The Village at Breckenridge real estate is located along the Blue River at the base of Peak 9 near beautiful Breckenridge vacation real estate at Main Street Station, Water House on Main, Main Street Junction, Mountainwood, The Corral, The Cedars, the Atrium Condominiums, Breckenridge Mountain Village, Cimarron Condos, Der Steiermark, One Breckenridge Place, Park Avenue Lofts, Park Place Condos, River Mountain Lodge, Sawmill Creek Village, Ski Hill, Sundowner II, Tannenbaum on Blue River, and many more wonderful options.

With free outdoor shows on Saturday, August 16, and Sunday, August 17, at 11:00 a.m. and a variety of ticketed events held in the Ten Mile Ballroom, all jazz lovers are welcome to the 24th Annual Genuine Jazz events.  Wine connoisseurs, seasoned aficionados, and casual drinkers are sure to find new and exciting vintages of gourmet wines from around the world in addition to experiencing the scenic splendor.

The schedule begins on Friday evening at 9:00 p.m. with Stanley Jordan, internationally renowned guitar virtuoso, followed at 10:45 p.m. by Marion Meadows, one of the most dynamic jazz saxophonists.  On Saturday at 8:30 p.m., 480 East, the hottest new group on the Jazz scene, will be followed at 9:45 p.m. by Steve Cole and Jeff Kashiwa, two favorite saxophonists who joining forces for a Powerhouse performance, and at 11:15 p.m. PowerJam! will feature all of the stars and guests for a musical surprise. 

The Voices In Faith Choir featuring Sheryl Renee with guest Marion Meadows will perform on Sunday morning at 9:45 a.m. during the Gospel Breakfast.

This former mining town began in 1859 when gold was discovered nearby.  Today, it is a world-class ski resort with 25 ski lifts and 2,043 skiable acres that are spread over four distinct peaks.  Acclaimed as the Rocky Mountain Capital of Snowboarding, spectacular boarding is on tap during the ski season.  Other popular pastimes include ice skating on Maggie Pond and fishing the Blue River. 

Call Rick Allemang at (970) 547-1002 or e-mail info@realestatecolorado.com to get connected with the resort options that are perfect for your family’s budget and needs.

Breckenridge real estate is located in a world-class ski resort and boasts an authentic historical Victorian Town of Breckenridge along with restored buildings from the days of the gold rush.  In 1997, 789 Breckenridge CO homes at an average cost of $247,621 sold for a grand total of $195,372,992.  In 2007, the dollar value for 691 homes in Breckenridge, averaging $688,853 each, was $475,997,485.  In all of Summit County, average sales prices jumped from approximately $216,340 to $520,000. 

Since 2004, the appreciation rates for homes in Summit and Eagle counties have been leaping.  In Summit County for 2007, the total dollar-value of homes sold was over a billion.  Likewise, in Eagle County which is home to the Vail and Beaver Creek ski resorts, the total for both residential and commercial sales approached $3 billion in 2007.

Why are luxury homes in Colorado selling in record amounts?  Several motivators are leading people to the trophy homes in our resort areas.
1) People who are financially secure are not involved in the housing problems.
2) People who buy luxury vacation homes are financially solvent.
3) The resorts communities are continually improving.
4) International money is being invested in the vacation resorts of the United States.
5) More people are reaching retirement age and heading to their dream homes.
6) People who are used to city life enjoy the small-town camaraderie.
7) Many see the great investment opportunity in an area that continues to hold value.

If you would like to save a spot to build your retirement home, look to picking out some property before prices escalate out of reach for you.  In 2007, there were 179 land lots averaging $406,876 each sold in Breck.  In Summit County, 298 lots averaged $377,093 each during the same timeframe.  We also have some unbelievable deals in Park County.

These figures are a far cry from the problems seen in Las Vegas, Miami, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland—metropolitan areas that also greet vacationers.  They all posted record declines in May 2008. 

Maybe it is best to head to the mountains for vacations and retreats.  We think so.  When you decide to investigate the options for a second home in the Rocky Mountains, call Rick Allemang at (970) 547-1002 or e-mail info@realestatecolorado.com for more information.  

Beyond Breckenridge CO homes and Blue River, south on Highway 9 in Park County, extensive placer deposits were mined during the same era.  The extensive gravel ridges east of real estate in Fairplay, Colorado are the result of dredging for gold.  Placer Valley, as it is now called, takes its name from this heritage.  Only 25 minutes from real estate and ski-resort amenities in Breckenridge, Placer Valley—including Alma and Fairplay CO homes—features some inviting new subdivisions as well as parcels of rural Rocky Mountain land that are convenient getaways for residents of the Front Range cities.

