, take some time to view some of these magnificent Beaver Creek Ski homes.  You won’t be disappointed you took a few hours off from skiing.  This is a great time to pick up some values in the Beaver Creek real estate market.

Beaver Creek Ski Home

 Cozy up to the fire after a long day of skiing with friends and family!

Ski Home in Beaver Creek

Are you torn between two places? You have a new home in the vail valley but cannot be there year around or homeou are overwhelmed entertaining all the guest that now want to visit you in your new mountain home. Don’t worry! There are plenty of property management companies in the Vail Valley ranging from small companies to large coorporations. Same specialize in rentals others in basic home care. Most offer concierge services and work on a flat fee with an hourly rate depending on gthe location and size of your home for services such as grocery shopping, pick up and drop off at airport, cleaning, landscaping, catering, setting up appointments,… For  a list of reputable  and trusted companies contact gerlinde@gatewayland.com or www.gerlindevail.com

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