Luxury Real Estate

Courtesy of Jay Gould of Vail Valley Getaway

To most, vacations are a sacred and coveted time that must be filled with enough fun and excitement to make the rest of the year bearable. The key is to find that perfect escape, one that takes you away from the mundane yet still provides access to entertainment and activities with a luxurious resort appeal.

Luckily there’s Vail Valley Getaway to fill such a tall order. More than a resort property management company, this full service vacation planner offers concierge services in addition to a variety of lavish accommodations featuring privately owned condos and residences in the most celebrated Beaver Creek and Vail communities.

Now you can experience the Vail Valley how the other half lives, by staying in a private, luxury mountain retreat rather than booking a traditional resort hotel room. With Vail Valley Getaway, your vacation “home base” is a truly exquisite home with exclusive services that make the most of precious vacation time. Enlist the expertise of informed specialists to handle details like transportation, grocery shopping, housekeeping, even babysitting.

Year round, the knowledgeable and friendly staff is ready to assist in planning a fun-filled trip that is both relaxing and rejuvenating. The rental management team provides an uncompromising standard of excellence to both property owners and guests, embracing a unique opportunity to care for and represent some of the finest homes in the Vail Valley.

Customer reviews from TripAdvisor and Flipkey awarded Vail Valley Getaway an “Excellent Rating” with 5 stars

proving their commitment to excellence in guest satisfaction.

Summer or winter, family vacations or romantic getaways, they should be filled with unforgettable adventures and accommodations, award-winning cuisine, one-of-a-kind galleries, elegant boutiques and spa treatments. From internationally renowned skiing and snow sports, to tube rides for the kid in all of us, to championship golf, horseback riding, rafting, hiking, and gold-medal fly-fishing, let Vail Valley Getaway plan a trip that will raise the vacation bar for years to come.

If you would like more information or to schedule an interview with Jay Gould, please contact Michelle Parenti at 626.833.5015 or email info@vailvalleygetaway.com for additional information and photography.

Courtesy of Michael McFadden of Luxury Real Estate Vacation Rentals

Luxury Home Rentals by East West Resorts is an elite vacation home rental service representing the most prestigious homes in Vail, Beaver Creek and Bachelor Gulch. Catering to elite travelers, we represent a select collection of homes that each feature high-end furnishings, designer décor, and top-of-the-line appliances. In addition all properties are located in prime locations within close proximity to the world-class ski resorts of the Vail Valley.

One of our newest properties includes Woodhaven at Vail and is just a representation of the full collection of available properties. This unprecedented Vail Mountain ski-in/ski-out home is ideal for a family or group getaway. With accommodations for up to fourteen guests, a private chalet for mountain-side meals and majestic great room, this home features everything needed for a perfect visit to Vail no matter the time of year.

What sets Luxury Home Rentals apart is the level of service you will receive leading up to and throughout your stay. Luxury Home Rentals will ensure that every detail of your trip is taken care of. Your Luxury Home Rentals Vacation Consultant is available from the minute you begin planning your vacation until you leave Colorado. From making sure there is a fire in the hearth and that the cabinets are stocked upon your arrival to arranging private chefs, a snowmobile adventure, or childcare, you can count on your Vacation Consultant to anticipate your needs and be on call to fulfill them.

For more information about the unique experience we can provide, please contact us at 888.841.0880 or by email.

Courtesy of Jay Gould of Vail Valley Getaway

Presidents' Weekend is around the corner, stay 5 nights and receive special pricing for our valued guests. Special offer for the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Bachelor Gulch. Rates to low to publish so please call us to discuss details, 888-617-3687. Open to all Vail and Beaver Creek condos and homes. Book now to ensure availability and be sure to ask about our list of Concierge Services to meet your vacation rental needs. See you on the slopes this winter!

11A Castlepeak  
Arrowhead, Colorado

Looking for that perfect ski home?  Look no further.  Wet bar, 2 fireplaces, vaulted ceilings, community pool & hot tub access. 

Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 4.5
Sleeps: 10

33 Holden Place
Beaver Creek, Colorado

Experience views of the grandiose mountains through floor to ceiling windows & sheer grandeur you have to see to believe.

Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 5.5
Sleeps: 12

27 Golf Terrace
Vail, Colorado

Spacious in a great location- newly remodeled end unit. Large windows, sky lights & open floor plan. Comes with guest access to Vail Cascade Club & Spa.

Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3.5
Sleeps: 10

DENVER – Kentwood City Properties, one of three strategically located offices that comprise Kentwood Real Estate, has announced a partnership with Denver B-cycle, an organization that offers residents of and visitors to downtown Denver and surrounding neighborhoods an alternative form of public transportation. In addition to branded B-cycles and annual memberships for employees, Kentwood City Properties will also have the capabilities to utilize B-cycles when showing properties in downtown Denver and many the cities most historic and desirable neighborhoods.

Kentwood City Properties’ sponsorship support of Denver B-cycle arrives as the bike sharing system closes down for the winter in its inaugural season. Denver B-cycle will reopen in March 2011.

