Golf course is almost a reality

For those of us who have been following the progress of the “proposed” Friend Ranch, this editorial says it all.  Having lived here for nearly 10 years, this is exciting news indeed.  We all know there are many people who love to follow a little white ball around hilly and sometimes wild terrain while taking in the most beautiful views in the area.  They are willing to brave surprising weather changes, curious wildlife and fellow golfers as well.  The Friend Ranch will put Poncha Springs, Chaffee County and this whole Arkansas River Valley on a whole new map.  We’ve always been known for our fishing, hunting, hiking, biking and snow sports. Now there will be another choice, perhaps not the adrenalin rush of some of our activities here, but surely one that will put a smile on the face of any Tiger Woods wanabee.

Turkeys, Toys and Taxes

It’s that time of the year again. The Seasonal Slowdown. It’s Turkey on Thanksgiving, the perfect Toys for the Holidays and then the angst of Tax Time. Once we all get through it, the Seasonal Slowdown typically starts to pick up. We hear the Spring Market referred to as being the best time to put a house on the market when the reality is, houses come on the market all year ‘round. And houses sell all year ‘round. Yes, we all take a time to breathe around this time of the year and so do Buyers and Sellers. In my mind, there is no time like the present if buying or selling fits your personal goals. You can’t sell your home if it’s not on the market and you might miss out on the right purchase if you wait till spring. So, whatever your plans are for this time of year, give Thanks, Happy Holidays and hope you come out ahead of Uncle Sam in April.

A Very Healthy Place to Be

Our local daily paper, The Mountain Mail, reported two different types of healthy situations here this week.  On Tuesday Nov. 6, this article reported how homes values are continuing to rise here despite declining markets in metropolitan areas.  Rural mountain towns seem to have caught the eye of many home buyers from first timers to retirees to second home owners.  We may see a leveling off but all indicators are that this market (and this area) will continue this healthy trend.

 

The other headline was on Thursday Nov. 8 claiming that the residents of Chaffee County are above the national average in their physical health.  This too should not be news to many of us locals since we came here (mostly) for the lifestyle and the benefits of living in a small town.  With 300+ days of sunshine each year, the beautiful Arkansas River running through town, miles of biking and hiking trails and the pleasure of a local ski area (Monarch Mountain), it’s fairly easy to see why staying healthy is just one more thing to be thankful for.

Blogging Sense

Hat's off to all of you who have such interesting and timely blogs. I am finding that blogging is an intense creative effort and to have even a good blog takes alot of time and effort. I found this story online and was amazed at these 12 women bloggers and the amount of information I learned just reading their blogs.

I am hoping to include topics of interest that will appeal to a wide variety of readers. Real estate news around this town is exciting right now that our market is so active. Our "small town news" is usually directed at the locals announcing street detours, bake sales and community events. That's the draw to Salida. It's a beautiful mountain town set at the base of the Continental Divide in central Colorado. The people of this community make Salida a wonderful place to live and I feel blessed each day that I am a part of it.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! This day is a big event here in Salida with the usual ghosts and goblins along with some very creative costumes. While I’m waiting for the first of the little ones to “trick or treat” at my front door, I found an interesting statistic. Comparing 2006 from January 1 through September 30, to the same time frame in 2007, property values in Salida have increased a healthy 7.5%! Mountain towns will always have an appeal, I believe, and interest rates and the secondary mortgage market demise did not have a significant effect on us. I’ll keep watching this and will report year end stats in early 2008.

My first blog entry!

After much discussion with my best friend, Rick (see his blog here) , I have joined the ranks of The Bloggers. This better help me, like he says it will, make new connections while introducing this wonderful community of Salida, Colorado to all of you.