Vail Resorts makes high tech upgrade to ski passes

Starting this year, all Vail Resorts passes will have a new radio frequency technology that allows skiers to scan without getting their passes out of their pockets.

Breckenridge to delay Peak 6 expansion

Due to some concern from members of the public over Peak 6 expansion at the Breckenridge ski area the US Forest Service will delay a draft environmental study by 6 months, until early winter of 2008-2009.

Great Summer Music in Breckenridge, Colorado

BRECKENRIDGE MUSIC FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 

2008 BLUE RIVER SERIES

 

The Breckenridge Music Festival is thrilled to announce it’s Blue River Series at the Riverwalk Center for the 2008 Season! The Blue River Series is the BMF’s non-classical concert series and the presenting sponsor of the 2008 BRS is Millennium Bank. This summer will offer something for everyone, from country and Celtic to American folk and rock.

 

The Blue River Series will kick off on Friday, June 27 with Richie Havens.  Richie Havens has one of the most recognizable voices in popular music which has inspired and electrified audiences from Woodstock, to the Clinton Presidential Inauguration.  Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 day of show; performance begins at 7:30pm.  www.richiehavens.com

 

On Thursday July 10, Cowboy Junkies with special guest Monahans will be performing at the Riverwalk Center.  Cowboy Junkies formed in Toronto in 1985 and few bands have lasted nearly as long with their original line-up intact, and fewer still have created as consistently satisfying a body of work.  Joining Cowboy Junkies will be Monahans who are able to remind us that qualitative adjectives like ‘ambient’ and ‘tranquil’ are not antithetical to rock & roll.  Tickets are $34 in advance and $39 day of show; performance begins at 7:30pm.  www.cowboyjunkies.com  Sponsored by ResortQuest Breckenridge.  

 

On Sunday July 20, the BRS is excited to present An Evening with Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy.  MacMaster’s enthusiastic charm and extraordinary skill has landed her star billing on the international folk circuit and multiple Grammy nominations.  MacMaster continues to stun crowds around the globe with her feverish fiddling and mesmerizing step dancing.  Donnell Leahy, fiddle player from “Leahy” the Canadian Celtic powerhouse, joins Natalie for this evening of Celtic revelry.  Tickets are $28 in advance and $34 day of show; performance begins at 7:30pm. www.nataliemacmaster.com   

 

The Blue River Series will welcome BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet on Tuesday, July 29.  Since forming in 1975, Grammy winners BeauSoleil have claimed their undisputed role as the most esteemed Cajun group in music today.  Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 day of show; performance begins at 7:30pm.  www.rosebudus.com/tourdates/beausoleil.html

Sunday, August 3 Robert Earl Keen will perform at the Riverwalk Center as a part of the BRS.  Among the large contingent of talented songwriters who emerged in Texas in the 1980s and 1990s, Robert Earl Keen struck an unusual balance between sensitive story-portraits (“Corpus Christi Bay”) and raucous barroom fun (“That Buckin’ Song”). Keen is popular with traditional country music fans, folk music fans, the college radio crowd and alt-country fans.  Tickets are $24 in advance and $29 day of show; performance beings at 7:30pm.  www.robertearlkeen.com .

Emerson Drive comes to shake things up at the Riverwalk Center Sunday August 10.  Following the smash success of their 2006 Countrified album, Emerson Drive is an Academy of Country Music 2008 award nominee for Top Vocal Group and Song Of The Year.  Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 day of show; performance begins at 7:30pm.  www.emersondrive.com Sponsored by Millennium Bank.

On Sunday August 17, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage will wrap up the 2008 Blue River Series at the Riverwalk Center.  The hardest working woman in bluegrass music is on the road in support of her new album Good Thing Going which has topped Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums Chart, Bluegrass Unlimited’s Top 15 Bluegrass Albums Chart and Bluegrass Music Profile’s Top 10 Bluegrass CDs Chart.  Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 day of show; performance will begin at 7:30pm.  www.myspace.com/rhondavincent13 Sponsored by Gordon, Hughes & Banks, LLP.

 

To purchase tickets to any of the Blue River Series concerts call the Riverwalk Center Box Office at 970. 547.3100 or visit www.breckenridgemusicfestival.com and click ‘BUY TICKETS ONLINE NOW!” to purchase tickets via the internet.   