“We are thrilled to have created this partnership with Denver B-cycle,” said Dee Chirafisi, broker and founding partner of Kentwood City Properties. “Our employees, brokers and clients will have the opportunity to commute and see real estate on two wheels rather than four via a B-cycle. Our company is very supportive of the bike sharing program. We will be launching some fun events this coming spring in and around downtown, so watch for the Kentwood City Properties bikes on the streets.”

“We are excited that Kentwood City Properties stepped up to help support Denver B-cycle and biking,” said Parry Burnap, executive director of Denver Bike Sharing, the non-profit that owns and operates the Denver B-cycle system. “Not only are they a valuable sponsor, but they are also promoting an increase of daily activity, saving money and reducing unhealthy air toxics and carbon emissions.”

In addition to 20 branded B-cycles with the Kentwood logo on the baskets and memberships for Kentwood City’s staff, the two-year sponsorship includes 70 helmets for Kentwood employees, demo cards for Kentwood City’s brokers to use when showing properties, an online social media and newsletter listing, and more.

In addition to 20 branded B-cycles with the Kentwood logo on the baskets and memberships for Kentwood City’s staff, the two-year sponsorship includes 70 helmets for Kentwood employees, demo cards for Kentwood City’s brokers to use when showing properties, an online social media and newsletter listing, and more.

Launched on April 22, 2010, Denver B-cycle reached 102,981 rides by midnight on December 5th, after less than seven months of operation. The system currently has 500 B-cycles located at 50 B-cycle stations. By offering an alternative form of public transportation, Denver B-cycle supports the city’s Greenprint Climate Action Plan, the Strategic Transportation Plan, and the Living Streets initiative. For more information, visit http://denver.bcycle.com.

Kentwood City Properties, formed in 1999, is the newest member of Kentwood Real Estate, known nationally as Denver’s premier real estate company. The company’s street-front office at the corner of 17^th and Wynkoop streets, directly across the street from Union Station, is comprised of 50 of metro Denver’s most experienced real estate professionals serving residential buyers, sellers, and developers and commercial real estate services for buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants. For more information phone 303-820-CITY (2489), and visit online at www.kentwoodcity.com.

Kentwood Real Estate is comprised of Kentwood City Properties, The Kentwood Company at Cherry Creek, and The Kentwood Company in the Denver Tech Center. View all Kentwood listings at www.DenverRealEstate.com.

Courtesy of Slifer Smith and Frampton

The Eagle County real estate market continues to show signs of improvement as both sales volume and number of deals are exceeding 2009 numbers. As of July 2010, sales volume for the Vail Valley was over $800 million which is 83% ahead of July 2009. It looks as though the market will exceed $1 billion in sales, the first time since 2008. 

July numbers recorded $88 million in dollar volume with 92 transactions, both exceeding the July numbers for 2009. Properties over $2 million accounted for 50% of the sales volume this month. Vail Village was the main contributor to the dollar volume with more than 30% of the overall total with $27 million over 7 transactions. Four of these transactions were properties that sold for over $5 million, including 3 Solaris units one of which was the highest priced sale this month at $7.5 million. Solaris now has sold a total of 12 residences with an average sales price of $7.6 million.

Contributing to the total dollar volume this year are the 30 deals completed on properties over $5 million accounting for over $200 million in dollar volume. Historically low interest rates and excellent values continue to drive the market under $1 million. Nearly 75% of all transactions have sold for less than $1 million in July and 70% year to date. Eagle had the most transactions this month with 11 deals. To view all of the deals that happened in July visit our market report section at http://www.vailrealestate.com/marketmonth.cfm.

Jim Walburg of Caribbean Islands Realty

So, we were in Colorado last week attending several real estate conferences. The last one was the Who’s Who In Luxury Real Estate Fall Conference in Vail as one of their conference presenters regarding our internet marketing strategies for our customers. After the conferences we visited our friends who provided us a little R&R at their home for two days. During our visit we learned that Jay and Carol helped start the only premier coffee roasting company committed to roasting only 100% Fair Trade Certified and Organic Certified coffee beans. BuyWell Coffee was founded with a BIG dream – combating poverty and protecting the environment through coffee purchases. Did you know that the second highest volume commodity traded in the world, after oil, is coffee? Well, believe it! And, the vast majority of coffee growing families are living on less than $2.00 per day!

After many hours of conversation with Jay, it was an eye opener as to what the impact is that growing coffee is having on the world’s environment. The carbon footprint of this industry is HUGE! BuyWell Coffee is constantly looking for ways to become more sustainable and making their daily carbon footprint much smaller. And, they are doing this while still producing the best coffee I have ever tasted. Plus, it is actually very affordable!

Are you ready for some very sobering statistics about the coffee industry? The U.S. consumes one-fifth of the world’s coffee! But few Americans realize that the worker-families in the coffee industry work in conditions that can be described as “sweatshops in the fields.” Many small coffee farmers receive prices for their coffee that are less than the costs of production, forcing them into a cycle of poverty and debt for their entire lives.

Fair Trade Certified is now the solution to assure consumers that the coffee we drink is purchased under fair working conditions. To become Fair Trade Certified, BuyWell Coffee must meet strict international standards; paying a minimum price per pound of at least $1.26, providing much needed credit to farmers, and providing technical assistance such as help transitioning to organic farming. Fair Trade for coffee farmer’s means community development, health, education, and being good stewards of the environmental.

