The countdown to ski season is on, with Vail Mountain scheduled to open November 13 and Beaver Creek following on November 25. October offered plenty to enjoy along the way, from enticing restaurant specials to conversations with local Vail businesses encouraged by late-summer and fall visitation. According to data for western mountain resort markets compiled by Elevated Perks, summer 2026 occupancy was up approximately 2%, average nightly rates increased 6%, and overall rental revenue increased 8.2% compared to 2025, based on data through Q3. September was especially strong, with occupancy up 6.6%, nightly rates up 9.6%, and revenue up 16.7% compared to September 2025. We hope to bring the same (of better) energy to the resorts this ski season with the hope of better snowfall. We wrapped up the month with another memorable Halloween: Jade made a proud Cat in the Hat, accompanied by her trusty cul-de-sac sidekick, Larry the dog!
On the real estate front, active listings have declined from the mid-700s in late September to approximately 570 today. Year-to-date closed sales and pending sales are each running roughly 3% ahead of the same period in 2025. October saw 72 properties go under contract, below the typical monthly range of 80–100, alongside a decline in available inventory. The average asking price of active listings stands at approximately $2.29 million, while average days on market remain near three months and the average sale-to-list-price ratio is 95.65%.
These figures provide a useful overview, but the most meaningful insights come from looking closely at individual properties and their immediate competition. Conditions vary by neighborhood, property type, price point, and condition. Price per square foot is one reference point; location, views, amenities, renovation needs, and lifestyle fit all help determine value, and the right strategy for buying or selling.
In This Newsletter:
- New Access To Private, Exclusive Vail Valley Listings – I’m thrilled to introduce my clients to the new Home Platform app – complete with buyer access to private, exclusive listing collections, refined property searches, and real-time updates for sellers as to how buyers are engaging with your property. This is an exciting and robust new offering for my clients, so reach out to me for an invitation!
- Q3 Market Reports Released – From the front range to the mountain resort communities, market activity varied throughout the state. Interested in a particular neighborhood or how one area stacks up to another? Check out the Q3 Market Reports below.
- A Look Inside My Home Renovation – When we discovered our existing fireplace could no longer be serviced, replacing it meant removing the surrounding stonework and disturbing the floors. One thing led to another, and what began as a fireplace replacement evolved into a complete reimagining of our main living space. Read the full story below!
- Featured Listings Not To Miss – Don’t forget to check out my listings below in this email!
As always, thank you for reading and being part of this community. Whether you’re considering a move or simply curious about the market and life in the Vail Valley, I welcome the conversation. Just reply or reach out directly.
With the new Home Platform app, you see your entire sale or search alongside me, in real time.
For buyers: get access to private, exclusive listing collections (properties on a list and not released for the public to see), refined searches and up-to-the-minute listings seen first, the moment they arrive.
For sellers: see how buyers engage with your home, and how interest trends over time, visible as it develops, not after.
Throughout your transaction: your timeline, documents, and tours, organized in one place.
Every detail, exactly where it belongs.
Reach out to me via email to request your individual invitation to the Home Platform – [email protected]
Colorado’s Front Range shifted to a more deliberate pace in Q3 2026. As borrowing costs rose around the world and mortgage rates crossed 7%, buyers took more time to look, compare, and decide. The median sales price adjusted down 1.1% since year-end 2025, and total sales volume held steady at $32.2 billion. Homes continued to sell at 98.8% of list price, unchanged from last year, so sellers who priced with precision were met with confidence.
Momentum varied by region. Northern Colorado led the Front Range for the second consecutive report, with properties sold up 15.5% since 2025. In the mountains, the resort median sales price rose 14.6% from year-end 2025 – a reminder that rare legacy properties hold their value when the wider world feels uncertain.
View the Full Reports
The Quarterly Market Reports are interactive, consisting of real-time data accessible via hyperlinks or QR codes, powered by LiveBy.