A step removed from the surrounding ski resorts in Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain, and Arapahoe Basin, skiers and snowboard fans living in the valley make regular appearances on the slopes.  Many enjoy cross-country treks right outside the door, however, and others snowshoe around the beautiful hillsides. 

Summertime brings fishing, hiking, lots of mountain biking, and other relaxing pastimes.  In the fall, the hunters come in to take advantage of the magnificent natural environment and lodge at ranches in the area.
The Middle Fork of the South Platte River flows through the recreational playground in Placer Valley.  The “Placer Valley Mountaineer,” a local newsletter, is dedicated to the Fun and satisfaction of Placer Valley’s Mountain Living and Recreation.  The cooperative communities in Placer Valley form neighborhood associations and other means to engender small-town camaraderie.  Events such as Burro Palozza, Silverheels Ball, Christmas Bazaar and Parade, Alma Christmas Party, and the Victorian Cowboy Christmas Ball dot the calendar. 

In practical matters, the communities share emergency, medical, fire sheriff, search and rescue, medical, and dental services and look out for one another.  An old fashioned Welcome Wagon greets newcomers to the communities and the annual business meeting is an opportunity for everyone to build the community of dreams.

Some build a vacation home that will serve as a retirement home in five or ten years.  Others look for neighborhoods.  For information about this and other choice real estate in Summit and Park counties, call Rick Allemang at (970) 547-1002 or e-mail info@realestatecolorado.com.

Guitar Town gathers top-notch entertainment for an entire weekend of free live performances by those who have mastered the most popular instrument in the world.  Included in this year’s celebrity performers are Mark Selby, Scott Goldman, Jim Weider, Monte Montgomery, the John Jorgenson Quartet, David Bromberg, Michael Johnson, the Kentucky Headhunters, and Jimmie Vaughan.

Many of these artists will be hosting workshops to discuss their most significant influences and how each generation of guitarists influences the next. 

Prizes are also on the line.  Narrowing the field during the Coors Light Guitar Hero Series held July 25, July 30, and August 6, the Coors Light Guitar Hero Series Finals will be held at West Lake Stage.  If you are an aspiring guitarist, compete for tickets to Red Rocks events and mountain bike and more. 

Saturday night at the Storm King Lounge, there will be a fundraiser.  To benefit the Employee Environmental Fund and Preserve the Rocks Fund, the 4th Annual Celebrity Guitar Auction will include an elegant evening of intimate acoustic guitar performances, fine hors d’oeuvres, sushi, a chocolate fountain, and cocktails.  The silent auction will feature resort memorabilia, regional gift baskets, rounds of golf and more.  It will be followed by a live auction of celebrity signed guitars, season ski passes, a custom Guitar Hero guitar and more.  Be sure to inquire about tickets for that special evening.

So, marvel over our purple-mountain majesty and the legendary musicians.  Get inspired by the amazing fretwork, virtuosity, song-writing, voice talents that will be sending soul-stirring, Americana, and lively tunes to the peaks and valleys of our Rocky Mountain haven.  Get in tune with the mountains along the way.

Inquire about vacation real estate and investment properties to meet your recreational and investment goals.  With the new jumbo-loan limits and even-keel resort market, your cash will go a long way.  Call Rick Allemang at (970) 547-1002 or e-mail info@realestatecolorado.com to see what is available right now.

Try transforming a little niche of your Breckenridge CO real estate into a colorful, playful spot where your family can burst with imagination.  Who says that our Rocky Mountain real estate near Breckenridge must be so earth-earthy?  Yes, we love our large “tree houses”, huge rock fireplaces, natural wood floors and finishes, and lots of green plants.  Although the woods are rich arenas of browns and greens, what color are the wildflowers and the skies at sunset?  Who says that periwinkle and coral are not “natural” or “rustic”?  Purple is the color of imagination!  Here are some percolating ideas to consider:

a.    Have fun in your home office by creating a space for brainstorming.  Pick up some purple-hued Rust-Oleum Dry Erase Paint and turn a door, wall, or cabinet into a writable/erasable surface.  Add a chalkboard trough and brightly colored dry-erase markers and Well a!—your creative juices can be caught whenever they start flowing.  Add a bright-colored leather Ekornes chair, joyful artwork, and a big exercise ball to sit on at the desk—and super-energize your work space.

b.    For the kids, how about a writable-erasable chalkboard?  Try Rust-Oleum’s Chalkboard Tint Base Paint in one of 12 colors and paint a bedroom wall floor to ceiling or in a window-sized area.  Paint a contrasting border using the same kind of paint.  Add the trough, erasers, and colored chalk.  For another vantage, use a large tabletop (or buy a smooth door) and add short legs for the younger children.

c.    Like magnets?  How about using Rust-Oleum’s Specialty Magnetic Primer as a base coat for your brightly colored paint.  It turns most surfaces into a magnet board for hanging notes, thoughts, floor plans, lessons. 

