I was happy to help some long time, Crested Butte homeowners sell the Mt. Crested Butte home they had owned since the 1970s.  The owners of 53 Paradise have spent a lot of time here and their home was clearly cherished.  The unbeatable location on the fence-line on Paradise Road along with unencumbered views of Snodgrass and the North Valley, made this home desirable to the buyers – a young, Colorado family.  The house sold for $1,375,000 and I hope the new owners enjoy their time here as much as the previous owners did.

To view the type of marketing I can provide for your home, visit the landing page I created for this home at 53paradisemtcb.com. In order to get great results, you need a marketing strategy that works. There results speak for themselves!

The latest Crested Butte Real Estate Market Report has been released by Coldwell Banker Mountain Properties.  This report covers all sales in the area for 2020.  In this report, you will see a lot of green arrows indicating that the statistic is better than it was in 2019.  Almost everything was up – number of transactions, total dollar volume, average sale price and the percentage of list price received.  This is true in most of the micro-markets included in the report.  Look in the report for the breakdown by area and type of property as well as luxury specific information and a general history of the last 10 years.

Read through it and let me know if you have any questions.  I’m happy to provide more detailed information about how any number was calculated.

 

2021 in Crested Butte is expected to be one with a lot of listings and a lot of buyers. Many buyers ask whether or not it’s worth it to have a buyer’s agent. Most houses that are being sold will have an agent representing the seller, which is frequently referred to as a listing agent or sellers’ agent.  The listing agent’s main responsibility is to make sure the sellers’ best interests are being protected. Conversely, it is almost universally recommended that buyer have an agent to represent their own interests. This recommendation applies in a small community like Crested Butte, where local codes, industry professionals and other services are not widely available as it would in a larger city. The value that a buyer’s agent brings in a place where things may be done a little differently can go a long way!

Here are a few reasons hiring a buyer’s agent might be right for you:

1.) It’s *Usually* Free To Hire A Buyer’s Agent

While there are exceptions to every rule, the agent is usually paid by the seller. Be sure to discuss this when hiring an agent. This can be listing specific, so be aware of any changes in contract, a buyer’s agent will keep you well aware of this were to change.

2.) A Buyer’s Agent Knows What To Look For When Viewing Houses

Whether you’re buying your first house or tenth, chances are you don’t physically look at houses on a daily basis.  A successful buyer’ agent is physically looking at dozens of houses each and every week.  Another excellent reason to hire a buyer’s agent when buying a house is because they know what to look for when viewing houses.

There are certain red flags to look for when buying a house, many of which you may not be aware of. Here in Crested Butte, due to the amount of snow and cold that the areas experiences, roof construction and structural integrity are examples of areas where an experienced agent will be able to raise red flags when seeing a home.

3.) A Buyer’s Agent Understands The Local Real Estate Market

Each and every real estate market is different.  Real estate markets can differ from

town to town and even neighborhood to neighborhood.  It’s extremely important when buying a house that you understand the local market. It’s important to have a professional on your side when finding your Crested Butte home, especially if you are moving to the area or getting a second home. Long distance buying with nobody in your corner is a difficult situation.

4.) A Buyer’s Agent Will Know How To Write Real Estate Contracts

Even if you’re buying your tenth house, it’s unlikely you’re familiar enough to navigate a real estate contract.  When you hire a buyer’s agent when buying a house, you’re hiring a professional who knows the ins and outs of real estate contracts.

5.) A Buyer’s Agent Will Have Access To Experienced Professionals Needed During A Transaction

During the course of a real estate transaction there are several professionals that are needed.  When you’re buying a house you’ll potentially need a mortgage originator, a home inspector, a real estate attorney, and a handful of other professionals. This is especially difficult when you are dealing with a community that may only have one or two inspectors that service the area. Having someone who has built these relationships with the industry is crucial to getting the deal done.

What is the MLS?

MLS stands for Multiple Listing Service. Whether you’re looking to sell or buy a

home, you will no doubt encounter this system. This is, in many ways, the very lifeblood of the real estate business. But just what is the MLS? Sure, it’s a huge database of home listings, but there’s a lot more to it than just that.

While the MLS may look like one large national database, it’s actually a suite of approximately 580 regional databases. And they’re quite territorial: Each regional MLS has its own listings, and agents pay dues to access and post homes on each

one. This is why agents who want a broader reach for their clients may become a member of more than one MLS.

There is a growing trend in which regional databases “share” listings without agents needing to become members of each, but that’s still more the exception than the rule. In general, only one MLS has the keys, both figuratively and literally, to any one home.

Difference Between Aggregate sites and MLS sites

While numerous websites such as Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com and others aggregate home listings through highly condensed versions of MLS listings, that information provided can be either old or wrong altogether. Being a member of the actual MLS is the only guarantee of having 100% access to all the listings and information in a specific area as that information comes directly from Real Estate Agents. Additionally, these aggregate sites use algorithms and other pricing strategies that don’t not reflect current markets, especially in small communities like Crested Butte. This is one of the many benefits that a licensed real estate agent can provide.

Home sellers can’t post their home directly to the MLS, because access to this database is limited to licensed agents and brokers who pay for membership. Once they have a client selling a home, they gather the necessary details such as the square footage, number of bedrooms, and other noteworthy attributes—as well as photos—then post a complete (and hopefully eye-catching) listing on their client’s behalf. Additionally, crucial documents like HOA regulations are also provided through the MLS.

When agents log in, they have access to a wealth of data that they can pass along to their clients—or just help them do their business better and more strategically. And much of this goes far beyond whether a particular listing’s driveway is made up of gravel or asphalt.

Crested Butte CREN MLS:

Established in 2005, Colorado Real Estate Network (CREN) is a regional MLS servicing 17+ counties and six REALTOR® Board Associations. They have approximately 1,200 REALTOR® members and 250 affiliates including banks, appraisers, and property inspectors.

The Regional MLS covers close to 25,000 square miles. This is a huge swath of southwest Colorado and a crucial tool to have at your disposal when listing or purchasing a home. The CREN MLS is a top-notch program that will give the best information as quickly as possible. This access to the best information is yet another reason why choosing a local Real Estate agent and receiving the best and latest information to guide your decisions in real estate is in your best interest.