From One Fireplace to a Whole New Living Space: An Inside Look at My Home Renovation
Q: How does a fireplace replacement turn into a full renovation?
A: Apparently, one very connected floor plan! When we learned our fireplace could no longer be repaired because parts were unavailable, replacing it meant removing the surrounding stonework and disturbing the floors. Those floors continued into the dining room and kitchen, and suddenly, our 28-year-old kitchen and nearly 15-year-old appliances became part of the conversation.
What began with a fireplace evolved into a complete reimagining of our main living space. We expanded the living room by three feet, redesigned the kitchen and dining areas, added a beverage bar, refreshed the powder room, and replaced the traditional staircase with a contemporary glass design.
My takeaway: before replacing one major feature, understand what it touches… literally. A little advance planning can help you decide where to draw the line, even if that line moves a few times!
Q: After touring so many beautiful homes, how did you decide what you wanted in your own?
A: Decades of touring homes throughout the Vail Valley have given me quite an education in what works, what feels timeless, and what looks wonderful but wouldn’t suit the way we live. My goal was a warm, sophisticated mountain-modern home that felt comfortable and personal.
Design and renovation shows provided inspiration, along with AI and my “straight guy with the queer eye” boyfriend became a surprisingly useful tool for visualizing finishes, comparing colors, and exploring ideas. I used AI as a patient brainstorming partner, although actual samples in your own lighting still get the final vote.
For anyone planning a renovation, start with how you want to use and feel in the space. That makes the endless finish decisions much easier.
Q: What gave you confidence in choosing your contractor?
A: I had already seen Rick Kirby of Benchmark Custom Builders in action when my buyers purchased a $7.25 million new-construction home before completion. His craftsmanship, attention to detail, and professionalism made a lasting impression. When it was time for our renovation, I knew whom to call.
Beautiful finished work matters, but so does the experience of getting there. My advice is to ask about communication, how changes are handled, and what previous clients say about the process. You’ll be making a lot of decisions together; you want confidence in the person answering the phone.
Q: Did the renovation finish on time, or is that a trick question?
A: We met our most important milestone: moving back upstairs within the timeframe we had anticipated. A few material delays and final punch-list items extended the finishing process, but the remaining work is largely cosmetic.
I’ve learned that “ready to live in” and “every last detail is finished” can occupy different dates on the calendar. For anyone renovating, define those milestones early and build some flexibility into your plans, especially if a move, holiday, or houseguests are involved.
We’re 99% complete with the kitchen – the only thing left is the finish on the range hood. In the photo above, you can see the range hood as it is currently, Below is the AI rendering of what it will look like when the materials are available to complete it!
Q: And the question everyone wants to ask: did you stay on budget?
A: The final invoices haven’t all arrived, and as typical with renovations, we made some additional changes which make this a trick question! Some selections came in under budget; others went over, and with those “while we’re at it” added decisions, they had a way of adding up.
My advice is to distinguish between necessary work and optional upgrades, keep a running total of changes, and allow a contingency for surprises (which luckily, we didn’t have many). It’s much easier to make thoughtful choices when you understand their cumulative cost, preferably before falling in love with the next beautiful thing. Overall, we love the outcome!
Q: Who helped turn your ideas into an actual home and keep all the moving parts moving?
A: It truly took a team, and considerably more coordination than my inspiration photos suggested! Rick Kirby of Benchmark Custom Builders managed the renovation and his amazing subcontractors; with several specialists helping bring the details together.
Caruso Kitchens supplied our cabinetry, Valley Stone our countertops, and Select Tile our hardwood flooring and bathroom tile. Decorative Materials provided the fireplace tile; Maverick Flooring supplied carpet and stair runners, and Lighting New York was our source for chandeliers.
For furnishings, we combined pieces from P Furniture & Design, a custom dining table and chairs from Sarizza, and swivel chairs from Quince. On Call Moving handled furniture storage and moving, while Nest helped find new homes for some of our existing pieces.
