The new Dakota Mountain Lodge Project at The Canyons Resort in Park City Utah had an initial first release for reservations a couple weeks ago.  It’s a condohotel project consisting of 170 whole ownership condos.  It will be located by the upcoming new Frostwood gondola and next to the proposed golf course at the Canyons Resort.  A great opportunity for an all seasons condohotel close to skiing and eventually golfing.  The Dakota Mountain Lodge will have a check in lobby, valet service, a state of the art spa and fitness center, year round outdoor pools and a full service restaurant.

You can get your best pricing on most new projects at their first release.  A couple of weeks ago the developer released 40 units for The Dakota Moutain Lodge’s first release of reservations and within a day had reservations for all 40 units.   With each new release of reservations the price typically goes up.  If you are interested in getting involved in the next release please contact me so I can help you get into this great new pre-construction project at the Canyons Resort in Park City Utah.

Many people think of Park City as a place to buy ski property but there are many opportunities throughout the Park City area to purchase horse property as well.   Some of the areas in Park City where you will find horse property for sale include Silvercreek, Highland Estates, Old Ranch Road and the Colony.  

The Colony is a unique ski-ranch development that is a private gated community with ski in ski out access and extra large lot sizes ranging from 4 to 113 acres. It’s located at the Canyons Resort and you can find vacant land or custom built luxury homes.   So if you are looking for ski in ski out horse property then this may be the only place to find it in the world.

The Old Ranch Road area offers some great opportunities for horse property that is private yet conveniently located to shopping and skiing.  Again here you will find vacant land or custom built homes.  Views from Old Ranch road are spectacular and many are located next to the protected open space of the Swaner Nature Preserve which is a wetlands area.  Since Old Ranch Road is located next to a wetlands area the land in the area is very green.   Also, next to the Old Ranch Road area is a great trail system called Round Valley offering miles of improved dirt trails to enjoy trail rides with your horse as well without having to trailer them.

If your looking for the most affordable option for horse property in Park City then the Highland Estates area is where you will want to look.

Further outside of town is the Silvercreek area.  This is where I built my first home in Park City.  The views are spectacular but it is further out side of town.  This is where you will find the largest number of horse property parcels in the Park City area.   The roads in Silvercreek are primarily dirt roads.  Many of the residents in Silvercreek like it that way so they can ride their horses on the roads throughout the development.

So if it’s horse property you are after in Park City please contact me so I can help you find the property that will best suit your family’s needs.  You may also want to search the Park City Utah MLS to see what is currently available.

More people are starting to hear about the benefits of staging their home to sell.  I’m a true believer in staging a home to sell.  To help provide more service to my listing clients, I trained with StagedHomes.com to become an Accredited Staging Professional Realtor.  It has really helped me provide a greater level of customer service to my clients.  My last listing was under contract in only 3 weeks when their hadn’t been any other condos under contract in that same development in a few months.   I provide complimentary staging consultations to my clients and some help as well.  My last client I helped move boxes of clutter to her storage room and helped move some of her furniture around to better show off the space.  If a client needs more extensive staging then I can help them locate a full time stager who can take it to the next level of staging.

It’s amazing how important it can be to the sale of the home.  You can spend as much or as little money on it as you would like.  I have a client who is actually a buyer wanting to buy a second home in Park City and is selling an investment property in another state to purchase this second home.  I gave her advise on staging and she was able to do an amazing job with only spending $10.  Her listing agent in Illinois was amazed on how well it showed.  She borrowed items from friends and family to minimize the costs. 

Now if you are selling a vacant home it will cost some dollars but it can be dollars well spent.   It’s harder to sell a vacant home than a furnished home.   A furnished home helps people envision themselves living in the home.  People tend to spend more time in previewing a home that is furnished than a vacant home.  The more time someone spends in a home previewing the better your chances are for selling the home to that person. 

I also read this recent article on staging in our local newspaper that talks more about staging.  A great show to watch that covers the concept of staging is Design to Sell on HGTV.  If you are thinking about selling your Park City home or condo and would like to work with a realtor trained in staging please contact me.  I would like to help you sell your home faster and for more money.  How we live in our home and how we market our home are two different things. 