Children, grandchildren, neighborhood children, and even adults are relaxed when they have a spot that breaks all of the sophisticated rules of decorating.  Look for more inspiration at paintideas.com.  Your imagination can go wild.  And that takes us back to the wilderness, nature, and the unique real-estate investment opportunities in our mountain village. 

Call Rick Allemang at (970) 547-1002 or e-mail info@realestatecolorado.com to learn about the best options for a vacation home that will match your family’s budget and needs.

Many residents, guests, and tourists make their way to real estate in Keystone, Copper Mountain, Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne and the rural areas in Summit County simply because of the excellent trail system and beautiful scenery.  The trails, like the ski slopes, heavily contribute to the dreamy quality of life in the area.

During the weekend of July 19-20, the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) are rounding up volunteers to meet at 8:00 a.m. behind Town Hall for an engaging weekend of community service.  The crew will be constructing the first mile of fabulous single track that has been dreamt up to replace Nightmare on Baldy, a dangerous segment of a trail located just outside of town. 

The present super-rocky trail was originally created by users and has been heavily travelled.  It is severely eroded and unsustainable.  To fix the problem and the trail’s crazy, loose descent, volunteers will replace Nightmare on Baldy with single track and switchbacks all the way down to Sally Barber Mine.

VOC, along with the Town of Breckenridge, has a pretty good track record for putting in trails.  Over 200 volunteers helped establish the French Gulch trails.  They built bridges, new single track, and put up fences.  On July 14 this year, they joined the Town to build ripping single track connecting Middle Flume and Gold Run Gulch Road.  Volunteers should wear good shoes, long sleeves, and long pants (or lots of bug spray) and bring a lunch or two and camping gear.

Another organization involved in the trail projects is the Summit County Open Space and Trails Department.  It identifies, protects, and manages open spaces, recreational pathways, natural surface trails, and trailheads in order to preserve and maintain Summit County’s rural mountain character and high-quality environment.  The County advocates the Leave-No-Trace principles that include:

• Plan ahead and prepare.
• Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
• Dispose of waste properly.
• Leave what you find.
• Minimize campfire impacts.
• Respect wildlife.
• Be considerate of others.

So gear up and have fun.  The work is dirty and challenging but awfully rewarding for the thousands of people who help with Colorado’s trail systems.  They build trails, plant trees, battle invasive species, and restore habitat.  Call Rick Allemang at (970) 547-1002 or e-mail info@realestatecolorado.com to take the opportunity to glean information about real estate in the ski resort areas.

Unlike Breckenridge CO homes, residents and guests of this new Dillon live-work real estate have complete access to the marvelous waters of Lake Dillon right outside the door as well as Dillon Park.  La Riva Del Lago’s 37 condominium-homes in Dillon CO come in one- to three-bedroom units and are priced in the $400s.

The Summit County real-estate-investment options are wonderful for La Riva Del Lago.  Both the residential and commercial spaces are surrounded by beautiful scenery and a friendly small-town business district.  It is a great place to open a business, a professional service, a restaurant, or gallery.  Already the development includes a bowling alley, a resort management company, a flower shop, a real-estate office, and a preschool.

For starters, residential ownership comes with reserved underground parking, a storage unit, heated walkways, decks, granite countertops, stainless-steel appliances, tile and carpet throughout, wood trim and pine doors, and a gas fireplace.

The relaxed community offers recreational activities all year long.  Your family and guests will enjoy the 25-mile hiking and biking path that circles the lake.  Balmy summer days can be spent by the Dillon Marina.  Maybe you’d like to take up fishing, sailing, or to join the Dillon Yacht Club, which boasts the highest elevation of any club in the nation at 9,000 feet.  At Dillon Park, there’s baseball and tennis.  Of course, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and championship golf in the majesty of the mountain area are favorites for so many people who visit and eventually move to the area.  Special summer events at the lakeside amphitheatre such as performances, Farmer’s Markets, Nature Nights, and other family activities, make for wonderful memories. 