My takeaway: plan for what happens to your furniture as carefully as you plan for the construction. Storage, moving, and deciding what to keep deserves a place on the calendar, and in the budget.
Q: Where did you invest in materials, and what guided your appliance choices?
A: We wanted a warm, timeless mountain-modern look, with natural textures and appliances suited to how we actually live. The kitchen combines custom cabinetry, Taj Mahal quartzite countertops for the kitchen and Cristallo quartzite for the beverage bar, and a custom-designed range hood. Those larger, permanent elements established the direction for the rest of the space.
Our appliances include a 36-inch Monogram range, a JennAir Noir refrigerator and warming drawer, a Bosch dishwasher, and a Sharp microwave drawer. We also added a Culligan water softener, less photogenic than the quartzite, but very much part of the everyday experience.
For anyone renovating, think beyond the finish when choosing appliances. Dimensions, installation requirements, local service availability, and how you cook matter just as much as how everything looks together.
Q: Which outside perspective made the biggest difference in the design?
A: A longtime friend and accomplished architect, Marc Camens, who is based in Kiawah Island and also spends time in Vail, offered invaluable guidance early in the process. He suggested expanding the living room by three feet, rethinking the kitchen layout by swapping out the kitchen and dining rooms, as well as creating a flat ceiling across those two areas.
Those ideas helped us see the space differently and had a significant influence on the final design. Three feet may sound modest, but in a living room, it can change far more than where the sofa sits.
My advice: bring an experienced design perspective into the conversation early, before layouts and construction plans are finalized. Also, AI was an invaluable tool for research and choices. Sometimes the most valuable contribution is seeing a possibility you hadn’t considered.
Q: What tested your patience, and what made it all worthwhile?
A: One of the more frustrating surprises was cabinetry that had been correctly designed and measured but arrived outside the manufacturing specifications. Unfortunately, careful planning doesn’t guarantee that everything delivered will match the plan!
The most rewarding part was watching our vision take shape. I also appreciated being able to make thoughtful adjustments along the way, improving both the look and functionality of the space. There’s real satisfaction in seeing all those individual decisions come together into a home that feels like us.
My takeaway: If something doesn’t look or feel right, speak up early and stay open to adjustments. Whether you’re addressing a concern or reconsidering a design choice, changes are usually easier, and less costly, before the next phase of work begins.
Q: Having been through it yourself, what advice will you now emphasize with clients considering a renovation?
A: Stay engaged. You don’t need to become a contractor, or arrive with your own tool belt, but your participation matters. Attend project meetings, understand the sequence of work, ask questions, and review details before installation moves forward.
An excellent team brings expertise; you bring the clearest understanding of how you want to live in the home. Clear communication helps connect the two.
The experience also reinforced the value of looking beyond a property’s current finishes. When evaluating a home with renovation potential, consider the layout, the scope of work, and your own appetite for the process alongside the purchase price. The possibilities can be exciting, but understanding what it will take to realize them helps you make a more confident decision.
A New Season, A New Perspective
As the Vail Valley shifts into winter, we’re settling into a new chapter in our own home. This renovation has reinforced something I’ve long appreciated in real estate: a home’s appeal goes well beyond beautiful finishes. It’s how the spaces connect, how comfortably they support your routines, and how they feel when everyone gathers. After years of helping clients see a property’s possibilities, experiencing the process firsthand has given me a fresh perspective, and a healthy appreciation for just how many decisions sit behind a seemingly effortless design!
Final Takeaway
If you’re considering purchasing in the Vail Valley and are open to a renovation, this could be an excellent time to explore the possibilities. Many buyers prefer to pay a premium for a new or beautifully remodeled home, creating opportunities for those willing to invest some time and imagination in a property that needs a refresh. If that sounds like you, reach out directly, I’d love to help you recognize the potential, evaluate the trade-offs, and connect you with a trusted contractor to bring your vision to life!