The Hailstone Townhome project is releasing it’s 3rd phase of twinhomes at the Jordanelle Reservoir in Park City .  This is a great second home property for the skier who also enjoys boating in the summer.  The views are phenomenal and include water views of the Jordanelle Reservoir, ski runs at Deer Valley Resort on Bald Mountain and at Deer Crest.  It is located across the highway from the Deer Valley gondola and down the street from the Jordanelle boat dock.  Some of the townhomes even include an extra long garage to store a boat.  Also, there is a proposed public golf course planned for the future. 

The townhomes are underconstruction currently and are planned for completion in the Spring of 2007.  They are large four level twinhomes that will have 2500 to 2952 finished square feet and about 342 to 452 square feet of unfinished space.  The prices range from $679,000 to $799,000.  The finishes will include knotty alder doors and wood trim, knotty alder or maple cabinets and solid granite kitchen and bathroom countertops.  There are currently 9 units available.   All it will require is a $25,000 earnest money deposit to hold one of these till completion and closing. 

If you are looking at real estate in Park City for a second home and enjoy boating activities along with winter skiing this may be a great opportunity for you.  Please contact me if you would like more information on the Hailstone Townhomes at the Jordanelle Reservoir.

Deer Valley Resort is a great place to buy a second home ski property.   Many of the people I talk to who ski at Deer Valley Resort enjoy the fact that it’s a skier only resort so they don’t have to share the slopes with snowboarders.  There are very few resorts that offer this exclusivity.  Alta outside of Salt Lake City is the same but it is on publicly owned lands so there is very little second home property to purchase near the resort.  The other two skier only resorts are in Taos New Mexico and one on the East Coast.  The people I talk to feel it is a safer environment because it’s a skier only resort.

Not only is Deer Valley a skier only resort but it also offers incredible customer service.  It was rated in 2005 by Ski Magazine as #1 for a Ski resort.  You can valet your skiis so that you don’t have to carry them far from the car.   My favorite part of Deer Valley is their complimentary ski storage.  I prefer skiing at Deer Valley myself and so I just keep my skiis there for free all winter long.   Deer Valley is also know for having the best food for a ski resort.  The cost isn’t much more than any other ski resort but the quality is outstanding.  One of their famous dishes is Deer Valley Turkey Chili.  They also limit the number of skiers on the hill as well.  It helps to keep the lift lines down and so the restaurants don’t get too crowded. 

If you are thinking of buying a ski home or ski condo and you don’t snowboard, then you should really considering buying in Deer Valley.    Deer Valley real estate is truly unique with the skier only aspect and the easy access from Salt Lake International Airport only a short 30-45 minute drive away.   To find out some general pricing for the various areas in Deer Valley visit Deer Valley Real Estate Information.  To see what Deer Valley homes and Deer Valley condos that are available you may want to search the Park City MLS.  Also,  I would enjoy helping you find your Deer Valley second home or condo so please contact me so we can start the search today.

Many people who are looking to buy a second home in Park City Utah want to be able to place it in a nightly rental pool so they can get some income and tax writeoffs on the property and still be able to use it for themselves.  There are a few things you need to think about before buying.  First you need to make sure you are able to place your condo in a nightly rental pool.  Not all condominium developments in Park City allow it.  The CC&R’s for a condo development which are the coventants, conditions and restrictions that control the requirements, restrictions and use of a property need to be examined first.   The real estate agent you are working with should have a good idea in general which ones allow it and which ones do not but to protect yourself you should look carefully at the CC&R document for the condominium development you are considering.  It will be given to you to look at during your due diligence period of time when you are in the process of buying a property. 

So now you find out that you can place your Park City condo or home in a rental pool.  Many people would like to have their second home condo pay for itself but that is near to impossible unless you put a significant amount of money down or pay for it in full.  The price of ski condos and homes in Park City or any other ski resort town have gone up considerably and the amount of money captured from a nightly rental will not cover the mortgage.  Depending on the location and occupany of a unit the rental income can usually help offset the costs of the HOA fees and taxes.  Most people reap the financial rewards on a second home investment from appreciation.

In Park City the property management companies who will manage your condo for a nightly rental pool take anywhere from 40-60% of the gross rental revenue which also needs to be taken into consideration.  Those who don’t mind the extra work may use the internet to advertise and manage the second home property themselves.  Websites such as VRBO and Cyberrentals allow for a low fee owners to advertise their vacation rental properties.  Then you just need to make arrangements for a maid service to clean between guests. 

