Selling season arrives: How buyers can navigate their options

It’s that time of year. As ski season winds down, one of Eagle County’s most important one kicks in – selling and buying season. Even amidst more challenging economic conditions, Eagle County’s and the Vail Valley’s real estate markets continue to hum along, with more new construction and opportunities for buyers in all price points than in many years.

For sellers, while more inventory means more competition, the good news is demand is still high in all price points, particularly in the $1.5M and under down valley and $2.5M range up valley. If you’re a serious seller wanting to maximize your return on investment, pricing it to market value is key. Buyers are savvy and willing to pay for what they believe is a fair price based on condition, location, and amenities. New and updated properties are still in highest demand but there are opportunities to improve your list price and value with cost effective strategies, including staging, new paint, decluttering, and landscaping for curbside appeal. The right staging, along with removing personal items, can add $200,000 or more to the perceived value – and offers – in Eagle County.

For buyers ready to make owning or upsizing or downsizing a reality, this year’s season is giving you more new construction as well as opportunities to negotiate as inventory improves. Serious sellers are stepping up to negotiate, including credits for upgrades buyers would like, and sellers don’t want to do. The key is to have whatever home you look at feel like your home and serious sellers will do what it takes to have you visualize their home being yours.

Following is a roundup of new construction and market opportunities:

The resort and luxury lifestyle seeker

As the saying goes, location, location, location. And in the resort lifestyle, this also means a higher price point. But with that comes all the benefits of accessibility – walk to or ski-in, ski-out access at Vail and Beaver Creek, back country skiing, access to off-resort amenities and services, as well as restaurants, nightlife, shopping, and transportation.  If something a little more remote appeals to you, but still with luxury-level conveniences, Arrowhead, Singletree, Cordillera, Frost Creek, Siena Valley Club, and Red Sky Golf Club are good options with a price points ranging from $2M to $10M or higher depending on land and size of home.

Off the beaten path with access

If your budget and lifestyle lean more toward off the beaten path but you’d still like easy access to skiing, grocery stores, and dining options with a small-town feel, Minturn, Redcliff, Wolcott, and Bellyache pose good options. These communities still have a quaint feel and locavore lifestyle, along with mountain and river settings.

New developments in Minturn, including Belden Place, Minturn North, and 841 Minturn, offer a mix of unit types, green spaces, neighborhood settings, and rooftop deck options with prices from $699,000 up to $2.8M.

Local families and first-time buyers

While starting price points may seem out of reach for many locals and first-time buyers, Eagle County and the state of Colorado have many down payment and deed restriction programs for qualified buyers. Before thinking you can’t, find out how you can.

There are also several new construction projects through the County that come in at lower price points and still have openings. These include:

• Timber Ridge in Avon
• 1200 Capitol Street in Eagle
• Seven Hermits Condos, part of the Haymeadow development in Eagle
• Gypsum – Sienna Lake and Habitat Properties, Two Rivers in Dotsero
• Dotsero, Two Rivers

If you’re a first-time or local buyer needing to finance, here’s the process:

Be sure you have a trusted, experienced, local real estate broker to help you through the process. They bring a wealth of knowledge and experience and help guide you through the process.  It’s also important to note that by law, you must have a buyer’s and listing agent agreement before you can step foot onto or inside any property.  If you haven’t already, now is the time to get pre-qualified. It’s one thing for you to think about what you can afford, but that doesn’t always match what a lender says. Your real estate broker can also make recommendations on trusted lenders (better to go with a local vs. large farming lender so you have an established relationship with someone vs. a call center).

Also think about the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and location relative to work, kids, and other lifestyle interests.

From there, your broker can help Identify properties that will fit your budget and lifestyle.

This is the time to get your home decluttered and do those minor upgrades, repairs, and landscaping. If you’re a serious buyer, decide on a real estate broker you trust and one that demonstrates their commitment to you as an advisor, who also has the established relationships with lenders and other industry professionals that are dedicated to making sure you don’t get taken advantage of.

Amy Pates is a leading real estate and luxury home broker with Coldwell Banker Distinctive Properties and consecutive four-year winner of the brand’s prestigious Top Performer award since 2020.  She brings 30+ years’ experience in residential, ranch, land, and commercial acquisition, development, staging, marketing, and sales and property management. Amy can be reached at 970-977-0483 or amy@rockymountainred.com.