I had no idea what Fair Trade Certified and Organic Certified labels really meant. It means that farmers and workers receive a fair price for their product. The FTC price means that farmers can finally provide for their families and that their children can go to school instead of working in the fields. By receiving a fair price, Fair Trade Certified producers can avoid cost-cutting practices that sacrifice quality. The FTC producers’ traditional farming methods result in exceptional products. And, it means you are receiving the highest quality product that is able to be produced! So, purchasing one of BuyWell Coffee’s ten+ coffee blends contributes to the well-being of farming families around the world. (Wouldn’t be interesting if all of our companies were doing the same to make a difference in the world?)

Remember the real mission of Jay’s company that I wrote about earlier – combating poverty and protecting the environment through coffee. A portion of very bag of coffee that BuyWell Coffee sells supports a group called Roots & Wings. They are committed to providing a college education for indigenous youth from families in rural Guatemala. Roots & Wings International scholars come from coffee-growing communities. They are the FIRST in their families to study beyond elementary school. The scholarships are awarded based on financial need, academic abilities, and commitment to give back to community development projects where the students live.

All of BuyWell Coffee’s giving programs are coffee-powered. BuyWell invests in sustainable development initiatives in coffee growing regions of the world, and in the U.S. to create long-term health and global opportunity for the coffee grower families of the world. Now, if this coffee really tastes as good as I say it does, wouldn’t it be a good idea try some? If you don’t like it, then go back to your favorite blend. But, if you love it, all of your purchases will assist with making this world a better place.

By Jim Walberg of Caribbean Islands Realty

For the past fourteen years Luxury Real Estate, and John Brian Losh – President and CEO, have produced an opportunity in the Fall for member-Brokers to gather in various luxury locations throughout the United States to share best practices and to expand relationships with the elite Realtors from around the world. This year’s Fall Conference was held in Bachelor Gulch, Colorado at the Ritz Carlton with the entire Luxury Real Estate staff creating an unforgettable experience for the attendees. Jim Walberg has participated in the last five Luxury Real Estate conferences and has found them to be an invaluable contribution to the growth of his real estate companies.

The four day conference held from September 13^th to September 16^th welcomed Brokers from around the world – from New Zealand to Spain. The focus of the best practice seminars included;

• Media Fragmentation: In the age of the internet, where does print fit into your marketing plans – hosted by Nick Antonicello from Unique Homes Magazine.
• The Mechanics Of Creative Listening: How to listen better, hear more, and find what matters most! – hosted by Matt Smith, improv actor and corporate trainer.
• The Unabashed Pursuit Of Market Leadership: How to become the Break-Away brand in your marketplace – hosted by Ron and Alexandra Seigel from Napa Consultants.
• The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership: Real estate evolution; How to get through today and prepare for the future – hosted by Liz Christoffersen Empowering Consulting Group
• Changing Realtor Roles In A Changing Environment: Tracking Realtor involvement on a National and Global level – hosted by Bonnie Smith Allen from Exclusive Mountain Retreats Real Estate.
• The Virtual Luxury Real Estate Office: How to create and Implement your very own profit center – an international luxury real estate office! Hosted by Michael Marquette from Marquette Turner Luxury Homes, and Jim Walberg from Caribbean Islands Realty.
• Redefining The New Luxury: What the new definition of today’s Luxury means to you and your customers. Hosted by Dan McCarthy from Network Communications, Inc.

Besides the daily high level seminars, the annual Luxury Real Estate Awards banquet is held at each of the Fall conferences. Each year Luxury Real Estate honors their top members in various categories. The highest award is the Lifetime Achievement Award given to the member who has set the example of excellence for the real estate industry, their career, and is truly a legend within our industry. This year’s award was given to Tom Anderson from Washington Fine Properties, which he founded in 1999 and is currently the president.

There were several other significant awards presented, with one of them being received by Jim Walberg – the 2009 Global Real Estate Networking Award. This award is presented to the individual who has created the largest real estate network within the luxury real estate world.

Who’s Who In Luxury Real Estate (LuxuryRealEstate.com) is a global network of over 1,500 luxury real estate brokerages that is by invitation only. It provides an annual reference guide for luxury real estate agents worldwide to connect their practices, their Buyers and Sellers, and it is made easy because of this member-directory that is published each year. Each member is carefully selected based on the company’s established reputation for performance, experience with high-end properties, and quality service. We are very fortunate that The Bay Area Team and Caribbean Islands Realty were invited three years ago to be members of this prestigious group. Click here for more information about LuxuryRealEstate.com and how it can benefit your real estate needs.

Congratulations to Crissy Rumford of Slifer, Smith and Frampton Real Estate in Vail, Colorado, USA. The following video was featured in The Vail Daily, it was a recipient of two prestigious Telly Awards (In the world of marketing and advertising, the Telly Award is a nod to the quality of the ad, as is an Academy Award or Emmy to an actor.)

http://ev01v.com/crissy.html