Golfing at Stratton 4/15/2012

Stratton Golf Course – Spring 2011

While Skiing has ended early, the positive side is the gold season is going to start up almost a month ahead of previous years schedules.   The plan is:

The US Freestyle Championships were held at Stratton Mountain March 21 to 25, even with the warm weather. Stratton trucked snow to trails and held an amazing event! Many of our customers and clients have all commented on what a great job Stratton did in providing great snow and skiing given the lack of snow. Buyers have not been daunted by this strange year.   Our office, alone,  put 7 properties under contract. Condo’s seem to be the most popular.  There are still some great buys to be had and Vermont is a great place for family vacations in the summer.

Here are several great buys in 3 categories:

Golden Triangle Chalet

Cute vacation home w/pond $169,000 .

There is a Slopeside at Stratton Condo -- Ski In and out

The Stratton Real estate market in Stratton is starting to really heat up after a sluggish summer and fall.   In the last 10 days 6 condo’s have gone under contract and 7 homes in the area.

Slopeside at Stratton $339,000

We are all busy showing properties to customers who are recognizing that there are still great deals to be had on Stratton Mountain.   Even with the warm temperatures, skiing at Stratton Mountain has been great.   Everyone who comes, is very pleasantly surprised with how perfect the conditions are.  Several particularly good buys are

 Perhaps, the housing market has “Hit the bottom.”   Several of our Buyers believe now is the time to buy before prices start going up.  Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), says “The pattern of home sales in recent months demonstrates a market in recovery” and buyers are taking advantage of  “record low mortgage interest rates, job growth and bargain home prices.”  the National Association of Realtors reported a 5% increase in home sales in December  over a 1.7 % annual increase in homes sales for 2011 Indicators have shown that the vacation home market is stronger than the primary home market.     Buyers are looking for great deals in locations they want to spend more time in and are recognizing that there are some great deals now.

Several great deals here in the Stratton Mountain resort area are this 5000+ sq ft home, which needs some completion has just relisted $100,000 less that it was previously for sale.   Condos are a particularly great deal now many selling at a 25 % off 3 year ago prices.    Now is a great time to visit Stratton, and look at the many super opportunities there are to purchase real estate..

Short Term Rentals at Stratton Mountain

Our Short term rental department is busy booking weekend and weekly winter rentals here at Stratton.    The snow is better than out West this year and Stratton is  an easy destination resort. Short term rentals can also provide extra income to an owner. Please enjoy the article below shared by Ashley Halligan, a property manager software analyst for Software Advice.  For information on availability on any of our rentals, please call Tara or Katie in our rental office.

Risks and Rewards of Short-Term Rentals | A Starter Guide for Property Owners

With the growing popularity of short-term rentals, they’re becoming all the frenzy in the property management market – both for second-home owners and property management groups with a vast portfolio of rentals. The income potential is one of the most obvious and attractive catalysts to dive into the market. But there’s a handful of both risks and rewards that should be carefully weighed before converting conventional, long-term rentals into short-term rentals or before investing in a property solely for this use. In a detailed guide for property managers outlining four risks and four rewards of this market, we’ve created a launching point into the necessary research that should be done before diving in head first. 

Some of the controversy surrounding short-term rentals stems from both hotels and city departments. Hotels argue that property owners renting on a short-term basis should be subject to the same occupancy taxes that they have to pay as an operative business. City officials make the same claims, suggesting that if short-term rentals are allowed, the city should gain the revenue from the HOT (hotel occupancy tax). Because of the ongoing debate, some cities have banned short-term rentals altogether. Others have implemented restrictions. As a property owner considering this type of rental, keeping this in mind is crucial; if restrictions or bans are enforced, will you become subject to a financial loss? Other risk factors mentioned in the guide include the additional costs associated with short-term rentals, competition between other properties and community risks. 

The most obvious reward is the revenue potential, with some property owners claiming they can earn 25% of their monthly mortgage payment in a single night; factor in the opportunity to charge significantly higher rates during peak periods in your geographic area (highly attended events or festivals, holiday weekends and summer weeks, for example), and the opportunity to make significantly more than a conventional, leased rental is high. That said, this should be balanced with the aforementioned additional costs to truly calculate profit potential. Some property owners rent on a short-term basis as a way to preserve a property, claiming short-term renters are easier on a property and allows the owner more access for upkeep and maintenance. Other rewards that may surround these rentals include the community rewards – like promoting tourism, and tax breaks for maintenance, marketing and large-ticket purchases.

No matter which reward has attracted you to potentially managing these property types, it’s important to gauge all possible outcomes and make the best decision based on your property type, its location and all the possibilities that may be potential rewards or hindrances. 

Stratton

Thanksgiving is only a week away and Stratton is hoping for some cold days and nights so they can open next weekend.    Our Winter seasonal rentals here at Stratton start Friday.   We have been busy checking homes to make sure they are clean and ready for all our tenants.   Its not too late to find a Stratton Seasonal rental .  Just look in the link to see availability.  

Thanksgiving activities at Stratton include  a 5 K  Turkey Wobble Race on Thanksgiving Day.  Firday all the village shops are open with special deals.    Friday night features a movie  about Freestyle Coach “SteveK”  or Steve Kenney and  then a wonderful evening with the Stratton Mountain Boys and light German fare.    I attended a similar evening a month agao celebrating Stratton Mountain’s 50th Anniversay and it was great fun.   

Snow permitting on Saturday there is a rail jam planned.   The warm is gone, winter at Stratton is here so its time to get out the boards and come to Stratton.

If you only want to try Stratton for a weekend or a week, call our Short Term rental department for availaility.  they have lots of great choices of Rentals at Stratton.