As winter approaches, the clothing and equipment changes, too.  People dress for hunting, downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice skating, sledding.  When the day is done, they mingle in après ski or at the Brewery, Jersey Boys Pizza, and Pug Ryan’s.  

Call Rick Allemang at (970) 547-1002 or e-mail info@realestatecolorado.com to get connected with the year round Rocky Mountain resort options perfect for your budget and needs.

This year over 900 runners are expected for the races that meander past choice Breckenridge CO homes near Flumes, French Gulch, Breckenridge Ski Area, Horseshoe Gulch, Baker’s Tank, and Carter Park.  The short and long courses range from distances of 5K to 16K.

In 2006, Colorado Runner magazine chose the events as the best running series in Colorado.  What resident of a vacation condo or home in Breckenridge would miss the invigorating chance to benefit the Breckenridge Nature Series?  Traveling from the entire region and primary residences along the Front Range, they may need to take off early to get to the trailhead by 5:45 p.m. on Wednesdays from June through August.  Our residents have a more leisurely approach.

One of the exciting elements of the idea of traversing the beautiful woods, meadows, and ridgelines near “The Perfect Mountain Town” is that it is feeding an interest in cross-country track programs at the junior and senior high level.  Runners 18 and under are purposefully afforded free registration.  Others advance register for the series for $75 or for $15 per race.

Series points are calculated based on finish in division and age group.  Competitors may use the best five scores of the series.  Following each race, social gatherings and awards ceremonies at local restaurants add to the fun summer events.

Beginning in 2001, several local runners and a bike shop started the races with about 20-30 participants.  By 2003 the Town Recreation Department became the major backer.  The Town pledges proceeds to its Nature Series, which provides quality environmental and natural history education to residents and visitors with the goal of fostering environmental stewardship.  The Nature Series includes guided trail hikes, snowshoe hikes, nature workshops, summer camps, scout programs, after school and in-school programs, and family programs.

Other races in the area include the Annual A Racer’s Edge Summit Mountain Challenge, a similar seven-race mountain biking series.  Contact Rick Allemang at (970) 547-1002 or e-mail info@realestatecolorado.com for more information about second-home opportunities near the trails in Summit and Park counties. 

The Mixed Teams Foursome Scramble offers great fun and an opportunity to conquer the Bear and Elk courses.  Teams of one man and one woman use a maximum handicap of 36.  Each player’s drive must be used at least two times and 10 percent of the combined team handicap will be used.  If you’d like to get in on the play, be sure to book at tee time a week in advance of play.  Entry fee is a minimal $10 per team, although greens fees or pass cards are also required. 

Although at these elevations the golf ball flies farther and straighter, Senior Men (over 60) and Men with 25+ handicaps tee off from the Silver Tees and Women play from the Red Tees.  Other Men play from the Blue Tees. 

The Jack Nicklaus designed 27-hole golf course opened for play in 1985.  Boasting itself to be the only municipality in the world to own a Nicklaus course, The Town of Breckenridge opened two sets of 9 holes in 1985 called the Beaver and the Bear.  In 2001, the Elk course with its formidable elevation changes joined the club.  A wonderful mountain clubhouse serves as a place to mingle, pick up some pointers, and a delicious meal.  It doubles as a Nordic Center during the wintertime.

Honored many times over the years, Golf Digest bestowed a 4½-Star rating and it is also Zagat rated.  Colorado Golfer rated the course Best Mountain Course and Toughest Mountain Course.  Golf Digest chose it as a top Upscale Places to Play in the nation.  It is certainly the place to escape the sizzling summer heat in the lower elevations.

A few words about The Highlands, the premier mountain community surrounding the courses:  In addition to alluring mountain vistas, the home sites are accessible to wetlands, open spaces, wooded parks, historic flume trails, and, of course, golf.  The residents enjoy an active lifestyle, proximity to the ski resort, and all of the services and amenities that the Town offers.  If you purchase land, there is not a time requirement to start construction.  Not only that, but the minimum requirement for construction is only 1500 square feet.

Call Rick Allemang at (970) 547-1002 or e-mail info@realestatecolorado.com for information about properties in the Rocky Mountain resort area to meet your family’s needs.

The 17-acre real estate in Breckenridge is a rare find as we are watching the Town of Breckenridge get closer to build-out.  Not only is this parcel in an unmatched location, it is one of the few remaining Breckenridge CO land parcels available anywhere.  Other new ski-in/ski-out real estate in this part of Breckenridge includes One Ski Hill Place, Crystal Peak Lodge, The Grand Lodge, and Shock Hill Lodge & Spa.