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions on buying a second home in Park City Utah.  Most of my time is spent working with second home buyers and I really enjoy working in the resort and second home market. 

The Grand Summit Lodge at The Canyons Resort in Park City Utah offers  fractional home ownership for those who want a second home ski condo but can’t afford the full ownership price tag.  I’m currently working with some clients that decided to take that route after looking into full ownership opportunities in the Park City real estate marketplace.  They are finding it is perfect for them and it will offer them a condo in a great location next to the Canyons Resort’s gondola at a great price.  The finishes and amenities are terrific too. 

The fractional ownership at the Grand Summit Lodge is in quarter share portions.  There are some full ownership opportunities but most are sold in single quarter share increments providing an owner with 13 weeks of rotating useage a year.  The schedule rotates every year so everyone eventually gets a week at prime time.   Owners can also work with other owners to swap out weeks as well as those participating in the rental program have access to a space available program.  It’s a great product at a great price.  Depending on your personal usage of the condo, rental income that is split with the property management company can potentially offset HOA and taxes for the condo. 

The units my clients are considering range in square footage prices of $110/square foot to $150/square foot.  When multiplied by 4 quarters that equals about $440 /square foot to $600/ square foot which is a terrific buy compared to the newer product being developed in the same location.  The quality of the finishes in the Grand Summit Lodge condo hotel are very nice as well.

For those wanting to purchase a ski condo in Park City,  fractional ownership of a condo may be the way to go if you are flexible on when you would use the condo and want a smaller price tag. 

I went on a tour yesterday to see the Hideout Canyon Project in Park City Utah.  The project offers some of the most spectacular views you can find any where in a golf community.  It provides both water views of the Jordanelle Reservoir and spectacular mountain views of Deer Valley Resort and of Mount Timpanogos.  It is early in developement so it is a great time to consider buying in this project.  They are offering luxury townhomes,  luxury retreats and custom home sites.  The golf course planned for the development will be a semi-private golf course which will help save on dues and membership fees.  Many of the other golf communities in the Park City area are private golf course communities requiring membership fees and monthly dues. 

I met with one of the representatives who works for East West Partners which is one of the key developers for new ski in ski out homes and condos at the Village at Empire Pass at Deer Valley Resort in Park City Utah.  It’s a great ski in ski out project on the best part of the mountain at Deer Valley Resort.   One of their current condo projects is Arrowleaf A and Arrowleaf B.  They will be opening at the end of August 2006 a model condo to show the quality finishes that they will be offering in the Arrowleaf Project.  The Arrowleaf Project is located adjacent to the Silver Strike Express Chairlift and the ski runs that take you to the lift.  The views are spectacular.  It is also located across the ski run from the Tower Club which is the private ski club for property owners at the Village at Empire Pass.  Please contact me so I can help arrange a showing if you are interested.

One of the benefits I hear from people who enjoy spending the ski season in Park City is that the elevation isn’t too high to cause much altitude sickness.  The towns elevation is around 6800 feet.  Many of the ski towns in Colorado have much higher elevations in which one traveling to the area from lower elevations will more likely experience altitude sickness. 

This recently came to my attention while working with a client who brought it up with me while looking at property the other day.  They notice when they take ski trips to Colorado there tends to be someone in the group who comes down with altitude sickness.  Yet that never seems to be the case when they take their ski trips to Park City. I felt it was an important benefit that Park City offers to folks who travel to the area as well as for those who want to purchase a second home in a ski town.  No one wants to be sick when on vacation.

So the Park City base area elevation is about 6800 and the highest lift is at about 10,000 feet.  In Vail the base of the resort is about 8200 feet and the highest lift at about 11,000 feet. In Aspen the base of the resort is about 8000 feet and the highest lift about 11,000 feet.  At Breckenridge the base of the resort is quite high at 9600 feet and the highest lift at 13,000 feet.  Winter Park’s resort base is at 9000 feet and the highest lift at 12,000 feet.  If you look the resorts on the east coast they are so low that it is some times tough for them to get enough snow.  So there is a happy medium with altitude since you don’t want to be too high to cause discomfort when visiting but you want high enough elevation to offer great snow conditions.  Park City offers the best of both worlds.