Dillon looks to invest in improving local infrastructure, including recreation paths

$5 Million dollars worth of municipal bonds just went on sale to finance infrastructure repairs within the Dillon town limits.  The town should receive the funds in June and these will be used to fund public works such as streets, curbs, sidewalks, culverts and recreation paths.  As a real estate agent and property investor in the mountains, I always like to see the local towns improving facilities to make it a better place for tourists to visit….especially when it involves increasing opportunities for recreation.

Should be good floating and paddling this spring with high stream runoff in Summit County

According to the Summit Daily, the snowpack is still really big for May, which means which should have lots of runoff for a local streams.  Expect a great year of paddling, rafting and floating here in Colorado this year.

Great New Colorado Ski Pass!

Vail Resorts just announced a fantastic new ski pass call the Epic Pass.  This allows for unrestricted and unlimited ski days at Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Keystone, Beaver Creek and Vail for $579.  Here are the details on the Epic Pass.

Soaring Land Prices in Breckenridge, Colorado

Land Prices continue to climb in Breckenridge, Colorado  as we approach “buildout.”  A building analysis by Summit County’s planning department projects that based on the current growth rate, the county will reach buildout by 2013, or in less than 10 years. Buildout is achieved when all of the land zoned for it has been developed.  Projections were compiled by county planners John Roberts and Mark Truckey.  Considering what would happen in a decade or so when Summit County reaches buildout, Roberts points to Aspen, “When that community reached buildout, real estate values went through the roof,” he said. 

Land prices climbing 25% in Summit County in the last year alone according to Land Title Guarantee Company.  In the luxurious Highlands area of Breckenridge, as the chart below shows, the growth in Average Sales price over the past 14 years is even more pronounced. 

Year	Sales	Avg. Sale	Growth (1 yr)	Growth (5 yr)
1994	1	$164K
1995	1	$145K	-12%
1996	1	$175K	21%
1997	13	$157K	-10%
1998	26	$192K	22%
1999	41	$249K	30%	52%
2000	28	$285K	14%	97%
2001	34	$283K	-1%	62%
2002	43	$234K	-17%	49%
2003	35	$243K	4%	27%
2004	51	$253K	4%	2%
2005	103	$288K	14%	1%
2006	88	$333K	16%	18%
2007	46	$488K	46%	109%
2008	4	$536K	10%	121%
Year	Active	List Price
2008	33	$701K
**As of March 22nd, 2008

Shock Hill Real Estate in Breckenridge, Colorado

For the finest in Breckenridge Real Estate, please explore the Shock Hill Lodge & Spa website.

It now includes: Floor plans, View from each residence, and Important Things to Know. This is the final opportunity to own a residence at The Shock Hill Lodge & Spa at pre-construction pricing. Only 20 more units will be sold at pre-construction pricing.  Remaining residences will be released after construction commences at a higher pricing structure.

Buying Property Can be a Good IRA Investment

Many financial advisors overlook investing in Real Estate as part of a self-directed IRA.  Many times advisors only want to sell securities, especially if they represent big brokerage houses.  There was a great article about buying real estate as part of your IRA in the Denver Post on Sunday, March 9th. 

One advantage is the ability to use leverage — borrowed money — to buy property. That’s in contrast to securities. Brokers don’t permit buying stocks “on margin” in an IRA because of the inherent price volatility.

For additional resources to help guide you through this concept make sure you see the details at the bottom of the article.

Enjoy Live Music and Spring Skiing at Copper Mountain, Colorado

Copper Sunsation is one of my favorite events of the year.  Copper sets up the stage at the base of the Eagle Lift in Center Village and has free live music all afternoon on both Weekends the mountain is open in April.  They bring in great musicians from diverse genre’s of music.  The snow is usually soft and the sun is usually shining…except for last year when the sun was out for most of March and brought us an epic powder day during Copper Sunsation 2007.  This year, don’t miss Susan Tedeschi, a 3 time Grammy Nominee on Saturday, April 5th at 4pm.  She is a great songwriter and musician and her voice is phenomenal.  I had the good fortune to see her at Jazzfest this year with the Allman Brothers and she was the highlight of the weekend.

For those of you in the market for real estate…this is a great weekend to look at real estate in the mornings.  The crowds from spring break in March have left so it is easier to get into units to show.  In addition, the snow doesn’t usually soften up until the sun starts shining a little bit later in the day.  Check out great Breckenridge Real Estate in the morning and ski and listen to free music at Copper in the afternoon.