Called Pristine Villaggio, the property offers the extraordinary vantage of being secluded on the ridgeline midst a hundred acres of the White River National Forest and preserve.  Yet, groomed ski trails and new luxury developments in the neighborhood will offer convenient amenities.  The Shock Hill Midway Station of the nearby Gondola is surrounded by protected wetlands and habitat.  Residents and guests can be scooped back and forth to town on the Gondola.

The property offers the ultimate opportunity for building a fantastic vacation home that can be sold in quarter shares (fractional ownership) or kept for a private family or corporate retreat for decades.  Life doesn’t get any better at the resort.  Deer are also at home on this property from the wetlands to the forest.  Birds chatter.  Aspen rustle. 

From the deck with magnificent views of the Ten Mile Range, Mt. Baldy, and the Continental Divide, it is easy to relax with family and friends or to harmonize divergent board of directors to come up with a business plan for the next year.

For information about this and other choice real estate in Summit and Park counties, call Rick Allemang at (970) 547-1002 or e-mail info@realestatecolorado.com.

So, strike up a conversation.  What’s to do in Denver, the capital of Colorado?  Start out downtown near the capitol building with a cup of Dazbog coffee.  Be sure to stand in the middle of the steps to the Capitol where the Mile High City elevation is measured.  There’s actually a wonderful Denver “hike” around the nearby landmarks to take, but you’ll need a few hours to get it in.

To familiarize yourself with more lingoes, though, be sure to also get to LoDo, which stands for Lower downtown and is the site of the now-famous Tattered Cover Bookstore.  LoHi is Lower Highlands and SoCo is not Southern California but rather refers to neighborhoods south of Colfax Avenue. 

Large buildings that you may have seen on television include 1) the beautiful new Colorado Convention Center downtown that was recently expanded to the tune of $300 million, 2) the Pepsi Center, home of the Denver Nuggets professional basketball team and the Denver Avalanche hockey team as well as guest arena for the Democratic National Convention this summer, 3) the 1,100-room Hyatt Regency, and 4) the $110 million Hamilton building at the Denver Art Museum.

Denver is full of history, much captured in splendid museums.  If you can even check out one during each visit, you will learn about your upcoming heritage. 

If you have lots of leisure time, hop onto the free public transportation for an olden-day treat at the Buckhorn Exchange, the oldest restaurants in the city.  Buckhorn Exchange serves up a traditional fare that includes rattlesnake and buffalo.  If it sounds like your kids would rather have something more familiar, visit John Elway’s place in Cherry Creek or at the Ritz Carlton.  My Brother’s Bar claims to be the oldest saloon and by the looks of it and the classical music inside, that is probably the honest-to-goodness truth.

Another option is the totally “green” experience in Boulder at the Kitchen, a wind-powered conversation piece.  If you’d rather head south to the Red Rock Park or Dinosaur Ridge on the back highway through Park County, we can meet you in Fairplay or Alma and get started viewing the great values for family retreats in the area.  Call Rick Allemang at (970) 547-1002 or e-mail info@realestatecolorado.com to learn more about real estate options in the Rocky Mountain resort areas.

How many of you get home late and find that everyone in the family has a separate life going on?  Many “successful” people have discovered that they have traded quality family time for great jobs and promotions, only to feel emptiness at the end of that trail.  One renowned surgeon told me that he felt like “the odd man out” in his own home where the soccer mom and kids were all tied up in activities.

Simply to dream for a moment of the wonderful life where your relationships are healthy and you are successful in your career path is comforting.  To make that dream a reality, you will need to begin some new habits and new traditions, however.  That entire dream project can begin with a few special notes to yourself that you post on your desk or on the refrigerator door.  Your proactive list can start something like this: 

1. Develop family traditions that include regular vacations in a pristine environment.

2. Spend quality time with my spouse, children, parents, siblings, and friends.

3. Find a dream retreat home or a special land lot to build a dream retreat.

4. Develop a family retreat property using experienced designers and builders.

5. Decide how to manage the retreat home when I am absent.

At RealEstateColorado.com, we are excited about living in the Rocky Mountains and would love to share with you the peace and serenity of our home.  We can point you to an abundance of family activities and, in the fresh summer air, acquaint you with real estate options to match your dreams.  Come and explore.  Call Rick Allemang at (970) 547-1002 or e-mail info@realestatecolorado.com.  Dream your dream, taking steps to achieve it, and it will come true!